John Huntington's Show Technology Development Timeline
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s 2060s
Eras
Early Days Rapid Development Maturity Approx. 1965 - Approx. 1984 Approx. 1985 - Approx. 2009 Approx. 2010 - present
Seminal Shows
Beatles at Shea Stadium 1965
Hair on Broadway 1968
Woodstock 1969
Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway 1971
David Bowie Ziggy Stardust 1972
Grateful Dead Wall of Sound 1972
Genesis Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour 1974
Chorus Line on Broadway 1975
Who Tour 1976
Puy du Fou Cinéscénie 1978
Beatlemania on Broadway 1979
Evita on Broadway 1979
They're Playing Our Song on Broadway 1979
Genesis Abacab Tour 1981 https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Cats on Broadway 1982
Dreamgirls on Broadway 1982
Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Tour 1983
Phantom of the Opera on Broadway 1984
Sunday in the Park with George on Broadway 1984
Live Aid 1985
Cirque du Soleil First Tour of US 1987
Starlight Express on Broadway 1987
Siegfried & Roy at Mirage 1990
Nick and Nora on Broadway 1991
U2 Zoo TV Tour 1992
Buccaneer Bay at Treasure Island in Vegas 1993
Cirque du Soleil Mystere 1993
George Lucas Superlive Adventure 1993
Tommy on Broadway 1993
EFX in Vegas 1995
Rio Sky Parade in Vegas 1997
U2 Popmart Tour 1997
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Janet Jackson Tour 1998
Millennium Dome 2000
Hairspray on Broadway 2002
Sinatra at Radio City 2003
Celine Dion In Vegas 2004
Cirque du Soleil Ka 2004
Dixie Chicks Tour 2007
Chunky Move Mortal Engine 2010
Spider-man on Broadway 2010
Who at Superbowl 2010
How to Succeed in Business on Broadway 2011
Marvel Universe Live 2014
David Byrne American Utopia Tour 2018
King Kong on Broadway 2018
Organizations
Audio Engineering Society (AES) Founded 1948
United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Founded 1960
British Association of Discotheque Equipment Manufacturers (BADEM) Founded 1976
International Communications Industries Association (ICIA) Founded 1983 https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. BADEM becomes Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) 1983
International Laser Display Association (ILDA) Founded 1986
Theatrical Dealers Association (TDA) Founded 1987
Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) Trade Show Starts 1988
TDA Becomes Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) 1994
ESTA Technical Standards Program (TSP) Founded 1994
Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) Certification Starts 2005
ICIA becomes Infocomm International 2005
Event Safety Alliance Founded 2012
Infocomm becomes Avixa 2017
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) partners with ESTA 2018
Lighting
SCR Dimmers Develop SCR Dimmer Per Circuit Mainstream 1958 - 1985 1986 - present
Computerized Lighting Consoles Develop 1975 - 1993
Computerized Lighting Consoles Mainstream 1994 - present
Color Scrollers Develop and Lead to Dichroics and LED's 1980 - 2010
Moving Lights Develop Moving Lights Mainstream 1981 - 1996 1997 - present
DMX512 Develops 1986 - 1989
DMX512 Mainstream https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. 1990 - present
Modern Incandescent Lighting Fixtures Develop 1992 - 2000
Modern Incandescent Lighting Fixtures Mainstream 2001 - present
Ethernet Lighting Control Develops 1993 - 2000
Ethernet Lighting Control Mainstream 2001 - present
LEDs for Stage Lighting Develop 1997 - 2001
LED Lighting Mainstream 2002 - present
Wireless DMX Develops 2000 - 2008
Wireless DMX Mainstream 2009 - present
RDM Develops 2006 - 2015
RDM Mainstream 2016 - present
Remote Control Followspots Mainstream 2015 - present
Rigging
Modern Performer Flying Develops Performer Flying Mainstream 1954 - 2002 2003 - present
Chain Hoists use Motors Down 1975 - 1990
Truss and Chain Motor Mainstream 1991 - present
Scenery
Automated Scenic Fabrication Develops Digital Scenic Fabrication Mainstream 1976 - 2009 2010 - present
Scenic Automation Develops Scenic Automation Mainstream 1981 - 2000 2001 - present
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. CAD Develops CAD Mainstream 1982 - 1996 1997 - present
Digital Printing Develops 1995 - 2009
