FAQ Categories

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about ShowCall

General Questions

What is ShowCall?

ShowCall is a professional event rundown management platform designed for event producers, show callers, and production teams. It provides real-time rundown creation, precise cue timing, team collaboration, and live tracking capabilities for live events and productions.

Who is ShowCall designed for?

ShowCall is designed for:

  • Event Producers: Who manage multiple shows and teams
  • Show Callers: Who run individual events and need full rundown control
  • Crew Members: Who need to follow along with rundowns during productions
  • Production Teams: Who require real-time collaboration and coordination

Is ShowCall currently available?

ShowCall is currently in beta. You can join the beta to get early access to the platform. During beta, pricing and features may change based on user feedback.

How is ShowCall different from other event management tools?

ShowCall is specifically designed for live event rundowns with:

  • Precise timing control with automatic calculations
  • Real-time cue tracking during live events
  • Offline-first architecture for unreliable venue internet
  • Role-based access for different production team members
  • Professional PDF exports for talent and crew distribution

Pricing & Billing

What are the different license tiers?

ShowCall offers three license tiers:

  • Crew Member (Free): Read-only access to shared rundowns with personal cue highlighting
  • Show Caller ($25/month): Create unlimited personal shows with full rundown management
  • Producer ($75/month): Team management with flexible licensing options

Is there a free trial available?

Yes! During the beta period, you can try ShowCall with a free trial. Sign up to get started immediately.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my license?

Yes, you can change your license tier at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately, while downgrades occur at the end of your current billing cycle. Your data and shows are preserved when changing tiers.

What's included in the Producer license?

The Producer license includes everything in Show Caller plus:

  • Team creation and management
  • Flexible team member allocation:
    • Additional Producers - full team management rights
    • Sponsored Show Callers - show and rundown management
  • Unlimited crew member access
  • Team ownership management
  • Advanced collaboration tools
  • Team Shows List for centralized management

Features

Can I work offline with ShowCall?

Yes! ShowCall is designed offline-first. You can create and edit rundowns without internet connectivity. All changes are saved locally and automatically sync when your connection is restored.

How does live cue tracking work?

During your event, click the track button next to any cue to start live tracking. Use the spacebar to advance to the next cue, and all team members with access will see the current cue highlighted in real-time.

Can I export rundowns to PDF?

Yes! Show Callers and Producers can export rundowns to professional PDFs. You can select which columns to include and customize the layout for distribution to talent, crew, and clients.

How do I share rundowns with my team?

You can share rundowns in two ways:

  • Team Sharing: Add team members with specific roles (Producer, Show Caller, Crew Member)
  • Public Links: Create time-limited share links with specific access levels for external collaborators

What time formats does ShowCall support?

ShowCall supports multiple time input formats:

  • HH:MM:SS (01:30:45)
  • MM:SS (90:45)
  • Natural language (1m30s)

Times are automatically calculated when you change start times or durations.

Can I customize the appearance of ShowCall?

Yes! ShowCall offers multiple themes that sync across all your devices:

  • Light: Default bright theme
  • Dark: Standard dark theme
  • Deep Dark: For low-light environments
  • Night Blue: Blue-based color scheme
  • High Contrast: Enhanced accessibility

You can also customize tracking highlight colors and adjust column widths by clicking headers.

Does ShowCall automatically scroll during cue tracking?

Yes! When you advance cues using the spacebar during live tracking, ShowCall automatically scrolls to keep the active cue visible on screen. This ensures you never lose track of your position in the rundown.

What is the Block Container System?

The Block Container System is a modern way to organize your rundown:

  • Create individual container sections for different segments
  • Collapsible/expandable blocks for better space management
  • Customizable block headers with color picker
  • Drag and drop cues between blocks
  • Automatic cue number cascading when adding new cues

Can I create custom columns for my rundowns?

Yes! You can:

  • Create custom columns beyond the default set
  • Delete columns (except protected core columns)
  • Adjust column widths with S, M, L, XL sizes
  • Custom columns sync across devices and persist in Firebase

What is the Version History feature?

