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Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The Best 'Worst Spot Op' Stories
PLSN: Over the course of the last year, PLSN has stockpiled a list of humorous spotlight tales that actually happened, for your amusement.
This article is incredibly amusing and definitely worth a read especially if you've ever been a spot-op in a show. My favorite moments were the ones of people finding ways to relieve their bladders on top of the towers. I have definitely been in situations where I really needed to pee while working a show, but I have never had to resort to the methods listed. Also, it's kind of funny hearing about these technicians being alcoholics and druggies because it just adds to the stereotype of stagehands. This article is mostly talking about male technicians which is really disappointing because it's so much harder for a female technician to first break into that field, and second, have the respect that everyone else gets because often they are seen as incompetent or irrational which is just plain wrong.
The best worst spot op stories are a mixture of both bad and good spot ops. The great ones are from those who have been doing this a while and had lots of experience and have the view the show must go on and always hold a high standard for what they do. The bad ones come from the times that people weren't trained on how to do the job or they just lack that drive for what they do. It is hard to see what this write-up is trying to achieve other than just being entertaining. Pulling this to what I know and my experiences I tend to find that the ones who genuinely love what they do and see what they are doing fun in some way are the best. This just reminds me that you have to have fun with the little things and it usually can create some good memorable times.
I hate being a follow spot operator. I’ve done it a few times and don’t remember having a good experience any of the times. Beyond not being enjoyable, it isn’t an easy job. I’m sure that there are tools and techniques to help with aim and sighting, but not that any of the places I’ve worked at have used. Some of the stories are a bit vulgar and some are funny – like the Bette Midler one. Others are lessons in bladder control and making sure you know what you’re getting into being a follow spot operator. Others are more practical, like the story about yelling at a spot op when their fixture died. In that case, the lack of professionalism went both ways. The lighting designer shouldn’t have been yelling and the stagehands should have been professional enough to do their jobs despite the ranting designer. That might be the more important lesson.
These are all very impressive (in good, bad and entertaining ways) spot op stories that makes me wonder about certain things. I have witnessed in IATSE houses that when giving cues to spot ops, stage managers tend to explain every cues such as "Standby on spot 1 to pick up Mrs. Somebody entering from stage right door. Frame 4 at 60%," and "Spot 1 prepare to fade out and fade in as Mrs. Somebody is going to go behind the pillar and come back out." It was because spot ops constantly change and they do not get to practice much at all. Considering that operating spots need some skills and knowledge of the production, why isn't it an industry standard to train the spot ops during tech at least for productions that have tech and keep the spot ops? I understand that many of the stories come from lack of professional attitude and some mishap on the bodily functions but with better treatment and training of the spot ops, some of the horror stories at least could be prevented.
I have run a lot of spots in my time and called even more. But mostly I have been a LD or board operator. As a spot caller you really do have to work with all sorts of different kinds of character. It at times can be frustrating to have a spot op who just doesn’t quite get it, or gets it fast enough. The last story I can remember of my own is when i was in Philly and had an older guy who tried to tell me how spot lights worked, yet some how could not remember that he was spot 2. I would have to repeatedly have to say spot 2 fade out, until i was yelling SOPT 2, THATS YOU. It turns out this was his 3 time running a spot light in a decade. The other 2 times were rock concerts... with no color or intensity chance... this was a Broadway show. 🤯🤬
PS to JinAH Lee, If im not mistaken most of these stoies, it sounds like they come from touring shows, being concerts or broadway shows. At that point it is down to money of traveling people just to be the spot ops. This is compounded by IATSE rules in most union houses saying there needs to be a 1:1 ration of local crew to traveling crew. Most shows have a caller and they are responsible to pre-train and call a show well enough that brand new spot ops can run a near perfect opening show... that realy happens.
As much as stories about how much people love their jobs in which everything goes right are nice little glimmers of hope for the future, this article reminds us that, in order to get through the jobs that may put us in less than fun situations, there are always little laughs to be had. There are definitely lessons to be learned from these horror stories so we, as a community, can avoid putting our team in situations where they feel taken advantage of on a level, underprepared for a task, or even just managing our own stress, so to not take it out on the poor guy just trying to do his job. A level of professionalism must always be reached for, in order to avoid some of the more tragic stories that create really negative reputations.
This is just a really funny and personal article. I can see and imagine myself in some part of almost all of these situations. I always seem to be the guy who doesn't go to the bathroom in time to make it quiet all the way through Act II and I've heard some of the same stories coming from my spot ops on shows. Like a few years ago while doing a performance of Honk I had a scream come across coms mixed with a jump in both of my spot ops only later to learn that they had discovered a rat population that had decided to join them for the performance. There are so many others as well its interesting to see all of these as touring shows with house crews as you know that they see and do this week in and out. The amount of funny spot stories is endless and its sometimes just nice to hear that it can happen to all of us at any time.
Most of the stories I simply found good and interesting while also learning what it might be like to be a spot op more professionally and what the people are like. Although some stories just cracked me up. One story, the story about the Budweiser, really cracked me up because it really plays to the stagehand stereotype that beer is our best friend. That guy literally dedicated himself to that twelve pack which he probably drank all of during that show. He literally kept his beer safe in one hand and climbed a rope ladder with the other. More concern for the better than his safety it seems but so funny because that is true dedication to some level. The pee stories are interesting as well simply because there are no options left at that point so you have to get creative or face the inevitable fact. Overall a quality article that was pretty amusing and worth a read for any theatre hand.
