As primarily a technical director, and newly a theater major, my experience at the helm of an EOS console was very limited. In the past, I just haven’t had a practical need to learn EOS because I’m typically building scenery.

In taking Lighting Technology this semester, one of my main goals was to change that and become considerably more comfortable and competent at programming. As such, I really enjoyed the opportunity to light this song. While at the beginning of this project I felt pretty lost of how to do mostly anything in EOS, that is starting to change.

Designwise, the first thing that I notice about A Day in the Life is the distinct formal structure that the Beatles included in their composition. The piece starts with three very similar verses, showcasing rather large events, but from the perspective of a calm and distanced outsider. To reflect this in my lighting design, I kept the looks simple and low intensity, with the color only shifting slightly between verses. The intention was to create the illusion of a haze or rainfall, distancing the audience just as the vocalist is distanced from happenings in the newspaper.

After the vocalist sings “I’d love to turn you on,” I imagine that things become much more personally relevant, and relatively engaged to the vocalist than when rambling about what’s in the news, so my lighting design offers a stark contrast. Reds and oranges are introduced in a flurry of bright movements, increasing in rate as the dissonance of the score becomes greater and greater. Finally, everything flashes bright white as the dissonance explodes into a grand E Major chord.

The next “bridge verse” if you call it describes the everyday life of the vocalist, but as simple things such as “woke up” and “dragged a comb across my head” are critically important to the vocalist, the music is much more spritely and energized than the newspaper verses. To reflect this in my lighting design, I opted to use a vibrant green that speaks life through its color, while still offering a sharp contrast to the chaotic movements of the dissonant sections.

The song then goes on to repeat similar sonic affects as previously presented earlier and so my lighting design reflects this by recalling looks from earlier in the piece.

While working on this project, I found that the hardest thing was to be able to transform the look that I had developed in my head to something that i could replicate in the light lab using the skills that I have. This was especially difficult on effects and ultimately, I ended up settling for some looks that looked cool, but weren’t exactly what I had in mind. Particularly, I had pictured that the hue change effect during the “ahhh” section would be much more dizzy than what I was able to accomplish. I think that as I become more familiar in the language that EOS speaks, particularly when it comes to effect parameters such as rate and scale, I will be able to improve my ability to translate the effect that my brain sees into reality.

Still, I am very happy that I had the opportunity to do this project because I very much enjoyed it, and I learned a lot in the process. Most importantly, I was able to gain some experience and comfort on a console that I’m sure I’ll run into many times in the future.

By: Wayne Murphy Jr.

This week our assignment was to program a 2-3 minute song on a console that we had never used before. Some were assigned Hog, or Element, I was assigned the GrandMA 2. We use the GrandMA on PC with a command wing that was bought to go along with it so we have 6 physical executors along with the rest of the digital ones.

The song I chose to light was one of my newer favorites from the band Halestorm: I Miss The Misery, I wanted to choose a piece that would challenge myself design wise and program wise because with the MA I wanted to run it live off of all executors and not cue like a normal ETC Board. This would prove quite challenging but I feel like i came out on top with a win in the end. I ended up making an executor with different cues written in for the main sections of singing, some drum fills that occur a lot, the chorus, the bridge that I could jump between as the song was played live. This definitely proved a challenge with only 6 physical executors and the rest being digitial. (I think i ended up with 6 physical and 3 digital i had to use)

The other caveat of the project was we had to use a pre-visualization program, MA makes their own so I ended up using theirs. The Visualizer was nice because in our lab our touch screen computer is in the way of our “stage” so the visualizer screen gave me an opportunity to still see my design and even edit offline when I had to as to not disturb a classmate that was working in the lab at the same time i was.

In the end i have grown more in love with the MA and hope to get the chance to use it more. Below you can see some photos from my visualizer, and maybe in the future i’ll upload a section of the song.

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Well, It happened and it was quite fun actually. I have attached some pictures from the project (these are images of the visualizer).

Advantages: Its another board, and knowing the basics of many different consoles is a huge bonus. Also, being able to understand the syntax of a different kind of console has been really informative

Disadvantages: Theoretically, you could argue that not learning the EOS or ETC system and all of it intricacies and instead, spending time learning the lowest level of a different console, hasn’t helped my EOS/ETC brain to become fluent in EOS. However, I would argue that versatility in a world that if fast paced and changing every day couldn’t be a bad thing.

