PRG GroundControl
The followspot operator moves to the ground; the fixture stays in the rig — up to 2,000 feet apart.
What it is
PRG GroundControl is a camera-based remote followspot system: a modified automated luminaire carries a camera, and an operator at a ground station drives it over a fiber link from as far as 2,000 feet away. It earned an Engineering Emmy for changing what a followspot position can be. GroundControl Multi extends the idea — one operator's camera fixture drives additional rig fixtures simultaneously, multiplying a single operator's reach.
How we work with it
We program assisted followspot workflows around GroundControl: integrating it with the console so operator-driven pickups merge cleanly with programmed looks, mapping which cues are operator-authoritative versus console-authoritative, and training operators so the human instinct the system preserves actually reaches the stage. Our GroundControl Multi work includes musical comedy where the operator's timing was the point.
Operator station and fixture placement planning
Console merge: operator-driven vs. programmed authority per cue
Multi configurations — one operator, multiple fixtures
Operator training and sub-ready documentation
Right when
- Traditional followspot positions are unsafe, sightline-blocked, or simply don't exist in the venue.
- The show wants operator instinct — comedy timing, ad-libs, unscripted moments — with rig-level fixtures instead of front-of-house spots.
- One skilled operator needs to cover multiple pickups at once (Multi).
Look elsewhere when
- The goal is fully automated tracking with no operator in the loop — sensor-based systems remove the human instead of relocating them.
- A small house with a workable spot booth and a single conventional followspot already serves the design.
Is GroundControl a tracking system?
It's an assisted followspot — an operator drives it. That's a feature, not a limitation: for unscripted moments and timing-sensitive pickups, the human in the loop is exactly what you want. It pairs well with automated tracking on shows that need both.
How many fixtures can one operator drive?
With GroundControl Multi, a single operator's camera fixture can drive additional rig fixtures simultaneously — the pickup happens once, and the rest of the fixtures follow.