Mobile Phones

[Steve1812]

Hello,

 

Ive been asked to record a message before performances, telling people to make sure they switch their mobiles off.

 

Do people have have any novel ways of doing this?

Is there a preferred wording to the announcement?

 

I heard of an idea that uses a mobile ring that starts very very quietly over the PA, and then gets louder over a few rings, getting the audiences attention, then comes the message.

 

Steve1812

[sleah]

Hello,

 

Ive been asked to record a message before performances, telling people to make sure they switch their mobiles off.

 

Do people have have any novel ways of doing this?

Is there a preferred wording to the announcement?

 

I heard of an idea that uses a mobile ring that starts very very quietly over the PA, and then gets louder over a few rings, getting the audiences attention, then comes the message.

 

Steve1812

 

"Switch your 'phones off you ignorant s"

 

Well, it's direct :D :** laughs out loud **: :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh sorry, you want to know what to say, not what you really want to say ;)

 

Actually, the idea of a ringtone type jingle sounds interesting....

[SamTHorn]

Heh I know this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I'm reminded of a broadway show with Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman where this woman's phone went off like three times. After the third time Hugh sort of loses it and break's the fourth wall to tell the woman to answer the phone already.

 

Priceless.

 

 

Really though, who goes to see a live show at the theater and doesn't turn off their phone?? I mean, I get it when you go to a movie and the place is full of 14 year olds. I can't really fault them too much, their kids, they do dumb stuff. But grown adults at a venue where the actors can HEAR YOU?

 

Just turn it right off already.

[Bryson]

I recently did the show for Streb*, and their pre-show announcement was:

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, do not turn off your mobile phones. If someone calls, answer it and tell them how good the show is. If you see anything you like, take photos or videos and put them on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube. Do whatever you like."

 

 

Not helpful here, but a refreshing difference in attitude!

 

 

*=Which, by the way, you must go see. MUST. Here's some video of them causing immense damage to a screen (thankfully, theirs) in my venue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8hdX35wEys

[blackbird]

I find the problem is often worst after the interval, where people have turned their phones back on to check messages, and forgotten about them again. I'm not sure that 14 yr old kids are actually that bad, since they probably have their phones out texting anyway, so already have it on silent!

 

The worst thing is as above when someone just thinks if they ignore the phone then no-one will know it was them ...

 

I am a fan of just setting a phone ring off over the PA without an announcement, at a vaguely realistic level, since it is often enough to make people check their phones, without being too obtrusive.

[bruce]

Or the time at a snooker match (in the Crucible?) where there had been several previous interruptions, and the referee had said that any others would result in the owner being asked to leave.

 

Someone's phone rang shortly afterwards.

 

The referee turned to the guy and said "Go, on, answer it. Tell them you're on your way home..."

[Andrew C]

I've recorded one which had several different rings then a message something like "Rude, isn't it?"

[paulears]

Did I imagine it or did we have a post last year where nightclubs have some kind of gadget that could read mobile umbers in the area and then send them "happy hour" texts? Imagine if every single mobile could be made to ring at one time - that would really make the point!

[pritch]

I forget which one, but there's a theatre around here that just plays a load of ringtones, with no annoucement.

 

Did I imagine it or did we have a post last year where nightclubs have some kind of gadget that could read mobile umbers in the area and then send them "happy hour" texts?

 

Can't be done (well, not easily or legally, anyway!); apart from at initial switch-on, everything the handset sends over the air interface is encrypted. There are solutions that send things out over bluetooth, but that's dependent on people having bluetooth switched on.

[fazJ]

One on the theatre's I have worked at in the past used to make the announcements live for each show not having then pre recorded, risky business.

 

It was

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the lah di dah theatre, may we take this opportunity to remind you that the use of flash photography, video and audio recording equipment is strictly not allowed, may we also you if you could turn off all mobile phones as the may interfere with the delicate sound equipment.

 

seemed to work well for us, although once I did accidentally say the delicate sound engineer by mistake,, got a good old chuckle from the audience.

[zonino]

One on the theatre's I have worked at in the past used to make the announcements live for each show not having then pre recorded, risky business.

 

not unusual

[billy jim]

When we did Oklahoma! a few months ago, the director recorded something along the lines of:

Howdy, and welcome to blah blah blah production. The year is blah, and as yet, mobile phones and compact flash photography have not been invented. Anyone caught using these devices WILL be shot. Enjoy the show.

 

Seemed to do the trick...

[GridGirl]

I'm sure I've posted these two before, but maybe not....I was at a production of Chicago; house lights dimmed and someone comes over the PA saying "welcome to this evening's performance of Chicago. We would like to inform you that we are using a new type of entirely wireless sound system on this production. This new sound system gives us superior sound quality, but it also means that if your cellphone rings it will instantly electrocute you - so please, for your own safety, switch your cellphones off. Thankyou." I don't know how many people believed it, but everyone switched their phones off!

 

The second, and my favourite one, was from a group called the Naked Samoans, and it ran something like: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Naked Samoans. Please be aware that we have a cellphone jamming device in place: if your phone rings, a large Samoan will come over to you and jam your phone where the sun don't shine. Thankyou." Worked like a charm!

[congoblues]

I heard one once where the (I assume) recorded announcement went something like: "welcome to the whatsname theatre... ringing phone Oh sorry, hang on... hello Dave... no I'm at work... I dunno, couple of hours maybe... okay see you later... where was I? May I remind you that the use of flash photography is strictly prohibited..."

 

I thought that was quite a good one.

[dmxtothemax]

The method I used succesfully was,

please turn off your mobile phones,

But If you must have them on, please put them in silent mode

thank you.

 

It worked for me!

Be polite but direct.