Cue
Cue turns up in 2 fields: lighting, telecom & it. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Cue in lighting
A recorded lighting state and the timed transition into it, triggered during a performance on the stage manager's call.
In theater and live events, each change of lighting is programmed into the console as a numbered cue with levels for every channel and fade timings up and down. The stage manager calls standby and go from the prompt book, and the board operator executes it. Shows commonly run from tens to hundreds of cues, with point cues such as 47.5 inserted after numbering.
"Standby lighting cue 112 and sound cue F. Lights 112 and sound F, go."
Cue in telecom & it
A signal or marker used to trigger a specific action in a broadcast or recording.
A cue is a designated signal that prompts an operator, presenter, or automated system to execute the next step in a sequence. In broadcasting and production, it can be a physical gesture, a verbal phrase, or an embedded electronic tone. Missing a cue results in dead air, clipped audio, or unsynchronized transitions.
"Stand by on camera two, wait for the audio cue, and bring up the lower third when he stops speaking."