Digital Printing Mainstream 2010 - present
Sound
Digital Processors Develop Digital Processing Mainstream 1970 - 1995 1996 - present
Wireless Mics Develop Wireless Mics Mainstream 1978 - 1994 1995 - present
Sound System Analysis and Prediction Develops 1985 - 2005
Sound System Analysis and Prediction Mainstream 2006 - Present
Computerized Sound Playback Develops 1986 - 1995
Computerized Sound Playback Mainstream 1996 - present
Digital Consoles Develop 1987 - 2000
Digital Sound Consoles Mainstream 2001 - present
Line Array Speakers Develop 1992 - 2005
Modern Line Array Speakers Mainstream 2006 - present
In-Ear Monitors Develop 1995 - 2000
In-Ear Monitors Mainstream 2001 - present
Self Powered Loudspeakers Develop 1995 - 1999
Self Powered Loudspeakers Mainstream 2000 - present
Ethernet Audio Develops 2001 - 2011 https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Ethernet Audio Mainstream 2012 - present
Visual Media
Joshua Light Show Digital Video Playback 1968 - 1974 1991 - 1999
Multi-Image Slides Video Servers Mainstream 1975 - 1990 2000 - present
Image Magnification Develops Image Magnification Mainstream 1971 - 1998 1999 - present
Projection Mapping Develops Video Projection Mapping Mainstream 1984 - 2011 2012 - present
Automated Film Projection 1985 - 1996
Video Projection Mainstream 1997 - present
Video Walls Develop Video Walls Mainstream 1988 - 2010 2011 - present
Special Effects/Show Control/Other
SMPTE Time Code Develops SMPTE Time Code Mainstream 1968 - 1989 1990 - present
Lasers Introduced, Develop, Wane in Popularity, and then Come Back 1970 - 2009
Fog/Smoke Systems Lasers/Projectors Mainstream 1981 - 1993 2010 - present
Fog/Smoke Systems Mainstream 1994 - present
MIDI Develops 1983 - 1989
MIDI Mainstream (MSC, MTC) 1990 - present
Show Control Develops 1985 - 1995
Show Control Mainstream 1996 - present
Lighting in Costumes Develops 1990 - 2008 https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Lighting in Costumes Mainstream 2009 - present
Automated Pyro Control Develops 1991 - 1999
Computerized Pyro Control Mainstream 2000 - present
Motion Tracking Develops Motion Tracking Mainstream 1993 - 2012 2013 - present
Updated Pepper's Ghost Effects ("Holgrams") Develop 1995 - 2011
Updated Pepper's Ghost Effects ("Holgrams") Mainstream 2012 - present
Audience Interactivity Developing 2014 - present
Drones Developing 2016 - present
Era Markers
Start of Rapid Development Period 1985
Start of Maturity Period 2010
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Eras
Early Days Approx. 1965 - Approx. 1984
Rapid Development Approx. 1985 - Approx. 2009
Maturity Approx. 2010 - present
Seminal Shows
Beatles at Shea Stadium Large scale sound 1965
Hair on Broadway Wireless Mics Lighting 1968
Woodstock Large scale sound 1969
Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway Amplified Sound 1971
David Bowie Ziggy Stardust Production 1972
Grateful Dead Wall of Sound 1972
Genesis Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour First application of multi image rear projection visuals created specifically 1974 for the show. 3 screens, six slide projectors with coordinated cross fading run by hand (from Jon Kiphart who ran that rig for a number of shows)
Chorus Line on Broadway 1st Computer Lighting Console periaktoi 1975
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Who Tour 1976 Who Using motors down on rigging 1976
Puy du Fou Cinéscénie Massive show, lighting, projections etc. 1978
Beatlemania on Broadway Projections and sound 1979
Evita on Broadway Projections, sound 1979
They're Playing Our Song on Broadway Projections (per David Barbour) 1979
Genesis Abacab Tour Varilite VL-1 Moving Lights 1981
Cats on Broadway Scenic Automation 1982
Dreamgirls on Broadway Scenic Automation 1982
Talking Heads Stop Making Sense Tour Integration, multimedia 1983
Phantom of the Opera on Broadway Scenic Automation 1984
Sunday in the Park with George on Broadway Film-based Projection Mapping, automated scenery, lasers, automated 1984 costumes
Live Aid Live broadcast, multi site show 1985
Cirque du Soleil First Tour of US 1987
Starlight Express on Broadway Moving Lights 1987 https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com.
