This page describes the Follow column, which sets what happens when a cue reaches its end. This setting determines how much you need to do during the show, so it is worth choosing it deliberately and not simply leaving the default.
The four options
| Option | What happens when the cue ends |
|---|---|
| Pause | The last frame stays on screen, and the playout waits for you. |
| Next | The next cue starts automatically. |
| Loop | The cue starts again from its in point, and continues to repeat. |
| Stop (black) | The playout stops and shows the hold picture. |
To set the follow action for one line, click the cell. To set it for a whole selection, right-click and choose Follow action.
What it means for the operator
Follow actions divide the list into blocks that run automatically. Between the blocks are the points where a person decides, and those are the points where you press GO. In practice, you use the four options like this:
- For clips that must play one after another, set Next on all clips except the last.
- For the last clip of a block, set Pause, so that the picture stays on screen until you continue.
- For a background loop in the half hour before the start, set Loop.
- For the end of the broadcast, set Stop.
The list shows the result in advance. While a cue is on air, the cue that starts automatically after it is amber and has an AUTO badge.
When a follow action does nothing
A follow action runs when a cue ends, so a cue that never ends never triggers one:
- A still without a duration stays on screen until you press GO, whatever its follow action is.
- A hold always waits, because that is its purpose.
- A web page stays on screen, because it has no end.
If you want a still to continue automatically, give it a duration. The follow action Next then works as expected.
The default for new cues
Under Settings → Cue list, you set the follow action that new cues get. Choose the option that your shows use most: Next for shows with long automatic blocks, and Pause for shows that you operate step by step.
Changing the default does not change existing cues.