The show marked the debut of FocusTrack's new support for MA Lighting's grandMA2 console, which received its first beta test on the show and came through it with flying colours.
"Joel Silver, the associate lighting designer on the show, has just the worst timing - or perhaps a very pioneering spirit," comments FocusTrack's creator, Rob Halliday. "Back in 2007 he got in touch wanting to use FocusTrack with the Eos console on Young Frankenstein; the show became the first to use FocusTrack with an Eos. Now here he was again, asking to use FocusTrack with a grandMA2 - something we were in the process of doing, but certainly weren't done with."
Nonetheless, a definite deadline for a focus plotting session - during the week of the LDI show in Las Vegas - spurred on development, to the point where a beta test version of FocusTrack was ready to go in time for the Blue Man team. As always, the software processed Blue Man's showfile, generating a list of which lights were actually used in which presets in the show, as well as a cuelist and a list of conventional fixtures in the show indicating which were used.
The show's hectic production schedule meant that the only time available to document the focuses photographically were two short post-show, late night sessions. Here, FocusTrack proved the power of having the software be able to drive the console and trigger the camera during the focus plot session, allowing each focus of each light - almost 1400 pictures - to be captured comfortably in one session, with the second session used to capture 'reverse shots' of lights focused into the auditorium.
"Documenting the moving lights for this show would just not have been possible in the time made available to us without FocusTrack, " comments Joel Silver. "It was great that it was able to work with our grandMA2 console in time - and the support as we first tested it and then put it to use was fantastic."
"Thanks to all involved with the show - particularly Joel, programmer Benny Kirkham - who contributed some great suggestions for new functions, and Tabitha Rodman of Blue Man Group for picking FocusTrack, and then for their support as we worked out some of the inevitable grandMA2 import kinks," notes Rob Halliday. "The show looked fantastic; FocusTrack will help keep it looking fantastic through what will hopefully be a long and successful run. Now we just have to predict which kind of console Joel is going to use next so we can try to be there ready for him."
GrandMA2 functionality in FocusTrack is now available to all in beta test form; FocusTrack continues to work with ETC Eos family, grandMA1 and Strand 500-series consoles as it has always done.
(Jim Evans)
