Cover Article Listing
October 2009
This is Spota!
Keeping Fans off of the Scaffolding
The Grecian formula for keeping audience members at bay
Treating your cue caller like a king: is a cup of coffee too much to ask?
What was the Spotan bowling team’s best score? 300! Photos inside!
Persia, not just for rugs any more!
Running ancient spots in an amphitheater... was it really so different?
September 2009
Wild Spot Riding
How to reign in a rough front light
Digging in your spurs to make a buck. Keep ridin’ ‘em till overtime!
It ain’t just O.J. on the back of a bronco. Cowboy techs on the run.
Techniques for saddling up a Super Trouper... fun with buckles.
Cover: He’s wearing something under the chaps. Inside: not so much.
How to tell stage managers from rodeo clowns. Both differences listed!
August 2009
Congratulations Gunderson Family!
New baby softlite pictures from our readers. Which is the cutest?
Wireless power and control! Cutting the cord in a whole new way.
Morning sickness: could be more than just last night’s load out.
That’s not a shutter handle, it’s a boy!
He’s got his mother’s irises and his father’s toolbox.
July 2009
New Technologies from Old Times
How Grandpa used to do it
Running spot in the snow, Uphill. Both ways!
Grainy black and white photos of the original three gerbil long throw!
Complete parts list and manual for the Stelmar WeaselArc 1500.
Modern hamster’s review. Taking a vintage spot for a spin.
Still have a squeak in your frontlight? You’d better look inside!
June 2009
New Gel Store!
Mott’s Gelicatessen opens a third location in Manhattan
All major frame sizes available. Custom sizes on request.
Specials every day. Most colors from all manufacturers.
Have fun with our “burnout grab bag”! Free used and day old samples.
Also in this issue: Mike and Roger’s Gobo Emporium.
Best bet for lunch? Acetate sammich! Always delicious.
May 2009
Magazine Cover
We regret to inform you that due to the economic downturn and falling subscription rates we were forced to lay off our cover artist for the month.
Please enjoy this generic cover.
Spot One now to be referred to as Spot 0.9.
How to apply for bail out funds to pay for your coffee fix.
One acto to be cut from every two of Shakespeare’s plays.
... several blank pages...
A study: The effect of making donut holes 10% smaller. Good or bad?
April 2032
Never miss a cue with
Delorean on the Spot
Giving “GO” a whole new meaning
Requires 1.21 Jigawatt transformer (not included)
Good news: take a break whenever you want! Bad news: No overtime.
Spare Flux Capacitor... avoid being trapped in the opening act forever.
You have already read this article, you just don’t remember it.
Celebrity death match: Jules Verne and Doc Brown. Coverage inside!
March 2009
Never miss a cue with
Johnny on the Spot
Giving “GO” a whole new meaning
No more worries about those marathon shows. Stay in place for hours!
Much safer than the french “Spot bidet”
Spot noise? No problem! Just jiggle the handle!
Please write you own joke about “headset” and insert it here.
Remember to wash your hands after the show.
February 2009
New Spot Maker!
All parts easily replaceable, no tools needed!
Now repair parts available at all KB Toy stores!
Keep away from children... they keep making other things out of it.
Yes,it’s real! Check out http://factory.lego.com/gallery
and enter in the Creation Name field: Small Followspot
Much better than “Lincoln Log” spots.
January 2009
Mortal Spotbat!
A product comparison to the death!
Rejected idea: Ms. PacMan chasing spots around the screen.
I AM SPOTICUS! Interview with the best full contact spot of all time!
Spots from all major manufacturers fight it out! There’s blood all over the booth!
We compare spot support systems. Find out which is the last stand standing!
The first rule about spot club... we don’t talk about spot club.
________________________________________________________
December 2008
Meteorites Finally Identified!
It really is a comet!
Inside: see our heavenly body photo shoot! Moons included!
Meteors... hot hot hot! Road boxes that can withstand 3600 degrees.
Turns out shooting stars is not actually legal. Don’t try this at home.
This meteor shower was the only shower he had that week.
We also have our doubts about some Satellites!
November 2008
Invisible Followspot!
New models will not be seen at LDI 2008
Be careful! During testing we kept bumping into it!
Also easy to see through: a completely made up cover story!
For all we know there are thousands of them in the room right now.
Pro: No masking needed. Con: The light goes everywhere.
Goes perfectly with crew that won’t show up either!
October 2008
Bend-O-Ray Finally Perfected!
Spots can now shoot around corners!
Yes, you still have to go into the theater.
Now ballyhoo without moving a muscle!
