Organizing the Show
Nearly every concert touring show will start with a simple process of organizing the show file by the songs the artist will likely play. Generally, concerts follow a setlist that the artist will put together. Some artists may pull from a library of hundreds of songs, while others might play the same setlist every night. Either way, having the show file organized by song makes it easy to play along with the band. Most automated lighting consoles have a function known as “pages” or “banks.” With each page, the playbacks and other settings on the console will change to be specific for that page. Programmers will assign a page to each song on the setlist, or the list of songs the artist might play. Each page will have a master cuelist (sequence) and any specialized additional cuelists for that song. Sometimes a page will just have many specific playbacks for each song without the use of a master cuelist.
When I sit down to program a concert tour, the first thing I will do is create a page for each song that the artist is likely to play. I will also create a master cuelist for each song and place it in a primary place on the corresponding page. I am careful to clearly label my pages and the cuelists so there is no confusion later. Then, when I begin programming, I can start to build the main cuelist for each song as needed. Typically the master cuelist will have the major points of each song, including intro, verse, chorus, bridge, etc.
Adding to the Pages
With a master cuelist on each page, the next step is to build additional cues that may be specific to each song. Sometimes these will be determined as you program the song, and others will become apparent during rehearsals. Typically, these are flash (or bump) key type of cues, where the operator can quickly change the look on stage during the show. It is very important that you understand how to assign a playback to a flash type action on your console of choice. Once assigned, these keys will override what is playing for as long as the button is held down. Once released, the scene on stage will revert back to the look from the master cuelist. Color bumps, strobe overrides, content changes and solo looks are all common flash key uses.
As these flash cues are created, be sure to label them clearly and even notate in the main cuelist when they should be used. This will assist the operator during playback by giving them references as to when to use the specific flash key cues. Not all additional cues need to be the flash type. Sometimes they are chases triggered by the main list or other specialized functions. In any case, by assigning them to a specific song’s page, it will help you organize what playbacks are specific and used in each song.
Building the Template
Most lighting consoles have an additional function known as a “template” page. Any playbacks assigned to this page will be available on all pages within the show. By making use of this feature, you can easily create a common layout without having to rebuild it for every song. Common playbacks for color bumps, strobe cues, fogger controls and other effects can be assigned to the template page. They will then appear at the same location on every page. Don’t fret, though. If you need to, you can usually override the template page playbacks with unique playbacks on a page if needed. Consult with your console’s user manual for full details.
Read Between the Lines
During playback of the songs, the console operator will need to switch smoothly from song to song. You will need to think about a process to get the show to transition well as the songs change. Many artists like to have some light on stage between each song, but others will also go straight from one song to another. A common trick is to create a “between song” or “talk” look. This look can be played at the end of each song and used to transition to the next page. Typically, the between-song look will be stored on the template page and can be used to release all other playbacks when played. This ensures that all chases, effects and values coming from the current song are not tracked into the next song. In many cases, it will put a small bit of light on the stage so the artist can prepare for the next song. Once this look is played, the console can be easily switched to the next page to prepare for the next song on the set list.
By making use of a mark cue at the beginning of each song, the console operator can start each song with all the fixtures prepared for the new song. In the cases where artists transition directly from one song to the next, shows can be configured to automatically crossfade from one page to another. This creates a seamless transition as the band continues the show.
Building the Backbone
Another essential element of concert touring is the use of palettes (also known as presets) to ensure the show looks the same each day. The most common palette use is the position palette. The palette function of consoles allows you to store references in your cues that can be easily updated. This way, as the tour is mounted in different venues each day, the positions can be quickly updated and all cues will be corrected accordingly.
When you are building position palettes for a touring production, it is important to create them for all the common positions that you expect to be used. During the programming process, you may even create other specific palettes. However, it is essential that you remember that, during the touring day, there may be very little time to update all these position palettes. I try to keep the number of position palettes under 20 for touring productions. This way, the operator does not have too many positions to update each day. Of course, some tours require more positions, but 20 is a good guideline.
Additionally, most consoles allow you to create embedded palettes. In this case, you can create a palette that is built out of other palettes. For instance, imagine you have downstage right, downstage center and downstage left positions, and then put some fixtures in each of these positions. You can now store this as an embedded palette called “stage wash.” This palette will automatically be updated once the three downstage positions are updated. The touring operator will never need to touch the embedded palettes directly. Always be sure to label embedded palettes clearly and/or place them away from the standard palettes so that they are not accidently updated or changed.
The Love of Concerts
Concert touring programming can be tons of fun, but it also requires good organizational skills and thoughtful planning for the show file layout. Because concert touring changes on a daily basis, the show file must be properly prepared to make it easy for the touring operator to adapt to each day’s surprises. By making use of a page-per-song layout, template pages, palettes, song transitions, and flash keys, you can create a dynamic touring show. Most touring shows fit the common format described here, because it has been proven over years and the console manufactures have provided features to enhance the capabilities. If you are not already making use of these concepts, give them a try on your next concert tour and, most importantly, have fun.
