ETC a blog of bright ideas

This four-part blog series will give some introductory insight into creating a template show file to use while programming on an Eos family console. The Eos line of consoles and, thus, the software has been around since 2007. The family has grown and evolved over the years and has become a robust...

Recent changes in the 2023 US National Electrical Code and UL standards have significantly changed the rules for emergency lighting in the US. We explore those changes in this blog.

At ETC’s recent tour of global Roadshow events, we presented a variety of interactive seminars which were focused on the Entertainment and Broadcast markets. Today we are going to look at one of those sessions in a bit more detail: ‘The Art of Lighting the Audience’. Why bother making the...

There are millions of incandescent Source Four fixtures out in the world. 3.5 million to be exact. Because of their high-quality design and robust technology, a majority of these fixtures are still running strong and are revered as the dependable workhorse fixtures of their venues.

On this International Women's Day, we thought it would be a great opportunity to meet some of the amazing women in our industry. 

The Chengdu City Concert Hall is the government’s initiative to promote Chengdu City as the national hub of the music industry. The up-and-coming music development hub is dedicated to bringing a classic and best-in-class musical experience to the world. The design of the Concert Hall integrates the...

As automated lighting technology entered the 21st century, moving yoke LED luminaires became the de facto choice for most designers and applications. While moving mirror fixtures are inherently larger and difficult to hide in a rig, they did afford a much longer optical path.

After celebrating Johnnie Walker’s 200^th anniversary in 2020, the brand kicked off a new century of whisky making with the flagship Johnnie Walker Princes Street visitor experience in Edinburgh. Spanning 8 floors in one of Edinburgh’s historic buildings, Johnnie Walker Princes Street offers...

Thirty years ago, ETC began selling the Source Four incandescent fixture. That timeline means that many of you reading this article have grown up with Source Four and may not remember the time when it was not standard in every theatre. But the fixture’s success did not happen overnight and there...

For over 20 years, ETC has connected with lighting technology students through the Fred Foster Student Mentorship Program. With the group of program alumni now reaching a count of hundreds, the ETC team is always thrilled to see more and more familiar faces finding success in the industry.

The LG Arts Center SEOUL is the new landmark of contemporary performing art which was recently relocated to Gangseo-gu of Seoul, the western part of the capital of Korea. The Center is the first venue in Asia to install the signature Eos Apex console. The venue also includes additional ETC products...

Before we fade out on 2022, ETC is taking a look back on the highlights from the year. Check out the complete list below for some of this year's biggest moments and a couple of fun stats along the way.

The ETC France team had a very busy few weeks gearing up for the 2022 JTSE trade show in Paris… and what a jam-packed couple of days they had!

While Mathieu Cabanes has spent many hours programming Eos consoles for opera and theatre, this was the first time he used this desk for a grand symphony orchestra performance. Les Folies Broadway, held this past summer at the Domaine D'O in Montpellier, France, was a journey through the great...

Musco Lighting, a pioneer in the design and manufacture of sports, transportation, and infrastructure lighting solutions, welcomed the holidays in their home state of Iowa with the help of ETC Mosaic controls. The team partnered with the City of Muscatine, Iowa, and Muscatine Power and Water to...

Nantong Grand Theatre is a signature landmark that was newly established in 2021. It is the largest project invested in by the China government in an effort to boost art and cultural development in Nantong of the Jiangsu Province. The theatre is situated in the city center, a central hub for...

Throughout the year we’ve interviewed some incredible women in the entertainment lighting industry. This week we feature a woman who, like others, has ties to the theatre, but unlike the others, makes a living as an architectural lighting designer. This segment of lighting design is lesser known,...

Just after ETC's big fixture launch event, the team packed up our gear and headed off to LDI! It was an action-packed weekend in the ETC booth, with demos of all our latest products, including Halcyon, ColorSource V, and the legendary Eos Apex. If you missed the show, here's a quick recap of events.

ETC has partnered with one of the US Department of Energy’s national laboratories to conduct field research related to Human Centric Lighting (HCL.) The project kicked off with measuring lighting conditions throughout the manufacturing areas in ETC's Middleton headquarters.

We always love to meet our ETC fans and customers in person. Talking and interacting with all of you inspires us. Thank you C&C Lightway and Korea Lighting Designer Association for organizing the International Lighting Seminar on August 17-18, at the LG Arts Center SEOUL. Here they shared the...

Color temperature and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) describe the warm or cool appearance of white light. Color temperature refers to white chromaticities (color points) that are technically on what is called the blackbody curve on a scientific diagram. CCT uses the nearest color temperature to...

