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Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K RAW Camera

Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K RAW Camera

Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K RAW Camera

[caption id="attachment_276044" align="alignnone" width="800"]Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K RAW Camera. Fully loaded, the unit weighs in at about 8 pounds.[/caption]

Cameras are like drugs for me. I liken getting into cameras kind of like getting into skiing. You start out with a cruddy rental of some ho-hum gear, slide down and get the general hang of it, and then you need to upgrade. And it’s not cheap. Because that thrill — that thrill costs money. I bought my first decent camera because I was tired of taking awful pictures. Now I need to rein myself in every time I go near a camera store. It’s almost worse in my professional life due to the fact that cheap gear ain’t pro, and pro gear ain’t cheap.

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Martin’s Dotron and Fatron Fixtures

Martin’s Dotron and Fatron Fixtures

I cut my teeth in lighting from early on, but eventually found myself working for a video production company, finding the gear far cooler — and far more complex. Back in those days, lights were lights, projectors were projectors, and never the twain met. But there were some emerging technologies and we always dreamed about marrying them, or at least producing a weird hybrid-freak-son-daughter.

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One side of the panel has a video screen with 6mm pixel pitch, while the other has an 8x8 matrix of 15W LEDs.

Ayrton DreamPanel Twin

Some fixtures do their best to defy categorization. In recent years, we’ve seen manufacturers release lights that attempt to fit characteristics of several types fixtures into a single unit, generally combining key aspects into a fixture released under the banner of “hybrid.” Today we look at an Ayrton fixture that combines elements of high-resolution video panels and narrow-beam LED matrices into a single fixture.

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Photo Courtesy Frankfurt Messe

Prolight + Sound 2017 Show Report

FRANKFURT, Germany — Prolight + Sound, arguable the largest trade show of its kind, closed on April 7 after a successful run. Last year, more than 43,000 visitors swooped down on 940 exhibitors. It took me four full days in 2017 just to cover the lighting and video areas.

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Attraction Near the Great Wall Of China Beckons Audiences with Christie Projection

[caption id="attachment_276031" align="alignnone" width="800"]Christie Boxer 4K30 projectors were selected for their high brightness[/caption]

BEIJING – Christie projection is being used for a mesmerizing virtual flight ride at a new 3D dome theater located at Badaling, the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall of China, in the outskirts of urban Beijing.

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Patching Prestidigitation

Anyone who wants to learn about automated lighting programming must study and master one very important task: Patching. Without this ability, the data within the desk will not be able to communicate properly with the connected fixtures and other devices. Patching requires an understanding of a console’s specific methodologies, DMX fundamentals and intimate details of the lighting rig layout. No matter the show or the console, a programmer must properly patch the system to actually control lighting units.

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Jacqueline Attard, Phil Blue, Rob Moss and Anastasia Nikolaou

Green Hippo Expands U.K.-Based Team

LONDON — Green Hippo made four additions to its UK-based team. Jacqueline Attard is the UK HQ’s new Financial Controller, while Phil Blue joins as Sales Manager, expanding the technical sales team. Rob Moss enlists as Junior Production Engineer, and Anastasia Nikolaou is the latest member of the London-based marketing team, securing the role of PR and Marketing Executive.

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Penn & Teller Theater Upgrades with Solaspot Pro 1500s

[caption id="attachment_276020" align="alignnone" width="648"]Penn and Teller theater gets an upgrade[/caption]

LAS VEGAS — Penn & Teller’s outrageous blend of magic and comedy has remained one of the hottest tickets in Las Vegas for over 20 years, and when the production team decided to upgrade the show’s set and scenery, it was also time to invest in new stage lighting technology. Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter specified eight High End Systems SolaSpot Pro 1500s, purchased through 4Wall, for the Penn & Teller Theater in the Rio Hotel.

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Joshua Schultz, who served as lighting designer, operator and programmer, used two Sapphire Touch consoles tied into two Titan Net processors with two Ai RX8 media servers to drive the video content.

DICE Awards Visuals Controlled with Avolites Consoles

LAS VEGAS — Avolites recently helped set and control the scene at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Awards ceremony held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Presented by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the event celebrated the best in interactive entertainment in the video gaming industry for 2016.

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