It’s time for a break, dear readers; a break from hanging lights, calculating pixels, equalizing the RF mics and tracking down that lost DMX512 universe. When this issue hits the stands, we’ll be deep into the NFL playoff season, and so what better time than now to devote an entire column to a topic dear to our hearts — football and video!
Read More »The world is teetering on the brink of the Great Depression, The Sequel. Now for another piece of amazing news: The financial mugging being perpetrated on much of the manufacturing sector in the U.S. seems to have thus far avoided crippling many entertainment-related businesses. There may be an empty seat or two for a Cher or Bette show at Caesars, but you can bet money that all the lights will be working.
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The production world needs inverted lighting like up needs down, black needs white, and yin needs yang. Some luminaires, like automated fixtures, come with their own built-in floor stands and need no accessories to stand in an inverted position. Others, like PAR cans and Lekos, not so much.
Read More »Dear Swami,
I work for a lighting company and we have a slew of power draw sheets that look nice on paper, but never seem to be entirely correct when I do a load test on a show site. I asked someone here if they knew why that is and they mentioned something about multiplying by the square root of three. What are they talking about?
—Confused Electrician
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Jason Badger has found a unique niche as a specialty automated lighting programmer. For over 10 years, he has been programming major attractions and rides for Disney parks around the world. As if this is not enough, he also spends his free time working in the Los Angeles area on other types of productions. However, what is distinctive about Jason is his work on Disney attractions. I wanted to learn more about programming theme park attractions, so I interviewed him about his specialty.
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The subject of lighting really covers a broad scope of fields. The best lighting designers are folks who pay attention to detail. Whether they’re lighting a car or a rock star, certain de-signers will spend hours on minute things, but they all add up. That’s why they are good.
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LOS ANGELES — Like TV screens themselves, the 60th annual Emmy Awards program went HD in a big way this year. Staged at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, HD images during the event appeared on 15 different screens, including five projection screens, four LED displays and six plasma flat panel displays.
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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Gearhouse South Africa supplied all technical production — staging, rigging, lighting, video and audio — for Lionel Richie’s South African tour, which played a mix of indoor and outdoor venues. To support the tour, GHSA pooled resources from their Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban bases.
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LONDON — Summit Steel is supplying production rigging for Monkey: Journey To The West, a fusion of Chinese opera and a circus with a mix of animated video cartoons and live performances. It’s currently being staged by AEG Promotions UK in the 3,300-capacity Kayam Tent outside London’s O2 Arena.
Read More »BOULDER, CO — Upstage Video, a provider of LED video screens, said the opening of an office here in July has helped it service clients in Colorado, Oregon, California, South Dakota and Iowa, and that it would continue serving customers west of the Mississippi.
Read More »John Huddleston, director of lighting services at Upstaging in Sycamore. Ill., says he’s been watching the credit crunch but has only seen it impact those… Read More »The Credit Crunch is Real, but Not Universal
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LOS ANGELES — It may not whisper Currier & Ives, but the Christmas tree at Nokia Plaza near Staples Center, switched on by Britney Spears Dec. 4, is heralding the opening of L.A. Live with an intense, pulsing video spectacle called The Light of the Angels. The show links video imagery from the 54-foot-high metal tree’s 11,187 XL Sphere units to 12 surrounding video screens, which are permanently installed. The free spectacle is appearing nightly through Dec. 31.
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