There is a current thread about Trans Siberia Orchestra being a must see from a lighting perspective. I'm wondering about the mechanics behind such a show. Are there book or web references describing the techniques?
With some musical compositions, one can get a MIDI file, which provides timings and such with which one can time stamp cues. But in a real performance, with real musicians, how does one fire off cues? Does the LD read music and set cues at the appropriate times? Are the timings automated at all? Do any of the instruments, like the piano/keyboard/controller, have inputs into the lighting desk to help fire cues or special effects when special keys, notes, or commands are triggered?
When doing the lighting design, does the LD analyze the music sheets and come up with light groups and light movements based upon what they read and hear, ie, is the score dissected note by note from a lighting design perspective?
In interviews with concert light designers, is there ball park figure on how long it takes to 'arrange', ie, design and program the lighting effect, for each song ... given that the lights are in place and patched into the console (yes, kind of catch 22 in that question, but I hope you get the gist of it)?
With some musical compositions, one can get a MIDI file, which provides timings and such with which one can time stamp cues. But in a real performance, with real musicians, how does one fire off cues? Does the LD read music and set cues at the appropriate times? Are the timings automated at all? Do any of the instruments, like the piano/keyboard/controller, have inputs into the lighting desk to help fire cues or special effects when special keys, notes, or commands are triggered?
When doing the lighting design, does the LD analyze the music sheets and come up with light groups and light movements based upon what they read and hear, ie, is the score dissected note by note from a lighting design perspective?
In interviews with concert light designers, is there ball park figure on how long it takes to 'arrange', ie, design and program the lighting effect, for each song ... given that the lights are in place and patched into the console (yes, kind of catch 22 in that question, but I hope you get the gist of it)?