Feeding the Machines

The fact that there are many ways to achieve the same look on stage is often one of the most overwhelming things for new automated lighting programmers. Trying to decide on the best method to use can be daunting, and making the wrong choice could lead to unnecessary work, further confusion or incompatibility with other show elements. For these reasons, it is important for programmers to be aware of different methods to accomplish the same goal as well as to understand the consequences of each. As an example, let’s look at one of my favorite animated sequences on stage that I call “kicks.”

I remember a long time ago when I first started programming automated lighting that the skill was held as very secretive. People had to teach themselves how to program and, once they gained that knowledge, many chose to hold it tight. Most people did not want to share their skill, as the programming jobs were rare and no one wanted to have increased competition. Luckily, this has changed considerably through the years, and now, many are willing to share their knowledge and skills with others. To help foster our industry, we should all look for opportunities to instruct others and share what we have learned. By doing so, we will learn more and expand the abilities and professionalism of our entire field.

Automated lighting programming often encompasses more than adjusting intensities and moving lights around a stage. Quite often, we find ourselves in circumstances that require intense planning, understanding and interconnectivity of lighting elements.

We are fortunate that we live in a world filled with millions of different hues, shades and variations of color.  Lighting engineers have provided us with the ability to adjust the wavelength of light coming from automated lighting fixtures so that we can create a multitude of colors on stage.  Lighting programmers are always working with color, and the consoles we program on a daily basis continue to provide us with more and more abilities to adjust the color outputting from our lighting instruments.  Early automated fixtures simply provided a fixed color wheel with twelve or so colors to choose from.  Today, most fixtures include very sophisticated color mixing system as well as fixed and special effect color adjustments.  It is up to the programmer to understand the color mixing processes that fixtures and consoles employ so that they can create the looks desired by the designer or production.

Automated lighting fixtures are extremely sophisticated, to the point that some people even refer to them as “intelligent.” While the fixtures are packed full of very smart features, they actually require a human with a bit of knowledge to operate them properly. This is very true when it comes to controlling the movement of pan/tilt or other features. Fixtures and consoles provide a multitude of methods to ensure that these movements are either perfectly smooth or extremely quick. A thorough understanding of the various options is imperative for any automated lighting programmer.

Productions come in all different sizes and budgets, and often not enough time is set aside for the lighting programming. Sometimes the programming of the lighting is put off for bigger priorities such as building the rig and/or stage. Automated lighting programmers can find themselves in various time crunch situations as they try to meet the production demands. In many cases, this can lead to little to no programming time before an event. A true professional must be prepared for these circumstances and know how to make the best of the situation.

For years, scientists have used buttons to train animals and determine behaviors. The simple act of pressing a button to achieve a certain response can easily be taught to many different species. Button pressing is unassuming process that can be used in various applications to produce different results. At this very moment I am pressing combinations of 56 buttons to write this article.

The popularity of LED lighting has certainly taken ahold of our industry, and nearly every production now incorporates some form of LED-source products. Many wash lights are being replaced with LED fixtures, and now even LED ellipsoidals and automated spots are beginning to emerge from the major manufacturers. All these products generally operate very similarly to other automated luminaires, however there are important color differences that must be considered by an automated lighting programmer.

This month, I am writing to all of you about a serious situation in our industry. Every production inevitably ends up suffering from this serious condition at some point in preproduction, or even after the show opens. It is time that we all work together as professionals to help reduce further occurrences of this terrible state of affairs. As I am sure most of you reading this are aware, all too often, cues and looks get programmed and never used.

Welcome to the newest service in the lighting industry: meet-hot-fixtures.com.  It is very important for automated lighting programmers to get to know and fully understand the lighting fixtures they will work with.  Our on-line guide (reprinted here) will assist you in your daily interactions with new fixtures.  Often, programmers can be at a loss as to how to fully function with new fixtures, and it is essential that you learn the traits that will assist you with your programming.  We have broken down the relationship process into several easy steps.

I find corporate events to be an exciting genre of production for the automated lighting programmer.  Large, theatrical business meetings and presentations often come with elaborate sets and lighting rigs.  In addition, the production schedule is usually a mix of demanding work and hurry-up-and-wait moments.