See You On The Video Side

Transcript

S Vol. 7.03 N N 35 IO T IO e C T g E C a J E p O N n R N o P O ts C ar t Marisa Davis Lights Ellen DeGeneres, page 22 Apr. 2006 See You on the Video Side ZZYZX Announces Contest Winner 52 Lights... Photo by Steve Jennings LAS VEGAS, NV—Freelance automated lighting programmer Scott Riley is the winner of the Vision 2.0 lighting design contest. More than 200 participants downloaded continued on page 8 NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA—Korn’s recent release See You on the Other Side is the impetus for their latest tour. Custom 19- by 18-foot electric motorized video screens provide removable projection surfaces for six SLM Barco R12 projectors. Christian Lamb was brought in to provide content, which was served up from Doremi hard drives. ABC on PBS XL Touring Video of North Hollywood is the video contractor for the tour. Touring on behalf of XLTV is engineer Rob McShane and projectionist Mike Green. “It was the most amazing content I’d ever seen” says XLTV’s president, John Wiseman. “It fit like a glove.” Fastlane Acquires Advanced Lighting and Engineering they currently have 15 full-time employees and offer a range of services from event planning and production to audio, video and lighting. The new acquisition will allow Fastlane to provide searchlight rentals for dry hire as well as with an operator. Rod Miller, founder and former general manager of Advanced Lighting, has been retained as the senior production manager. COLUMBUS, OH—If there’s one thing that lighting designer Chas Norton has learned in his 40-plus years with WGBH public television in Boston, it’s that it can be a challenge, at best, to make a live event look good for both the camera and a live audience. Doing so on a PBS budget is even more challenging, he didn’t let any of that deter him. America’s Ballroom Challenge was recently resurrected from a five-year hiatus and called Norton out of retirement to light the show. He assembled a topnotch production team, including Rusty Sneeden­­, an LD who had worked on the show previously, and together, they tackled issues ranging from lack of programming time to a shiny dance floor. To find out how they made it happen, turn to pg. 42. 38 Camera... Bon Jovi becomes one of the first to tour with HD video from acquisition to display. 20 Action! NED meets the challenge of installing 12 tons of video on a cruise ship destined for the open seas. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc DENVER, CO—Fastlane Productions, Inc., a full-service event and technical production management company, has acquired Advanced Lighting and Engineering, Inc., a Denver-based searchlight rental company. Fastlane was founded in 1982 by Doug Lane, who started the company as a DJ production and lighting business. After years of growth and expansion, ETC’s new Congo console has been gestating at Avab for about 30 years. Read about it in Product Spotlight. 100.0604.Cover.EP.indd 1 4/3/06 8:57:19 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 2 4/3/06 8:46:56 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 1 4/3/06 8:47:41 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 2 4/3/06 8:48:20 AM TABLEOFCONTENTS What’s New FEATURES COLUMNS 18 Inside Theatre 04 Editor’s Note What’s the difference between an associate and an assistant lighting designer? 20 Installations Thirteen and a half tons of video and supporting structure makes for a whale of a good time onboard the CCL Liberty. 27 Road Test Wireless Solution’s W-DMX hops across the spectrum with FHSS to lock out interference with a wireless DMX solution. 36 Production Profile Excelling at the 22 Ellen Bastard Child of Film and Theatre She may have sold her soul for better pay in television lighting, but the payoff LD Marisa Davis gets from lighting The Ellen DeGeneres Show keeps her in great spirits. Sooner or later, someone had to do it. But Bon Jovi did it sooner than anyone else. “It” is touring with hi-def. 41 Review: “Optics of Digital Projectors” Grab your popcorn and load your DVD player with this riveting movie about… projection technology? The delta-connected load is simple as Pi and twice as much fun. 49 Product Gallery Behind every good console is a great software application. We bring you the best of the PC-based controllers. 52 Product Spotlight 44 26 Feeding the Machines If it’s Opposite Day, then you’ve come to the right place to get fired from any programming gig. 40 Video Digerati What “hi-res” is does not depend on the definition of “is.” 46 The Biz New trends take houses of worship out of the sanctuary and into the theatre. 53 Focus on Design You don’t have to be jealous of your friend’s pen plotter if you know the secret to finding a good surrogate. 56 LD-at-Large Inside of every crew member is a great stagehand looking for leadership. 48 Technopolis Rascal Flatts Cast Big Shadow on Tour New studies reveal the secret of happiness, and it’s not Cialis. ETC jumps into the automated lighting console market with a winning entry. They’re no angels, but their halo can be seen from the cheap seats, thanks for the handiwork of set designer Bruce Rodgers of Tribe, Inc. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc DEPARTMENTS 05 News 05 Letters to the Editor 05 Corrections 06 Event Calendar 10 On the Move 12 International News 14 New Products 16 Showtime 24 Vital Statistics 28 Welcome to My Nightmare 31 Projection Connection EDITOR’SNOTE TGIM TGIM T hank God it’s Monday. I never thought I would hear myself say those words, mostly because people tend to look at you real funny when you talk to yourself out loud, but also because Friday used to be my favorite day of the week. There’s something very satisfying about spending two weeks worth of pay over a two-day weekend. But all that has changed and the reason for it became crystal clear when I read an article at www.livescience.com by Robin Lloyd called “The Keys to Happiness, and Why We Don’t Use Them.” In the article, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi said that one of the keys to happiness is something he calls “flow.” The author describes flow as “an engrossing state that comes during creative or playful activity” and that athletes, musicians, writers, gamers and people who regularly attend church “know Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.EdNote.JH.indd 4 the feeling.” In the same article, another researcher, Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, Riverside, said that a positive mental attitude helps pave the way towards a more satisfying and meaningful life. Further, Gregg Easterbrook, author of The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse (Random House, 2004) writes,“Research shows that people who are grateful, optimistic and forgiving have better experiences with their lives, more happiness, fewer strokes and higher incomes.” But wait…there’s more. The research of University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener seems to indicate that happy people, on average,“have stronger immune systems, are better citizens at work, earn more income, have better marriages, are more sociable and cope better with difficulties.” And, I would submit, they actually look forward The Publication of Record for the Lighting, Staging and Projection Industries Publisher Terry Lowe [email protected] Editor Richard Cadena [email protected] Editorial Director Bill Evans [email protected] Associate Editor Allison Rost [email protected] RichardCadena to Mondays. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out that if you’re happy at your job, you’ll do better than someone who wants to kick his dog every day when he comes home from work. Who would you rather have on your crew, Eeyore or SpongeBob SquarePants? What I get out of all this is that if you’re unhappy in your job, then perhaps it’s time to start looking around. But what if you’re happy at your job, but you’re not making enough money? Let’s ask Lance Armstrong. Lance, if you recall, used to be an amateur tri-athlete before he was injured and switched to biking. [sound of phone dialing, telephone ringing…Lance answers] “Hello?” “Hey Lance. Richard. What was that thing you were telling me a while back when you and Sheryl were over at my house? Uh huh. Yeah. Cool. OK, thanks.” Lance says that if you really like your job but you’re not making enough money, don’t worry, the money will come if you’re really good at what you do. And he also said to stay off drugs. Well, it worked for him, didn’t it? Fine, you say. But what if you’re making tons of money, but you’re not happy with your job? Good question. Let’s ask Ricky Williams. Ricky, if you recall, walked away from a multimillion dollar professional football contract to study yoga and, um, find himself. [sound of phone dialing, telephone ringing…Ricky answers] “Hello?” “Hey Ricky. Richard. Yeah, I’m good. Hey, remember when we were in India studying with the Maharishi Yogi? Yeah, that was pretty cool. Do you remember what you told me about leaving the Dolphins? Uh huh. Right. OK, cool. See ya.” Ricky says that it doesn’t matter whether or not you leave on your own; if you don’t like your job, no matter how well it pays, you’ll eventually leave, either on your own or with the help of a little pink slip. Oh, and Ricky says to stay off drugs. It worked for…well, never mind. That’s all well and good, you say. But how can you find a job you really love, that you’re really good at, and make a ton of money? Well, let’s ask Jules Fisher. Jules, you may be aware, is one of the most successful lighting designers on the planet. [sound of phone dialing, telephone ringing…Jules answers] “Hello?” “Hello Jules. It’s Richard…Cadena. C-A-DE-N-A. I’m the editor of PLSN. P-L-S-N!…It’s a magazine…No, I’m not selling subscriptions, I…No, I don’t have the wrong number, I… Oh, never mind.” [click…dial tone…] Well, you didn’t really believe that I have a direct line to Jules Fisher, did you? Who do you think I am, Swami Candela? Contributing Writers Vickie Claiborne, Phil Gilbert, Cory FitzGerald, Rob Ludwig, Kevin M. Mitchell, Richard Rutherford, Brad Schiller, Nook Schoenfeld Photographers Steve Jennings, Bree Kristel Production Manager Shawnee Schneider [email protected] Graphic Designer Ezra Padua [email protected] Graphic Designer Josh Harris [email protected] Graphic Designer Bree Kristel www.breekristel.com National Advertising Director Gregory Gallardo [email protected] Advertising Representative James Leasing [email protected] General Manager William Hamilton Vanyo [email protected] Executive Administrative Assistant Nancy Lopez [email protected] Business and Advertising Office 18425 Burbank Blvd. Suite 613 Tarzana, CA 91356 Ph: 818.654.2474 Fax: 818.654.2485 Editorial Office 10305 Salida Dr. Austin, TX 78749 Ph: 512.280.0384 Fax: 512.292.0183 Circulation Stark Services P.O. Box 16147 North Hollywood, CA 91615 Projection, Lights & Staging News (ISSN: 1537-0046) Volume 07, Number 03 Published monthly by Timeless Communications Inc. 18425 Burbank Blvd., Suite 613 Tarzana, CA 91356 It is distributed free to qualified individuals in the lighting and staging industries in the United States and Canada. Periodical Postage paid at Tarzana, CA office and additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to: Projection, Lights & Staging News, PO Box 16147 North Hollywood, CA 91615. Mailed in Canada under Publications Mail Agreement Number 40033037, 1415 Janette Ave., Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1 Overseas subscriptions are available and can be obtained by calling 818.654.2474. Editorial submissions are encouraged but must include a self-addressed stamped envelope to be returned. Projection, Lights & Staging News is a Registered Trademark. All Rights Reserved. ES TA E NTERTAINMENT SERVICES & TECHNOLOGY ASSOC IATION 4/3/06 8:58:18 AM NEWS Allstar Show Industries Buys Lighting by Monty Lighting by Monty is one of the oldest established stage lighting rental and sales companies in western Canada with branches in Edmonton and Calgary. The company was originally founded by Montgomery’s father, Monty. Allstar Show Industries, Inc. has three branches in Western Canada—Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver—and handles sales, Letters to the Editor Think Before You Jump I have one piece of advice to the gentlemen involved in “Can You Give Me a Jump?” (Welcome to My Nightmare, Feb. 2006) and anyone else contemplating such an action because “the show must go on.” Read the other article in the same issue,“Great White Case Gets Pleaded Out” (News, Feb. 2006). Is it worth the risk of 10 years in jail for 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter? The entertainment industry has been allowed a lot of privileges. If we don’t exercise them responsibly, we will lose them. If the “jump” had resulted in burning down a room full of people, the entire industry may very well have lost the privilege of using single-conductor feeder cable and connectors. Kenneth Vannice, USITT Representative to NEC CMP15 Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. We at PLSN like to have fun with editorial, but safety is something about which everyone should be deadly serious. Our hope is that those reading the article will recognize the fallacy of the situation and never, under any circumstances, take unnecessary risks in similar situations. –Ed. Hurricane Fallout I have been the operations manager and the production manager at the New Orleans Orpheum Theatre for the last nine years. Hurricane Katrina flooded it so badly that it is now closed, along with all the other theatres in town. The industry is dead for two or three years at best. For 30 years, I have learned my trade. I have been a sound engineer, LD, spot op, rigger, flyman, stagehand, electrician, carpenter, artist, musician and songwriter. The most I made in a year was $62,000. Now, I am a safety monitor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the clean-up mission in the city, making $90,000 a year. Life is very strange. We used to be able to stay in town and make a living with all the convention work and tourists. But our industry is dead now. The small theatres are doing some shows for a few rentals and integration of professional sound, video and stage lighting equipment. Allstar director Clive Alcock said, “I am personally delighted to welcome Rob and his staff into the Allstar fold. We have had an enduring personal relationship for more than 25 years and I have always admired Rob’s knowledge, honesty and dedication to his clients. We are anticipating a major step forward in the quality and levels of service this will bring our existing lighting clients. We are happy to welcome all of Lighting by Monty’s clients and reassure them that they will continue to be handled with the skill and respect that they have always enjoyed.” “This merger makes tremendous sense for our clients, and provides great opportunity for our employees. The combination of management and staff experience, along with a great product depth allows an opportunity for two successful, service-driven organizations to unify and deliver the quality and efficiency we believe our customers deserve,” said Montgomery. “For current Monty’s clients, the change over should be seamless, as all the front line personnel will be at the same phone, fax and e-mail addresses. I am looking forward to bringing our history, product knowledge and staff, and combining it with the depth of resources and business infrastructure at Allstar.” hundred people, but all the big theatres are closed. All my friends in the industry are doing something else, or they had to hit the road. The Feds, state and local government really screwed us all real good. On any given night, you would have shows of every type going on through out the city. My theatre had the symphony, rock and pop concerts, TV shoots, movie shoots, plays, conventions, etc. I will miss the joy I saw in the people’s faces and in the children’s eyes. I hope our leaders get it right and fix the problems, but I don’t think they will. This town has done so much for all types of music and talent. It’s a sin what has happened. I have worked with music greats like Fats Domino, the Neville Brothers, the Meters, Zebra, Ray Charles and at least a thousand more great musicians over the last 30 years. We also lost a lot of local sound and lighting companies both big and small. And if all our people don’t come back, both black and white, this town will never be the same. If any of you believe in a God, pray for our town and our industry. My wife and I will stay here and some day I will get back in the industry. God bless all my brothers out there in the industry and my two brothers who are out on the road. One is with the Neville Brothers and the other is working clubs in Tennessee. They will come back one day when our leaders repair