No Standbys!

[Anonymous067]

So...we've got this *ahem* stupid *ahem* talent show coming up. We've got myself on sound (and TDing...and SMing...and...basically running the show...)...and a light guy, a fly girl and a curtain dude.

I'm considering not calling standbys for the show, just because everybody should be paying attention the whole time...and it's just too repetitive. The cues go one after another for the whole "show".

Suggestions?

 

[cprted]

Cues typically follow one another in a numeric fashoin. Standbys are important to confirm your techs are in fact paying attention and they have the right cue standing by in the stack (even more important for the fly op so they know what end of the rail they need to be on ... I've been on the receiving end of that one in particular ... not pretty).

 

[Anonymous067]

The only thing we're flying is the mid traveler. That's it...

 

[kiwitechgirl]

I'd still call standbys. Presumably if it's a talent show then it'll mostly involve cues between acts, rather than in the middle of a song (with perhaps the exception of the lighting cues). If this is the case then people will mentally drift off during the numbers, and a standby is the best way of getting them back to the task at hand. It might be repetitive but it'll work out best for you in the long run.

 

[Pixie]

It's never good to "assume" they will all be paying attention just b/c they should. That's like saying props will be there, b/c actors "should preset and check them" Which we all know isn't the case.
I'd definitly be calling standbys- everyone will appreciate it and will be kept on their toes

 

[mstaylor]

I always call standbys, even for simple stuff. Last week I did the opening for a monster truck show. The followspots and houselights op were used for about 15 minutes of the show. There were ten or less cues in the whole thing and we did it for three shows, two on the same day. I still gave a standby for each cue.

 

[NickVon]

personaly as person who pushes a go button or cues audio. I want a standby if I:

a) do not have a script
b) have not had a cue in the last 2 minutes
c) have cues clustered together in less then 2 minutes (make sure all scene change light cues, or stacked audio effects) go off and that I end where i should be after the series of cues
d) have a cue that relies on others to be doing other thing at the same time (I want to know they are all paying attention too )

If i have a script, I usually just like a 10 page warning to get me out of what ever book i'm reading or webpage i'm checking out ;-)

on the rare occaisions when i'm just running board

That said i'm mostly used to taking all my cues myself (me being the LD/Sound/TD all the time, and am usually following a script for myself since we don't have a SM calling the show

 

[venuetech]

I have a SM who does not give standbys... swears standby is a "Hollywood" term She gives "Ready" instead.. somehow a "ready" just does not wake me up.

 

[Pixie]

Ugh i hate that. But as long as she is consistant about it.. doesn't switch frm ready to standby, it would serve the same purpose.
My crew love "standby" always repond with "Position(Spot, ASM, Crew, ect) Standing By"

 

[MarshallPope]

My two cents, I always like to have a standby if I haven't done anything in a few minutes, especially if on flyrail so I have time to get wherever I need to be, or if there is a particularly complex sound board cue where I need time to figure out which fingers and toes and elbows need to be on which mute buttons or faders. Basically, I am fine with no standby if it is a series of things that need to be done and I know that that series is coming up or if I have a script and we have done the same thing in rehearsal fifty gajillion times, or with a group standby. I rarely wait for a standby to get ready, but it is always nice to have a confirmation that, yes, I am ready to do what I am supposed to do and am not on the wrong lineset or about to turn the wrong people's mics on or whatever.

 

[Celeste]

I call an elementary school talent show every year. I know what you mean, but I still call standbys. Really, what's the harm? You have something else to be doing with those seconds?

Plus, in my experience, it's the dull repetitive show that things tend to go wrong, since nobody cares that much and "it's not hard."

 

[Gene]

I like stand-by's in general and especially for easier shows. As has been already mentioned, I'm more likely to get distracted during a simple show than a complex one. When I'm calling shows I've learned that it's always worth while to make sure that everyone is expecting the same thing and no problems have popped up. A stand-by is a great opportunity to do both.

I like the term 'stand by' rather than 'ready.' 'Stand by' is less likely to come up in other contexts than 'ready' so there would be fewer false alarms.

 

[Morpheus]

i once did a show "Stand-by lights 1 to.... the end of the act"

Still had a standby every night, 6 nights a week.

 

[hsaunier]

So... sounds like if you want this "ahmmmm...errrr...blahhhh" talent show to look and feel like an "ahmmmm...errrr...blahhhh" talent show, then don't call stand-by's.

 

[themuzicman]

Call your Standbys. Most shows I have run as a board op or deck crew have been highly repetitive (seriously, all you do is press GO). That being said, call your standbys, who knows if your crew has decided to fall asleep on you, or stopped paying attention.

 

[Anonymous067]

Well, we ended up doing a combination of both...

I called all fly standbys and special fx cues.

The regular lights which went in order and the backstage stuff I didn't call standbys for simply because I was literally in constant communication over headset with them. Standbys for open/close GD would have been wasting time, when I could have been taking care of better things...for example..."why isn't my piano mic plugged in?".

I think we kept everybody happen, and since lights and curtains kinda took their own cues, I think it worked out for the most part.

But the bottom line was, standbys are nice, but when stuff is constantly going on, it just got so busy! And after all, it was a talent show.

 

[Burgeonite]

I think that standbys are necessary for those who need them. I know people that are a nervous wreck on a board or on the rail, so I would call standbys for them. I call standbys for difficult bits of the show. Just to make sure everyone is ready. However I personally find standbys for lights annoying and just increases headset chatter for the poor sound girl. I hate even being on headset for sound if I can help it just because I have a hard time hearing right. If you have a "green" set of techies I say call cues.

 

[flr666]

I'm considering not calling standbys for the show, just because everybody should be paying attention the whole time...and it's just too repetitive. The cues go one after another for the whole "show".

Suggestions?

A good rule of thumb when calling a show is... if you want it to happen, give a 'standby'.

 

[flr666]

If you have a "green" set of techies I say call cues.

This is a pretty silly statement. Try running an Opera without calling cues. Calling Standbys is standard practice in the industry and every budding SM needs to know this and get in the habit of doing it all the time and every time. It is part of their job to call the show.

Warnings on the other hand can often be dispensed with.

 

[flr666]

Call your Standbys. Most shows I have run as a board op or deck crew have been highly repetitive (seriously, all you do is press GO). That being said, call your standbys, who knows if your crew has decided to fall asleep on you, or stopped paying attention.

Or... you end up becoming a professional SM and go on tour and are not in the habit of calling standbys.... THAT is a recipe for disaster aka "amateur hour".