No, it doesn’t bend the other way in Australia. Stop it, just stop it.
Lots of things that bend that didn’t used to. A photo essay.
Large Hadron Collider makes possible to spot one atom at a time.
September 2008
50th Issue!
August 2008
1: Print on stiff paper
2: Cut ‘em out
3: Stick ‘em together
4: Flip ‘em!
July 2008
Most Giganticest Spot of All Time!
Family of five found living inside
“Now we’re gonna have ta build a HUGE theater!”
The first spot ever to require it’s own load in crew.
You see... it’s funny because it’s bigger than a normal followspot
Spiral staircase inside of spot base makes operators dizzier than usual
Standing standing standing standing by by by by... How to deal with echoes.
June 2008
Grand Pooh-bah of Spots Officially named
Average pooh-bahs also identified
Electoral system finally eliminated! One spot operator, one vote!
First runner up Pooh-bah looking deeply bitter. Interview inside!
Next year’s spotlight national convention to be held in Spotsylvania
New Grand Pooh-bah announces balanced boomerang amendment
You know what they say... Big hat...
May 2008
Spots Earn a Merit Badge!
Starting a fire by working together
Unfortunately, not so good at basketry, horsemanship, or swimming.
If a spot douses in the forest and no one is there to see it...
Spot scouts play the fastest game of flashlight tag ever!
How to use a pocket knife to unstick a boomerang jamboree.
Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, grumpy, sneezy, and dopey.
April 2008
Archeologist Report Earliest Spot Ever Discovered!
Remarkable find in ancient Peruvian dig.
Followspots now thought to be much older than originally imagined!
Cave paintings suggest that hunter/gatherers were also followers!
“Ugh, Ooo oo ee eeya, Ooh ooo-oo, Aa aa aa!” (Go on, try it out loud)
Analysis of front light operators cast doubt on theory of evolution.
Fred and all of the other Flintstones fake! Proof inside!
March 2008
Driving Spots to market
Fresh Followspot on the hoof!
Identifying the symptoms of mad spot disease.
Have you ever heard the sound of 1000 spots mooing?
Part two of the article with the solutions to all of your problems!
How to cut through all the advertising bull on the trail to a purchase.
Porterhouse spot. It’s what’s for dinner.
February 2008
Warning!
This is your last issue!
Please re subscribe before you miss out on a single exciting copy!
Really interesting followspot related stories!
Part one of an article you won’t see the rest of unless you re subscribe!
Sexy pictures and advertisements you can’t resist! (And don’t want to)
Next month: The solutions to all of your problems explained!
All of the intricate and fascinating rues of curling laid out in detail!
January 2008
Nuclear Powered Spots!
Is that a reactor in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Safe, wireless, lasts forever, but everything looks a little bit green.
Keeping your Geiger count low. Two Geigers, three tops. Maybe four.
If Donald is a duck, and Goofy is a dog, what’s Plutonium?
Pretty much worked out: getting rid of used rods.
Remembering the spot tower collapse at the Chernobyl arena.
________________________________________________________
December 2007
The Enlightening bug!
New species discovered!
Missing link between the spot and the insect world finally confirmed!
Proof! Original spot bases had six legs!
That awful buzzing in the sound system really is lighting’s fault!
A species of spot that comes out at dusk on warm summer nights.
Spoticide’s horrible and unintended side effects on the environment.
Riggers genetically linked to spiders, explaining the term “fly-men”.
November 2007
Now in 3D
Every swatchbook is a pair of 3D Glasses!
Modern Followspot Monthly! Now with more “D”s!
Web site update! Now you can actually buy crap! Check it out!
Inside: Length, width, or depth: which is more important and why.
zoom, Zoom, ZOOM... Riding the optical train with great new lenses.
October 2007
Massacre at the Goldcrest theater
Lighting for murder mystery dinner theater
Douser Neucleic Acid... Sometimes the spots are blood!
Inside: Grizzly photos. Mutilated boomerang bits all over the venue!
Did the spot jump? Or was it pushed? The importance of safeties.
Ballyhoomatic Preservation Society membership doubles!
September 2007
Dr. Joseph Ballyhoo’s amazing invention!
Ballyhoomatic!
Revealed! The first Moving Light in history!
An automated system for moving a light under it’s own power!
History of the Ballyhoomatic, it's development and use.
An in depth biography of Joseph Ballyhoo and his assistants.
Chat with the founder of the ballyhoomatic Preservation Society.
A break down of all of the gears, belts and cogs in the Ballyhoomatic.
