# Calling cues



## iwankerl (Apr 28, 2015)

We were have a discussion about calling cues. I have always been told to keep the com line clear and only to talk if absolutely necessary while show is in progress. Should I acknowledge a cue with a "thank you" or keep the line clear and execute the cue with nothing said over com.

Thoughts on how this should be handled?


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## josh88 (Apr 28, 2015)

Its best to ask whoever is calling the show which they prefer but I prefer standby cues and a response. It shows that the person is listening, and aware of imminent action.

"standby LX1 (scenery move,etc)"
"standing"
"LX1 go"

Unless there are a bunch in quick succession then I'd rather have each called as one standby, "standby LX 1, 2, 3, and Sound)" and have one acknowledgement for the group


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## SteveB (Apr 28, 2015)

Agree with Josh.

If it's a tour and the SM is unfamiliar with console op's, they may want an acknowledgment of the standby. Some don't and are comfortable assuming you are out there and listening., easy enough to ask which they prefer. 

If the show is running a few months at the same house they probably won't but will be aware when the cue doesn't run that you're dead asleep.


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## carproelsofly (Apr 28, 2015)

I prefer the acknowledgement to be "lights" or "sound", if there are multiple people on com. That way the SM knows that the right person is ready to take the cue.

As SteveB said, just ask. Some shows are too dense to fill up the line with replies. Other times cues are minutes apart, so the SM will want to know you're still there.

HTH
Jen


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## Dionysus (Apr 28, 2015)

It depends on show and the people involved. I don't mind minor chit-chat on com and such as long as there is not a STANDBY in progress. However some shows can be very cue heavy and/or require the SM and/or operators to pay close attention, in this case com traffic should be AT A MINIMUM and there may be little time for standbys and conformations.

Example:
"Standby LX33 through 35, Sound 14, and upstage traveller to open"
"Lights" (or "Lights Standing By" or "LX33 though 35" or whatever)
"Sound"
"Traveler"
Then of course the "Go"s.

Until all cues standing by are called and executed there should be NO OTHER com traffic unless absolutely necessary, this helps make sure someone does not prematurely go or miss a cue.

Sometimes "Complete" calls are requested by stage management, few stage managers want completes on all cues, but occasionally want them on some cues to let them know for one reason or another when an action is completed.

Some shows I find are fine to chat though, others absolutely not. It also depends on situation/venue/etc, in a highschool setting you should keep things appropriate, etc.

I generally like people to give a "thank you" when I TELL THEM something to make sure that they heard me correctly. As long as there is time I always want a "standing by" reply of SOME SORT.

When a compound standby is given the replies should be in the SAME ORDER that the standby was called, and I generally like lights to say "lights" not "standing by" incase I don't know people's voices. Helps keep track of who has replied and who has not.


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## Les (Apr 29, 2015)

I agree with the replies above - it depends on the SM. I just heard my lighting console op ask the stage manager this the other day. It really is a personal (and situational) preference. One thing that does irk me -- for SM's -- is for them to say "go lightssss". It should be "Lights GO". Go on Go. 
Even worse is:
SM: "Light cue X go..." 
Op: *begin fade* 
..........
SM: "Now". 




Dionysus said:


> in a highschool setting you should keep things appropriate, etc.



I could relate a story about a tech crew in high school who were heavily reprimanded after a drill team variety show. Apparently a comment similar to "damn, look at the t*ts on her" was made over com. Unbeknownst to the technician, the ClearCom speaker stations in the dressing rooms broadcast the message to about a dozen girls who were in there at the time. You never know who could be listening in! A few years later I was running the same show and was told that the girls liked listening in on the Com - it was like a radio show apparently. Always good to assume that everybody including your crush, your grandparents, and your pastor are listening in on com.


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## jaamulberry (Apr 29, 2015)

Something I have always wondered. Why LX and why doesn't sound have a special title for there cues. Just curious.


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## Dionysus (Apr 29, 2015)

Yes indeed, a HUGE pet peeve is when cues are called "Go Lights" or such. Then they wonder why the wrong thing goes, or doesn't go on time when multiple cues are standing by (mainly for the first time or one-offs or such, not an excuse).


jaamulberry said:


> Something I have always wondered. Why LX and why doesn't sound have a special title for there cues. Just curious.



Occasionally I've heard "SX", but its no real easier to say or interpret than "sound". Often Lights is called as "lights". *All comes down to preference.*

I imagine (however don't recall for sure) that there is a list of short forms and such in the wiki. I seem to recall one. Really what is important is that what name you use is clear (easy to say and easy to differentiate).

