Follow Spot Cues

[DHSLXOP]

Hi everyone...
In the next few years, I am going to become the calling stage manager at my school. I know how to call the show and everything, but I have been wondering about how to call spot cues.

Right now, the senior stage manager calls the spot cues as "Warning Spot 1 on xxx person with a xxx gel." ..."Spot 1 GO"

The way I was thinking about doing it, is giving each spot op a cue list of all of their cues...it would look like this: (When viewing this chart, please take note that each column should be underneath each other...but I couldn't figure out how to get it to do that)
Cue #|Spot #|Gel Color|Intensity|On Performer...
1 1 Blue 100% XXX
2 1 White 100% XXX
2 White 100% YYY
3 2 White 100% ZZZ
Then all I would have to call is "Warning spot cue 1"..."Spot Cue 1...Go"
Which method do you guys think is better to call the cues? Also, assume that each spot op has a music stand w/ gelled music stand light to be able to see this list upstairs
Thanks

[Footer]

Most of the time I give the spots a cue sheet with LX numbers. Usually the pick up of a spot is also with and LX cue. If it is not, simply call "spot cue #" and the can reference their sheet with what the cue is, what frame to have in, and what the intensity, iris, and all that good stuff is. Don't be a mother hen to the spots. When calling a show you want to limit the amount of stuff you have to say over com. This is how I prefer to call a show and have a show called to me. I would much rather here "standby shift 14, rail 6, LX 22, spot cue 13 and sound F" then "standby main rag in, wagon B to center, big drop out, light cue 22, sound phone ring, spot frame 3 mid body pickup Mary".

[DHSLXOP]

Originally Posted by Footer4321

Most of the time I give the spots a cue sheet with LX numbers. Usually the pick up of a spot is also with and LX cue. If it is not, simply call "spot cue #" and the can reference their sheet with what the cue is, what frame to have in, and what the intensity, iris, and all that good stuff is. Don't be a mother hen to the spots. When calling a show you want to limit the amount of stuff you have to say over com. This is how I prefer to call a show and have a show called to me. I would much rather here "standby shift 14, rail 6, LX 22, spot cue 13 and sound F" then "standby main rag in, wagon B to center, big drop out, light cue 22, sound phone ring, spot frame 3 mid body pickup Mary".

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll probably start calling the shows that way.

[Van]

I second, < as I often do > Footer. The spots need to learn their cues. the only time I've seen cues called the way you described is when I have been doing R&R gigs. When the spots don't have time to learn cues and the LD will just give a " spot #1 pick up < Insert favorite rock star here> S.R., Body, color 2."

[celtictechie]

I see your questions but two question came to mind
How many spots light are you using
How many different people are you spoting
Are there a enough spotlights for all people being spoted
Are you using the smae people everyshow

If there is a enough spotlight and same people for everyshow then call like this and have them memerize it or put on sheet of paper where the can see it

Spot 1 Color # and type of shot ie full head or mid

They should know and see were there people are all the time. You should have to to them. Spot light can be late by 3 seconds no one will notice.

[DHSLXOP]

Originally Posted by celtictechie

I see your questions but two question came to mind
How many spots light are you using
How many different people are you spoting
Are there a enough spotlights for all people being spoted
Are you using the smae people everyshow
If there is a enough spotlight and same people for everyshow then call like this and have them memerize it or put on sheet of paper where the can see it
Spot 1 Color # and type of shot ie full head or mid
They should know and see were there people are all the time. You should have to to them. Spot light can be late by 3 seconds no one will notice.

We have 2 spot lights
And the amount of people being lit depend on the show (we generally spot the leads when they are singing or are part of a song...so it dpeneds on the number of leads)
So i guess no there are not enough spotlights for all people being spoted
Those people will most likely be the same everyshow

[gafftaper]

It sounds like we are talking about a high school situation. In which case you might not want to change things quite that much.

How experienced are your spotlight people? How many rehearsals will they be able to watch? How many rehearsals will they be able to actually run the spots? How well trained are they? How responsible are they? Not to go against Footer... his points are very good in the college and adult world... but often follow spot is the lowest guy on the food chain in high school. Your spot ops may be recruited at the last minute and have no experience, may not know the show, may not even know the names of the actors/characters. It's also a job that requires some pretty good listening and concentration skills... something some students have difficulty with. In all these cases the more information and warning you the S.M. gives that person the better.

I'm all for efficiency and running high school theater like it's done in the real world. Just make sure your follow spot operators are trained and know the show really well or you could be in for a really bumpy ride. In the end this might not be a corner that it's worth cutting. A good S.M. should both know the crew and show and makes adjustments according to the skills/show's needs in order to have the best performance possible.

[DHSLXOP]

Originally Posted by gafftaper

It sounds like we are talking about a high school situation. In which case you might not want to change things quite that much.
How experienced are your spotlight people? How many rehearsals will they be able to watch? How many rehearsals will they be able to actually run the spots? How well trained are they? How responsible are they? Not to go against Footer... his points are very good in the college and adult world... but often follow spot is the lowest guy on the food chain in high school. Your spot ops may be recruited at the last minute and have no experience, may not know the show, may not even know the names of the actors/characters. It's also a job that requires some pretty good listening and concentration skills... something some students have difficulty with. In all these cases the more information and warning you the S.M. gives that person the better.
I'm all for efficiency and running high school theater like it's done in the real world. Just make sure your follow spot operators are trained and know the show really well or you could be in for a really bumpy ride. In the end this might not be a corner that it's worth cutting. A good S.M. should both know the crew and show and makes adjustments according to the skills/show's needs in order to have the best performance possible.

Yes this is high school theater I'm talking about. The spot ops do get to see about a week's worth of rehearsal before actually going into the theater, where for 4-5 days run the spot during the rehearsals. In our case, its an honor to be up in the booth (we work in a university's theater and not everyone can just say they want to run it and be allowed up in the booth) Also, the spot ops know the show pretty well, and i'm fairly certain that if they had a question, they would ask.

The main reason that I'm asking this, is because I always find that if I'm calling every little detail, I loose my place in the script, and I might miss the cue.

But I do understand your points and I have started to think about those type of things.

[DHSLXOP]

While on the topic of follow spots...

This year, we have a new girl that wants (plus we're down on techs, and we need a spot op) to be a spot op for our musical this year. We are going to be teaching her how to use it and everything, the only problem is we're not sure if she'd be tall enough...We have-i believe-super troupers (sp?) at the theater, but she is only between 5'2" and 5'3". Do you think that she is too short to be able to run one, or should she be ok?

The only reason I ask is because we won't have access to the spot until tech week, the week before the show.

[Footer]

Originally Posted by DHSLXOP

While on the topic of follow spots...
This year, we have a new girl that wants (plus we're down on techs, and we need a spot op) to be a spot op for our musical this year. We are going to be teaching her how to use it and everything, the only problem is we're not sure if she'd be tall enough...We have-i believe-super troupers (sp?) at the theater, but she is only between 5'2" and 5'3". Do you think that she is too short to be able to run one, or should she be ok?
The only reason I ask is because we won't have access to the spot until tech week, the week before the show.

I'm 5'6 and have yet to find a spot that I can not run. Let her at it. If the spot is properly balanced she shouldn't have any problem.