our city. Please keep sending me PLSN so I can keep in touch with the industry while I help clean up this mess. Peace and love to all of you. Keith Nestor Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc WEST EDMONTON, AB—The directors of Allstar Show Industries Inc. have announced the purchase of stage lighting company Lighting by Monty, Ltd. Robert Montgomery, owner of Lighting by Monty, and his staff have relocated to Allstar Show Industries headquarters in West Edmonton, Alberta. The move and integration was completed through January and February 2006. Our hearts go out to you and everyone in your fine city. I know you guys have been through quite a lot and you’re not out of the woods yet, but it’s hard to imagine what it must feel like to have your world completely rearranged and devastated. I only hope and pray that New Orleans will come back stronger than ever and I have faith that good people like you will see to it that it does. It may take time and a lot of hard work and effort, but I believe that the will of the people and their spirits are stronger than any Category 5 hurricane. Be strong. – Ed. Corrections Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Credit Where Credit is Due In last month’s story titled “Cirque du Soleil: ‘Live Without a Net’” (PLSN, March 2006), Alicyn Leigh of Alicyn Leigh Photography should have been credited for all the great photography. Our apologies to Ms. Leigh. www.PLSN.com 100.0604.News.EP.indd 5 PLSN APRIL 2006  4/3/06 9:14:46 AM NEWS Ski Jam 2006 Draws Industry Together LUDLOW, VT—According to the hosts of the annual industry Ski Jam 2006, some of the best deals are made on the ski slopes. This year’s ski event in Vermont, which is attended annually by several industry insiders, was a mixed bag of DPs, LDs, end users, distributors and manufacturers, many of whom are friendly competitors. Skiers and boarders teamed up and for a cold and sunny weekend of fun on and off the slopes. According to co-host Laura Siegel of Creative Entertainment Connections, LLC, “In this day of constant communication via Internet and cell phones, it’s the face-to-face relationships that really hold it together. It’s all about the fun part of being serious.” Co-host Dave Middleton of Stage Lighting Reps reportedly skied so fast the rest of the group thought he was trying to get away from them. But he insisted that he just had better skis. Others thought he just wanted to hit the après-ski party on Friday hosted by Alan Kibbe and Mark Engel of Rosco or the Philips party hosted by Steve Varnums that evening. Saturday’s festivities included an Altman après-ski event at Okemo’s Sitting Bull Lounge where the group toasted Bob Altman before heading off with Skip Stewart for the Osram-Sylvania bash. “We begged Skip to get up and sing karaoke, but to no avail,” said Siegel. “We had to sub in some other ‘talent.’ Please, no more video cameras allowed on Ski Jam. What happens in Vermont, stays in Vermont!” The hosts also thanked their sponsors as well as those who supplied swag for the event, including Shadowstone Inc., Multilite, Arri-CSC, Sensory Lighting & Sound and Osram-Sylvania. L-R front row: John Rucigay, entertainment attorney (crouching down); Diane, Sensory Light & Sound; Laura Siegel, CEC; Jeff Siegel; Joe Pearson, electrician, The Producers on Broadway; Russ Howard, SLR. L-R back row: Ken Eble; Mark Engel, COO Rosco; Dave Henderson, Henderson Company; Alan Kibbe, Rosco; Steve Varnum, Philips; Nelson Vetter, Sensory Light & Sound; Dennis, Shadowstone Inc.; Dave Middleton, Stage Lighting Reps; Eric, musician, actor. Upcoming Events Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Vari-Lite Technical Training: Apr. 10-14, Dallas, TX (www.vari-lite.com) High End Systems Console Training— Hog 2 on iPC: Apr. 11-12, Austin, TX (www.highend.com/support/training/) High End Systems Console Training— Wholehog 3: Apr. 13-14, Austin, TX (www.highend.com/support/training/) VectorWorks Training—Intro to VectorWorks, Architect Fundamentals: Apr. 17-19, Learn iT!, San Francisco, CA (secure. nemetschek.net/store/pls/show_cities.php) High End Systems Digital Training—DL2 and Catalyst: Apr. 17-18, Austin, TX (www.highend.com/support/training/) Elation Training & Road Show: Apr. 19-20, New York/New Jersey (www.elationlighting. com) Digital Projection Tech Training—Titan sx+ Professional Series: Apr. 20-21, Atlanta, GA (www.digitalprojection.com/ content/view/61/73/) NAB: Apr. 24-27, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (www.nab.org) Martin Professional—Stage, Studio and Entertainment Field Technician: Apr. 2428, Sunrise, FL (www.martinpro.com/sub/ seminars/seminars.asp) VectorWorks Training—3-D Modeling and Rendering: May 4-5, Learn iT!, San Francisco, CA (secure.nemetschek. net/store/pls/show_cities.php) VectorWorks Training—3-D Modeling and Rendering: May 11-12, MicroTek, New York, NY (secure.nemetschek.net/store/pls/ show_cities.php) VectorWorks Training—Intro to VectorWorks, Architect Fundamentals: May 15-17, NNA corporate office, Columbia, MD (secure.nemetschek.net/store/pls/show_ cities.php) Lightfair: May 30-Jun, 1, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (www.lightfair.com) Rigging Seminars: Jun 5-8, Denver, CO (www.riggingseminars.com) Infocomm: Jun 7-9, Orlando, FL (www.infocomm.org) Apr. 10-14, Dallas, TX  PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.News.EP.indd 6 (www.vari-lite.com) High End Systems Console Training— Hog 2 on iPC: Apr. 11-12, Austin, TX (www.highend.com/support/training/) High End Systems Console Training— Wholehog 3: Apr. 13-14, Austin, TX (www.highend.com/support/training/) VectorWorks Training—Intro to VectorWorks, Architect Fundamentals: Apr. 17-19, Learn iT!, San Francisco, CA (secure. nemetschek.net/store/pls/show_cities.php) High End Systems Digital Training—DL2 and Catalyst: Apr. 17-18, Austin, TX (www.highend.com/support/training/) Elation Training & Road Show: Apr. 19-20, New York/New Jersey (www.elationlighting. com) Digital Projection Tech Training—Titan sx+ Professional Series: Apr. 20-21, Atlanta, GA (www.digitalprojection.com/ content/view/61/73/) NAB: Apr. 24-27, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (www.nab.org) Martin Professional—Stage, Studio and Entertainment Field Technician: Apr. 2428, Sunrise, FL (www.martinpro.com/sub/ seminars/seminars.asp) VectorWorks Training—3-D Modeling and Rendering: May 4-5, Learn iT!, San Francisco, CA (secure.nemetschek. net/store/pls/show_cities.php) VectorWorks Training—3-D Modeling and Rendering: May 11-12, MicroTek, New York, NY (secure.nemetschek.net/store/pls/ show_cities.php) VectorWorks Training—Intro to VectorWorks, Architect Fundamentals: May 15-17, NNA corporate office, Columbia, MD (secure.nemetschek.net/store/pls/show_ cities.php) Lightfair: May 30-Jun, 1, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (www.lightfair.com) Rigging Seminars: Jun 5-8, Denver, CO (www.riggingseminars.com) Infocomm: Jun 7-9, Orlando, FL (www.infocomm.org) www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:15:11 AM Tomcat, Mountain Productions Each Wrap Hoist Schools MIDLAND, TX—Tomcat USA celebrated 14 years of industry training courses by completing another Hoist and Rigging Workshop in Midland, while Mountain Productions celebrated 21 years of Hoist School in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Industry instructors and 74 industry professionals from all over the United States, Canada and the UK attended the four-day Tomcat workshop. This year also marked the second annual Advanced Workshop with 13 participants from around the U.S. Don Dimitroff of Columbus McKinnon coached participants through the Lodestar electric chain hoist session. Rocky Paulson, recently retired president of Stage Rigging Inc., taught safe rigging techniques and while Morgan Neff of Mine Safety Appliances gave instruction on proper use of fall protection equipment. Training was rounded out by Keith Bohn’s truss class. The Tomcat Design Manager course covered truss design, use and theory. In addition to the traditional curriculum, the Advanced Workshop was brought back after its debut in 2005. The four days of classes were topped off with four nights of entertainment culminating in the traditional “factory night” at Tomcat USA featuring a tour of the facility, demonstrations and graduation ceremony. Meanwhile, in Wilkes-Barre, Mountain Productions concluded a four-day series of seminars in conjunction with Columbus McKinnon. The seminar included instruction in hoist theory and repair, truss systems, rigging principles and lifting and suspension. EPD Additions The good news is that the 2006 Entertainment Production Directory was mailed out with last month’s PLSN magazine. The bad news is that Premier Global Production Company of Nashville, Tenn., and Theatrical Media Services of Omaha, Neb., were inadvertently left out. Please keep the following listings with your copy of the EPD: Company: Premier Global Production Company, Inc. Troy Volhoffer/ Steven “Creech” Anderson 208 Space Park Dr. S. Nashville, TN 37211 P: 615.315.0802 F: 615.315.0609 E-mail: thecreech@premierglobal production.com W: premierglobalproduction.com Consoles: Celco, Avolites, grandMA, Maxyzz, and Wholehogs Dimmers: ETC Automated Lighting: Martin 250, 300, 500, 600, 2K Wash and Profiles, Coemar Panoramas, HES Studio Colors 575, Studio Beams, x.Spot Extreme Follow Spots: Lycian M2 2.5K, Lycian 1290, Stark lites, Robert Juliat Truss: Extreme Structures truss, and custom Intella Truss Hoists: Show Distribution, CM Capacity: 1-ton, 2-ton Lifts: ST25 / Personnel lifts Clients: Rush, Neil Diamond, Bette Midler 100.0604.News.EP.indd 7 Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Company: Theatrical Media Services, Inc. Mark Huber 7510 Burlington Street Omaha, NE 68127 P: 402.592.5522 F: 402.592.0094 E-mail: [email protected] W: tms-omaha.com Consoles: Avo, Celco, Leprecon, FPS Wholehog iPC, grandMA Dimmers: ETC, Leprecon Automated Lighting: Yes Follow Spots: Lycian 350, 400, 1.2K, 2K Truss: TMS drop Frame, Thomas Pre-rig Utility, Tomcat Utility Hoists: CM 1-ton, CM ½-ton Lifts: Genie FX: Le Maitre, MGD, Reel-EFX DF50 Pro Lighting Dealer? Yes Clients: Dave Matthews Band, Lorie Line, Jack Johnson 4/3/06 9:15:46 AM NEWS David Taylor Exits Theatre Projects SOUTH NORWALK, CT—Longtime Theatre Projects Consultants director of project management David Taylor has announced his departure from the consultant company. Taylor, who was a principal consultant with the firm, joined the company in 1985. Some of the projects in which he has been involved include the Metropolitan Kansas City Performing Arts Center, Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and River Center for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Ga. Taylor attended the University of London, where he earned a First Class Honors degree in Drama and Scenography, and he studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on a theatre research scholarship. His technical theatre work includes productions for the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, English National Opera and numerous West End theatres, as well as in New York. He is a member of the Society of Theatre Consultants (STC) and a Professional member of the USITT. Dawn Chiang, associate at Theatre Projects, said, “We wish him all the best. It’s on to future things for him.” In Brief ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.) is giving six deserving college students the opportunity to attend LDI 2006. The ETC sponsorships are open to undergraduate seniors and graduate students in lighting design, theatre technology or closely related fields. Each student will receive roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, a full conference pass, an exclusive student reception and ETC swag. Applications can be downloaded from ETC’s Web site at www.etcconnect.com. The deadline is Apr. 28…Bandit Lites was named by Pollstar as the Lighting Company of the Year at a ceremony at the Mandalay Bay Theatre in Las Vegas. CEO Michael Strickland stated; “The entire Bandit global team is very proud of the Pollstar award and we wish to thank Pollstar, the people in our industry that have allowed us to work with them, and our wonderful clients that made it all possible.”…New Jersey-based lighting rental company BML – Blackbird Theatrical Services purchased 18 Robe ColorSpot and 18 ColorWash 1200 AT fixtures for its hire stock. The units immediately went out on tour with Phil Lesh, on the GM Winter Blast in Detroit and at the Chicago Auto Show… Musson Theatrical, Incorporated recently launched a new website at www.musson. com… Pensacola, Fla.-based Mainstage Theatrical Supply recently participated in ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition at the Sabine Pass School theatre in Sabine Pass, Tex. Mainstage implemented the design and installation of the lighting and curtain systems. Equipment was supplied by ETC, Rose Brand, H & H Specialties, Rosco Laboratories, L&E, Strong International, Clay Paky, Kryolan, Ben Nye and Fastenal. The episode is scheduled to air Apr. 13… Rigging Seminars recently announced that they have successfully used RigRight software on a MAC using Virtual PC. Home Sweet Home at FOH Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc PENDLETON, IN—Front of House for most corporate and entertainment events is nothing more than consoles and monitors on risers…and banquet chairs. And, if you’re lucky, a pipe and drape surround. One crew is aiming to change all of that. Crews from Dodd Technologies, Inc. (DTI) have staged and produced events for many companies in the Fortune family and other well-known national and international associations. They have experienced nearly every type of FOH setup imaginable. At a recent gig in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, a bit of theatre and “home” found its way to FOH. A residential, roll-on/off, door prop, painted a bright PMS 485 red, was constructed for an opening segment. Just before rehearsals (the day before the event which attracted nearly 4,000 people), the segment was cut. DTI’s scenic folks had done a bang-up job on the door prop and didn’t want to simply shove it backstage. The solution? Use it as an entry to FOH! Why not? Les Nessman and the writers of WKRP would have been proud. Thanks to a client with a great sense of humor, Indianapolis-based meetings company Business Media Group and its client, Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems, the DTI FOH door stayed put throughout rehearsals, and yes, the entire event. Those who entered FOH knocked…as they should. Everyone working and/or visiting FOH felt right at home. And while DTI considered signing the door with “Staff Only,”“Green Room,”“Dressing Room” and a host of other non-PC signs, the door itself was quite enough. As load out began, a small group of DTI crew were seen meeting with a home improvement specialist about the next generation FOH; keep the door, of course…add a lock and perhaps a door bell, a welcome mat, a couple of windows, a mailbox, maybe even a fridge and a microwave. Hey, even FOHers get hungry during a gig. ZZYZX Announces Contest Winner Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc continued from front cover the contest or participated in the final submission process. After reviewing all the entries, Riley’s design was judged by the panel to be deserving of the top prize. Prizes included an unlimited license of ESP Vision 2.0, VectorWorks Spotlight with Renderworks Version 12, a High End Systems Super Widget and an NVidia 7800 GTX video card. Two honorable mentions, Matthew Cochran, an independent lighting professional from Henderson, Nev., and Daniel Chapman, MFA candidate at Carnegie Melon School of Drama, were awarded two universes of ESP Vision and a license to VectorWorks Spotlight with Renderworks Version 12. The winning entry can be downloaded from the Zzyzx Web site at www.espvision. com/Downloads/Winner.mov.  PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.News.EP.indd 8 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:16:22 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 9 4/3/06 8:48:46 AM ONTHEMOVE Teddy Van Bemmel has decided to take an extended leave of absence from Altman to spend more time with his family. No replacement has been appointed yet in Van Bemmel’s Southeast territory, so in the interim, his accounts will be covered by the rest of the Altman sales team of Mike Tucker, Gary Raymond Leonard, Mark Walsh and Russell Altman. Audio Visual Innovations (AVI) has made a number of staff changes. Arvin Perrie has joined the company as account manager and Theresa Padilla is a new project manager, both in the company’s Detroit office. Erin Carr has joined the company as business development manger for AVI’s rental operation at the Peabody Little Rock Hotel, and Patrick Britton has joined the company as MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION PRODUCTS sales bid estimator for the regional office in Lanham, Md. Barco has completed a major expansion of it’s North American service center in Rancho Cordova, Calif., with the creation of individual departments for LED, projection, image processing and digital cinema products. With more than 40,000 square feet of floor space available, purpose-built areas have been created to suit the service and maintenance requirements for each Barco product line. The newest addition to Christie Lights’ systems and software development department is Bob Boston. Boston’s career in the software development field began in 1981. He wrote Bob Boston and/or maintained a variety of business applications on IBM Series 1 systems. Cinelease Theatrical Event Lighting, a division of Cinelease, Inc., has moved from its Burbank office to a new, more spacious location in Sun Valley. The new address is 7691 San Fernando Rd., Sun Valley, CA 91352. Cinelease’s new phone number is 818.252.7481. Doremi Labs, Inc. has hired Michael Archer for its Digital Cinema team as vice president of sales. Archer comes to Doremi with more than 10 years of industry experience and recently left DTS, Inc. where he was the director of cinema.  The team at largeformat projection specialists E\T\C UK has expanded with the arrival of Andy Joyes Andy Joyes as video development manager. Joyes will head up E\T\C UK’s new high power video projection department. Kinetic Lighting has promoted Tim Price to operations manager. The move is part of an expansion plan Tim Price that focuses on developing the firm’s infrastructure. Dan Holme has joined Lift Turn Move as external sales manager. Holme comes onboard LTM’s steadilygrowing sales Dan Holme team, working alongside John Jones, David King, Paul Hadfield and Jenny Hobday. Peter Munday has joined Stratos as a product manager in the broadcast division. In this capacity, Munday will provide sales channel management, marketing and customer support in EMEA territories. XL Video has opened a 10,000-squarefoot office and warehouse in Westland, Mich., in addition to its existing offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Belgium, Germany and the UK. The office is located 10 minutes from Detroit Metro Airport, and 30 minutes from downtown Detroit. Visual Terrain has promoted Eileen Thomas to principal designer, Jeremy Windle to associate principal and Edward S. Marks to associate principal. Eileen Thomas, LC, has led a number of design Eileen Thomas teams, and most recently served as project manager and interior project designer for Morongo Casino Resort and Spa, for which she won the prestigious 2005 IALD Award of Merit. Jeremy Windle, LC, IESNA has won numer- Edward S. Marks ous lighting awards for his designs, including work on GameWorks flagship stores, theme park attractions and the LAX Gateway. Edward S. Marks’ diverse background in design includes projects from corporate events to architectural interiors Jeremy Winden and facades including the “Ashes and Snow” exhibit located in the Nomadic Museum on the Santa Monica Pier. ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION VALUE - ADDED SERVICES Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc SERVICES 10 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.OnTheMove.JH.indd 10 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:20:16 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 11 4/3/06 8:49:34 AM INTERNATIONALNEWS Tasteful Lighting Installed in Swedish Cemetery MALMO, SWEDEN—Malmö’s Old Graveyard is the first Swedish cemetery to feature an architectural lighting scheme. The scheme was the original idea of Malte Sahlgren, the manager of Malmö’s 18 graveyards. The Old Graveyard was first consecrated in 1822. It is located right in the center of town and its east-west running avenue connects the key areas of Gustav Adolfs Square and Kings Park. Sahlgren initially discussed his idea with both Malmö City Council’s lighting designer Johan Moritz (currently developing an ongoing lighting strategy for Malmö) and Spectra Stage & Event Technologies’ Bertil Göransson. Göransson and Moritz created the design, and then Spectra realized the project, supplied the equipment and oversaw and commissioned the installation. The design itself had to be tasteful, reflective and subtle—almost imperceptible. However, it also had to be utilitarian, and make the space lighter and more inviting to walk through or sit in after dark. Any sort of colored illumination would have been too brash and gaudy, so soft white light sources were chosen from the start. They also didn’t want to erect any boxes, poles or wires or anything that interfered with or invaded the environment. They came up with several different options—some of them seasonal—from which Sahlgren chose the final scheme. The only vertical elements in the graveyard apart from the graves, which couldn’t be lit, are the trees. So it was decided to light key elements of the mature oak, ash and beech trees lining the main pathways to give vertical form and structure to the installation. Fifty-four trees were selected to be uplit in the first phase—all of them lining the east-west route. This is achieved using IP67-rated Bega 8089 in-ground fixtures with swivel-mounted rotatable optics for focusing. Moritz also wanted the trees to act as reflectors—and he and Göransson tested several different fixtures in situ before deciding that these were the right ones. The fixtures are loaded with 35-watt CDM long-life light sources with a color temperature of 3000º Kelvin. They were also chosen because of their build, their robustness, ability to withstand extreme temperatures in the winter and their shallow 120 mm mounting depth. It was vital to have minimal impact on the tree roots once installed. At the center of the graveyard is a small roundabout, with four trees, and this is also lit with Bega fixtures—this time, an MR16type 8016 in-ground fixture in the same series, complete with long-life halogen light sources. These cast a gentle, balmy glow across the foliage. Off to one side of the cemetery is a 40meter spherical memorial area bordered by a short copper birch hedge, where people lay candles and floral tributes. Wanting to retain candlelight as the primary after-dark light source, Moritz has accentuated the circular form by outlining it with a softly glowing ring of light. This is created using a continuous length of standard, weatherized, long-life white rope light embedded in a special trough, made form quick rusting steel, which was designed and fabricated by Spectra. The rope light was sourced by Göransson from France. The mini hedge glows in a soft orangey tint while five large tresses in these areas are each illuminated with either one or two Bega 8089s. All fixtures are linked to a dusk/dawn triggered lighting controller that turns them on and off. There were also other logistics—like cable laying and the digging up of consecrated ground—which had to be contended with, the latter of which was undertaken by the church’s own team of experienced gravediggers. The lighting installation itself was completed by electrical contractors overseen by Göransson and the Spectra team, who commissioned the installation once complete. The whole process was interrupted several times by heavy snowfall. Phase two of lighting the Old Graveyard in Malmö will be the illumination of the north-south pathway. Australian Community Center Opens with Cutting -Ed KAWANA, AUSTRALIA—A community celebration featuring a spectacular fireworks finale on Lake Kawana marked the official opening celebrations for the much anticipated $11.5-million Lake Kawana Community Centre. Kawana is Caloundra’s newest master-planned suburb and its community center boasts state-of-the-art multi-function halls, performance stages featuring high-quality sound and lighting, a commercial kitchen and bar, rehearsal courtyard, meeting rooms and kiosk. Entertainment Services Theatrical of Brisbane was contracted to supply and integrate the lighting, audio, curtaining and specialist staging equipment. The venue is designed around a large flat-floor auditorium with two raised stages; one at either end. Two central operable walls can divide the space into two or three spaces. The in-house lighting is mainly conventional with moving lights hired in when required, and Kent Dayhew, Entertainment Services’ projects manager, recommended the LSC maXim LP and maXim XXL consoles. “The LSC maXim console is perfect for this type of venue because it can have a simple, analog interface for the amateur user but can be quite powerful as well when you look at the PatPad option on the Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 12 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.IntNews.JH.indd 12 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:09:22 AM INTERNATIONALNEWS Irish “Idol” Goes LED DUBLIN, IRELAND—Two hundred and fifty Element Labs VersaTUBESTM LED fixtures were used for the popular final of You’re A Star 2006—the Irish national TV channel RTE’s search for the most talented next generation of pop stars. This was the biggest Irish-produced VersaTUBE show to date. You’re A Star’s lighting was designed by Andrew Leonard and programmed by Peter Canning. Canning also coordinated the supply and design of the VersaTUBE feature and the Catalyst system used to run it, via his company Zencorp. Dublin-based Zencorp specializes in digital media and LED fixtures and control systems. They purchased a quantity of VersaTUBEs from UK and Irish distributor Projected Image Digital at the end of last year, which have been in constant use ever since. You’re A Star ran for 10 weeks before the finale, recorded live at the Helix Theatre at Dublin City University (DCU), pulling some of the biggest audience ratings ever for a TV show—with well over one million tuning in for the semifinal and final—more than 25% of the country’s population. Leonard and Canning came onboard for this—their first—You’re A Star series after working on a special charity edition of the show last year. For visuals, they brought a new, revitalized contemporary look and feel to compliment the new vibes, deciding on a circular truss and an essentially rock ‘n’ roll lighting theme with some serious “bite” to it. Wanting something extra special for the final, Leonard and Canning decided to build a VersaTUBE scenic feature into the set, wrapping it around the sides of the stage and dipping it under the lower end of the circular truss. The idea was to run specially-produced content to create a wall of movement, color and patterns that could also incorporate text and key words. The tubes were attached to a series of flats that were either flown or anchored to the floor. Canning commissioned digital animation and graphic designer Derek Darlington of Rocket Science to produce custom content for both the semi final and the final shows. Working on three to four clips per song, he produced approximately 40 that could be mixed and matched as desired. He paid specific attention to the Raster Map of the VersaTUBE feature as a whole, ensuring the clips were perfectly pixel accurate. Darlington produced a massive selection of effects, from traditional favorites like fire to bouncing VU meters, 3-D stars, a selection of liquid psychedelics, polka dots and many, many more, including text. He used a variety of software—3-D Studio Max, After Effects, Flash. The files were saved as QuickTime movies and compressed using Sorrenson 3 software, very compatible with the Catalyst. The Catalyst was triggered by Peter Canning from his Avolites Sapphire 2000, on which he was also controlling more than 60 moving lights. You’re A Star 2006 was directed by Pat Cowap, produced by Shin Awil and production managed by Sheila Meaney. Generic lighting was operated by Terry Mulcachy and the VersaTUBES were tech’d by Ian Henderson. The show was presented by Derek Mooney. ng -Edge Systems Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc maXim LP,” he stated. “These LSC consoles are becoming more and more popular; in fact, they are becoming the standard for smaller and amateur/community-type venues. Thus I’m finding that more and more people know how to use the maXims, but if they don’t know, it’s very easy to learn the basic analog section. Plus, there is an easy to follow training video for the PatPad.” Accompanying the two maXim consoles are LSC Delta DMX splitters used to ensure an optically-isolated signal to each of the dimmers and a dedicated interface for hire-in movers. Power distribution for exhibition mode is provided by two LSC Delta distributors and nine iPaks, which Kent describes as bulletproof, provide the stage dimming. www.PLSN.com 100.0604.IntNews.JH.indd 13 PLSN APRIL 2006 13 4/3/06 9:10:44 AM NEWPRODUCTS > American DJ P36 LED Blinder/P64 LED Blinder American DJ’s P36 LED Blinder and P64 LED Blinder combine multiple LED fixtures onto one unit. The P36 LED Blinder comprises eight P36 LED pinspots, while the P64 LED Blinder has four P64 LED PARs. They can be set up either on the floor or mounted on American DJ’s LTS-6 lighting stand. The RGB color-mixing fixtures have low power consumption, long life, produce little heat and are DMX-compatible; they can operate with any DMX-512 controller. Both units offer direct DMX connection with no external components required. The MSRP of the P36 LED Blinder is $799.95 and the P64 LED Blinder is $999.95. American DJ • 800.322.6337 • www.americandj.com > ChainMaster Manual Hoist Controller ChainMaster’s new manual controller is capable of operating up to 48 chain hoists. With the remote control, which is equipped with a 5.7-inch touchscreen, it is possible to program runs as well as display individual positions and loads. It can also be used to shut down a group of motors in the event the synchronicity tolerance has been exceeded, the target position is overshot, the direction of rotation is incorrect or an overload or slack chain condition occurs. Compatibility with the computerized controllers for larger systems is guaranteed. Distributed in North America by Show Distribution. Show Distribution • 877.632.6622 • www.showdistribution.com > High End Systems Hog 3PC High End Systems released the Hog 3PC application software as well as updated software for the Wholehog 3 lighting console. The Hog 3PC software transfers the technology of the Wholehog 3 console to personal computers as well as to the Hog iPC console. The free software can be downloaded from www.flyingpig.com. Show files are compatible between Hog 3PC, Hog iPC and the Wholehog 3 console, thus providing off-line, backup and networking abilities between the various systems. Existing USB DMX Widgets using Hog 2PC can be upgraded to Hog 3PC and it will function with both Hog 3PC and Hog 2PC. High End Systems • 800.890.8989 • www.highend.com > Lighting Paperwork System V1.3.1 zBlueSoftware and Rosco announced the release of LPS Network version 1.3.1, which is a significant update to LPS. It incorporates many new features, as well as many improvements to file size, structure and application speed. Additions to the instrument library include the Selecon Lighting Instrument library. The LPS Editor application has also been upgraded to support the new file formats and to include some new functionality. The upgrade is free to all users. For more information about LPS, full demo downloads, LPS Editor downloads and LPS Mobile downloads. visit www.zbluesoftware.com/lps. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Rosco • 800.767.2669 • www.rosco.com > RC4 Wireless Motion Products RC4 Wireless’ new series of RC4 receivers with built-in motor controllers are intended for motorized props and set pieces of all kinds. The RX4-FD friction-drive controller directly connects to two DC motors and responds to RC4 Wireless control channels for speed, steer and direction. A DC drive on each side of the piece allows it to steer like an electric wheelchair. Steering all the way to either extreme will spin the piece on center. Outputs are also provided for optional brakes. All drivers are protected against overheating and overloading, and operate from 8V to 30VDC. Information about related products available on the Web site. RC4 Wireless Dimming • 866.258.4577 • www.theatrewireless.com > Road Ready Utility Cases Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Road Ready Cases’ new line of utility drawer cases has been designed for storage and transport of any accessory. Each of the five utility drawer cases features a cover to keep everything snug during transport, as well as 3-½-inch casters for mobility. The RRD12UC features four drawers; one 4U drawer with adjustable dividers, two 3U drawers and one 2U drawer. MSRP is $1,099.99. Features include stackable ball corners, double anchor industrial rivets, recessed industrial-grade latches, recessed spring-loaded handles, 3/8-inch vinyl-laminated plywood, tongue and groove locking fit, 3-1/2-inch casters, ATA 300 rating and a limited lifetime warranty. Road Ready Cases • 562.906.6185 • www.roadreadycases.com 14 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.NewProducts.BK.indd 14 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:12:25 AM > Southco E5 Stainless Steel Latches Southco’s new E5 industrial series fixed grip cam latches offer 1/4-turn opening convenience in corrosion-resistant 304 SS and 316 SS grades. Each latch features an internal Oring and an external sealing washer to meet NEMA 4 and IP-66 performance standards for wet, outdoor or hose-down applications. The latches have been tested to a minimum of 10,000 cycles and 500 hours of exposure to salt-fog spray. The availability of these latches in 316 stainless steel grade provides extra corrosion resistance, aesthetics and robustness. The tool-actuated latches present a profile of 5mm (.20 inches) above the mounting surface for minimal protrusion. > Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Southco • 610.459.4000 • www.southco.com ZZYZX Vision 2.0 Zzyzx’s general release of Vision 2.0 focuses its attention on user-interactive capabilities while further enhancing realism. Features include the ability to merge multiple components from different sources, including Max, Viz, Vectorworks and 3DS file formats. Components can be moved, scaled, rotated and positioned, and lighting instruments can be added directly into any scene. Patch information can be assigned, adjusted, exported to Excel or printed. Moving truss, set pieces and other components have been added. The ability to modify textures and effects placed on any surface allows the simulation of LED curtains, tiled LEDs, water, reflective surfaces, etc. All current ESP Vision 1.1 users with active subscriptions can upgrade to Vision 2.0 at no charge. Zzyzx, Inc. • 702.492.6923 • www.espvision.com > Opto Technology Endura Bright MR-16 LED Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Opto Technology’s new LED-based MR-16 lamp utilizes the highest output LEDs available on the market. The Endura Bright Series LED lamps are pin-for-pin compatible with current MR-16 tungsten halogens. They offer up to 120 lumens with more than 2,200 candelas with a beam spread of 10º, and are available in a variety of colors, including white, warm white, red, amber, green, cyan, blue and royal blue. The lamps also include an optical lens system to direct the light and an optimized thermal heat sink designed to handle indoor or outdoor temperatures (-20ºC to 50ºC). The unit price for 10-piece quantities in any color is $35.09. Opto Technology, Inc. • 847.537.4277 • www.optotech.com > ETA Systems Conditioned Power Center ETA Systems first three-phase power conditioner, the Conditioned Power Center, is available in sizes from 10 kVA to 300kVA to supply clean, isolated, conditioned power for an entire room full of equipment racks. Each conditioner can reduce a 6,000-volt surge to less than 10 volts hot to neutral and less than .5 volts neutral to ground. Standard equipment includes safety interlocks, casters, and lockout/tagout breaker. ETA Systems • 330.677.4424 • www.etasys.com > Capture 2005 LTLight Edition Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Capture Sweden settled an agreement with LT-Light to launch the new Capture 2005 LT-Light Edition. LTLight is bundling the Capture 2005 LT-Light Edition with their new Hydra Space, Hydra Sky and Hydra Spirit consoles. The LT-Light Edition is a full Capture 2005 Basic Edition, limited to operation only when connected to an LTLight console. At a price of 750€, it can be upgraded to the regular 2005 Basic Edition, after which it is also possible to upgrade to the Extended Edition. Upgrades can be purchased from any of Capture Sweden’s resellers. Capture Americas • 800.952.1287 • www.captureamericas.com www.PLSN.com 100.0604.NewProducts.BK.indd 15 PLSN APRIL 2006 15 4/3/06 9:13:12 AM SHOWTIME Perpetual Groove Venue Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA Crew Producer: Perpetual Groove Lighting Company: Active Production and Design Production Manager: Jason Huffer,Ben Ferguson Lighting Designer/Director: Jason Huffer Lighting Technicians: Marcus Matthews, Chris Downing, Trevor Hogsden Gear 1 8 Jands Hog 500 with X-Keys High End Systems 4 4 8 4 3 4 1 4 1 2 2 2 4 Studio Spots 575 CMY Zoom High End Systems x.Spots High End Systems Studio Beam High End Systems Dataflash Strobes Coemar Prospot 250 LXs Martin MAC 500s 1000W ACL 4-bars Reel EFX DF-50 Hazer 10’ 12x12 truss 5’ 12x12 truss 8’ 12x12 truss with bases Applied L-16 crank lifts Applied L-11 crank lifts Le Maitre CO2-charged confetti cannons Whirlpool Exhibit at the International Builders Show 2006 Venue Gear Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL 3 12 29 4 389 2 2 1 1 4 20 24 2 4 Crew Producer: Star Exhibits, Bryan Richert Lighting Designer: Mike Jerichko Lighting Company: PRG Concert Touring Account Executive: Bryan Gazo Lighting Designer: Bart Buckalew First Electrician: David Skretch Second Electrician: Chris “Thumper” Hathaway Set Design: Star Exhibits ETC Source Fours 50º ETC Source Fours 26º ETC Source Fours 19º ETC Source Fours 10º ETC Source Fours ETC 48 x 2.4K Sensor Racks ETC 96 x 2.4K Sensor Racks ETC 125 Express console Flying Pig Wholehog II console Martin MAC 2000 Profiles Vari*Lite VL 1000 TSs Color Kinetics Color Blasts Reel EFX DF-50s Doug Fleenor Designs Opto splitters Mudvayne Venue Gear Tour 2 20 12 12 12 20 8 4 2 80’ 112’ 14 Crew Producer: C. Michael Martell Lighting Company: Rainbow Production Services LLC Production Manager: Scott Tachauk Lighting Designer/Director: Jeff Rials Lighting Technicians: Hans Shoop MA Lighting GrandMA consoles Martin MAC 2000 Profiles Martin MAC 600 Washes Martin MAC 250 Entours Martin Atomic 3000 Strobes Color Kinetics Color Blast 12s Color Kinetics Color Blaze 72s Thomas 8-Light Moles Thomas 4-Light Moles Thomas 20.5” Truss Thomas 12” Truss CM 1-ton Loadstar Motors YOUR RACK ... ™ YOUR RACK™... VERSATILE, RELIABLE, AND DURABLE YOUR RACK™... BUILT TO MEET YOUR SPECIFICATIONS AND NEEDS. For the past 20 years we have been supplying dimming systems to some of the largest tours worldwide. Leprecon® has now raised the standard to exceed what you expect from your touring rack system. YOUR RACK™ Built by Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 16 Call us at 1-888-4CAELEP or 1-888-422-3537 or visit our website at www.leprecon.com. Choose one of our standard VX racks or call with your specifications. Leprecon® will manufacture a rack to meet your exacting needs. PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Showtime.JH.indd 18 VX 24 /AC DISTRIBUTION RACK 24 x 20A VX Series II Dimmer Modules Top Mount Hot Patch Bay 24 Dim / 24 Non-Dim Circuits Patchable Auxiliaries 2 Six Circuit 20A 208V Socapex 2 Six Circuit 20A 110V Socapex Digital Voltmeter Switchable 1/3 Phase Mains Cam I/O • • • • • • • • • • VX 48 STANDARD RACK 48 x 20A VX Series II Dimmer Modules Top Mount Hot Patch Bay 192 Dim / 24 Non-Dim Circuits Patchable Auxiliaries Digital Voltmeter Switchable 1/3 Phase Mains Cam I/O Padded Cloud Nine Cover Perfect Truck Pack www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:35:05 AM Arizona Association of Student Councils State Conference Venue Pinnacle High School Gymnasium, Phoenix, AZ Crew Producer: Steve Glassman, PHS Student Council Lighting Company: ADI Productions Albuquerque, NM Production Manager: Jon Glasrud Lighting Designer/Director: Jon Glasrud Lighting Technicians: Tim “Jumbo” Martin, Chris “Buckey” Pacheco Set Design and Construction: ADI Productions Rigger: Jon Glasrud Staging Company: NRG Staging Video Director: David Brame Video Company: Dynamx Digital Gear 1 1 8 4 4 SGM Studio 12 Scan Control SGM Studio 24 Scan Control Martin MAC 250 Entours SGM Giotto Spot 250s High End Systems Studio Color 250s 12 12 2 2 2 1 1 4 1 40’ 40’ 12’ 2 4 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 Martin Mania SCX -500s ETC Source Four PARs Leprecon VX-2400 12-CH Dimmers High End Systems Color Pro FX Fiber Optic Illuminators 14’ x 24’ Fiber Optic Curtains Custom Hollywood Sign w/ internal lighting Reel EFX DF-50 Confetti Cannons Generator from Pegasus Power Tomcat 12” Box Truss Applied Electronics 12” Box Truss Penn Fabrications 8” Tri-Truss CM 1-ton Hoists CM 1/4-ton Hoists Skjonberg Motor Distro DaLite 10.5’ X 14’ Screens Eiki LC-X1100 4100 Lumen LCD Projectors 27” LCD Flat Panel Panasonic MiniDV Camera Canon MiniDV Camera Panasonic Switcher Sony Scan Converter Bellagio High Roller VIP Party Venue Gear Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV 450 245 90 14 8 12 14 24 16 16 48 1 11 4 2 6 1 Crew Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Technical Producer: Frank Roskowski Scenery Company: A&D Scenery Scenery and Decor Design: King Dahl Décor: Mirage Events Lighting Programmers: Cory FitzGerald, J.J. Wulf Master Electrician: Scott Tupy Assistant Electrician: Mike Video Engineer: Scott Coraci Folsom Operator: Justin Vaden Moving Light Tech: August Hall Lighting Supplier: PRG Lighting, Las Vegas, Patrick Little; CWP Productions, Marty Wickman (DL-1s, Catalyst, Versa Tubes); Acey Decy (Versa Tubes) Video Supplier: Matrix Element Labs Versa Tubes ETC Source Four Lekos Martin MAC 2000 Profiles Martin MAC Performance Martin MAC 2000 Wash fixtures Vari*Lite VL 5s High End Systems Studio Beams High End Systems DL-1s High End Systems Studio Spot CMYs High End Systems Studio Spots Color Kinetics Color Blasts 40’ x 20’ Light Space Dance Floor Sanyo 5K projectors Sanyo 6K projectors Flying Pig Systems Wholehog 2s High End Systems Catalyst 3.3 media servers Folsom Switcher www.PLSN.com 100.0604.Showtime.JH.indd 19 PLSN APRIL 2006 17 4/3/06 9:35:58 AM INSIDETHEATRE Who Are All Those People… and what are they doing at the tech table? A ll year long, as shows go up and come down, designers are continuously busy working on various projects, including current shows, future shows and completely unrelated things, like having a life. So how, you may ask, does all the work get done? This is a story about the people whose job it is to not only achieve the goals set forth by designers, but to anticipate and overcome any obstacles along the way. These are “the facilitators,” the associate and assistant designers who act as intermediaries between the heads and technicians and other departmental representatives. These are the people who get down to the nittygritty of the show, realize creative ideas and get the problems solved so that the show can go on. There are many people who work on Broadway, and it is by no means my intention to exclude any individuals who are continuously working on various shows. I recently spoke to a cross section, if you will, of the associate and assistant lighting designers who are currently working on Broadway. As the design process develops for any show, the designer must be free to work with the director and focus on other creative elements to build the ideas of the show and the broader conceptual aspects without being hindered by the technical limitations or vast amounts of paperwork needed to get it up and running. The assistant or associate designer steps in to handle a good deal of the “nuts and bolts” and becomes the point of contact between the designer and the crew heads, as well as other departments. Often, the assistant designers will also often be given the task of maintaining the cues for the spotlights, which, depending on the show, can be more intense than the conventional lighting. So what is the difference between an associate and an assistant lighting designer? There are many ways of looking at these relationships, and each designer has their own way of working, so it can vary from show to show. A basic tenet, however, is that there is a general progression from assistant to associate, indicating that an assistant is a newer, less experienced member of the team, and the associate has been involved longer and has more direct interaction with the design experience. “I think there is a huge difference between an associate and an assistant. In my experience, it’s about the amount of delegated responsibility and the amount of autonomy,” says Vivien Leone, a veteran associate LD with credits like Woman in White and Little Shop of Horrors. “Associates have a lot more responsibility to implement what the designer needs, and often with a lot more autonomy than an assistant.” Philip Rosenberg, a Broadway associate whose credits include Hairspray and 18 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.InsideTheatre.EP.indd 20 Spamalot Jersey Boys Hairspray By CoryFitzGerald Monty Python’s Spamalot, feels it’s a bit more subjective: “The title is something that is bestowed by the designer, and denotes a level of trust. An associate designer will be left alone with the director or may focus the show, where as an assistant designer will be more in charge of the paperwork. It’s definitely a level of responsibility and experience.” “With every designer, the role varies considerably,” says Patricia Nichols, a Broadway assistant and associate who arrived more recently and whose latest shows include Jersey Boys and Lestat. “It can vary anywhere from managing work notes and keeping track of focus and paperwork, or it can be more involved where you’re stepping into the shoes of the designer. Making decisions on their behalf, knowing what is best for the production and what the designer is ultimately looking for is the key, and having a history with the designer benefits these decisions.” Paul Miller, another veteran Broadway associate and assistant whose recent credits include Sweeney Todd, Little Women and The Producers, says, “There are so many roles, depending on the situation. You’re almost always the primary liaison between the electrician and the designer, in charge of being sure that the final product is documented for posterity. Sometimes, you get to be another set of eyes for the designer, sometimes you’re called on for your opinion about some choice or another and other times, you might be a stand-in for the designer when he’s not available. You really have to be able to read the situation accurately to know what’s expected.” The designer’s aides are constantly working on the show and trying to make the designer’s life easier. Leone says, “We’re there to help the designer to be free to create. I see my role as a taking care of the day-to-day stuff that needs to get done, so that the designer can keep a free eye on designing and not get bogged down in the day-to-day things.” Nichols says, “In a regional theatre setting, the assistant has more of an organizational and note-taking role, whereas on a Broadway production, the associate often has input to the design and becomes a second set of eyes for the designer.” As she also points out, “An associate usually has more involvement with the prep of a show, giving them more insight into why things are happening. As an assistant, it is sometimes hard to come into a show during the load-in and not have all the information.” “Some designers,” says Miller, “don’t really ‘do’ the whole associate thing. They are able to be completely hands-on in all aspects of the prep and tech process and might only require someone with paperwork and organization skills. There are about as many different scenarios and degrees of ‘associate- www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:04:25 AM Anne McMills “I always compare it to doctors vs. nurses. The designer is like the doctor—he’s the big idea guy, the genius behind everything, and there’s the nurse who deals with the people and the details.” www.PLSN.com 100.0604.InsideTheatre.EP.indd 21 way, but people skills are always useful,” he says. As far as progressing from assistant to associate, Leone suggests,“You need to have experience with the way Broadway works—the rules, the crews, the channels of communication—because, if you’re going to be working with autonomy and that responsibility, you need experience.” Like going to a good restaurant, the customers rarely get to see all the cooks in the kitchen, much like the audience rarely gets to see the designers in tech. While the creative process maybe hidden from view for most patrons, the proof is in the pudding, as they say, and the results from a strong and organized design team will be clear to all who see the show. