Show-control software for dummies!

[BirdInTheCity]

I'm an experienced motion graphics artist who is new to the industry of projection design for theater. I have talked to a number of people in the industry who use a variety of software for show control, and I wanted to ask you all for your recommendations? Is there a good platform for newbies? I'm pretty technically proficient, so I don't need to start with something as basic as Keynote, but I'm also not looking for unnecessary complexity. Any thoughts or input would be extremely appreciated!

-Brian
Bird In The City

 

[JohnHuntington]

I'm an experienced motion graphics artist who is new to the industry of projection design for theater. I have talked to a number of people in the industry who use a variety of software for show control, and I wanted to ask you all for your recommendations? Is there a good platform for newbies? I'm pretty technically proficient, so I don't need to start with something as basic as Keynote, but I'm also not looking for unnecessary complexity. Any thoughts or input would be extremely appreciated!

To plug my own work, a good place to start would be my book I also have free video lectures on my site.

You don't need special software to do show control. Show control just means connecting two entertainment control systems together. You can do that these days with networks, SMPTE, MIDI, etc etc. That said, the show control software probably most widely used is Medialon Manager, and they have a free demo you can download.

John

 

[Joshualangman]

There are a number of programs for projection design and/or show control. Isadora is a favorite of many projection designers, though it's really meant for interactive dance and installation work, and in my opinion is rarely the best choice for theatre. I highly recommend QLab, both for projection playback and other aspects of show control. QLab has a free trial version you can mess around with (you can try all the features, but can't save anything except basic sound).

 

[dbaxter]

You mention Keynote in your first post which might indicate you are an Apple user (as opposed to mentioning PowerPoint). In any case the responses you get here will depend on the scale of your project. Either Qlab (for Apple) or my software (for Windows) would be good for small to mid-sized theaters, say under 800 seats. If you are planning for a large concert, then you might be looking at the Medialon or other media server hardware and software. The proper fit will depend on how many lights, how many movers, lasers, sound sync, etc. you intend.

 

[BenHolmes]

Brian,

Disclaimer: I work for Entertainment Sciences Group, Inc. the developer of http://www.venuemagic.com/ .

Now the disclaimer is out of the way. You may want to consider VenueMagic as a show control option. VenueMagic runs on a Windows environment and is a very affordable option. As the others have mentioned we also have a free demo you can download. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. I'm new to this forum but not new to show control. I run about ten events a year. Now that I've discovered this forum I can participate more and find out more interesting solutions to the day to day problems we face.

Ben Holmes

P.S. @John, Don and Barry both say hello.

[Mod. Note: This post has been approved and edited to provide a link to the website in question. BenHolmes, this was your one freebie. Now don't go recommending VenueMagic as the solution for every show control or DMX application. We'd like it if you'd apply your knowledge to other threads as well. See FAQ-Sales Policy.]

 

[metti]

There are about a dozen widely used projection playback systems used in theatre. Isadora and QLab are both on the most affordable end. Isadora is very powerful but many find it to have a very steep learning curve. QLab is less powerful unless you learn Quartz Composer but it is extremely easy to pick up. Watchout is also a popular reasonably powerful system that you could easy pick up given your motion graphic background. Somewhat more expensive though. Beyond that you get into the realm of full blown media servers. In theatre, Pandoras Box, D3, Catalyst, and Green Hippo are the most popular these days in that realm. All are much more expensive than watchout and way more expensive than Isadora or QLab.

 

[Lazerlight]

I just started using Resolume Arena 4 about 2 months ago. I have yet to use it in a theatre application but it is something you might want to check out.

 

[erosing]

Try them out, qLab and Isadora have functional demos. Isadora can be very powerful or very simple. Qlab is great, but in my opinion it is, mostly, a middle ground. Look at the others for demos too, also call your local dealers for a demo.

 

[metti]

I just started using Resolume Arena 4 about 2 months ago. I have yet to use it in a theatre application but it is something you might want to check out.

Arena has some powerful features but it doesn't really offer much in the way of cuing functionality via cue stack or timeline so it isn't all that useful for theatre unless it's being controlled by a light board or separate show control system.

 

[theatrestagemanager]

My personal favorite is qlab. I love the functionality of being able to do so much with such a simple interface.
One of the nicest features with regards to live theater is the ability to take and output up to eight screens/projectors per mac being used, technically you could take and do a lot more screens if you were to use multiple computers and MSC (MIDI show control).

Patching is also very easy in that once your screens are connected to the computer you open the workspace (or application) settings and simply drag and drop your patch "cable"

Audio is also really easy to use if you have the full audio license or pro license you can do up to 48 outputs I believe assuming you have a sound card with that many outputs. Even within your video (that is if you have audio in your video file) as a video graphics designer you may design your videos separate of the audio in which case this may or may not be necessary to you.

One drawback to qlab is that it requires a Mac.

Earlier it was mentioned that "you can do everything as a trial you just can't save" let me correct that say you can save you just can't open it again unless you have the full license for the product being used (audio, video, midi, pro)

Hope this helps,
Jake

————————————————
Sound Design, Video (A/V) Design, Lights, Stage Management.
11 Years Experience
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[metti]

My personal favorite is qlab. I love the functionality of being able to do so much with such a simple interface.

QLab is fantastic for a lot of stuff and the easy learning curve is certainly appealing but unless you want to start messing around in Quartz Composer (which totally negates the user-friendly appeal) it isn't a good match for more complicated applications such as those involving projection mapping, edge blending, or even keystone correction that you don't want to do in the projector.

 

[Amiers]

Id like to backup Venue Magic A/V. It is what we run here at our Theatre and it is a life saver and allows me to run Lights Sound Video as one and also allows me to still have independent control at the same time. It is very user friendly and the staff over at ESG is quick with the support. The best thing about it is the price tag.

Obviously if your running Mac then Qlab is the next alternative.

 

[vman]

I would suggest V-Control. V-Control is a free, open source software for Windows, Linux and Mac. We used V-Control for professional shows to control Media Servers and Players as well as switches, projectors, MIDI and DMX equipment. V-Control itself is no media server or player. It is a software that control other devices from a central point. V-Control is multi tasking capable, meaning it can have many tasks running simultaniously. V-Control is available at Versatile, Open Source, Multi Platform Control Software | V-Control

 

[Jfhopgood]

QLab 3 offers a wide range of new features that makes it indispensable. QLab 3 incorporates OSC control for ease in control over a network, it has MIDI Show Control implemented into it as well, so all your show control bases are covered. In addition, it offers robust surface-based projection mapping capabilities and out-of-the-box video and audio effects plugins. It can also work in conjunction with MadMapper and offers Camera Cues for live video integration. While I don't see it as totally eliminating the need for programs like Izzy, in many cases it is a better choice. Hope this helps!