Spotlight operator
technician that operates spotlights
The spotlight operator or followspot operator is a theatrical technician who operates a specialized stage lighting instrument known as a followspot. A followspot is any manually controlled lighting instrument which is manipulated within the duration of a live performance. Generally, a followspot will be a dedicated, large lighting instrument designed to pan, change size, beam width, and color easily.
Followspot controls
Followspot operators manually control multiple different aspects of the light. Operators control the size, shape, focal length, and intensity of the light. Operators may use Colored magazines and gels to alter the followspot's hue.
Communication between operators
The lead follow-spotter may cue the other operators verbally. Additionally, cue sheets may be utilized. In an arena field or at large music events, the term "Douse" may be substituted with the term "Fade". There are some minor differences in terminology between the operators in live theatre and concert venues, however other aspects remain the same.
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This entry incorporates text from “Spotlight operator” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.