followspot tips

[Nightingale-Duet]

Hello!

 

I'm currently in a production in which I am doing follow spot. I have no sights and need a way to aim the follow spot accurately without them. Right now, I am very shaky with this and will admit that I'm not quite good. I've tried many ways of figuring out where the light will go, but to no avail. I'm fine with everything else, it's just getting the follow spot to aim where I want it to go initially.

 

Any suggestions? The production is soon, and I am frustrating myself, and I'm probably frustrating my fellow crew members as well.

[mac.calder]

How you sight the spot largely depends on the design of the spot.

 

Basically, get yourself into a comfortable position, from that position, ensure you can comfortably reach all levers and knobs.

 

Find a prominant feature on the followspot tip that sticks up - either make it yourself use an existing one - start with dead center on the side you are sighting down.

 

Open your spot and iris it right down. Ensure you have a sharp beam. Aim it at an obvious feature - the detail on a set piece, the exit sign side of stage, whatever, look down the side of the spot and move your head to a position where the front sight covers the spot from the followspot. If it is an awkward position, move it to a different location around the tip or change features, to put you in a more natural position, then on the back edge of the spot, put two marks, one at what appears as the top and one at the bottom of your front sight mark, being careful to make sure you keep your head, your front sight and the spot lined up as you mark up the rear sight.

 

That way, you will know when your sight mark is covering the head of your target, and your rear marks are lined up with the front mark you are aiming at the right place.

 

Takes some practice, but properly done, you can perform as well as a properly aligned spot sight 99% of the time.

[Andrew C]

To follow Mac's advice, you can add sights without too much trouble. Take some stiff copper wire (enough to stand 2-3" from the case) and form a loop on a stem (like a bubble blowing stick) and attach that near the back of the lantern, and a straight pointer near the front. Twist the lantern end around something convenient, or back a fixing screw out a little and twist it under the head.

 

Alignment as above, with the added flexibility of bending the wire.

 

For a deluxe version, click here!

[osal]

For a deluxe version, click here!

 

 

I would agree with this one depends on how much follow-spotting you are planning on doing if you can spend the money but it is so amazing evan when trying to pin spot something

[cedd]

Can't echo enough what others have said - get a reference point and use that to aim.

We end up stood at the back of our spots looking down them, and there's a perfect line of rivets for aiming.

 

As for your wobbling, a lot of it is about being relaxed and calm - not easy when you're doing your first difficult pickup.

Followspots often don't get the respect they deserve, it can be a real dark art (pardon the pun!).

 

Best I can say is get yourself comfy, but don't end up stood in a stress position - as soon as you get in one and you're nervous, you'll start shaking and it will be visible.

There's a temptation to hold the spot tight up to your body in order to stabilise it, and it certainly makes you feel more confident, but often just breathing or talking on cans can cause the spot to move as your body does.

 

Get comfy, try and relax, and spend some time getting to know your spot - be able to put your hand on any knob or lever you might need in the dark, know which way is in and out on the iris, and be able to find your colours.

[Unfathomable]

We usually ask the most junior crew member to run round a bit on stage so new f/s can get their hand in. :huh:

[AndyJones]

Also, make sure that the pan and tilt locks aren't too loose. When you let go of the spot it shouldn't move or sag, This should help take a lot of the shaking out.

 

HTH

 

AndyJones

[Smiffy]

Hi:

 

I can only echo what the others have said. I frequently avoid using spots, as I often work in parts of the world where the spot op's that turn up have usually never even seen a spot, many of them don't even speak English, and calling spots through a translator is not fun!

 

The trick is to be as relaxed as possible, be a step ahead of the turn (you will eventually learn from their stance where they are going next), listen to the LD or whoever is calling the spots, and ensure that the unit is tight enough that it will stay where you put it if you need to let go, and still loose enough that it will allow fluid movement.

 

I used an old coathanger to make a set of sights a long time ago that still sit in my toolbox to this day. I haven't touched a spot (or the toolbox for that matter) for years, but back when I was starting out I took great pride in doing a good job. Remember that the Iris is there to be used, as the performer comes DS you may need to open the iris a touch to keep the half height shot, and as they go upstage, you may need to shrink the iris a touch. Just relax, and enjoy it and try not to watch the show. The turn will move away as soon as you lose concentration.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[GridGirl]

Keeping yourself in the same relative position to the spot is something that I've always found is vital when followspotting. I usually go with the "coathanger" sights as described by Andrew C (Wardrobe can usually be raided for a wire coathanger!) and it's worth spending a decent amount of time aligning them well. Once you've got them set up so they work for you, you need to keep yourself in the same position relative to the spot; so when you're moving to follow someone, don't adjust the position of your arms, move from the waist so that your arms/head/eyes/spot don't move individually. You'll find things are much smoother that way.

[Congresstech]

Slightly OT.

 

I think whoever was followspot op at last nights NTA at the O2 needs to take heed of this advice. That was shockingly poor spotting throughout the majority of the show. And it beg's the question (although I cant stand peter and rick [Jedward]) why only one spot was used to cover the both of them and Vanilla Ice?

[daifuse]

All the foregoing comments and suggestions are very valid, but having been chucked in at the deep end with an unknown FS with no sight on more than one occasion, I've used the following technique. If the colour mag has a 'dead', you can ease it very slightly open so on 'stby' a hardly noticable (to the audience) spot is on your target - you can also adjust the iris at the same time to get the size right. On your 'go' you open the dead fully, on target. I've never had any criticism for this technique - so far! :huh:

[Happy Jack]

I'll throw this one in as well.

 

In the past I've used a drumstick gaffer taped to the side of the f/s, which lined up with a piece of white gaffer tape above the perspex window / viewing hole. It worked a treat and meant that I could readjust myself whenever I felt the need, without the fear of losing my place relative to whatever instrument I'd be using as a sight.

 

Ghosting, what daifuse describes, is something that can be picked up by the s/m and fellow technicians at FOH. I've been told off for using this method too much so probably not a good habit to get into!

 

Get in early, have a play, and mark up your main SL / SR entrance / exit points, and some of the trickier center stage cues if there are any. Over a long run it becomes instinctive anyway, so just get through the first few shows and you'll be sailing!

[Smiffy]

From an LD's perspective, I don't have an issue with Ghosting, as long as it isn't too often, or in the middle of a dark scene or look. Shows that hte spot ops are keen to do a good job, and the audience never notice (hopefully).

 

 

P

[Seano]

a hardly noticable (to the audience) spot is on your target

Its probably more noticeable than you think. 'Ghosting' might just about be acceptable in a fairly crude rock & roll type environment, but its not what you'd call quality workmanship even there. Sometimes needs must, but definitely not something the OP in this thread should be encouraged to do imo.

[Andrew C]

If you are spotting from a seperate room, and there are light leaks from the lamp housing, you might be able to use those leaks to show you where the thing is pointing. Point the spot DSL and see where on the wall the leak points, move to USR and see where it moves. If these are visible on the wall, then you can map the whole stage in the same way.