# Imagine you went into a coma in 1994...



## Martin T. Focazio (Mar 21, 2018)

...and woke up in 2017.

Back in 1994, you worked as a Stage Manager, Technical Director, Lighting Designer, Sound Technician and so on. Backstage was where you lived and worked.

When you fell into your coma, computer control of lighting was not widespread (DMX was just starting to gain market traction), sound boards were huge analog contraptions, all lighting instruments were hot, had ridiculously expensive lamps and used massive amounts of electricity....you get the idea.

Now you've woken up in 2017, and the technology is different but shows are still shows. The lights come on, the lights change color and direction, the sound comes out and the show goes on.

What would you suggest as starting points for your recently awakened person to get started learning about the "state of now" for major show technologies - lighting, sound, rigging, mechanical controls?

_(I mean aside from joining this forum, of course?)_


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## jayvee (Mar 22, 2018)

Martin T. Focazio said:


> ...and woke up in 2017.
> 
> Back in 1994, you worked as a Stage Manager, Technical Director, Lighting Designer, Sound Technician and so on. Backstage was where you lived and worked.
> 
> ...


"This here is called a Source Four and it is the BUSINESS"


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## Amiers (Mar 22, 2018)

YouTube. 

The internet is more than dial up and dsl. Whatever you have on paper is now digital. 

Asking google for anything is a great start. Besides rigging you will find a decent amount of useable knowledge. 

Take a class or two on computers and what they can do. 

Read up on the .orgs ETCP ESTA USITT LDI NAM. 

Go to your local theatre , club, mega church , convention center and ask questions. 

Get on a local list as an overhire and watch, work and relearn. 


Apply what you know and add to what you don’t.


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## Martin T. Focazio (Mar 22, 2018)

jayvee said:


> "This here is called a Source Four and it is the BUSINESS"


OMG. It's a magic lamp! Priced like a cheap car! 
But seriously, thanks. Great start. Read up on LED tech, RGBAW, etc. Neat stuff.


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## Martin T. Focazio (Mar 22, 2018)

Amiers said:


> Go to your local theatre , club, mega church , convention center and ask questions.



Thanks for the list. It's very helpful.


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## Van (Mar 22, 2018)

"Well, this here is Shinola...."


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## lwinters630 (Mar 26, 2018)

I would hand them a smart phone, loaded with theater apps. Without moving an inch, they light up the entire theater lights, streaking at the touch of a button.
with full sound pouring out of that small smart phone in their hand and into the house system. A touch of an app an they mixed the full show in seconds.
One more touch brings an overwhelming LED wall to life, with depth of motion that captivates their entire emotions.
Glancing down to that little device in their hand, they fall down, inundated from what seems unbelievable, back into the coma......


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## RickR (Mar 26, 2018)

Major lighting steps

Source 4, it's not just another ellips
LEDs, built in dimmers, scrollers are dead, running DMX to everything
Consoles are far smarter, forget the DMX address chart and patch panels, a whole fixture is a channel

Pixel mapping will blow your mind
Video

LED video is real, and everywhere

Projection mapping is hot
Everything runs on ethernet!

I'll let someone else chime in on sound.


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## JonCarter (Mar 26, 2018)

@Martin, 
Now imagine you went into your coma in 1965 . . .[/USER]


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## RickR (Mar 27, 2018)

I nearly did this. I left the 'biz' in 1988 burned out on no money and not even getting any artistic jollies stuck in what I called 'musical comedy land'. 

In roughly 2004 my kids were in a high school musical. I asked a guy where I was buying some gel "So what's changed in the last 15 years?"

I missed DMX, Source 4, HID, and movers becoming common.


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## TimMc (Apr 1, 2018)

Martin T. Focazio said:


> OMG. It's a magic lamp! Priced like a cheap car!
> But seriously, thanks. Great start. Read up on LED tech, RGBAW, etc. Neat stuff.




A cheap car? I'm figuring out how few moving lights it takes to pay off my mortgage...

Welcome back to stage, Martin.

I think the de facto source for how to make things work is John Huntington's _Show Networks & Control Systems_ 2nd, Focal Press.

You can read lots of technology history - some of it is fascinating and full of the human stories (technical theatre is a small industry) - and lots of it is arcane and not terribly helpful until you need to interface something old with something new, borrowed or blue. Are your interests in what you missed or more to "how do I do X, Y, Z on contemporary equipment?"


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## ruinexplorer (Apr 3, 2018)

It's all digital.


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