Author Topic: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?  (Read 106330 times)

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Thespi620

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Re: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #90 on: Apr 09, 2009, 02:20 pm »
All the SMs I work with put blocking on the left and Qs on the right, with the text on the right hand page.  The interesting thing is our TD teaches a basic production class that has a Prompt Script project-and he teaches them blocking on the left & Qs on the right, in a narrow margin near the text.  He's also a lighting designer, so he needs extra space for description of Q's but only basic blocking diagrams.  Any of my friends who have taken that class see my book and wonder why its 'backwards'. 
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elle

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Re: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #91 on: Apr 10, 2009, 12:43 am »
I'm a hardcore lefty, but with most everyone else i keep 2 scripts one for blocking and one for calling. the blocking script i keep with most notes on the right side of the page, but i mainly work off the GP printed on the back side in reference to the script. when it comes to the calling script however i reverse bind it (hole punches on the right side of the page) and all cues are placed on the left edge. the book turns backwards but i have found it the most comfortable.
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joannamblack

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Re: ahhh
« Reply #92 on: May 25, 2012, 03:03 am »

But I have never seen someone with the script on the right side of the binder with the cues on the left side of the script before.  (I imagine it would be hard to write cues with the rings of the binder in the way.)

I just assumed, and incorrectly so, that a script on the right side of the binder would have the cues on the right side.  My apologies.

I have my script on the right hand side of a binder - but that is just because I am left handed, and it is much easier to scribble blocking notes on the left hand side.

That said, it always has been a bit funny to me when it comes time to call cue because, as Matt assumed, my cues are usually on the right side of the lines (writting on the ring side of a binder as a lefty is next to impossible) -- that said, I write my cues large, circle the cue line large, thus making the cue so noticeable -- and I'm paranoid that I'll miss something so the fact that it's out of natural reading order isn't actually that big of a deal.

But ya, I am definitely the oddball for having my script pages on the right hand side (but again that's because I'm the oddball for being a lefty) - I have only seen one other person not have the script on the left, and she did it landscape with script on the bottom and blocking on the top.

Maggie K

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #93 on: May 26, 2012, 09:17 pm »
I have always had my blocking on the right and text/cues on the left, mainly because I'm right handed.  However, the PSM I'm currently working with has an interesting system that I'm thinking of trying next time I call a show.  She hole-punches both sides of the paper.  During rehearsals she has the text on the left and blocking on the right.  When we go into tech she flips the pages so that the text is on the right for putting in cues.  This way she doesn't have two scripts and can easily write cues.
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MatthewShiner

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #94 on: May 26, 2012, 10:11 pm »
Wouldn't you always run the risk of having a cue where that middle hole is?

Would drive me crazy.

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Maggie K

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #95 on: May 27, 2012, 04:26 pm »
It's possible but it seems to work for her.  I'm trying to think of ways to tweak it to make it work for me but may stick to my own system for now.  To each their own.
I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost - it's there and then it's gone. -Maggie Smith

Branden

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #96 on: Jul 10, 2013, 12:32 pm »
I've always done blocking scripts with the text on the right, because I'm left handed and it makes it easier.

My calling scripts are done the same way, but I always keep the two in separate binders; in my undergrad we don't have understudies, so I've been know to handoff my blocking script to an ensemble member who has to go on for a principal character. But I digress...
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gwynnetx

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #97 on: Jul 11, 2013, 01:54 pm »
My first thought was, "Text on the left" because that's the way I was taught.  But then I realized that as a directing student, I was taught from a blocking perspective, and that a call script might indeed have text on the right.  I've always done it that way, so it'll probably stay that way for me. 

I am also right-handed, so it is easier for me to quickly write in blocking on the right hand, blank page.  And it makes more sense to my brain to write cues to the left of the script as well.  I also like to keep everything in the same book.
« Last Edit: Jul 11, 2013, 02:01 pm by gwynnetx »

Plabebob

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #98 on: Feb 15, 2016, 05:52 am »
It's late in the thread but I thought I'd weigh in with a British perspective. We don't write our Qs in the margin over here, we generally have the text on the left (although some people swap it around this is the way I do it), then the right hand page is divided in to 2 or 3 columns with blocking in one, cues in the other and sometimes timings in the 3rd column, it really depends on the DSM how they work the columns.

