Event Production Solutions with CAST Software

TL;DR: BlackTrax brings real time tracking into existing lighting workflows, giving designers greater precision, flexibility, and creative control without requiring a complete change to the production setup. A moving light can pan. It can tilt. It can zoom, iris, and change focus. What it cannot do on its own is know where a performer is in the room. That missing information is where automated lighting comes in. BlackTrax adds real-time positional tracking to an existing lighting workflow, giving compatible moving fixtures the information they need to respond to a performer’s actual position. Instead of programming every possible position a performer might reach, designers can use tracking data to keep fixtures pointed where the action is happening. However, BlackTrax is not simply making a moving light follow a person. It is giving the lighting system access to spatial information that can become part of the creative design. Integrating Automation Without Rebuilding the Lighting Workflow Bringing automation into a live production doesn’t need to mean handing the entire lighting system over to an automated controller. BlackTrax is a lighting automation system designed to work alongside the lighting console. It provides the positional information used to control pan, tilt, focus, zoom, and iris, while the console continues to handle creative parameters such as intensity, color, and gobos. Essentially, the designer decides how the performer should look, while BlackTrax helps determine where the fixture needs to be. Fixtures can also be used for tracking when the production calls for it and returned to normal console control afterward. Existing moving lights therefore become another resource in the lighting system rather than dedicated equipment that can only perform one job. From Traditional Followspots to Automated Followspots A conventional followspot puts an operator between the performer and the light. The operator watches the performer and continually adjusts the fixture to keep the beam where it needs to be. Instead of relying entirely on manual judgment, an automated followspot receives real-time positional information about the subject. BlackTrax can use that information to direct multiple fixtures toward the same performer from different positions. Instead of taking creative control away from designers, this solution actually gives creatives more opportunities and choices. With BlackTrax, a production doesn’t have to depend on a single front followspot location when the rig offers better creative options elsewhere. That could mean front light for one section of a performance, a side angle for another, or several fixtures working together to shape a performer from different directions. For most, automated lighting control improves the design, rather than taking control away from the human artists using these tools. Better Tracking Requires More Than Raw Position Data Knowing exactly where someone is does not automatically produce good lighting. A performer can remain almost stationary while making dozens of tiny movements. They can walk, run, or dance with natural vertical movement. A fixture that responds to every change in position with equal sensitivity can look unstable, even when the tracking data is accurate. BlackTrax includes tools designed to account for this difference between precise tracking and visually effective lighting. AutoSpot Mode AutoSpot Mode is designed to make automated fixtures behave more like a well-operated followspot. It works with Local Damping and Z Damping to help produce smoother tracking rather than simply reacting to every movement captured by the tracking system. Local Damping Local Damping helps BlackTrax recognize small movements around a performer and disregard them when they should not affect the fixture. A performer can shift their weight, gesture, or make another subtle movement without causing the light to appear to shake around them. Z Damping When someone walks or runs, their body naturally moves up and down. Z Damping considers that movement on the height axis and helps keep the light visually stable. The fixture follows the performer rather than visibly reacting to every step. Prediction Even high-quality fixtures do not all respond at the same speed. BlackTrax provides prediction options that account for fixture behavior and help improve tracking performance. In other words, effective lighting automation is not just about knowing where the subject is, but anticipating how the fixture will get there. Expanding What Existing Moving Fixtures Can Do Once tracking becomes part of the lighting system, designers can use moving fixtures in ways that are difficult to achieve with conventional cueing alone. Multiple Tracking Angles A performer does not always need to be treated from the same direction. Multiple fixtures can track the same subject from different positions, allowing the designer to build front, side or back light into the tracking design, which helps when the stage layout, audience configuration or creative concept makes a conventional followspot position impractical. BlackTrax has already been used in productions where the freedom of movement is central to the show. On Eric Church’s Gather Again Tour, for example, the in-the-round stage meant performers were surrounded by the audience, while BlackTrax enabled 64 automated followspots to simultaneously track eight targets. Dynamic Cueing Positional information can become an input for a wider automated production environment. Lighting behaviors can change based on where a tracked person or object is located, allowing the position of a performer to influence what happens elsewhere in the show. That opens up possibilities for reactive cues, interactive environments, and productions where lighting needs to respond to movement rather than simply follow a predetermined timeline. Automatic Beam Sizing The relationship between a fixture and performer changes as the performer moves through the space. A beam that looks right at one distance can become too large or too small at another. Automatic Beam Sizing can use zoom and iris behavior to help maintain a more consistent beam diameter as that distance changes, resulting in a controlled pool of light without requiring the designer to program individual beam adjustments for every position. Offset Tracking With offset tracking, the lighting target can be shifted in XYZ space. A beacon positioned lower on a performer, for example, can be offset so the fixture aims toward the upper body. This gives designers

