Author Topic: TECH: Designer Cue Lists  (Read 8161 times)

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SamanthaR

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TECH: Designer Cue Lists
« on: Oct 05, 2011, 06:36 pm »
Hello All,
Question for the masses.  This season we have had designers submitting "Cues" to the stage manager digitally with in a script and not really wanting to provide in a list format.  Our stage management team has not encountered this before.  Is this a new trend in the design world?  Are we still empowered to request a proper list from the designer?  Specifically referring to sound and video designers, understanding Lighting designers are not putting cues in the script till a designer run.

Both video and sound designers (not same person) have emailed digital copies of the script with their cues inserted.  These are two separate scripts.  When printed only the bubble appears and not the cue information.

Further transparency, no one on our 4 person stage management team has converted to calling off a digital cue script yet, still paper and pen out here in the desert.

I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts on the situation.  Thanks!

Edit to subject line-Rebbe
« Last Edit: Oct 16, 2011, 09:36 pm by Rebbe »
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Rebbe

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #1 on: Oct 06, 2011, 03:50 pm »
I’ve never had a designer send Qs to me in an electronic script, but have occasionally had them loan me their script with hand-written in Qs to copy.  For me personally, I find that easier and more error proof than entering cues from a list, and having it in digital format would only help that.  What are your concerns with this method?  I would not assume the designers are asking you to call from their scripts, if that's the concern.  Although it might waste some paper, I would print out the designers’ scripts, and write their cues into my script going page-by-page. 
« Last Edit: Oct 07, 2011, 07:22 pm by Rebbe »
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nick_tochelli

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #2 on: Oct 06, 2011, 04:24 pm »
The lighting designers I've been working with lately don't even give me a cue list. Nor do they give me a channel hook up despite begging for them.

I doubt those are the standard either. ;)

The rest of the lighting paperwork is far more essential to me. If I could only have one piece of paperwork from a designer I'd rather have the channel hookup so I can run a dimmer check before the show. I honestly can't even remember the last time I got a Cue list from a designer.

Balletdork

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #3 on: Oct 06, 2011, 06:05 pm »
I'd think the concern is when the cue information isn't showing up- only bubbles! If this is the case, then ask for a hard copy or a cue list. And make sure the problem isn't in the software!

No, I've never gotten a digital script w/ Cues~ I also rarely get cue lists from designers at all!  :(

dallas10086

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #4 on: Oct 06, 2011, 07:31 pm »
Wow...maybe I've just been lucky or have accommodating designers, but when I request cue lists I tend to get them, or we sit down together and I put them in my script. I've never received a digital copy of the script with the cues in them; though I can see why the designer would think this was simpler, what happens if you need to reference the original cue for some reason? Having it in a list format would be easier than having to go through electronic pages of a script (since it isn't printing correctly).

MatthewShiner

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #5 on: Oct 06, 2011, 11:57 pm »
I never request a list, I am full prepared to tech them as they come along . . . I would take them in any format - I think it's important for stage management to be flexible - and if it is creating more work for the designer, I would take it in the format they are used to - why create more work.

And having it in the script - make make it more accurate.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

BARussell

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #6 on: Oct 07, 2011, 10:01 am »
Whatever way the designers send it, I just adapt to it (list, paper tech, on the fly). I find it much easier for me to adapt than to ask a designer to change anything (unless you want them to have a nervous breakdown). Either way I'm going to have to adapt them for my book. I would print out this digital script and write notes next to cues that I know what they do, then make a list if necessary.
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Joshua S.

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #7 on: Oct 07, 2011, 11:21 am »
I agree with Matthew.  Having it in a script makes it more accurate.  I remember plenty of times in college trying to decipher a designers notes on a list, simply because they were taught they had to provide a list.  I do request this info in advance though (preferably 24 hours minimum).  I hate going into 1st tech and either having the designer want to give me cues 25 minutes before we start, or even worse, as we tech the show.

RuthNY

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #8 on: Oct 07, 2011, 01:51 pm »
Really?  What if it's the Director's process to be part of the building, look, and placement of every cue? So, you can't have light cues in your book before Tech.?  There are a lot of Directors out here who work like that!


