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Studio Systems · Episode 9 · 1:05

How studios keep monsters off set.

A Halloween guide to soundstage etiquette: the red wig-wag light outside the door, stage bells (one long bell to roll, two short to cut), the on-air light, and the camera tally light.

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Key takeaways

  • The flashing red wig-wag light outside a soundstage door means cameras are rolling. Do not open the door.
  • Stage bells: one long bell means rolling, so freeze and stay silent. Two short bells means cut.
  • In television, the on-air light means you are live and the audience may hear anything said in the room.
  • The red tally light on a camera shows which camera is live. Talent looks into it; crew stays out of its way.
  • When the light is on, stay out. When the bell rings, freeze.

Chapters

Read the full transcript

Every studio has monsters. They wander in mid-take, they talk during the quiet part, and they ruin the shot. So studios fight back with bells and lights. Outside every soundstage door is a flashing red light called a wig-wag. When it's spinning, the cameras are rolling. Do not open that door, not even if you're a vampire. Inside, the bell does the talking. One long bell means we're rolling. [bell rings] Freeze, total silence.

Two short bells means cut. [bell rings] Everybody breathe. In television, the on-air light means you're live. Whatever you say in that room, the audience might hear, so scream quietly. On the camera, the red tally light shows which one is live. Talent looks into it. Crew stays out of its way. Yes, even the mummy. [bell rings] So when the light is on, stay out. When the bell rings, freeze. Respect the bells and lights, and the only thing haunting your shot will be the costumes.

Happy Halloween.

About the host

Tom "Lucky" McNulty is a broadcast technical director and studio engineer with 20+ years building and running studios, control rooms and live shows: Big Brother and Hell's Kitchen, studio services at Bunim/Murray Productions, Apple launch productions, and festival VJ and IMAG work including Daft Punk's 2006 Coachella set. Studio consulting · Portfolio

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