Maintaining constant transmission even under very high temperatures, dichroic filters produce reliable color for stage, television, and film lighting. Although dichroic filters have long been commonplace in technical industries, they were seldom used in entertainment lighting until about 20 years ago. It has always been the case that the residential and commercial lighting industries have sought more energy-efficient sources, while the entertainment lighting industry has sought brighter, color-balanced, more controllable, and often larger sources. With the introduction of automated fixtures in entertainment lighting in the early 1980s—which use small plasma-arc lamps and compact optics—entertainment lighting was finally ready for dichroic filters. Capable of maintaining consistent transmission under very high temperatures, dichroic filters met the needs of this new type of fixture. Now, automated lighting fixtures are a mainstay of most entertainment lighting systems—all of which use dichroic filters. The common language of the scientific optics industry does not apply in entertainment lighting. A term such as "bandpass filter" may become "congo blue" or "color temperature orange." While entertainment lighting may be designed, developed, and backed by technically savvy individuals, often the ultimate decision of which filters are to be used is made by designers and visual artists. Entertainment lighting encompasses live stage performances as well as the creation of motion pictures and television shows—areas that have both similarities and differences.
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