An essential part of designing and building a show file is the dynamic knowledge and construction of the lighting over time, but there seems to be a reluctance within Capture to provide even simple the tools for this.
When I’m designing I don’t care what console the show will eventually be run on; I have little to no control over it anyway, and as the designer I’m not going to be programming or operating it.
Especially what I don’t need or want is a complicated full on computer based version of it, taking up my screen space and bothering me with endless complexity I have no brain space for or interest in.
All I need is:
So far so good; I can do all this in capture already.
What’s missing is:
That’s it.
These are just two pieces missing for a basic way to pre-visualise the show over time.
Really it’s just a PowerPoint - like structure; indeed I could just load screen shots into a PowerPoint file and I’d be done…
Except for this being a ridiculously crude and awkward way to be forced to work , because an otherwise wonderfully elegant software lighting tool is deliberately crippled because of a rigid philosophy of leaving the control of the show or event to third party providers.
Look, I get drawing a line and concentrating on the core task. I’ve done it myself, when years ago I went well I haven’t got the head space to design both sound and lighting and a do good job of both, so something has to go.
But that doesn’t mean I’d refuse to work with the sound designer and or operator to combine it all with the lighting; the show requires both to be in harmony.
Capture needs an integrated basic cueing toolset so we can run sequences of lighting fragments to be sure we are on the right track, to discuss with the director, the set designer, the sound designer, the costume designer, the choreographer, the stage manager so as we all collectively move the production as a whole towards the opening night.
Please provide these basic integrated tools so we can do our job.
Cheers
rabbit