Siegfried & Roy at Mirage Sound, Integration, Scale 1990
Nick and Nora on Broadway Scenic automation (as per David Barbour) 1991
U2 Zoo TV Tour Video 1992
Buccaneer Bay at Treasure Island in Vegas Scenic Automation, Lighting, Show Control--in front of a casino 1993
Cirque du Soleil Mystere First permanent Cirque show 1993
George Lucas Superlive Adventure Show control, pyro, lasers, etc. 1993
Tommy on Broadway Projections 1993
EFX in Vegas Show control, automation, integration 1995
Rio Sky Parade in Vegas Automated Scenery, Integrated Show Control, in a Casino 1997
U2 Popmart Tour Blue LED's (as per Tait) 1997
Janet Jackson Tour Velvet Rope Tour: Tracking Video screen (as per Tait) 1998
Millennium Dome Automation, scale, integration 2000
Hairspray on Broadway Large LED Wall 2002
Sinatra at Radio City Integrated video projection and motion 2003
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com.
Celine Dion In Vegas Large LED Screens 2004
Cirque du Soleil Ka Interactive video mapping 2004
Dixie Chicks Tour The Accidents and Accusations Tour Video in Deck (as per Tait) 2007
Chunky Move Mortal Engine Affordable Interactive Projections and Lasers 2010
Spider-man on Broadway Computer Performer Flying, 2010
Who at Superbowl Used Air Cooled Lasers 2010
How to Succeed in Business on Broadway First large video wall on Broadway as per Barry Grossman 2011
Marvel Universe Live Successor to Superlive Adventure. Blacktrax 2014
David Byrne American Utopia Tour Completely wireless, Blacktrax 2018
King Kong on Broadway Puppets, integration, video wall 2018
Organizations
Audio Engineering Society (AES) Founded 1948
United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Founded 1960
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. British Association of Discotheque Equipment Manufacturers (BADEM) Founded 1976
International Communications Industries 1939 as the National Association of Visual Education Dealers Association (ICIA) Founded 1983
BADEM becomes Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) 1983
International Laser Display Association (ILDA) Founded 1986
Theatrical Dealers Association (TDA) Founded 1987
Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) Trade Show Starts 1988
TDA Becomes Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) 1994
ESTA Technical Standards Program (TSP) Founded 1994
Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) Certification Starts 2005
ICIA becomes Infocomm International 2005
Event Safety Alliance Founded 2012
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Infocomm becomes Avixa 2017
National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) partners with ESTA 2018
Lighting
SCR Dimmers Develop 1958 Strand C Core 1958 - 1985
Computerized Lighting Consoles Develop 1970 Memo-Q 1975 Chorus Line 1986 Vari-Lite Artisan 1990 Light Palette 1975 - 1993 LP90 1995 Wholehog II 1997 grandMA (1 original)
Color Scrollers Develop and Lead to Dichroics 1980 Wybron Color Scrollers 2013 Wybron out of business and LED's 1980 - 2010
Moving Lights Develop 1981 VL-1 on Genesis Tour 1991 VL2/VL4 1992 VL5b 2004 VL3500 1981 - 1996 Intellabeam (Dire Straits tour ’91? from Scott Blair), Trackspot, Cyberlight. By the time Studio Color 575 came around in ’96 and the Mac600 just after, they were really becoming very Mainstream. (Scott Blair)
SCR Dimmer Per Circuit Mainstream 1984 My College went DPC, but not DMX 1993 ETC Sensor Dimmers 1986 - present
DMX512 Develops DMX 1986 RDM 2006 1986 - 1989
DMX512 Mainstream 1990 Major Update to DMX 1990 - present
Modern Incandescent Lighting Fixtures Develop ETC Source 4 1992 1992 - 2000
Ethernet Lighting Control Develops 1993 ETC Net 1 (ETC Net 1 ) 1993 - 2000
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com.
Computerized Lighting Consoles Mainstream 1993 Obsession 1 (as per Scott Blair) 1998 Obsession 2 2008 GrandMA2 1994 - present 2006 ETC EOS 2007 ETC Ion
Moving Lights Mainstream 2000 Herick Goldman, "I had trackspots on Godspell 2000 off-bway on 1997 - present no budget in 2000. Laura Frank helped me program on an expression 2x (golly those 2 wheels came in handy) i'd say cheap off-bway counts as Mainstream. " PRG Bad Boy 2011
LEDs for Stage Lighting Develop 1997 Color Kinetics 1997 - 2001
Wireless DMX Develops 2000's City Theatrical Products 2008 Wireless on many Broadway shows 2000 - 2008 as per John Robinson
Modern Incandescent Lighting Fixtures ETC Source 4 1992 Mainstream 2001 - present
Ethernet Lighting Control Mainstream 1996 CPWG Publishes Ethernet Recommended Practice 1996 1998 Art Net 2001 - present 2009 sACN 2019 RDMNET
LED Lighting Mainstream 2002 Hairspray on Broadway 2009 Vari Lite VLX 2002 - present
RDM Develops 2006 - 2015
Wireless DMX Mainstream 2008 City Theatrical Patent 2009 - present
Remote Control Followspots Mainstream 2015 PRG GroundControl Best new product 20?? AC Lighting Follow-Me 2015 - present 20?? Robe RoboSpot
RDM Mainstream 2015 as per Scott Blair 2016 - present
Rigging
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com.
