COMMS - URGANT

[willbob8]

Dear all,

 

I am the SM of a production at school and we are doing a performance tomorrow. We are having some comms difficulties.

 

We were originally going to buy 2 way radios, but we don't have any money in the budget. We will need me to be able to cue to at least 6 people, preferably more like 8 or 9. We have numerous iPhones and a few iPads and a wifi network.

 

We tried Skype today but the members kept dropping out of the call and it didn't work very well at all as you needed a computer to add members to the call, we don't have access to a laptop during the performance.

When we did a cue to cue, I just ended up calling one person and shouting to the rest. the standard phone call worked really well.

 

 

What do you suggest we do for comms?

 

Thank you ever so much

[ImagineerTom]

A proper coms system!

 

Failing that - facetime?

[willbob8]

A proper coms system!

 

Failing that - facetime?

 

Thanks for the quick response.

 

We usually hold the productions at proper venues but we had to do it in the school hall this year :(

As much as I would love a proper coms system to be installed I unfortunately can't see it happening in the next few years :'(

 

Unfortunately FaceTime is a one-to-one application so I wouldn't be able to cue all the people I need to.

 

Thanks anyway

[ddproduction]

What's your budget? Any reason you can't hire a basic system?

[J Pearce]

Hire proper comms or cuelights (or two way radios at a pinch.)

Ring local amdrams and borrow some proper comms.

Each learn your own script and cue independently, with a set order for cues that have to work together (i.e. at the top of the show LX goes first, then band, then entrances).

Tin cans and string.

[willbob8]

What's your budget? Any reason you can't hire a basic system?

 

Literally nothing left in the budget. The radios I found were just over £110 for 10 and we can't get them. We also are really short on time so we can't really order anything.

Also the problem with most systems is they are wired. Due to the layout of the area we can't have anything wired. All the places that I have found to hire wireless coms are looking for over £140 for 6 units.

 

Thanks again

[paulears]

Welcome to the real world. Sorry - but it just shows the people who put shows on really don't understand how it works.

 

Quite honestly, if you are really stuck, then can't you borrow some radios from the caretakers or others?

 

However, in a school situation, and looking back all the amateur and semi-pro stuff I did in arts centres when I was under 20, we didn't have comms at all.

 

The LX person and sound people know what to do because they have scripts and proper planning. The people on stage do what they do as per the running order or script. If you have cues that MUST be synchronised, then phone them. If the show is so low budget you cannot have proper comms, then it suggests they may simply not be needed, and should have been planned. In most cases, with these kind of shows, people run their own cues in response to what they see. Houselights go out, sound fade music, LX fade lights, count to 3 and then bring up the first cue, the people on stage see the lights go up and do what they do. Talking is not needed.

 

The night before the first show is far too late to be thinking of comms - poor planning! Why do you need to cue 8 people for goodness sake. In pro theatre there is rarely any need to give the stage crew comms. Mainly lx. Flys usually want lights, or if they are visible - then a hand cue.

 

Comms in your case would appear to be luxury, and something not really needed. I could be wrong and you have zillions of complex cues to give to all sorts of people, but if this is the case, then you broke the 6P rule.

Proper Planning Prevents P1ss Poor Performance!

[willbob8]

Welcome to the real world. Sorry - but it just shows the people who put shows on really don't understand how it works.

 

Quite honestly, if you are really stuck, then can't you borrow some radios from the caretakers or others?

 

However, in a school situation, and looking back all the amateur and semi-pro stuff I did in arts centres when I was under 20, we didn't have comms at all.

 

The LX person and sound people know what to do because they have scripts and proper planning. The people on stage do what they do as per the running order or script. If you have cues that MUST be synchronised, then phone them. If the show is so low budget you cannot have proper comms, then it suggests they may simply not be needed, and should have been planned. In most cases, with these kind of shows, people run their own cues in response to what they see. Houselights go out, sound fade music, LX fade lights, count to 3 and then bring up the first cue, the people on stage see the lights go up and do what they do. Talking is not needed.

 

The night before the first show is far too late to be thinking of comms - poor planning! Why do you need to cue 8 people for goodness sake. In pro theatre there is rarely any need to give the stage crew comms. Mainly lx. Flys usually want lights, or if they are visible - then a hand cue.

 

Comms in your case would appear to be luxury, and something not really needed. I could be wrong and you have zillions of complex cues to give to all sorts of people, but if this is the case, then you broke the 6P rule.