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Several of the images above were taken mid-cue so they may look a bit strange. These pictures reflected a moment in a cue, not the entirety of the moving cue list. Also, the plot of LED’s and Movers that was used for this project is able to be downloaded below!

So for this project We had to choose a short song and light it using a visualizer. I chose to do my project in the grandMA on PC software. Probably one of the biggest struggles I had was getting the visualizer to talk with the programming software. It took about an hour of troubleshooting and a phone a friend to get the two of them working. I ended up having to change the software’s IP address as well as the visualizers and then a fair amount of fussing about in the network configuration to get it to work. Once I did have it working though I was able to have some fun. I took my 39″ TV and set it up on my table and then with an HDMI out on my laptop I was able to get the visualizer up on the TV and had a grand old time programming. All in all I would say I enjoyed this project. Despite the few issues I had networking the visualizer and my own learning curve with the software, getting to see your show as you program, especially on a large TV is really fun. Below are some of the pictures from my programming session.

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Trying to program the GrandMA 2 proved to be an interesting challenge. The most challenging part about learning this console was learning the syntax since its so different from what we’re used to. For example: instead of hitting “Enter”, you hit “Please”. Everything saves automatically, which is really nice in theory, but its nerve wracking to close out of things without manually being able to save or update. We really liked how easily customizable the screen layouts were and it came in very useful once we started to build cues. Patching the rig was fairly simple and didn’t take long at all. Once we figured out how to build effects, it was smooth sailing. We discovered that in addition to being able to record cues as normal, you can also record them in cue stacks in the Executors. We had a lot of fun messing around with the executors and cycling through cues and effects. We also discovered some things we didn’t like, like how not everything will show up in the command line, or how you have to hit clear three times or how hitting “at” twice will bring intensity to full. Overall, it was an interesting console to explore and I think it could be a good board to program on if I were to get more familiar with the controls and syntax.

Trevor and myself were able to use the Titan 1 by Avolites. We very quickly discovered that this board and software is made for operator ease. Within an hour and a half we had our rig up and running like it was nothing. Some of the issues we encountered while setting up was; One. we needed to output to two lines of DMX which we were able to remedy quite quickly by using a DMX splitter; Two. when patching our relays we discovered that it is either not clear or not possible to patch multiple addresses to one channel, so our work around was to just patch each relay as a separate channel: Three. in Avolites instead of parking power at full you need to “Freeze” the power at full, which is controlled in the patching menu. In Avolites language, Park is to clear the address of a fixture so that it can remain in your show file without having to delete it entirely, all while keeping the channel information intact. Once we had the rig set up we were able to quickly and smoothly create cues and effects with ease. Below are some images of what the software looks like as well as programmed looks that we created.

The Titan 1 software and accompanying dongle provide the ability to output one universe of DMX or Art-Net as any console in the Avolites line. The download suite includes a personality builder, console simulator (for setting up show files), the Titan one software, as well as a remote screen sharing service which allows Avolites support to log into the device and fix problems. It allows the user to access all the software features of the flagship consoles and has integrated support for Capture 3D visualizer. This is a full console in an easy download and is stable enough to be used for shows as is.

MA Lighting was founded in 1983 by Michael Adenau in Paderborn Germany. In 1985 he became partners with a software specialist named Ernst Ebrecht. While Michael was the visionary behind MA products it was Ernst who made the ideas possible. Ernst’s first control desks were the Lightcommander 24 and the Lightcommander 48. The main feature of these desks were level memory. In other words, rather than only storing information in external drives and relying on RAM drives to control functions, These desks were able to learn processes and store data on their own hard drive like a computer. This was advanced even for computer technology and made waves in the lighting world, specifically in Europe. In 1988 MA launched the LCD 120. This desk was an upgraded version of the Scancommader Hardware. This was a 120 channel fader console, with submasters. It was featured on its first international tour with Mother’s Finest and made an appearance at PLASA in London and LDI in Nashville.

In 1992 MA released the MA Scancommander. This console made a major splash by placing honus on the need for a console for moving light control. This new operating system followed a new philosophy and set out to create a new syntax and way of thinking about lighting. Their goal was to create an operating system that focused on multi-parameter  addressable fixtures, and less so for dimmers. The board established MA on the global stage and made them the self proclaimed leading innovator in touring and event production. 