Think of "Phonetic Alphabet" Radio codes, they are all chosen to be easy to hear so that if a radio transmission is patchy your message can still be interpreted. I grew up sailing so that kind of mindset with communication comes clear. The words chosen for each letter of the phonetic alphabet are typically not found in normal conversation much and don't sound like each other so if you only hear part of the word you can know what letter was said.

A good example to hear would be something like:
"[talking boat name] to oncoming powered boat, [talking boat name] to oncoming powered boat, ALPHA, ALPHA, ALPHA, Diver in the water."
-> Alpha is the word for the letter "A", which is associated to "Diver in the water, keep well clear at low speed." (Or when followed with numbers an azimuth or bearing).

Or when spelling something out "My name is Steven, Spelt SIERRA TANGO ECHO VICTOR ECHO NOVEMBER".

Imagine spelling something out to someone with words that rhymed? "Spelt Melt Art Rendezvous Tart", well you'd get the R but no guarantee that the person hearing you would spell SMART.

Either way we stick with what works, and to further pick up on what I was just saying (yes totally on purpose) avoid saying things like "NO" when a cue is standing by or someone may be expecting a cue. "NO" sounds a lot like "GO". Actually not that long ago I had a Stage Manager who was smart enough to say things like "Don't G. O." or whatever but accidentally after a standby said "No!", I heard "Go!" and hurriedly executed the lighting cue I was standing by on. No real harm done, but it sure looked like crap when the dancer was suddenly in black and the other side of the stage got lit.

I guess all I am trying to say is that com traffic needs to be clear. Chit chat can be just fine, and if something needs to be communicate it DO! But make sure when something important needs to be communicated it gets priority. I hate it when someone suddenly starts talking on com when you have a cue coming up, or someone is trying to figure something out or whatnot.


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## TheaterEd (Apr 29, 2015)

jaamulberry said:


> Something I have always wondered. Why LX and why doesn't sound have a special title for there cues. Just curious.



One possible reason: 'Light' sounds like a lot of other words that may come up. 'LX' doesn't


Dionysus said:


> "NO" sounds a lot like "GO".



Relevant?


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## iwankerl (Apr 29, 2015)

Thanks everyone for your input!
I guess i have never really thought about it a hole lot until it came up in conversation yesterday.
Most of the time i only hear spot cues (arena concert setting) and my union brothers and sisters never really acknowledge there cue's but execute them how they were called.
Then again i think this goes back to the situation like some of the replies above, of having so many cues being called at once. 

Thanks again!


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## Dionysus (Apr 29, 2015)

iwankerl said:


> Thanks everyone for your input!
> I guess i have never really thought about it a hole lot until it came up in conversation yesterday.
> Most of the time i only hear spot cues (arena concert setting) and my union brothers and sisters never really acknowledge there cue's but execute them how they were called.
> Then again i think this goes back to the situation like some of the replies above, of having so many cues being called at once.
> ...



No problems, a good thing to talk about sometimes I believe.

And yes from what I've heard typically arena concert spot ops wouldn't typically talk back unless prompted due to volume of cues, or them getting specific direction. Not to mention not turning your headset on and off all the time or what have you.

Com Etiquette [http://www.controlbooth.com/threads/headset-etiquette.7124/] is important and always worth talking about. I hate it when people don't turn their mics off and they don't have any need to have them on, or chew, sip, sneeze or cough while their mics are on.


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## josh88 (Apr 29, 2015)

I've always heard that LX comes from "Electrics" being shortened to a more usable term.


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## StradivariusBone (Apr 29, 2015)

Les said:


> Always good to assume that everybody including your crush, your grandparents, and your pastor are listening in on com.



Something I have to constantly remind my HS crew of. We have com stations in the green room, dressing rooms, workshop, and ticket booth. Worst case we had was some offhanded complaining about the cast being lazy and/or stupid and it exacberated an already strained relationship b/w cast and crew. I let my kids talk on headset as long as it's not over cues. We do a lot of school concerts and events where cue calling may be 10-20 minutes apart, if they don't talk they'll fall asleep.


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## themuzicman (Apr 29, 2015)

iwankerl said:


> We were have a discussion about calling cues. I have always been told to keep the com line clear and only to talk if absolutely necessary while show is in progress. Should I acknowledge a cue with a "thank you" or keep the line clear and execute the cue with nothing said over com.
> 
> Thoughts on how this should be handled?



