Using multiple cue lists

Tim,

You do end up having multiple cues running at the same time, but your cuelists aren't all traditional theatre cue stacks that have large sequences containing lots of information for all of your fixtures. You still generally have one "main" cuelist for your show (or maybe not even that, if you're running everything on-the-fly) and then your other cuelists are generally specific looks that get piled on top of this.

Here's a more detailed example of number 2. I think the awards banquet example illustrates it well, so I'll explain that in a bit more detail.

You have a main cuelist running on a master that has a series of stage looks. These looks will include cyc washes, colour accents on set pieces, texture gobos, and possibly other components. This list is built so that you can gracefully transition between these looks as the night progresses. You may even have "video looks" built in this list that drop the intensity and/or deepen the colours of these looks.

On your other masters, you may have:
An HTP podium special handle that has front and back lights.
An HTP stage wash handle that has front and back lights.
An HTP handle for your DMX controlled fogger.

Your producer tells you that he wants a big ballyhoo anytime an award winner is announced while the band plays and they make their way up to the stage. You build a new cuelist for this. Cue 1 takes all of the hard edge moving lights, puts them in open white, and puts them in a ballyhoo. Cue 2 moves all of these lights toward the stage in a 6 count to draw attention back to the stage.

During the operation of the show, you have your base look playing and your podium special up at a good level for the video guys. An award winner is announced. You play your ballyhoo cue and everyone goes wild (for the lighting, of course). As the winner goes to the stage, you play the second award cue that brings lights back to the stage and you bring up your stage wash fader. When the award winner reaches the stage, you release the ballyhoo cuelist and all of the lights return to their previous positions and looks because your primary cuelist was still running in the background the whole time. Your stage wash fader is still up so everybody can do the big grip and grin (shake hands and smile for the photo opportunity). When the award winner leaves the stage, you bring the stage wash fader down and we're back into our stage look with the podium light up, all ready for the next award. If this is the last award for this department, as you bring the stage wash fader down, you run the next "basic look" cue to change things up visually.

By setting up the console this way, you can save yourself a lot of cue building. You don't need to have a big, choreographed cuelist with a series of cues for every single award winner. You've built your base looks and a series of reusable handles that allow you to run the show as you go.

Does that make more sense now?

Thanks.

Tim,

You do end up having multiple cues running at the same time, but your cuelists aren't all traditional theatre cue stacks that have large sequences containing lots of information for all of your fixtures. You still generally have one "main" cuelist for your show (or maybe not even that, if you're running everything on-the-fly) and then your other cuelists are generally specific looks that get piled on top of this.

Here's a more detailed example of number 2. I think the awards banquet example illustrates it well, so I'll explain that in a bit more detail.

You have a main cuelist running on a master that has a series of stage looks. These looks will include cyc washes, colour accents on set pieces, texture gobos, and possibly other components. This list is built so that you can gracefully transition between these looks as the night progresses. You may even have "video looks" built in this list that drop the intensity and/or deepen the colours of these looks.

On your other masters, you may have:
An HTP podium special handle that has front and back lights.
An HTP stage wash handle that has front and back lights.
An HTP handle for your DMX controlled fogger.

Your producer tells you that he wants a big ballyhoo anytime an award winner is announced while the band plays and they make their way up to the stage. You build a new cuelist for this. Cue 1 takes all of the hard edge moving lights, puts them in open white, and puts them in a ballyhoo. Cue 2 moves all of these lights toward the stage in a 6 count to draw attention back to the stage.

During the operation of the show, you have your base look playing and your podium special up at a good level for the video guys. An award winner is announced. You play your ballyhoo cue and everyone goes wild (for the lighting, of course). As the winner goes to the stage, you play the second award cue that brings lights back to the stage and you bring up your stage wash fader. When the award winner reaches the stage, you release the ballyhoo cuelist and all of the lights return to their previous positions and looks because your primary cuelist was still running in the background the whole time. Your stage wash fader is still up so everybody can do the big grip and grin (shake hands and smile for the photo opportunity). When the award winner leaves the stage, you bring the stage wash fader down and we're back into our stage look with the podium light up, all ready for the next award. If this is the last award for this department, as you bring the stage wash fader down, you run the next "basic look" cue to change things up visually.

By setting up the console this way, you can save yourself a lot of cue building. You don't need to have a big, choreographed cuelist with a series of cues for every single award winner. You've built your base looks and a series of reusable handles that allow you to run the show as you go.

Does that make more sense now?

Thanks.