Sunday, October 19, 2008
Can you run theatre lighting on a wind turbine?
Briefingroom on LiveDesignOnline: "One of the hottest topics in the lighting world at the moment is the green issue. Is tungsten dead? Is it possible to have a carbon neutral TV studio? Can you run theatre lighting on a wind turbine? The discussion that such topics generate will be just one of many at the 2009 Showlight event which takes place in Glasgow next May."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
This doesn't sound like a conference to address the growing concern for reducing theater's impact on the environment, it sounds like an excuse for a bunch of LDs to get together and drink. If they're not going to take the issue seriously, why should anyone else?
Well, just because they don't take the issue seriously doesn't mean we need to follow their example.
Agreed, it doesn't sound as though Showlight really gives a hoot about whether you can run a rig of solar power (which of course you can, power is power is power as long as its being supplied at a high enough voltage and amperage). They really just wanted a catchy title for an article in Live Design to try and attract more LDs to pay exorbitant amounts of money to get drunk with their buds overseas. Sounds like more BS green marketing to me!
This article defiantly brings up a good point. Any industry that lights are involved in really uses huge amounts of electricity. I have often contemplated how big the electric bills must be for Purnell and whether they change if there is a show in the Chosky or not. I feel like this is something that really needs to be addressed. And if we run out of electricity what will we all do?
Theatres chew up alot of electricity. True, we aren't like the film industry that runs their lights and other electronic equipment all day, but the amount of energy it takes to run a theatre during the run is almost ironic, considering many who work in theatre and entertainment in general are concerned about the environment. I'm really interested to see how they deal with the idea of going green in theatre.
The issues surrounding green theatre has been looming around the lighting industry in particular. There are exorbitant amounts of electricity that are used in theater and television alike, however I feel that the level of concern for actual advances in green technology will be very low at this conference. Not only was the title the only part of the article that dealt with green lighting but the rest of the conference seemed a little shaky as well.
I don't see this becoming a pressing issue because the government doesn't really pay attention to the arts that much to begin with. I wonder if government and green organizations even know that theatres are using up that much electricity. Although this may be a concern, I think there are other more important issues that need to be dealt with first, like our dependence on oil. Then, you can come after electricity use in theatres.
I agree with what all have said, too. I don't think that we're moving towards a more electicly efficient lighting world right now. Even though the argument could be made that LEDs are pushing that direction, I think it is more of a "we can have more lights with the SAME amount of electricity" deal rather than a "lets conserve power and save the world." It's rather laughable how intent many people are in the theatre to saving the environment vs how much power and trash the entertainment industry as a whole produces. Not just with electricity, either--look at how much wood, materials, and scenery we throw away!
It is an oxymoron to say "green theatre" ecological impact seems to always be the last on a list of considerations. The best to greenafy theatre would be through the little details like mechanics and lighting. So all in all this makes sense. Cutting down on electricity makes the best sense. But looking at it scenically, the biggest waste is the materials that are used then tossed. And is suppose the chemicals produced while building. But unless reliable recyclable materials, that are cheap, are made easily available, then theatre will continue to make a large impact.
In our classes we learn that a production must manage its use of time/space/resources/skill etc. Nowhere in that mix is ecological impact. Because of the short and quick paced nature of theatre, considering the impact on the bigger world is, as of now, not very possible. Also, the amount of material (especially lumber_ that is thrown out is astounding. As to the lighting, in most applications of theatrical lighting. The fixtures are used in short burst (2-3 hours) and then not used. Because of this I believe other issues should be addressed first.
in some ways i agree that this meeting does not sound like the most productive thing. however, we do not know the agenda fully and the fact that there even is such a meeting is by far more than has happened here. i see articles on the blog often about ways theatres are being greener, and as a schpol that strives to be like professional theatres, shouldn't we follow their lead?
solar panels.
roofs of theatres are big enough, surely it should provide enough power to run the lobby lights at least. as for theatrical fixtures, not so much... 1k pars and 750w s4s draw quite a bit more power than the normal lightbulb
Post a Comment