beware Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/25430/the-world-s-most-terrifying-job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Yes, seen that at Wembley arena- f/s ops sitting in the rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunray Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 No different to sitting on top of a wobbly scaffold tower for the duration of a show holding on to a boiling hot chunk of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Amazing how public perception has this as a dangerous job, and nobody brought up the important question. Having a pee. Now while I've managed in desperation just once to use one of those bottle things - nowadays things have to be gender friendly too. I also love the way people just assume computers can do everything nowadays with no thought about it being tricky. One of my new team this year has to climb a 10m vertical hooped ladder to get to the roof space for the journey to the follow spots, and it takes him nearly 15 minutes because he's terrified of heights, even though the only part of the journey without a floor and handrails is the ladder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GridGirl Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I love all the suggestions in the comments to computerise the followspots. We've just opened a brand new production of Aida with ten 7m tall LED screens as the scenery (they track and spin into a vast number of positions - the content is AMAZING and it looks phenomenal) and so as part of this new technological age, someone decided we'd use automated followspots as well. That lasted until the second stage orchestral rehearsal because it wasn't working well at all and all efforts to make it work better didn't bring it up to scratch, and so followspot ops had to be booked in a great hurry. We used the same system on Opera on the Harbour this year in conjunction with some manual spots and it was better (maybe due to the very open stage? Not sure) but still far from perfect - even with human error, manually operated spots are still a better solution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave m Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I used to love doing folowspot, a decent operator makes a huge difference and the ability to work in pairs with a normal partner as a team helpsI guess that you could remote the spots so that they were still controlled manually but over a distance but why? Most performers are too variableBack in the day we used to be allowed to drink booze on duty so after a few pints good bladder control was essential - as was knowing the script so that if possible, a pee break could be factored in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itiba Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Some of the bigger productions have started to use remote follow spots eg this PRG system.You can input some maths into them and have one operator controlling two spots - eg house left and house right. Never going to be as cheap as sending a truck driver up in a harness though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Never going to be as cheap as sending a truck driver up in a harness thoughNot with regulated driving and rest hours though! Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Back in the day we used to be allowed to drink booze on duty so after a few pints good bladder control was essentialanybody got a spare lucazade bottle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itiba Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Never going to be as cheap as sending a truck driver up in a harness thoughNot with regulated driving and rest hours though! Josh I've never seen a Tacho on any of the follow spots on any of the International Arena Tours I've done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trussmonkey Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 definitely a thing and has been for many many years. The truss spot chairs can either be mounted on top of or bellow the truss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Not so common now, but still happens. I did a tour with Roger Waters many years ago and we had 12 truss spots. All very hot and heavy Panis.The show was long, and invariably at least one spot op would nod off during the set and one of us would have to unclip and shimmy along the truss and around to wake him up ready for a cue.Plus we had three more FOH. Marc Brickman is very good at calling spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 ...good at calling spots. Arthur Max for the Floyd ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 ...good at calling spots. Arthur Max for the Floyd ;-) Yes, its a must see video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitlane Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 ... .The show was long, and invariably at least one spot op would nod off during the set and one of us would have to unclip and shimmy along the truss and around to wake him up ready for a cue. You should have invested in Doug Fleenor DMX Shock Collars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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