This is how I do it pretty much, I give a standby a bit before then go so 'Standby Light 12, then Light 12 Go', I've heard of the Rail cue but never had to use it,most of the shows I've done don't require flying, but I'm about to SM a production of RENT so we might have to. I'm only 19 but hope to one day run bigger shows.
Holly Cooper Instead of using "standby" twice use warning the first time this will clear up confusion the order should look like this WARNING-30-45 seconds before cue STANDBY-1-2 Sentences before cue GO-On Cue
This is a good example for people who want to get into Stage Management (or in this case Deputy Stage Management) though in my experience in the UK, Lighting cues are prompted using the phrase "LX1", "LX2" etc, due to several reasons, including the fact that the word "light" as used here could be mistaken for "fly" which is used to cue automation and flown set, and could cause confusion between the departments causing mistakes. Does anyone else have further experience on this to share?
Benjamin Smith I use LX as well when cueing, although I haven't had experience in America, so I suppose it could just be a cultural/dialect-based thing.
"Lights" is more commonly used in the US as it's a one-syllable word, thus easier to get out of your mouth than the two-syllable "LX" (el-ex). It's rare that a Lights cue will get mistaken for a Fly cue because of the way they're called in most US shows with automation. - A Lights cue will get (occasionally) a verbal standby, then a verbal GO (e.g., "standby Lights 12," then "lights GO"). - A Fly cue will most often be given a verbal warning, then be cued off of a cue light (e.g., "warning fly 15 on the red, 20 on the blue, 25 on the green," then when the cues come, the SM flips the red, blue, and green FLY cue lights. In other words, unless something has gone wrong with the cue lights, Fly cues rarely receive verbal GOs, making it less likely they will accidentally take a cue when the SM says "Lights GO."
I'm an American SM. Usually (in my experience) we would say "Rail cue 2" or "Rails 2" instead of "Fly cue 2." However, I am currently swinging in for an SM who has been working since the 1960s, and she says "Electrics" cues instead of "Lights." Too long for me!
Hi folks. I hope this is helpful, but this video is of a professional show and yes, the SM calls ALL lighting, follow spot, deck, and some sound cues. There were several hundred cues programmed into the light board, but it would be impossible for them to run on a time clock as the performers are different every night. So, the stage manager calls everything, even the spots because they would have no time to look at a cue sheet. Hope that helps.
Hi I'm Mike from Calgary and a spotlight operator. You're absolutely right, there's no time to look at your cue sheet . Now, with a show like pretty woman that just came through there is a roadie up there in the spot booth with us. It makes i we easier for us because the stage manager is cueing so many departments
I love this. I do work onstage and backstage I think you should always try both so you understand the stage from the inside out. Funny thing is this sm sounds like the sm from the last show i did deck crew and props for, major flashbacks.
lot's and lot's of practice. There's a 1+ week period before performance called tech week, also known as hell week. At least in my theatre, 12+ hours a day is the standard.
@Martha Everett that's really weird XD yeah over here we have sitzprobe after bump in and it's basically where the crew organise themselves, then we have production week with the cast.
in America (which is where this show is) the sm will call the cues and the asm (dsm) will be the one backstage im currently at school for stage management right now and that is how we are taught in America
A lot of the debate on here stems from regional issues. In the US the stage manager typically calls EVERYTHING, in the UK the deputy or assistant usually calls the cues. I'm an American Theater major, but I've also worked with foreign productions and there are a few differences. In one of the foreign productions I worked for, they called "Warning cue bla bla", "Cue bla bla go", with no regards to standby. I think that just might have been them not knowing what they were doing, though...
This job is all about focus, isn’t it? For the entire three hours. I’d have a nervous breakdown. I image people calling cues like this are never distracted.
@DominoFaz..Yes, atleast from technical rehearsals on.. Sometimes after blocking is set, on simple light up and down cues (pending how much it ties into the blocking), there is no fixed way, but generally yes. Your spot operators in particular need to be familiar with character names and should have a idea where they will be. But as technology is growing now a days a lighting operator needs to simply press "show start" and not haft to touch anything else.
This differs regionally, in the USA this is typical, however in the UK the stage manager controls the stage and oversees all safety and general command, whilst the deputy stage manager cues from the book.
I'm SMing a musical for the first time and I've been out of the theatre sphere for a while. Any advice, tips or ways to set up your book wouuld be helpful! Thanks!!
