Archive; (items are moved here when their relevance to the current activities is less pertinent)
12/16/10 The Third Session, in the AV Room;
There were a few folks in the AV room when I arrived and we got into a discussion about the play and some other New Church thoughts, however they were not there to read the play, so I settled in to focus on the budget structure. I thought I'd stay focused on logistical matters, since there will need to be a definitive plan already worked out for those who have expressed interest in being involved in those aspects.
I discovered the Electronic White Board in the AV Room and attempted to get my laptop to work with that. I suddenly realized that we could use that White Board to post the budget spreadsheet and other materials, like a PowerPoint presentation or even the CD version of the script for us to read from. So I will be working on getting a grip on that tool.
The budget that I had produced for past production work needs to be adapted to the present circumstances and I realize that I need to rethink the formulas in that layout. I can't believe that I ever understood that document, it is very complicated, so I will be working on redesigning the budget layout. It is more than simply a budget, it is a management tool that is also an analysis and reporting devise as well. I expect to link that layout to other databases for management purposes, but that all needs to be redesigned. It would be nice to have a Business Manager involved at this point, so if anybody is into that aspect of things, please do let me know. We will be needing to start raising capital for this project and the budget and modus operandi needs to be confirmed.I am looking beyond presentations in Bryn Athyn with this aspect of things, but it needs to be founded in the effort here.
Also, I determined not to bother with the video until we have a significant momentum going. I am seriously looking at buying another camera, one that will link more readily with my editing systems. I am still dealing with major interface difficulties for the composite equipment I have and I'm just about ready to give up on it. Although another camera with Fire-wire which can also service composite may solve those problems. This equipment is pretty much used for documentary purposes and is not suitable for the Feature Film that I do anticipate pursuing. For that I will be striving to acquire at least one Aaton or possibly an Arri, depending on what resources are available. I'm seeking to acquire one and rent one or two more when the time comes.
12/8/10 The Second session, in Swedenborgania;
This session focused on cross referencing the CD-ROM edition with the retail spiral bound Edition and implementing the updates into that edition format so that the working scripts can become 1) smaller and 2) the most recent edition and 3) so that the changes that occur during the readings can be integrated easily in this format. Unfortunately when I produced the CD edition I altered the format for easy reading on the computer screen but failed to make those changes in the Spiral Bound format at the same time, so I have go back and make those changes (effectively that is a months worth of work)
The weekly work sessions may or may not be readings, as there is much to be done logistically as well, so this session, being devoid of attendees was clearly one which also determined the modus operandi for advancing the production. I have come to the conclusion that this time slot will be the ongoing hub to the work on Nunc Licet, meaning the stabliizing centre of all the work that is occurring. No matter who is working on whatever aspect of the show, this time-slot at the Swedenborg Library is the gathering time to report in or to participate in further refinement of the script.
12/1/10 The Workshop begins;
This first report is thanks to an inquiry from my friend and fellow filmmaker Steven Zimish who lives in Kentucky. I wrote him back with this report and so I thought that posting it here was a good idea.
We had a light showing of people checking in, but we moved forward anyway. A few folks came over, looked in the windows and then left. I figure it will take time to get enough people involved. We read the lines alternately, not really worrying about assigning characters and I tried to skip over the descriptions (as best we could) so we could get a feel for the actual timing. For the most part we got thru the first half of the play.
Basically, that took about an hour and a half with about 15 or 20 minutes worth of stopping or stalling in between. So that means that the timing on the first half is pretty good. A few months ago we were reading the play at the park and we did the second half. The timing on that went really well and the dialogue flowed much better than I had expected it to. I think there were some sections of dialogue which seemed to me to be obscure, but I was alone in that opinion. We won't really know how well it flows until we have people who are portraying the individual characters and speaking the lines like they mean them. Personality is a very big factor in comprehending the thoughts that a character is trying to convey.
There are some pretty big sections in the script that depend on blocking and movement to make sense of it. I have characters interjecting themselves into other peoples conversations, not interrupting but interjecting, and so when that happens and you don't see the blocking (meaning the physical presence of the characters on the stage) then it doesn't make sense why there is a sudden (apparently) unrelated comment out of the blue. Overall I think we are on the way to developing something. I've experienced the process to the point where I understand that it takes time for people to adjust themselves and to actually get involved. Unfortunately it just doesn't happen right away, the way you want it to. People often say one thing and do another, so I'm trying very hard to say what I mean and mean what I say. These workshops will be taking place every Wednesday from now until June, hopefully over that time period we will develop a group of devotees who will be consistent in their participation. We are looking forward to next week, when we will be approaching Act II.
