In this crazy pinball game of life, my career has touched a lot of areas in entertainment. As an actor, I’ve performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, as a singer and songwriter I’ve cut albums and done concert tours; I’ve starred in movies; I’ve written and produced network television programming; I’ve written award-winning film scripts, and I’ve even written a few books. And I’ve also served as publicist for select celebrity clientele.
Although it may seem like it, I am not “all entertainment, all the time.” Throughout my career, I have written newspaper and magazine articles on a variety of subjects. Yes, sometimes the subject matter is entertainment. However, sometimes my topics have little or nothing to do with Hollywood, Broadway, or the recording industry.
Case in point – at one point I wrote a series of articles on furniture design and woodworking. I’m not a carpenter, but just like an actor must become a pseudo-expert on topics their character is aligned with, as a writer I have the ability to translate complex subjects to everyday consumers. I’ve written about healthcare, fashion, automotive, security, culinary, and political subjects, just to name a few.
While I was putting words together regarding furniture design, one of the publishers I worked for introduced me to a book called “Measure Twice, Cut Once.” Written by renowned cabinetmaker Jim Tolpin, the book’s title reflects a concept that can apply to most businesses.
The underlying principle of the idea “Measure Twice, Cut Once” is that if you take the time to double-check your work as you go along, you won’t make the errors that would ruin the project and cause you to start all over again.
Think about it: if you measure a board once before cutting, if that measurement is wrong, the board is ruined. You can’t uncut a piece of wood. But if you measure twice and ensure your figures are correct, you’ll only make that cut once, and then you’ll be moving on to the next part of the project. Soon, you’ll be done, whereas someone who doesn’t check their work might still be trying to get out of the starting box.
Checking your work is a lesson that can apply to almost every industry. In entertainment, there are many areas where this can apply.
Keeping with the woodworking theme, builders in the scene shop are always advised to measure twice, and cut once. I don’t know of any theatre with an unlimited budget. Lumber and other building supplies aren’t cheap. In a world where every dollar counts, the last thing we want is needless waste from mismeasurement.
The same is true of seamstresses in the costume shop when it comes to cutting fabric. If you measure the fabric twice before cutting, you’ll avoid costly mistakes. Like lumber, fabric costs money – something theatres aren’t known to always have a plethora of. Waste simply isn’t wise.
But there doesn’t have to be literal cutting involved for the underlying meaning of the guideline “measure twice, cut once” to apply.
Think of the program you get when you go to the theatre. It’s basically a mini magazine. It requires graphic design layout, copywriting, and editing. Most magazine publishers I have worked for have a solid core staff of editors. This allows for multiple sets of eyes to proof each magazine page before it goes to production.
The program for a theatrical event can actually be rather complex to produce. It involves checking the spelling of numerous names and titles, editing biographies to fit the space, making sure all donors and key contributors are acknowledged and thanked, and that advertisers are properly presented.
Ironically, however, many theatres treat the program as more of an afterthought. I know of so many theatre companies that have one person whip the program together at 11th hour. Doing a project at the 11th hour and doing it without the benefit of a collaborator can be an invitation for errors.
Here’s why that might be a mistake: every interaction leaves us with a story. How that story is remembered over time is often tied to mementos. In theatre, many people hold onto their programs as a reminder of a treasured memory. This includes both audience members and those affiliated with the show.
It is very disappointing as an actor to receive the program for the show you’ve worked so hard to put on, only to see your name is misspelled or left out of the program entirely. Yet, these are exactly the kinds of errors that occur when you don’t have two sets of eyes proofreading your program.
Patrons who hold onto programs as reminders of their experience can also be off put by errors in the program. You don’t want to remember something as flawed, yet the only reminder you have of it is filled with mistakes. Everyone wants to be remembered for when they were beautiful, not for having their name misspelled in the program.
Applying for grants is another of the many functions that benefit from not only a double check of one’s work, but also having that second measure come in the form of an additional proofreader. It is very hard to self-edit. Most theaters can’t survive without grant funding. The grant application is, therefore, one of the most important documents a theatre administration can be tasked with. Therefore, it warrants the respect of having more than one person involved in proofing it.
Almost every job I can think of associated with theatre can benefit in some fashion from the “measure twice, cut once” philosophy. Double-check your figures before paying the bills so you don’t have to rewrite checks. Verify your light cues so that there are no mistakes during the performance. Whatever your job, I recommend you give yourself a safety net. Double-check your work, and you’ll make fewer mistakes, maximize your time with the most efficiency, and produce a better-quality product.