August 2007
Spots in space
If you’re running a spot at 186,000 miles per second
and you open the douser, what happens?
Frick’n laser beams!
In space, no one can hear you stand by.
Really, really, really, reaaaaaaaallly black blackouts.
Scaffolding problems? Try running a spot fro the shuttle gantry!
Inside: Solar power supplies, a short tutorial.
July 2007
Spot Operation
Common ailments of the frontlight crowd
and what to do about them
Spot man has red light up nose, buzzes when his sides are touched.
Headset head discovered to be an actual medical condition!
Audio work linked to scurvy, gout, kidney stones, and heebie jeebies.
By the way, can you get the heebie jeebies fro the Bee Gees?
220, 221, whatever it takes
June 2007
Braille cue sheets: check
Wheelchair access truss: check
Spot chairs for dogs: X
Interview: “I work Stevie Wonder every time he’s in town.”
How to find defective irises. In spots.
Finally! Blackouts just don’t matter.
Cue calls for the hard of seeing. Left, left, left, up, UP!, UP!, left...”
Inside: Gel manufacturers make swatchbooks for the color-blind.
May 2007
Revealed!
The secret lives of sharpies
Highlighters for high lighters: the best markers for your cue sheets.
Giving spot a whole new meaning. How to get those ink stains out.
Clear plastic and a set of sharpies. MFM’s make your own gel kit!
Special workout inside: from wide tip to ultra fine in eight weeks.
Sometimes they just sit around with their caps off, sniffing each other.
April 2007
It’s tax time!
Also certain: Death and cue callers not actually saying “Go”.
Getting the most out of your moving expenses (Pan and Tilt)
Maximum legal write offs for Starbucks and Krispy Kreme
Subtract line 36 from line 22, carry the 7, add line 15b, send a check.
The feds throw a wrench in the tax laws. New changes listed inside.
Warm beer deduction disallowed! Don’t even try it!
March 2007
Honoring our boys on the front...light
How can you spot innocent women and children?
“It’s easy, you just don’t lead them as much.”
Sign up now to go to new places, meet people and light them!
Armor plated spot booths. Practical and stylish!
Now olive drab is the new black. We know, it changed.
Spot operators who reeeaaally know how to use their choppers
Scaffolding set ups in Iraq. Special problems and how to solve them
February 2007
Reader’s Choice
What colors would you pick?
Fill the boomerang with your favorites
New 6 color crayon set from Crayola: C, M, Y, K, CTO, CTB
This cover would look exactly the same if you were color-blind.
Interview with Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.
How they used followspots in black and white movies. A look back.
Send in your colored in covers to win a free one year subscription!
January 2007
Discovered!
Original turn of the century cable stretcher
found in old theater
More photos inside
Proof the Golden Gate bridge built with only 3 feet of cable!
One animal was hurt in the making of this issue.
We’re sorry. It was an accident.
Inside! Origin of the cable knit sweater, cable TV, and cable cars.
Nope, absolutely not, it only works on cable. Just cable.
________________________________________________________
December 2006
Why we love our jobs
Remembering the reasons we got into this business
Donuts. Lots and lots of donuts. Catering that can make your day.
We get to “see all the shows” and “meet all of the stars”
Seeing the inside of a bus in dozens of different cities.
Exchanging gifts with your loved ones, spot 3, spot 4, spot 7...
Desks suck.
November 2006
Picking the right spot
Sifting through the candidates for best spot
Which is best for us? House left or house right?
Using the boomerang to change from a red state to a blue state.
They lie. They all lie. Every single one of them. Even the one you like.
How to get lobbyists to come all the way into the theater.
Your vote counts! Write in your favorite followspot!
October 2006
Inside! Haunted portrait of dead spot operator.
It’s eyes follow you around the room.
Psychic lighting designer knows cues before they happen!
Oprah only mentioned once in this issue!
Some member of the Jackson family is involved in something!
So is Lindsay Lohan!
Blah, blah, blah, gossip, gossip, gossip, curling!
September 2006
Amish spot operators
Jedediah checks his lamp
as the load in gets started behind him
Tips for staying up for all nighters when you can’t drink caffeine.
The many advantages of horse drawn 53’ trailers.
Yes, they have reeeaaaly good carpenters.
The true origin of the term “barndoors”
“Thee should stand by to douse thy light!” How the Amish call cues.
August 2006
From truss to gutter!
Ex MFM coverboy “Shaky” goes from the heights
of spotdom to living in the streets
How it happened to him and how to keep it from happening to you.
Stay out of trouble: slurred speech doesn’t matter if your mic is off.
How much coffee can you safely drink before a show.
