Memorandum
To: All Lighting Designers
From: Your local spotlight operator
Re: Calling the spotlights at a large arena show
Hi, I’m your local spotlight operator. You might not know my name, but I’d like to request that you please don’t use profane language if things don’t go exactly as planned during your performance. We try our best, honest. We want to make your act shine. So I’d like to take a minute to explain a few things from our side of the intercom line if you got a sec.
Instrument Issues
Those arena spots? They’re not mine. So don’t blame me for the dowser or iris slipping, or the beam flickering. I’ll do what I can, but there is not much I can do with a hot light during a dark rock show. It would be great if the LD’s requested a local crew member go look at all the spots in the afternoon to check on silly stuff, like whether the lamp is adjusted to proper brightness or the douser actually does stop all light from being emitted. Preventive maintenance is not something most facilities adhere to. (Hint, hint.)
Identifying Who’s Who
I know you know all the players on stage, their names, what they look like and what they do. But Mr. LD, they all look like ants to us hundreds of feet away. We will be good little peeps and use our scopes, but we need a little help. You might know them, but we don’t.
It’s usually a no-brainer to hit the head singer or headliner. Downstage center, right? But every one else is pot luck. Please let us know what instrument, what it looks like (a guitar at hundreds of feet away could be a bass, lead or…?).
You told us the home position. What you often forget to tell us is that the guitar player moves around on stage, changes clothes and takes a hat on and off. Or he moves cross stage and plays a keyboard on this one number. The more landmarks we have make the spot op’s life a lot easier when we lose our guys. Let us know when there is a costume or color change on clothing. Remember, they look like ants to us at this distance. “Spot 2, you’re looking for the guy currently located downstage right with the red guitar and the hat on.” It’s incredibly helpful, especially if they move in the dark and we have to relocate them for a pick-up.
Chhh… Chhh…You’re Breaking Up
Remember how loud it is at front of house? Well, that’s coming into the headset mic, along with your voice. So use a good headset with no crackling mic. I know you can’t leave it off when you’re not talking, but if you can, when speaking to the guy next to you, we appreciate it. Talk slower, if at all possible.
And, God forbid, if we screw up, let it go. Don’t scream at us for minutes. That’s a good way to trash the rest of your show. It throws us both off our game.
No Change-ups, Please
If you call Stage Right or House Right, stay consistent, don’t switch it up in the middle of the show. That’s a good way to brew confusion. Don’t be afraid to call Mid Stage Left or Right. Down Stage to us means all the way down stage.
Most good spot ops are trained to listen for a standby and then a “Go.” If you pull the cues out of the air without warning, with no standby, you may not get what you want. A call of “Dammit, hit the guy playing the solo NOW,” with no advance warning, will probably not yield the desired results. We only ask for a fighting chance to make your show look 100 percent as intended.
Remember what spot numbers you’re calling, and don’t switch up the numbers, then get mad at us. Most good spot ops will turn their lights off when they get off track until they figure out what and who they should be on. A good spot meeting prior to the show usually eliminates any confusion. Waiting until five minutes before the show to assign numbers and home base positions to spots who have never seen your show makes it tough. Especially when a giant drape is masking the whole stage for the start of the performance.
Plan for Contingencies
And God help us if the comms go out. You might give us some pre-show emergency instructions on who to stay on. Do we black out at the end of the song, or stay on? And remember, some of those Clear-Com packs we all love develop bad spots in the pots, so out of the blue you might not be hearing anything. A good spot op will eventually get suspicious of no com activity and spin his volume control to make sure. But sometimes a cable goes bad. Sh*t happens. Please give us good dual muff sound isolation headsets if you’re supplying them. Check them thoroughly with the local crew in the afternoon. It makes our job (and hearing) a lot better.
We’re Here to Help
Occasionally, you might find a guy who “search lights” like a lighthouse. Sometimes you just have to send that guy to catering for a long break… And there may be other times when a replacement operator is warranted. Everyone starts somewhere. But most of the time, you get trained ops in arenas that take their job seriously, just like you.
What Goes Around…
If you do a quality job, we will most likely thank you at the end for your attention to detail and professionalism. Be nice at the end, and thank us if we did a good job as well. Remember, we probably will be working your load out too, and you want us in a good mood for that.
Two More Favors, Por Favor…
First, remind us, at the end of the night, to bring down the gels and the belt packs, if they’re yours. They are usually in place before we arrive at the spot position. We just love those colorful backpacks your spot stuff is in! But we’d just the same bring them back to dimmer beach safe and sound for your next venue. It’s a long walk for someone at the end of load out when you realize you are missing a single set of frames.
Second, if you’re the one programming the moving light sweeps, please try to keep from parking them in our eyes. If we’re blinded, we cannot do our jobs. It might look cool to you, but it’s not cool with us. Take a minute during the afternoon to inquire about where the spots are located for the evening’s performance. Then, while updating your focus positions simply shift the Sharpy a hair to either side of our positions. Your focus will still look incredibly God-like, and your spot ops will be dead on target. Win-win scenario for everyone!
Thank for your consideration.
Bob Ursdevenicz is a stagehand who works out of Omaha, NE. Here, we rebroadcast his words from the Pro Lighting Space forum at www.prolightingspace.com. —ed.
