The follow action of a cue sets what happens when the cue reaches its end. It decides how much you need to do during the show, so choose it deliberately instead of leaving the default everywhere. You set it in the Follow column.
The four choices
| Choice | What happens when the cue ends |
|---|---|
| Pause | The last frame stays on screen, and the playout waits for you. |
| Next | The next cue starts by itself. |
| Loop | The cue starts again from its in point, and keeps repeating. |
| Stop (black) | The playout stops and shows the hold picture. |
To set the follow action of one line, click its 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 by themselves. Between those blocks are the moments where a person decides, and those are the moments where you press GO. In practice, you use the four choices like this:
- For clips that must play one after another, set Next on every clip 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 by itself after it is amber and has an AUTO label.
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 by itself, 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 one that your shows use most: Next for shows with long automatic blocks, and Pause for shows that you run step by step.
Changing the default does not change the cues that already exist.