Ringing a cell phone on stage

[Bobby Beck]

i am working on the play "Dead Man's Cell Phone" and I need to make
real cell phones ring on stage. hopefully via Cricket theatre sound
software.
Anyone done this?
any suggestions?
Simply calling the phones is not an option as I need this to be
instant and on-cue.
Thanks,
Bobby

[cliff caruthers]

I solved this problem by buying cordless flip phones (i.e. a landline phone that looks like a cell phone).  This worked well, but is not a perfect solution since that style of phone is pretty dated. 

 

Best,

Cliff

 

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[Rhys Dawson]

just put a small speaker directly above/below where the actor will be standing when the phone rings. alternatively you could hide one on the set. I've done it for phones and portable radios before (can we say choreographed pans?)

-Rhys

--
Rhys Dawson
A2,
09-10 Fiddler On The Roof National Tour
423 432 5791 (c)

[Ted Pallas]

A show I worked on last year ended up buying a TracFone - the phone was $10 at 7/11, and minutes weren't much more than that.  And when you're done with it you can donate it to HopeLine, which helps victims of domestic violence, and feel good!

Ted Pallas
Live Media Designer
://grove.nyc, founder
http://grovenyc.net
ted dot pallas -at- gmail dot com
516.286.9661

On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 7:01 PM, cliff caruthers <cliffca...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Rick Malone]

I will second this method.  Have done it several times and the audience never knows the difference.

[Stephen Swift]

On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 7:09 PM, Ted Pallas <ted.p...@gmail.com> wrote:
> A show I worked on last year ended up buying a TracFone - the phone was $10
> at 7/11, and minutes weren't much more than that.

I haven't problems actually ringing cell phones due to network lags...
if you need it on an exact word or line, it's not very easy to make a
reliable cue! I've found the audience can be fooled by hiding a
speaker (unless they're right on top of the stage)

Stephen

[Richard B. Ingraham]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: theatre-s...@googlegroups.com [mailto:theatre-sound-
> li...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Ted Pallas
> Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 7:09 PM
> To: theatre-s...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [theatre-sound-list] Ringing a cell phone on stage
>
> A show I worked on last year ended up buying a TracFone - the phone was
> $10 at 7/11, and minutes weren't much more than that.  And when you're
> done with it you can donate it to HopeLine, which helps victims of
> domestic violence, and feel good!

So do these phones somehow ring reliably right on cue when you call them?
Just curious as every real cell phone I've tried always had too much delay
before it really started to ring to be useful. And to make it worse the
delay time will vary from very short to sometimes several seconds.

That randomness has only made it really work in one show I've done. And in
that show one night I got a rehearsal report about how the phone didn't
ring. Well since my preference to using a small speaker was over ridden, my
first question was "well... who is in charge of making the phone ring?
Because I had nothing to do with it." My second question was why was the
backup sound cue not used? I showed it to you and showed you how to cover
for it. Other than the fact that it wouldn't be believable as coming from
the actor on stage at all, it shouldn't have interrupted the flow of the
show for more than a second or two. Luckily the actor was a seasoned pro
and pretended to have it on vibrate. :-) After further investigation I
found that no one was charging the darn cell phone! :-)

Richard B. Ingraham
RBI Computers and Audio
http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com

[Alf Sauve]

Two other problems that can occur when using "real" phones on stage. (wired
or wireless)

Wrong numbers and busy signals. I've seen both happen in a production
where a wired phone was used.

A more complicated method is to put an IFB reciever with an audio amp and
speaker on the actor. Then play back the SFX through the IFB transmitter.

[Richard B. Ingraham]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: theatre-s...@googlegroups.com [mailto:theatre-sound-
> li...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Alf Sauve
> Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 8:27 AM
> To: theatre-s...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [theatre-sound-list] Ringing a cell phone on stage
>

> A more complicated method is to put an IFB reciever with an audio amp
> and
> speaker on the actor. Then play back the SFX through the IFB
> transmitter.

