LX Plotting Sessions

[AbbyD21]

I am currently a student and in a recent LX plot session the following question has come up. During a plot who walks the stage, the stage management, the crew, or the LX crew? Also, are the unions in the UK (I'm from the US and I know the answer to this question there) very strict as in they do not allow a person employed as a lighting designer to pick up a lantern or anyone besides the board op to touch the desk, etc?

 

Thanks for helping to clear this up!

 

Abby

[richard]

Regarding the crew, usually stage management in my experience, but often LX crew, as well as whoever happens to be around.

 

And no, our rules are non-existant in that way, if an LD wants to focus his own booms that is ually fine over here, worked with an american LD recently who thought it was christmas!!

[owen_mcauley]

Nearly every show I've worked for I've focussed or done board op and the LD has walked the stage. All my own shows where I've been LD, I've focussed getting one of the lx crew to walk the stage for me, usually operating the riggers remote.

 

(most of my shows are not really big enough for the split roles)

 

Owen

[Dave]

I've also done it both ways.

 

On some jobs, it works best to let the house crew focus to my design/instructions, and I will just watch to check it's all OK. Sometimes we need to provide a person on the stage.

 

In others, the house crew will assist (eg by walking the stage, moving the scope, and operating the riggers remote), but it's myself who actually does the focussing.

 

But performers can also walk the stage. A lot of my LX work is for dance, and I normally focus specials in conjunction with the dancers, as the lighting needs to fit their placing.

 

Basically, in the UK, we're a fairly easy-going bunch and there are no set methods of working. Everyone does it differently according to the circumstances of the show.

 

The only thing that is absolute, IMO, is that it is the LD who makes the decisions. But when I'm doing that job, I wouldn't want to be on stage during the focus unless there was no one else available, as I need to see the view from the auditorium.

[gareth]

Whoah there, Owen and Dave! Abby wasn't asking about focussing sessions - she was asking about who walks the set during plotting.

 

It's usual for whatever stage management (or electricians with nothing to do!) happen to be around to do the walking while the LD remains at the production desk (unless they have a wander around the theatre to see how a state looks from other parts of the auditorium - especially important when working thrust or in the round).

[robloxley]

I've found it's a case of hauling the 'spare' stage and LX crew out of the crew room when they thought it had all gone quiet enough to have another cuppa...

[richard]

But since we are on the subject of focussing, I always walk the stage myself for that, using my shadow as a guide, it is the only way to get decent cuts and the heat in the right places, I don't know of any LDs that I can think of who don't stay on stage for the focus (although I'm sure there are some)

[smeggie]

hi,

 

first, a disclaimer. I am not a pro LD ad so any advice I give is purely from my experiences of the semi pro, college and amdram theatre.

 

anyway, CYA over, ideas now...

if I am LD, then I normally have a board op plotting the scenes as I call out the channels/levels, this then means that I am free to wander and play with any interesting bits. this also serves to train the board op in the channels list ( very useful to know what does what if it all goes arse over tit!)

if there is a scene that requires it, then I may get any free people to walk the stage - crew room is behind the stage in our venue and so I catch whoever is passing through the quick way to walk when needed. this system works when time is not a major issue.

When it is, I plot and get the crew to walk the boards. this saves time in calling out cuee, though it can be a pain trying to tell the walkers where to go.

 

oh, and if it is a case of high efficiency, textured lighting (see dictionary) then I usually go up the rig and focus, with the board op (if there is one, otherwise the riggers remote stays with me) on the remote and the scaff foot.

[Kate]

For us, its usually which ever ASM has annoyed the rest of the SM team the most that ends up walking during plotting. :D

[Bryson]

I think it's usually one of those unassigned jobs, which you must look busy in order to avoid...

[Tom]

I favour the Assistant Director (if you've got one) to walk during plotting - they've been in rehearsal and know where people stand / move etc (hopefully!).

 

As for restrictive practices - don't get me started! (too late).

 

I took a show to Washington once. As the local crew where rigging our LD was walking down the bars dropping in the colour (makes sense - he knows what goes where). I (Prod Manager) noticed a member of local crew sitting on a chair in the wings so I asked them to give me a hand moving something. "No" comes the reply - "while your LD is doing anything I have to sit down"!

All the local crew agreed that it was a very silly rule, but said that as it was the local union rep who decided who was called for casual work they had to keep in with the union.

Having said this - they were all a darn sight better paid than we are over here and worked what seemed like sensible hours so maybe they are not as stupid as they look. :D