# Digital Script?



## cceprod (Feb 25, 2016)

So in an effort to save paper and whatnot, the crew (directors, SM, ASM, all tech etc.) has decided to use iPads for our scripts now, as we are the ones who burn out the paper budget. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good apps for this, as I would like to not have to just use iBooks and we would like to be able to mark it up. If possible we would also like to collaborate too... in other words, our notes would cross over to other crew members etc. DOes anyone have any ideas?


----------



## TheaterEd (Feb 25, 2016)

Disclaimer: I know very little about how copyright works for scripts, but even I think this would be a violation of it. But since copying scripts is generally a copyright violation this isn't too much worse. Just make sure you "buy a script" for every one your replacing.


Type it up in google docs and make notes during tech, then export it as a pdf for shows? Would not be fun to type it up, but that's what interns are for


----------



## robartsd (Feb 25, 2016)

Copyright: Be sure you've purchased a copy of the script for every person using a script. I think you could reasonably argue that your electronic copy for notes and collaboration is "fair use" if you have purchased a copy for every person who has access to the electronic copy. Instead of typing, you could try scanning the script in using OCR, but you'd still want to go through and make sure the OCR read it correctly. If you don't really care if the script is editable text, you could scan to a PDF as an image of the page and still add notes to the PDF with some tools (I've used full version of Acrobat on a notebook, but never on a tablet or in collaboration with others).


----------



## chausman (Feb 25, 2016)

Depending on the number of people using it, it might be worth it to try and get a good OCR'd version and save the script as text. A full length script saved with each page as an image can end up a pretty big file, which will likely slow down page turns on just about any device.


----------



## NJJerrySmith (Feb 25, 2016)

forScore is an iPad app that is used primarily by musicians for sheet music, but seeing as you can import a pdf I don't see why you couldn't do plays. It would render a good chunk of the functions moot. I also have goodnotes, which might also be worth looking into.

I believe both are free from the appstore, but don't quote me on that, they have been on my idevices for a while

EDIT: I also agree with all the above mentioned copyright posts


----------



## bdkdesigns (Feb 26, 2016)

Beyond what others said about copyright laws, I usually use iAnnotate PDF on my iPad for scripts. Usually it is just me scanning in the script that was given to me. I mark my different cues with different pen colors and each annotation can easily be moved (aka, moving a cue in tech) without having to erase and re-write. The only downside is that it is a little slower doing the initial marking than it is by hand as you have to zoom in and out on the script to get a nice clean marking but I much prefer the backlit script vs. the standard script.


----------



## talkingtobrian (Sep 27, 2016)

I love digital scripts, in concept. I'm a geek, but also I work in so many theaters at the same time, I don't want to be carrying around all that paper all the time, or forget it, and be able to share.

I have also used iAnnotate on my iPad. Agree, it's great, but a little time consuming. The only way to view it on a computer is to flatten the document with notations, and then open the new PDF. But then you can't edit those notes once you do that. Same thing going the other way, using Preview on OSX to mark up a script. 

I'm looking for ways people have done this - on one platform, if not both. Being on both platforms is great, as I am working with students as, say, the designer, but they run the show. If I am marking a script for my own purposes and running a show myself, I might just do it all on one device, like my iPad, but I'm not giving my students my iPad for the run of the show, as wonderful as they are, hahahaha! 

Google Docs is great to share marked, typed scripts, but that only works if you have the text. I'm the sound and video designer - ZERO time or interest in retyping a whole script. It is easy to get a PDF from the SM. Using OCR to convert it is not a bad idea, except I'd like my operators to stay on the same page, literally, as everyone else.

So, anyone? If I can get this working, I promise to share the awesome Qlab scripts I'm working on, which allow an operator to run a show's cues and turn pages on a separate monitor. It's going to be beautiful when I'm done! 

-brian


----------



## balderson04 (Oct 2, 2016)

If you drop your paper script off the edge of the riser, you just have to pick it up and find your page. If you drop your e-script from the same spot, chances are you'll be buying a new digital device.

Call me a dinosaur, but paper is still far better.


----------



## RonHebbard (Oct 2, 2016)

balderson04 said:


> If you drop your paper script off the edge of the riser, you just have to pick it up and find your page. If you drop your e-script from the same spot, chances are you'll be buying a new digital device.
> 
> Call me a dinosaur, but paper is still far better.


O.K., you're a dinosaur. Welcome to the dino club.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.


----------



## josh88 (Oct 2, 2016)

balderson04 said:


> If you drop your paper script off the edge of the riser, you just have to pick it up and find your page. If you drop your e-script from the same spot, chances are you'll be buying a new digital device.
> 
> Call me a dinosaur, but paper is still far better.



A solid case on it pretty much negates that problem. I have a shop iPad that can basically be thrown around without any issues.


----------



## talkingtobrian (Oct 3, 2016)

I understand the concern, but we all use an awful lot of expensive tech now, and should know how to care for it and back it up. (My mobile devices get HEAVY use but cases keep them mint condition.) The argument for dropping paper can be countered with "automatically backed up everywhere so never lost." And yes, I know, computers can destroy any peace of mind. But my argument for my gains here are pretty good IMO.


----------



## talkingtobrian (Nov 7, 2016)

Hey all. If anyone is reading this and interested in what happened on my last show, here it is:

I had two college student FoH operators at the sound desk - one was focused on mixing on our 32 channel board with 14 body packs plus the orchestra. The other person focused on sound & video playback, assisting the lead mixer with cues, and was on comm. 

