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The quickest way to learn about BackStage is to use it. All details can be edited and changed and so users should not fear entering data and experimenting. Even entire PROJECTS can be deleted although BackStage will warn against doing that if you have confirmed the players!
We'll guide you through starting a new PROJECT and adding sessions and personnel. We won't cover every single detail so we don't overwhelm you but any extra details you need can be added in later.
The following steps assume that you have already set up BackStage as described on the Set Up Page.
First create a new PROJECT. This is done from the HOME page (button 7) It brings up a dialog box asking you to specify to which ensemble the PROJECT applies, to give the PROJECT a title and to set a default date against it. All PROJECTS are displayed in BackStage on the HOME page according to date and this date refers just to that - it does not necessarily have to refer to a date of a session. Click ADD and BackStage will open the new PROJECT (notice how the top buttons become active when you have done this.)
Second add some sessions to the PROJECT. This is done from the SCHEDULE page (button 8) A date, time and session type must be selected. Other information such as conductor, repertoire, venue etc. can be selected but they are not compulsory at this point. They can be added retrospectively. However, BackStage works out which players are required for the repertoire that is selected. If no session has any repertoire selected, it will not be possible to use any of the other features of BackStage until you do so. To carry on with this tutorial, you need to select some repertoire by clicking the SELECT button under the REPERTOIRE listbox. This brings up a dialog box that allows you to chose from the repertoire in the BackStage database. You can add repertoire to this database from the ADD/EDIT | REPERTOIRE menu item.
Third make any changes to the sections sizes so that each piece of repertoire in your PROJECT corresponds to the size of orchestra that you use or have budgeted for. This is done from the INSTRUMENTS page on the INSTRUMENTATION tab. You can also alter which players play which parts for each repertoire as is often done where doubling instruments are needed or string rotations are used.
Fourth (BackStage Professional and BackStage Enterprise only) set any payments against any ranks for any sessions as required. This will allow the cost of the player for any seat to be calculated before they are booked. This is done from the PAYMENTS page.
Fifth (at last) book some players. This is done from the PERSONNEL page. The PERSONNEL page shows the overall instrumentation for all the repertoire you have selected. Clicking on any position brings up a dialog box which shows the relevant information for that position and the list of available players from your address book that you may wish to book. This is the view that orchestral managers will see most as they book an orchestra - hope you like the colour!
Finally all correspondence and administrative tasks should now be easily performed from the OUTPUT page such as sending players contracts, personal schedules and letters, printing seating lists, archiving the accounts and, with one-click of the WEBSITE UPLOAD button, transferring all that information to your schedule WebPage.
Please provide us with feedback on this tutorial. It's very hard when you've developed a product and worked with it everyday for over three years to know what is obvious and what is not. We are more than happy to alter the amount of information we provide for the QuickStart Tutorial if you think it could be better.
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