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The light board operator (commonly referred to as the "Light Op" or "Board Op") or moving light programmer, is the
The light board operator (commonly referred to as the "Light Op" or "Board Op") or moving light programmer, is the electrician
An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenanc ...
who operates and/or programs the light board. Depending on the scale and type of production, the board op may be responsible for conventional or automated
Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...
lighting fixtures, as well as practicals and, in some instances, controlling video as well.
Sometimes, most commonly in small productions, the light board operator will also be the stage manager
Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
. Another variation in smaller productions has the responsibilities of light board operator and sound operator combined into one position. In the smallest productions, all three of these functions are done by one person. For productions where lighting and sound are operated by a single person, as well productions where sound needs to be exactly timed with lighting, it is not unusual to use MIDI Show Control MIDI Show Control, or MSC, is a significant Real Time System Exclusive extension of the international Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard. MSC enables all types of entertainment equipment to easily communicate with each other thro ...
(MSC), Open Sound Control
Open Sound Control (OSC) is a protocol for networking sound synthesizers, computers, and other multimedia devices for purposes such as musical performance or show control. OSC's advantages include interoperability, accuracy, flexibility and enh ...
(OSC), or Timecode (SMPTE Time Code
SMPTE timecode ( or ) is a set of cooperating st