Digital Prompt Books (Do you use them?)

[Cherie B. Tay]

I've seen a few Broadway stage managers in a long running show with all of their cues typed up instead of penciled in. How many people actually type their scripts AND cues/blocking?

- How effective is this technique for you, and how long does it take for you to digitize your whole book?
- What shows have you done it for, and how long was the run?
- What program do you use to type in all your cues?



My first digital prompt book was 2 years ago with The Philadelphia Story. It was only a two week run, but there were very few cues, and I wanted to try and digitize my prompt book after I saw a PSM on tour with one.
I just use Word and put all the cues in text boxes with lines drawn in.

[MatthewShiner]

I do every show this way, for a variety of reasons.  Many of my shows, I hand off to another stage manager - so the clarity of the calling script is very important to me.  I also tech VERY, VERY fast - and use the time of typing in my cues to review and clean up the teching.  (I tech with pencil and paper, and then review by typing in the cues.)  Also, a lot of the productions I do have a possible remount, co-production or future production attached . . . so I like have a very clear copy of my calling script.  PLUS, I have a back-up copy of the calling script (How many stage managers do you know NEVER COPY or have a back up copy of their calling script?)

I find it very effective to me.  I usually come in an hour early during tech, and type cues from the day or tech period before.  (I just like being in the building, and fielding questions, so by doing this I have something to do.)  It also allows me to snag designers and any questions I may have.

Like I said, I do it for all my shows, they run 5 weeks - 10 weeks.   

I use WORD - using arrows, shapes and call-outs.  Once the script is typed in (usually do during pre-production, if it is not in word already), I find it takes 4 - 8 hours to type in all the cues depending on the complexity of the tech. 

[NomieRae]

If I had the time/resources-I'd do this for EVERY calling script.

That being said-I end up doing this about 50% of the time, my runs have ranged from 2 days to 3 months. Shows range from dance, to childrens, to national tours. I think Matthew has excellent points in that it's an invaluable tool especially for a company who may want to remount it in the future. Having an electronic backup is amazing-my last tour was wow-ed that I was able to send them a digital copy of the script for archiving/future tours.

Half the time our tech process just isn't fluid enough to allow me time to type in my cues/it would take twice as long as the tech process itself so I just photocopy my handwritten cues and call it a day. It's not how I prefer to do it-but time and money are definitely factors for me.

I use Word, although there is some little computer savy SM inside of me that wishes that something would come out for a two screen tablet laptop. Can you imagine?!--having a tablet laptop like a binder that you could use with a stylus. But I digress....

I think it's a great habit and tool for SM's. I know some that call their shows off laptops/computers with pdfs of typed scripts, and I personally prefer having paper in a binder.

[GalFriday]

I have called a show off a computer. We used an excel file to enter the script. The normal call was on one sheet and we used the down arrow to flip pages. We included hyperlinks on the side of certain sections to different sheets. So, if we were calling a different version of the show that night we could click a link to the alternate version only when needed and then back to the original script. This was a non-traditional type of show so moving acts around was a nightly event. We also had the links to Medical rescues for that part of the show on the screen we were in. I thought I would hate calling the show this way but I really enjoyed it.

We did always have a printed copy in the booth but I never had a problem with the computerized script working.

[MatthewShiner]

I should note - that I print out a paper copy, and still call from the paper copy.  (Just a wee bit old fashion not to have the paper version of the script in front of me.)

[loebtmc]

I can't imagine the time to type in the script and then type in the cues. I love my post-it flags that move around easily w changed cues, and I have done too many one-person shows that don't follow the same pattern night to night (whether intentional or the actor just jumps around cuz that's the way their brain worked) - and it's just faster w a paper scrip - I know where I am going, and where I'm going back to, faster in a binder

[MatthewShiner]

It does help that my scripts are typed in by the assistant director, but I have, when I have freelanced to other theaters, have typed in the script (or scanned and edited).