8 comments:
This article is incredibly amusing and definitely worth a read especially if you've ever been a spot-op in a show. My favorite moments were the ones of people finding ways to relieve their bladders on top of the towers. I have definitely been in situations where I really needed to pee while working a show, but I have never had to resort to the methods listed. Also, it's kind of funny hearing about these technicians being alcoholics and druggies because it just adds to the stereotype of stagehands. This article is mostly talking about male technicians which is really disappointing because it's so much harder for a female technician to first break into that field, and second, have the respect that everyone else gets because often they are seen as incompetent or irrational which is just plain wrong.
The best worst spot op stories are a mixture of both bad and good spot ops. The great ones are from those who have been doing this a while and had lots of experience and have the view the show must go on and always hold a high standard for what they do. The bad ones come from the times that people weren't trained on how to do the job or they just lack that drive for what they do. It is hard to see what this write-up is trying to achieve other than just being entertaining. Pulling this to what I know and my experiences I tend to find that the ones who genuinely love what they do and see what they are doing fun in some way are the best. This just reminds me that you have to have fun with the little things and it usually can create some good memorable times.
I hate being a follow spot operator. I’ve done it a few times and don’t remember having a good experience any of the times. Beyond not being enjoyable, it isn’t an easy job. I’m sure that there are tools and techniques to help with aim and sighting, but not that any of the places I’ve worked at have used. Some of the stories are a bit vulgar and some are funny – like the Bette Midler one. Others are lessons in bladder control and making sure you know what you’re getting into being a follow spot operator. Others are more practical, like the story about yelling at a spot op when their fixture died. In that case, the lack of professionalism went both ways. The lighting designer shouldn’t have been yelling and the stagehands should have been professional enough to do their jobs despite the ranting designer. That might be the more important lesson.
These are all very impressive (in good, bad and entertaining ways) spot op stories that makes me wonder about certain things. I have witnessed in IATSE houses that when giving cues to spot ops, stage managers tend to explain every cues such as "Standby on spot 1 to pick up Mrs. Somebody entering from stage right door. Frame 4 at 60%," and "Spot 1 prepare to fade out and fade in as Mrs. Somebody is going to go behind the pillar and come back out." It was because spot ops constantly change and they do not get to practice much at all. Considering that operating spots need some skills and knowledge of the production, why isn't it an industry standard to train the spot ops during tech at least for productions that have tech and keep the spot ops? I understand that many of the stories come from lack of professional attitude and some mishap on the bodily functions but with better treatment and training of the spot ops, some of the horror stories at least could be prevented.
I have run a lot of spots in my time and called even more. But mostly I have been a LD or board operator. As a spot caller you really do have to work with all sorts of different kinds of character. It at times can be frustrating to have a spot op who just doesn’t quite get it, or gets it fast enough. The last story I can remember of my own is when i was in Philly and had an older guy who tried to tell me how spot lights worked, yet some how could not remember that he was spot 2. I would have to repeatedly have to say spot 2 fade out, until i was yelling SOPT 2, THATS YOU. It turns out this was his 3 time running a spot light in a decade. The other 2 times were rock concerts... with no color or intensity chance... this was a Broadway show. 🤯🤬
PS to JinAH Lee, If im not mistaken most of these stoies, it sounds like they come from touring shows, being concerts or broadway shows. At that point it is down to money of traveling people just to be the spot ops. This is compounded by IATSE rules in most union houses saying there needs to be a 1:1 ration of local crew to traveling crew. Most shows have a caller and they are responsible to pre-train and call a show well enough that brand new spot ops can run a near perfect opening show... that realy happens.
As much as stories about how much people love their jobs in which everything goes right are nice little glimmers of hope for the future, this article reminds us that, in order to get through the jobs that may put us in less than fun situations, there are always little laughs to be had. There are definitely lessons to be learned from these horror stories so we, as a community, can avoid putting our team in situations where they feel taken advantage of on a level, underprepared for a task, or even just managing our own stress, so to not take it out on the poor guy just trying to do his job. A level of professionalism must always be reached for, in order to avoid some of the more tragic stories that create really negative reputations.
This is just a really funny and personal article. I can see and imagine myself in some part of almost all of these situations. I always seem to be the guy who doesn't go to the bathroom in time to make it quiet all the way through Act II and I've heard some of the same stories coming from my spot ops on shows. Like a few years ago while doing a performance of Honk I had a scream come across coms mixed with a jump in both of my spot ops only later to learn that they had discovered a rat population that had decided to join them for the performance. There are so many others as well its interesting to see all of these as touring shows with house crews as you know that they see and do this week in and out. The amount of funny spot stories is endless and its sometimes just nice to hear that it can happen to all of us at any time.
Most of the stories I simply found good and interesting while also learning what it might be like to be a spot op more professionally and what the people are like. Although some stories just cracked me up. One story, the story about the Budweiser, really cracked me up because it really plays to the stagehand stereotype that beer is our best friend. That guy literally dedicated himself to that twelve pack which he probably drank all of during that show. He literally kept his beer safe in one hand and climbed a rope ladder with the other. More concern for the better than his safety it seems but so funny because that is true dedication to some level. The pee stories are interesting as well simply because there are no options left at that point so you have to get creative or face the inevitable fact. Overall a quality article that was pretty amusing and worth a read for any theatre hand.
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