LD Richard Pilbrow Test Drives Lightwright™ Touch on Sondheim Production

LD Richard Pilbrow beta tested the Lightwright Touch iPad app for a production of Stephen Sondheim

LD Richard Pilbrow beta tested the Lightwright Touch iPad app for a production of Stephen Sondheim

Some of us got a sneak peak of Lightwrightâ„¢ Touch at LDI 2010, however LD Richard Pilbrow, always a proponent of new technology, recently got to use the app in beta mode for a Sondheim production in New York City. Pilbrow lit a benefit performance of Evening Primrose. The staged reading of the James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim piece was directed by Pilbrow's longtime friend and colleague Tony Walton, on Monday October 25th at Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. The event was part of the St. George's Society of New York's Anglo-American Cultural Awards.

“The evening featured the NYC premiere of Lightwright Touch for the iPad in beta test,” says Pilbrow. He found Lightwright Touch to be “a seamless version of the internationally-celebrated lighting software by John McKernon; now at your fingertips. It allows instant sorting and manipulation; say farewell to reams of lighting paperwork!” Pilbrow praised the app, saying that he dealt with “a musical with 150 instruments and 80 cues, all focused, tech'ed, lit, and rehearsed in seven hours.”

Lightwright Touch Screen Shot

Lightwright Touch is a new iPad app from Pocket Lighting. West Side Systems/Pocket Lighting founder Eric Cornwell, who has created a number of software products and apps to aid designers, also created Virtual Magic Sheet, of which Pilbrow describes as “the best software gift ever for the lighting designer.” Cornwell has partnered with Lightwright creator John McKernon to bring out Lightwright Touch as an adjunct tool to the traditional Lightwright program.

Lightwright Touch Screen Shot 2

Lightwright Touch is a companion app to Lightwright 5, enabling viewing and editing of your Lightwright worksheet on the iPad mobile device. You will be able to export a show from Lightwright 5 and drop it into the iPad via iTunes. Lightwright Touch supports portrait or landscape orientation of the iPad. “The initial goal is to provide most of the functionality of the Lightwright 5 worksheet view in a mobile format,” comments Cornwell. “The app is a companion to Lightwright, but not a replacement for it. You'll be able to view and sort a worksheet by any category; navigate with next, last, jump and back; and edit any value. You'll also be able to customize column visibility and arrangement to suit the smaller display. Shows can be imported from Lightwright 5, and Lightwright Touch changes can be merged back into the original show file. After we get the first version out the door we'll tackle focus charts and work notes, but we are looking at a new way for you to add simple notes to the worksheet in the initial release.” Lightwright Touch will initially be available for the iPad, targeted for early in 2011.

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For more information on Lightwright Touch, go to www.pocketlighting.com or http://westsidesystems.com/index.html

For more information on Lightwright 5, go to www.citytheatrical.com

Also be sure to read Pilbrow's blog post about the production and his use of Lightwright Touch here

I love to hear feedback on what you thought about this product or if you have suggestions of other products I should take a deeper look into. You can feel free to drop me an e-mail at [email protected] or tweet me at http://twitter.com/mseddy2900.

Michael S. Eddy owns Eddy Marketing & Consulting, which handles marketing, media relations, and events. He also freelances as a writer on design and technology. He has worked in the entertainment technology industry for over 25 years with ETC, Rosco, Barbizon and Kliegl Bros. as well as being a lighting designer and technical editor.