Calling Problems - nobody's happy!

[JonasA]

Sorry for the very show-specific thread, but:

I'm currently working on my high school's annual musical. Last night was our first (and final) dress rehearsal, and we had immense difficulty with the lx/SMgt teams. The desk dropped more cues than I can count, but they tell me that the problem's with our stage manager.

According to the desk (I can't speak from experience - I was in cast, not on cans), the SM has been shockingly indecisive about when cues should go, and has actually inserted/cut a few which weren't expected by the desk ops. I checked the prompt book and the desk book (both of which have all the desk cues), and they're perfectly synchronised. This afternoon will be firing up the desk itself and checking that all the cues in the stack are in the right place.

What can we do to fix this? We can't get another SM to call the show, but if our current one keeps going it'll be a shambles. He's very certain that it's not really his fault this is all happening - he thinks the desk are misinterpreting him. The orchestra are also very unhappy with it; the line from the MD was "It feels like they're waiting for us, but we're waiting for them." Who has the onus to act first? MD or SM?

An extra Q2Q this afternoon for the SM and desk ops is happening, but I don't know what to do about the vague cues... I've been asked to find a solution by the prod team and lx crew and I've drawn a blank.

Any tips?

/Jonas

[kiwitechgirl]

According to the desk (I can't speak from experience - I was in cast, not on cans), the SM has been shockingly indecisive about when cues should go, and has actually inserted/cut a few which weren't expected by the desk ops. I checked the prompt book and the desk book (both of which have all the desk cues), and they're perfectly synchronised. This afternoon will be firing up the desk itself and checking that all the cues in the stack are in the right place.

What can we do to fix this? We can't get another SM to call the show, but if our current one keeps going it'll be a shambles. He's very certain that it's not really his fault this is all happening - he thinks the desk are misinterpreting him. The orchestra are also very unhappy with it; the line from the MD was "It feels like they're waiting for us, but we're waiting for them." Who has the onus to act first? MD or SM?

An extra Q2Q this afternoon for the SM and desk ops is happening, but I don't know what to do about the vague cues... I've been asked to find a solution by the prod team and lx crew and I've drawn a blank.

Any tips?

/Jonas

The SM should be acting first - maybe he doesn't know that the MD and orchestra are waiting for him. If the cues in the desk and the prompt book are the same, then I think it's up to the SM to be more decisive and simply call the show better (easy to say, I know). If the desk op is misinterpreting him, he needs to be clearer. Cues should have possibly a warning (I never warn cues, but then I call in "British" style not American!), a standby about 25-30 seconds before the cue - "Standby LX15", then a definite cue point - "LX15 GO". "GO" should never be used on comms except to call a cue, and ideally the call should be timed so you get "LX15..GO" not "LX15............................................. .........................................GO".

It might be an idea to get the SM and the operators to sit down together before the Q2Q to clarify exactly how cues will be called, so that everyone is on the same page; if the SM is ignoring the prompt book then the designers need to sit them down and tell him in no uncertain terms that cues go where they have been put. It does sound like a communication problem rather than an equipment issue; I'd guess that maybe your SM is panicking which is why the cues are getting messed up. If you can get a calling routine into place (warn, standby, cue) it may help. Also, if he is calling more than just LX, the departments should always be in the same order on multiple GO cues - LX, Sound, Flys, Deck - whatever, just so long as they are always in the same sequence.

[kiwitechgirl]

Just noticed you're in Aus, not the US - in which case ignore the bit about warnings as they don't happen here!

[greythart]

Just noticed you're in Aus, not the US - in which case ignore the bit about warnings as they don't happen here!

I'm in Aus, and when I did tech at uni, we were always taught to call standbys. I just SM'd JC Superstar, and called standbys for my stage crews.

[Chris15]

I'm in Aus, and when I did tech at uni, we were always taught to call standbys. I just SM'd JC Superstar, and called standbys for my stage crews.

A standby is not a warning...

[Tex]

They seem to serve the same purpose. What's the difference?

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[Chris15]

A warning would be called 30 - 45 seconds before a cue.
Standby would be something like 5 seconds before go.

Unless kiwitechgirl was thinking otherwise to me...

[derekleffew]

Search results for "calling cues."

The way I was taught oh so many years ago...

WARNING tells the operator to look over his/her notes to understand/remember what is supposed to happen.
STANDBY means the cue is imminent--put your hands on the controls.
GO! Execute the cue.

[At ~ -30-60 sec.]
SM: Warning (dept.) Cue <number>.
OP: Thank you.
[At ~ -10-15 sec.]
SM: Standby (dept.) Cue <number>.
OP: Standing by.
[At - 5 sec.]
SM: (dept.) Cue <number> (indeterminate pause...) GO!
OP: [optional] Taken. (or) Complete.

For lighting particularly, where it's just a press of one big Go button, warnings and standbys may not be required. Or may be combined into one, splitting the difference when they happen. For a Scene Change or Rail Cue, where the deck hands/operators may not necessarily be in position the entire show, the Warning could be at minus 5 minutes or longer.

[Tex]

Thanks to you both. It's moments like this that remind me I'm an actor...

[JonasA]

Even as an Australian, I've been taught to use warnings when necessary (they're great for dopey high school spot ops who need to read over the cue before they execute it), but I believe they're not as common in the professional world. (And they are certainly different from standbys!)