DSM / Show Caller - On Beat or Off Beat?

[weazel91]

Hey guys,

 

It has came to my attention that there are a lot of DSM / Show Callers that struggle with calling off beat and have therefore resulted to calling on the beat, everytime. I myself am an 'off beat' show caller and always have been.

 

Think of Hairspray's You Can't Stop The Beat. 4/4 time signature with the line "You can't stop the beat"

 

There are many people I know that would call:

You can't stop the "GO!"

Where as I would call:

You can't stop "GO!" beat

 

This meaning that when I say GO the lx op takes the cue on the next beat where he would impulsively feel it should go.

 

There is of course some circumstances where as such cues aren't possible and you would require to call "On Beat" but I make my LX op aware of this prior to the cue/cues.

 

So it got me thinking, whats out there in the industry? I have heard many professional shows being called and heard a mixture of callers, what are you?

 

Thanks,

Chris

[paulears]

If you call late, the cue is late. The best people I have worked with call a tad early, to cope with the hear, process, press delay - plus of course any equipment delays too. I know a couple who can also adjust to cope for the operator's own delay. Those people who always react less than mega quickly.

 

I don't think you can say 1 beat, because it depends on tempo - the delay to get the cue on time is constant, the songs might mean half a beat at a fast tempo.

[GridGirl]

Ever so slightly ahead of the beat, but it depends on the operator! I used to do a lot of musicals with the same (wonderful) operator who would hit the GO button on the G of GO (we once had a long conversation about which part of the word GO was the correct part to go on!) so I knew I didn't have to be too far ahead for him. For a less proactive operator, earlier, but never much more than about a quarter of a beat. Extra tricky when you're calling backing tracks in partway through a song and the keyboard player is playing live as well...

 

EDIT: never a full beat ahead - way too far ahead IMO.

[Jivemaster]

It's your team each time (even if they are all new to you) so it's your job to work out who takes what time before action and play to that.

[weazel91]

Your all right I guess. I suppose it's whatever works for you and your team. As a good show caller you can adapt. The LX op I work with I have to say is pretty good at holding a beat so calling a beat ahead works for us as he can feel the music and feels exactly where it requires to be taken especially for easy 4/4 musicals such as Hairspray. As a followspot for a lot of my *cough* younger years and being part of a receiving house I have just grown up with DSMs calling 1 full beat ahead (for certain parts of the show) and it's something if always came to have known.

 

EDIT: Also it's handy I think having the LX op following your GO rather than exactly or marginilly before it as he/she is then expecting it to happen where as if something has gone wrong or your band requires to vamp then your LX op may take it out of habit (auotpiloting) rather than you holding off on it for said vamp to complete. I suppose I have trust in my lx op.

[GridGirl]

EDIT: Also it's handy I think having the LX op following your GO rather than exactly or marginilly before it as he/she is then expecting it to happen where as if something has gone wrong or your band requires to vamp then your LX op may take it out of habit (auotpiloting) rather than you holding off on it for said vamp to complete. I suppose I have trust in my lx op.

 

Oh absolutely! I've had more than one disagreement with an LX op (not the one I mentioned in my previous post!) who took a cue without the GO because "that's where it always goes," regardless of whatever disaster was happening on stage which meant the blackout needed to be held a bit longer or whatever (that they weren't aware of). As a DSM I hate not being able to trust my LX op to go exactly when I say GO and not before. However it's also useful to have an LX op who you can say "I have to go and gaffer particular actor back into their costume which they've just torn, can you take the next three cues on your own?" and know that they will be able to do that without a problem (aforementioned LX op!).