Regarding video;
I'm using the Panasonic AG456 S-VHS camera that I have. I have two of them, but for now I'm just using one. Without an operator I'm just pointing it at the round table we are using to read at. That will give us some material we can use in a future edit, assuming I can get my composite interface working. If things work out I expect that we will produce a documentary of the process. Of course, we don't actually need that to edit in FCP, we can do it linearly, which I'm not looking forward to doing. I have a Panasonic MX30 Digital Video Mixing board. It's a great board for linear work. I've got four decks if you include the cameras into the editing system and all the decks, including the cameras are controlled by two editing consoles that feed the mixer. If I get the composite interface working, we can do a linear rough-cut with effects- if we want to, but why since we can do that in FCP, once I get the raw stock into the hard disk. But then we also can send the project over to Digital Performer to do the sound track, including original music if need be. I have other audio programs, but I don't know how to use them yet. So that's the video system I'm using which will be available to whoever comes on-board as the video-documantarian. It is all 720 lines and according to some specification that's supposed to be HD. Personally, I think anything less than 1060 is not HD. My editing systems are not set up for HD, so getting an HD camera like the Canon XLHD would require upgrading my system. I'd love to do it, but not on my budget, not yet.
8/10- A Staged Reading & Script materials
Publication of the latest version of the script is moving forward in preparation of a reading. The previously thought: summer reading, did not manifest for a few reasons. I was advised (vehemently) that the reading should take place after the students returned to classes at the college. The argument being that the town comes back to life when that happens and some of the student might like to participate. It seemed like a good idea. There are also production issues with lighting and video which need to be resolved before we can advance. In addition, I also realize that there is no point in doing a reading using an old version of the script, so I need to publish the new script in hard copy before we move forward. The work at Tamanend Park and developing programs there has also required my attention, as that is predominately a summer program of films & theatre.
5/10- Submission to Princeton University's McCarter Theatre - As a result of a general inquiry I sent out informing organizations of the availability of the script on CD ROM the Dramaturg requested a copy for review. After such a review they opted not to include the play in their current season. No specific reason was given, nor any commentary provided regarding the content.
4/10- Submission to The Swedenborg Foundation- after a lengthy review process the decision was made not to publish the play, citing their desire not to engage in publishing drama, nor did they offer to assist in distributing the CD ROM. No comment was made regarding the content.
3/10 New Church Assembly in 2011- revelation that the Assembly for the New Church will be taking place in 2011 has sparked motivation to move forward with this play to present it at the world gathering of New Church people in Bryn Athyn. Discussions have taken place in regard to presenting the material in Glencairn Museum.
2/10 Paypal purchase of script has been set up - scripts are now available for purchase over the internet. The materials are published on demand. Refer to the page on the subject.
1/10- Ground work for the film version has begun- Discussions have taken place in regard to location, costumes, production management and a few individuals have been approached regarding their participation. I have decided on the digital camera I intend to acquire for other film projects and this camera may also work for this production as well. That depends on whether or not I can achieve the look I need for this period piece with digital as opposed to film. Scripting for the film will gradually begin to take place and if another local writer would care to be involved in that process, don't hesitate to broach the subject with me. I will be looking for an Assistant Director, another Producer, as well as other staff positions. We still need to raise the budget and concern ourselves with distribution as well, so persons interested in these arenas are invited to participate. It is inevitable that when the ball starts rolling, it will roll rather quickly so...
Older Posts (edited, dates excluded)
The material in these archives is from postings that are not in the current year,
but will continue to be edited to remain pertinent.
One should view this material
in the light of it's position in history
and so determine it's relevancy
therefrom.
Archive information for the year of 2009 was lost.
The Swedenborg Foundation decided against publishing the play citing their decision not to delve into drama.
Since the play is listed with Amazon.com, I think I better make it available. I've not published it via Amazon or LULU because I do not agree with their terms. Firstly, at this point I will not distribute the play via digital medium or give anyone free reign to do so; secondly, I will not allow anybody to edit my material or dictate the content of the work; and thirdly the percentage cut and the fees are too high to my liking.
The terms I will enter into with The Swedenborg Foundation are quite different than those of a commercial operation that is not concerned with the subject matter. I post this statement for those to whom it applies.
Thankfully, in February of 2009 New Church Life published a small portion of Nunc Licet. Selections from Act II containing dialogue with Emanuel Swedenborg were presented.
