|
Automated lighting consoles have several innovative
functions to help the programmer, many of which have become commonplace. One of these is called "fan" or
"align." In the simplest terms,
this is a tool that mathematically spreads parameter values in even
proportions...The best way to describe a fanned out position is to look at your
hand with all your fingers placed together. Now spread out your fingers as wide as possible. You have now "fanned out" your
fingers. In a similar manner,
imagine focusing lights so that they are spread out an even amount from each
other. This is your basic
fanned-out positioning. As automated lighting became more mainstream,
programmers often found themselves positioning fixtures in a fanned
orientation. Sometimes it took
considerable time to move many fixtures into a perfectly symmetrical, fanned
out position. Thanks to some very intelligent console developers, we were
blessed with a shortcut function that helps lighting programmers quickly create
fanned out positions (and much more).
From
"Feeding the Machines" by Brad Schiller, PLSN, Feb. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
A handful of U.S. companies are attempting to develop more interest using large-scale, multi-projector installations driven by dedicated content that is digitally mapped specifically for a projection target. Besides the scale and the use of multiple projectors, what sets this kind of projection work apart from conventional projection is the use of pixel-mapping software that takes a rendering of the intended projection surface and maps it out pixel by pixel. The impact of this eye-popping projection on advertising could be immense, particularly as ad dollars start to come out of hiding in 2010 in search of new ways to reach eyeballs. Television commercials can reach a few million people two or three times, but a unique event, such as when Obscura Digital turned the U.S. Mint building in San Francisco into a pulsating canvas with balls bouncing between the windows for security software maker McAfee, can go viral from onlookers' camera phones, generating hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and other online channels.
From "The Biz" by Dan Daley, PLSN, Feb. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
Today
there's an article in the paper about the new technology that Intel is working
on. Remember that dual core processor I bought last year? Well, now you can buy
a quad core processor for roughly the same price. But that's not what the
newspapers are talking about. What they're talking about is - are you ready for
this? 16-core technology. And 48-core technology. Intel, it appears, is making
strides in multi-core microprocessor technology. How long will it be before we
start talking about M-core (million cores) and G-core (billion cores)
technology? It's hard to say, but this I know for sure; we all have to keep our
saws as sharp as we can. There are some big trees growing in the forest.
From
"Focus on Fundamentals" by Richard Cadena, PLSN, Feb. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
There are
so many different types of lighting in this world…My friend John Featherstone gets some
spectacular gigs. He recently lit the unveiling of Richard Branson’s Virgin
Galactic, the spaceship that’s offering rides to anyone with tons of expendable
cash. That has got to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime gigs. How do you even
begin to know how to properly light a project of this magnitude? …Architectural
lighting is such a specialized profession. I remember my friend Abbey Rosen
Holmes telling me how much she enjoyed researching all the cool lighting
fixtures you could use in a permanent installation. I also remember her telling
me that the whole project she had worked on took over two years and countless
meetings to complete…Lighting a circus must be quite a challenge. My friend
Alex Reardon designs for one of these giant productions. He was kind enough to
show me some of his visions through renderings he has made, and it’s amazing.
He has ideas that incorporate moving video walls in between the audience and
the performers. He has to preset the lighting for one of the rings while
running the show that is being performed in another. The amount of unforeseen
obstacles in these performances is staggering…Ice shows seem to be another art
all to themselves…One might think that the lighting of a theatrical play would
be easy — until you go see how the
pros do it….Lighting for film and video is an art form I wish I new more
about…And who designs streetlights?
From
“LD-at-Large” by Nook Schoenfeld, PLSN, Feb. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
The rapidly-increasing capability and miniaturization of the computer is putting enough power in our pockets to change the world as we know it. It wasn't too long ago when information like user manuals and product specs had to be mailed or faxed, neither or which was particularly fast or convenient. Along came the Internet and now this information, and much more, is only a few clicks away - as long as you can connect to the Internet. But the smart phone marries the computational power of a computer with access the Internet wherever you can make a cell phone call...New applications for the smart phone are focusing those resources on the live event production industry. The result is an explosion of iPhone and iTouch apps for lighting, rigging, and production, and we've only scratched the proverbial surface. As computers and smart phones become smarter and even more powerful, the ways in which we use them for our jobs in increase as will our dependence on them to get our jobs done..
