Live Operations Report
The cues, communication and practical decisions behind each run.
Live Operations Report documents how a piece is operated during its run or tour. The studio works with the crew to record the knowledge behind the formal instructions, including timings, responsibilities and the adjustments made in practice.
Documenting cues and coordination
The report records what happens during the work, what triggers each action and who is responsible for carrying it out. Cue documentation connects the sequence of events with the relevant lighting, sound, video and stage states.
A cue may depend on a spoken call, a performer’s movement or an action in another department. Documenting these relationships helps explain how the team coordinates the work and recognises the right moment to act.
Following changes across the run
Show reports use a consistent structure so that observations and changes can be followed from one performance to the next. Adjusted timings, technical issues and agreed modifications are recorded with their context and any follow-up required.
Condition reports document changes to the physical elements and equipment, including observed wear, damage, repairs and adjustments. Across a run or tour, they provide a history of the work’s condition and the interventions made.
Passing the knowledge to another team
Operating procedures describe the tasks involved before, during and after a performance. They explain preparations, communication between departments, transitions and resets, with responsibilities identified for each stage.
These documents support crew briefings, changes of operator and transfers to another venue. They give an incoming team a reference for learning how the piece runs and understanding the decisions behind its operation.
Read alongside a video recording, the report also helps future teams and researchers connect what happens on stage with the actions and coordination that make it possible.
Typical deliverables
The scope is agreed for each project and may include:
Run and show reports Dated accounts of performances, observations, changes and actions to follow up.
Cue and state documentation Cue sequences, triggers, responsibilities and technical states, including dependencies between departments.
Operating procedures and handover documents Practical guidance for preparation, operation, changeovers and resets, recording the working methods agreed with the crew.
Condition reports Records of the condition of physical elements and equipment, with changes and interventions documented across performances and touring venues.
ITS PRINCIPLE, ON THE METHOD PAGE
Documentation that stands on its own
ITS TERMS, DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY
Cue sequence and trigger · Operating procedure · Show report