@2:10 "Standing by to cue the council girls" then nothing more was said, and they walked in. What exactly happened? I'm not a theater person, this is interesting to me.
a professional SM cues all lights n sound.. lighting designer DOES NT CUE AT ALL, he or she only designs the lights... THE SM knows the show and he or she will call for all the lights and sounds... ur right to say a sm usually does nt talk so much, usually its LX 1 go, FX 2 go, but ultimately all cues frm SM
Why does it say cue 421-video out at the end? Does that mean that there was 420 cues in the show and the "cue" was just them having fun at the end of their video?
When you want to be a stage manager but it looks overwhelming
Best gig in the business
Don’t let it overwhelm you. Find you a regional theater that’s close to you and that would be willing to allow you to shadow under them.
im currently stage manging ... first time ... this helps
This is how I do it pretty much, I give a standby a bit before then go so 'Standby Light 12, then Light 12 Go', I've heard of the Rail cue but never had to use it,most of the shows I've done don't require flying, but I'm about to SM a production of RENT so we might have to. I'm only 19 but hope to one day run bigger shows.
Holly Cooper Instead of using "standby" twice use warning the first time this will clear up confusion the order should look like this
WARNING-30-45 seconds before cue
STANDBY-1-2 Sentences before cue
GO-On Cue
Hi it's been 7 years but I want to know where u are and if u pursued that dream or found another one- u seem interesting
This is a good example for people who want to get into Stage Management (or in this case Deputy Stage Management) though in my experience in the UK, Lighting cues are prompted using the phrase "LX1", "LX2" etc, due to several reasons, including the fact that the word "light" as used here could be mistaken for "fly" which is used to cue automation and flown set, and could cause confusion between the departments causing mistakes. Does anyone else have further experience on this to share?
Benjamin Smith I use LX as well when cueing, although I haven't had experience in America, so I suppose it could just be a cultural/dialect-based thing.
Benjamin Smith yea, in Aus I've used LX
I’m a US SM, and I’ve used LX so far, but I’m still young/pretty new so I might change if I find people use “light” a lot here
"Lights" is more commonly used in the US as it's a one-syllable word, thus easier to get out of your mouth than the two-syllable "LX" (el-ex).
It's rare that a Lights cue will get mistaken for a Fly cue because of the way they're called in most US shows with automation.
- A Lights cue will get (occasionally) a verbal standby, then a verbal GO (e.g., "standby Lights 12," then "lights GO").
- A Fly cue will most often be given a verbal warning, then be cued off of a cue light (e.g., "warning fly 15 on the red, 20 on the blue, 25 on the green," then when the cues come, the SM flips the red, blue, and green FLY cue lights.
In other words, unless something has gone wrong with the cue lights, Fly cues rarely receive verbal GOs, making it less likely they will accidentally take a cue when the SM says "Lights GO."
I'm an American SM. Usually (in my experience) we would say "Rail cue 2" or "Rails 2" instead of "Fly cue 2."
However, I am currently swinging in for an SM who has been working since the 1960s, and she says "Electrics" cues instead of "Lights." Too long for me!
I am Stage Managing our production of Hairspray this year. So excited. Cool to watch very seemless.
It's good to know that the way I call a show is pretty much how others do it.
I was waiting for him to say, “Challenger, go full throttle “
Oh man I don't think i could say lights that much, I'm much more an LX, Sound, Flies, AV, Automation.....
Thank god I'm a sound engineer instead ;)
+Dan Clarkson ....I spent years in London calling productions....it was always LX cue whatever..
+chris hero that's what I said. its always LX () go.
Dan Clarkson same
Dan Clarkson my school's SM always says LX
I just got stage manager in a play and I’m watching all the vids like this. Wish me luck 🍀!
Hi folks. I hope this is helpful, but this video is of a professional show and yes, the SM calls ALL lighting, follow spot, deck, and some sound cues. There were several hundred cues programmed into the light board, but it would be impossible for them to run on a time clock as the performers are different every night. So, the stage manager calls everything, even the spots because they would have no time to look at a cue sheet. Hope that helps.
Hi I'm Mike from Calgary and a spotlight operator. You're absolutely right, there's no time to look at your cue sheet .
Now, with a show like pretty woman that just came through there is a roadie up there in the spot booth with us.
