Once you are a proficient lighting programmer with several different gigs under your belt, you might want to look into specializing further. Additional expertise will make you more marketable and desirable to a greater number of productions. You should look at industry trends to determine existing and emerging technologies that pair well with lighting programming. Currently, there are three key areas that I believe are invaluable to programmers that wish to grow their career and skill set: Media Servers, Networking and 3D Tracking. Media Servers: The continual rise of video, pixel mapping, and other media related technologies provides an opening for anyone that can dedicate to these unique elements in addition to standard lighting programming. Networking: Networking can be used to send positional data about trusses or set pieces. It can also direct signals such as timecode, OSC, or proprietary triggering systems. 3D Tracking: There are several systems that work with a lighting console to track performers, set pieces, and truss moves to ensure that lights are always pointing where desired.
-Brad Schiller, from “Feeding the Machines,” PLSN, March 2019, page 64.