Last year, ETC Color Specialist Wendy Luedtke sat down with Senior Colorist, Rory Gordon and Cinematographer, Craig Kief to discuss the benefits of, and science behind ETC’s Lustr X8 array. This array can be found in several ETC fixtures and, for a number of reasons, is ideal for the on-camera...

Well known for its annual folk music festival, Kerrville, Texas is also home to Impact Christian Fellowship. A growing, non-denominational house of worship, Impact’s services stand out for their message and their worship music. Weekly services, their ‘kids church’, and annual Vacation Bible School...

We've talked about color temperature in architectural applications before on this blog. Both in terms of what color temperature is and how human-centric lighting works with physiology to create environments that are well suited for their purpose. What we haven't talked about before is just how...

Suzhou Bay Cultural Center is located at the shore of Lake Tai in Suzhou of China, and adjacent to the Taihu New Town CBD. It is one of the signature development projects initiated by the city through the Wujiang Lakefront Masterplan. The 215,000 square-meter center consists of two wings, the...

In an industry centered on the arts, it's no surprise that we've come across some amazing theatre tattoos and lighting themed ink over the years. Here, we've gathered tattoo submissions and stories from our fans. Thank you to everyone who contributed. We're inspired by you and your artists'...

It was such a wonderful time to meet our friends and customers in person during the open house event held from June 29 to July 1 in Seoul, organized by C&C Lightway, our very supportive dealer for the Korean market.

When executing a successful lighting design, the question of color is often considered near the end of the process, and in some ways, it seems to make sense. We first ask ourselves, what’s my budget? Which fixtures do I have? What are my hang positions? And then, finally, what color should those...

Humans move faster than plants, but we still respond to daylight. We also respond to paychecks, which is why many of us find ourselves indoors for large parts of the day, cut off from the cues daylight naturally tells our body about when to be active and when to rest. We find ourselves sluggish in...

The following is a conversation between Sherrice Mojgani, lighting designer, and Venus Gulbranson, assistant lighting designer. Read as the two discuss their own thoughts on the professional process, expectations, and assumed duties of both lighting designers and their assistants.

France TV, the nation’s public broadcaster, recently expanded its premises near Montpellier in the South-East of France, with the addition of a cutting edge 600 m² green screen space: Studio D. To satisfy the demanding requirements, France TV’s technical teams equipped themselves with 46 fos/4...

ETC has spent decades refining the technology that goes into our lighting and rigging systems. While our roots are in theatre, our extensive product suite has grown to find a home in concert stadiums, convention centers, film studios, cruise ships, theme parks, office buildings, houses of worship,...

We continue our conversations with female lighting designers with this week’s feature on Mextly Couzin. Couzin is a Mexican American designer with a passion for opera, a BS in pure mathematics, and an associate design credit on a show currently running on Broadway. Read interviews with other...

If you’ve ever wanted to pursue a career in professional theatre, there’s a good chance that you’ve spent some time working summer stock or at a repertory theatre. Designers, actors, stage managers, and backstage crew from far and wide come together for a few months each year to learn, experiment,...

Miami University in Oxford, Ohio held its 16th Fashion and Design Program’s Fashion Show on April 30th, where High End Systems lighting offered beautiful illumination of the 75 student models on the catwalk.

All of the designers, models, and volunteer staff are students in the school’s fashion and...

Moving to LED fixtures is a big decision–and one that should be viewed as a long-term investment. In addition to looking at what LED fixtures can do, specifiers should also consider how long they will last. But finding long-lasting LED fixtures is easier said than done. That’s why ETC Sales Manager...

The Marlene Boll Theater is housed inside the Detroit Metropolitan YMCA; a 2500-foot black box space, the theater regularly hosts plays, social events, film screenings, and award ceremonies.

The Tony Awards are happening this coming weekend and as an industry built on live theatre, we thought it would be a missed opportunity to go without mentioning the history of this award, all the amazing talent that is recognized year after year, and how ETC is proud to play a role in many of these...

Professor Kathy Steppe from the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University conducts light research focusing on how light affects plant growth—and the impact of the findings could reach as far as space.

Sharon Remartini and Fabio Passerini are two young lighting designers from Italy, specializing in the discipline of dance. Like many of their colleagues, Eos is their preferred console. Their recent work includes a project with the Kataklò athletic dance theatre company, directed by the famous...

 After three long years we finally made our way back to Frankfurt for the much anticipated 2022 edition of Prolight + Sound (April 25-28). There was a great deal of excitement at returning to the Messe Frankfurt and being able to connect with our customers and visitors in-person once again. Around...

Like so many designers in this industry, Erica Lauren Maholmes says she came upon her career by accident. And like so many students, the momentum of her young career was dramatically impacted when the world shut down in 2020. Despite the unfortunate timing, however, she is an inspiration to...

