followspot tips

[David A]

you can tape a laser pointer on your spot pointing down to the floor or any surface and mark the positions you need on a map, this is a strss free and totall accurate method.

[LampTramp]

When I was in doing stuff in the West End etc most of the follow spots I saw had all been given a small drill hole in the front of the lamp house (less money than a lazer pointer). Giving a very small dot on the wall. As has been said the Op then marked the wall up with the stage and any Cues that had to be on the money, like picking up someone in a DBO for example.

However, after a few runs you will find that you won't bother with the sights....Good Luck!

[GridGirl]

you can tape a laser pointer on your spot pointing down to the floor or any surface and mark the positions you need on a map, this is a strss free and totall accurate method.

 

 

When I was in doing stuff in the West End etc most of the follow spots I saw had all been given a small drill hole in the front of the lamp house (less money than a lazer pointer). Giving a very small dot on the wall. As has been said the Op then marked the wall up with the stage and any Cues that had to be on the money, like picking up someone in a DBO for example.

However, after a few runs you will find that you won't bother with the sights....Good Luck!

 

Of course, this is fine if you're picking up things which will always be in the same place (set elements etc) but doesn't always work if you're picking up actors who won't necessarily be in exactly the same place every time....

[paulears]

For me, Ghosting that I can see means it was done badly. If I see a follow spot from the auditorium anywhere it's not supposed to be, then I'd want to know why. Even on unfamiliar spots it's usually possible to find screws or case features that you can look down. At worst you might have to do the left right on one feature, and then do up down on the pivot point.

 

As for the wobble on the awards last night - a very narrow spot from a long way away will wobble if an ant walks across the back. Well, not really, but taking your hand off and putting it back on the handle without a wobble can be a challenge!

[Andrew C]

I wish I'd ghosted one of my pick-ups this evening. I'd lined it up, (along the extrusion as usual) and while waiting for the cue sat down. Headset cable across the handle... Ooopppss! I'll have to sack myself!

[Nightingale-Duet]

I actually found a piece of tape on the spot. I don't think it was intentionally put there, because when I mentioned it to the board operator he had no idea what I was talking about, but it's a big help. I got around 90% of the pick ups right, which is a big improvement. I'm aiming for perfection tomorrow (opening night) and will be practicing a lot before the show.

 

Thanks for all the tips! If you still have more, I'd love to hear them as well.

[Olit]

There are a few things I always go through with new follow spotters.

1, Are they comfortable with the position?

2, Is the spot balanced properly? (A back heavy spot can make for bad spotting, so you may wish to add some weight to the nose or visa versa to ensure that the spot is completely balanced, a balanced spot should stay in it's position when the operator lets go. Items such as shackles or divers weights could be added to achieve this, however make sure they are secure and are not going to fall off.)

3, Is there a suitable sight? (As many previous posts have suggested there are many different sight options available. Personally I prefer the Telrad option and I use these on the shows I work on as it's easy for all local spot operators to use. However if budget is an option then the coat hanger/wire option is still perfectly fine.)

4, DO NOT GHOST! (Ghosting is where the spot operator opens the shutter slightly so they can just about see where the spot is. It looks terrible to people watching the show and is hugely distracting)

5, Practise (As with most things in life the more you do it, the better you get)

6, Get it Called (On large shows it is now common to find a Spot Caller, this person calls the cues to the spot operators often on the primary spot themselves, but on larger shows this is often a separate role undertaken by a member of the lighting team.

 

HTH

 

Oli

[reecebromfield]

hi everyone

I was just wondering if anyone has tips on aiming followspots

im doing show at the Epsom playhouse on the 20th march and we only have a 1hr get-in so I therefore wont be able to practice using these followspots

I have follow spotted at school before but the size compared to the ones at the playhouse is embarrassing. so if anyone has anytips then please comment asap.

many thanks

Reece Bromfield

[Beachhouse13]

One of the guys in school took an old sub, removed the magnet and attached a rifle scope to it. He put the assembly on the spot each night, and then did a quick calibration each night before the show. Was the best student operator I’ve seen, and even beat some pros.

 

Don’t know if scopes are easy to come by in the UK, but you could make a rifle style sight using two magnets and some wood.

[Oovis]

This came up in January, as the search box proves... here

[Andrew C]

Making spot sites out of coat hanger wire is an easy option.

[Pattern123]

Reece, just stay calm and get a feel for the followspot and familiarise yourself with it. You should receive cues from the DSM over cans anyway, and you'll find it's much more straightforward than you are thinking. Just think 'slow, sweeping movement' and keep it nice and steady. I've never used any type of sight other than a bit of judgement looking along the edge of the fixture. You'll probably find it's actually a little easier with a nice big spot and a decent throw than bouncing some tinny contraption about in your school.

[tommulliner]

When I've done follow spotting (which I haven't done a great deal of, more of a desk kinda guy) I, as pattern 123 said, get a good feel for the spot and once you have done this, you should be fairly knowledgeable of where the beam will be. Fade it up very dimly and position where it needs to be. When the rest of the lights dim, fade up to full.

[mr_towers]

As mentioned in previous threads, please don't ghost (letting a wee bit of light through to pick out your spot). It looks rubbish and is distracting. Go for the coathanger option if you want to, and lots of practice where possible.

 

Have a play with the settings as well (tilt lock, pan lock, height etc) and make sure it's set up how you like it. Makes the whole thing much easier :)

[reecebromfield]

ok cool thanks for all the advice. the only problem is that alot of all of the good ones I cant do because we dont go in until saturday and we have a get in of 1hr.

but im trying to arrange for extra time.

many thanks

Reece B.