designfax - Jun 2000 - All The World's A Stage...

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All The World's A Stage...

...and accurate motion control is key player in top Broadway productions 0600all1

by Frances Richards and Scott Tiernan

"The Music Man on Broadway." Thomas Lynch, set designer. Joan Marcus, photographer.

Four large town buildings fly in together (four separate axes) along with the flagpole. At the same time, the flagpole base telescopes out of the floor to meet the flagpole. Galil controllers are critical in getting all six effects to finish their moves simultaneously.

For centuries, the precise movement of stage props and scenery has presented challenges to the theatrical industry. Today, far removed from the antiquated days of weights, pulleys, ropes and brute force, new technology empowers Broadway stage directors to execute accurate and quiet movements of complex and sometimes cumbersome theatrical components.

For more than 20 years, Hudson Scenic Studio, Yonkers, NY, has thrived as a full service production and scenic fabrication company. With more than 220 Broadway and national touring productions to their credit, including "Phantom of the Opera," "Les Miserables," "Miss Saigon" and most recently "The Music Man," the company is a leader in entertainment and staging production.

Six of the last 12 Tony Awards for best scenery have been awarded to shows that Hudson built and painted. Improving upon existing methods of moving stages and scenery, the company began utilizing motion controllers in the early '80s as PCs became more readily
available.

Meeting the challenges of theatrical motion control

"Reliability is absolutely paramount," says Corky Boyd, vice president of Hudson Scenic. "We have to maintain a sky-high level of confidence in our motion control systems, that they are continuing to perform timed, complex movements, involving sets, people and occasionally animals."

8506_650A The Paroo House is driven onstage, rotated and has extending stairs all under the control of a DMC 1540. The house travels in a curved path as it comes onstage. To keep its orientation consistent, the controller synchronizes both the onstage travel and rotation. Stairs extend after clearing an offstage obstruction.

For example, in The Music Man, the town buildings, flagpole and flagpole base elevator are all moved by one controller. To move into the scene, the four large town buildings fly in together -- on four separate axes -- along with the flagpole. At the same time, the flagpole base telescopes out of the floor to meet the flagpole. "The controller is critical in getting all six of these effects to finish their moves at the same time," notes Boyd. Flying elements -- the town buildings and flagpole -- represent counterbalanced loads that weigh 2,000 to 3,000 lbs. A unit such as the Paroo house weighs approximately 4,000 lbs. Motion control operators are offstage and operate scenery from positions fitted with multiple camera views of the stage -- including infrared -- and are on headset with stagehands, who are also offstage. All controls are hardwired for this production.

To meet some of its motion control challenges, Hudson Scenic utilizes the DMC 1540 4-axis standalone controller, part of the Legacy Series from Galil Motion Control, Mountain View, CA. Modes of motion include point-to-point positioning, contouring, linear and circular interpolation, electronic gearing and e-cam. The Legacy Series of controllers is available in ISA, VME and stand-alone formats in 1- to 8-axis configurations. Standard features such as uncommitted I/O, program memory with multitasking, dual encoder inputs per axis, and control of both stepper and servo motors from a single controller are supported.

One of the more powerful features of these controllers is their ability to store and execute complex application programs designed by the user. Often, the DMC 1540 is used to simultaneously coordinate the movement of 15-20 pieces of stage equipment. "Freeing up the PC for other system-level tasks is a big benefit," notes Boyd.

On the road again

When Hudson Scenic goes on the road with touring Broadway productions, reliability becomes even more critical. At any given time, Hudson Scenic may be involved with up to 20 national touring productions. The regimen of touring is rough. Staging specs and requirements change with each new tour venue, which is often just a quick two- or three-night run. Power requirements can shift. Equipment is routinely transported cross country by trucks, with constant setup and tear down by stagehands. There is wear and tear on equipment that may not surface with a long-running Broadway theater production.

"The road is not the time to 'ease' into a production," declares Boyd. "There's an immediacy to live stage performances that demands our systems to be bulletproof. There's no director shouting 'Cut!' if something doesn't go right. It's unfair to the paying audience in Des Moines to get less than the top effort people expect and receive in New York City. For each tour stop, we can factor in the variables for our motion control needs, download new applications and commands to the DMC 1540 and have complete confidence in the execution."

As audiences respond favorably to onstage spectacles, theatrical set designers continue to stretch the limits of what can and cannot be done on stage. Elaborate productions often provide a stern test of motion control capabilities. Precision, programmability and flexibility are words to live by in theatrical motion control. 8506_649

Galil DMC 1540 4-axis standalone controller provides smooth, precise motion in "The Music Man" on Broadway.

"There's no place for noisy, ill-timed, herky-jerky set movements. The market won't stand for it," Boyd says simply.

Next spectacular challenge to be tested in LA

"There are a number of remarkable stage adaptations in development as we speak," said Boyd. "In the next 12-18 months, I think audiences will be truly amazed at what will transpire on stage, from a technical standpoint. >From the Hudson Scenic perspective, motion control plays an integral role in our industry. It's our challenge to keep pace with the latest technology."

Hudson Scenic is now evaluating the DMC 2140, part of Galil's Optima Series, their fourth generation of motion controllers. Hudson Scenic will be utilizing the DMC 2140 on a 32-axis system being deployed for the national touring version of a smash Broadway musical opening this fall in Los Angeles.

New features have been incorporated including high speed communication with FIFO and DMA channels, non-volatile program memory with multitasking, enhanced modes of motion (i.e., coordinated motion on multiple planes), higher encoder speeds and shielded cabling for noise immunity. "We're particularly enthusiastic about the addition of Ethernet communications to this line of motion controllers," says Boyd.

For more information:

Circle 649 - Galil Motion Control, Inc.or connect directly to their website via the
Online Reader Service Program at http://www.1rs.com/006df-649

Circle 650 - Hudson Scenic Studios

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