I have to admit, my eye sight is not what it used to be .  .  . so being able to tweek the font helps a lot.

[bethanyb5]

The 3 shows I did I typed the cues in and printed it and called from the paper copy. I don't have very neat hand writing when I have to write fast so having a clean cut typed script is great. I've thought about calling off a computer but I know how things can go wrong with computers and i think a paper copy is much more reliable.

When I am also running Lights and Sound I print the script back to back so I have less page flipping to do.

[BeckyGG]

I started typing up digital copies of my scripts about 3 years ago, and now do it about 80% of the time.  Shows I do run anywhere from a week to a few months. 

I also show up early to type it up during tech, and do everything in Word.

I've found it useful when doing outdoor theater, as even though my calling station is indoors, my script still has a tendency to get wet.  That and I sometimes have a hard time reading pencil in low-light or blue-light.  So, I find the printed copy (yes...I print the copies and do not call off of my computer screen) much easier to read.  And I feel I can rest a little easier knowing that I can just print off a page should anything happen.

[crazylady]

I've never used an electronic version of the script when calling my cues. Sometime I'd like to try it. The other thing is that I'm really weird and there is something very de-stressing to me about actually writing in my book....I don't know why. I totally get though that it would make it easier to make adjustments to the whole cueing system, like if a sound q gets cut or moved. copy and paste i can imagine are lovely things. I would like to try the digital thing though....maybe on my next show.

[planetmike]

How do you handle page numbering if using an electronic version of a script? I'd think you'd need to have the same page numbers as the director and cast.

I attended a read through last night where there were four different versions of the script (two bound books from a library, two printed versions that were emailed to everyone). A couple times the emailed version was missing a couple words or lines. And it took a small amount of page flipping to make sure everyone was on the same page while corrections were made. (Of course, it was also fun that the two "official" versions differed as well in a few minor points.)

[klcurrie]

Mike, concerning typed scripts: if everyone is not using the typed version, I will mark up mine with the page breaks in the original script and use those numbers as the page references on everything. 

more on topic, I still do all my books by hand, but clearly need to give the Word option a try!

[KMC]

How do you handle page numbering if using an electronic version of a script? I'd think you'd need to have the same page numbers as the director and cast.

I attended a read through last night where there were four different versions of the script (two bound books from a library, two printed versions that were emailed to everyone). A couple times the emailed version was missing a couple words or lines. And it took a small amount of page flipping to make sure everyone was on the same page while corrections were made. (Of course, it was also fun that the two "official" versions differed as well in a few minor points.)

If you're the one typing it, insert a page break at the end of each page of the original script.  If you send it out, please god use .pdfs 

This will prevent peoples' computers from adjusting the margins and will keep pagination consistent no matter who prints it.  Sounds like you're at a disadvantage here with so many copies of the script floating around - that benefits nobody.  What level production is this?  Do you guys have the money to print a copy of the script for everyone?  Sounds like that would save you some headaches!

As far as digital prompt books, I was always a big fan of typing it myself.  It helped me get to know the show, word by painstaking word.  Once it came time for cues though I always had headaches with formatting - some of you that do this regularly, what tips or tricks might you offer to our members that may just be venturing into a digital script?  When typing in your cues, how do you leave all the text below the cue unaffected?

[MatthewShiner]

To be honest, I don't need matching page numbers of a calling script to the actors script.  (You usually say "take it from this line", not "we are taking it from page 19").  But, to keep me in the line with the LD, I put the origional page script number on the bottom of the page, right before a hard page - and then automatically number the script up on top.

What is also good about this . . . when I spread one page out - because of heavy cues or what not, I can keep the page number the same on the multiple pages.

[bethanyb5]

I used to just edit my prompt script and take out extra stuff the director had typed in like blocking that I didn't need for the prompt script then my pages were numbered differently and when I would have to attend to something then come back and someone would ask for a line I would be lost and they would keep telling me the page number but it did no good. so now I make sure I keep the old page numbers in the script so I know where I am