I agree with Matthew.  Having it in a script makes it more accurate.  I remember plenty of times in college trying to decipher a designers notes on a list, simply because they were taught they had to provide a list.  I do request this info in advance though (preferably 24 hours minimum).  I hate going into 1st tech and either having the designer want to give me cues 25 minutes before we start, or even worse, as we tech the show.
"Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you."
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Joshua S.

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #9 on: Oct 07, 2011, 02:11 pm »
Depends on the type of tech process we're going into.  If the purpose of the tech if for the entire company to stand around while the designer builds cues, then sure, I will have plenty of time to put cues in my book neatly.  However, if the point of tech is to incorporate all of the technical elements into the show, then I generally have a lot of other things to take care of in the few hours before tech.  I should also point out that I do a lot of work in community theatres, and I find it very disrespectful to bring in all the unpaid volunteer actors to stand around while the paid designer does work he or she should have already done.

Really?  What if it's the Director's process to be part of the building, look, and placement of every cue? So, you can't have light cues in your book before Tech.?  There are a lot of Directors out here who work like that!

RuthNY

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #10 on: Oct 07, 2011, 02:40 pm »
You always have the option to do this without the actors.

Depends on the type of tech process we're going into.  If the purpose of the tech if for the entire company to stand around while the designer builds cues, then sure, I will have plenty of time to put cues in my book neatly.  However, if the point of tech is to incorporate all of the technical elements into the show, then I generally have a lot of other things to take care of in the few hours before tech.  I should also point out that I do a lot of work in community theatres, and I find it very disrespectful to bring in all the unpaid volunteer actors to stand around while the paid designer does work he or she should have already done.

Really?  What if it's the Director's process to be part of the building, look, and placement of every cue? So, you can't have light cues in your book before Tech.?  There are a lot of Directors out here who work like that!
"Be fair with others, but then keep after them until they're fair with you."
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Joshua S.

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #11 on: Oct 07, 2011, 02:56 pm »
This is true.  If the designer, the director and I meet at a seperate time, I'm certainly happy to write cues in then.  That's different than doing it at first tech, or 25 minutes before 1st tech.  If I'm going into a technical rehearsal where I have to incorporate lighting, sound, projection, deck and any other miscelanious cues, I don't think it's too much to ask to have a day to get all that together.

You always have the option to do this without the actors.

Depends on the type of tech process we're going into.  If the purpose of the tech if for the entire company to stand around while the designer builds cues, then sure, I will have plenty of time to put cues in my book neatly.  However, if the point of tech is to incorporate all of the technical elements into the show, then I generally have a lot of other things to take care of in the few hours before tech.  I should also point out that I do a lot of work in community theatres, and I find it very disrespectful to bring in all the unpaid volunteer actors to stand around while the paid designer does work he or she should have already done.

Really?  What if it's the Director's process to be part of the building, look, and placement of every cue? So, you can't have light cues in your book before Tech.?  There are a lot of Directors out here who work like that!

SMrose

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #12 on: Oct 07, 2011, 08:51 pm »
Maybe I'm just "old school" but whatever happended to having a paper tech? Designers, director and SM can discuss placement of cues in script all together. I usually do my own master cue list from the information gotten at the paper tech.


Maribeth

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #13 on: Oct 07, 2011, 09:32 pm »
Maybe I'm just "old school" but whatever happended to having a paper tech? Designers, director and SM can discuss placement of cues in script all together. I usually do my own master cue list from the information gotten at the paper tech.

Not all theatres schedule a paper tech. I have only done a paper tech for a handful of shows in my professional career. Usually, I am given the cues by the designer either in a list, or as we go during tech. Occasionally for a show with a lot of moving parts, we'll do a dry tech, but in my experience that's been pretty rare.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Designer Cue Lists
« Reply #14 on: Oct 07, 2011, 11:37 pm »
I paper tech on my own, add cues as we go along . . . I NEVER get designers and director in the same room before tech.

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

 

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