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc ship’ as there are different designers.” Anne McMills, another young associate and assistant designer whose recent work includes Good Vibrations and the upcoming Wedding Singer, sees her career choice a little differently. “For me, it’s a whole other role. I always compare it to doctors vs. nurses. The designer is like the doctor—he’s the big idea guy, the genius behind everything, and there’s the nurse who deals with the people and the details, much like assistants deal with making big ideas into smaller ideas and keeping the designer and electricians happy and focused.” She goes on to describe how she views her role: “Communication is the primary aspect of working under a designer. But I think the second goal is being a caregiver to the designer, to help them stay calm and focused.” Being a full-time associate designer is becoming more and more common. McMills points out,“It used to be that you became an associate, you learned from several different people and then you took your own step towards becoming a designer. I think this has shifted in recent years. It still happens, but that jump doesn’t really happen the way I think it was originally intended.” Leone goes on to say,“Working as an assistant on Broadway is a definite and clear path to becoming an associate. Working as an associate on Broadway is absolutely not a clear path to being a designer. I highly recommend that if you want to be a designer, you go design. I work so much as an associate, I don’t have time to design, but I highly recommend it. People who have worked as designers make better assistants and associates because they comprehend what the process is.” For many, being a full-time associate is the clear career choice. For others, finding a way to design themselves becomes the primary role.“I think assisting numerous designers is really important,” says Nichols.“There is so much I’ve learned from them. Everyone works so differently, and as a designer, I can see unconventional solutions and reasons they make choices, which influences my thought process and designers eye.” Miller, who designed the lighting for Jackie Mason’s last two Broadway shows, has been able to work as an associate as well as a designer.“The dilemma is that being in that position is not really the place to try to advance your own design career,” says Miller. As Nichols says,“Without finding your own relationship with directors, working with other designers or producers, you’ll never take that step up from associate to designer.” Rosenberg, who is considering life beyond the associate world, says, “The projects become bigger and bigger, but also less and less challenging. When you keep working with the same designers over and over, you eventually stop learning as the shows become more routine. If you transition into more of your own designer, the situations become more unique. Being your own designer is a gamble, and working year-round is very attractive, but eventually you start to hit a glass ceiling, both monetarily and challenge-wise.” For those who want to enter the world of Broadway as an assistant or associate designer, there are a few things to consider and some advice to heed along the way. “It’s all about relationships!” says McMills. Rosenberg agrees. “It’s important to have a good conversation with the people you work with. The knowledge and number crunching can be taught along the PLSN APRIL 2006 19 4/3/06 9:05:52 AM Voyaging INSTALLATIONS in the Video Age CCL Liberty takes on 12 tons of video By PhilGilbert I t’s cruise ship month here at PLSN, and I’m onboard. When the Swami called to give me my marching orders, I found myself staring at the bow of the Carnival Liberty. I want to be very clear on this next statement. This is a very big boat. Actually, that’s not right. I don’t think I’m allowed to call it a boat. Let’s start over. This is an extremely large ship. How large, you ask? How about three football fields? That do anything for you? Nine hundred fifty-two feet long, and 116 feet at its widest, the newest addition to Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet tips the scales at 110,000 tons. Who cares, right? It’s a big boat, you say. I figured you might say that. So I tracked down Michael Lindauer of Nautilus Entertainment Design (NED) to see if he could show us something onboard the Liberty that we might find intriguing. Let’s see what he came up with… PLSN: That’s a mouthful Mike. So how do you know so much about this ship, and how do you pronounce the name of that shipyard? Video Adventure on the High Seas Sounds like a pretty major addition to tack Michael Lindauer: Carnival Cruise 20 Lines wanted to update their outdoor pool areas to create an outdoor amphitheatre, including a large exterior video and audio system for playback of movies, music, videos, live camera, video games and anything else that might entertain their guests. In general, exterior video screens are a new addition to ships with the first being installed by a sister company, Princess Cruise Lines, in 2004. Carnival, which already had similar plans in development, quickly followed. They chose to adapt the pool area of the Carnival Liberty, which was already under construction at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Installations.BK.indd 20 NED has been involved in the entertainment systems designs for the Carnival Corporation for many years. With that strong relationship in place, they approached us to design and implement the new systems for the Liberty. We had to move quickly to complete designs, and they had to be based upon the fact that the ship was already quite advanced in general design and physical construction. We first became involved around June 2004, and the project delivered in July 2005. Due to the way ships are built, the installation went in stages, with the structural installation taking place from Nov. 2004 until Feb. 2005, and the electronics going in just before delivery. onto an existing project. It placed some limitations on where cables could be pulled, what space was available for equipment and how much power was available. Space was probably the biggest concern, as there was inherently not a good location for the screen itself. After consultation with the architect and Carnival management, it was decided to add a section of deck to two levels of the pool area superstructure to provide a suitable location for the screen assembly and support. The weight of the assembly required the lower decks and supporting steel to be strengthened to support the addition. Hold on just a second there! I’ve installed a TV or two in my day, and I’ve never had to reinforce any superstructures. So how big was this system of yours, and can I get a demo unit for my living room? The screen is 22 feet wide and almost 12 feet high, with a viewing area of 258 square feet. The overall assembly weight, including screen, audio arrays and steel, weighs in at 27,500 pounds. And I thought my Trinitron was heavy. I guess it’s a good thing that those ships don’t move very quickly. Consider the fact that the ship is moving not only forward, but up and down, in rough weather, and is also exposed to heavy vibrations during maneuvering. The mechanical structure and all connections had to take these additional loads into account. The structure is actually designed for almost two times as much gravity and all connections have specific actions taken to combat vibration. For this case, probably the most critical complication was the harsh, salt air environ- ment. The location of the screen is 100 feet in the air, facing into the wind, on a ship that has the potential to be traveling 25 miles per hour with a strong wind from any direction. This is the most demanding environment that you could think of to install electronics. All of the LED manufacturers quoted installations on pier sides or in race boat tracks with salt water, which were very good examples of difficult salt air environments. However, these were static installations, where ours was going to be moving through the air at 25 miles per hour, and would face storms and even hurricanes. I doubt that there are many manufacturers who would even be willing to attempt that kind of a test. How did you decide on a product for the video wall? We contacted all of the major LED manufacturers…Daktronics, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Multimedia, Philips and others. Honestly, all had very strong products for certain applications. However, for our needs, we narrowed the field down to four possibilities, and finally settled on the Barco DLite 7 product. This product was proven in adverse environments and was the only product at the time which carried a documented IP65 rating, a degree of weatherproofing. Barco also worked with us to provide a test screen, which was installed onboard one of Carnival’s older ships to allow us to test the suitability under real conditions. The test was successful, and is actually still running today. Now, I know that LEDs are pretty efficient little doodads, but my guess is that a screen with a 25-foot diagonal is not only great for watching the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, but probably takes a little bit of juice to run. www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:08:02 AM The screen draws a maximum of 30,000 watts and averages 8,500 watts. Power for the screen is generated from the ship’s main power system, which relies on diesel generators. The power on these ships is three-phase delta power with no neutral. This is a bit different than the delta power that we have on land. It means that it is not possible to use any type of equipment that references neutral in its design. If they do, then the ship’s power monitoring system will register a ground fault and the engineers will insist that the system be shut down, as it’s not possible to know what is a real fault and what is due to the neutral reference. The only alternative in that situation would be to isolate that system from the main with an isolation transformer. However, this is not a preferable course of action, as the engine department then has no way to monitor if there is a problem. The LED system has internal power monitoring and switched power supplies for self-protection, and the 120 tiles are distributed across all three phases through fifteen breakers. All source equipment is on a UPS designed for delta power supplies. took some playing to get right. The content itself is chosen by Carnival management, and ranges from music videos and live television shows during the day, to Playstation competitions and movies at night. Big Boat, Big Screen Huh. So the Liberty’s a very big boat with a very big screen. I guess all that’s left for me is to see how the accounting department responds to my expense report for this article. (I always seem to run into problems when they get to the umbrella drinks. These are legitimate business expenditures, people!) Anyhow. Be sure to look up when you’re touring the cruise ship deck on your next family vacation. You might just see some of NED’s work. Phil Gilbert is a freelance lighting designer/ programmer. He can be reached at pgilbert@ plsn.com. I’m glad you brought up the source equipment. You mentioned something about movies and video games earlier. I figured they were just going to show reruns of I Love Lucy all the time. The content and source is constantly changing. The head-end system includes DVD, MPEG player, live camera, computer input, graphics generator, broadcast feed, as well as connections for external devices…including PlayStations. This was another challenge that actually did not become apparent until we were in testing stages. Most large-scale LED installations have a single dedicated source. For instance, the screens in Times Square have content produced specifically for them and play off a single type of source—typically MPEG. On a tour, all screens have the same source programmed per cue. They generally play the same thing every show. Under both situations, the owners can customize the source material and the wall settings to match one another. In our case, we have no schedule. Movies change weekly, daily or even by the minute. The screen’s usage is completely dependent on the specific cruise, itinerary, special event or special group. So, the screen had to be tuned to a “generic” setting and the crew may have to tweak the settings each day. It’s a bit of a compromise, which 120 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Barco DLite 7 Outdoor LED Panel Barco D320 LED Video Wall Processor Barco D320 Composite/S- Video Input Card Barco D320 SDI Input Card Barco D320 RGB Analog Input Card Custom Graphics Generator PC Extron ISM 482 8-In/2-Out Scaler with Stereo Audio Sony SLV-D550P VHS, DVD & Tuner Combination Unit Adtec Soloist SDI MPEG Player Sanyo VC4594 CCTV Camera AMX Control System AMX AXT-MCP Wired Touch screen AMX VPN-CP Wireless Touch screen 100.0604.Installations.BK.indd 21 Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Partial Equipment List 4/3/06 9:08:26 AM PLSNINTERVIEW Chris Polk/Warner Bros DeGeneres with the Pussycat Dolls Marisa Davis— Excelling at the “Bastard Child of Film and Theatre” Emmy-nominated LD continues her passion at The Ellen DeGeneres Show Marisa Davis By Kevin M.Mitchell T wo-time Emmy-nominated Marisa Davis started a recent weeklong hiatus from The Ellen DeGeneres Show by speaking to PLSN about her career. Prior to her current gig, which is in its third wildly-successful year, she was with the Oxygen network where she honed her skills by lighting talk, variety, game, cooking and even workout shows. Later, she worked in sketch comedy, including Mad TV, Primetime Glick and The Hollow Men. In July 2005, she became a partner at Design Partners, Inc. PLSN: When did you first decide to pursue a career in lighting? Marisa Davis: I was pre-law at Berkeley and I needed an after-school job, so I answered a “scenic shop helper” ad. They said no experience was necessary, and I said, “I’m your gal.” The first day I came in, I thought I’d be spending four hours sweeping dust off the floor, but they handed me a disk grinder, showed me how to distress two benches made of two-by-fours and antique them and I’ve never looked back. After Berkeley, I went to grad school at UCLA. Then, I had been designing in theatre for a couple of years when a friend of mine knew that TV designer Bob Dickinson was looking for an assistant. Did you set out to work in TV? It just kind of happened. But one thing 22 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.PLSNInterview.BK.indd 22 that appealed to me about TV is that I could stay in L.A. and not travel a lot. Everyone designing in theatre travels so much and that did not appeal to me. And I have to admit that I sold my soul. [Laughs] I could see that I could make a better, more consistent living in TV. What were some of the things you worked on with Dickinson? I assisted with a lot of the award shows if I did my job I would be okay. It was just all new and exciting and wonderful for me. Were there any special challenges in being a woman in such a maledominated field? I actually had someone ask me once, “Did you ever not get a job because you were a woman?” I said, “I don’t know—they don’t call me up and say, ‘We didn’t hire you “The camera is not as forgiving as the eye. So just in terms of wrinkles and blemishes… I never had to think about that in theatre.” - Marisa Davis and specials he was doing in the 1990s; the Grammys, People’s Choice Awards, David Copperfield specials…it was great. Working on the really big shows was a fantastic introduction to TV lighting. Those are stressful situations—the stakes are very high. Maybe I was young and stupid, but I didn’t feel the stress. I could see how Bob would be stressed, but I felt confident that because you’re a woman.’” [Laughs] The thing is, if you go to New York, there are a lot of women lighting theatre. But my theory about TV is that a lot of LDs come up through the ranks. They start as electricians, gaffers and then make their way up to LD. For some reason, it just seems like most electricians are men. In addition to the nottraveling aspect, what else about TV appeals to you? It’s kind of the bastard stepchild of theatre and film. Film is like a continual tech rehearsal. You’re just setting up, and getting that shot, and going on. The tiny bit of film I did, I just never got the payoff you get from theatre on opening night. The kind of TV we do, I’m always working toward a show. Right now, I’m working on Ellen, and every afternoon at 5 o’clock, there is a show to do in front of a live audience. And TV is a little more exciting than theatre in that the pace is just faster. There’s always a time crunch. Is it ever so much of a time crunch it’s frustrating? Oh sure. There are times I think that if I had more time, I could have done this and this and this. But what I have really learned is to prioritize what I can’t live without and what I can live without. You were able to do several sketch comedy shows—Mad TV, Primetime Glick. What was that like? It was a lot of fun. In a sense, it’s a little closer to theatre because you have a set that is supposed to be realistic and