Earth Day is April 22 and we at ETC continue to look at what we can do as a manufacturer to increase our sustainability efforts and decrease our carbon footprint. During CUE 2022, a team from our London office did a deep dive into the data behind our product manufacturing, shipping, and end-of-life...

Eos Apex consoles offer the luxury of complete control, engineered for your comfort. But then we thought – what if we made them even more comfortable? Meet the Eos Apex body pillow. Nearly spanning the width of the flagship Eos Apex 20 console, this body pillow provides peak comfort to programmers...

With just over 2100 people registered in 80 countries around the world, Virtual CUE 2022 was definitely our largest event to date! As you might expect with an event that spans most of the time zones, and many of our ETC corporate offices, it took a small army to pull it all together.

Product training opportunities have increased significantly over the past several years as ETC continues to grow. Having recently celebrated its 45^th year in business, ETC has gone from modest beginnings to become arguably the largest manufacturer of lighting and control products in the world....

When Amber Whatley decided to study lighting design in college, she quickly realized that many of her peers were coming to the program with prior training because of the programs that existed at the high school level. Unfortunately, in the majority of Black communities in the United States,...

ETC and Korean dealer, C&C Lightway, were invited by Busan Cinema Center to organize a product demonstration seminar on October 25. The Busan Cinema Center is the exclusive venue for the largest film event in Asia, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

The end of the year always calls for reflection. Before we bid 2021 adieu, we’re having one last curtain call of some of our greatest hits of the year. Check out the full list below for some of the fun stats and fan favorites you may have missed over the past year.

In less than one day, 400 people from 40 countries around the world had already registered for CUE 2022! This 24-hour event is slotted for February 17th, begins in Asia, and makes its way around the world, wrapping up in North America. Come join students, educators, designers, technicians, and...

The World Expo in Dubai has returned with over 200 participants taking part and presenting their latest and greatest innovations and technology on a variety of pavilions. ETC products are installed in several of the pavilions in the Expo which, after being delayed by the pandemic, has opened the...

Today we take a look back at the history of PENKO Engineering B.V. and where it all began. The company which has been a part of the global ETC Inc. group for over 17 years, originally started as a trading business which sold weighing equipment. Today however, PENKO delivers a range of customized...

ETC’s logo has evolved through the years. While it started as a college project, it soon shifted into something very artistic and intentional. There have been a handful of iterations through the years, but you’ll see that many of the original elements still remain over 40 years later.

Emanuele Agliati and Oscar Frosio are two lighting professionals from Italy with an abundance of experience, especially in the world of musicals. Emanuele is an esteemed lighting designer and co-founder of k5600 Design – an associate studio of lighting designers focusing on visual lighting design...

High End Systems has been making dichroic color filters for the live event industry for over 30 years. But what is a dichroic filter, how is it different than gel, and what are the benefits of using this stunningly beautiful glass that’s also found in artwork, jewelry, architectural accents, and...

Independent filmmaker and owner of UpHill Cinema, Levi Whitney, has been featuring ETC’s fos/4 and Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures in a variety of projects over the past year.

Pink Floyd could never be accused of half-hearted productions. In the mid-seventies when their contemporaries were still using carousel projectors, they created a 32-foot-diameter circular screen lit by two 10,000-watt Xenon 35 mm projectors with custom lenses ground in France. When other bands...

One of the most significant ways ETC has grown is through acquisitions of companies that already had great people and great products. From one end of the globe to the other, it's been an impressive journey.

The National Museum of the United States Army tells the story of more than 245 years of Army history. Much of the information throughout the exhibits is relayed through the eyes of American soldiers. From macro-scale artifacts to immersive A/V presentations, the museum required sophisticated and...

On Christmas eve 1975, ETC was founded, and a tale of impressive growth and expansion began. As we wrap up our 45^th year in business, we thought it would be fun to look back at the moments that have made us who we are today.

Today we’d like to introduce you to the latest office space of ETC France! The team officially moved into a brand new building in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, early last year. When you walk into the office you can instantly see just how spacious it is: at 1400 m2, the modern space is...

A great salesperson, the late Stan Schwartz of Rosco, once said, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” Some of the most innovative inventions failed because there was nobody to sell them!

Technology enhances so much of what happens in your church, synagogue, or house of worship venue as you’re preparing for services each week. The lighting, recording, and filming equipment, projections, and slide shows… it all adds up to a lot of time and money. Maybe your congregation doesn’t...

The word “iconic” is often used to describe the natural amphitheater in the grounds of Stanford University. Joan Baez, The Grateful Dead and Crosby Stills and Nash are a small sampling of the seminal acts of the ‘60s who performed on what some call “that hallowed stage.” Opened in 1937, Frost...