Modern Performer Flying Develops 1954 Flying By Foy/Peter Pan on Broadway 1958 Foy Floating Pulley 1994 1954 - 2002 ZFX Founded
Chain Hoists use Motors Down 1970's Ice Shows started rigging in arenas 1976 Who Concert Photos with 1975 - 1990 Motors Down
Truss and Chain Motor Mainstream 1990 In my grad school we still didn't have any 1991 - present
Performer Flying Mainstream 2003 "Perfomer Flying Overdone" as per " The-artifice.com" 2013 Work on 2003 - present ESTA Performer Flying Standard commences 2016 Standard released
Scenery
Automated Scenic Fabrication Develops 1971 Waterjet Cutting 1972 Vacuum Forming 1975 Laser Cutting 1976 CNC 1976 - 2009 1984 3D Printing 2004 Waterjet article in TD&T
Scenic Automation Develops 1982 Cats 1984 Sunday in the Park with George 1984 Phantom (start of 1981 - 2000 PRG)
CAD Develops 1982 AutoCAD Released 1984 I took my college to see a CAD Station 1982 - 1996 1985 Associates and Ferren had a Tektronix CAD Station
Digital Printing Develops 1990's Dye-Sub printers first marketed according to Wikipedia 1995 - 2009
CAD Mainstream 1997 AutoCAD Release 14 -- it seemed Mainstream to me at the time 2000 1997 - present Vectorworks (formerly MiniCAD)
Scenic Automation Mainstream 2000 Herick Goldman, "I was on a a Gillette Mach 3 razor launch with 2001 - present Carbiner in 2000 (maybe 1999) with Bob Murphy that had massive sliding walls and a turntable on an "industrial" that was only for a week. " 2004 Creative Conners Founded
Digital Scenic Fabrication Mainstream 2010 YSD got CNC Mill 2010 - present
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Digital Printing Mainstream 2010 Rose Brand Started Blogging about digital scenery, 2014 5m Durst 2010 - present Printers Available
Sound
Digital Processors Develop 1970 Lexicon Delta-T 101 First digital delay line 1993 Media Matrix 1994 1970 - 1995 XTA Founded
Wireless Mics Develop 1979 Sweeney Todd had them on the principals (7 or 8) in 1979, as per 1978 - 1994 Marc Salzberg.
Sound System Analysis and Prediction Develops 1991 Meyer Sim System II 2005 Meyer MAPP Patent Issued 2009 Rational 1985 - 2005 Acoustics SMAART v6
Computerized Sound Playback Develops Richmond Sound Design Command Cue 1986 1986 - 1995
Digital Consoles Develop 1987 Yamaha DMP7 1995 Yamaha 02R 1997 03D 1998 01V 1987 - 2000
Line Array Speakers Develop 1992 L'Acoustics V-DOSC 2003 Meyer Milo 1992 - 2005
Wireless Mics Mainstream 1995 1/22/95 NYT Reported that wireless mics on Broadway "are now in 1995 - present constant use"
In-Ear Monitors Develop 1995 Ultimate Ears Founded 1995 - 2000
Self Powered Loudspeakers Develop 1994 Meyer MSL-4 1995 JBL Eon 1997 Meyer UPA-1P 1997 Mackie 1995 - 1999 SRM450
Digital Processing Mainstream 1995 BSS Varicurve 1996 XTA, etc very common by around 1996 - present
Computerized Sound Playback Mainstream Stage Research SFX 1996 Meyer Wildtracks 199? Figure 53 Qlab V2 2009 1996 - present
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. Self Powered Loudspeakers Mainstream 2000 - present
Digital Sound Consoles Mainstream 1996 Soundcraft Broadway (failed) 2001 Yamaha PM1D 2002 DiGiCo 2001 - present Founded
In-Ear Monitors Mainstream 2000 common as per Wikipedia 2001 - present
Ethernet Audio Develops 2001 Cobranet 2009 AVB Introduced 2001 - 2011
Sound System Analysis and Prediction Meyer Sim System II 1991 Rational Acoustics SMAART v6 2009 Mainstream 2006 - Present
Modern Line Array Speakers Mainstream 2006 JBL VRX 2006 - present
Ethernet Audio Mainstream 2012 Yamaha CL5 with Dante 2012 - present
Visual Media
Joshua Light Show 1968 - 1974
Image Magnification Develops 1971? "Concert Close Up" as per Abe Jacob 1975 Video Imag at Capital 1971 - 1998 Centre, Largo MD
Multi-Image Slides 1970s AVL 1975 - 1990
Projection Mapping Develops 1984 Sunday in the Park with George 2005 Cirque du Soleil Ka 1984 - 2011
Automated Film Projection Time Code controllable film projection Associates and Ferren 1985 Digital 1985 - 1996 Projection 1st DLP Projector 1997
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com.
