How to program cues effectively
- Thread starterSparky2012
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Sparky2012
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Sparky2012
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A couple of times a year, usually in the spring, our local cance schools have a concert presentation. We get four or five of these on consequetive weekends. It is not uncommon for the rehearsals to not go in sequencial order. My method of handling this problem is to record cues that are blackouts with the number of the act on the program plus 10. For example: the first act would be cue 10 and the second 20 ans so on. I numbber a cue plus five in between each of the act cues. such as 15 between 10 and 20. This cue is used for a blackout, or blueout (for small dancers to see as they exit the stage). As the numbers come and rehears, I create the look and record it over the existing black cue of that number. If there are light changes during the number, they become cue 11 and so forth. If there are many changes, then I get in to point cues.
Myself and the other person who does the dance recitals, have used this method for a few years now, and it works well for us.
Tom Johnson
Myself and the other person who does the dance recitals, have used this method for a few years now, and it works well for us.
Tom Johnson
I like it the other way around and have the console description be what's happening on stage like "On stomp" or "Ensemble Entrance" so I can keep track what should be happening. I will label Blackouts however. You can always hit the Blind button and look ahead a couple times to see what's going to happen. That's what worked when using a board that supports channel labelling, the Strand Palette, to know that 54 is a lavender sidelight SR on the 3rd ladder. But on some consoles you would need the technicial description then if that isn't supported.
Les
Well-Known Member
I've done the same thing, and for this very reason. I allotted each dance about 10-20 cues (depending on the predicted complexity/length of the number) and filled them in as we went. I don't think I recorded them as blackouts -- what I did was went through the show's transcript and beside each routine I wrote "11-20, 21-31, 32-42", etc. That way: "oh we're tech'ing in the Pointe number next? Well I'd better start on cue 22 then".
It was a real lifesaver.
Back to the OP
After RTFM, you need to figure out how you work.
Channeling: Make sure your channeling makes sense to you and can be easily explained.
Is it easier for you to write cues by typing in channel numbers or by bringing up groups of lights via submaster?
For my dance rep plot I've got all of my washes set up on submasters so its quick and easy to bring up a fullstage wash. When the dance calls for more intimate moments I start using the 10 key to pull up or out channels.
Reptition repititoin repition. Don't get flustered in the heat of the moment.
After RTFM, you need to figure out how you work.
Channeling: Make sure your channeling makes sense to you and can be easily explained.
Is it easier for you to write cues by typing in channel numbers or by bringing up groups of lights via submaster?
For my dance rep plot I've got all of my washes set up on submasters so its quick and easy to bring up a fullstage wash. When the dance calls for more intimate moments I start using the 10 key to pull up or out channels.
Reptition repititoin repition. Don't get flustered in the heat of the moment.
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***Mod note**** Moved Chase's and my discussion of Q#ing to http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/stage-management-facility-operations/24839-congruent-cues-3.html
Sparky2012
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lwinters630
Well-Known Member
Sparky,
Lets get to basics.
Patch your board so your channels are in a logical order. IE. channel 1 is Down stage Right (DR), 2 is Down Center (DC) and so on. if you are cross lighting the down stage areas patch dimmer 1 and dimmer 13 to channel 1. (whatever your dimmer # are).
Cues are for each scene "look" with time fades. Each cue can have 8 parts, so you can build into or out of a look. You can split the fade times, and wait (delay either up or down but not both) auto follow, run effects or Subroutines from clues. You may also link a cue to another (lots of reason why and when).
Subs. a recorded scene with a "handle" good for manual running "looks" or for building a cue. IE add channel 2 DC, and Channel 5 back light for DC all under the sub 2.
Groups. Make groups your friend. a group is a Sub without a handle. it will also let you grab other things. lets say you build a cue from sub 2, sub 5 and sub 8. and the director wants you to lower the DC lights. type "group sub 2 at" and roll down the track pad (or set value 50%). this lets you pull a sub out of a cue look. It also works with "group cue" as well.
Focal point. is a like a group that is a place holder for values. If you put focal point #5 (blue/green CYC) in cues 40, 100, and 150 and the director now wants a more blue cyc. Edit the values in the Focal point (blind or live) then all yours cues change. When I teach how to add a Focal point into a cue I say out loud "take the channels in FP 1 at the values in FP 1" [fp1@fp1 enter] you will see a #1 appear below the channels in that cue.
