Cue sheet

A cue might start a film, change a lighting state, open a microphone or signal a performer entrance. The sheet translates creative intentions into identifiable actions that people can prepare and execute. An instruction such as make the opening exciting is not an operational cue. The team needs to know what changes, who controls it and what moment authorizes the change.

The run of show describes the wider programme sequence. A cue sheet works at a finer level within that sequence. Several cues may sit inside one introduction, while a long discussion may need relatively few. Some teams combine both documents for simple events, but the information still needs to distinguish programme description from instructions intended for operators.

Use stable identifiers that remain recognizable through rehearsal changes. Renumbering every subsequent cue after an insertion can make printed copies and console references disagree. Choose an agreed insertion convention instead, and explain it in the briefing. A cue description should identify the intended result without replacing the department's own programming or operating documentation.

For media, record the approved asset reference rather than a vague label such as latest video. Similar filenames are a common source of avoidable uncertainty.

A standby warns an operator that an action is approaching. It is not normally permission to execute it. The team should agree the calling language and acknowledgment practice before rehearsal, including how to report that something is not ready. Predictable wording reduces interpretation when several departments are listening to the same communications channel.

Choose a trigger people can recognize

A script phrase may work well until a presenter paraphrases it. A visual trigger may be unsuitable if the caller cannot reliably see the stage. Review each trigger against the actual working conditions. For tightly coordinated moments, the show caller may issue a shared instruction. Other actions may remain under a designated specialist's direct control, provided that boundary is explicit and understood.

Rehearsal checks more than whether an effect looks attractive. It reveals whether the trigger is audible, the operator has enough preparation time and the result supports what performers are doing. A cue that works alone may still create a poor transition when combined with a microphone handover, screen change or audience response.

• Confirm that the caller and operator are referring to the same cue identifier.
• Check that media names match the approved playback assets.
• Record changed triggers immediately and distribute the revision deliberately.
• Mark skipped or optional cues clearly instead of leaving their status to memory.

A lighting cue may have detailed console data behind it. The shared sheet should reference that state accurately without attempting to reproduce every programming parameter.

Consider a hypothetical Abu Dhabi product presentation with a spoken introduction, a film and a live demonstration. The initial script places the film after a particular sentence. During rehearsal, the presenter shortens the introduction and skips that sentence. The problem is not operator attentiveness: the trigger no longer matches the delivered presentation.

The team agrees a deliberate closing phrase that the presenter can remember naturally. The caller uses it as the cue point after confirming playback readiness. Lighting and audio actions receive their own identifiers, even where they are called together. If the film is unavailable, the approved alternative is a presenter continuation with the existing presentation state, not an improvised sequence assembled over communications during the live moment.

The revised cue sheet records both the normal transition and who may authorize the alternative.

A late cue is not always best executed immediately. Playing an introduction after the speaker has begun may be more disruptive than omitting it. Agree who decides whether to recover, skip or hold, and use plain language to identify the current programme position. Operators should not independently chase every missed action when doing so could conflict with another department.

Cue sheets do not replace equipment safeguards, specialist assessments or venue emergency procedures. Actions involving movement, effects or other controlled systems require the appropriate professional arrangements and permissions. A cue call cannot override an unsafe condition or an operator's duty to report a concern. Keep safety authority distinct from artistic timing, and make the stop or hold communication understandable before the audience enters.