Automated Lighting, 3rd Edition

Chapter 2

Foundations

If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants.—Sir Isaac Newton, scientist and philosopher (1642–1727)

In the decades since 1981, automated lighting has turned from a novelty to a mainstay. It began mostly as a phenomenon in concert and touring productions but quickly gained acceptance in nightclubs and discotheques throughout the world, where technology is often embraced and nurtured. Once the technology improved to the point where it could meet certain criteria for quietness, intensity, and reliability, it slowly found applications in Broadway, off-Broadway, and other theatre markets. Now automated lighting has permeated almost every aspect of stage lighting, including television ...