Difference between revisions of "Dynamic Light"

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''Moderne toneelverlichting draait om controle: waar en wanneer willen we het en wat voor soort licht willen we? In de naoorlogse periode, toen de ambities voor verlichting groeiden, was de nauwkeurige regeling van de lichtniveaus in de tijd een zaak van groot belang.''
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''Modern stage lighting is all about control: where and when do we want it, and what kind of light do we want? In the post-war period, as ambitions for lighting grew, the precise control of light levels over time was a matter of urgent importance.''
  
JTM thyristor dimmer module van Stand Electric Company]]
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[[File:IO2 C.08 01 JTM dimmer module (c) theatre crafts.jpg|250px|thumb|left|JTM thyristor dimmer module by Stand Electric Company]]
 
   
 
   
Theatervisionairs uit het begin van de 20e eeuw droomden van dramatisch licht in constante beweging, met kleuren die de emoties van het publiek dynamisch veranderden. James B. Fagan schreef:
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Early 20th century theatre visionaries dreamt of dramatic light in constant motion, with colour dynamically shifting the audience’s emotions. James B. Fagan wrote,
De dag is niet ver weg dat we de elektricien zullen zien als een kunstenaar en een technisch expert - zittend aan zijn schakelbord als een speler aan een orgel - die ritmische harmonieën van licht uitzendt die als muziek voor de ogen zullen zijn en vreemde onderbewuste stemmingen in het publiek in beweging brengt, in perfecte harmonie met het ontvouwen van het drama waarin hij zelf een rol speelt van niet gering belang. (Q30585)''  
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''The day is not far off when we shall see the electrician an artist as well as a technical expert - seated at his switchboard like a player at an organ - sending forth rhythmic harmonies of light that shall be as music to the eyes, swaying strange sub-conscious moods in the audience, in perfect tune with the unfolding of the drama in which he himself is playing a part of no mean importance. (Q30585)''  
De visie hebben was echter één ding - het technisch realiseren was iets anders.  
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However, having the vision was one thing – realising it technically was another.  
  
In de eerste helft van de 20e eeuw werden verschillende pogingen ondernomen om betere methoden voor lichtbeheersing te ontwikkelen. Vroege [[Item:Q3922|weerstands- en variabele transformatordimmers]] moesten mechanisch worden bediend met hendels en grote regelwielen (Q3922, Q601). Ze waren groot, zwaar en genereerden veel warmte en werden daarom meestal backstage geplaatst, waar de bediener de toneelactie niet kon zien. Het was nodig het bedieningsvlak (het deel dat de operateur gebruikte om de verlichting in te stellen en te veranderen) te scheiden van de dimmers (het deel dat de stroom naar de lampen en dus hun helderheid regelde). Om het besturingssysteem op deze manier te splitsen was een dimmer nodig die bestuurd kon worden door een elektrisch signaal via een kleine draad, in plaats van een mechanische koppeling van stangen of staalkabels.
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Through the first half of the 20th century, various efforts were made to develop better lighting control methods. Early [[Item:Q3922|resistance and variable transformer dimmers]] had to be operated mechanically with levers and large control wheels (Q3922, Q601). They were large, heavy and generated a lot of heat, and were therefore generally placed backstage, where the operator could not see the stage action. The need was to separate the control surface (the part the operator used to set and change the lighting) from the dimmers (the part that regulated the power going to the lamps and so their brightness). The key to splitting the control system in this way was a dimmer that could be controlled by an electrical signal sent down a small wire, rather than a mechanical linkage of rods or steel cables.
  
Instant Dimmer Memory (IDM) verlichtingsconsole]].
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[[File:IO2 C.08 03 IDM (c) theatre crafts, Bob Anderson Collection.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Instant Dimmer Memory (IDM) lighting console.]]
 
   
 
   
De eerste elektrisch regelbare dimmer was de [[Item:Q30587|saturable reactor]] in de jaren 1930, die goed werkte, maar te duur was voor de meeste theaters (Q30587). Ook in de jaren 1930 werd de [[Item:Q12964|thyratron dimmer]] (de eerste elektronische dimmer, Q12964) ontwikkeld in de VS en het volgende decennium ingevoerd in Europa. Hij was echter zowel duur als onbetrouwbaar. Niettemin wees het de weg naar de [[Item:Q3906|thyristor]] (Q3906), gebaseerd op elektronica in vaste toestand in plaats van de vacuümbuizen van de thyratron. Ontwikkeld in de late jaren 1950, vond de thyristor veel industriële toepassingen voor het regelen van vermogen en daardoor werd het snel een goedkope en betrouwbare technologie. Een technologie die nog steeds wordt gebruikt in theaterverlichting dimmers vandaag.  
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The first electrically controllable dimmer was the [[Item:Q30587|saturable reactor]] in the 1930s, which worked well but was too expensive for most theatres (Q30587). Also in the 1930s, the [[Item:Q12964|thyratron dimmer]] (the first electronic dimmer, Q12964) was developed in the USA, and imported to Europe the following decade; however, it was both expensive and unreliable. Nevertheless, it pointed the way towards the [[Item:Q3906|thyristor]] (Q3906), based on solid-state electronics rather than the vacuum tubes of the thyratron. Developed in the late 1950s, the thyristor found many industrial applications for controlling power, and as a result rapidly became a cheap and reliable technology – one that is still in use in theatre lighting dimmers today.  
  