Version History automatically saves snapshots of your rundowns every 30 seconds while you're editing. You can:

  • View all previous versions with timestamps
  • Restore any previous version with one click
  • Create named versions for important milestones
  • Compare changes between versions
  • See who made each change

It works just like Google Sheets version history - completely automatic with no manual saving required.

Can crew members do more than just view rundowns?

Yes! While crew members have read-only access, they can now:

  • Personal Cue Highlighting: Mark specific cues with yellow highlights
  • Follow Live Tracking: See which cue is currently active
  • Customize View: Adjust column widths and visibility
  • Access Shared Links: View rundowns via time-limited share links

These features help crew members stay organized and focused on their specific responsibilities.

How do I add a profile picture?

To add or change your profile picture:

  1. Click your profile dropdown in the header
  2. Select "Account Settings"
  3. Go to the Profile tab
  4. Click the profile image area to upload
  5. Choose an image (JPG, PNG, or GIF up to 5MB)
  6. Save your changes

Your profile picture will appear throughout ShowCall and be visible to team members.

What are Face Sheets?

Face Sheets are ShowCall's comprehensive speaker and stage layout management system:

  • Visual Stage Designer: Drag-and-drop speaker positioning
  • Speaker Database: Centralized storage for speaker info and headshots
  • Bulk Import: Import sessions and speakers from CSV/Excel
  • Professional PDFs: Generate face sheets with stage layouts
  • Moderator Support: Designate panel moderators

Perfect for conferences, panels, and multi-speaker events.

How does real-time collaboration work?

ShowCall provides advanced collaboration features for teams:

  • Live Indicators: See who's editing which cells in real-time
  • User Tagging: Type @@username to notify team members
  • Speaker Mentions: Type @SpeakerName to reference speakers
  • Notifications: In-app and email alerts for tags
  • Direct Links: Jump straight to tagged content from notifications

What's the difference between @ and @@ mentions?

ShowCall uses two different mention systems:

  • @ (single at): For mentioning speakers from your database. Creates inline speaker cards with headshots.
  • @@ (double at): For tagging team members. Sends notifications to get their attention.

Example: @JohnSmith shows speaker info, while @@johnsmith notifies your team member John.

Can I import speakers from Excel?

Yes! Face Sheets supports comprehensive import features:

  • Import from CSV or Excel files
  • Auto-detection of speaker and moderator columns
  • Support for multiple date formats
  • Intelligent name matching for existing speakers
  • Bulk headshot upload with fuzzy name matching

Perfect for importing your entire conference schedule at once.

Can I export and import rundowns?

Yes! ShowCall offers comprehensive import/export functionality:

  • Excel Export: Download rundowns as formatted spreadsheets with all data
  • PDF Export: Generate professional print-ready documents
  • Import Support: Upload Excel or JSON files to restore or share rundowns
  • Preview Mode: See what will be imported before committing
  • Data Integrity: Automatic ID handling to prevent conflicts

Perfect for sharing with non-users, creating templates, or backing up your work.

What's the difference between card and list view?

ShowCall now offers two ways to view your rundowns:

  • Card View: Visual cards with preview information and hover actions
  • List View: Compact table format with direct action buttons

Toggle between views using the icon in the top right. Your preference is saved and syncs across all your shows.

How does the Excel-like navigation work?

ShowCall features professional spreadsheet-style navigation for fast editing:

  • Single Click: Select a cell (blue outline)
  • Double Click: Enter edit mode (green outline)
  • Arrow Keys: Navigate between cells
  • Shift + Arrows: Navigate while editing (auto-saves)
  • Enter: Start editing selected cell
  • Escape: Exit edit mode
  • Alt + Up/Down: Add cue above/below
  • Delete: Remove selected cue

The interface uses optimized DOM manipulation for instant 60fps response even with hundreds of cues.

What are Block Templates?

Block Templates let you save blocks as reusable templates:

  • Save Templates: Click settings icon → "Save as Template"
  • Preserve Everything: All cues, colors, and timing preserved
  • Quick Insert: Click "Insert from Template" anywhere in rundown
  • Manage Templates: Edit, rename, delete in Settings > Templates
  • Spreadsheet Editor: Full editor for template cues

Perfect for opening sequences, commercial breaks, closing credits, or any repeated content.

