Truss Spotting

[taffymonster]

Yes I have tried searching and have come up with a whole lot of nothing.

 

Does anyone have any tips for truss spotting? I've been asked to do this for a stadium gig on Saturday and have no prior experience - in fact I've only follow spotted once many years ago. I've read plenty of tips on followspotting on here but having rigged plenty of truss seats and spots: realise the lanterns are quite different to the 'normal' sort.

 

Cheers - any help appreciated as I don't want to f*ck this up as it could be a little leg up the ladder (sic).

[leofric]

Don't drink too much before going up!

 

[Pete McCrea]

And it's possibly worth bringing an empty bottle up with you just in case...

[Seano]

... realise the lanterns are quite different to the 'normal' sort.

 

Actually not so much, they're shorter throw so the body is generally more compact but thats about it. Spotting is spotting, and the tips in the various other spotting threads still apply. It isn't theatre though, and its not subtle, so you wont be needing any sights.

 

You'll be wanting empty pockets - no keys, mobile phone or loose change. It might save a bit of stress if you sort out someone to hold those for safe keeping for you ahead of time, save looking for somewhere to stash them at the last moment.

 

What you should have in your pocket though is a pair of ear plugs. (Actually, better perhaps to have them in your ears. :P) Depending on the lighting design you might find yourself uncomfortably close to the main pa. Make sure the mic on your cans is not left open, ever. (Truss spot cans are often nobbled anyway, so that the mic switch won't latch.) Many LD's would prefer you not to acknowledge your standbys during the set anyway, in which case they'll only want you to speak before the start of the set to confirm that you're there and ready to go.

 

Relax. Enjoy.

[Smiffy]

It isn't theatre though, and its not subtle, so you wont be needing any sights

 

I beg to differ. If one of my spot op's is off his mark, they know about it. Not sure why it is that the UK in particular has this belief that any medium of Lighting Design other than Theatre is inferior or less subtle in some way or another. Invariably (and I work in Theatre, TV, and Rock and Roll) the Rock and Roll stuff is the form that takes longest to program, requires much more accurate timing, and far far greater understanding of the musical intricacies of a piece in contrast to a Musical Theatre production.

 

I would strongly advise you to consider taking some sights up with you (even if you build them yourself out of a few bits of coathanger) and as already suggested, leave the mic off unless you really need to say something or the LD asks a question requiring a response. Go to the loo before you go up (but take an empty bottle up too :huh: ) , wear a harness, and if you have to climb a caving/rope ladder to get up there, be sure that it has a fall arrestor and that you are clipped into it. Be sure also that the Rigger (or other competent person) has instructed you in the correct way to climb a caving ladder.

 

Listen to and get the hang of the LD's rhythm. Usually when they call spots, most rock and roll LD's have a rhythm that they get into and you'll know that a Q is coming your way from that. Don't pre-empt the cue though!

 

Above all, have fun, and try not to watch the show, as the second you lose concentration, the 'turn' is guaranteed to move....

 

Cheers and HTH

 

Smiffy

[LXbydesign]

AND, as above - im not sure about the bottle thing really!! haha - but DO make sure you go to the loo before you go up, not ages before but make it the last thing you do before you head of to the truss :huh:

[Smiffy]

PS:

 

@ Seano - You should know better - Perpetuating this myth that rock and roll aint noise pollution subtle.... :huh: (joking / ribbing btw) (note - Disclaimer added so that should Seano be a rigger on any of my future shows, I do not get a shackle to the head from a great height B-) :) )

[taffymonster]

safe guys, thanks a lot. I'd already figured out the empty bottle bit haha but ear plugs are something I really hadn't thought of so good shout. I don't know where the positions are yet the production in is tomorrow (which I'm working) so I guess I'll have a better idea then.

 

I shall of course be wearing a harness, I do occasionally work as a climber although I haven't worked on something this size before... Again I guess it'll become apparent RE access after tomorrow.

 

Thanks guys, and keep em coming if you have anything else to suggest :-) thanks taffy

[Seano]

..the Rock and Roll stuff is the form that takes longest to program, requires much more accurate timing, and far far greater understanding of the musical intricacies of a piece in contrast to a Musical Theatre production.

 

All true, and all completely irrelevant - we're talking about a spot op, not the LD/operator.

Spotting is, by and large, less subtle in rock and roll than it is in theatre. I'm not dissing your considerable skills, so you can stop the willy waving and get over it.

The OP is talking about a truss spot on a stadium gig, in June. It'll be daylight for the first half of the set.

And if, by some chance, there did happen to be some crucial, subtle cue involved the spot probably wouldn't be operated by local crew.

 

I would strongly advise you to consider taking some sights up with you (even if you build them yourself out of a few bits of coathanger)

Oh for goodness sake. I'm telling him he needs to empty his pockets of anything he may accidentally drop and you're telling him to bugger about with bits of coathanger and gaffa tape.

 

Oh, and speaking of which. To the OP: For gawd's sake don't bugger about with empty bottles.

You'll be up there for about 2 hrs tops, this isn't some epic session of yore. If a 20-something technician can't make it through the set without needing a wee he needs to go and see the doctor.

DONT take anything you might accidentally drop. No keys, loose change or mobile phone in your pockets and for heaven's sake NO bottle.

(Besides which, you'll be in full view of pretty much the entire audience and that's not the kind of show they've come to see.)