I hope to sell copies the play thru the New Church Book room, so you may inquire there, put an order in with them, or order it directly from me. The script will also be available on CD at some point in the near future. If you prefer that format, you should let me know. All publishing is on demand.
I've had a number of inquiries about putting this play up in a few locations across America and mention has been made of cities in Europe as well. It is my position that the play must be mounted in Bryn Athyn first. Thus, my current objective is to pull together a reading of the play "script-in-hand" and videotaping that. BACT: The Bryn Athyn Community Theatre is currently considering participating and assisting with this objective.
One of my goals is to build a production management team for this show. That team can be comprised of individual producing and management partners implementing IMS policies and management of the Limited Partnership, or corporate entities who have bought certain ancillary or distribution rights or entered into a Joint Venture. In all events, any profit sharing require a vested interest. Previous investment has established the Front Money Agreement and it's link to the Limited Partnership, so any future agreements must take this into account.
The stage and the film efforts must take place simultaneously. For various reasons, it is very difficult to pull together a cast & crew to mount a production, particularly one of this nature. Not only because it is a challenge to find dependable and talented thespians, but many people are very occupied and unable to make a commitment of this nature.
I believe this will also be a challenging show for the actor. Although I have tried to simplify the action & the dialogue and to divide it up into small segments, the volume & complexity of the dialogue still concerns me.
It may be difficult to achieve the diversity in the casting. Unless we hand this off to a casting director, in which event we will likely be dealing with Equity and consequently IA. I have been striving to produce this non-union only because, so far I have not (personally) been able to deal with the unions. If I have another producer or organization on board who can, then I don't have a problem with that.
Because of these factors, when the correct components are in fact pulled together for a successful production on the stage, it is most advisable, indeed critical, to access those people, costumes, and other resources to carry on the effort for the cinema.
The goal then, in that regard, would be to use Cairnwood Mansion as the primary shooting location and the surrounding area for other shots.
The stage production will be videotaped and I would very much like to find a video producer who would like to take charge of doing a documentary "The Making of Nunc Licet", which would culminate in a "theatre on film" piece. That would be different than the narrative film.
My objective then, is to bring together a number of persons who wish to partner in the effort to mount the stage production, the video documentary, and the cinematic production.
I will serve as the Executive Producer, unless someones else steps up to the plate. We will need one or more producers, which include associate producers, line producers, and supervising producers. Obviously the money needs to be raised and that will be part of the duty of all the producers as it pertains to their respective areas of management.
The management will be appropriately divided and delegated accordingly. I will also be serving as the Director for both the stage & the film versions, (unless somebody else can prove to me that they would be better at doing that). I am looking for assistant directors as well as all levels of personnel needed to fulfill the production goals.
This can be achieved either internally (as in employees) or externally (as in service vendors), so any persons with the knowledge of production, interest in being involved, resourcefulness and willingness to commit for the long haul, are invited to speak up.
I have spent time working on developing an Academic Program for producing theatre which may come into play with this, but it will be implemented by the management team and not myself individually. My role in that regard is conceptualization.
Keep watching here as I continue to refine this new site for information about Nunc Licet.
AG
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Relevant Management Information
Since the publishing of "Nunc Licet" in New Church Life, I've been inclined to work on this play again. Although I'm quite busy with The Gnomes of New Hope and The Shakespeareans of Tamanend Park, I do think that a staged reading of the script would be appropriate at this point and so I am initiating more activity in this direction.
Recent Publication News- A special thanks to Erik Sandstrom, editor of New Church Life, for publishing four pages from the script in the February 2009 issue. New Church Life reaches over 1,300 subscribers around the world. He has helped me to kick start my goal of getting this play around the world and to gain some degree of credibility for the play. Quite naturally he selected portions of the script which include Swedenborg in the dialogue, but for me personally, I'm particularly fond of the opening portions of the script that get the characters to that point. Because I needed to prepare the script for his use as a digital file, I am now very close to being able to offer the script on CD Rom. Keep an eye out for that if you are interested.
Other Web Pages;
Nunc Licet: a stage play As you may have noted by now, the AOL web pages are no longer posted on the web. I did copy them and at some point will translate them into documents that I can either post here (or elsewhere) or use as an attachment to an e-mail. In one way this is good, because it forces me to update my thinking on all of that material.
Management Notes;
This BLOG has become the primary web site for IMS and thus this page will be reformulated to provide the most current and direct source for information about all production efforts.
It has always been a primary goal to build an international management effort for " Nunc Licet". So I am beginning to do that and I Invite competent vested partners.