MFM takes on rumors that Honda plans new, super efficient biospot.
Also in this issue: working with designers from other countries.
July 2006
RODO-PLEX 5000
The Giga-fluxerator-adapta-capacitation-modulaplexacon
Brought to you by ScullCo (a division of Scull Electronics)
Convert any data protocol to the RMX 50/2005 standard!
Specifications:
SPECIFICATIONS:
Input baud rate: 500 Kb/s (Pork Chopper mode) 250 Kb/s (Standard RMX mode)
Input circuit: ESD protected EIA-485 transceiver (LT1785)
Input signal: 0.5 volts minimum, 12 volts maximum
with 120 ohm termination resistor between +Data and -Data
Input protection: 15KV transient, ±60V continuous
Output baud rate: 250 Kb/s adjustable to .5 Kb/s with “flow” potentiometer
Additional packet adjustment with use of the “interval” potentiometer
Output circuit: ESD protected EIA-485 transceiver (LT1785)
Output signal: EIA-485 driver yields an approximate 3 volt signal into 120 Ohms
Output protection: 15KV transient, ±60V continuous
Connectors: quite a lot
Indicators: box may melt on either RMX512 or a more advanced input signal
Isolation: 2500 volt optical coupler, 1500 volt split bobbin transformer
Color: Black PVC with black front and back panels
Outputs are isolated from the input and from each other.
Size and weight: this deep, that high, kinda wide, 6 oz
Power input: 100 - 120 volts, 50/60 hertz, 12 watts (208 - 240 volt optional)
Options: ATA road case, suck button, insta-look cue creator module
June 2006
Summertime!
Avoiding a xenon sunburn
Our second annual swimsuit edition. We admit it, it’s mostly pictures.
No, the towel isn’t available for sale on the website... yet.
Beach during the day, spot at night. One tech’s summer plans.
Inside... the making of the MFM swimsuit edition.
Candid photos and interviews with the spot operator models.
May 2006
Product shootout!
MFM Labs compares the most popular “No Colors” on the market
Are they really better than an empty frame?
Discrimination based on color... immoral? lighting design? or both?
How do you know when it’s burned out?
Foreign language primer: seven different ways to say “Clear”.
Is this stuff just regular gel that has passed it’s expiration date?
Comparison tests with the new “Forest Camouflage” color.
April 2006
Fischer-Prize
My first followspot
Headsets with pacifiers... maybe adults would like them too!
New diapers in backstage black. Babies love them, stains don’t show.
Scheduling the matinee to end before nap time.
I still like curling. There’s no getting around it. Curling’s fun.
Gooo goo gaa ga. Goo ga gooo goo ga. Blrrbllbrl gaa aa.
March 2006
Spot olympics highlights
Barreling down the big hills
Guatemalan team gives “long throw” whole new meaning.
I don’t care what yo say, I like curling. I just plain like it.
New demonstration event: spot frame ring toss.
World agrees... no point in carrying torch to these Olympics.
United States medals in team relay event.
February 2006
段階はつく!
厚く黒い輪郭を持つ人々に斑点を付けること。
側光は二次元ショーのために実際に必要とされるか。
日本語に変換される文字の任意一連。
ヘッドは点オペレータのためのメカニズムを見るレーザーを取付けた
動力を与えられるPokemon は装備をつけて世界を旅行する。
January 2006
Underwater spot operation
Making sure you have enough oxygen to last ‘till intermission.
Inside: a handy electric eel to kilowatt conversion chart.
What to do about barnacles on your douser.
Advice column: Arthur Cousteau on setting up scaffolding on coral.
Origin of the term “Spot Ballast”
________________________________________________________
December 2005
Holiday gift ideas
What every spot operator wants under the tree.
Three yoke mounted cup holders compared.
From our health desk: How to clear up a bad case of mistletoe.
How many of those teensy little lights fit on a 15 amp circuit?
Quintuple and a half time for working a holiday... new negotiations.
One spot red, one spot green. Ugly any time of year.
November 2005
Turkey with all the “Trimmings”
Holiday cooking between cues
Sticky fingers: keeping cranberry sauce off of the controls.
how to deal with post turkey drowsiness during a long show.
page 32: Learn a few theatrucal terms in Mandarin Chinese!
A Spotsgiving sentance you probably can’t say fast (even once)
Don’t slam the ham, lamb, or yam jam in the damn pan cam, man!
October 2005
MFM Labs holds it’s 3rd annual smoke machine shootout
We just aren’t sure who won.
Le Maitre machine performs well... We think.
Orlando International reports flight delays.