you’re trying to create an atmosphere of some sort. How did the Ellen show come about? Through Bob Dickinson; he brought me in. www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:21:34 AM Or are you looking ahead? I’m always lighting for the close-up. You have to remember that you are lighting for essentially six cameras, so technically, that’s very different. So you have to make someone look very good from about six feet away or even closer. And the camera is not as forgiving as the eye, just in terms of wrinkles and blemishes…I never had to think about that in theatre. I totally take it season by season. I think, given Ellen’s talent, and the writers and producers working with her, it could be around as long as she wants to do it. In terms of my involvement, it works for me in a lot of ways… What they have almost created is more of a variety show than standard talk show. I’ve done talk shows when it is people sitting and talking for an hour and that can lose its challenge quickly. Ellen will throw in a green screen act from time to time—there’s just always something new. So it doesn’t get boring for an LD. Ellen is such a diverse show—you’re dealing with the movie stars, celebrities, but you’re also dealing with people pulled out of the audience. How do you prepare for everyone? What we do is have the optimum lighting situation in the guest chair so that all we have to do is tweak levels a bit. There are little tricks… if I see someone with light hair or a bald head coming up, we pull the backlight way down. If someone has no makeup and very light skin, we pull the lights down. We just had Evangeline Lilly from Lost on. She’s beautiful, and what is going to work is not going to work for an older lady pulled from the audience. So it’s a matter of balancing it when they get in the chair. The beauty of television is when we’re on a close-up of Ellen, I can be adjusting the levels for the guest off-camera. DeGeneres with Charlize Theron Chris Polk/Warner Bros How do you approach your work? There was skepticism that the Ellen show was going to fly—now it’s a huge hit. Did you know? At this point, I honestly can’t pick ‘em. I know that now. I’ve given up trying to predict. When I saw this first show, I thought this will run forever. Then I thought, “Oh no, I jinxed it!” She has some big stars with big egos on her show. Anyone try to push you around? I would not describe anyone as getting in my face at all. Certain stars will come in with their lighting person with them and that’s fine. My goal is to make everyone who comes on show in terms of lighting want to come back. That’s my contribution. I don’t want people to say, “I don’t want to go back to that show because I looked awful.” If someone else can add to a star’s comfort level, I’m happy to have them. What kind of technologies you’re using these days and what has changed since you got into TV? I would say not much has changed in terms of the conventional stuff. Fresnels, Lekos—it’s all pretty standard. Kinoflos are being used more now. For lighting this kind of show, it’s always been about how best to make the close-up look good and that’s always been about soft lights. There’s quite a bit of music on that show… Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc There is. Because of that, we bring in some Vari*Lite VL5s and 6s from time to time. We own a moving light package of 54 VL 5s and 6s. And we’ll bring in some LED things; the Color Kinetics Color Blazes, the VL 2500s. We use a VLPS Virtuoso board. It’s a lot of fun—a different musical act every day. We had five music acts last week—everything from R&B and hip-hop to a solo singer with an acoustic guitar. So it runs the gamut. Now that Ellen is a big hit, are you settled in? www.PLSN.com 100.0604.PLSNInterview.BK.indd 23 PLSN APRIL 2006 23 4/3/06 9:21:56 AM VITALSTATISTICS Arri, Inc. Who: Arri Inc. What: Manufacturer of studio and location lighting, film camera, digital camera and post-production equipment. Where: Headquarters are in Munich, Germany. Offices in Blauvelt, N.Y.; Burbank, Calif.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla., New York City, Los Angeles, Charlotte, N.C., Toronto, London, Berlin, Rome, Milan and Mumbai. When: Founded in 1917. Full-time Employees: 1,100 (worldwide); 174 (U.S.). Number of Products in Catalog: 112 lighting fixtures and lighting kits. Company Claims to Fame: Largest manufacturer of film production equipment; introduced first HMI lighting fixtures at 1972 Olympics in Munich; introduced electronic ballasts for film production; invented spinning mirror shutter for motion picture film cameras; Academy Awards. 24 John Gresch, V.P. Lighting Division Roger Dean & Mike Jones, Sales Rep By Kevin M.Mitchell camera systems and an Emmy for 50 years of outstanding achievement in engineering. People might be surprised to know…: Arri is a manufacturer of 16mm, 35mm and 65mm film cameras, camera and video accessories, as well as the cine lenses with Zeiss, and an array of digital post-production equipment, including the ArriLaser, Arriscan and Arri Color Management System. Degrees of Separation: COO Charlie Davidson, with Arri for 25 years, once worked for Colortran. He started his career as an electrician for Disney and various rock shows; VP of lighting, John Gresch, now with Arri 19 years, formerly co-owned Excalibur Cases and worked for Colortran; sales manager Roger Dean, now with Arri 12 years, previously worked as a gaffer and cinematographer. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Awards Include: Academy Award for the development and innovation in the design and manufacturing of advanced Roger Dean, Lighting Sales Manager PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Vitals.JH.indd 32 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:48:05 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 51 4/3/06 8:50:08 AM FEEDINGTHEMACHINES So You Want to Get Fired,Eh? O ur industry is full of unwritten rules, policies and procedures. When working as an automated lighting programmer, it is essential that you understand and follow these principles; otherwise, you will probably get fired or never work for that LD or production again. The following items will pretty much guarantee that you will lose your standing in the industry, destroy your good name and cause great financial loses. I hereby present you with a list of items, and I hope you make the right choice on what to do with them. resources and cause further landfill garbage. Be kind to the environment and live on the edge. If your console is any good, then it ought to hold all the information for you. Besides, making copies of the show only causes further risk due to electromagnetic exposure and illegal pirating possibilities. Dress Codes Although our industry is fairly relaxed when it comes to dress codes, there are occasions when you should consider what you away with a Speedo (I never have, but I know of some that have). While open-toed shoes are great for load-in/-out, nothing beats walking around a venue in your bare feet. Attitude Most LDs appreciate a programmer who provides lots of input on how he would light the show. After all, the programmer has usually worked on many more automated lighting gigs than the LD. Whenever you can, be sure to remind the LD that you Call Times It is important to disregard the call times for your gig. Making the entire production staff wait for you to decide that you are ready to go is paramount. Do not conform to their suggested departure times and do not give in to their controlling ways. Get up when you want and head to the gig when it feels right. This way, you will be fresh and ready to do what is asked of you. When asked about your tardiness, claim that you never received the call time or that your alarm failed. Do not admit to blatantly ignoring the scheduled times. Data An automated lighting programmer should never make a backup of a show file. Backups just waste precious natural In fact, it helps if you explain that you could have done a much better job than the current LD. will wear. Many corporate events or private parties appreciate a lighting programmer wearing flip-flops, cut-offs and a tank top. If the weather permits, you can even usually get Stop Answering Stupid Questions! Let the LD FAQ T-Shirt do the answering for you. You may have already heard about these shirts that feature the answers to the Top 10 stupid questions audience members ask. Now you can order one of these beauties and a portion of the net proceeds will benefit the music and arts programs of the Rogue River, Ore School District. Only 24 00 $ . 2XL and 3XL $29.00 TO ORDER: Go to www .fohonline.com/tshirt Or send your check to: Ti meless Communications, Inc. Attn: FOH T-Shirt 18425 Burbank Blvd. Ste. 613 Tarzana, CA 91356 26 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.FeedMachines.EP.indd 26 know what you are doing and tell him what would look better on stage. In fact, if you can, speak directly with the crew and rearrange the lighting plot to better suit your own taste. This way, the LD will see that you are proactive and trying to take control of the production. Courtesies Working as an automated lighting programmer can often be a tough gig. You must always be on the lookout for potential new clients. Be sure to go directly to the producer, director and anyone else (except the LD) and hand out your business card. Make it clear that not only are you a programmer, but that you also can be hired as an LD. In fact, it helps if you explain that you could have done a much better job than the current LD. Once they understand that you have been taking over anyway, you are a shoo-in for the next gig. Programming If you do not know how to do something on your desk, you have two choices. One is to blame the console, pointing out that it should have better features. The other is to sneak off and call a friend or tech support. Do not waste time reading the manual, and never admit to the LD that you are clueless. If you are really desperate for answers, place an anonymous post on the Light Network and follow the responses exactly. Placing Blame When something goes wrong, always blame your crew first. Point out that they By BradSchiller have the DMX lines crossed, or the addresses wrong, or that they simply turned off the power. Never let on for a moment that the problem could be with your programming. If you have to, name an exact crew person and say that they corrupted your show file before you arrived on-site. This way, the rest of the crew will fear you and try to help you in the future. Crew Etiquette Speaking of the lighting crew, remember that they are there to help you look good and ensure that you are comfortable. They should always cater to your every need. If you need more water or fresh coffee, you should expect them to jump at the chance to assist you. If their attitude is not one of servitude, then you should see that they are fired off your crew. And, at the end of each day, be sure to walk away and not thank the crew for their hard work. After all, they are getting paid to be there for you. Performance If you are running the console for a live act and you do not particularly care for the show or are extremely tired, then by all means, feel free to put a stop to the production. Just reach over and bring down the grand master. By doing so, you will put yourself out of the misery of the show and help the audience in the same manner. The performers will probably thank you later as well. There is no reason for you to continue running the lights if the performers are not giving 110% to the production. Other Programmers When working closely with an LD, find out what other programmers they have used in the past. Then, be sure to make up some terrible stories about them and explain what bad programmers they are. Remember that you must always come across as the best programmer in the world and not let the LD ever think of hiring anyone else again. In this case, cockiness should be regarded as godliness. Start Looking for a New Career Now that you have read my list of surefire methods to get canned as an automated lighting programmer, I hope you will make the correct choices. With careful planning and execution, you too can be fired from the best and worst of gigs. If you are lucky, your name will be associated with your behavior and you will never get a job again in this industry. It is all up to you, so go out there and cause some trouble. Oh yeah, please also remember that this month is April, the month of silly jokes and pranks. Contact Brad at [email protected]. www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 8:59:26 AM roadtest By CoryFitzGerald W ireless Solution AB, a Swedish wireless DMX manufacturer, has recently released a new wireless DMX system called W-DMX. It works with any device that transmits a DMX signal, transmitting to a wireless receiver at the receiving device. It’s intended for systems where hard-wiring a DMX signal is impossible or impractical. For example, when several large format automated lights were placed on several tall buildings during the Super Bowl and operated from the top of another tall building, it was not practical to run DMX cable to the fixtures. The W-DMX system uses a type of wireless technology that is based on “frequency hopping” which is well-suited for this application. It’s taken from a standard called IEEE 802.11 (FHSS or Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) and it’s similar to Bluetooth wireless technology in that it is constantly changing the frequency of transmission in order to avoid interference. For that reason, W-DMX is touted as being less susceptible to interference from other wireless systems compared to IEEE 802.11 a/b/g DSSS (Direct Sequencing Spread Spectrum) technology, which is what is used by most wireless LANs such as a laptop wireless card. W-DMX also used Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), which is a way of splitting up the data before it’s transmitted and putting it back together at the receiving end. It’s similar to the protocol used by ATM machines and helps to make the data more secure and less vulnerable to being intercepted. The W-DMX system is very simple to use and it is completely plug-and-play. The transmitters will automatically detect any Wireless Solution receivers in the area and assign them to respond to its signal. If you are looking to run more than one universe of DMX wirelessly, you simply set up each universe one at a time and they will work as intended, powering up receivers then transmitters for each universe in sequence. Each box retains its setup link even if power is lost, and when it is rebooted, it will regain its DMX link in about one second. The login information is stored in an EEPROM and will not be erased on power down, so no battery backup is needed. In theory, the units stay logged in to each other forever. The outdoor models of the W-DMX have a built-in UPS that will run them for up to eight hours if power is interrupted. Currently, no indoor models are available with battery backup, but they might be available on other models in the future. To change the link between boxes, the receivers must first be taken offline and reset. Then, whichever transmitter is to be linked to them must be reset to reacquire the receivers. This takes about 10 seconds and worked every time I tried it. The communication between devices is very robust and shows no sign of dropping DMX packets. After testing this system with both single and multiple universes, I found it to be very straightforward and reliable. While running both universes, I tried a variety of chases and color effects to see how the units would react, and there was no visible loss or disruption in communication. The testing environment was in a large lighting shop warehouse with moderate radio activity. 100.0604.RoadTest.EP.indd 27 The units can vary in size, but they are approximately 6 by 8 inches and very lightweight. Antennas will also vary according to the application and they change the working range of the units. The maximum distance with a standard antenna is 1km, but it can also work with other antennas boosting its range up to 30km. The system can also include single repeaters, which simply retransmit the signal and increase the wireless range, and transceivers, which can act as a transmitter, repeater and receiver. Overall, the system is extremely robust and easy to use. What it is: Wireless Solutions AB: Wireless DMX system, distributed by Creative Stage Lighting. What it’s for: Transmitting wireless DMX signals from console to fixtures securely. Pros: Excellent data transmission specifications, very stable and robust; small and versatile solution for wireless data needs; full DMX-512 capability, as well as multiple DMX universes with multiple systems simultaneously. Cons: None that were obvious. How much: BlackBox S-1 Indoor Transmitter, $950; BlackBox R-512 Indoor Receiver, $550. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Wireless Solution W-DMX 4/3/06 9:33:43 AM WELCOMETOMYNIGHTMARE Spot On A s one of the spot ops for Disney on Ice’s Monsters Inc., one of my main objectives is to hit every cue. But no matter how you try or how well you plan, there are times when forces beyond your control conspire against you. Take, for example, the time I was working spotlight number in section 209. I was sitting in a seat behind the spotlight when I reached up to strike the lamp. I tilted the light back so that I could reach the button, as I have done hundreds of times before. All of a sudden the back leg of the spotlight flew up and in the air, and the entire spotlight, all 106 pounds of it, came crashing down on me, pinning me between the seat and the light. Luckily, an audience member saw it all and ran over to offer his assistance. He helped lift the light off of me and we stabilized it until we could get more help. As we lifted the behemoth, the platform started wobbling under our feet. I was afraid the platform, the light and I were all going to go sliding down the seats into the house and right off the balcony onto the floor. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a house guy came over and brought some hardware to secure the platform. The problem that made the light tip over in the first place was finally remedied. Fortunately, the only injuries I sustained were a scratch on my right thigh and possibly a strain in my neck. The spotlight, on the other hand, suffered an eightinch dent on the right side and several bent boomerang levers. But the only cue I missed was the first one. Two other followspot ops—one from a catwalk up above and the other from the mirror followspot position—as well as a house guy in the control booth, saw the incident. They still talk about it to this day. Oddly enough, my brother and his family happened to be at this particular show. Later on, when I asked them, they said that they didn’t notice a thing. Tom Charron Capitol Productions Manchester, NH INTHETRENCHES Sherry Schumacher (L to R) Jan Downs and Sherry Schumacher Sherry Schumacher LD, PA, chief cook & bottle washer... John Gabriel Magic Branson, MO/Santa Fe Springs, CA www.JohnGabrielMagic.com 562.695.5464 [email protected] Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Personal Quote: Hi, my name is Sherry...and I’m a Coastaholic... Services: Hog programming/operation and personal assistant. Clients: RCCL, Gregory Popovich, John Gabriel. Bio: I fell into lighting about 16 years ago. I was called from the gift shop to fill in for a spotlight guy who didn’t show up. I enjoyed it so much that I started asking the LD all the questions I could think of! I have done other jobs through- 28 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Trenches.Night.BK.indd 28 out theatre, but as of ‘92, it’s only been lighting related. In ‘91, I was talked into running a small, antiquated Leprecon board for a show here in Branson—and bounced back and forth, from spot to board—where ever I could find a gig. I was assistant LD for Tony Orlando, where I was first trained on the Expression series. In 2001, I was trained on a Hog 1000 and then a Wholehog 2. I received my certification classes from High End Systems in Austin by the magnificent Vickie Claiborne, who taught me all the tricks of the trade to make programming easier! I still have my notes around here somewhere... I then started my work on cruise ships. I worked on a few before returning to land. That was definitely a fun gig! I missed the freedom of being on land, so I decided to go on hiatus. I’ve been in contact with John Gabriel concerning his upcoming tour of the West Coast, and I’m sincerely looking forward to working with him once again! I have been programming for him for about five years now, and thoroughly enjoy working with him. His magic and major illusions prove to be entertaining for me, as well as the audience. Hobbies: Paranormal subjects enthrall me! I love Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, which is always a blast to listen to on the road at night! I play upright bass and five-string banjo, and enjoy reading Stephen King books. Equipment: The only thing I know for sure is it’s gotta be a Hog! Don’t Leave Home Without: Maglite, Gerber, MD player, laptop... and Carmex... www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:39:55 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 29 4/3/06 8:50:47 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 30 4/3/06 8:51:23 AM INSTALLS • INDUSTRIALS • FILM/TV • THEATRE • CONCERTS Video Helps Make Oil Event Slick SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Big-screen visuals had a big impact on a meeting of Young Living Essential Oils’ national distributors. A network marketing company based in Utah, Young Living is the world’s leading producer of therapeutic essential oils. “The client wanted to do something different and in-your-face, so we recommended a big-screen presentation to kick off the meeting,” says Steve Webb of Webb Audio Visual, who helped produce the event. With the theme “Gold of the Gods,” Webb produced an HD movie with 5.1 surround sound and an ancient Egypt storyline. With an audience of some 2,500 in attendance, Webb employed three pairs of Barco R12+ projectors, a Stewart 18- by 60-foot Aeroview 100 screen and Vista Systems Spyder 344 for the image display. “What made Spyder so attractive was its ability to display the content’s multiple resolutions: Beta SP and DVCPRO HD video clips and PowerPoint elements,” Webb explains. “It was able to format windows to any configuration you wanted, and you’re not limited to the number of windows you can have in each screen area. You can move images from one screen or another or give a consistent background.” Hall of Fame Event Peppered with Video NEW YORK, NY—When Blondie, Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols, Miles Davis and Lynyrd Skynyrd were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the event was punctuated by live performances and supported by live video reinforcement. For the 18th consecutive year, Pete’s Big TVs/Performance AV helped to usher in the latest group of inductees at a ceremony held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Grand Ballroom. The video screen support included Barco SLM R10 projectors and flat-panel LCD displays throughout the ballroom. In addition, monitors were set up in the green room and press area so that everyone could keep up with the evening’s entertainment. First TK-2600 LED Video Truck Built for Upstage Video BROOKINGS, SD—The first TK2600 LED video truck featuring ProTour technology has rolled away from Daktronics’ factory headed to Upstage Video in Exton, Pa. “It’s an awesome image, and we think that event organizers are going to value the picture quality of the 10-mm screen,” said Doug Murray, president and owner of Upstage Video. “The functionality that we’ve built into the truck is pretty extensive. We can service an event with live audio, camera switching and capture the entire program for web or DVD distribution.” The 10 mm LED video display technology is said to have the tightest resolution of any LED video truck in the country. In addition, the onboard control room, which includes the V-Tour event controller and V-Link video processor, integrates the capability to produce live events Inside... 34 Bassmaster Classic Large-screen projection and LEDs a great catch for ESPN2 event. 36 Bon Jovi in Hi-Def Nocturne puts first hi-def video system on the road. 40 Resolving Resolution How many pixels does it take to make a picture? Video Digerati has the solution to your resolution. continued on page 32 Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.VideoCover.EP.indd 31 4/3/06 9:42:17 AM NEWS NBA All-Stars Fill Tall Order HOUSTON, TX—LED Screens helped to usher in a constellation of basketball stars at the 2006 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, 2006 NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by AOL, and the 2006 NBA AllStar Game. The events, held at the Toyota Center in Houston, offered fans the opportunity to get close to basketball greats like Lebron James, Yao Ming, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and more. Opening ceremonies at Friday’s TMobile Rookie Challenge featured a stage to the right of the basketball court. Two Barco Ilite 8mm LED “portrait” screens, each measuring 8.82 feet high by 5.88 feet wide, were prominently featured at the rear of both stage right and stage left to play show logos, team logos and graphics. Saturday’s 2006 NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by AOL also featured the two portrait screens along with Barco MiPix LED Modules. The 1,815 Barco MiPix modules, used primarily to display sponsor logos, provided a spectacular 3-D center screen measuring 8.82 feet high by 14.7 feet wide. The 2006 NBA All-Star Game, held on Feb. 19, not only used the “portrait” and MiPix screens, but also featured an additional Barco Ilite 6XP 6mm LED “Banner Wall” LED Screen measuring 4.41 feet high by 19.11 feet wide. The additional screen ascended up through the floor, providing a stunning reveal for the introduction of the All-Star players as well as half time performances by John Legend and American Idol’s Carrie Underwood, and John Legend. Impact Video of Burbank, Calif., supplied the LED video walls. Low-Res Visuals Back Up James Blunt World Tour WASHINGTON, DC—Lighting designer Paul Normandale used 50 square meters of low-res visual effects for the stage set of the James Blunt World Tour 2005/2006. The Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter has experienced considerable international success since releasing his debut album, Back to Bedlam, in 2005. The album has been a huge hit, becoming the UK’s biggest selling album last year and reaching total worldwide sales of nearly seven million. Following this huge success story, James Blunt embarked on a sellout UK tour at the end of last year, extended to a full world tour in 2006. After recent European and UK legs so far this year, the tour visited North America in March, with further legs scheduled for Australasia and Japan. Lite Alternative’s Paul Normandale was working on a set design for the tour and decided to make Chroma-Q Color Web one of the main elements. “I particularly liked the fact that it’s lightweight, offers the chance to light through and indeed light the actual webbing itself, all offering diversity as opposed to solid products of a similar type,” he said. “Its lightweight nature also means it can hang in a range of places and it’s reconfigurable, which is a real advantage when faced with lower trims, widths and weight limits as the tour moves round the different world regions.” Normandale’s set design features two separate layers of 25-piece Color Web panels hung from back and mid-overhead stage trusses spaced 13 feet apart. The webbing is configured in an arc shape to allow a clear passage for video projections from a front truss onto a 40-feet-high white projection cyc directly below the webbing at rear of stage. Moving lights are hung directly behind the panels on the same trusses, allowing them to light through the webbing for extra visual effect. The content is provided by a combination of custom tour images chosen by James Blunt from sources such as the album artwork and library images. It is played back from a PixelMad media server. To provide a visual contrast between songs and adapt to the changing mood of the set, the production switches between different combinations of webbing, video and lighting, as well as individual elements on their own. This includes hiding the cyc to offer a contrast of background to the Color Web and stage. The full tour rig consists of 50 square meters of Color Web, PixelMad media server, three 5K projectors, ArKaos media server, Avo Art 4000 dimmer, Flying Pig Systems Wholehog 3 lighting console, four Eytherlynx Artnet nodes, 40-foot Black A Type, 80-foot Stack truss and seven 1-ton Lodestar motors. Fixtures include two DP2000s, 11 Martin MAC 2000E, five MAC 700, 11 MAC 250, six ETC Source Four profiles, six Omni, four four-lites and one long throw spot. First TK-2600 LED Video Truck Built for Upstage Video continued from page 31 Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc with video and audio capabilities or to accept a video feed from a third party. The video display, measuring 16 feet wide by 9 feet high, mounts on a hydraulic mast that rises 18 feet in the air from the ground and rotates 360º. With a 23.5-foot minimum viewing distance, the display allows audiences at close ranges to view images. In addition, the 45 ProTour panels that construct the display detach from the truck to create a building-block video display. The onboard power generator allows an operator to drive the truck to an event and run the display for up to 75 hours. 32 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.VidNews.BK.indd 32 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:43:25 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 33 4/3/06 8:51:50 AM NEWS Bassmaster Classic Hooks Viewing Record ORLANDO, FL—The Citco Bassmaster Classic aired on ESPN and ESPN2 with a record 9.5 million viewers. It was the highest-rated Classic in ESPN2’s history of the tournament. The three-day tournament featured 50 top anglers from the BASS tournament trail. Each day was capped off by a weigh-in held at the Orange County Convention Center. There, all of the anglers came together to show off their daily catch and compete for the overall greatest weight and the grand prize of $500,000. For the second consecutive year, Creative Technology supplied the display technology for the event. The stage was set with a combined of large screen DLP projection and hi-resolution LED. Four flown 18- by 24foot Stewart Film RP screens, two of which were supported by double-stacked Barco ELM R18s and two with R12+s, gave fans an up-close view of the festivities on stage. Eighty-eight tiles of Barco I-6XP LED were used to create a 16.5-foot-high by 12-footwide leader board, which displayed the current standings of the anglers. A quad stack of Christie X4 projectors were used to display video and graphics on a custom 6- by 9-foot oval rear projection screen positioned in the center of the stage. “One of the big challenges for an event like this is to control displays that can be more than 250 feet away from where your processing is set up,” stated Kevin Gros, CT Chicago’s director of business development.