I remember my first crew assignment in the theatre. I was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Miami Department of Theatre Arts and I was assigned to run the follow-spot for a musical. Back then we had a couple of Strong carbon-arc follow-spots, which were total beasts to run, and keep running.
Lighting history
A lot has occurred over the past 45 years. Those old carbon arc follow-spots have been replaced with safer and more reliable light engines. Incandescent, LED, and short-arc light engines offered stable intensity and quiet operation. However, follow-spot operators would still have to manipulate those large bulky fixtures and climb to dangerous perches in rock n’ roll trusses to run these fixtures.
But the real development that moved us to safer and more reliable follow-spots was the creation of moving lights. These groundbreaking lights had internal motors that could replicate all the movement a follow-spot operator can use to aim the light. In addition, motors allow moving lights to change the iris size, the focus, and the color of the light. No more boomerangs needed.
The next development was the creation of ground control systems for these lights. This enabled an electrician to manipulate the follow-spot/moving light from a safe location, and not on top of a tower on in a truss. PRG introduced the Ground Control system, which does an excellent job of controlling the light remotely from a safe spot (back stage, dressing rooms, corridors, etc.). But this system is very expensive and unavailable for most theatre and house of worship budgets.
New alternative
A.C. Lighting Inc. came to the rescue with its Follow-Me remote follow spot control system. Follow-Me is a much lower cost option that, like the PRG Ground Control, allows Follow-Spot operators to control moving lights as follow-spots from a safe distance. Recently, A.C. Lighting Inc. has introduced an even lower cost version, the Follow-Me Lite.
The Follow-Me Lite software package will follow one target using up to three fixtures.
The Follow-Me Lite software package will follow one target using up to three fixtures. The system features ArtNet output and continuous beam size function. The Follow-Me Lite System controls pan and tilt, iris, zoom, intensity, color and the Z axis (height) offset from a midi board within the system. Follow-Me Lite is a stand-alone PC system. Unlike the larger Follow-Me system, the Follow-Me Lite does not have integration capabilities with a traditional lighting console.
How does it work? There is a central video camera that enables the operator can see all the moving lights and their positions on stage. All the fixtures are position calibrated to be controlled by a PC. (Up to three lights on one target can be controlled with one Follow-Me Lite license.) The software is loaded on the computer and the operator manually manipulates the lights with a mouse device.
Feature set
Features of the Follow-Me Lite include crosshair targeting, continuous beam size function, X, Y, Z axis control, iris, zoom, intensity, color, Z axis (height) offset, and preset positioning, make the Follow-Me Lite system very powerful.
These systems add safety, lower labor costs, improved follow-spot angles, and the freedom to place the follow-spot in just about any position without moving seats.
The Follow-Me Lite systems bring many of the benefits of an expensive ground control follow-spot system to theatres with modest budgets. These systems add safety, lower labor costs, improved follow-spot angles, and the freedom to place the follow-spot in just about any position without moving seats.
A.C. Lighting Inc.’s Follow-Me Lite brings remote manual follow-spot control to the masses. Follow-Me Lite promises to bring safe and flexible remote follow-spot control to houses of worship with modest budgets. We are looking forward to testing this system very soon.
