Comms Procedure

[CharlieH]

I hope I have put this in the right place.....

Anyhow, I just wanted to ask what people generally feel is the best/most reliable way to use the comms. At school, we used to only use them when things went wrong. People knew their own cues, and everyone left everyone else to it (I know, bad idea. :huh: It did mean crew would come on stage to move set slightly before the lights were fully out B-) )

 

However, this year our stage manager was a trained pilot, and he introduced the idea of saying 'LX to Marcus' (or whatever) and then waiting for a response. He also gave everyone a warning, standby and go cue, and co-ordinated all departments (except lighting, which he only called the cues that coincide with something else, such as a set change).

 

I just wanted to know how pro theatres do this, whether the stage manager calls everything, or whether the LD calls all lighting cues and the SM calls others. I also wanted to know call signs, LX = lighting for example.

Who has comms?

Do they come through on the comms to acknowledge everything? etc

Just general procedure really.

 

This is just for interest, and so our shows are run properly from now on :)

 

Thanks everyone,

Charlie

[DrummerJonny]

From the Wiki Page on Cans:

 

http://www.theatrecrafts.com/sm_calls.html

 

2nd half of the page.

[dave1022]

This is what we do in the amateur theatre I volunteer at. They're used if anything goes wrong obviously, but we also use them for general cue communication. For example, when there's a scene change the lights go down, and the set is changed, people got into position etc. Then on the lighting desk I wait for the cue from stage manager saying that everything's ready down there, check the infra red camera just in case, and put the lights up. Everyone knows what's going on, and it's not used for people to tell other people what their cue is.

 

In school comms is a complete mess in my opinion. There's one teacher who is directing who cues in literally everything. As well as that the teachers backstage use it for idle chitchat and for general complaining. It's not the best of experiences, but it works fine.

 

Personally I would advise using it as described in my first description. I think the problem with having one person cue in everything is that the sound or lighting operator can get too reliant on them. Whatever you do, everyone has to know their cues like the back of their hand. :huh:

[Ynot]

I think the problem with having one person cue in everything is that the sound or lighting operator can get too reliant on them. Whatever you do, everyone has to know their cues like the back of their hand. :huh:

Well, in most pro theatres the DSM is the one on the book, and WILL call pretty much every cue for the whole theatre.

Exceptions may well be cues that go on a visual, but even then the DSM will give a standby and a 'Go on visual' instruction.

 

In the am dram world ic can be (and often is) very different. Some venues will adopt the pro approach and it will work well. Others will like your example call their own department's cues BUT that can get tricky when you're all on the same ring and 2 or 3 people are calling cues for stage, LX and flies for example.

 

Ideally the chit-chat over cans SHOULD be kept to a minimum, and with a strong DSM this will very often be adhered to, not least of all because everyone should really be concentrating on the job in hand and not needing distractions. but whether it's am dram or pro or somewhere in between there will always be long periods on some shows where the vacuum of silence 'has' to be filled. And that will get filled with banter.

 

I spot op'd for a comedian in a large pro venue a few weeks back and there were perhaps 20 cues or so in the whole (VERY long) show. The spots hardly moved all night. Which left us very open to idle chatter. And under the circumstances we indulged ourselves - even to the point of running a book on what time said comic would finally finish the show.

But that said we were always ready to jump back into the swing at a moment's notice should anything untoward happen.

 

By contrast, our main panto in the am dram theatre I run gets more complex as years go by and the need for co-ordination there is essential at times. As LD/LX op I do indeed know my cues very well, and usually run most from my copy of the script, but many times I have to wait for cues from stage and other departments.

 

The key is to develop some discipline amongst your crew - make a stand on what the protocol will be and stick to it. The DSM or SM or whoever's on the stage book MUST be the one in control and MUST be the one to cut off any off-topic rants or sidelining.

[LX-Dave]

At college, the SM calls every cue, ie; sound, LX, followspot respectively, with standby and go. Each operator acknowledges the "standby" with "standing by" or some such. Although, it is sometimes the case that the operators know their cues better than the SM, and can fire anyway on visual when the SM "forgets".

 

The TD also wears cans (he's staff) so he can control the chit chat and make sure everything is going smoothly, and comms are also used for sorting out any problems.

 

The MD/Conductor also wears cans' linked on a separate ring to SM, so cues can be given for starting and stopping the band, and so he also knows what's going on.

 

With the TD in control or 'behavior' and SM in control of cues, and everyone focussing on the job it works very well.

 

The only problems occur 'cos we've got 3 Daves on the crew :huh:

[Stan Hope-Streeter]

One thing to note is that the caller should always use the format "LX cue 15, .... GO" or "Sound, LX and Video ... GO"

 

NOT "Go Sound, LX, Video" or "Go sound, Go LX, ..." etc. A lot of conference / corporate event callers do this and it's very annoying.

 

The whole point being that everyone goes on the word "GO" , i.e. all at the same time and precisely co-ordinated.

[CharlieH]

Brilliant, thanks to everyone! This is exactly what I wanted! That link was great too, so thanks DrummerJonny.

 

We didn't have any chat or anything on cans this year, as we only have 1 set at FOH, one set SL and 2 sets SR. I want them to buy more, but they don't see them as necessary. I think we should at least have one set for everyone at FOH, but oh well.

 

Slightly OT, but is anyone familiar with the kits that link radios with intercoms? Are they any good? We used radios during the interval and pre/post-show and comms during the show. Was hassle as we all had to say 'LX off comms and onto radios'.

