Skip to content

Scott Barnes, Lighting Console Programmer for Motion Pictures

Scott Barnes enjoys stayong on the cutting edge of technology.

Scott Barnes, Lighting Console Programmer for Motion Pictures

Scott Barnes, a lighting console programmer for motion pictures, recently took some time out of his busy production schedule to speak with PLSN about how he got started in the industry and some milestones of his career. So far, that career has included working on many of today’s biggest blockbuster films. In all, Barnes has been building a massive resume of work on more than 50 films. He has worked extensively on the Marvel franchise, starting with Iron Man and continuing through the currently filming of Avengers: Infinity Wars, Parts I and II.

Read More »
Lux Machina founders Philip Galler and Zach Alexander

Lux Machina

Provides Peace of Mind Amid High-Amp Video World for Live Broadcast Music Awards Shows

Whether it’s The Country Music Awards (CMAs), iHeartRadio Music Awards, The American Music Awards (AMAs) or countless others, the trick is to grab the audience’s attention and keep it, with dynamic and creative visuals to go with the tunes. That’s a big challenge, and although there may be rehearsals in preparation, just imagine the added pressure when it goes LIVE and there are no second chances.

Read More »
SoftDrop of a view outside a Manhattan window

SoftDrops and Cinema

Rosco’s Backdrop Technology Boosts the TV and Film Industry

The Tonight Show on NBC has long been noted for the cityscape backdrops over the years. Carson had the Hollywood hills behind him. Leno had the downtown L.A. high-rise look. Now Fallon has the NYC cityscape as his background. Each new set brought a sharper, clearer backdrop of the city they were shooting in.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »

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.

Read More »

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.

Read More »