In the future, IMS will be establishing a secure server for specific management documents & files. But as a means to develop our network, we will use this site to engage in conversations about the developments in our specific regions. I am working to devise a management structure that allows for a full array of exposure to all the possible scenarios by which Nunc Licet may be presented and exploited.
The play still requires further development but it is nonetheless presentable in it's current form. I absolutely want changes made before a full production premieres, but they will only happen in production. No more writing is taking place on this script.
The CD ROM of the script will be made available as soon as possible, but in the mean while, I will build this site and the other management systems assuming that core groups will manifest on a world wide basis.
What this means is that, with the assistance of this web page, we will be able to collectively implement productions of this show in any location around the world. The design of the show will stem outward from here, both in terms of the management of individual productions and the refinement of the production in creative terms.
Basic Terms;
We will be moving forward to produce this show at this central location, Byrn Athyn Pennsylvania, but also I will be open to traveling to anywhere in the world to assist in other productions which might manifest.
The terms of the Production Contracts relevant to this show are very simple, 20% of all income produced by any means including, but not limited to the box office, is divided between The Alpha & Omega Society, (a charitable Foundation) and Image of the Mind Studios payable to Arthur Greisiger/Image of the Mind Studios.
A proposal containing the budget (identifying all sources of income) and outlining the production values must be submitted to Image of the Mind Studios prior to the production for approval.
For all productions- a deposit is required in the amount of 10% of the gross receipts, based on 40% attendance of the full capacity of the house.
Payment - A weekly report outlining attendance & income and payment of monies due shall be provided no later than five days after the close of each weeks run.
At no time shall complementary tickets exceed 10% of the paid attendees and any comps given which exceed that percentage shall be counted as paid and the appropriate compensation shall be paid to the author.
Participation in remote productions- My travel & living expenses must be paid, in order for me to participate in a remote production. An additional per Diem is required to cover my home-base expenses and the duration of my participation is open to discussion.
Contracts outlining the specifics of the production must be signed, prior to any public offering of the show or the production of any ancillary product (including publications) devised as a result.
Other terms may apply.
Production Assistance;
There are numerous marketplaces where this play can be presented and the method of operation in those marketplaces vary widely. With this in mind, I am working to design a method of supporting the growth of the show, while helping to make it easier to present the show, within those various markets. An example would be the difference between the educational, community, and professional presentation venues.
I expect to prepare a rental package of core materials that can be made available to any group wanting to present the play. This will include set designs (or possible the sets themselves) costumes, audio materials, playbill layout, video tape support materials, text for resale, etc.
It seems appropriate too that any group producing the show might consider selling their supplies to the next group who may be considering producing the show. So I encourage this kind of interaction.
Although a First Class Production has not gone up, when it does, there will be a documentary film produced about the process and this will be available to consequent productions as a resource to assist in their efforts.
I am expecting to produce this show as a feature film as well. This film will be shot in Bryn Athyn and other appropriate locations as needed. Personnel need to be gathered for this project, so I invite inquiry.
Hobbyists;
I am striving to produce this show as a professional endeavor and I expect persons who show interest or wish to participate in the project to conduct themselves in a professional manner. I am willing to entertain dialogue with hobbyists, only to the degree that such discussion does not impede the forward momentum of the project.
I am adamant that persons who stand up to be counted on this project must be counted on for the full nine yards. If you can't do the job, don't offer yourself for the position, whether you're being paid or not. It is critical that once someone has been delegated a job, they can be counted on to either complete the job at hand or find someone else who can take their place. This is an absolute requirement. The progress of this show has been greatly impaired by hobbyists in the past and I will not allow that to occur again.
I am working to devise a management system that allows for hobbyist and apprenticeship activities which will involve understudies for each of the roles, both in management and performing. This is linked to discussions on an Academic Apprenticeship Program which I have begun to design. I am considering open up a new discussion here for this subject, if I find others who would like to discuss or participate in this program.
Associate Production Companies;
Although IMS is continuing to move toward production of "Nunc Licet", I have no objections to anyone else wanting to take a stronger role in pushing the project forward. If another producer wants to be involved or a production company chooses to push forward faster than IMS, accommodations will be made and implemented in the contracts, most probably in the Joint Venture Contract or possibly in the Front Money & Limited Partnership , or General Production Contracts. In any event, the existing contract and management perimeters must be maintained. I don't see any reason for there to be a problem with that, so it's not an issue.