[gareth]

Why does the DSM, LX op, sound op, etc. need to be on radios? Surely they could just remain on wired headsets, with a radio at the DSM position so that FOH can give clearance at the appropriate time? Doesn't have to be any hassle at all.

[the kid]

When calling I call "LX 15 stand by" and "Sound 16"

 

I don't bother with the "cue", people know what it is, if there is time or its a long run in, I might remind what happens for sound effects but not lighting.

 

Follow spot is always "spot"

 

For calling people I know everyone so just use names. However one place I did work at we used "theatre, dept names" on the 2 ways, for stage, LX, sound, flies, DM, which has not passed on to the new place I cassie at. I believe the reason behind it was that if we ended up on the same channel as someone else we knew who was talking to who.

[CharlieH]

Why does the DSM, LX op, sound op, etc. need to be on radios? Surely they could just remain on wired headsets, with a radio at the DSM position so that FOH can give clearance at the appropriate time? Doesn't have to be any hassle at all.

Because we had a reasonably small crew, and even less people who were actually devoted enough to help out other departments. During the interval, me, the SM and the DSM had to move a whole load of scenery that wasn't needed in Act 1 from the van to the stage. Many of the crew disappeared during the interval (speaking to mates, speaking to cast, toilet, pi***ng about out side, I don't actually know where they went) but there was very few of us around to do any of the work. Also, I checked on the haze machine and checked that everything was working as it should be backstage. The 3 stage managers also did this, as did a few other people.

 

Due to a lack of house light control on the LX scaff, we also had 1 guy down by the switches with the director, so the 5 minute call came through the radios to me and the SM, and we got into positions and rounded up the rest of the troops on the way. It would have been nice to have been able to stay by the desk, and trust that everything else was being done - but it wasn't so I had to be able to move around the auditorium freely to sort out what needed to be sorted out.

[paulears]

The real answer to this question does rather depend on if you wish to use a system that can be almost universal, or if you just want something that will work for a pretty static group of people, who have no need or desire to work in an industry standard manner.

 

From the perspective of a receiving house crew, if the incoming person/people who have to give cues use anything other than the 'standard' mentioned above (where even if people know it's a cue, it's still called one) it's a pain, and can sometimes result in cues being run early/late or not at all!

 

If you are expecting to give cues, rather than responding to them, as in some kind of Stage Management function, then you should get used to doing it properly. If it's college, and you're on a practical course based on industry practice, then again - you should aim to do it properly. If it's school, then you won't have the discipline required from everyone for it to work, so as long as it works, it doesn't really matter.

 

On a practical level, using walkie-talkies does mean people have the chance to talk over somebody else's messages, so proper RT procedure is pretty important. There's no point at all in using this on a proper duplex comms system, although if people keep forgetting to switch off their mics, or there is an awful lot of chat, then a strong voice and 'authority' does help.

 

Most long term amateurs and professionals can switch from casual mode to cue mode instantly, with no getting upset at the punchline of the joke being cut off.

 

Somewhere, I've got the evenings comms for one of my pantos - this could be quite useful for beginners to hear how things really are - although I suspect I shall have to sanitise it a bit, I think I've also got the TV OB comms for a show at the same venue which some people could find interesting. I'll see if I can dig them up and make them available.

[gareth]

Many of the crew disappeared during the interval (speaking to mates, speaking to cast, toilet, pi***ng about out side, I don't actually know where they went)

In that case, it's not radios or intercoms that you need, it's a new stage crew.

[the kid]

The laptop is playing up again so Icannot quote but that would be really useful Paul

 

Far off chance but you don't have video to go with it do you ? I remember seeing at the museam of film in NYC they had a gallery set up with the voice over of cammera takes which worked prefectly.

[paulears]

I do have video to match - but I can't make that available for many reasons. When I find a moment to search around and do an edit or two I'll search this topic out again and post a link and probably a password for it.

[CharlieH]

In that case, it's not radios or intercoms that you need, it's a new stage crew.

To be honest, the day to day stage crew at school consists of me and a mate of mine. Throughout the year, we design/rig/program/op all the LX and sound for the different events, and we work well together.

 

For the school play, however, the crew is opened up. The director (head of drama in this case) invites anyone interested to a meeting, and they fill out a form. He then works out the necessary jobs, and allocates them. We do get people who are only in it to miss a few lessons, or have a laugh. I say this, except they did exceptionally well this year and during the show performed their roles well. However, I did hear about people texting between cues, or nipping off to the toilet in the middle of the act. But we are a school, not a pro theatre and it gives them the experience (having said that, the SM and I got extremely angry with the guy texting, and he is lucky we didn't report him to the director! B-) )

 

So yes, a fully dedicated stage crew would be lovely, but the fact that only 3 of us could bother to come in the next morning for the de-rig tells you just how dedicated many of them are :huh:

 

Somewhere, I've got the evenings comms for one of my pantos - this could be quite useful for beginners to hear how things really are - although I suspect I shall have to sanitise it a bit, I think I've also got the TV OB comms for a show at the same venue which some people could find interesting. I'll see if I can dig them up and make them available.

If you could that would be great! I am planning on giving next year's stage crew a talk on how to behave, and things such as comms procedure before we even start rehearsing and it would be great if I could play them snippets of that! I would also find it fascinating to listen to how it all sound professionally, and get some tips for our comms!