[SML] The future of luminaires

[Davin Gaddy]

As someone who has been working as a projectionist for the past decade, I disagree.  The biggest issue I have found that there are many misconceptions about how video works and its capabilities.  It does remind me of the days when movers came to theater and designers/producers just had to have them, because that is what makes the production top of the line.  Problem was, people didn't know how to use them and they added a lot of cost.  They have become quite a useful tool in the LD's arsenal.  However, as anyone who has really used them knows, there is a huge difference between those that have a low price point and those with a high price point.  If you want to use movers with precision, there was a good possibility that you were working on a high budget production.  Just because the price came down didn't mean that you could necessarily afford quality.  That makes a difference.  I think many designers started to realize this and would look at conventional lighting much more seriously as budget and look dictated.

I believe the same type of thing is occurring now with projection technology.  I think it is absolutely wonderful at how available it is to the masses.  The power of processing that the consumer has is unreal compared to even five years ago.  But while people are learning to use them, they don't really know how they work.  There are several technologies which allow the projector to create the image including LCD, DLP, and LCOS.  There are variations within them as well as different lamp technologies.  What this means is that they all create different qualities of light that may react unexpectedly on different surfaces.  In addition, as the light is being digitally produced (either off or on, depending on the light engine), stacking sources does not give you the same expected results as multiple incandescent sources.

Beyond the variations in light quality, the price point is still pretty high, especially for the light output needed and the amount required for back-end support. In addition, the lifespan of a projector is much less than that of a conventional or moving light.  For a permanent production, such as one I work on, I need to replace projectors about every seven years.  With each projector running upwards of 100k each, that would put it out of the price range of many productions.  Obviously this is quite a bit different for special events and rental houses.  

As a video person, I have a lot of hopes for the future use of projection in the future.  I follow all of the consumer trends as well as they often are now a driving force for our industry more than any time in the past.  In the next 10 years, we will see some exciting new productions with video integrating as another tool.  In my opinion, it will not be the first choice of a designer.


"I believe that within 10 years the stage luminaire of choice will be a
video projector...it already seems to be the case for opening ceremonies.
In addition to images, projectors can do patterns, infinite color,
customizeable cuts and edges, zooms and fades, do not really need to be
focused at the truss...can move with the performer either mechanically or
through a moving image and the images themselves can be mapped. The prices
for video projector technology has been dropping exponentially. I really
think the LED analog of an ERS is only going to be a short-lived chapter.
The media server will replace the light desk and dimmer sooner than we may
anticipate."