Theater companies have been around for a long time. There are plenty of both amateur and professional theater companies and they all have need of some form of inventory record keeping. A modern filing system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System that can be used as an inventory system, brings your theatre company into the 21st century.
Some companies perform plays; others perform musicals and some do a mixture of styles. In the professional performing arts industry, each company needs to ensure that everything functions as smoothly as possible.
Professional theater companies stage lots of productions and then store everything for future use once the shows have finished their season. They should utilize intelligent document management software to keep accurate records of all assets. Then future shows become so much easier to manage because of easy access to the constantly updated records.
If you have never been involved with theater before, you wouldn’t be aware of everything that happens behind the scenes. A typical audience member has no idea of the massive amount of planning and work that goes into producing a show. Even if it’s a modern-day production, all costumes and props need to be accurate and matching.
Prior to the invention of computers, everything was done by hand. Lists were kept of every single costume, prop, wig, hat, piece of scenery, paint brush, paint can and tools; and these lists were very cumbersome to manage.
There are various people that coordinate the different departments. These departments include: lighting, sound, costumes, makeup, props, scenery, front of house, rehearsal and performance venues, advertising and bookings. Because groups put on more than one production they need to store all of their equipment, and also need to keep an inventory of all their assets.
The smart people that run the theater companies nowadays utilize efficient filing systems so that they know exactly what equipment they have at any given time. By implementing smart document management software, they can establish a comprehensive method for recording all assets belonging to the company.
Each department could have a Location within Paper Tiger’s database, then each item listed along with details of the item such as color(s), texture, location of where the item is stored, what production has been used in, etc. in the keywords section.
Major Plans Are the First Step
Once a decision is made to stage a particular production, many factors need to be planned. The company’s inventory list must be checked to see what costumes, props and scenery are required for the each show. The production crew must decide if they have everything in stock or if new items need to be made or bought.
If the group is performing a period piece, then everything needs to be appropriate for that particular period. Typical examples are Shakespeare, the Elizabethan era and the medieval period. This is why a precise inventory is extremely vital.
Tailor-Made Storage
Because this type of filing system doesn’t have to be alphabetical, it can be designed to suit the theater company’s specific requirements. Most costumes are usually hung on racks and covered with plastic. Some are then placed in wardrobes. It’s a simple case of checking the records to see what costumes are in stock as opposed to going through each rack and wardrobe one by one.
Elegant hats are usually kept in proper hat boxes. Props can be kept in boxes, bags, cases, on shelves and in other suitable receptacles. If the theater company staff list each prop and its location, this also saves them a lot of time when trying to determine if they have the relevant props in stock for future shows.
Shoes are another vital necessity. There are so many different types of shoes that are worn on stage. The shoes can be listed by type, size, and color so that it’s easy to locate them when needed. They can also have specific actor’s names listed against them in the file if they have worn specific shoes before.
Professional theater groups build their own scenery and therefore have a large range of tools available. Listing a full inventory of all tools is both a time-saving feature and is also cost effective. The crew can access this data base to determine whether they have the right tools or whether more items need to be purchased at any given time.
Many audience members think that successful productions are very easy to stage. However, theater companies always have to work to an extremely tight budget. This means that extravagances are quite often illusions created with cheaper fabrications.
The smart theater companies should understand the necessity to use an efficient document management software system, because in the long run it will save them a great deal of time and money. This alone empowers them to continue their great work with reduced stress levels.
Such a system enables the company to continue entertaining audiences and still maintain a high standard of production. Every member of the production crew has access to a user-friendly filing system software that gives them the location of the item needed with just a quick keyword search. A modern filing system, or inventory system that brings your theatre company into the 21st century.