Proper Planning Prevents P1ss Poor Performance!

 

Okay, thank you

 

The reason we need so many is because of the layout. We are doing it in the round in the school hall so 2 people are required to cue entrances. You can't hear the actors from the tech box so I need to cue the LFX. The dressing rooms are upstairs so can't hear anything and so need to be cued. I then have a team of stage hands to cue. It would also be good to cue the SFX and VFX on coms but not necessary, and then there is another stage hand on the other side of the stage to cue (again not necessary).

 

I was only told on wednesday that we weren't getting radios so we planned on using Skype, but it turned out not to work.

 

Thanks

[paulears]

I'm sorry, but this is complete and utter craziness. Dressing room calls are always courtesy calls, get the actors near the entrances, and if the actors are not loud enough for the off stage cast to hear, then the audience won't hear them either. Stage hands do their stuff when the action comes or something happens they can hear or see. Sound people need their ears, so rarely have a headset on, so if absolutely necessary they will need a cue light, but they work normal from what they see and hear. Skype rarely works reliably, nor FaceTime and the delay means cues can be 3 or 4 seconds late sometimes. Why on earth do you need people to cue entrances? It's really not how the real world works, and the actors should know when they come on.

 

What is the point of a soundproof lighting box? rig a microphone and a speaker for the LX op, who should then be able to follow the script. There is no need to try to micro manage people in this way. Everyone should know what to do and when - let them sort it themselves. If actors in the professional world are late for an entrance because they didn't get a call, it's still their fault.

 

You are making this far, far too complicated. Shakespeare didn't have comms - Historical large scale theatre like Opera and Ballet that used to have crews of dozens of people didn't have comms - they just did it!

[kurzweil_dude]

There a handy little radio comms type app called Voxer.

 

You can add multiple people into a conversation.

 

Iphone headphones in and you can talk into the mic on that and potentially cue through that.

 

If your not inside the conversation you get a notification, if your inside the conversation recorded messages playback instantly.

 

Not used it myself in this situation, but can see the potential.

[pscandrett]

The dressing rooms are upstairs so can't hear anything and so need to be cued.

 

Just a suggestion on this one - can you give the performers a list of times that you expect cues to be needed (eg Scene 2 starts 12 minutes after curtain up, Scene 3 starts at t+15m20s etc etc...)? Start a big stopclock in the dressing room at curtain up, and then the performers make sure they're in the wings at the appropriate time (or at least within hearing distance)?

 

It's by no means perfect (and you might need someone in the dressing room trying to make sure people know the time/prod them at the right points) but if you can't get a message to the dressing rooms then it might be a way forward...

 

Also, if you have spare dimmer circuits, you could rig up spare coloured dim 15W lamps at each cue point (eg SL, SR) that are operated from the LX desk. On = standby, off = go. You'd have no feedback, and rely on everyone being mega alert and knowing what they're being cued for, but it might be better than nothing.

 

Hope that helps.

[paulears]

Remember in the old days theatres had runners (call boys) , who would go and knock on doors.

 

Please - don't try to use electronics because they always let you down when you don't have time to throughly test them in a rehearsal. If the show is tomorrow, why not just explain to the teacher and leave it with them? You are dealing with people who may well forget lines, get them in the wrong order and mess up - so don't add to the problem - keep it simply. I know technology and backstage stuff is fun, but so often, people use kit because they want to use it, or have been told it's the only way - and it never, ever is!

[willbob8]

Thank you all for your help. I've looked into some of these solutions and I think Voxer may be the best bet.

 

Unfortunately due to the discipline and age of the cast and crew - most are only 12 years old, I need to cue quite a lot, and we can't rely on timings.

 

Thanks again

[paulears]

 

I just tried the boxer app - 4 secs to get the message to the recipient, and touch screens are not very good for using as a PTT because you need to see your finger touch the right bit on the screen. However, it's free, and it does work. I won't be using it because it isn't precise enough to say GO and see something happen. Imagine trying to hit a musical bump, or you want lights and your doorbell ring to go at the same time, so you have to say GO early and then count a random network delay time, then press your button. Walkie talkies have problems, but cueing with a delay is very annoying.

[Pete McCrea]

Ring you local hire companies first thing tomorrow morning. With a bit if bargaining you might get 7 or 8 ways of wired Comms for £80.

 

But as said above it gives you no time to rehearse a show with them.