Audiovisual control · Practical guide
Cues for conferences, awards, launches, and fashion shows
Each format changes how a cue is called. A speaker may start early, an award recipient may take longer to arrive, and a runway segment may run long. AV coordination needs to follow those decisions.
- Show caller: confirms the moment
- Operator: authorizes an identified block
- Video, audio, lighting: agreed actions
- Department confirmations and next decision point
Conference: opening and return to the speaker
Proposal: an opening clip leads to a speaker background. The caller confirms that the presenter is ready; video confirms the file and audio confirms the planned transition. Give the return its own cue so a duration change can be handled.
| Cue | Proposed call | Confirmation needed |
|---|---|---|
| C010 | Prepare opening | Clip revision and departments ready |
| C020 | GO opening | One authorization from the caller |
| C030 | Return to speaker | Visible background and rundown audio |
| C040 | Hold | Rundown change communicated |
Coordinate microphone activation and camera cuts through calls to the audio and video production operators, who retain control of their outputs.
Awards: call, clip, and presentation
Each award needs an identity: category, approved content, and return. Avoid using next as the only identifier when order may change. Prepare a still graphic alternative if the clip is unavailable, for the caller to approve.
- Before the call: confirm category and revision without placing private data on the panel.
- During the clip: keep the return cue independent for an early stage entrance.
- During the presentation: music continuity and microphones remain under the audio department’s decisions.
- If an award is skipped: remove its pending block before preparing the next; do not replay it on resume.
Launch: an audiovisual reveal with a manual alternative
Proposal limited to media: move from holding content to the presentation content, then to the product graphic. If confirmation is missing, retain holding content or manually select an agreed graphic. If the reveal must align across outputs, define the tolerance and measure it at the destinations during rehearsal.
This sequence excludes lifts, mechanical movement, pyrotechnics, and other hazardous effects. A reveal using mechanisms requires a separate design and responsible specialists outside AV coordination.
Fashion show: follow calls without deciding for people
Proposal: prepare content for each runway block, started only after the fashion show caller’s authorization. A person’s presence or the end of a track should not independently decide the next block’s start. Agree whether music continues, holds, or changes under the audio operator.
For an extended runway segment, prepare a background that can remain onscreen as long as needed and a clear exit point. Identify content by block so an order change does not launch the previous file.
An attended hold when the rundown changes
Proposed application: the caller requests hold before GO. The operator retains holding content and checks which actions have already happened. If the opening has started, each medium needs its agreed decision: continue the clip, return to a background, or wait at a prepared point.
Resuming requires a fresh call with the destination cue; it does not mean resending every prior action. Before resuming, check the current file, audio, and lighting with their operators. An audiovisual hold is not an emergency-stop function.
What to share for a show review
- Format and approximate block durations, including changes that could occur.
- Who calls, who operates each medium, and which manual controls remain available.
- Available equipment, versions, and feedback; missing information can be gathered during preparation.
- For the proposed rehearsal: normal opening, skipped category, clip not ready, and early return. Record expectations and observations separately.