NEW YORK, N.Y. (Sept. 30, 2004) – City Theatrical, Inc., a world leader in custom lighting and electrical design for the entertainment industry, has received assistance from the NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) in developing its newest product line.

City Theatrical’s creations are ubiquitous on Broadway. “If you’ve attended a Broadway show in the past 18 years, you’ve probably enjoyed the lighting effects created by our lighting equipment and accessories,” said Larry Dunn, City Theatrical’s head of engineering. “It’s accurate to say that most major entertainment venues in New York City, and many throughout the world, utilize CTI equipment.”

The Bronx, N.Y.-based manufacturer employs 20 people and has won 24 product and business awards in the last nine years. The company’s innovative products include an award-winning wireless dimming system and the first automated lighting solution designed for theatrical use.

City Theatrical’s latest lighting accessory project is an after market lens system for a line of Light Emitting Diode (LED) based light fixtures that would allow users to change the beam width. The accessories will enhance the flexibility of the light fixtures and expand creative options for lighting designers through greater control of light dispersion and effects. However, CTI needed advice regarding which type of lenses would work best and was unsure where to turn for recommendations.

CTI heard about SATOP through the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corp. (ITAC), one of the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program’s (SATOP) partners in New York City, and decided to contact SATOP about the lens project. SATOP provides small businesses with free technical assistance through the expertise of the U.S. Space Program.

At the SATOP center in Syracuse, N.Y., engineering manager Ryan McLaughlin tapped Alliance Partner Eastman Kodak Commercial and Government Systems for help on City Theatrical’s Request for Technical Assistance (RTA). “Kodak was the logical Alliance Partner to solve an RTA involving lens specifications,” said McLaughlin.

Kodak engineer Maureen Moore took on the RTA, conducted in-depth research and prepared a detailed report that suggested four different approaches based on different types of lighting architecture. City Theatrical applied one of Kodak’s optical solution strategies to the LED-based lighting fixture lens and plans to use the report again as the company begins yet another lens project.

“One of the biggest benefits of Kodak’s report was that it helped us eliminate off-the-shelf materials that would have proved fruitless on this project. We were able to rule out products much more quickly and narrow our focus,” Dunn said. “As a small business, being able to respond quickly is one of the advantages we offer to our customers, and Kodak and SATOP helped us move much faster on this project than we could have without their assistance.”