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2013 Hometown Hero Regional Lighting Honorees

2013 Parnelli Hometown Hero Lighting Company of the Year finalists

2013 Hometown Hero Regional Lighting Honorees

“Anyone should be able make an impressive show with 400 lights,” says Larry Schmidt of Tallahassee, FL-based Production Support Group. “I like to see the tech-nician that can make an eye catching, innovative show with 80 lights, 60 lights, or even just 24!” Thus encapsulates the spirit of the Hometown Hero Regional Lighting Company honors. We like to think that while we can’t all be big, we can all be exceptional, serving our regions with an inspiring dedication to quality and customer service. 

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Jands Stage CL Console

Jands Stage CL Console

I have always been a big believer in finding the right product for the right situation — especially when it comes to control. You don’t want to be in a position where the console can’t adequately leverage all the functions and firepower of a big lighting rig. When that happens, instead of unleashing your creativity, your console is constraining it.

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Ayrton MagicPanel 602

In this industry, it takes something unique to get designers excited about a lighting fixture. In fact, it’s usually only once every couple of years that something inventive and different enough comes along that elicits that collective “Cool!” from designers. Well, it seems it has happened again. This time, it’s not a typical lighting fixture with more output, more gobos, better color mixing, etc., that is causing the stir; it’s the MagicPanel 602 from Ayrton. What is it that makes this product unique you ask? Let’s take a look.

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Skycam technology is backed by a skilled crew along with computer technology. Image courtesy of Skycam LLC

Skycam! HD Video Flies Above

The NFL and college football seasons are finally in full swing, the beer is cold, the easy chair is comfy and life is good. Every year, television game coverage continues to advance, with new technologies, higher quality images and better graphics that combine to make our sports viewing experience pretty special.

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Barco FSN 3G 150

Barco FSN 3G 150

The worlds of Live Event Production and Studio are vastly different creatures. What we see as the norm on the road, they see as completely abnormal from their air-conditioned cush-domes. We do share some things — killer deadlines, the need for super-high-performance gear, long hours. I’ve seen “studio” types get thrown into road situations and just completely fall apart from the exposure to chaos. Likewise, put a roadie in a studio, and you’ll have no problem picking out which “one of these things is not like the other.”

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Library (left), Layers (right) and Timeline (below) on the main screen

Millumin Software

The recent video boom has spawned a number of applications that allow you to do pretty much anything with anything. Warping, mapping and multiple layer playback, exotic even a few years ago, are fairly commonplace. But as app designers pack more of these advances into their software bundles, users are yearning for an easy way to arrange and play back some simple files. As a believer in using the right tool for the right job,  I was pleased to try out Millumin on a recent gig. I found it to do exactly what I needed.

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Swisson’s XMT-350

Swisson XMT-350

Have you ever had a problem with your rig or cable? One of the first things I check for is Air-Gap Impedance (AGI) — in other words, to make sure I plugged everything in properly! You don’t need a specialized gadget to check for an unplugged cable. But once that’s done, and you’re sure everything is plugged in, what if you still have signal issues or faulty cables?

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It’s About Time

People everywhere struggle with time.  They set alarms to signal when to awake or perform certain tasks.  They wish that they could go back in time, freeze the moment, or even skip ahead to the future.  Interestingly, the automated lighting programmer has total control of time at his/her fingertips when programming a show.  The power we programmers have over time is limited to that of our show, but the capabilities are stunning and often overwhelming.  Our consoles give us the ability to manage timing in varied methods, and it is important for any programmer to understand the techniques available on most automated lighting consoles.

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Classic production gags, including Lady Justice, a.k.a. Doris, made it into the film.

Lighting Metallica Through the Never in 3D IMAX

Metallica is known for making memorable concert moments. It could start out simply as a little pre-planned spark of a lighting fixture that would trigger crashing light towers, destroying the set to a controlled chaos while the bewildered audience sometimes raced for the exits. Variations of these destruction scenes over the years loom large in their legacy. Now they’ve poured all these gags in a virtual cement mixer, set the volume to “roar” and captured it on film — 3D IMAX, no less.

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Illustration by Andy Au

The Venue

No matter what show I design, I always strive for one aspect — to make my show look theatrical. It doesn’t matter if I am illuminating the unveiling of a new automobile, or an opera; I want dramatic lighting. The biggest problem I endure at most events is actually the venue itself. The place where you are holding your show can make for a pleasant experience or a long, slow day.

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GoVision Ultra-Lightweight 10mm CF Tile

GoVision’s newest LED video display panel, the 10mm CF Tile, features a 10mm pixel pitch of SMD, (Surface Mounted Diode) that are suitable for indoor or outdoor use.  The panels offer a 5000-nit brightness with a 40% transparency. The panels can be configured to work both vertically, horizontally and angled for maximum design flexibility. The panels are constructed from Carbon Fiber to offer ultra-lightweight and durability.

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