For better or for worse, the speed of progress is accelerating. New products take weeks, not months, to develop. New technologies are providing increasingly effective ways to produce exactly what designers have envisioned. These advancements come with extensive benefits and several unintended consequences. Productions used to require hundreds of stagehands, designers, and technicians to produce. Each light needed to be hung, cabled, focused, gelled, and maintained in order to create even simple looks. Nowadays, an entire rig can be rolled in on pre-rigged truss and installed by a few technicians. This is done to maximize efficiency, maximize impact, and reduce cost. The benefit to artists, accountants, and the audience is undeniable, but the cost to the production team is becoming more apparent. People are getting left behind. The human touch is getting lost.
What about Roger?
I want to tell you about Roger. Roger is one of the best followspot operators that I have ever worked with. He honed his craft over many years. He could change a carbon arc without anyone even noticing. He kept his followspots in top shape. He has no fear of heights and could hold his bladder for five hours, no sweat. He was always the first one to volunteer for truss spot because he enjoyed the view and the additional rate for working at heights. Today, we’re having an issue though. You see, the last time I came through town, my rig required six truss spot operators. This time, the truss spots have been replaced with automated followspots. All I need to do is put an alignment-puck on the stage, four anchors at each corner of the stage and let the software do all the work. The alignment algorithm measures the stage, calibrates my lights, and adjusts for fixture latency to guarantee flawless, pinpoint tracking of my band members. A single tracker for each band member has displaced six human operators. Roger won’t even get a phone call from his steward today because I have no more need for his expertise. This decision was not made from malice or complacency. The decision was made because the algorithm does an even better job than humans.
What Happened?
Timecode is the best example of what is happening. We started using timecode in order to synchronize crucial points of the production where everything needed to happen simultaneously. There were crucial points in the show where several departments needed to be exactly in step with each other. It did not take long for us to realize that we could timecode an entire show. This process was borne out of necessity and soon became a viable luxury. The results were astounding. We could have computers run a show for us that was consistent and accurate day after day. Even human operators with perfect timing could not match the consistency that timecode provides. Timecode is so good at its job that we even refer to it as mechanical. A human operator is inevitably going to make mistakes, but timecode doesn’t get distracted like we do. But then came the unintended consequences. I could go program a show for my full rate and then hand over the operation of that show to someone who charges a fraction of my rate. The technology displaced the need for my services too. This trend is going to continue.
What Is Going to Happen Now?
With more complex algorithms and faster processing speeds, this trend will continue to replace human efforts at a dizzying speed. Just like Roger thought his job was safe, I like to think that my job is safe too. But the technology is quickly gaining on me. I can envision a software that can replace me in the next few years. It’s a simple application where the artist can click a few boxes about their preferences for each song and the algorithm can calculate the exact look for each song in a fraction of the time that I could. The artist could choose if they want front light or not, back light or not, choose two color options, input the recording of the song, and allow the computer to analyze the sound file, address the lights, determine key hits, and output a programmed show. This could even be done live. The computer could take a multi-track input from the sound console and several color changes could be mapped to different tones and frequencies. The drummer could become the lighting designer and operator simply by mapping his tempo changes to different cues. This is a very real concern for up-and-comers and seasoned vets alike.
What about Video?
Video Designers are at higher risk than Lighting Designers of being replaced. Artificial Intelligence is already creating visual imagery. My ten-year-old daughter can input her favorite subject matters into an app, choose from any number of themes and generate works of art in seconds. The algorithm uses her input to scour the internet and come up with endless options for her to review. If she likes the image, she saves it to her phone, and that image is hers forever. If she doesn’t like it, she can tweak her inputs as many times as she likes at no charge. It is only a matter of time before AI can do that for artists as well. The artist will be able to input the song lyrics and allow the algorithm to formulate meaning from the song, generate a theme, and match beats to custom-tailored impactful imagery. The artist could even upload crude drawings to the algorithm to fine tune the imagery. The algorithm would have endless amounts of royalty free stock footage and unlimited imagery to draw from. The algorithm could do it faster and cheaper than humans because no flights, per diems, or catering is necessary. The artist could even update their content daily to express their emotions of the day.
What Can I Do?
If you are reading this in 2023, your job is probably safe for the foreseeable future. This software is probably a few years away. No one is actively seeking to put you out of a job. But as soon as one software engineer sees the market for such technology, it’s only a matter of time. Several competing developers will rush in to create similar applications. In the meantime, it’s best to stay ahead of the curve. It’s best to generalize in your craft. Even if the software replaces designers, the computers will still need someone to maintain the hardware. Software updates will still be necessary. Artists will still need someone to let them know that they made a good choice and stroke their ego about how good their content looks. Stagehands are also relatively safe. The gear will still need to be hung, transported, and maintained. Operators are relatively safe, but their job will go from needing constant attention to just watching the computer do its job, hopping in when rare failures happen. The technological shift is taking us away from being active participants to passive bystanders. Instead of controlling the computers that run the show, we are slowly becoming servants to the algorithm. I would like to welcome our algorithmic overlords.
Reach Chris Lose at close@plsn.com