Toen dimmers eenmaal door elektrische signalen konden worden aangestuurd, zonder dat er een mechanische verbinding nodig was, kwamen er nieuwe mogelijkheden voor bediening beschikbaar - het belangrijkst was de verschuiving naar "pre-setting". Met mechanische bedieningen konden de niveaus van elke dimmer niet of nauwelijks vooraf worden ingesteld. Het bereiken van een nauwkeurige en vooraf bepaalde balans van verlichtingsniveaus aan het einde van een fade was afhankelijk van de vaardigheid en handigheid van de bediener. Een "preset" verlichtingsconsole had verschillende presets, en elke preset had een individuele kleine fader voor elke dimmer. Kleine regelaars hadden twee presets, grote maximaal acht of tien. Eén preset was 'live' en bepaalde de lichtniveaus op het podium, terwijl op andere presets de vereiste niveaus voor elke dimmer konden worden ingesteld voor de komende signalen. Wanneer een verandering nodig was, kon de operator tussen de presets heen en weer schakelen. Het resultaat was een nauwkeurige en herhaalbare verlichting voor grote aantallen dimmers- die beantwoordde aan de toenemende ambitie en technische complexiteit van verlichting in die tijd (C.07).  
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Once dimmers could be controlled by electrical signals, with no mechanical connection needed, new possibilities for control became available – most significantly the shift to ‘pre-setting’. Mechanically operated controls offered limited or no ability to set the levels of each dimmer in advance – arriving at a precise and pre-determined balance of lighting levels at the end of a fade was down to the skill and dexterity of the operator. A ‘preset’ lighting console had several presets, and each preset had an individual small fader for each dimmer. Small controls had two presets, and large ones up to eight or ten. One preset was ‘live’, determining the light levels on stage, while other presets could have the required levels for each dimmer set on them for the forthcoming cues. When a change was required, the operator would cross-fade between presets. The result was precise and repeatable lighting for large numbers of dimmers – meeting the increasing ambition and technical complexity of lighting at the time (C.07).  
  
JTM thyristordimmer module, door de Strand Electric Company]].
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[[File:IO2 C.08 02 JTM dimmer (c) theatre crafts.jpg|300px|thumb|left|JTM thyristor dimmer module, by the Strand Electric Company]]
  
In de jaren 1960 automatiseerden geheugencontroles het proces van presetting, met behulp van elektronische geheugensystemen om de niveaus van elke dimmer die nodig waren voor elke verlichtingstoestand te registreren en op te roepen. Spoedig werd ook de werking van de fades tussen de toestanden geautomatiseerd, volgens een vooraf ingestelde timing voor het signaal. Deze automatisering bracht enkele voordelen: er konden veel signalen na elkaar gebruikt worden, zonder te hoeven wachten tot de operator de niveaus had ingesteld. De herhaling van de signalen was volledig consistent en lange fades over meerdere minuten konden gemakkelijk worden uitgevoerd. De eerdere droom voor verlichting begon uit te komen, verlichting in continue stroom gedurende de hele voorstelling.  
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In the 1960s, memory controls automated the process of presetting, using electronic memory systems to record and recall the levels of each dimmer needed for each lighting state. Soon the operation of the fades between states was also automated, according to a preset timing for the cue. This automation brought some advantages: many cues could take place in rapid succession, with no need to wait for the operator to set the levels; the replay of the cue was completely consistent, and long fades over several minutes could be done easily; it also became possible to create complex ‘multi-part’ cues, with multiple groups of dimmers changing brightness at different speeds at the same time. The earlier dream for lighting was beginning to come true – lighting in continuous flux throughout the performance.  
  
