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Compound Photonics Features New Projection Technologies at Display Summit China 2016

Compound Photonics Features New Projection Technologies at Display Summit China 2016

SHANGHAI, China — Compound Photonics, an eight-year old technology company focused on projection technologies, featured what it calls the world’s smallest native 4K imaging device, measuring only 14mm diagonally and featuring pixels smaller than three microns. The company was featuring the technology at the Display Summit China 2016, which took place in Yixing, China, just outside Shanghai, from May 9-11..

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Frankie Valli lit by Robe fixtures

Frankie Valli Touring with Robe Fixtures

LOS ANGELES – At 82 years young, legendary singer, recording artist and front man of The Four Seasons Frankie Valli is still playing live and touring two weekends a month for most of the year … with Robe as the first choice of moving light on the rider.  Valli has had multiple chart-topping singles and albums throughout an incredible six decade career and has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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The entire set was painted with various video elements. Photo courtesy BET/Black Girls Rock 2016

Collaboration is the Heart of Design for BET’s ‘Black Girls Rock!’

For the past six years, Black Girls Rock, Inc., an organization that promotes empowerment and mentoring for young women of color through the arts, has partnered with BET Networks to broadcast their annual awards event. The Black Girls Rock! production is an inspiring evening of performances, awards, speeches, and celebration. The 2016 show included appearances by Lauryn Hill, Gladys Knight, Brandy, Corrine Bailey Rae, Rihanna, Monica, Shonda Rhimes, Danai Gurira, and Hillary Clinton.

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Cleaning a processor fan

Keeping Things Clean in Our World of Dirt

“My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy.”

That quote was on an etched-wood plaque that hung on my mother’s kitchen wall for years, and for the longest time, I’ve used it as my personal philosophy concerning cleanliness…..at least in the kitchen and house. When it comes to gear, it’s a whole different game.

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elektraLite elektraBar Mini

elektraLite elektraBar Mini

I’m staring at a shiny silver/chrome looking piece of love here as I open the case containing a scaled down version of the elektraBar strip light. I easily lift this miniature 11-pound fixture out with one hand and gaze at this architectural model. They make a black one for theatrical use, but this one just looks so stealth. The fixture itself is just under two feet long and about seven inches wide. It has a built-in power supply that is permanently attached to the back.

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ADJ Vizi Hybrid 16RX

ADJ Vizi Hybrid 16RX

Despite their name and long association with lighting primarily meant for clubs and smaller venues, ADJ Lighting has released a number of professional touring fixtures recently. Their Vizi line includes lights with feature sets normally seen on larger-format lights, but with attractive price points set to be within reach of houses of worship and other facilities or productions that need to be conscientious with their budget.

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Chris Lose

To Timecode, or Not To Timecode?

Whether “Tis Nobler” Is Not the Question. Here’s a Roundtable Discussion of When It’s the Answer.

For some, timecode is the auto tune of lighting designers — a lazy choice. Others insist that timecode is doing the job of the operator, freeing him or her up from being chained to just punching the “go” button for each and every cue. But the truth is that when properly implemented, it can be used for a show’s greater good.

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Brad Schiller

The Art of Negotiation

Most automated lighting programmers work as freelancers meaning that they have to not only program shows, but also are responsible for negotiating the terms of their payment and services. Usually this negotiation is done with the production manager, producer, or lighting company. It is very important for lighting programmers to understand basic negotiation skills and to know when to make changes to their standard agreements.

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Guns N' Roses at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Axl Rose borrowed Dave Grohl's 'Throne.') Photo courtesy Chris Lose

Reunited, and it Feels So Good; Quick Cues; More

LD Philip Ealy has designed the much anticipated reunion tour for Guns N’ Roses. Aptly titled “Not In This Lifetime” — referring to the fact that nobody believed it would actually happen — Ealy is working with lighting programmer Rob Koenig and content programmer Chris Lose on the stadium tour.

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