Designers Script

Dustincoc

Active Member
I can't seem to find an example of the format a Lighting designers script should take. Any examples/ideas?
 
I can't seem to find an example of the format a Lighting designers script should take. Any examples/ideas?

Example of what? Can you go into a bit more detail/explination about what this is you ask about?


Never heard of a Lighting Designer's script before that I remember. Some form of a script where you note your preliminary cues and ideas in? That script would still be the play author's script. Where did you get this "lighting designers script" term from?

Main script would be the stage manager's script or prompt book to which the light board operator if on script would follow from. Designer isn't in the building normally during the run of the show so I'm not sure what the question is or how such a thing could be useful during the run of the show. Designers normally get a script with notes perhaps and design off of it or better yet write up cue type sheets. Do you mean a cue sheet?
 
a format for the lighting designers notes in the script

"Lighting designers script" - The copy of the script possesed by the lighting designer
 
I've never heard of a format - I just take notes in the script or on a legal pad with line and page notes, and then refer to those notes during cueing.

Basically, whatever works for you.
 
"Lighting designers script" - The copy of the script possesed by the lighting designer
That would be all the LD's script is, "The copy of the script possesed by the lighting designer." Every LD takes notes in a form that works for them. They will note where they want cues, and sometimes mood or feelings. They might also note where the action is taking place for when they program. There is no official format.
 
I seriously doubt that any one in the world could follow my raw script notes. I use three colour pens according to an arcane system of my own and use my own short hand . Of course when it gets to the ME its a plan and cue lists and patch lists and colour calls etc etc all in a readable form
 
Yep one more vote for do whatever feels good to you. There's no official format. I make a few notations on the script but then do all my work in Word because there isn't enough room in the script and there is no need for the notes to be in the script.
 
I use two parts.

Part one is scribbling the notes in between the text on a script. This depends on how much room is there though.

Part two is using a lined legal pad with Q number, description, and any additional notes (i.e. followspot).

But as other people have said, I'm not aware of any 'standard' that is used. From the legal pad I make up a printed document when I have time before the show starts.
 
I make barely legible notes all over the script and other pieces of paper or post it notes or whatever is handy at the time. Sometimes i draw a picture of scenes during rehearsals of where the action is and use this to plan where to put certain fixtures then refer to again during plotting once the rig is in place.

have never heard of a lighting script - i have seen a script once that had columns down the side for audio lighting and stage cues to be written in, i think someone made it themselves though by making the document on a computer then pritning it and photocopying the script to it.
 
My scripts all looked the same - basically a mess. ;-)

Once I took a stage management class, they started to improve and look a lot more like an SM's script. Depending on the complexity of the show, you could just jot notes in the margins of the script, or you could photocopy the script onto one side of each page, leaving you the opposite page as a notes page. You can also photocopy a reduced version of the groundplan onto that otherwise "blank" sheet so that you can track blocking or other noteworthy items during rehearsals...

As for marking cues, I've use the pencil (always use pencil) scribble with free-hand arrow method for simple shows, up to the penciled-in-with-straightedge version for really specific cueing. It's really up to you. I have seen others use sticky dots - some place these in the script, some on the margins in conjunction with the straight-edge leader line method. Whatever method you use, all it needs to be is clear to you. :)
 

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