Show control is the use of technology to link together and operate multiple entertainment control systems in a coordinated manner. It is distinguished from entertainment control (a term much less common than its specific forms, e.g. lighting control), which coordinates elements within a single entertainment discipline such as lighting, sound, video, rigging or pyrotechnics. An example of show control would be linking a video segment with a number of lighting cues, or having a sound track trigger animatronic movements -- or all of these combined. Shows with or without live actors almost invariably incorporate entertainment control technology and usually benefit from show control to operate these subsystems simultaneously or independently. Shows which are performed once or only a few times are often not considered candidates for show control since considerable preplanning and programming is usually required, but this may change as the technology, ease of operation and programming of show control software and systems matures. By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a level of thinking mastery sufficient to leave the surface of the planet for the first time and explore space. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Recreation. ... Entertainment control coordinates elements within a single entertainment discipline such as stage lighting, sound, video, rigging or pyrotechnics. ... Strand Lighting 300 Series Control Console An Express 48/96 memory console by Electronic Theatre Controls capable of controlling both normal stage lighting instruments as well as intelligent lighting. ... Discipline is any training intended to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral, physical, or mental development in a particular direction. ... Lighting refers to either artificial light sources such as lamps or to natural illumination of interiors from daylight. ... Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. ... Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images which represent scenes in motion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pyrotechnics are used in the entertainment industry The band Rammsteins stage acts centers largely around pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is a field of study often thought synonymous with the manufacture of fireworks, but more accurately it has a wider scope that includes items for military and industrial uses. ... Animatronic is the third album from Norweigan black metal band, The Kovenant, and was released in 1999 through Nuclear Blast. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... Simultaneity is the property of two events happening at the same time. ...

MIDI Show Control

Main article: MIDI Show Control

The MIDI Show Control (MSC) standard is an open, industry wide international communications protocol through which all types of show devices may easily communicate. To create the MSC spec, Charlie Richmond headed the USITT MIDI Forum on their Callboard Network in 1990, which included developers and designers from the theatre sound and lighting industry from around the world. This Forum created the MSC standard between January and September, 1990. it was ratified by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) in January, 1991, and the Japan MIDI Standards Committee (JMSC) later that year, becoming a part of the standard MIDI specification in August, 1991. The first show to fully utilize the MSC specification was the Magic Kingdom Parade at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in September, 1991. MIDI Show Control, or MSC, is a significant Real Time System Exclusive extension of the international Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard. ... MIDI Show Control, or MSC, is a significant Real Time System Exclusive extension of the international Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with protocol (computing). ... Communication is the process of exchanging information usually via a common system of symbols. ... Charlie Richmond is an entrepreneur and inventor born 1950-01-05. ... The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is an association of design, production and technology professionals in the entertainment industry. ... The Callboard Network was an electronic communication network operated by the University of Alberta for USITT in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The MIDI Manufacturers Association, also known as MMA is an organization where companies work together to create the standards that assure compatibility among MIDI products. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Japan MIDI Standards Committee is the body that ratifies and proposes MIDI standards within the Japanese manufacturing and developer community. ... The Magic Kingdom Parade is a large theatrical presentation (called an attraction by theme parks) at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World which dates back to the beginning of the theme park. ... Cinderella Castle, at the center of the Magic Kingdom, is Walt Disney World Resorts most recognizable icon Introduction Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA is home to four theme parks, two water parks, several resort hotels and golf courses... The Magic Kingdom is a theme park covering 107 acres (433,000 m²) at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. ...

External links

• John Huntington's Show Control Web Page has further definitions and links to many Show Control resources.
• Control Systems for Live Entertainment (second edition) by John Huntington, Published by Focal Press, 2000, ISBN 0-240-80348-5
• The MIDI Show Control (MSC) standard (V1.0, still a valid subset, is now superseded by V1.1)
• The Show Control Mailing List subscription page.
• Bibliography of Books and Articles related to Show Control.
• Watsop : the site of Yan Terrien a show-control specialist and programmer