Entertainment
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Technology
New and emerging technologies have made a strong impact on the entertainment industry. The skill requirement for technical workers has changed and has required many experienced industry workers to access further training and to change their work practices.
Digital technology
Digital technology has been at the forefront of new technologies. Lighting and sound consoles were the first major pieces of equipment to be affected. Older technicians were initially reluctant to use the new digital technology as they found it difficult to understand. Young workers new to the entertainment industry have embraced digital technology, as they are generally familiar with the way computers work and are comfortable with the concept of multilayered pages. An analogue console has everything physically there - what you see is what you get. With digital consoles, the operator has to scroll through pages to find what is needed. The advantage of the digital console is that it can perform many more tasks than an analogue console. An analogue console requires the operator to connect all the external devices to it, including gates and limiters, compressors and expanders, graphic equalisers and effects processors. All of these external devices are built into a digital console. Another advantage of a digital console is the ability for the console to ‘remember’ the show. Instead of individually setting the faders for each scene, with the press of a button the scene loads itself.
Digital technology has meant a huge saving in cost. Initially, the sound console may be a little more expensive, but not having to buy all the processing equipment and cabling is a major cost saving. There is also a saving in time as there is a lot less equipment to patch together.
Yamaha was one of the first companies to develop successful digital audio consoles. The first of its type, the Pro Mix 01 desk, was originally designed for recording studio work but it was such a useful and versatile desk it became popular for live audio work. This desk has now been replaced by the Yamaha 01V96v2 desk, which is at the bottom end of the Yamaha digital range. The top end of the range is the Yamaha PM1Dv2, a powerful audio mixing desk used at large events all over the world. You can find information about the Yamaha range of audio mixing desks from the Yamaha website: http://www.yamahamusic.com.au/home.asp 
>>Commercial Audio drop down menu>>Broadcast & Live
Computer controlled lights, known as intelligent lights, have revolutionised the entertainment industry. Whereas lights on standard fixtures are only capable of pointing in one direction and projecting one colour, an intelligent light can move to pre-programmed places, move around in a programmed pattern, change colour, tighten or widen its beam and project gobos. Because of the complexity of this digital technology, lighting operators have become computer programmers and the digital consoles that control them are, in reality, computers. When using this type of technology, technicians must be aware that, as they are computers, they can ‘crash’, so contingency plans are essential. These plans are usually in the form of having the show saved to disk and another console ready to take over the show.
One of the leaders in lighting console technology is the Australian company, Jands. They design and manufacture lighting consoles from as simple as the well known Jands 4 Pak, which is a basic single preset four channel console, to the Hog 1000, a console used to control hundreds of intelligent lights at stadium sized events. You can find information about Jands’ lighting consoles from their website:
http://www1.j>>Brands>>Jands>>Lighting control
Bluetooth technology
Bluetooth technology is a type of short wave wireless technology. It enables information to be transmitted without the need for wires. Bluetooth is the newest form of wireless technology. Other forms are Infra Red (your television remote uses this) and Radio Frequency (used for radio microphones). Bluetooth technology has a number of applications in the entertainment industry and is used for mobile phones, printers, headsets and handheld computing devices. It is particularly effective where the devices are placed in close proximity to each other.
Find out more about Bluetooth technology
Audience response systems
Audience response systems allow members of the audience to communicate with the stage via hand pieces. This is particularly useful in corporate theatre where questions may be asked of the audience. The audience answers are transmitted directly from the audience hand pieces to a receiver and the information can be presented as graphs on screen using Microsoft software. This technology provides a much more effective way of obtaining audience feedback than asking for a show of hands and attempting to count them. It also allows audience members to be anonymous if voting, but can also identify individual participants if this information is needed for analysis. There are a number of these systems available and the majority use Infra Red technology, although some of the newer systems are using Bluetooth technology.
Multimedia
The use of multimedia effects has replaced much of the traditional use of sets. For example, instead of building a barn as part of a set, an LCD projector can be used to project one onto a screen. Rear projection screens and projectors have eliminated the problem of actors shadowing the projection by walking in front of it. Cumbersome sets and slow set changes can be eliminated by using this new multimedia technology. Prior to the performance, an actor can be filmed in an outdoor setting, for example from the top of a mountain. This film can then be played back to the audience and projected onto a screen which has been built into a set.
Synaesthetic Theatre is an experimental theatre company which makes use of multimedia technology. You can see videos and photos of their work on their website:
http://www.synaesthetic-theatre.com/ >>multimedia
Corporate theatre makes extensive use of multimedia technology, from simple power point presentations to teleconferencing from different countries. Sources of multimedia information can be presented on CD Rom, DVDs, videos or excerpts from TV, radio or web-streaming video. Annual general meetings, awards ceremonies and product launches all make extensive use of this technology.
Broadband
Broadband has enabled fast communication of information and effectively removed the distance barrier. This technology has a myriad of time and cost saving applications in the entertainment industry. A lighting designer can access plans for a theatre over the internet, download the specifications of the lanterns requested, receive the script and director’s ideas via email and complete the entire design without leaving the office. The designer might be in Australia and the production might be in America. Distance is no longer a problem. Teleconferencing during production meetings reduces costs by removing the need to fly an entire production crew to a central venue for a meeting.
The ability to download software upgrades for digital consoles is a major time saving benefit. Prior to fast broadband speeds and easy access to the internet, the console would have been shipped back to the manufacturer for the upgrade - a process which would take the console out of operation for weeks. Now these upgrades can be performed by the technician simply by downloading the software.
Project management systems
Project management systems provide a way of identifying problems and needs in a project, identifying the resources needed to handle them and then finally, managing the resources to keep within a particular timeframe and budget. They involve a lot of planning, evaluation and keeping of lists and check sheets.
New technology has allowed the development of commercially available software based project management systems. These assist in the management of a project which, in the entertainment industry, is most commonly an event. They assist with scheduling, budget management, resource allocation and documentation. Software packages also allows the event manager to produce a ‘project plan’, which shows an overall view of the event from initial planning stages to the evaluation at the event’s completion. Most project management software is a mathematically integrated collection of data bases, spread sheets, calendars and word processing software.
Online booking systems
Due to the wide availability and ease of use of broadband, an increasing number of consumers use the internet for researching event information and purchasing tickets. The speed of processing event information and ticket purchases can result in an event being sold out within a few hours of tickets becoming available. Ticketing companies such as Ticketek offer email alerts to their customers to enable them to buy tickets the minute they become available. Ticketing companies also inform consumers when events are scheduled, allowing them to plan in advance for attendance at events.
Booking a ticket through the internet allows consumers to select the seating they wish by viewing seating plans of the venue. It allows them to make an informed choice of seating with regard to view and ticket price. The entire booking process, including obtaining information about an event, selecting seating, purchasing tickets and receiving them can take as little as five minutes.
Companies such as Ticketek offer ‘ezy-tickets’, which can be downloaded immediately. The Ticketek website provides information about upcoming events, ways to buy tickets and membership information. You can find this website at:
http://premier.ticketek.com.au/
Another ticketing company is Ticketmaster and you can find information about their procedures by going to their website at:
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/
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