How have technological advances influenced lighting design?

What will be an ideal response?

The development of lighting design as an art is closely tied to technological advances. In Ancient Greece and Rome, and the Middle Ages, theatrical performances were held outdoors, with natural light illuminating spectators and performers. In Renaissance Europe, chandeliers set with candles or oil lamps illuminated both the stage and the auditorium, and footlights were used to strengthen the light on stage. Tinsel basins placed behind the lamps as reflectors increased their intensity. Stagehands brightened and darkened the scene by lowering or raising cylinders over the lamps or turning lamps on rotating poles to or away from the spectators. Containers filled with colored liquid or colored glass placed in front of lights gave a colored tint to a scene. In the nineteenth century, the invention of gas lighting allowed directors and producers to control both the intensity and distribution of light across the stage. The gas table was a precursor to modern lighting board. Edison's invention of the incandescent lamp in 1879 led to the development of new lighting instruments designed specifically for stage use enabled the development of lighting design as an art form. In recent years, computerized light boards have made possible the execution of elaborate and complex lighting cues.