Video Walls Develop 1985 Palladium analog video wall 1988 Jumbotron 1997 Blue LEDs 1988 - 2010 became available--on U2 PopMart
Digital Video Playback 1990s Laser Discs and CRV 1998 Early MPEG Servers in Niketown NY 1991 - 1999
Video Projection Mainstream 1985 Time Code controllable film projection Associates and Ferren 1997 1997 - present Digital Projection 1st DLP Projector
Image Magnification Mainstream 1998 Sony DXC-30 Camera available, made imag affordable as per Josh 1999 - present Weisberg 2007 Appeared in Book Special Event Production: The Resources By Doug Matthews
Video Servers Mainstream 2000 Catalyst 2000 Hippo 2001 Watchout 20?? Notch Interactive Media 2000 - present
Video Walls Mainstream Celine Dion Vegas 2011 2011 - present
Video Projection Mapping Mainstream 2012 As per graph on projection-mapping.org, and recollections by Josh 2012 - present Weisberg
Special Effects/Show Control/Other
SMPTE Time Code Develops 1968 - 1989
Lasers Introduced, Develop, Wane in Popularity, 1970 Pepsi Pavilion 1976 Blue Oyster Cult (got in trouble with FDA) 1986 and then Come Back ILDA Founded 1987 ELO 1970 - 2009
Fog/Smoke Systems 1981 Frankenstein on Broadway 1993ish Updated Fog Machines by City 1981 - 1993 Theatrical
MIDI Develops 1983 - 1989
Show Control Develops 1988 Alcorn McBride V16 1991 Richmond Stage Manager 1985 - 1995 https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com. SMPTE Time Code Mainstream 1990 - present
MIDI Mainstream (MSC, MTC) 1990 - present
Lighting in Costumes Develops 1995 Blue Man Group, etc 1990 - 2008
Automated Pyro Control Develops 1991 Fire One 1994 Pyrodigital 1991 - 1999
Motion Tracking Develops 1993 Wybron Files Autopilot Patent, granted 1996 1993 - 2012
Fog/Smoke Systems Mainstream 1994 Equity Fog Studies Start 2001 Equity Fog Reguations 2006 ESTA 1994 - present ANSI E1.23 Design and Execution of Theatrical Fog Effects
Updated Pepper's Ghost Effects ("Holgrams") 1995 Musion Eyeliner first exhibited Develop 1995 - 2011
Show Control Mainstream 1992 Medialon Manager 1996 - present
Computerized Pyro Control Mainstream 2009 Cobra (Off the shelf systems) 2000 - present
Lighting in Costumes Mainstream 2009 illuminate founded 2009 - present
Lasers/Projectors Mainstream 2010 Air-cooled lasers at New Orleans Superbowl Who Show as per 2010 - present Laserist
Updated Pepper's Ghost Effects ("Holgrams") 2012 Tupac Coachella "Hologram" Mainstream 2012 - present
Motion Tracking Mainstream 2013 Blacktrax 2014 Marvel Universe Live with Blacktrax 2013 - present
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Audience Interactivity Developing 2014 Glowmotion 2014 PixMob 2014 - present
Drones Developing 2016 Intel Drones at Disney Holiday Show 2018 Intel Drones at Radio City 2016 - present Christmas Show
Era Markers
Start of Rapid Development Period 1985
Start of Maturity Period 2010
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/475789 Create your own timelines at Preceden.com.