Rosco demos new transparent fog. No interaction with light at all.
New flavored haze juices... Beef and potatoes, and Clamato!
Using bio-diesel exhaust. The load in truck becomes the fogger.
September 2005
Revolutionary new 18 frame boomerang
Early tester sprains finger while rolling from fram 2 to frame 17.
Enough room for three show worth of color.
Only usable on long throw spots. Void where prohibited by law.
Now with 6.402373705 x 10^13 color combinations!
6 words... carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel.
August 2005
Close cover before striking
101 safety tips for spot operators
Checking circuits with your tongue. Bad idea.
Tying off to the platform using your headset cord. Bad idea.
Staring into the lamp for a really, really, really long time. Bad idea.
Repeatedly poking the LD with a stick.
Forgetting to subscribe to Modern Followspot Monthly. Bad idea.
July 2005
Harvest time at Sylvania acres.
Is your spot too green? Maybe the lamp was picked too soon!
The importance of proper grounding and branch circuits examined.
The gentle art of fertilizing double ended lamp.
We also visit General Electric Orchards, Ushio Grove, and Thorn Farms.
Cultivating LED Bonsai.
June 2005
Conclusive proof!
Lab tests show no link between
running followspot and laziness!
Scientists’ next experiments to test for shiftlessness.
Navigating the maze of the production schedule.
97% of mice well suited to spot operation (three were blind)
How to avoid the plague.
The mouse ran up the clock... how to handle overtime.
May 2005
It’s Finally Here!
MFM’s first annual swimsuit issue!
Spot lamps and UV rays. How to avoid ugly tan lines.
Spots wear Speedos, programers wear board shorts... see inside!
Sand in your iris? Try these time tested remedies.
New colors for summer: black is the new black.
Bikinis and body harnesses... that’s hot!
April 2005
Complete coverage from our LDI 2004 booth
Hundreds of new subscribers sign up on the show floor.
LDI report... They could’a used more followspots.
Telling the pros from the posers at a trade show. Hint: MFM press pass.
How to get well meaning students to break down your show booth.
Errata: They weren’t really big carbons rods, it was a really tiny building.
March 2005
Giant carbon rods delivered
to Atlantic City casino
Changing carbons with a crane. Tips and tricks.
Followspots in France, how Joan of Arc got her nickname.
modernfollowspotmonthly.com sells two jackets! (delivery by 2008)
Finding parts for old spots. Newly updated source listings.
How to pack two spots in only one 52’ trailer. It can be done!
February 2005
Taking calls while working calls
Cell phone manners in the workplace.
Obnoxious ring tone for every type of show.
Getting a call during the quietest part of the performance.
Convert a spot tower to a cell tower with common household items.
How to recharge your battery from a 2 phase 208v outlet.
Putting the call steward on hold. Do’s and don’ts.
January 2005
New World Record Ballyhoo!
James “Lefty” Bradford maintains
a ballyhoo for 3 hours straight!
Interview with Bradford: “The LD for the New Years show
called the ballyhoo and then passed out, so I just kept going.”
Origin of the ballyhoo... Why we don’t do figure sevens anymore.
New Year celebrations from around the world.
Chat with previous record holder: “Crap, there go the endorsements.”
________________________________________________________
December 2004
Happy Holidays
November 2004
Breakthrough Product!
New spot colors actually make singer sound better!
What’s in your boomerang? Favorite spot colors from around the world.
More important... the size of the frame or how you roll it?
Audio engineers examining how to make singers look better.
Spring loaded or gravity... Boomerang mechanisms for the rest of us.
Letters to the Editor. Kilt wearers lash out.
October 2004
Spot Towers and kilts
The latest in show biz fashions
New customized spot parts from West Coast Choppers
How long is four hours really?
Playing with your trombone in public: proper etiquette
Wearing your headset the whole show... is it really important?
The latest in luxury: Recaro seats in the sky.
September 2004
Rigors of the the road:
Yes’s original spot operators
one year after high school
“I’ll do anything to get backstage.” Groupies and you.
Exploding blackouts: the lost art.
Cooking dinner in the lamp housing... Three proven recipes.
New products: The Rosco see through heat resistant arm protector.
Automatic headset shut off switch (for those pesky LDs).
August 2004
Special feature
Atlantic City boys of summer
Truss spots... how drunk is too drunk?
Hindsight’s 20/20: MFM’s scope shoot out
Spot 1: House left or house right and why
Strong Vs. Lycian: Which survives our 75’ drop test?
Interview with Marshall Sweeten: What to do with those old carbons
