ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Followspot operator

A followspot operator is like a magician who helps shine a special light on performers during a show. Imagine you are watching a theater performance and there is a really bright light that follows the main actor or singer around on stage. That light is called a followspot, and the followspot operator is the person who controls it.

Now, let's pretend you are the followspot operator in a big theater. You would sit in a special booth with a big console and a joystick, just like a video game. The console has lots of buttons and knobs that control different things, but don't worry, we can go through them step by step.

First, there is a big lever called a dimmer. It's like turning a light switch to make the light brighter or dimmer. You use this to control how much light shines on the performer. Sometimes, the performer wants a soft, gentle light, and sometimes they want it really bright to make them stand out.

Next, there are different buttons on the console called color presets. You can think of them as special filters that can change the color of the light. So, if the performer wants to be in a blue spotlight or a red spotlight, you can press the matching color button, and the light will change to that color!

Then, there is the joystick. This is like a special remote control that moves the followspot around. It has two parts - one to move the light left or right, and another to move it up and down. You have to be very careful and gentle with the joystick, just like when playing with your toys. You want to make sure the light always stays on the performer and doesn't go off to the sides or above their head.

Lastly, sometimes the followspot operator also has a headset or a walkie-talkie to talk to other people in the theater, like the director or stage manager. They might give you instructions or tell you when to shine the light on a specific performer. It's like having a secret communication device!

So, as a followspot operator, you get to control the special light that follows the performers on stage. It's a very important job because it helps make the performers look even more amazing and helps the audience focus on them.