In blind.... clue lists are a good place to edit fade times, links and other things. Spread sheet is a good place to make changes in large ranges of changes quickly IE cue 10 thru 100 group 5 at 50%.
Use the off line editor to add labels to your express show. load it in and change console type to an insight2, Label subs, focal point, groups, and cues. You can label cues with name and pg# from the script.
As you continue to use the board there are more fun stuff available like effects, subroutines, fixture patching. Keep the manual close at hand.
Keep it simple.
Lets get to basics.
Patch your board so your channels are in a logical order. IE. channel 1 is Down stage Right (DR), 2 is Down Center (DC) and so on. if you are cross lighting the down stage areas patch dimmer 1 and dimmer 13 to channel 1. (whatever your dimmer # are).
Cues are for each scene "look" with time fades. Each cue can have 8 parts, so you can build into or out of a look. You can split the fade times, and wait (delay either up or down but not both) auto follow, run effects or Subroutines from clues. You may also link a cue to another (lots of reason why and when).
Subs. a recorded scene with a "handle" good for manual running "looks" or for building a cue. IE add channel 2 DC, and Channel 5 back light for DC all under the sub 2.
Groups. Make groups your friend. a group is a Sub without a handle. it will also let you grab other things. lets say you build a cue from sub 2, sub 5 and sub 8. and the director wants you to lower the DC lights. type "group sub 2 at" and roll down the track pad (or set value 50%). this lets you pull a sub out of a cue look. It also works with "group cue" as well.
Focal point. is a like a group that is a place holder for values. If you put focal point #5 (blue/green CYC) in cues 40, 100, and 150 and the director now wants a more blue cyc. Edit the values in the Focal point (blind or live) then all yours cues change. When I teach how to add a Focal point into a cue I say out loud "take the channels in FP 1 at the values in FP 1" [fp1@fp1 enter] you will see a #1 appear below the channels in that cue.
In blind.... clue lists are a good place to edit fade times, links and other things. Spread sheet is a good place to make changes in large ranges of changes quickly IE cue 10 thru 100 group 5 at 50%.
Use the off line editor to add labels to your express show. load it in and change console type to an insight2, Label subs, focal point, groups, and cues. You can label cues with name and pg# from the script.
As you continue to use the board there are more fun stuff available like effects, subroutines, fixture patching. Keep the manual close at hand.
Keep it simple.
If you are designing and running the show then set it up so it make sense to you. If running subs works for you, then do it. If recording looks on subs and combining them to make cues, then go with that. Remember you can adjust the intensities in the cue once recorded. Another method is to build each cue as you go. Number them as they make sense to you. I have read many methods and some make sense and others sound like mad scientist ideas but it makes sense to them so it is correct. I would suggest that you do leave gaps for adding cues later.
StNic54
Active Member
Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork. Make sure all your paperwork is detailed, and you'll have an easier time creating looks and cues. My advice - get good with fade times, learn autofollows, submasters as presets, fixture groups for easier calling, and mess around with linking cues, copying cues, how tracking behaves, and editing cues. One quick trick for building cues - have a cue (like cue 999) as a complete blackout, so as you are building your show and are working into a fadeout, you can hit go into cue 999 (always your next cue) and save it as your current cue # for the fadeout. Practice, practice, practice, and make sure to block out proper time for building cues, rather than running it live off of subs.
kicknargel
Well-Known Member
Some good info in lwinters' post, but hardly "back to basics." Don't let it overwhelm you--some of that is very advanced stuff that you don't need to worry about for a while, if ever.
lwinters630
Well-Known Member
You are right. I should have stopped after "groups". . . . . . When you love what you do, it is hard not to spew.
One might also argue that cue parts and subroutines are slightly "extraneous" for a first time cue user. I also would say spread sheets and using the offline editor to label cues is unnecessary for a beginner. Blind however is a good tool to know about. I find it most beneficial if you want to make a change to the cue for next time, but don't want to make that change during the scene/cue. Or if you need to change the next cue before you get there, but are already in another cue (such as a preset).
I find the easiest way to do beginning cue writing (we use this when we host high schools coming into our facility) is to create groups based on areas of the stage with a warm and cool dominant version for each area, we then put the groups over to "submasters" or masterplaybacks. One has only to manually adjust the masterplaybacks for a reasonable lighting look, add specials hit record, rinse and repeat.
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