The Developmental Production;
The next stage of operations is the Developmental Production, after which is the Premiere , which I feel must take place in Bryn Athyn. If we conduct the Developmental Production else-where, which leads into a Premiere event, so long as that same show then moves to Bryn Athyn for an opening there, we can have the World Premiere anywhere. It's the only fair way to proceed.
That means that- part of the professional management design includes, where-ever the show goes up, that show must pay for moving the production to the next venue. This is the only way in which the show will continue to gain world-wide momentum and an ongoing professional presentation. If the Developmental Production is unwilling to move the show to Bryn Athyn, then the World Premiere cannot happen there. It's as simple as that. The details of this budgetary element will be discussed later.
I expect to continue to work toward the Developmental Production and Premiere taking place in Bryn Athyn.
Touring;
The cost of mounting AND touring the show must be written into the Premiere Event. The objective is not to mount the show and say YIPPIE... it is to move the show around. So at the very least, the show must be amortized over a specific number of performances. It is unlikely that there will be a performance space available for a period of time that is long enough to recoup, so touring is the only option in that regard. That means that set-up costs will represent a fixed percentage of the box office and that touring costs will likewise represent a fixed percentage. These elements have to be analyzed in the budget to determine the number of performances verses the ticket price and the other means of support available.
Once the show moves into a touring scenario, we are looking at Union rules & costs, so whoever the Touring Production Manager is will need to have a grip on these aspects of the production. It's possible that the General Manager will over-see the touring companies, in which event the Production Manager will answer to him or her. This will be determined when we locate a General Manager (which has not been done yet).
History of "Nunc Licet" a stage play
- The current production script, revision G-VII is printed but awaits binding however, the current CD ROM Edition (Revision H-VIII) contains important changes and will need to be refered to in production. In the revision numbers, letter refers to the text modifications (design, dialogue, story) and the roman numerals refers to changes in the publishing format. The CD will be available on request and will be available thru the New Church Book room at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. A bound edition will be published on demand. Look for information on that elsewhere.
I began writing Nunc Licet in 1985. The play has been work-shopped three times, once in California and twice in Pennsylvania, each time bringing refinements to both the text & the technical structure. Thus far, the play has gone through a total of 14 revisions. Some minor adjustments, some major. It has been presented to people in the fields of Literature, Academia, Theology, and Theatre for their review of the content, structure, and viability. It has been proof-read countless times, always returning with something that needed to be corrected. ( Probably due to one of the Gnomes of New Hope.) The revisions have included: moving from a single act in another play (titled I am Alpha& Omega) to a three act play of a very elemental style- from being enthralled with the word processing possibilities of the Macintosh, to realizing that assorted text styles interferes with the material.
As the play progressed, I was encouraged to expand upon the details of the subject matter. This necessitated the expansion of the character structure, which led to the addition of events and subtext. At one point it became necessary to re-distribute the subject matter amongst the characters, leading therefore to a re-evaluation of the depth of the characters to accommodate their new interests (particularly the women) And so it goes... For the most current production notes refer to the Production Approach Summary (I expect to reformulate this for this new web site)
Discussions; Admittedly, at first glance, "Nunc Licet" appears to be a long play. This is mostly because of the production notes that are included in the script and that the publication has been spread out for ease of use in production. My recent return to work on this script has surprised me with how easy it was to read compared with how I felt about it when I put it down and stopped working on it in 1997.
The script includes technical notes for both the primary & secondary actor's performance, blocking instructions, as well as other pertinent notes for backstage operations as well as design references. It is currently designed as a "realistic" theatre piece, something that I hope to change, by adding abstract elements of space & time to the piece. Because of it's philsophical nature, other aspects less heady of the production need to counter-balance what, in one reviewers opinion, was the didactic nature in the drama. This review is certianly a remnant of earlier versions of the script, but it also is a result of lack of theatrical vision.
It has been my intention to first produce the play in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, the Ecclesiastical seat of The General Church of the New Jerusalem. This fact shaped the form of the play during the rewrites. My goal has been to have this creative effort become a unifying tool, which can go forth to key locations around the world as a means of bringing awareness of Swedenborg in an entertainment environment, as opposed to that of a church environment. The next level required is a developmental production. This involves a staged reading , in black, with an open house for observers. This reading and all the activities leading up to it will be documented for both promotional and analysis purposes. A developmental production is a non-union effort, with the expectation that the show will be going into a union house at some point in the future. The developmental production may lead to a management structure that accommodates moving the production through the academic circles before it moves into any professional arenas.
