1
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Writing Standbys & Cues
« on: May 13, 2008, 06:07 pm »
I'm a new stage manager also but I was fortunate to take a class that required me to create a prompt book of a show (ASSASSINS) by watching a taped DVD of the production our school did years ago. It was stressful to get through but it gave me the opportunity to try out and see many different ways of marking cues. I landed on using small bright colored label stickers (that you might use for a yard sale), about 1/2 an inch wide and writing (LQ3 or SQB) on them. Then I used the same color sticker, only 1 inch wide ,which had the line the cue was to be said- or what it did : "BO after P X C" That way I could place it like this:
BO- P "it shall be" LQ3
SQB
SL and SR Fog
This allowed me to call groups of cues together, and be clear on what line I called them on. I did one color for Lights, Sound, Fog, and Rigging, and Flash (a sub fader lighting thing independent of light cue sequence). I wrote on the stickers in a fine point sharpie, and wrote standby's in by book in pencil.
I'd add- if your going to use stickers in your book- be aware of what level/color your booth lights are. Our booth lights are gelled blue, and my maglite was gelled another color. You may have to alter your maglite color and sticker color to come up with a combination you can see DIFFERENCES. Orange/Yellow/Green magically turn to mud sometimes. Just buy a stack and try things out- and hold on to the rest for another show.
Also, write a one page explanation of how to best call the show- what your keys are. Our school just did "The Tempest Project" an original script off of Shakespeare's The Tempest-- using Object theatre. It was entered in the KCACTF competition and was passed on. I won't be able to stage manage the show if it goes to competition, so I had to make something that could be easily used by another stage manager.
You'll find something that will work for you- best of luck
BO- P "it shall be" LQ3
SQB
SL and SR Fog
This allowed me to call groups of cues together, and be clear on what line I called them on. I did one color for Lights, Sound, Fog, and Rigging, and Flash (a sub fader lighting thing independent of light cue sequence). I wrote on the stickers in a fine point sharpie, and wrote standby's in by book in pencil.
I'd add- if your going to use stickers in your book- be aware of what level/color your booth lights are. Our booth lights are gelled blue, and my maglite was gelled another color. You may have to alter your maglite color and sticker color to come up with a combination you can see DIFFERENCES. Orange/Yellow/Green magically turn to mud sometimes. Just buy a stack and try things out- and hold on to the rest for another show.
Also, write a one page explanation of how to best call the show- what your keys are. Our school just did "The Tempest Project" an original script off of Shakespeare's The Tempest-- using Object theatre. It was entered in the KCACTF competition and was passed on. I won't be able to stage manage the show if it goes to competition, so I had to make something that could be easily used by another stage manager.
You'll find something that will work for you- best of luck