Advances in technology make it possible for a Broadway show to have better sound qualities, and special effects, making any show extraordinary and more realistic.
Outline l. Technological Advances A. Sound B. Microphones II.
Stage A. Lights B. Special Effects C. Props D. Sets Ill.
Costumes/ Makeup A. Makeup B. Costumes Holidayed 2 Advances in technology make it possible for a Broadway show to have better sound qualities, and special effects, making any show extraordinary, and more realistic. As time passes by, technology advances forward, it is important to understand its benefits and uses in traditionally non-technical applications. Musical theater has been a particular and significant beneficiary of new technologies" (Bough 203).
Many Broadway shows use technology in different ways to put on an excellent show. Some technology that is needed to make a show a success, are microphones, lights, set designs, and finally special effects. Microphones are used to project the voice of an actor or actress. Lights are used to illuminate the stage to represent a certain time of day. Special effects are used to top off a show and to make it a more realistic experience for the audience.
Microphones are a major part of a production in a live performance on the stage" (Filing 2).Technology has made it possible for body miss that are invisible to an audience to be made into miniature miss to be used as "hair miss" or "ear miss" which are hidden in the hair or protrude from the ear along the face. Also, microphones can be hidden on set to pick up the ambiance (a particular environment or surrounding influence) on stage or a group of people on stage who would be difficult to mimic individually. "Microphones on stage allow actors to speak more naturally, emulating a more realistic performance style hat audiences are used to from movies and television.Audiences also expect entertainment to be louder generally, after years of surround-sound in movie theaters" (Gamesman, 2).
Holidayed 3 The most important part of any Broadway show is the stage lighting, which is a very important part of theatrical productions. Different types of lighting work in specific ways to create the correct mood. If the wrong type of lighting is used, and the placement is not correct, it can potentially ruin the stage ambiance. "The elements of basic lighting are much the same as they were generations ago, but greater control of he lighting effects has been made possible through technological advancements"( Kelley 1).Leeks, also referred to as ellipsoidal spotlights, produce a concentrated, defined light beam that can be focused on a particular area to distances up to seventy five feet. They have a focusing lens and are good to use in side and overhead lighting besides a focusing lens, they also have shutters that allow for partial obstruction of the light beams produced.
"This can create the effect of a partially lit stage. Intensity of the beam can be controlled to give varying degrees of light" (Kelley 1). Freeness lights are used to produce soft luminescent effects" (Kelley 1). Freeness contain lenses that evenly spread light with virtually no shadows.
Because of the uniform coverage of the light, it eliminates hot spots. "Scoop lights are also used for theater, backdrop lighting and as down lights" (Kelley 1). They are not usually used during performances because of the difficulty in controlling the light beams. They are used more commonly as floodlights, illuminating a large area of the stage.
"Parabolic illuminated reflector (PAR) lights are capable of sending an impressive amount of light to the stage area" (Kelley 1). Holidayed 4 "Icy lights are also called strip lights or cyclorama lights, are typically made up of rows of lamps and used to produce different lighting effect" (Kelley 1).Effects such as, making the stage look like it is at different times of the day like, sunrises, sunsets, and nighttime. "Advances in technology have allowed for control over the lights to produce an even greater number of effects by the lighting director using a dimmer" ( Kelley 1 When the curtain goes up, anything is possible. A blizzard could sweep across the set.
Fog could roll in from the bay. Memories could come to fife through the skill of an actor, lifelike and Just out of reach. "The art of illusion is the business of theater and some new and old tricks dazzle audiences night after night" (Crawford 1).There are many aspects to special effects in theater, from making fog on stage to even having an actor or actress flying on stage. For an actor or actress to be able to fly, the stage and theater are outfitted beforehand with mechanized tracks for the wires and harnesses.
While flying actors have human handlers, much of the heavy lifting is done by computers. Computerizing flight make things more precise. If an is actor or actress is flying manually, it could be different every night. Also, less human error is possible.There is a harness that fits of needed as a girdle would, with the wires on the side so that the actors or actresses can do somersaults or any kind adroit stunts.
"All costumes can be modified to accommodate the harness and wires, which are black and about 1/8 inch thick. They're not invisible, but directors have tricks to conceal them"( Judies 1). Holidayed 5 A scrim is a flat sheer curtain that appears opaque when lit from the front and misty and transparent when lit from behind. Scrims can be used to change scenes without moving any sets.