It makes i we easier for us because the stage manager is cueing so many departments
MOTHER PLEASE GIVE IT A REEEEESSSSTTTTT
I love this. I do work onstage and backstage I think you should always try both so you understand the stage from the inside out. Funny thing is this sm sounds like the sm from the last show i did deck crew and props for, major flashbacks.
This video is strangely mesmerizing.
Geeze how did you keep up. That looks so complicated
lot's and lot's of practice. There's a 1+ week period before performance called tech week, also known as hell week. At least in my theatre, 12+ hours a day is the standard.
Tech week ( or sitzprobe here in Australia) is pain and suffering, especially the first official run through XD
@Martha Everett that's really weird XD yeah over here we have sitzprobe after bump in and it's basically where the crew organise themselves, then we have production week with the cast.
Martha Everett that’s how ours is. stage crew doesn’t even have to show up during sitzprobe because it’s literally a seated rehearsal.
in America (which is where this show is) the sm will call the cues and the asm (dsm) will be the one backstage im currently at school for stage management right now and that is how we are taught in America
thanks this helps because i am stage manger at my school this year and ti helps me see what i should be doing
spotlight, luv that’s so sharp, smooth that crap out😂😂😂 but confidants on the hard work y’all!!
A lot of the debate on here stems from regional issues. In the US the stage manager typically calls EVERYTHING, in the UK the deputy or assistant usually calls the cues. I'm an American Theater major, but I've also worked with foreign productions and there are a few differences. In one of the foreign productions I worked for, they called "Warning cue bla bla", "Cue bla bla go", with no regards to standby. I think that just might have been them not knowing what they were doing, though...
I was in hairspray jr as run crew
It's weird how he calls the spots. I just do "spot cue blahblah go".
Martha Everett i agree i am a lighting designer and imo it's really important to give the spot ops as much information as possible
This job is all about focus, isn’t it? For the entire three hours. I’d have a nervous breakdown. I image people calling cues like this are never distracted.
Is it bad that I only had one headphone in? And on the same side as stage coms! Can't wait to be my High-school's manager next year!!!
I've operated a lot of followspots, mostly for rock shows....When you have a thunderous metal band playing, it can be tough to hear the cues
@DominoFaz..Yes, atleast from technical rehearsals on.. Sometimes after blocking is set, on simple light up and down cues (pending how much it ties into the blocking), there is no fixed way, but generally yes. Your spot operators in particular need to be familiar with character names and should have a idea where they will be. But as technology is growing now a days a lighting operator needs to simply press "show start" and not haft to touch anything else.
This differs regionally, in the USA this is typical, however in the UK the stage manager controls the stage and oversees all safety and general command, whilst the deputy stage manager cues from the book.
Im calling my first show at school and its just instrumental and i am TERRIFIED
generally during a show the sm is backstage and the person calling the show on the book is the dsm
that is just the UK way. This video is the US way
So cool!
I'm SMing a musical for the first time and I've been out of the theatre sphere for a while. Any advice, tips or ways to set up your book wouuld be helpful! Thanks!!
As someone who ran lights and sound similtaneously I remebered that I cued myself/ the actors spoke/moved and it cued me...never stage manager
What kind of show were you in? Any serious show would have an SM calling cues.
My high school productions didn't have enough enrollment to have luxuries like that
Kaitlyn Gardner a serious show? what about a fun show?
sarasays Professional shows are always called.
Me too. Good luck!
@2:10 "Standing by to cue the council girls" then nothing more was said, and they walked in. What exactly happened? I'm not a theater person, this is interesting to me.
yes it is an operator will never go through a run without being cued
I am a SM/ASM and I am planning on learning how to call a show.
Who else got this in their recommendations?
a professional SM cues all lights n sound.. lighting designer DOES NT CUE AT ALL, he or she only designs the lights... THE SM knows the show and he or she will call for all the lights and sounds... ur right to say a sm usually does nt talk so much, usually its LX 1 go, FX 2 go, but ultimately all cues frm SM
Why does it say cue 421-video out at the end? Does that mean that there was 420 cues in the show and the "cue" was just them having fun at the end of their video?
Really cool vid... but who wrote the cues? 75.5 strikes me as confusing. Why not follow the jump by fives standards in case of revisions?
why does velma look like a cat ?
You don’t have to put actual words with their actual meanings in quotes, you know. “Cues.”
SMH
You lost me after Lx 75 was insanely late.