The invisible force behind a tight show

An event has dozens, sometimes hundreds, of technical cues. A spotlight coming up, a video clip starting, a performer walking onto the stage. Or a host being given the go-ahead. All those moments have to happen exactly on time.

The show caller knows the run sheet inside out and translates it live to the whole technical team. He anticipates what can go wrong and fixes it before the audience notices. A performer running late? The show caller fills the time, gives the lighting operator a new instruction and brings the programme back on schedule.

Without a show caller, a complex show runs like an orchestra without a conductor: everyone plays, but not at the same time.

The show caller works from a technical control position, usually with a sightline to the stage. Through a headset he's connected to all the operators. He or she calls every cue: standby light cue 12, go, and the lighting operator acts. Standby video, go, and the video technician starts the clip.

Before the show begins, the show caller runs through the whole programme with the technical team. We go through every cue, lock in timings and discuss contingency scenarios. During the show the show caller is in constant contact with the stage manager, technical crew and production.

The show caller also watches over safety. In an emergency he stops the show the right way: in an orderly fashion and without panic among the audience.

A frequently asked question. Both roles are indispensable on large productions, but they look in a different direction.

The show caller directs the whole. He sits at the technical wheel and calls all the cues live: light, sound, vision, movement. His perspective is: the entire event as one coherent whole.

The stage manager runs the backstage and the stage. His world is physical: performers in the right place, equipment safely set up, staff briefed. He is the show caller's right hand on the floor.

At smaller events, one person sometimes combines both roles. At larger productions they are always two separate people. Live Impact always decides in advance which staffing suits the complexity of your event.

Does your event have multiple technical disciplines working together at the same time? Then you need a show caller. This applies to live performances with video and light, to plenary programmes with tight timing and to award shows or galas. Hybrid events where online and offline run at once also call for a show caller.

For a simple presentation with one speaker and a projector, a show caller isn't needed. As soon as the programme involves multiple acts, technical cues and operators, doing it without a show caller is a risk.

An experienced show caller costs €500 to €950 for a day production, including preparation, rehearsal and debrief. For multi-day or highly complex events the rates are higher. The investment pays for itself. One missed cue or a technical fault that nobody resolves quickly costs more than the show caller in question.

At Live Impact the show caller is a fixed link in our production set-up for events above a certain complexity. We decide that per project, based on the programme and the number of technical disciplines.

A good show caller is invisible to the audience. What the audience feels is a show that's perfectly on tempo. No waiting, no blunders, no confusion. Just the experience you had in mind.

At Live Impact we work with regular show callers who know our way of working and understand our productions. Want to know how we produce an event? Call us on 085 401 40 14 or email hello@live-impact.nl.

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