From "Buyers Guide" by Richard Cadena, PLSN, Jan. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
For image editing, PNG offers fully lossless compression, so saving and re-saving file does not degrade the quality of the image. Even using its highest-quality settings, JPG is not capable of this; editing an existing JPG results in image degradation from the get-go. Also, saving an image in PNG will not introduce visible artifacts that aren't already in the image. There are five primary image types in PNG, including grayscale (up to 16-bits), Truecolor (up to 48-bits), indexed-color (palette-based, 8-bit, 256 colors), grayscale with alpha and Truecolor with alpha. In addition to providing the flexibility of multiple image types, PNGs allow for anti-aliasing, providing for smoother blending within the image and its surroundings. This allows the PNG to create the illusion of smooth curves, as opposed to the visible jagged corners and background artifacts found in a GIF file. PNGs also store gamma correction information, resulting in images that are optimized approximately for the display device regardless of the computer platform chosen.
From "Video Digerati" by Vickie Claiborne, PLSN, Jan. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
If you are earning money in the United States, then you are most likely liable for taxes. Generally you have two choices as to how you report your income to the IRS and how you file your taxes. You can either be "self-employed" or work for a company. I know programmers who file as self-employed, and I also know programmers who "own" their own corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC). Either way, there are specific rules that must be followed according to IRS guidelines. You don't want to mess wit the IRS, so I suggest that you hire a good accountant to help you with your taxes.
From "Feeding the Machines" by Brad Schiller, PLSN, Jan. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
In the last 20 years we have seen more lighting consoles come on the market than I can remember. They all strive to achieve the same thing; talk to lighting fixtures, dimmers and media servers. They all get the job done eventually, but I've come to conclude that certain consoles execute some tasks well and others, not so much...I don't think there are any bad consoles out there. Everyone should learn a few different types and not get stuck on one model. It limits your horizons and your ability to work on certain shows where the console being used may not be your choice. If you don't try something new, you may never know what you are missing.
From "LD-at-Large" by Nook Schoenfeld, PLSN, Jan. 2010
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
There are two types of 3D glasses; passive and active. Passive glasses are designed with polarized lenses and the left lens is polarized differently than the right. With this method, the shutter is created in the projector, either with a third-party polarizer placed in front of the lens (similar to a filter), or a third-party color modulator placed inside the projector - electronically upstream of the projector's DLP (Digital Light Processing) chip. Active lenses, on the other hand, have a built-in electronic shutter, which makes them more expensive. These glasses are synchronized to the projector via an infra-red beam emanating from the screen. No additional hardware is required in the projector. Both processes are driven by frame pulses in the movie's digital file (as stored on the server). The pulses identify the left and right frames. For the "passive" method, the pulses tell the third-party polarizer which frames to turn on and off, in the proper sequence, thus creating the shutter. When this "pre-polarized" light reaches the passive glasses, the left eye only sees the left frame, and the right eye is blanked. In the next frame the right eye sees the right frame, and the left eye is blanked - and so on, throughout the movie. In the case of "active" glasses, the pulses drive an infra-red beam which synchronizes the frame sequence to the glasses. When a "left" frame is projected, the beam tells the glasses to open the left eye and shutter the right. When a "right" frame is projected, the glasses' open the right eye and shutter the left - and so on.
From "Video World," by Paul Berliner, PLSN, Dec. 2009
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
Several popular brands of moving lights have a mode that allows the
fixture to move faster than normal. You might ask why they don't just
allow the fixtures to move at their fastest speed all the time. The
manufacturers like to promote the silence of their fixtures, so they
limit the speed to reduce the noise. They also understand that many
situations require fast movement without regard to noise. So they offer
a mode that increases the top speed of movement when enabled. It's
important that automated lighting programmers are aware of this mode
and request it to be enabled when desired. Your designer will praise
you when he/she sees that you can move them faster than anyone else!
Furthermore, you must always check your rig before you begin
programming to ensure that all fixtures are set to the same speed mode.
I always grab all my fixtures and give them a big pan move, then a big
tilt move. Often you will see one or two fixtures move at a different
speed than the rest. You can then ask your crew to set the movement
mode to match the other fixtures. If you do not catch this early you
will spend many hours trying to figure out why these two fixtures
respond to a ballyhoo effect differently than the others.
From "Feeding the Machines" by Brad Schiller, PLSN, Dec. 2009
Give us your opinion on this story. (0 comments) |
|
|