Actually this whole thread has got me wondering if a typical In Ear Monitor
transmitter wouldn't have enough output juice to power a really tiny
speaker, typical of what would be in your cell phone anyway. I could well
be wrong here, as some experimentation is in order. But seems to me that
you could just pick up or rent a IEM system and rather than headphones plug
in 1 or 2 little tiny speakers you could pick up at a electronic supplier
very cheaply. With some processing to limit the bandwidth extremely prior
to the transmitter, I suspect those might get pretty loud. Then you just
need to be able to hide the receiver and one or two tiny speakers on the
actor themselves. Not that hard unless they're in an evening gown or
something. And tiny little speakers would sound just like what's already in
your cell phone. Just play whatever the character's favorite annoying pop
tune is, since that is what half of the ring tones are these days and you've
got a cell phone.

Just a thought, might not work...

[Alf Sauve]

Remind me to try, I have a Telex VHF wireless IFB system. We use it more
to give directions to hand held camera ops or cue assistant talent wranglers
rather than give them full intercom capabilities. If I can find a small
suitable speaker I may give it a go. Since these is a simple VHF system
you could use a micro sized "scanner" type receiver. It already has built
in AF amp and speaker.
http://www.alinco.com/Products/DJ-X7/

[dso...@comcast.net]

tiny speakers with an eigth inch plug are easly available. i got one for my i phone.

ed dimarzio
dramatic sounds

[Jim vanBergen]

Two points: 

1) Richard's query about small speakers with IEMs actually works- I created several practicals for "I am my own wife" on B'way utilizing crappy, tiny speakers from Radio Shack that were driven by either IEMs or very low powered amps, which sourced surprisingly well on stage.  

2) For several Nunsense shows, the writer/director Dan Goggin has utilized cell phone call onstage. We have always used toy cell phone with the actor's hand in the pocket, ringing the toy's ringer. It's worked like a charm. Cheap, simple, and it's the actor's problem to activate & react. Triple crown! 

JvB

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[John Leonard]

Yes, it has. I've been doing cell phones this way for many years. And if
there's not enough oomph, there are any number of tiny amplifier chips that
will run of a few volts that will fit the bill.

Regards,

John

[Jack Hildwine]

Of course you could always go with a femtocell and hack it so that
you're the network provider. -or- You could go with a dual-mode phone
and hit it via WiFi from your own access point.

But you want it when and for how much?

Nevermind. You should go along with the growing consensus and use the
hidden speaker.

Jack

--

[Rhys Dawson]

Yeah, i've played with the IEM setup as well. A number of years ago we used a wireless shure system to make a bird chirp in a birdcage. I think i dissected an old answering machine for the amplifier. old amplified computer speakers will work too (i've repurposed them for headphone amps in the past as well). 

i like Jim's suggestion of the actor-triggered effect. you might even be able to pre-rig a cellphone to play a ringtone with a proper sequence of button presses.

[Charles Patterson]

I have pair of inexpensive gmrs walkie-talkies with a call button that makes the other one ring very loudly with a cell type of beep.

Along with the toy phone concept, I've seen gadget/prank shops  sell a self-contolled fake cell type ringer to get you out of meetings...

Charles
cha...@pattcom.com

<sent from mobile droid>

On Dec 24, 2009 4:28 PM, "Rhys Dawson" <rhysf...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yeah, i've played with the IEM setup as well. A number of years ago we used a wireless shure system to make a bird chirp in a birdcage. I think i dissected an old answering machine for the amplifier. old amplified computer speakers will work too (i've repurposed them for headphone amps in the past as well). 

i like Jim's suggestion of the actor-triggered effect. you might even be able to pre-rig a cellphone to play a ringtone with a proper sequence of button presses.

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[b. lake]

Hello all!

Another alternative would be to use a program called Airfoil. It's a
simple software meant to send audio (and I believe video) to a number
of remote speakers. I haven't used it in a show, but we played with
it in class one day, and were pleasantly surprised. We were able to
send audio to up to 5 different computers, iPhones and an iPod Touch,
even back and forth between users simultaneously. It was quick, and
easy, provided you have a network to use. If you have an iPod Touch,
or even a small speaker to hide within the set, this may work for you.

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/speakers.php

Good luck!

beth

On Dec 27, 4:04 am, Charles Patterson <char...@pattcom.com> wrote:
> I have pair of inexpensive gmrs walkie-talkies with a call button that makes
> the other one ring very loudly with a cell type of beep.
>
> Along with the toy phone concept, I've seen gadget/prank shops  sell a
> self-contolled fake cell type ringer to get you out of meetings...
>
> Charles

> char...@pattcom.com
>
> <sent from mobile droid>