Images by Igor Ovsyannykov, www-erzetich-com, Gabriele Lässer, Mario Fliegner, and StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
Although it may seem like it, I am not “all entertainment, all the time.” Throughout my career, I have written newspaper and magazine articles on a variety of subjects. Yes, sometimes the subject matter is entertainment. However, sometimes my topics have little or nothing to do with Hollywood, Broadway, or the recording industry.
Case in point – at one point I wrote a series of articles on furniture design and woodworking. I’m not a carpenter, but just like an actor must become a pseudo-expert on topics their character is aligned with, as a writer I have the ability to translate complex subjects to everyday consumers. I’ve written about healthcare, fashion, automotive, security, culinary, and political subjects, just to name a few.
While I was putting words together regarding furniture design, one of the publishers I worked for introduced me to a book called “Measure Twice, Cut Once.” Written by renowned cabinetmaker Jim Tolpin, the book’s title reflects a concept that can apply to most businesses.
The underlying principle of the idea “Measure Twice, Cut Once” is that if you take the time to double-check your work as you go along, you won’t make the errors that would ruin the project and cause you to start all over again.
Think about it: if you measure a board once before cutting, if that measurement is wrong, the board is ruined. You can’t uncut a piece of wood. But if you measure twice and ensure your figures are correct, you’ll only make that cut once, and then you’ll be moving on to the next part of the project. Soon, you’ll be done, whereas someone who doesn’t check their work might still be trying to get out of the starting box.
Checking your work is a lesson that can apply to almost every industry. In entertainment, there are many areas where this can apply.
Keeping with the woodworking theme, builders in the scene shop are always advised to measure twice, and cut once. I don’t know of any theatre with an unlimited budget. Lumber and other building supplies aren’t cheap. In a world where every dollar counts, the last thing we want is needless waste from mismeasurement.
The same is true of seamstresses in the costume shop when it comes to cutting fabric. If you measure the fabric twice before cutting, you’ll avoid costly mistakes. Like lumber, fabric costs money – something theatres aren’t known to always have a plethora of. Waste simply isn’t wise.
But there doesn’t have to be literal cutting involved for the underlying meaning of the guideline “measure twice, cut once” to apply.
Think of the program you get when you go to the theatre. It’s basically a mini magazine. It requires graphic design layout, copywriting, and editing. Most magazine publishers I have worked for have a solid core staff of editors. This allows for multiple sets of eyes to proof each magazine page before it goes to production.
The program for a theatrical event can actually be rather complex to produce. It involves checking the spelling of numerous names and titles, editing biographies to fit the space, making sure all donors and key contributors are acknowledged and thanked, and that advertisers are properly presented.
Ironically, however, many theatres treat the program as more of an afterthought. I know of so many theatre companies that have one person whip the program together at 11th hour. Doing a project at the 11th hour and doing it without the benefit of a collaborator can be an invitation for errors.
Here’s why that might be a mistake: every interaction leaves us with a story. How that story is remembered over time is often tied to mementos. In theatre, many people hold onto their programs as a reminder of a treasured memory. This includes both audience members and those affiliated with the show.
It is very disappointing as an actor to receive the program for the show you’ve worked so hard to put on, only to see your name is misspelled or left out of the program entirely. Yet, these are exactly the kinds of errors that occur when you don’t have two sets of eyes proofreading your program.
Patrons who hold onto programs as reminders of their experience can also be off put by errors in the program. You don’t want to remember something as flawed, yet the only reminder you have of it is filled with mistakes. Everyone wants to be remembered for when they were beautiful, not for having their name misspelled in the program.
Applying for grants is another of the many functions that benefit from not only a double check of one’s work, but also having that second measure come in the form of an additional proofreader. It is very hard to self-edit. Most theaters can’t survive without grant funding. The grant application is, therefore, one of the most important documents a theatre administration can be tasked with. Therefore, it warrants the respect of having more than one person involved in proofing it.
Almost every job I can think of associated with theatre can benefit in some fashion from the “measure twice, cut once” philosophy. Double-check your figures before paying the bills so you don’t have to rewrite checks. Verify your light cues so that there are no mistakes during the performance. Whatever your job, I recommend you give yourself a safety net. Double-check your work, and you’ll make fewer mistakes, maximize your time with the most efficiency, and produce a better-quality product.
Images by Igor Ovsyannykov, www-erzetich-com, Gabriele Lässer, Mario Fliegner, and StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