I ended up making all of my cue notes (playback and actor entrances/exits) on a PDF using Preview (I'm Mac-only when it comes to live production). I made most of the notes on my laptop (running Mountain Lion) and the operators were using Mavericks on an iMac. (I mention this because the Mac Pro they were controlling remotely was on Yosemite, and the PDF notations came out extremely ugly with outlines on every note! It didn't like switching that many versions, I guess.) Two screens at FoH were connected to the iMac via a VGA splitter - so Qlab was running on the main screen, and the two monitors (either end of the desk for operator comfort) had the PDF open for viewing. 

The tech on comm & playback ran her show, and I wrote a little applescript that was a page-turner, forward and back, via hotkeys. As they advanced through the show, she hit a key to tell preview to turn the page, and restore focus to Qlab so she never had to click back on the window - it all executes extremely fast. It worked flawlessly (I even had a script at the top of the show autoload the pdf and open to the correct page, two pages up side by side). The operators we also able to add their own notes in the margins and edit mine during the course of tech week.

Sounds like a lot of gear, but really, when you're building a whole FoH system, an extra two monitors ain't nothing.  We're a community college with limited budget, but most institutions have a couple of monitors lying about (as the sound and video super, I tend to hoard them when I can, haha!)

So, point is, this worked really well. 

-brian


----------



## SweetBennyFenton (Nov 10, 2016)

My program is in the process of experimenting with using google docs for digital scripts. We've had some success and some frustrations but the experiment continues.

Frustrations:
- Getting the script into a google doc can be hard if there is no way to copy/paste from another source. We've had a few one acts that had to be hand typed into the new document.
- Page numbers. Getting everything numbered well has been hard. Also, how to deal with additions or cuts without changing the page numbers of the text? This issue just came up with our last show.

Successes:
- Having a constantly up-to-date version of the script with any changes in the text instantly distributed to the entire production team.
- Comments: Being able to highlight a word or phrase and "comment" on it has been a valuable way for directors and designers to discuss looks, timing and cues. This has been a huge advantage for our smaller shows with limited timelines and for people who have to communicate remotely.
- Having everyone literally on the same page. During tech notes or paper tech, everyone is looking at the exact same document and seeing all the comments that are being added. This has cut down on miscommunication a lot.

Story time:
This year... we literally had to run the first tech of our One Act Festival without a Stage Manager. Our SM had an unavoidable class conflict. During tech, I was able to use the comment function to take notes on the timing of cues and the next day, our SM was able to incorporate all of those notes in real time without any practice. The tech went smoothly and our SM barely missed a beat. I couldn't imagine having to do this without some form of shared digital script.

I'll be watching this thread closely. I'm really interested in hearing what other people are doing along these lines.


----------



## talkingtobrian (Nov 10, 2016)

SweetBennyFenton, you remind me of something really cool. There is a company called Shoflo who makes run of show documents and cue sheets, etc in an online platform. It's really more geared towards corporate events and theatre. However, one of the neat functions is that everyone on the show basically logs in (iPad, desktop, whatever) and one the show view of the cue sheet, everyone's screen follows the same view as the SM. You can go off and scroll around on your own, but as the SM calls the show they are pushing their view out there, so you can follow along. 

Google docs is how one of my schools works. It's great for all the reasons you mention, and I use strike through to make script cuts. However, it is not very robust for page numbers or otherwise existing content outside of uploading a word doc. 

If you threw enough technology at the problem, my scripting above could, in theory, push commands across the network and tell all operator computers to turn pages. However, skipping around would break it. Just thinking about the sync process. 

Post back what you learn!


----------



## AmazonAnnie (Jun 7, 2017)

I am a Stage Manager at various small community theatres around the area. I end up typing out the scripts of shows that I work on which is labour intensive but I often have a good lead time of a few months before rehearsals. I know that this is not in line with the agreements but everything is shredded after the show and is not distributed elsewhere. I have tried to work with the books or even photocopies but it just is too much of a challenge for me. I have yet to find a good OCR that works (and is affordable). 

I put the document in Word and add "Shout Outs" to mark the standbys and cues. I use sticky dots in various colours (Dollar Store) to mark the exact word for the cues (they are easily moved around - the Director never decides until dress rehearsal when the cues should be it seems). Page numbers are easily added. My second page is a customized layout that has lines for blocking and a sketch of the stage setup along with a notes column for FX, LX and props. I recently stepped in at the last minute for a production and didn't have the time to setup a book for myself. Scrambling to add blocking notes and tech was a challenge (in oh so many ways). I thought of going digital but I guess I'm a bit of a dinosaur and I'm not entirely sure that I could trust either myself not to drop the tablet or the tablet to behave itself. I'm a geek in many ways and I'm always looking for software to help me out but when it comes down to rehearsals and the show I'll trust my binder with the cheatsheet at the front that I could hand over to anyone to call in my stead if necessary.


----------



## gafftaper (Jun 12, 2017)

I'm definitely a tech nerd and would be the first to embrace a digital prompt script, but other than the fact it's backed up to the cloud, I don't see an advantage of using a digital script. I've worked with too many pro stage mangers who can build amazing scripts that do everything you could ever want with a pencil and various stickers and post it tabs. The amount of extra work to scan and/or OCR a script is not worth it. Then there's the risk of the production houses finding out you are doing it and getting fined/blackballed. It's not worth it. Plus, paper doesn't have batteries go dead.


----------