Toch is er kritiek op deze sterk geautomatiseerde manier van werken. Voor sommigen is de methode om de snelheid van elke lichtwisseling vooraf te bepalen ongeschikt voor theater als levende, "real time" kunstvorm. We hebben aan nauwkeurigheid en herhaalbaarheid van niveaus en overgangen gewonnen. We zijn de visie van de operator als toneelkunstenaar - bijna een performer - kwijtgeraakt, die subtiele oordelen velt over de manier waarop het licht ebt en vloeit in relatie tot de andere activiteiten van het toneel. Het is opmerkelijk dat het licht voor live muziek ofwel volledig elektronisch wordt aangestuurd, waarbij de hele show (inclusief de muzikanten) gebruik maakt van tijdcodes om perfect synchroon te blijven. Anders blijft het bij handmatige aansturing, waarbij de operator kan reageren op het gevoel van de muziek en de reactie van het publiek op de avond zelf.
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Nevertheless, this highly automated way of working has its critics. For some, the method of determining the speed of each lighting change in advance is unsuited to theatre as a living, ‘real time’ art form. We have gained accuracy and repeatability of levels and transitions. We have lost the vision of the operator as a stage artist – almost a performer – making subtle judgements about just how the lighting ebbs and flows in relation to the other activates of the stage. It is notable that lighting for live music has either committed fully to electronic control, with the whole show (including the musicians) using time-code to stay in perfect synchronisation, or stayed with manual control, the operator able to respond to the feel of the music and the response of the audience on the night.

Latest revision as of 11:33, 2 May 2023

Modern stage lighting is all about control: where and when do we want it, and what kind of light do we want? In the post-war period, as ambitions for lighting grew, the precise control of light levels over time was a matter of urgent importance.

JTM thyristor dimmer module by Stand Electric Company

Early 20th century theatre visionaries dreamt of dramatic light in constant motion, with colour dynamically shifting the audience’s emotions. James B. Fagan wrote, The day is not far off when we shall see the electrician an artist as well as a technical expert - seated at his switchboard like a player at an organ - sending forth rhythmic harmonies of light that shall be as music to the eyes, swaying strange sub-conscious moods in the audience, in perfect tune with the unfolding of the drama in which he himself is playing a part of no mean importance. (Q30585) However, having the vision was one thing – realising it technically was another.

Through the first half of the 20th century, various efforts were made to develop better lighting control methods. Early resistance and variable transformer dimmers had to be operated mechanically with levers and large control wheels (Q3922, Q601). They were large, heavy and generated a lot of heat, and were therefore generally placed backstage, where the operator could not see the stage action. The need was to separate the control surface (the part the operator used to set and change the lighting) from the dimmers (the part that regulated the power going to the lamps and so their brightness). The key to splitting the control system in this way was a dimmer that could be controlled by an electrical signal sent down a small wire, rather than a mechanical linkage of rods or steel cables.

Instant Dimmer Memory (IDM) lighting console.

The first electrically controllable dimmer was the saturable reactor in the 1930s, which worked well but was too expensive for most theatres (Q30587). Also in the 1930s, the thyratron dimmer (the first electronic dimmer, Q12964) was developed in the USA, and imported to Europe the following decade; however, it was both expensive and unreliable. Nevertheless, it pointed the way towards the thyristor (Q3906), based on solid-state electronics rather than the vacuum tubes of the thyratron. Developed in the late 1950s, the thyristor found many industrial applications for controlling power, and as a result rapidly became a cheap and reliable technology – one that is still in use in theatre lighting dimmers today.

Once dimmers could be controlled by electrical signals, with no mechanical connection needed, new possibilities for control became available – most significantly the shift to ‘pre-setting’. Mechanically operated controls offered limited or no ability to set the levels of each dimmer in advance – arriving at a precise and pre-determined balance of lighting levels at the end of a fade was down to the skill and dexterity of the operator. A ‘preset’ lighting console had several presets, and each preset had an individual small fader for each dimmer. Small controls had two presets, and large ones up to eight or ten. One preset was ‘live’, determining the light levels on stage, while other presets could have the required levels for each dimmer set on them for the forthcoming cues. When a change was required, the operator would cross-fade between presets. The result was precise and repeatable lighting for large numbers of dimmers – meeting the increasing ambition and technical complexity of lighting at the time (C.07).

JTM thyristor dimmer module, by the Strand Electric Company

In the 1960s, memory controls automated the process of presetting, using electronic memory systems to record and recall the levels of each dimmer needed for each lighting state. Soon the operation of the fades between states was also automated, according to a preset timing for the cue. This automation brought some advantages: many cues could take place in rapid succession, with no need to wait for the operator to set the levels; the replay of the cue was completely consistent, and long fades over several minutes could be done easily; it also became possible to create complex ‘multi-part’ cues, with multiple groups of dimmers changing brightness at different speeds at the same time. The earlier dream for lighting was beginning to come true – lighting in continuous flux throughout the performance.

Nevertheless, this highly automated way of working has its critics. For some, the method of determining the speed of each lighting change in advance is unsuited to theatre as a living, ‘real time’ art form. We have gained accuracy and repeatability of levels and transitions. We have lost the vision of the operator as a stage artist – almost a performer – making subtle judgements about just how the lighting ebbs and flows in relation to the other activates of the stage. It is notable that lighting for live music has either committed fully to electronic control, with the whole show (including the musicians) using time-code to stay in perfect synchronisation, or stayed with manual control, the operator able to respond to the feel of the music and the response of the audience on the night.

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