Leonardo Benetollo is an Italian lighting designer and owner of Pro Service SNC, a company specializing in technical installations for dance and theatre. His talent and experience in the dance arena make him one of the most sought-after professionals in his field. Leonardo has long been linked to...

ETC founder Fred Foster instilled his passion for education in the company’s corporate philosophy early on.  For over 20 years, ETC has facilitated career growth for lighting students through its Fred Foster Student Mentorship Program; a program that helps Fred’s spirit of giving live on.

The Orthodox Educational Society (OES) in Jordan is a charitable organization that serves communities across the Middle East including the education and training of students. In the midst of the pandemic, ETC dealer, Girhoma worked with OES to supply lighting equipment for its latest 450-seat...

This continues to be a disruptive year for our industry, but thankfully, with technology being what it is, we did not have to forego the much-loved summer conference for our ETC dealers and reps. Workshop took a modified virtual platform for the second year in a row, but attendance was high,...

A treasured destination in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Museum recently completed a multi-phase renovation over the past four years to bring new life to the museum’s beloved galleries. Among the largest upgrades was the Nonsuch Gallery. The Gallery is now equipped with more than two dozen ETC...

Anne Valentino retired from ETC in October of 2020. Before she left, however, Steve Terry (ETC Director of Standards and Industry Relations) and Dennis Varian (ETC Vice President of Research and Development) sat down with her in a virtual interview to capture the stories and memories of her time...

When you walk into the Orlando office, you’re greeted by a barn wood-wrapped front desk, a few comfy chairs, and the smiling face of the lovely Amy Poole. The environment is laid back professional, just like the corporate culture encourages it to be. Add in the frenetic energy of High End Systems...

ETC’s Mosaic architectural system and Source Four fixtures have been selected for Austrian amusement park Prater’s latest attraction: the new, rapid rollercoaster ‘Gesengte Sau’.

ETC recently launched two new fixtures for the theatrical market. The Source Four LED Series 3 and the Desire Fresnel. Separately these fixtures are incredibly useful. But together, they can revolutionize how your stage crew runs a load in, how your designers create art, and how your audience...

A project in the making for several years, Toronto-based York University went LED in its house lighting system with the help of ArcSystem Pro fixtures. After working with Horizon Solutions to install new on-stage fixtures as well as a Paradigm control system, the university’s School of the Arts,...

Many movie theatres of the 1930s, like the starlets who graced their screens, have faded away. Time – and real estate developers – wait for no one. But in Vancouver’s west side the art deco Hollywood Theatre was rescued from demolition by an enterprising team who turned the classic ‘30s palace...

For anyone who has ever worked in live theatre, you understand the massive amount of time, energy, and materials required to put up a single show. The costumes, lighting, scenery, marketing materials, and travel considerations for audience after audience each night add up quickly and have a...

When Syracuse University decided to renovate the legendary Carrier Dome, one of the key components was a rigging system that would support their scoreboard. They wanted a scoreboard that would provide a “wow factor” for their fans and players. With four sides that are each 62.5 feet wide and 20...

Lighting designer Daniella Beatie discusses the world of lighting design for theatre-in-the-round in this latest blog article. She is based at the New Vic Theatre Stoke-on-Trent and has worked on over 100 productions in-the-round including, Prince and the Pauper, Much Ado About Nothing, The Wind...

When Przemysław Waszkiewicz, owner of Offstage rental company in Poland, was asked by 1 venue recording AUDIO-WIDEO to provide gear for a video shoot, he immediately thought of ETC’s camera-friendly fos/4 Fresnel. “There is a lot of variety in LED fixtures, and I’ve seen many venues purchase RGB...

Twenty-two SolaFrame Studio fixtures have been selected to light the Marstall Theatre, a venue of the famous Residenztheater (or New Residence Theatre) in Munich for their precise framing, dimming, and especially silent operation.

Blake Hottle is a freelance Director of Photography/Camera Op whose work has been seen regularly on 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, CNBC Documentaries, and more. On his latest shoot for 60 Minutes, ETC’s new ColorSource Spot jr impressed him. “It’s fast, versatile, and has plenty of power for how we shoot...

Spread the ETC love with some printable Valentine’s Day cards featuring the gear you love most. Or, save a digital copy and send it to that special someone near or far!

With a 4,000-seat auditorium, Gateway Church’s Southlake Campus had their work cut out for them when going LED. As the LED upgrade started to become a reality, ETC’s ArcSystem Pro fixtures quickly became the standout luminaire choice for the project. 

The Dingledine Music Center is a part of Bradley University in Illinois. The University’s music department uses the hall to host more than 100 local and collegiate performances per year.

Education is fundamental to growth and development. Esplanade Academy in Singapore held a series of lighting design workshops in September 2020 while respecting social distancing guidelines during this challenging time.

San Diego Opera used creativity and all the tools at their disposal to stage a full run of the opera classic La Bohème recently. Presented as a drive-in experience in the parking lot of a local sports arena, the opera came together under tight constraints. Luckily for the lighting team, ETC’s...

Maintain the quality of light. That was the company message in 2011. Global energy conservation laws were coming fast and furious and the world was asking questions about the long-term impact of incandescent lighting. Commercial and residential facilities began swapping practical lighting from...

Billed as Spokane’s most popular amusement, the venerable Looff Carrousel has been re-housed, re-painted, and re-lit with ETC gear. This 110-year-old attraction is also the newest addition to ETC’s Project Portfolio.

ETC’s new project portfolio (https://portfolio.etcconnect.com) showcases some of the most impressive, boundary-pushing, and industry-defining installations we’ve been privileged to be a part of. Visitors can scroll through a photo gallery and click on whatever image strikes them to learn more...

Even before there was electricity, people were looking for ways to dim their stage lights. This sketch from 1650 shows the pulley mechanism used to lower cans over candles to dim the output from the flame. Technology has come a long way since this early sketch, but it’s clear that the ideas to...

With much of our staff still working from home, many ETC employees find themselves working with new officemates—except these ones have four legs and a tail. To celebrate our furry companions on National Dog Day, we’ve compiled a slideshow of some of our team’s friendly helpers. To all of our...

Recognized as the world’s tallest building in 2004, Taipei 101 is the landmark building of Taiwan. The building recently created a French-themed art installation in the 4/F atrium, featuring an exquisitely designed garden in the style of Monet. ETC’s Source 4WRD II was selected to light up this...

As a part of our Study Hall educational efforts, we’ve been hosting Instagram Story Q&A’s with ETC experts over the past few months. With so many questions coming in from our amazing followers, it’s simply not possible to get to them all in a day, or within the confines of an Instagram S0

tory!

How do you teach lighting design without any lights? Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators around the world have had to quickly and creatively shift their classes online. One such story comes from Clemson University in South Carolina, where lighting instructor Tony Penna faced a conundrum...

We’re lucky to have so many intelligent people in this industry with an aptitude and willingness to teach. Over the past couple of years, many of these people – lighting designers, programmers, and researchers have given their time to help explain some of the industry’s trickiest topics.

In theatre, the word “immersive” is often tossed around to describe the flimsiest of attempts to create a pre-show atmosphere.

When Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (billed as “America’s Friendliest Airport”) was looking to replace its aging control system, they recognized the legendary products and services ETC had supplied to the theme park business and decided to apply them to the airport.

Home to both the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics, TD Garden - https://www.tdgarden.com is bustling with sporting events and concerts throughout the year. Recently, the arena has been turning heads with a massive, two-year expansion currently underway. As part of its renovation, the Garden...

What better way to share your love than with some printable Valentine’s Day cards from ETC? We’ve gone through over 100 punny suggestions from our fun-loving team to give you the best and brightest printable cards for the holiday.

In 2016, a dedicated research team was formed at ETC to advance the technology of future product offerings. The team’s first primary project was to create the best light for use on camera. The findings from this multi-year, industry-wide study on color perception come together in the family of...

This year, ETC celebrated its 20th year of sponsoring eager students at the legendary LDI tradeshow. Sparked by late CEO Fred Foster’s passion for helping the next generation of lighting designers, the program aims to give students a leg up in their careers by connecting them with top-tier...

Ready for some hindsight in 2020? We couldn’t let the new year start without cracking that joke or looking back at our “best of” content from 2019. In the last year, we had a lot to discuss, from lighting tips to ETC culture. Check out our most-read blog posts from the last year to make sure...

The Eos control system has proven itself as a favorite in Broadway theatres for its consistency and reliability, but what happens to the lighting design when a Broadway show is based primarily on improvised action?

Following the notoriety of its Breaking Bad locations tour, the City of Albuquerque has added another startling tourist attraction: a colony of penguins.

Augment3d demos, new automated fixtures, and a giant lighting rig made LDI 2019 a show to remember. Spanning across two booths, ETC and High End Systems paired up on the exhibition floor to show complete lighting solutions for every stage and every show. Here is a roundup of just some of the...

It’s easy to picture Paul Luntsford, the dynamic founder and principal of PLA Designs in Portland, Ore., in work boots and hard hat on the jobsite checking measurements.

For the 2019 edition of ETC’s CUE conference, students and young lighting designers / programmers were able to apply for sponsorships to attend. This year, Anastasia Krikunova from Moscow, Russia was selected to attend the professional development conference held at ETC’s headquarters in...

ETC and Kinetic Lighting combined to upgrade the iconic Hollywood High School with a new plot built around ColorSource fixtures.

We’ve talked about how much we geek out on color and how Relevé Spot’s color mixing system gave us a chance to really show you how serious we are about the quality of light in our luminaires.  Relevé Spot – Color that moves you

Model railways, with their enduring charm, remind us of an America before the Interstate system and airline travel. As the full-scale versions struggle to survive, their legacy is kept alive by enthusiasts who combine architectural, electrical, and scenic skills to amazing effect.

When you manufacture some of the highest voltage power racks in the world, how do you go about safely testing their load limits? With a monstrosity of lighting fixtures and miles of cables.

When the Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation decided to upgrade the Centennial Concert Hall lighting system to improve energy efficiency and coverage, ArcSystem stood out for multiple reasons. Since installing the system, consumption has dropped from 76,000 watts to 10,200 watts. That’s a mere...

We’ve mentioned additive color mixing time and time again, but what do we really mean and how is it different than subtractive mixing? To help demonstrate what happens with additive and subtractive mixing systems, we asked our advance research group and our industrial design team here at ETC to...

Winner of six Tonys, two Oliviers, one Grammy, two Baftas and six Academy Awards, Chicago is the longest-running musical revival in Broadway history and ETC was selected to light the show for its International Tour 2018-2019.

In this guest blog post, LDI Student Sponsorship recipient, Mari-Riin Paavo shares her experience in the United States learning from some of the industry’s brightest luminaries.

In keeping with its reputation as one of the most liberal, diverse cities in the country, it is no surprise that Santa Monica, Calif. wanted to light its City Hall in rainbow colors for Pride Month. And it’s no surprise that ETC architectural controls were at the heart of City Hall’s new look.

Many of us dream of having our name up in lights and when you work at or visit ETC that becomes a very real possibility! International guests, fundraiser events, conferences, and college rivals all have a shot at getting their names on the ETC marquee. Milestone birthdays, retirements, and major...

Attending a live sporting event is about more than just the game. The excitement in the crowd and the grandeur of the space are what get fans to leave the comfort of their homes to experience a match in person. That’s why the Minnesota United FC soccer club aimed to create a spectacular...

The Britannia Mine Museum, located between Vancouver and Squamish, B.C. along the picturesque Howe Sound, is built around a 20-story Mill. The Mill building was shut down in 1974, all the machinery was removed and sold, and it lay abandoned and deteriorating for decades. Now, though, the Museum...

This was definitely a CUE to remember. Our pre-console training attendees made it into Madison on Wednesday with little issue, but that was one of the only predictable events over the next couple of days. Storms blew through the Midwest on Wednesday and Thursday causing flight after flight to be...

In this series, we discuss some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about LEDs. Today, Color Technology Specialist Wendy Luedtke introduces CCT and D_uv and what they mean in the world of LED fixtures.

It’s been a season of growth and change at ETC. The Orlando office moved into a new space last September. The LA office moved into a new space in March. ETC France, our newest office, is up and running in Paris. There are also plans for updates to the Germany and UK offices in the coming years as...

In this series, we discuss some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about LEDs. Today, Color Technology Specialist Wendy Luedtke introduces color temperature and what it means in the world of LED fixtures.

When Hwansoo Chung joined C&C Lightway – a studio lighting company his father had founded in 1994 – he knew nothing about lighting.

As the largest outdoor musical theatre in the United States, The Muny amphitheater in Forest Park, MO has been entertaining St. Louis-area audiences since 1919. This summer, as it embarks on its second century of shows, it looks forward to showing off a brand new lighting control system thanks to...

The most common connector in the entertainment industry in North America may be the ubiquitous 20A stage pin connector. That connector has been around in one form or another for more than 60 years. Early in its history, it did not have a Listing from a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory...

ETC has always valued color. In fact, we geek out on color so much around here that we’ve given a name to all of the stuff that goes into high-quality color creation: Color Integrity. With the launch of our most recent LED fixture, Relevé Spot, we thought it was the perfect time to take a deep...

With so many hotkeys and features available within Eos consoles, it can be challenging to keep up with all of the helpful shortcuts at your fingertips. In recent months, we have been sharing handy Eos software tips on ETC’s Twitter feed, using the hashtag #EosTechTips. To provide an easy...

Theatre technology is moving so fast that it hasn’t had time to create its own vocabulary.  A refurbishing project now sounds like an overheard Silicon Valley conversation.

In this series, we discuss some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about LEDs. Today, Color Technology Specialist Wendy Luedtke runs through chromaticity diagrams and what they mean in the world of LED fixtures.

In 1969 a massive oil spill destroyed the coastline of Santa Barbara, California. In response, Gaylord Nelson, a US Senator from Wisconsin, was inspired to harness and redirect the energy of the young adults who, at the time, were protesting the Vietnam War. He knew that if he could get that same...

We packed our bags once again and flew to Frankfurt for Prolight + Sound 2019! Together with High End Systems, we set ourselves up in the new Hall 12.1, across four stands. With tens of thousands of visitors passing through the exhibition, we were in for a busy week… here are some of our...

In this series, we discuss some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about LEDs. In this post: the basics of LED life from Outreach and Training Specialist Tom Littrell.

The opening program of the New Vision Arts Festival 2018, Tree of Codes, opened in October of 2018 at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. ETC was delighted to help bring this fascinating performance to Hong Kong audiences.

ETC is excited to introduce a new Knowledge Management Site (KMS), providing technical solutions that are both faster and more robust than our previous support article system. With the ability to capture questions in real time, ETC Tech Services can now get answers out more quickly to help others...

For the advanced users out there wanting to refine their knowledge on OSC, this latest installment of the Exploring the Network series is written specifically for you.

In this series, we’ll touch on some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about LEDs. The insights in parts 1 and 2 are brought to you by ETC’s Outreach and Training Specialist Tom Littrell. Stay tuned for more from Color Specialist Wendy Luedtke in parts 3 and 4. 

We here at ETC get a lot of questions about which cyc light to choose. (They’re all so great and honestly, it’s like asking to pick our favorite child!) We’ve found that it’s not a simple question to answer because there are a number of factors that play into the decision. It’s about your hanging...

This is the second article explaining Open Sound Control (OSC) in a series titled Exploring the Network written by field service engineer and programmer Sam Smallman. In today’s article we will explore connecting two devices together and communicating via OSC. Whilst this article could be thought...

On behalf of everyone at ETC, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the outpouring of love and sympathy over the loss of our beloved leader Fred Foster. The Foster family is also an intimate part of ETC and they too are grateful for your support in this difficult time. Your stories of...

With the many recent changes to the US National Electrical Code (NEC) regarding emergency lighting, I am often asked whether an emergency luminaire is allowed to be cord-and-plug connected. The answer to this question, which will be revealed here, involves a careful reading of both the NEC and...

With 2019 underway, we’re taking a moment to put our “best of” content from last year in the spotlight. In 2018, we had many meaningful conversations about topics such as LED technology, OSC, Eos tools, ETC culture, and more. Catch up on our 10 most popular blog posts from 2018, and stay tuned...

When guests arrived at the train platform for a ride on The Polar Express this holiday season, they knew they were in for a magical evening — but chances are they never thought about the technical challenges that come with mounting a show on a moving train …

We continue our tour through ETC’s repository of gear and ephemera of lighting days gone by with another entry from the company’s early history: the 1982 Entertainment Lighting Control System (ELC). After a number of years partnering with Berkey Colortran to produce the Channel Track desks, the...

The Royal Court Theatre in London’s Sloane Square changed British theatre forever.

Today we take a look at another behemoth from ETC’s collection of lighting industry equipment and ephemera: a Skirpan Autocue Astral Stage Lighting Control System from 1977.

The name Jands has long been synonymous with all things production in Australia.

Seattle’s recently-opened Nordic Heritage Museum celebrates the culture of all five Nordic countries: Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

We each have a past. Some more shady than others. And when it comes to the LEDs we use in ETC fixtures you might be surprised to learn where each comes from. Surprisingly, not a single one was created with theatrical lighting in mind.

Team ETC and High End is settling back in after a flurry of activities at LDI this weekend…

In this series, guest blogger Cory Pattak discusses Eos show file setup from his perspective as a freelance designer. In this post: Magic Sheets and Pixel Maps

Network reality shows have a varied life expectancy – many fall straight into the ‘What were they thinking?’  bin, others drift into the ‘Oh, yes I vaguely remember that’ halfway house of falling ratings, while a few are good for the lighting industry but collapse under the weight of their own...

When a hurricane strikes, the strong storms often cause nasty electrical interferences, failures, brown outs, spikes, and more. To be extra prepared in your theatre, house of worship, business center, or wherever you happen to use ETC equipment, we recommend backing up and saving your show files...

In this series, guest blogger Cory Pattak discusses Eos show file setup from his perspective as a freelance designer. In this post: Effects, Submasters, Presets, Groups, Macros.

