07-12, 21:00–21:50 (US/Eastern), Little Theatre
The modern era of live show technology is often thought to have begun with the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965 (only a few miles from the HOPE site!). Production and technological development progressed slowly until an explosion of innovation began in the mid 1980s. This period of constant change and development continued until about 2010, when the field of show production hit a significant maturity point. This maturity process was gradual enough that fans and creators who lived through the transition may not even have been aware of it. In this talk, John traces the evolution of show technology and its transition phases on its way to maturity. He will also discuss the implications on the industry of a mature, stable toolset, and speculate about the maturity's effect on future show technology development, and its impacts on fans and creators alike.
John Huntington is an author, educator, entertainment and show control systems consultant, and sound engineer. He is also an award-winning photographer and storm chaser. John is a professor emeritus of entertainment technology after more than 24 years at New York City College of Technology, also known as Citytech, which is part of CUNY. At Citytech, he led the audio, live video, and networking/control areas - and for more than 20 years designed the show control systems and oversaw the A/V for the Gravesend Inn. His book Show Networks and Control Systems was the industry standard until it was retired and replaced with two books: Introduction to Show Networking (2020) and Introduction to Show Control (2023).