In 1995 MA made the move into full control system by producing the MA digital dimmer rack. These units are still available and considered workhorses in the industry to this day. They feature 12- 2.3k, 3.7k, and 5.7k dimmable circuits, Digital phase adjustment, built in operating systems, and  master/slave ganging. One feature that made a huge difference with these units was the ability to lock the circuits on to operate as a relay. This made it a universal power rack that could be interchanged with any other unit and easily recall scenes for different settings. 

All these previous inventions culminated to the release on the grandMA in 1997. This console combined all the best that the Lightcommander and Scancommander had to offer and became famous for. The console unveiled a whole new hardware and software version system. The console featured 3 built in full color screens with mounts for two additional screens. Console layout is fully customizable, relying on an interactive screen pool setup with assignable encoders and faders. Faders and executors are setup in banks and fader pages which allow the user to quickly switch between different layout pages.  Movers can be controlled either through encoder wheels or trackball, and an installed battery backup prevents from power loss or accidently hitting the large power switch which was a common issue at times. One of the most interesting additions to this console is the built in visualizer. While quite rough, the on desk visualizer or stage view opened in a standard tab on any work screen and allowed the user to place lights in a 3D space and view when lights were turned on and from what position. This made it possible to pre cue shows and mockup looks. While there was no color feature it was the realization that such a technology was desperately needed by users.

The GrandMA was the staple event production control system until the release of the MA2 in 2008. Even when Hog consoles were released in 1999 and followed in 2002 by the Whole Hog, MA managed to stay ahead of the market by issuing regular updates that expanded the consoles power without hardware changes and the development by near 24 phone and online support. By 2007, the last updates to the MA1 before the release of the MA2, you could operate a complex network of scaled control systems, 64 Universes, and networked power  distribution. MA has thrived on their superior hardware and expandable software that allows for an all in one production control system. The newest versions allow fully rendered visualisation, show control, and 3D variable positioning system within the basic software package. MA may be the namesake of Michael Adenau, but the equipment which has become synonymous with entertainment production globally can be attributed to Erst Ebrecht. Without his breakthrough software, and the introduction of customizable user interfaces there is no telling what consoles would look like today. 

Bibliography:

https://www.malighting.com/company/history/

Click to access lsi_2016jan_classicgear_grandMA.pdf

https://www.highend.com/about/about-us

Augustine – Jean Fresnel was an engineer and physicist who lived from 1788-1827 that proved very important to improving our earl understanding of light. At first, Fresnel was considered to be a very slow learner, as he could not read until age eight. After attending school for the first time at the age of twelve, Fresnel developed a passion for science and mathematics that influenced him to become a civil engineer. He worked for the French government designing roads until 1815 when Napoleon’s regime removed Fresnel from his post because of his criticism. This allowed Fresnel to begin his study of optics.

Before Fresnel’s time, it was commonly thought that light traveled in particles as established by Sir Isaac Newton’s corpuscular theory of light. This however did not explain some aspects of light such as reflection, refraction, interference, and polarization. Contrary to Newton’s theory, Fresnel believed that light travels in transverse waves. He was able to prove this by placing a spherical object in the middle of a beam of light and noticing that the center of the shadow behind the sphere was almost as bright as areas not affected by the shadow. 

Following his successful discoveries regarding how light travels, Fresnel was then commissioned by the French government to improve lighthouse lenses so that ships from far away could see the lighthouse, even in stormy weather. Fresnel opted to use a series of glass prisms, placed concentrically in a ring. The idea of this is that each prism refracts that light from the source in parallel directions, focusing the beam of light on a particular spot. Fresnel’s original lens design was so successful that it could be seen from up to twenty miles away and directed 83% of the light in one direction. Today, these lenses are still used in lighthouses, as well as the taillights of cars. Rather than stacking the glass prisms on top of each other hemispherically however, the interior portion of the lens is cut out to reduce the size of the lens.

Relevant to theater, Fresnel’s lens design became the inspiration for the Fresnel lighting fixture. The Fresnel lens has been coveted by lighting designers due to its uniform intensity, soft edges for use in wash light, and the way that it can enhance the intensity of the beam. Fresnel fixtures also include a sled which allows the distance between the lens and the lamp to be varied, changing the size of the beam.

Bibliography:

https://www.dunkirklighthouse.com/fresnel__lens_history.htm

https://www.edmundoptics.com/resources/application-notes/optics/advantages-of-fresnel-lenses/

https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201607/physicshistory.cfm

https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/fresnel.html

Click to access a_history_of_light_and_lighting.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Augustin-Jean-Fresnel

So our first full project was to build a light to the best of our ability on a shoestring budget, I unfortunately had to take a grace period on this but here are my results!!

