Incandescent lighting has been crossfading with more-efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for years, with interest spurred on by, among other things, government regulation. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed into law by then-President Bush, will start phasing out the most common incandescent light bulbs in 2012.
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Patrick Woodroffe, Michael Keller and Upstaging Shape the Looks of Ozzy’s Scream Tour
Ozzy and Sharon’s family lifestyle may differ a bit from the previous generation’s Ozzie and Harriet, but LD Patrick Woodroffe, lighting director Michael Keller and other longtime-supporters of Ozzy’s live shows say an extended family feeling exists nevertheless.
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Patrons of the Belly Up Aspen club were saved from one of those over-hyped, usually annoying “re-launches” as the creatives behind the live music venue decided to take the scenic route to their redesign. “We spent a year redoing the club,” says club LD Adam Skapple, adding that he always had a vision for the club, but the day-to-day demands on his time made it only possible to do it piecemeal. “I’m the only LD here, and the amount of shows we do is incredible — in the past five months, the club has been closed less than seven days!” he laughs.
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Since the dawn of time, human beings have had an urge to fight. Throughout recorded history — as far back as 2000 B.C. — men have battled each other to determine who is the best. Back then, it was bare-fisted. Today’s gloved boxers have more rules to follow. But a good fight still draws a crowd.
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Company Expands, Looks to the Future
Starting around 2007, Albert Chauvet would take time out of his busy day to go visit empty warehouses. His lighting company had grown exponentially over the years and was now bursting at the seams, taking up four separate buildings. The success he and his wife Berenice had experienced since opening their doors in 1990 had reached a breaking point. The company was busting at the seams with 40,000 square feet and separate buildings all adding up to logistical challenges. Read More »
I just completed a road test of a new moving light from Clay Paky, called the Sharpy. Three things were immediately noticeable about this fixture. It’s fast, tiny and packs a lot of light output for a lamp that has a bulb under 200W.
Read More »There’s no question that 3D projection is solidly entrenched in the digital cinema world, as 3D films continue to spur increased ticket sales at the box office. At home, in your living room, it’s another story altogether, and even though 3D channels are springing up like weeds, sales of 3D sets are less-than-stellar (but that’s a rant for a future column).
Read More »Last year, John Mayer’s Battle Studies tour was humming along globally. Chaos Visual Productions, winner of the 2010 Parnelli Award for Video Company of the Year, had assembled a complex 50-by-20-foot LED video wall composed of 45 Martin LC 2140 panels with four Barco 20k projectors that shot onto a custom screen, as well as a four-HD camera system to capture and play back the concert to the audiences.
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Automated Lighting Programmers must be aware of many concepts when programming a show. One of the most important concepts with any automated lighting console is known as tracking. I have written many articles and even devoted a chapter in my book (The Automated Lighting Programmer’s Handbook) to explain this concept, as it is essential that programmers completely grasp the tracking idea. Once tracking is understood, the ability of the programmer grows tenfold. However, there is another concept that goes hand-in-hand with tracking known as state.
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Anyone who knows LD Seth Jackson knows he is the original “Mr. Nice Guy.” So it came as startling to many — including Jackson himself — when he was asked to design the production for Alice Cooper’s No More Mr. Nice Guy tour. “My reaction was, ‘Wait…Huh?” Jackson says. But his background in legitimate theatre attracted the original shock rocker’s team, as they were taking this new production in a new direction.
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I just got back from taking a cruise. I didn’t go for a relaxing vacation, mind you, I went to work. There’s a new trend now where bands are chartering these ships and creating a musical ride for a few days. This particular ride consisted of 2,500 diehard fans who boarded the vessel for four days of alcohol infused, music blaring, full-on debauchery. That is for the people who paid. For those of us who get paid to control the theatrical lighting on one of these floating tubs, it’s quite an exercise in futility. I believe the majority of these ships start out with some pretty sweet light rigs. Somewhere along the way they seem to go to hell in a bucket.
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