[taffymonster]

PMSL (thats laughing not lighting before you start) I generally work all day without needing to relieve myself so a fair point wrapped up in some amusing prose :-) And I completely hadn't thought that it would be daylight for most of my time up there - yes it's june and it's an open stadium *engages brain*.

 

 

 

safe

[the kid]

Never done it before but I assume that open stadium in summer you might want some sun cream.

[Jivemaster]

Consider wearing something that has fully velcro or zip closed pockets. What you need in pocket stays in pocket.

 

If this is the start of higher things then look for clothes with secure pockets and maybe a clear face pocket just above your right knee, read lists through it and write on it with a chinagraph, (on a string!)

[Smiffy]

Seano:

 

Without wishing to turn this into a willy waving slagging match, I would like to address a couple of your points and justify my responses. If only for clarification of the points for others that read this.

 

Regarding the first part of my response that you quoted

the Rock and Roll stuff is the form that takes longest to program, requires much more accurate timing, and far far greater understanding of the musical intricacies of a piece in contrast to a Musical Theatre production

Taken out of context as you did, it would indeed appear to be willy waving as you so eloquently state, however there's no need for the sarcasm. My comments there were to re-enforce my argument regarding the throwaway comment that stated there is no subtlety in the lighting of RnR. It's a comment that we see way too often in the UK industry, and given that this forum is frequented by a large number of newbies and up-and-comers, it is a prejudice that all professionals in the business should be working to reduce.

 

And if, by some chance, there did happen to be some crucial, subtle cue involved the spot probably wouldn't be operated by local crew.

 

Who's to say. our OP has already stated that

I don't want to f*ck this up as it could be a little leg up the ladder

so surely our aim is to prepare him for any situation that the day throws at him?

 

Oh for goodness sake. I'm telling him he needs to empty his pockets of anything he may accidentally drop and you're telling him to bugger about with bits of coathanger and gaffa tape.

 

Doesn't strike me as being particularly hazardous. Given that the Truss spots are most likely to be over the upstage area, or at least over the pit, a few minutes work with a leatherman and a coathanger and he's in a position to nail every pick-up and possibly in the process, impress whoever he needs to impress.

 

I'll concede on the bottle though :) Perhaps a touch excessive. Most of my recent work has been in an environment where the shows can be up to 6 hrs long, so the nature of a 'real' production being a gloriously short couple of hours eluded me there :P

 

Lastly, @ Taffymonster, I hope you have a good gig on Saturday, and impress whoever it is you need to. (with or without coathangers :D )

 

Cheers

 

 

Smiffy

[Seano]

Consider wearing something that has fully velcro or zip closed pockets. What you need in pocket stays in pocket.

A pouch with a zip closure, or a chalk-bag with a drawstring would also be good. But for stuff that won't be needed up there (car-keys etc.), just not taking it is prolly still the best option.

 

... my argument regarding the throwaway comment that stated there is no subtlety in the lighting of RnR.

 

Oh? Who said that then? Not me. As it happens I agree completely with your comments regarding RnR lighting design and operation in general. And to be honest, I've never encountered the rather daft opinion you credit me with expressing. (But then I'm a rigger, not an LD, so that's not really surprising I suppose.)

 

I wasn't saying anything about lighting in general, I was talking specifically about truss-spotting on a stadium gig.

Compared to a theatrical FoH spot (by 'theatrical' I mean something other than a musical or a panto), it isn't subtle - there won't be frost in it, it wont be used at anything less than full intensity, it'll be full-body (from such a steep angle can hardly not be) and the first half of the set will be performed in daylight. Not necessarily true, but very likely. Sorry if that touches a nerve, but I really don't see why it should

 

Doesn't strike me as being particularly hazardous. Given that the Truss spots are most likely to be over the upstage area, or at least over the pit, a few minutes work with a leatherman and a coathanger and he's in a position to nail every pick-up and possibly in the process, impress whoever he needs to impress.

Oh, so you were encouraging him to bugger about up on a truss during a changeover, with a coathanger, some gaffa tape and a leatherman. True, its unlikely to be over the audience - so if in the midst of a fiddly job with sweaty hands he should drop his leatherman he's only likely to injure a member of the touring or local crew, security or an artiste. Or damage a fairly trivial bit of kit like, for example, the monitor desk. Well thats ok then. :P

 

If the LD really felt the need for sights on the truss spots why would they not already be fitted? It'd have to be a pretty ineffectual LD that wants them and doesn't get them for the top-of-the-bill act at a stadium gig. (Particularly as there are likely to be Telrad or similar telescope sights fitted FoH anyway.)

 

Besides which, it isn't the LD that the OP wants to impress. Lets, for the sake of argument assume he doesn't drop anything, somehow contrives a set of useful sights (much more difficult with a truss spot than FoH given the operators position relative to the spot and comparative lack of mobility strapped, as he is, into a chair), and the LD thinks his pick-ups are wonderful. The lighting crew chief and the local crewboss will still both think he's a tit - and their opinion has a *much* greater bearing than that of the LD on whether he's asked to do it again. The rigger, who these days frequently (and reluctantly) ends up carrying a degree of responsibility for all work at height by whichever department, is likely to be less charitable.

[ralphy89]

A coat hanger and an empty bottle. Just remember which one has your water in it. :** laughs out loud **: