Show control

Show control is the use of automation technology to link together and operate multiple entertainment control systems in a coordinated manner. It is distinguished from an entertainment control system, which is specific to a single theatrical department, system or effect, one which coordinates elements within a single entertainment discipline such as lighting, sound, video, rigging, or pyrotechnics. A typical entertainment control system would be a lighting control console. An example of show control would be linking a video segment with a number of lighting cues, or having a sound cue trigger animatronic movements, or all of these combined. Shows with or without live actors can almost invariably incorporate entertainment control technology and usually benefit from show control to operate these subsystems independently, simultaneously, or in rapid succession.

Leading companies in the industry, such as Alcorn McBride, Gilderfluke & Co., and MediaMation, have developed the hardware and software solutions that make Show Control possible. Their innovations have played a pivotal role in some of the most complex and immersive attractions worldwide, demonstrating the essential nature of Show Control technology in modern themed entertainment.^[1]