When i first started this project i wanted to model my fixture after a birdie, a small almost par almost leko like fixture that is used a lot in theatre or mini light labs when they’re available. That idea didn’t work out too well, so i decided to make a wash fixture that could hang on a pipe and be moved if necessary.

My first challenge was finding a lamp to use, i went to home depot to see what i could see and there were a few flood lights that somewhat looked good but then i found an led light that was shaped like a tungsten halogen fixture but was an LED and that had a nice warm color temperature. This was the lamp i decided to use.

I then found a few items i could use as a yoke and a clamp to attach it to a pipe when needed. I found a bookshelf mount and a bicycle hook that would fit around schedule 40 piping.

When i purchased this lamp i knew i would need some kind of reflector for it, so i decided to make a reflector out of a can of monster and some tin foil i already had at my house.

The lamp itself is plugged into a candleabra base on an edison plug, it’s then stuffed inside my monster can reflector with the tin foil surrounding it then that whole build was placed inside a wastebasket i purchased and run through a hole in the bottom of the waste basket.

The fixture itself turns on, is dimmable and is focusable but is mainly just a wash of light, barn doors would make the whole thing better, and a stronger wattage lamp and maybe a smaller basket would make it a little brighter.

Attached are some pictures and a cost breakdown of what i bought:

A price breakdown, for reference our budget was $30 or under

Lamp: $7

Zip Cord: $8

Waste Basket: $8

Bicycle Hook: $0.84

Washers/Nuts: $0.97

Monster: Already Owned

Tin Foil: Already Owned

Total Cost: $24.81

George Izenour, with over 27 patents, had many significant contributions to the lighting technology world, the most significant being the first electronic dimmer. Electronic dimmers lead to the ability to use remote controls which was a huge breakthrough because it meant that the operator would be able to see the stage. This system allowed the operator to do what would usually take two or three operators to do and said operator would no longer have to be backstage. This ultimately lead to the development of a preset control system and his invention of the two scene preset board. This became the dominant method until digital controls were developed several years later. 

Izenours interest in theatre started in high school when he performed in the plays and helped paint the sets. He became increasingly interested in various aspects of technical theatre and eventually went to Wittenberg College where he earned his Masters Degree in Physics. His master’s thesis is what would become the basis of the first electronic dimming system. Later, Izenour became a Fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation and his Rockerfeller grant helped him obtain a position at Yale University where he has the ability to establish a laboratory (located in an abandoned squash court) dedicated to the advancement of theatre technology. This is where he invented his electronic dimming system. He had patents on the electronic circuitry of the system as well as the mechanical design of the controls. Instead of selling the patents, he negotiated with Century Lighting Inc. and allowed them to build and exploit the control system. Izenour then became their field engineer and systems designer. CBS and NBC approved of the new Century-Izenour lighting control methods and negotiated with Century. This system was used in television studios and theaters all over the country, but it took 17 years to make its way to Broadway. Izenour always said Broadway wasn’t for him, “I am a radical to those real estate operators”.  In addition to his dimming system and several other lighting technology breakthroughs, Izenour was also well known for being a theater designer and he designed more than 100 theaters across the country. Izenour theaters could convert from one stage type to another within 15 minutes. 

Izenour also wrote and published three books in his lifetime. He writes; “viewed in hindsight, my professional life as a theater engineer was virtually a continuous process of inventions and commercial licensing agreements for lighting control systems, flying systems, associated hardware, and controls. I have habitually, and for good reason, always reacted to the marketplace.”

“TimesMachine.” The New York Times, The New York Times, timesmachine.nytimes.com/browser.

Parker, W. Oren, et al. Scene Design and Stage Lighting. Wadsworth, 2009.

“Theater Design, by George C. Izenour, Manuscripts and Related Materials, 1900-1977 (Bulk 1977) 2359.” Theater Design, by George C. Izenour, Manuscripts and Related Materials, 1900-1977 (Bulk 1977) 2359, libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/2359.htm.

Izenour, George. “A Brief History of Theatre Architecture & Stage Technology (The Twentieth Century) Starting in the Late 1800s and Continuing through the 20th Century, – Ppt Download.” SlidePlayer, slideplayer.com/slide/12283433/.

“George Izenour.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Aug. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Izenour.