There is a lot of free software available to theaters to design everything from sets to lighting, sound, and projections. If you have the processing speed and RAM on your computer, you can even make a feature-length movie using essentially the same software they use in Hollywood.
The entertainment industry wants young people to play with the software so the the next generation has the skills they need, according to a pair of professors from Old Dominion University in Virginia and Southern Utah State University.
Konrad Winters of ODU and Brian Swanson of SUSUÂ spent two weeks compiling and testing a long list of open-source software for the United States Institute of Theater Technology 2015 Conference & Stage Expo.
They created the list with teachers in mind, but only one requires a .edu e-mail handle. Here is the PowerPoint presentation for Teaching with Digital Swag.
You can even plan your entire production in a program that highlights who is over- and under-worked. Just be sure you include the time you spend noodling around with these programs! Hint: there are lots of tutorials on YouTube.
LINKS
Yvonne French To Report From U.S. Institute of Theater Technology’s 55th Annual Conference & Stage Expo on DCMetroTheaterArts.
Reporting From the United States Institute of Theater Technology (USITT) Conference & Stage Expo-Part 1: How to Set up a Rental Program for Costumes, Props, and Lighting Equipment.
Reporting From the United States Institute of Theater Technology (USITT) Conference & Stage Expo-Part 2: Immersive Production: Audience and Performance Blending.
