Ancient Daylight Control - A Request

[Mimi]

Hi Guys, how're you all ?!

I'd like you to support me with wide informations about the ancient system of daylight saving and how were ancient ppl control it ?!

I'm a postgraduate student and so need for these informations, so If you don't mind helping me and Thank you so much

Best Regards,

Mimi

 

[Footer]

We have been looking for the suns DMX jack for some time now. I have not found it, however if you do, I hear it can be a pain to properly patch. It takes an entire universe just to get it to respond.

 

[epimetheus]

I hear the DMX input is in a sun spot, it's an industry standard 3-pin though, so you'll need an adapter.

Seriously though, I'd imagine curtains have been around for a while...

 

[kenneth]

It may however be a AMX system, due to the age.

Or indeed a special system developed by Strand to manage such a complex structure.

I'm really quite interested too, so please PM me if you find any more out

Kenneth

 

[journeymanjohn]

I coulda swore they were using a Sunn console.

 

[shiben]

Well, if you look at the coliseum or similar structures, they had awnings over the seats. However, if you go to a greek theatre, you will find that they really had no provision for it that I can figure out... Maybe curtains. I have heard of them doing plays concurrent with time of day to get looks they wanted, but i dont think they did much in terms of controlling daylight, I would imagine that they worked with what they had...

I hear the DMX input is in a sun spot, it's an industry standard 3-pin though, so you'll need an adapter.

And of course you can always use a spare HI GRADE MIC CABLE from cheaplights.com or a DMX cable, they do the same thing, right?

 

[Javert]

It may however be a AMX system, due to the age.

Or indeed a special system developed by Strand to manage such a complex structure.

I'm really quite interested too, so please PM me if you find any more out

Kenneth

Really? I had always heard it was still on a resistance dimmer. You'd think they'd tell us when they upgrade our largest theatre.

 

[SteveB]

I'd like you to support me with wide informations about the system of daylight saving and how were ancient ppl control it
I'm a postgraduate student and so need for these informations, so If you don't mind helping me and

Some thoughts:

1) As this is a forum for technical theater and specifically the lighting section, most of us are probably not that familiar with the particulars of Daylight Savings and probably did what I did and immediately went to Wikipedia to learn some stuff we never knew, to discover that DST has little to do with stage lighting. Excepting possibly those of us who have to re-program legacy and in some circles "Ancient" Unison systems twice per year as the processor is too old to handle the recent change to US DST. Other then that, I only know what I just read and not much pertains to stage lighting in the modern world. There are more learned folks on this site whose brains store more useless facts then mine, but they have as yet to chime in with anything except sarcasm, though I did like the Sunn console comment.

2) Define "Ancient". To some CB members, Derek, I and a few others (and Steve Terry of course) could "possibly" be considered "Ancient", especially as we once professionally operated lighting systems with huge physical handles instead of pushing GO. Since modern DST was proposed (according to WiKi) by a New Zealander in 1895, the above mentioned do not qualify as "Ancient", but I'm not really sure of Derek's age and I'm sure he lies about it. So by "Ancient" do you mean the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans ?, or only since the use of electricity ?, which qualifies Derek.

3) Why all the green and yellow text on the OP ? and how do you do that ?, even though it makes the quote a pain to deal with.

Happy New Years to all

Steve B.

 

[mstaylor]

Count me in as an ancient.

 

[starksk]

I'd like you to support me with wide informations about the ancient system of daylight saving and how were ancient ppl control it ?!

So by "Ancient" do you mean the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans ?, or only since the use of electricity ?...

This is the pertinent question. What is the true focus of this topic? Are you after theatrical use and attempts to have lighting control? Or are you looking for background on daylight savings time?

I would tend to agree with shiben's assessment of the ancients setting plays in real time. I seem to remember reading about that in Oscar Brockett's History of Theatre. (ISBN: 9780205511860)

Well, if you look at the coliseum or similar structures, they had awnings over the seats. However, if you go to a greek theatre, you will find that they really had no provision for it that I can figure out... Maybe curtains. I have heard of them doing plays concurrent with time of day to get looks they wanted, but i dont think they did much in terms of controlling daylight, I would imagine that they worked with what they had...

If you are looking for daylight savings info, this site might be of some assistance.

If you are looking for more info regarding indoor theatrical pracitices including dimming, I would start with the works of Nicola Sabbatini including translations of his papers outlining how to dim the stage. But that is more renaissance era.

________________

~Kirk

 

[LekoBoy]

Dude, Sebastiano Serlio totally p'wned Sabbatini, lol.