[SML] What is your favorite cue number method?

[Dave Vick]

On Thu, Mar 1, 2018 at 8:48 PM, Erin Joy Swank via Stagecraft
<stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:

> but these days I'm back to calling numbered cues again. I just hate when
> they're very close in number to the lighting cues at the same time, which
> rarely happens.


True story: On WarHorse, the first automation cues were executed
before the houselights were taken out; Winch #25-26 were pre-show
check cues, and #Winch #27 was dropping in the three shutter walls to
Pre-Set for top of show.  Winch cues #30 & 31 were called with the
house at half; long before Lights #1 was called. This was the center
shutter flying out to reveal the Songman and then flying back in after
he'd crossd downstage. Then the PSM would call the house out, then
Winch #32 to fly the center shutter to reveal the Tiny Joey puppet &
Winch #33 to lower it back in after the horse crossed down. *Then*
he'd call Lights #1 to light the prancing colt, and on and on and
on... Y'all remember, I'm sure...

I was always curious why we began the show with the auto cues numbered
that way, so one day I asked Seth about it, and he told me it was
because he didn't like having the Winch cues & LX cues numbered so
closely together like that...  Which made sense, until you got to the
part of the show where the grown-up Joey and Alfred get to the
Mybridge scene - one of the most complex sections of Act 1 - where the
LX cue numbers finally catch up and with & pass the Winch cue numbers,
to everyone's discomfort.

Whatever; it wasn't the mountain I was willing to die for.

-- 
Dave Vick
IATSE #274, Michigan
ETCP Double-Certified Rigger #427
517-749-3859