The first scene takes place in front of the scrim, which appears to be a solid wall. Then the light behind the scrim comes up and the upstage scene is revealed. Sometimes the scrim is raised and the actors from the first scene walk into the new scene. A scrim can create a ghostly image for a play with spirits or hallucinations, and lighting can make whatever is behind the scrim seem ethereal, or slightly distant. "A person or object that is backbit behind a scrim will project a shadow on the scrim that can grow larger or smaller depending on how close the eight is to the shadow form"(Crawford 1).Also, scrims are usually used to project the title of a show, before each performance.
Fog and mist are created with water in special misting machines, which is the cheapest way to control the atmosphere on stage. Theatrical effects companies make machines that send out fine droplets of water so small that they evaporate and the set stays dry. "There are also fog liquids that create the effect with evaporating chemicals which are safe for actors to breathe and even lay down in, if the part calls for it"( Crawford 1). Snow can be state-of-the- art chemical technology or good old-fashioned paper bits.Snow machines use a non- toxic chemical mix that sprays out as flakes that can be controlled to pelt or float down.
"The snow can seem to melt in mid-air and Just disappear before it hits the ground" (Crawford 1). For some stage performances, fires, or the appearance of fires, are needed. In some cases, real fire can be used. Pyrotechnic equipment, while impressive to the eye, Holidayed 6 can be dangerous. The most common way to create visible flames is by using silk or another light material. Colored silk can be cut, either in strips or in a long cloth, to assemble fingers of flame.
Once these are anchored, a fan is placed underneath. When the fan is on, the strips wave about in the air. "By using colored lighting, the illusion of flame can be enhanced" (Cohen 1 When it comes to making a theatrical production work, there's a lot more to it than Just the actors, who bring the performance to life each night. Just as critical are set and sound designs, as well as the props that the actors use on stage. Stage props play an important role in theater performances; they add meaning and help create realism. Stage props can have many different functions within a performance.
They may contribute to the "miss-en- scene" (the idea that everything within a scene has a meaning). "They may also allude to the narrative and give the audience greater understanding of a character or their motives" (Ensnares 1). Some props can be created for certain shows using technology. For example, the rose in the production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast was created so that the rose petals would fall off during the show as they did in the In many Broadway productions, technology plays a big part in the sets on movie. The stage.
Some sets may have screens at the back of the stage to create a more legalistic experience.Stage sets may be hung from the ceiling if there are huge scene changes in a show. "Some sets may have motion tracking, which synchronizes a projected image or movie onto a moving set piece so that it moves o along seamlessly'( Props 1). Without sets in a production, a show could be pointless or very boring for an audience to watch. Holidayed 7 Many people think that computers do not have much to do with costumes and makeup, but this could not be further from the truth.
As technology has evolved, theatre makeup and costuming departments have benefited and adapted to new advances, both directly and indirectly.As computers and the Internet have developed, makeup artists and costumers have benefited by being able to gain insight and inspiration from resources around the world. Where actors may have worn a stocking or queen costume a couple hundred years ago, an artist can now easily research the difference in costuming for every era and see what other theaters have used to represent a specific time or location. "Costumers and makeup artists have at their disposal literally millions of pieces of data to help them create an ensemble" (Patten 1).Innovations in technology have aided in costume manufacturing by providing methods of making costumes more affordable and readily available. This has allowed for a greater ability to obtain historically accurate costume pieces.
Synthetic materials, such as polyester or nylon, are readily available and inexpensive to use in the creation of a costume. "Industrial sewing machines have reduced the time it takes for costumers to create their pieces, giving them the ability to make more items in a shorter amount of time" (Patten 1). Silicone and latex are flexible materials used for the creation of prosthetics and special effects makeup.As scientists learned to synthesize these materials into workable Holidayed 8 mediums, artists benefited by finally being able to completely and believably reconstruct the appearance of an actor.
"Using molds and the free application of silicone and latex parts, makeup artists can create masks, scars, horns, differently sized noses and a plethora of other pieces"( Patten 1). Airbrushing is commonly associated with computer graphics, but is also used in the world of theatre makeup. "With an airbrush, forced air is transmitted through a tube that contains pigments of color. This color is mixed with the air and can be applied to the skin.The pigments allow for the artist to blend various colors with accuracy and ease" (Patten 1).
Through lights, special effects, and stage effects, any Broadway crew can create a realistic experience for an audience. The availability of equipment for a show is a very important part for any musical. Technology has improved every aspect of the stage, and will keep improving as time goes on. Microphones can project a performers Voice for an audience to hear.
Each type of lighting can create a different mood for each scene of a show. Props can improve a characters performance on the stage.
