Run–Pause–Continue (Stop Points)¶

BOTH

The Run–Pause–Continue workflow lets you run a move through a series of programmed holds, stop at each hold to accommodate varying line delivery from talent, then continue to the next section. This is useful for dialogue scenes where an actor needs flexible time at a specific framing before the camera moves on.

Slow rigs and non-high-speed rigs

As a standard, this workflow is designed for slow mode or non-high-speed rigs. High-speed rigs have different operational constraints.

Concept¶

Programme a sequence with a series of short holds — typically 1–2 seconds — at positions where an actor will deliver a line or where a pause is required. Each hold should be at a framing that makes sense to stop at. The hold duration only needs to be long enough for the operator to respond (and for the actor to receive a cue).

Step 1 — Programme holds into the move¶

In your move sequence, add holds of 1–2 seconds at each point where a pause is required. If you use Move/Hold mode, the timeline will display your holds clearly, giving a better visual reference for where pauses occur.

Step 2 — Enable Stop-Continue¶

Go to Setups > Miscellaneous Setup > Stop-Continue and set it to YES (not "Prompt").

YES — After a Stop during playback, Flair automatically puts the move into Ready to Shoot mode. The operator presses Shoot to continue from where it paused. No confirmation dialog.
Prompt — Flair asks what to do after a Stop. This adds an extra step each time.

In most cases, YES is what you want.

Step 3 — Run the move using keyboard shortcuts¶

Use keyboard shortcuts to control the move without reaching for the mouse:

Key	Action
F1	Shoot (run move / continue)
Spacebar	Stop

This allows the Flair operator to start and stop the move using keys in quick succession, matching the actor's pace.

Step 4 — Continue after a stop¶

After the move stops at a hold:

The move enters Ready to Shoot mode automatically (because Stop-Continue is set to YES).
When the actor or director signals ready, press F1 (or Shoot) to continue the move from the hold point to the next section.

Repeat for each hold in the sequence.

Hardware trigger alternative¶

For even faster auto-stop without operator intervention, you can use hardware triggers via the Trigger Box:

Connect an input to an output on the Trigger Box.
Set the output to fire at the hold frame.
Set the input to send the Stop command to Flair.

This means the hold will stop the move automatically at the exact programmed frame, without the operator needing to press Spacebar. The reaction time for starting again will also be faster.

Stop Points feature (Flair Classic 7.18+)¶

Flair Classic 7.18 or later required

The Stop Points feature is available in Flair Classic 7.18 and later. Contact MRMC for the current release status.

In Flair Classic 7.18+, any waypoint in a move can be designated as a Stop Point. When the Use Stop Points control flag is enabled and the move is run, Flair will:

Run from the start to the first Stop Point.
Automatically enter Ready to Shoot mode.
Wait for the operator to press Shoot.
Continue to the next Stop Point, and so on.

How to identify Stop Points in the timeline: The frame count at a Stop Point is displayed in red instead of black. Flair will warn you when running in this mode.

Limitations of Stop Points:

Stop Points only work with a full run — not with repeat runs.
Only designate frames at which the rig is physically holding still. Using a moving frame as a Stop Point will cause post- or pre-roll issues.
Stop Points can be turned off using the Flag setting in the Control Side Menu.

Additional use cases¶

The Run–Pause–Continue technique is not only for dialogue — it can also be used to:

Cycle through different positions for a complicated setup where the rig must move out of the way for a set reset between positions
Programme: (shot framing) > (hold) > (reset position) > (hold) > (back to one) — run in sequence with minimal reloading

Source: Run — Pause — Continue — talk.mrmoco.com