I haven't had an SM want a response to anything since college. Professionally I haven't responded to an SM ever, and even prefer to just take cues off a Q Light if possible. 

As far as idle chatter, I try to provide every department with a private com channel if the gear can allow it - on big systems that means giving most people 2-channel drops on a 4-channel system, A=SM B=Carps C=LX D=Sound. Everyone gets A and then their respective com channel, they keep listen open on the SM and they can talk on their own lines without the SM caring. On a larger show you use something like a Clearcom SB-704 and then you can facilitate more IE A=Carps B=LX C=Sound D=Projections and then you use the matrix outputs to provide private lines.


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## DuckJordan (Apr 29, 2015)

Every tour that has ever come through doesn't want any talking other than the person calling the show unless its an emergency. From concerts, to Broadway, to dance, its all the same SM calls LX #, Sound #, Fly cue (with cue light), and goes "LX #, GO". Props, and carp take their cues off of cue lights when available or they know when to take their cues. The last time the SM wanted a response was in high school and that was a single show produced in house with a brand new SM.


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## kiwitechgirl (May 18, 2015)

Very late to this one, but anyway. I don't call shows any more but I never asked for a response to a cue unless it was something where the cue completing triggered another cue to be called (house lights at 0, flys complete etc), or if it was a particularly long cue (sunset or sunrise being the major example I can think of) where a "travelling" was handy to know, because it wasn't always immediately obvious on looking at the stage.

In terms of keeping coms quiet, well, it depends on the show and the crew. I used to do long runs of musicals with just me and the LX op on coms and we would talk about anything and everything - until a standby, when we'd be quiet until the cue had been called, then continue the conversation. But with more people on coms, particularly if it's a tour where local crew aren't familiar with the show, no chatter.


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## Van Williams (Jun 22, 2015)

When working large scale show involving automation. Cues should ALWAYS be confirmed!!!!


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## themuzicman (Jun 23, 2015)

Van Williams said:


> When working large scale show involving automation. Cues should ALWAYS be confirmed!!!!



I would say it depends on the automation cue being called and how quick the call is happening -- I have worked on several shows with motorized turntables and some double-turntables and there is almost no confirmation call unless there is a break in the automation -- it is expected the auto op will speak up if conditions aren't good. When using elevators and flying automation we generally confirm to make sure the actor on the elevator is good to move, don't want to get one leg on and one leg off and have it go up. 

Generally though, most shows I have done recently with automation move too quick to confirm any cue at all. The only time you are responding to the SM is when conditions are unsafe, as we assume everyone in any position of authority is paying attention to their set of cameras and knows proper protocol.


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## Van Williams (Jun 24, 2015)

It may not be practical for each individual cue to be confirmed if the automation sequence is continuous yes, however the stage manager should receive a standby at-least for the entire cue stack. Being responsible for 70-95 automation cues within a 50 min show it is best practice to confirm all standby's and GO'S as much as possible. and depending on how thorough you are completion of a sequence.


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## AVDave77 (Jun 25, 2015)

As has been stated, it's a very situational answer. If it's a one and done type of show, I'll usually talk through the upcoming cues during a lull and everyone will copy that. Then we'll just punch through the sequence. If it's a repetitive show with the same crew, all of whom "know" the show, I'll call them, not expecting confirmations unless I specifically request a "copy".

It terms of being silent... with my normal crew, anything goes on com! lol. We used code-word "lobster" for when a client, or some other producer is on com (as in, "who's up for lobster tonight?", or "have you ever seen a blue lobster?"). Then we know to keep it to a minimum. Local labor seem to always get a kick out of the com conversations we have.


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## Jay Ashworth (Sep 8, 2016)

Just came across this thread, and a few thoughts occur to me, coming from a ham radio background:

If you have to spell things, always use ICAO standard phonetics; they're less likely to increase your cognitive load. I generally substitute Baker, and occasionally Sugar (though now that the Olds Cutlass Ciera is gone that's not an issue anymore , but that's all.
Some of the people on here were disagreeing with responses, but they had inadvertantly reconstrued them as responses to GO -- the response to GO is that it happened. It's the Standby/Ready calls that you might want a response to.
A 'people are listening' code is good, but yeah, always assume your boss is listening, unless you are personally absolutely certain that he cannot be (it's just like guns; always assume they are loaded).
And the more stations are on the loop, the less talking there's gotta be.


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## Evans Poulos (Sep 25, 2016)

+1 to mics off on com. Especially when deck crew has allergies!


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