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LEDs for Costumes

Adafruit Industries' Flora NeoPixel hardware can be integrated with a performer's costume.

LEDs for Costumes

LEDs are widespread within the entertainment industry. From video panels to lighting fixtures, LEDs are showing up everywhere. And lately, the scope has grown even wider to include costumes. Recently, I turned on the television and stumbled across a performance by the famous Rockettes dance troupe in which they were all dressed in black jackets covered with LEDs. As I watched, I realized that video images were being pixel mapped onto the dancers; and of course I was instantly intrigued!

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PLSN Video World, Nov 2013

A Word About Moiré

Back when I worked in broadcast television, the first thing they told the on-camera newscaster was “never wear a striped.” The skeptic who disregarded the message was shown his air-check the next day (along with a nasty note from management), and his jaw dropped when he saw the patterns of geometric lines crisscrossing his shirt. From that point forward, a solid-colored wardrobe was standard issue.

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VC-Dot Series from Martin

Martin’s VC-Dot Series

Creative LED products are becoming more and more popular, especially in the installation and touring markets. Designers are looking for unique ways to design with light and video while also bringing to life their artistic visions. However, in order to be able to design freely with LEDs, products have to be easily manipulated and flexible in order to be shaped into virtually any design; this means that LEDs have to be available in configurations other than linear strips or matrices like those found in LED video panels. The VC-Dot series from Martin meets these demands and excels in ways other LED strings stop short.

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Ergonomics: The Right Position

One of my favorite things in life is being behind a lighting console in full control of a lighting rig. Whether programming or operating, I find true joy in pressing the buttons and watching the lighting change. Through the years working as an automated lighting programmer, I have found it very important to consider the ergonomics involved with my FOH setup. Working with a console for many hours can be very draining mentally, but it also takes a toll on your arms, wrists, legs, and more. This is why you should always plan accordingly to ensure that you are in a position to perform your very best behind the console.

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Ricky Martin Live tour, Australia

Ricky Martin Live, John Legend, Lionel Richie and More

Mandylights LD Richard Neville — assisted by his associate Alex Grierson — designed the lighting, video design and programmed the Ricky Martin Live tour, which was an all-new show following the artist’s success as a judge on The Voice Australia. Lighting Director Churry Lafuente is operating the design on tour, which wrapped up in Australia (Oct. 3-20) and heads to Mexico in December. Veikko Fuhrmann created the stage design.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Design vs. Practicality

I’ve viewed a lot of huge cool productions this year. The photos I always see are giant productions that require trim heights of 50 feet and stage widths of 80 feet or more. This is great if you are playing stadiums and the local Enormo-dome. But to be honest, outside of the EDM festivals, there are only a handful of artists out there that play these kinds of venues exclusively. But that doesn’t seem to stop certain production designers from building unpractical touring packages.

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Suntec Exhibition and Convention Center video wall is ranked worlds largest by Guinness World Records

Record-Setting LED Wall’s Content Managed by Watchout

SINGAPORE — Spanning 15 by 60 meters (height by width) and comprised of 664 integrated 55-inch LG LED flat panel displays, the LED wall inside the lobby for the Suntec Exhibition and Convention Center here has been give the nod by Guinness World Records as a record-holder. Dubbed “The Big Picture,” the display features content managed by Dataton’s Watchout multi-image display and presentation software. The video system can support image resolution of up to 32,051 pixels by 7,941 pixels (WxH).

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Ultra Vista Systems ISIS

Ultra Vista Systems ISIS 3D UV Signage System

The Ultra Vista Systems ISIS 3D UV signage system is from the same people behind UV/FX scenic UV-based effects. The latest collaboration between Leslie Pringle and Richard Green is intended to bring attention to signs with a unique, transparent illuminated frame with suspended light emitting images. The ISIS 3D (The Illuminated Suspended Image System) is the first in a series of planned products.

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,047-seat Raffi Armenian Theatre at Centre in the Square, Kitchener ON Canada

Ontario’s Centre In the Square Relies on Strand Consoles

KITCHENER, Ontario, Canada — Centre in the Square, which was founded more than 30 years ago, now stages more than 180 events seen by some 200,000 visitors every year. Terry Hynes, head of lighting, oversees both the main stage within 2,047-seat Raffi Armenian Theatre — the main performance space for the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony — as well as the smaller Studio Theatre. For lighting control, he relies upon the Light Palette Live and Palette VL16 consoles from Philips Strand Lighting.

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Vectorworks 2014 Tailored to Needs of European Users

COLUMBIA, MD — Nemetschek Vectorworks, based here, announced the availability of versions of Vectorworks 2014 that have been localized for European customers. Products including Vectorworks Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals and Renderworks are available in native languages for Portugal, Norway, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the Benelux region.

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