If anyone's interested I can dig out an old copy & post some pages. I learnt traditional West End style so my book is fairly representative of most British DSMs.

jNehlich

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #99 on: Feb 15, 2016, 11:32 am »
Interesting! I'd very much be interested in seeing an example of that layout!
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Plabebob

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #100 on: Feb 15, 2016, 12:56 pm »
Interesting! I'd very much be interested in seeing an example of that layout!

Here are a couple of pages for a show I did last summer. It was the rehearsal copy (hence me getting to take it home) so it's quite messy - please don't judge me!

https://goo.gl/photos/eAB9YdWF7pTSP1zZ7

https://goo.gl/photos/XCBJeQ4FW8jKkxA79

(I've had to take the image tags out because the pictures won't show up - I've tried 3 different hosting sites!)

It's hard to see because the cues are pretty crammed in, but I do a standby (underlined) and then a continuous vertical line joining all the cues up until all the cues in that standby are called, that helps me to remember to keep quiet on cans. The arrow at the bottom means there are cues coming up right over the page. To the left of each cue I either draw a line to the word it happens on, or write a description of the visual cue; to the right I write what happens in the cue so I can tell if it's not happening as it should.

Since doing this one I've actually changed it up a bit, I've added the word 'GO' next to the go's which makes things a bit clearer. I also normally write courtesy calls inline with the other cues, but this show basically had 2 cast members who stood on stage the entire time so no calls & not much blocking!
« Last Edit: Feb 16, 2016, 02:09 am by Plabebob »

Michelle R. Wood

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #101 on: Apr 22, 2016, 07:34 am »
After reading this thread I decided to try an experiment with my current show. I usually keep two books: one for blocking, then a clean one for calling. In the past I've printed both the same: single sided, with holes on the left. This time I decided to try my cuing script with holes on the right, writing out my calls on the right side with my script on the left.

I found it far easier to keep track of calls and the story. I had worried following along in the script would be difficult with it on the "wrong" side, but in fact I found it worked better. It's a complicated show with lots of simultaneous calls (lights, sound, fog, etc.), and this format really clicked to make the experience less of a nightmare. I plan to use this format again for my next set of shows.
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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #102 on: Apr 22, 2016, 03:45 pm »
I am with many who have already replied to this but in short: I am flexible with the needs and resources of the show.  I don't always have the opportunity to make a separate script for calling cues. 

I am right handed, so my script pages are on the left, my blocking pages are on the right.
If I am using this same script for calling, I will reverse the pages at that point (yep, hole punched on both sides!) so that my calling script pages are on the right side. I do this so I can easily reference and/or make blocking adjustments if anything changes during tech without referencing another book.

I do, however, like the clean look and feel of a separate script, but I also like having all the information in front of me at one time. (Alternatively, if I have both scripts separate - blocking and calling, I still keep them in the same binder if I need to reference both, but don't want 2 books).

Those are my 2 cents!
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DiploMattOnline

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #103 on: Dec 16, 2018, 01:47 pm »
I've always been taught that you should write your cues on the page relating to your writing hand. E.G. I'm right-handed, therefore, I write my cues on the right.

I have tried writing them on the left, however, I find it difficult to line up the cue with the line/direction on the script.

I guess it's just personal preference.

smejs

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Re: PROMPT BOOK: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?
« Reply #104 on: Dec 16, 2018, 02:21 pm »
Quote
I've always been taught that you should write your cues on the page relating to your writing hand. E.G. I'm right-handed, therefore, I write my cues on the right.

I have tried writing them on the left, however, I find it difficult to line up the cue with the line/direction on the script.

I use removable stickers a lot of the time, in my left margin of my left page. I then use a straight edge (often a lighting template, or drafting triangle) to draw a straight line to the cue word. What I can't do is have the cue on one page and then a line over/through the rings to the script page, which I've seen some people do. That doesn't work for me. I also tend to adapt my script every production and continue to finesse what works for me, so yes, to each his/her own.