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Don’t Just Trash Old Lamps, Recycle Them!

Don’t Just Trash Old Lamps, Recycle Them!

I like to imagine a day in the not-too-distant future where I’m sitting in a rocking chair watching the world drift past my front porch with my grandson on my knee. I’ll tell him of my adventures in the theater, where I once cleaned up Jell-O molds for people with blue faces, and worked at dizzying heights with only a harness for protection. He’ll be baffled by the idea of the Blue Man Group surely, and by the time I have a grandson I expect jet pack technology will have surely come to fruition.

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Should LDs Have Managers?

One of the remarkable growth areas in the entertainment business in the last decade has been management of record producers and mixers. New shops popping up and consolidations of existing ones have increasingly crowded the big companies in that space, such as Nettwerk and World’s End. So I wondered, where are the managers who want to manage the careers of lighting designers, stage designers, video designers and the rest of the staged-arts disciplines? I’m still wondering.

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The Secret World of LED Color

The popularity of LED lighting has certainly taken ahold of our industry, and nearly every production now incorporates some form of LED-source products. Many wash lights are being replaced with LED fixtures, and now even LED ellipsoidals and automated spots are beginning to emerge from the major manufacturers. All these products generally operate very similarly to other automated luminaires, however there are important color differences that must be considered by an automated lighting programmer.

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Def Leppard Rock of Ages tour - photo Debi Moen

Phay & “Phamily” on Def Leppard, Flying Carrie Underwood, Nomadic LDs and More

It’s hours before showtime at Def Leppard’s Rock of Ages tour. They will soon take the stage with “Photograph,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Armageddon It” and other hits — with the bands Poison and Lita Ford opening. Hanging in catering with production manager Phay MacMahon, one catches up with MacMahon’s evolution in the industry.

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Illustration by Andy Au

New vs. Old Gear

Fall is one of my favorite times. Because that’s when all the lighting manufacturers showcase their latest products. For me, it’s a chance to see what the coolest new toys are out there. For lighting vendors, I think they may see it another way. Kind of like a Catch-22. They get to see what’s out there, but then they have to make some serious decisions on whether or not to open their wallets.  People like me don’t make it easy on them.

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Grant Goodson

Chauvet Appoints US Sales Director

SUNRISE, FL— Professional lighting manufacturer Chauvet recently appointed Grant Goodson as national sales director.  Goodson will direct US sales strategies and operations for all four brands under the Chauvet umbrella including Chauvet DJ, Chauvet Professional, Trusst and Iluminarc.

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Ramon Cano

Adaptive Technologies Appoints New Production Manager

SIGNAL HILL, CA — Ramon Cano has been named production manager for Adaptive Technologies Group, comprising Allen Products, ATM Fly-ware and Adaptive video walls and displays, and a developer of rigging and mounting solutions for AV applications. Cano will oversee both of Adaptive’s California manufacturing and assembly operations that produce the Allen, Adaptive and ATM-Fly-Ware branded products as well as all large-scale custom projects.

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Mission Control

Space Skydive Gets Mission Control Help from Riedel

ROSWELL, NM – The Red Bull Stratos project, centering on Felix Baumgartner’s attempt to break the sound barrier during a 120,000-foot skydive from the edge of space, was a mission that pushed human limits. Riedel Communications supported the project with real-time solutions for video, audio and communications, integrating  wireless and wired digital intercom systems. Riedel also furnished the fiber-based video and signal distribution and the wireless video links from the capsule’s onboard cameras. Along with other records smashed by the feat, YouTube reported a live viewing audience of more than 8 million.

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