What is Digital Signage View?

Digital Signage displays previous, current, and next cues on external monitors:

  • 3-Column Layout: Previous (blue), Current (green), Next (yellow)
  • Live Countdown: Real-time timer for current cue
  • Speaker Chips: Headshots and details for @mentioned speakers
  • Customizable: Toggle visibility of different fields
  • Auto-Sync: Updates with tracking and rundown changes
  • No Login Required: Perfect for talent monitors and crew displays

Open from Options menu → "Open Digital Signage"

How does Find & Replace work?

Find & Replace (Cmd/Ctrl + F) searches across all rundown columns:

  • Real-Time Search: Results update as you type
  • Case Sensitive: Optional exact case matching
  • Whole Word: Match complete words only
  • Results Counter: Shows "X of Y" matches
  • Navigation: Next/Previous buttons or Enter/Shift+Enter
  • Replace: Single replacement or Replace All
  • Auto-Scroll: Jumps to and highlights matches

Searches Item Name, Speakers, Audio, Video, Lighting, Notes, and all custom columns.

How do I archive a show?

To archive a completed show:

  1. Go to Show Settings (gear icon)
  2. Navigate to the Danger Zone tab
  3. Click "Archive Show"
  4. Confirm the action

Archived shows remain accessible but are read-only. You can restore them anytime from the same settings page.

Technical

What browsers does ShowCall support?

ShowCall works on all modern web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. For the best experience, we recommend using the latest version of your preferred browser.

Is my data secure?

Yes. ShowCall uses Firebase for secure data storage with industry-standard encryption. Your rundowns and show data are protected and only accessible to authorized team members.

Can I use ShowCall on mobile devices?

ShowCall is optimized for desktop use during production, but the responsive design allows viewing and basic editing on tablets and mobile devices. The rundown view supports horizontal scrolling with native touch scrolling for better mobile experience. The public shared views work well on all devices for crew members to follow along.

What happens if I lose internet connection during a show?

ShowCall continues to work normally during internet outages. All changes are saved locally and will sync automatically when your connection returns. Local changes always take priority to prevent data loss.

Account & Teams

How do I create a team?

Team creation requires a Producer license. From your dashboard, access Team Management, click "Create Team," and add members by email with appropriate roles.

Can I move shows between personal and team ownership?

Yes! Shows can be transferred between personal and team ownership:

  • Personal → Team: Any team member can move their shows to the team
  • Team → Personal: Producers and show callers can move team shows to personal accounts

How many team members can I add?

With a Producer license, you can add up to 3 Show Caller seats and unlimited Crew Members. Show Caller licenses can add unlimited Crew Members to their personal shows.

Can Show Callers access team shows?

Yes! Show Callers now have access to team shows through a dedicated tab in their dashboard. This appears as the second tab and provides full access to team productions you're part of.

What happens to archived shows?

Archived shows move to a separate Archived tab and become read-only. All content is preserved, and you can access archived shows anytime. Both personal and team shows can be archived to keep your active dashboard organized.

Can I delete my account?

Yes, you can delete your account at any time. All your personal shows and data will be permanently removed. Shows owned by teams will remain with the team.

Support

How do I report a bug?

Use the built-in bug reporting feature:

  1. Click your profile dropdown in ShowCall
  2. Select "Report a Bug"
  3. Describe the issue with steps to reproduce
  4. Submit - we'll receive it with system info automatically

How can I contact support?

For additional help, email us at support@showcall.io. Include your account email and a detailed description of your issue. Screenshots help us understand problems faster.

Where can I find more detailed help?

Check out our comprehensive Help Documentation which covers all features, workflows, and keyboard shortcuts in detail.

Can I request new features?

Absolutely! Since ShowCall is in beta, we're actively collecting user feedback. Contact us at support@showcall.io with your feature requests and suggestions.

Beta Note: As ShowCall is in beta, features and workflows may change. We appreciate your feedback and patience as we continue to improve the platform!