Theatre Design & Technology - Oct 1969 - 18

computer will up-date the takes as best it
can, and the operator may further revise as
each take comes up on the working display.
When the scene is complete, a switch will
rewind the tape and begin playing the scene
over, take by take. Again, if things appear
to need revision, the playback may be
stopped, the specific take to be remedied
can be corrected, the subsequent takes
checked, and a run-through again started.
Each step of the blocking may be followed,
or many steps indicated in one take, to suit
the production. Clearly it is no problem to
add cameras, microphones, and lights to
the plan. The entire animated sequence of
the design may be economically preseNed,
with each drawing being stored on magnetic
tape. Depending on the sophistication of
the computer program it should be possibl e
to do many types of editing, rather than to
redraw many changes. It would be trivial
to eliminate a character or chair with only
one instruction, and then have the computer
go over the entire scene or scenes affected, to expunge the item.
It would be fairly simple to have something
added or moved throughout a scene. However, when numerous things have to be
moved, add ed, and changed, then redrawing
may be required as the most practical way
for both the computer, and conceptually for
the operator. Of course, any parts of one
plan that are required in another may be
saved and need not be redrawn or reentered
on the typewriter. Two handy features available with most computers are that any display can be drawn on paper by an associated plotter for permanent records, or
publ ication; also by loaning the magnetic
tape to other production personnel or giving
them access to the computer facility (with
appropriate security), they can on their own
time see the blocking and plans. Indeed
actors could scan the plans as an advance
indication of proposed blocking before rehearsal.
There are many possibilities for additions to
the system. Specific lines from the play could
be added such that as the animation progresses and while the magnetic tape is providing the animated takes in sequence, associated I ines could come from another
tape recording. The editing feature could be
expanded to allow any of the production
staff to make annotations on the takes during their review, while not being able to

make any direct changes unless provided
specific a::cess. Carpenters' drawings and
specifications might be computer-prepared
from more elaborate sketches of the scenes,
using a related but more complicated program. Using advanced communication techniques, the designer could be in New York
and his director in Los Angeles, and the
process still could be carried out exactly
as described, with the two linked by their
computer consoles in each city. Tapes of
the plans could be copied and shipped to
all major department heads who could use
facilities in any major city to view the tape.
Before the dream gets out of hand, one
might properly ask how much can be done
now. Except for a very few programming
details and the remote communication of displays, all the above is possible; and various
protype programs exist. Almost all of the
techniques described I have seen used, or
use myself on the old PDP-l (a ten year
old computer) in the Cruft Lab. at HaNard
University.
Recently I have been drawing three dimensional sketches in color, using special stereo
viewing.) The computer plays music, does
chemical reactions, drawing the resuits both
on the display and plotter for publication,
simulates flying airplanes, and provides
hansome computer art in full color.2
If I merely wanted to make money, I would
get the investment capital myself, set up a
computer installation in Los Angeles, spend
a year on th e programs, and then make a
killing on modest rentals to the industry.
I have mentioned this project to several
computer friends of mine, and we all seem
to enjoy more being dreamers with our own
problems, and money is not as attractive as
the fascinating new games developing with
computers every day.

Fig. 6 Photo of take No.4, this the drawing currently being completed or the active
display not yet stored on magnetic tape

Note: At an invited conference on Computer Technology in the Humanities, sponsored by the American
Council of Learned Societies and held during September 2·7, 1969 at Lawrence Kansas, Professor
Charles Csuri demonstrated different design applications of equipment similar to that discussed here by
Land. Two recent articles on graphic and sculptural
design by computer are: Charles Csuri and James
Shaffer, "Art, Computers and Mathematics," AFIPS
Conference Proceedings, Vol. 33 pp. 1293-98; and
Robert Mallary, "Computer Sculpture: Six Levels of
Cybernetics," Artforum (May 1969), 29·35. Editor

Literature Cited
, Richard I. Land and Ivan E. Sutherland. "RealTime. Color Stereo Computer Displays." Applied Optics. Vol. 8:3. pp. 721-723. March 1969.
2 Richard I. Land, "Computer Art:' Leonardo, Vol.
2:4, October 1969.

THEATER DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

OCTOBER,1969

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