The Lighting Tech of the Future
By
“We live in a society exquisitely
dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything
about science and technology.” – Carl Sagan,
astronomer (1934-1996)
Sometimes information has to be in
the form of a bunker-busting bomb before it can penetrate the underground
chasms of my mind. Over the past few years we’ve been getting pelted with bits
of information about the future of lighting technology. But like so much hail
on my metal head, it has pretty much bounced off with only a slight impression.
The Icon M and the High End Systems Catalyst have hinted at the possibilities
and the direction of the future of lighting – and it smells a lot like video
with an accent on networking. Slowly but surely it’s been sinking into the
dense particles of my tiny brain that the role of the automated lighting tech
is changing, getting more complex, and encompassing an even wider spectrum of
technology. In March, at USITT, I had a long and very enlightening conversation
with Peter Rogers and Frank Scarlata of Strand
involving networking. I walked away from the conversation with a deeper
understanding of the implications of networking in our industry. Shortly
afterwards,
Today, an automated lighting tech
has to be nimble of mind with a broad scope of knowledge. State-of-the-art automated
lighting instruments employ a wide range of disparate technologies that blend
optics, mechanics, robotics, and electronics, mixed with a bit of artistic
ingenuity. Few products combine this level of sophistication and complexity in
one package. In automated lighting, high current devices like lamp circuitry reside
in close proximity to high speed, microelectronic components and circuits like
communications transmitters and digital signal processors. Voltages inside the
fixture range from a few volts for the electronics and motor drive circuits to
thousands of volts in the lamp starting circuit. The internal operating
temperature can reach 1832ºF (1000ºC) in the optical path of a typical
automated lighting fixture, yet the electronics and components are sensitive
enough to demand a reasonably cool environment to perform reliably. These
fixtures regularly cycle between room temperature and operating temperature,
placing great stresses and strains on the interfaces of glass, ceramics, metal
and plastics. At the same time, many of these fixtures are designed to withstand
the rigors of being shipped all over the world, rough handling by stage hands,
physical shock from being bounced around on moving truss, and thermal shock
from cycling on and off. And the automated lighting tech is expected to keep it
all working every night.
But the lighting tech of the future
will have to expand his base of knowledge even more, as automated lighting and
video converge towards digital lighting. Digital lighting fixtures will combine
the features of automated lighting with the imaging and animation capability of
video projectors while maintaining their DMX (or ACN) control functions. As
more digital lighting projectors find their way into shows and productions, the
demand for “digital lighting techs” will grow. Those who are willing to
cross-pollinate and expand their knowledge of all of these disciplines will be
the first who are called to work these shows.
The digital lighting tech will
encounter a lot of the same technology that an automated lighting tech deals with
and a lot more. In addition to routing the power and control signal, set up
will include a provision for feeding the video content to the digital
luminaire. The content is the image or animation to be projected and it takes
the place of the gobo wheel, color wheel, effects wheel, and virtually every
other parameter in a multi-parameter light. This is the digital part of the
digital lighting projector. All the information about the image, color,
intensity, masking, and animation are digitally encoded in the video feed. If
the digital lighting projectors of the future follow the format of the
Catalyst, the video feed will use a 5-wire, 75-ohm co-axial cable with BNC
connectors. The five cables will each carry one component of the video
including the red, green, and blue components, plus the horizontal and vertical
synchronization information (RGBHV). As lighting techs, we will be expected to
know all about video distribution, coax cable, video components, control
systems, and how they are interconnected.
The video feed will come from the
digital media server. The job of the digital media server is to handle the
storage and regulate the traffic of the images and animation. It is essentially
a computer with specialized application software and it is controlled by the
lighting desk. Since a lighting console outputs DMX and needs to communicate
with a computer, there must be some way of converting the DMX signal into
something that a computer understands. Most systems will probably incorporate
an interface box, like the Catalyst Interface Box (CIB), that has a 5-pin XLR
connector for the input and another type of output, like USB, to connect to the
computer. When the Architecture for Control Networks protocol (ACN) becomes
more widespread, it might be that the interface becomes unnecessary and the
console will plug directly into the digital media server by way of a ruggedized RJ-45 connector.
If a lot of these terms sound to
you like computer and video terminology, then you and I are getting the same
message. The message is, bone up on computer
networking and video technology. I endeavor to learn about such video related
topics as resolution, aspect ratio, XGA, hi-def, pixel counts, video formats,
DMD, and DLP. On the networking side, there are such topics as TC/PIP,
Ethernet, LAN, WAN, wireless, and a whole lot more. I think the digital
lighting tech of the future will be able to set up computers, video projectors,
consoles, and networks. He might be called upon to repair a blown DMD chip or
board in addition to changing and optimizing lamps and generally keeping things
in the system functional and optimized.
The good news about all this
rapidly changing technology is that it affords an opportunity for those willing
to put forth the effort to learn, an opportunity to master the technology and
become an asset to industry. That holds true whether you are just starting in
the business or if you’re a crusty old veteran. But you have to be willing to
put in the time, effort and energy to expand your mind.
Don’t wait until the boots of
digital lighting are on the ground; put your Twinkie down and pick up some
information about digital lighting.
E-mail the author at rcadena<at>swamicandela.com.