I don’t know about in your part of the world, but here the show’s follow spotters are usually chosen by looking around and picking anyone that looks like they have nothing to do – previous experience in follow spotting seems to be an automatic disqualifier.
And then people complain about bad pickups, spots doing a ballyhoo trying to find their target and my personal favourite, the half body pickup. No I don’t mean the top half, I mean only the left half is spotted.
We need to pay more attention to that lowly person, the Follow Spotter – bad follow spotting can ruin a show and has done so far too often. Recognise the Follow Spotter as an important part of the lighting team, use trained and experienced spotters and pay them accordingly.
I am always reminded of a story a friend tells about his home theatre in Sheffield, England. The Follow Spotter was not only the oldest person on the staff, he was also the highest paid, taking home more than the General Manager. He went in every afternoon and checked the follow spot, serviced the bits that needed it, changed the gells if they were fading and cleaned the lenses and reflectors and then did the show that night, with perfect pickups, whether he had seen the show before or not. That was his career, Follow Spotting, and he was proud of it and very good at it.
Who thinks of a career as a Follow Spotter? Certainly nobody that I know, there is “no future” and “no pay” – while certainly true at the moment, there is no reason why this cannot change. All it needs is for Lighting Designers to insist on “real” Follow Spotters, recognize them for their contribution to the show and make sure they are well paid – soon we will have a pool of good Follow Spotters to call on.
i totally agree
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