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A Smooth Trajectory for L’Arc-en-Ciel

L'Arc en Ciel plays MSG

A Smooth Trajectory for L’Arc-en-Ciel

The Japanese Band’s big show at MSG got an assist from PRG

The Japanese group L’Arc-en-Ciel is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a world tour and making some concert history along the way. They became the first Japanese band to ever headline at New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG) with their sold-out performance on March 25, 2012. Starting off the final leg of their world tour at MSG is a daunting undertaking — doubly so when you are starting off your first show with a brand new set, lighting, and video. The group decided to bring in concert touring production manager Tom Hudak to handle the Garden performance as well as the subsequent European dates and some of the Asian tour stops. PLSN spoke with Hudak about the MSG show.

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The 2.5-ton Swarovski crystal chandelier

Bamboo Miami

Bamboo Group, known worldwide for its trend-setting 100,000-square-foot nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, recently opened the doors to a 27,000-square-foot, 950-capacity nightclub in the space previously occupied by the Paris Theater in Miami Beach. (The capacity, limited by a layout dominated with VIP tables and couches, will expand when additional seating areas open with the second floor mezzanine and patio later this year.)

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Off the Hookah

Off the Hookah

Lighting Helps Turn Bayfront Restaurant into Hot Nightclub

It still is what it is — a neighborhood spot were Miamians can hang out in a family-owned restaurant, which it’s been since 2007. But expansion and a big vision fueled an evolution for the owners of Off the Hookah where the dinner plates are put away and hot nightclub is revealed — all in plain sight.

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What’s an IP Address?

In my day-to-day world, I teach some fairly high-tech classes in the digital projection realm, and the students who take these classes come from a wide range of technical backgrounds.  For the most part, it’s a very tech-savvy group — eager to learn, and highly skilled in networking, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance and operations.  This group is also very comfortable with new concepts and the methods required for setting up digital equipment.

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Blackmagic Design Mini Converters

Blackmagic Design Mini Converters

HD to SDI, SD to SDI, VGA, YUV, RGB, HDMI, 3G — I find myself converting a lot these days. Because of the plethora of video signals that have developed in the last few years, techs, roadies and designers are having to come up with creative ways to get signal from point A to point B — on time and under budget.

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Creating 3D objects in Cheetah3D...

Creating Killer Content

As the use of video increases in live entertainment, so does the need for fresh and unique digital media content. When a production team is given a project requiring media, there are basically two options for acquiring it: buying it or creating it. In this article, we will take a look at some of the tools digital content designers use to create the eye candy that gets displayed on all of those LED walls and projection screens.

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Altman Spectra Cyc 200

Altman Spectra Cyc 200

Altman Lighting has been in the business of manufacturing lights for the entertainment industry for more than 50 years.  When new technologies came about, Altman Lighting developed products that designers asked for. When a new light source technology came along called LEDs, Altman began researching and developing products.

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A Whole New Definition for “Dead” Heads

In show business, being dead has become a viable career option, thanks to technology. The most recent iteration of dead men telling tales was the projection resurrection of Tupac Shakur during a performance by rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April in California. The projection was otherworldly and, depending upon your perspective, it was also either way-cool or downright creepy, but it also suggests that there is a budding business to be had here.

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Time to Get Organized

The other day I was watching an episode of The Simpsons and Homer was hanging out at home.  He was at a loss as to what to do, so he grabbed the label maker and stuck labels on every item in the kitchen.  He was very thorough to the point that each egg had a label that simply said “egg.”  While this type of organizational skill is a bit over-the-top, automated lighting programmers need to be very organized and label as much as they can within their show file.  Good organizational skills lead to faster programming and easier to understand console layouts.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Not Your Dad’s Projection System

Over the last 10 years, the live entertainment business has been overrun with video panels. We have high res, low res, 6mm to 80mm, cubed-shaped and cylinder shaped — heck, they have video elements that roll up into a truss like your overhead garage door. I like to play with all of it. But the problem I notice is that, no matter how high your screen’s resolution, it never looks as good as a well-projected image.

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ZZ Top, 3 Doors Down Cancel Alabama Show Due to Stage Safety Concerns

ATMORE, AL — The “Gang of Outlaws” tour stop at the Wind Creek Casino and Amphitheater set for June 9 was cancelled due to stage safety concerns. The tour’s headliners include ZZ Top, 3 Doors Down and Gretchen Wilson. Roland Castillo of IATSE 134 San Jose, head rigger on the ZZ Top tour, was credited for canceling the show, according to a posting on the website for the Event Safety Alliance (eventsafetyalliance.org).

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