Automated follow-spot systems replace manual tracking with real-time data, delivering greater precision, consistency, and creative flexibility in live productions. Solutions like BlackTrax elevate lighting from a reactive tool to an integrated, dynamic element of the show. Automated follow-spots give you flexibility and more creative control: In today’s live productions, precision is everything. The rise of the automated follow-spot redefines how that precision is achieved. From global broadcast events to immersive theatrical performances, audiences expect seamless, perfectly timed visuals that move in lockstep with the onstage action. Traditionally, the follow-spot has been critical to live lighting. When operated manually, these powerful fixtures rely on skilled technicians to track and illuminate performers in real time. While effective, this approach comes with inherent limitations. These include operator fatigue, restricted sightlines, and the challenge of maintaining consistency across complex, fast-paced productions. As stages grow larger and productions more intricate, these constraints become increasingly apparent. Designers must create dynamic, responsive environments that demand a higher level of accuracy and flexibility. Enter the automated follow-spot system. By replacing manual operation with intelligent real-time tracking and control, automated solutions are transforming the role of the follow-spot light. A formerly reactive tool is now a proactive element of the show. CAST’s , cutting-edge tracking technology, BlackTrax, stands at the forefront of this evolution. It enables lighting systems to respond instantly and precisely to movement. Understanding the Automated Follow-spot An automated follow-spot brings together tracking technology, intelligent control systems, and high-performance lighting fixtures to deliver consistent, hands-free performer tracking. Unlike a traditional lighting follow-spot, which depends on an operator’s line of sight and manual adjustments, an automated system uses real-time positional data to drive fixtures with pinpoint accuracy. The automated follow-spot system uses three key components. The result surpasses a traditional follow-spot . Automated systems provide repeatable accuracy and allow fixtures to be positioned anywhere in the rig, not just in dedicated follow-spot locations. This opens the door to cleaner sightlines, safer setups, and far greater creative flexibility. In this new paradigm, the lighting follow-spot becomes part of a connected, data-driven ecosystem. This empowers designers to think beyond simply following a performer and toward fully integrating light with motion. BlackTrax: Where Precision Tracking Meets Lighting Control At the heart of the modern automated lighting ecosystem, BlackTrax transforms tracking data into actionable, real-time control. More than a positioning system, it acts as an intelligent bridge between performers and production technology,enabling lighting systems to respond instantly to movement with remarkable accuracy. Using advanced 3D tracking, BlackTrax continuously captures the position of performers and objects across the stage. It delivers this data with ultra-low latency, ensuring that lighting responses feel immediate and natural, even in the most demanding live environments. Integrated directly with industry-standard lighting consoles, the system allows designers to map tracking data to fixture behavior in powerful and flexible ways. This means that any moving light in the rig can function as a responsive lighting follow-spot, without the physical or logistical constraints of traditional setups. Designers can assign multiple fixtures to a single performer for layered looks, or dynamically shift focus between performers as they move. The result is a cohesive, scalable approach that maintains visual consistency while unlocking new creative potential. BlackTrax has proven its reliability across high-profile productions where timing, precision, and repeatability are critical. It delivers confidence to production teams working at the highest level. BlackTrax in Action: Proven on the World Stage Across a wide range of live productions, BlackTrax has demonstrated how real-time tracking can elevate both creative execution and operational efficiency. In large-scale broadcast events, where global audiences scrutinize every cue, you need precise performer tracking. Complex staging, fast-paced choreography, and tight camera coordination demand it. Through automated tracking, production teams can ensure that key moments are always perfectly litwithout relying on manual intervention. In theatrical and cultural productions, technology becomes an extension of storytelling. Performers move fluidly through space, and lighting follows with equal grace, maintaining focus while supporting mood and narrative. Transitions between subjects happen seamlessly, without the need for visible handoffs or repositioning. This keeps audiences fully immersed in the performance. Concert touring presents its own challenges, with artists covering large stage footprints and shows repeating night after night in different venues. Here, consistency is key. With tracking-driven systems, each performance maintains the same level of precision, ensuring that every cue lands as intended, regardless of location. The follow-spot evolves into a flexible tool that adapts to the scale and energy of the show. In corporate and experiential environments, the emphasis shifts to clarity and professionalism. Whether tracking a keynote speaker or guiding attention across a stage, automated systems deliver clean, polished results while integrating seamlessly with broader AV and scenic elements. Expanding Creative Possibilities As automation becomes more deeply integrated into production workflows, the role of lighting expands beyond illumination into full creative expression. With real-time tracking data driving fixture behavior, designers can move past static cues and into dynamic, responsive environments. Instead of relying on a single beam to follow a performer, multiple fixtures can work in unison. This creates layered textures, shifting colors, and evolving intensities that respond directly to movement. This opens the door to effects that feel organic and immersive, as if the lighting itself is part of the performance. Tracking data can also be shared across departments, enabling deeper integration with video, media servers, and scenic automation. A performer’s position can trigger visual content, influence stage elements, or drive spatial effects that extend beyond lighting alone. The result is a more fluid, expressive design language one where light, motion, and media are tightly synchronized. Operational Efficiency & Production Benefits Beyond its creative advantages, automation introduces meaningful efficiencies for production teams. By reducing reliance on manual operation, teams can streamline workflows and reallocate resources to other critical areas of the show. Setup and rehearsal times often drop significantly, as tracking systems allow for faster programming and more predictable results. Once configured, cues can be repeated consistently and accurately, without constant adjustments. This is particularly valuable