Author Topic: CALLING: Silent Cueing?  (Read 3941 times)

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Emmy

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CALLING: Silent Cueing?
« on: Nov 02, 2005, 03:57 pm »
Hi
I'm doing show in a very small space and I was wondering wether anyone knew any tricks to silent cueing? My director had mentioned it and I havent ever done it before is there any tricks that would be useful? or is there anyone that can tell me how?
« Last Edit: Jun 08, 2009, 10:35 pm by PSMKay »

BalletPSM

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Silent Cueing?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 02, 2005, 04:18 pm »
A couple options I can think of right off the bat:

1)  Cue lights (a light switch hooked up to a string of rope light or a single light bulb. Your ME should be able to do this).  You can do these for all deck and rail Qs (although since its a small theatre maybe there is no rail?)

2) If the person -- e.g., light board op or sound board op is right next to you, use your arm -- arm up means stand by; when you bring it down is the GO

Good luck!
Stage managing is getting to do everything your mom told you not to do - read in the dark, sit too close to the TV, and play with the light switches!

Mac Calder

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Silent Cueing?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 03, 2005, 01:47 am »
cuelights, as mentioned are a good method. Should you not have a cue light system (they cost about AU$20 to make each station yourself, thousands if you want a really good system where you use mic lead and daisy chain the stations from the cueing master station...).

String is a fairly good way to cue at a distance when you have no budget. I made a system in our workshop one day where I cut 4 levers for each station - 2 go on the masters end, 2 go on the ops end. They pivot in the middle, and string is tied at one end. I painted one yellow and one green on each end. Tie the string between them using pullies, so that the string is verticle at each end, and the levers are opposite to each other. Standbys, I pulled down the yellow lever, to confirm, they pulled it their end (it is basically a sea-saw, one up, one down on each end). For the go, I pulled the green, then pulled it back in.

(diagram)

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(sorry, it is not the clearest diagram)

RGSM

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Silent Cueing?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 03, 2005, 11:35 am »
I like the string idea, that's pretty cool.  If the space is small enough I have pointed to index cards before (my board op was right next to me).  Very low tech, but it worked.  I knew another stage manager who used to cue crew backstage via a video monitor and simple sign language.

Emmy

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Silent Cueing?
« Reply #4 on: Nov 03, 2005, 11:56 pm »
Fantastic all very informative and very helpful thank You all!