Starbucks opened a new Reserve Roastery in Shanghai in December 2017. Situated in the city center of one of the busiest cities in China, the Shanghai shop is not only the second Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the world but also the world’s largest Starbucks location.

Following a successful European tour, the science exhibition “experienceCOLOUR” opened in the UK for the first time – running throughout September to mid-October at the Glasshouse Arts Center in Stourbridge.

Focuspoint is an ETC dealer in Estonia – and if the company name looks familiar, it’s because it was taken from a knob on the ETC Expression. As his company name suggests, founder Kalle Karindi runs a tight operation. “I am a one-man company with no plans to expand,” he laughs.

In this series, guest blogger Cory Pattak discusses Eos show file setup from his perspective as a freelance designer. In this post: Patch, Color Palettes and Beam Palettes.

In this series, guest blogger Cory Pattak discusses Eos show file setup from his perspective as a freelance designer. This week: Why is it helpful for a designer to show up for tech with their own Eos building blocks? How might a designer start an all-purpose template file that can be used show...

In addition to hosting the world-famous Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute produces a variety of programs designed to help filmmakers tell their stories. ETC is happy to once again be an Official Provider for Sundance Institute for their Directors Lab.

Every year, the largest arts festival in the world takes over Edinburgh in August, and this time, ETC Ltd made the trip to Scotland to be on hand for all technical service queries. Our friendly field service engineers, Chris and Dan, were onsite throughout the busy month offering training and...

More nations were represented at the recent ETC International Workshop in Madison than at the World Cup of Football (soccer for you US fans).

Most dealers and rep companies have offices, a storage area, and a small demo room to show off the products they represent.  Arizona ETC sales representative RC Lurie flipped that dynamic upside-down and made every area of their new 24,000-square-foot facility in Phoenix into a virtual demo room.

Each year, springtime in Japan brings the much awaited, spectacular display of cherry blossoms. The iconic pink blooms are anticipated by the entire nation and five years ago, High End Systems dealer Ushio Lighting Inc. saw an opportunity and proposed the idea to illuminate the cherry trees in...

There’s no doubt about it—LEDs are shaking up the industry as we know it. There is a lot to be excited about as venues make the transition from tungsten light sources to LED. One of the largest areas of impact is color capabilities.

Every other summer in Madison, WI, ETC hosts a week-long event of classes, networking, and fun for our dealers and reps.  The keynote presentations this year included an interview with Fred Foster by The Lumen Brothers, as well as an insightful look into color perception by industry consultant,...

ETC light fixtures have long lived in entertainment venues and retail spaces. Those two worlds collided as Jordan’s Furniture began building the world’s largest indoor ropes course as a part of its New Haven store.

As Tom Hanks shimmies into a fat suit for his first Los Angeles stage performance as Sir John Falstaff, lighting technicians Curtis Scheu and Ken Berry sit at an ETC Ion and run a final channel check for the opening of Henry IV. Performed in the sylvan setting of the Japanese Gardens at the West...

If you’ve been to ETC’s Middleton headquarters, you have already seen our entertainment lighting in action in what we fondly call Town Square. Wander deeper into the building, and you’ll find an equally impressive display of our architectural lighting in the factory.

Electrical diversity is a requirement in most entertainment lighting systems, but one that is often well-hidden from users. This post will explore diversity requirements and what they mean to lighting users.

Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace once said, “The suit does not represent the businessman anymore. Nor does the loud shirt represent the rock star. The same man can now wear both.”

Walk into ETC’s Middleton headquarters and the first feature that will catch your eye is our marquee. Designed to emulate a theatrical city street, ETC’s Town Square provides a spectacular space to convene for meetings, mingle over lunch, and welcome visitors.

Thanks to some prompt ETC factory support, the wheels of justice did not stop turning when the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids, Mich. underwent a recent upgrade to its lighting control system.

Hot on the heels of a successful USITT, we packed our bags, loaded the trucks and made our way to Germany for the Prolight + Sound tradeshow in Frankfurt (April 10-13). Here are a few highlights from the show floor and beyond…

For students interested in film, storytelling and fashion, VIA University College in Aarhus, Denmark is an international hub. VIA’s department of Film & Transmedia houses the professional bachelor program Multiplatform Storytelling and Production. Technical Coordinator Thomas Erland Pedersen was...

In the US, Product Listing provides a wealth of information about the correct and safe use of a product. Today we slice through the “marketing speak” to understand the difference between UL Listed and UL Recognized products. 

Welcome to the Monthly(ish) Museum, where we take a look into the historical lighting collection at ETC. In this entry, we’re keeping it in-house with a look at some industrial design prototypes for the Gio console.