QLab for event producers: beyond basic playback
Most event producers treat QLab as a glorified media player. Press go, play a video, press go again. That barely scratches what it can do for a live show.
More than a play button
QLab is a show control tool, not a media player. The difference matters. A media player plays files in a list. A show control tool lets you build logic, states and conditional behaviour into the cue stack so the show can respond to what actually happens on stage.
For the Heathrow Airport 80th celebration, I built a quiz engine in QLab with right and wrong answer states, shuffle logic and prize-reveal sequences. The operator could fire any question in any order and the correct answer reveal would always follow. That is not a playlist. That is a system.
Conditional logic with AppleScript
QLab supports AppleScript, which means you can build conditional behaviour into your cue stack. If the host skips a round, the operator can jump ahead without breaking the rest of the show. If a speaker runs long, you can cut a segment and the cues renumber themselves cleanly.
I use AppleScript for operator shortcuts, group behaviour and state management. The goal is always the same: make the cue stack serve the show, not the other way around.
Operator-friendly design
A cue stack is only as good as the person driving it. I build show files with clean naming, colour coding, sensible hotkeys and fail-safes. The operator should be able to run the show with their head up, watching the stage, not staring at a screen full of unlabelled cues.
I also hand over show files with written notes and a walk-through. If I am not operating on the night, the person who is should feel confident from the first rehearsal.
When QLab meets vMix
I run vMix and QLab on the same shows regularly. OSC, MIDI and AppleScript triggers can link the two, so a QLab cue can fire a graphic in vMix, or a vMix transition can trigger the next QLab sequence. The result is a tighter show with fewer manual handoffs.
If you are running a show where graphics, video playback and live vision mixing all need to work together, QLab is a strong spine to build around.