“With Category 6 cable and pre-wired looms of signal and power cables, we were able to talk to any of the LED processors or projectors from our video control area. We also used fiber-optic cable to bring in the source signal from three video trucks switching different portions of the show to different paths.” Vonage Boasts New War Room Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc EDISON, NJ—The Vonage Network Operations Center at company headquarters in Edison, N.J., sports a new display wall of 16 50-inch video cubes in an eight-wide by two-high array in a split configuration. The system was designed and installed by Audio Visual Innovations (AVI). While the cubes are independent displays, once they were reintegrated in an array, a virtually limitless amount of information could be displayed on a single screen. This makes it possible to produce an all inclusive overview or snapshot of all the applications and information being processed in the Network Operations Center. All video and PC source information is routed through a matrix switch that makes it available to display on the wall. In addition to sources taken directly from PCs, the display wall can also display sources from client server applications run on the net- 34 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.VidNews.BK.indd 34 work, as well as any video source (cable TV, VCR, DVD, etc.). The layout of these sources on the wall is completely customizable. The layout can be changed at the touch of a button, as well as triggered through software alarms and/or SNMP traps alerting operators to potential issues in the system. In addition to the video display wall and associated audio and video subsystems, purpose-built technical consoles were designed and installed based on the number of operator positions for two flat-panel LCD monitors per position. The consoles include task lighting, storage and CPU trays where appropriate. A War Room was also designed and configured to share information with the Network Operations Center. The room functions as a typical conference room, but with the added benefit of being able to view any of the source material originating in the Network Operations Center. www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:43:50 AM » VIDEO PRODUCTS of 2K resolution video to a 4K projector. Dual-channel playback requires the purchase of the dual-link option, which also provides for 4:4:4 color space recording. The 3RU unit can house up to two removable hard drives, each capable of storing approximately four hours at 160 Mbs. Studio Due CityLed CityLed from Studio Due is an array of LED modules, each of which feature 42 LEDs—12 blue, 12 green and 18 red. The modules can be controlled by a DMX512 signal as an RGB component. By assembling the modules on bars (manufactured by Studio Due), you can build a graphic display of varying dimensions. Using a computer with pixelmapping software, you can play back files in various formats (AVI, MPEG, Flash, etc.). Each element is 4 watts, 73 x 93 x 52 mm and weighs 300 grams. With IP67 and IP68 protection grades, it can function in any environment from -40° to 70°C. Doremi Labs Inc. • 818.562.1101 • www.doremilabs.com » The new MultiDyne RGB5000-DC RGB/UXGA Fiber Optic Transport System allows you to daisy-chain one RGB/UXGA source to multiple monitors. The receiver includes an optical repeater to retransmit the signal. Each receiver includes a fiberoptic input and output. The input is internally decoded for the local monitor and then repeated for retransmission to the next monitor in the chain. Repeats a hi-res video signal virtually indefinitely with a total analog bandwidth of up to 600MHz. One optical fiber with a throughput of 3.125 Gbs supports 1,600 by 1,200 pixels. Supports standards include RGB, XVGA, SVGA, UXGA, component and analog HDTV signals. Techni-Lux • 407.857.8770 • www.techni-lux.com » MultiDyne RGB-5000DC Altinex DS801 Transmitter/ Receiver The new Altinex DS801-110 Transmitter and DS801-111 Receiver are the latest addition to their Intera series of wall-mount designer solutions. The DS801110 Transmitter is designed as a wall installation to transmit RGBHV or component video and audio over UTP cable and offers a female 15-pin HD input with native plug-and-play compatibility. A 3.5-mm stereo audio jack aids input which is converted to mono audio prior to transmission. The DS801-111 Receiver receives computer video and audio-encoded Twisted Pair signals and provides video equalization for cable runs up to 300 feet. The MSRP is $345. MultiDyne • 800.488.8378 • www.multidyne.com Altinex, Inc. • 800.258.4639 • www.altinex.com Barco SLite 10 XP Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc » Barco’s new SLite 10 XP outdoor LED display uses Dual Pixel Technology on four LEDs per pixel for a resolution of 10mm. It features 5,500 Nit calibrated output and IP65 rating, making it weatherproof. A new shader design helps improve black levels. New LED level (XP) calibration and 14bit processing increases color depth and uniformity. A refresh rate of 2,000Hz ensures stability and no loss of information when using camera for broadcasting. The new heavy-duty rental frame features large prepositioning cones and locking and safety mechanisms ensuring rapid setup and tear down. » Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Barco • 435.753.2244 • www.barco.com Doremi Labs V1-HD Video Server Doremi Labs introduces simultaneous dual-channel playback option for the V1-HD hi-def video disk recorder for 3-D video, super widescreen and video + key applications. Material can be recorded simultaneously, in two separate passes, or by transferring TIFF files via Ethernet. Playback at a 4K resolution is possible with two synchronized decks playing back four streams www.PLSN.com 100.0604.VidProducts.EP.indd 35 PLSN APRIL 2006 35 4/3/06 9:45:44 AM PRODUCTIONPROFILE The Highly Defined Bon Jovi Tour Photos and Text By SteveJennings L ighting director Pat Brannon has been with Bon Jovi in one capacity or another longer than many of his colleagues have been in the entertainment business. But his current position on the tour is now in its sixth year. “I started with the band in ’88. I was brought in by the LD at the time and had responsibility of over 200 Color Mags,” Bannon says. “From there, I was asked to be the lighting director in ‘89 and returned on the next tour as crew chief and computer motor operator and programmer. Before 1995, I was the moving light operator and programmer. So in reality, I have been with the band for 18 years. “In Aug. 2005, I started communicating with Artfag, the production design company that has designed Bon Jovi since 2000. Doug ‘Spike’ Brant and I started going over ideas for the upcoming Have a Nice Day tour, and with the input of production manager John ‘Bugzee’ Hougdahl, we started discussing ideas involving the high-definition video element that we are currently using. In addition to the HD screen, we wanted to expand on the idea of video incorporated with lighting, all triggered from the lighting console. Spike started putting ideas on paper and they all said, ‘Yes,’ after being a little reluctant due to fear of getting lost in all the layers of video. But they trusted us, and because we were the first to really use HD and videotriggered effects through the lighting console, they were enthused. 36 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.ProdProfile.JH.indd 36 “We are using several prototype interface pieces. The first is the interface between lighting and video called the Vista Systems Spyder. The Spyder gives me the ability to control the different layers on the HD, as well as all the other imaging surfaces, through the MA Lighting grandMA console. I can run Imag effects or media from the Green Hippo www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:28:11 AM CREW & GEAR Crew Lighting Designer: Artfag Lighting Director: Pat Brannon Crew Chief: Gordon Hyndford Dimmer Tech: Storm Sollars Techs: Jason Bridges, Steve “Six” Schwind, Mike Walko, Sean Kohl, Braden Stroup Video Director: Tony Bongiovi Video Engineer: Dave Lemmink Video Crew Chief: Mark O’Herlihy Video Tech: Jason Harvey LED Tech: Troy Baccheschi Camera Op: Cliff Hannon, Jay Strasser, Carson Austin, Chris Kemp, Steve Ossler Head Electrician: Henry Wetzel Software Designer: Stewart White Production Manager: John “Bugzee” Hougdahl Production Coordinator: Jesse Sandler Operations Manager/Head Rigger: Mike Farese Lighting Company: Ed + Ted’s Excellent Lighting Video Company: Nocturne (Dave Lemmink, Dir. Engineering) Power Vendor: Legacy Power Hippotizer to any video layer in the system. It was made possible through the expertise of software developer Stewart White. He wrote the software and built the DMX fixtures in the GrandMA. “The five video trusses—the so-called ‘fingers’—incorporate Saco V-9 video modules to relay the I-mag and media. The intensity and quality of the images on them are awesome. The fingers are processed through a G5 Mac. “The Element Labs Versa Tubes surround the band risers and add a nice accent for camera background shots and tasteful stage looks. They are processed through Mac minis. As for programming and playback, of course, all this would be a nightmare without the help of the Zandar Monitor display computer at the Front of House. This computer configures my preview monitors that show me what everything is doing. As for the rest of the design, it’s pretty straightforward. We use Main Lights Soft LED for a background, Gear Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 54 Martin MAC 2000 Profiles 45 Martin MAC 2000 Wash fixtures 28 Martin QFX 150 Fiber Optic illuminators 26 Fag Pods 26 4-Light Strips 28 Martin Atomic 3K Strobes 14 ETC Source Four 5º Lekos 6 Robert Juliat Ivanhoe Truss Spots 2 Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers 3 Vista Systems Spyder Video Processor 1 Zandar Fusion Pro Multi Viewer 1 MA Lighting GrandMA Console 1 Thomson Grass Valley Kalypso High Definition Switcher 1 64x64 Grass Valley High Definition Router 3 Vista Systems 353 Screen Processors 5 Thomson Grass Valley LDK6000 High Definition Cameras 3 Ikegami HDL-40 High Definition Cameras 2 Fujinon CPT-10 Pan Tilt Heads 2 Thomson Grass Valley Turbo iDDR Digital Disk Recorders 1 Sony HDCAM Recorder www.PLSN.com 100.0604.ProdProfile.JH.indd 37 PLSN APRIL 2006 37 4/3/06 9:28:31 AM and the lighting is made up of 100 Martin moving heads and Fag Pods for audience illumination. “The Spyder was cumbersome at first and it has a slight learning curve, but it turned out to be very user friendly. I elected to bring in Justin Collie of Artfag to program, mainly due to the time frame given. He programmed most of the finger content. I had used the Hippotizer before on No Doubt and Destiny’s Child, so I was very comfortable with it as my media server. “The MA Lighting grandMA console is a tool that I can’t do without. The flexibility is just magic. Having so many different fixtures with the ability to organize your show in a manageable way is the secret. “All my lighting and video crew have been with me before on other projects, which was a huge relief at the start of the tour. This crew knows what I expect and also take just as much pride in their work as I do in mine. It’s simply a pleasure. “Ed & Ted’s Excellent Lighting came through like no other company. Not only did they provide a top-notch crew and equipment, but they were also involved with my custom Front of House system rack. They did all the research on several components and set up my whole tool box. An LD is only as good as the tools provided for the job. It was all perfect! Kevin Foster of Ed & Ted’s was our tour rep and he rocks. Bon Jovi Hi-Def Vi By DavidJohn Farinella B on Jovi might just as well do away with the idea of cheap seats, considering that a high-def video system is being used on the Have a Nice Day tour for the first time ever. So, those in the back rows are seeing just as good of an image as those in the front row. 38 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.ProdProfile.JH.indd 38 David Lemmink, who is serving as the video engineer on this tour and is the director of engineering at the Illinois-based Nocturne Productions, Inc., has heard a number of times how clear the video image was during the show. “A lot of them don’t realize that they were watching one of the largest high-definition video screens in the world,” he says. “They just notice how clear the images are. On the shots where you see the audience, you can literally read the T-shirts of the people in the audience.” The cutting-edge system, Lemmink says, starts with five Thomson Grass Valley LDK 6000 high-definition cameras and two Ikegami HDL-40 high-definition cameras that ride on Fujinon CPT-10 pan-tilt heads. The team is using a Grass Valley Kalypso switcher and a 64 by 64 Grass Valley Concerto high-definition video router. The video processing is done with three Vista Systems 353 video processors and a pair of Grass Valley Turbo iDDR recorders and three Green Hippo Hippotizers provide playback. The program is recorded every night on Sony HD cam recorders. The live feed and custom content are shown on Nocturne’s new V9 screen that was custom-made by Saco. “We designed this to be the premier LED screen for the industry,” Lemmink reports. “It is about a third of the weight of anything that’s out there.” That was important, he points out, because the 40-foot-wide high-definition screen flies over the head of the band after opening up like a garage door. “It also offers a very wide viewing angle so you can see the image clearly and in the correct color off axis,” he says. In addition to the big screen, there are five strips of the V9 screen, which are 50 feet long and about 1.5 feet wide, that they call “fingers.” “They display a lot of eye candy and live video,” Lemmink explains. At side stage, a pair of Barco high-def projectors provide coverage to those fans via a 9- by 16-foot high-def video screen and in the back of the stage a Main Light Industries SoftLED curtain carries playback from the Turbos and the Hippotizers. All of the video is controlled from the lighting console, so the lighting designer is controlling the video imagery. “It’s to the point that he’s writing cues that run in sync with the lighting instruments,” Lemmink says. “He literally controls the video equipment as if it were a lighting instrument.” In terms of signal flow, video director Tony Bongiovi selects program cuts from the live video, merges that with preprogrammed playback material. “So, we are essentially cutting together a live video,” Lemmink reports. “That is presented on a screen in such a way that you could have multiple sets of images or you could have different views. For instance, you could have two views of Jon or six views of the band at any one time. Then that, all tied in with www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:29:01 AM “Nocturne provides all the video that we currently have on this show. They are a giant asset to this production. XL Video will be joining the tour on our stadium dates this summer providing a new video mesh, which I’m very much looking forward to playing with. They will be providing digital side screens as well.” Video Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc the video imagery, is matching what is happening in the lighting area itself. So, once the program cuts are put into the system, then the lighting designer is using it as part of his palette to essentially color the stage.” Doug “Spike” Brant of Artfag, LLC, who is also responsible for the tour’s set design, created all of the content for the show. Most of the images were shot on high-def cameras for use on the tour. “One of the things we noticed was that because high definition is in its infancy, there aren’t the same kind of libraries of footage that you have with standard definition video,” Lemmink points out. “So, we decided we were going to have to create all of it ourselves.” The system, as being used on this Bon Jovi tour, has been used at the Super Bowl, the Grammys and the Academy Awards, and will be available to other tours at the end of this run. Lemmink, who designed U2’s Zoo TV tour, reports that this is the largest video system that he’s designed in some time. The fact that it’s HD takes it to a whole other level.“I think we’ve set a precedent now,” he says.“We’ve essentially taken the next step in video so that we can display as pristine of an image as we can on as large of a screen as we can.” 100.0604.ProdProfile.JH.indd 39 4/3/06 9:29:32 AM VIDEO DIGERATI You Say You Want a Resolution Y ou’ve programmed with media servers before, but on this gig, the client wants you to use some original photos from the company’s last office party. Or maybe you want to create a unique piece of content featuring the company’s logo. In either case, it’s inevitable that you’ll need to optimize your content. Do you fully understand how the quality of the image affects playback through the server? Let’s take a look at a basic but important concept of any type of media—image resolution. Resolution Image resolution can be described as how much detail will be visible in the image, and it’s very closely related to the size of the image. Two settings, DPI and total number of pixels, determine both of those things. When an image is created, it will have a specific resolution (i.e., a specific number of pixels per inch). Changing the size of an image involves redistributing the available pixels across the designated space. If an image is made larger then the size of each pixel must be increased accordingly—consequently, the image will have fewer pixels per inch (lower resolution). On the other hand, if an image is made smaller, the size of each pixel must be decreased and the image will have more pixels per inch (higher resolution). Print Resolution In print, the DPI (dots per inch) setting determines the size of the image. Take an 800 by 600 still image. This image will have 600 rows of dots vertically, each row containing 800 dots. The total number of available pixels in this image is calculated easily by multiplying 800 by 600 for a total number of 480,000 dots or pixels. (On a PC, if you hover your mouse over the file name, it will usually tell you the resolution of a graphics file.) If the DPI of this image is set to 100, the image size will be 8 inches by 6 inches. If the DPI is increased to 300, the image size will be decreased to 2.7 inches by 2 inches because more of the total available pixels are being packed into a smaller area. Display Resolution When your output device is a monitor instead of print, the screen size determines the size of the image. Since there are a fixed number of pixels on a screen, if you’re going to display that 800 by 600 image on a screen, then the number of pixels across the image will always be 800, but depending on the screen size, the pixels will be closer or farther apart. When working with monitors, the number of pixels from top to bottom is described as the number of lines. Using your 800 by 600 image as an example, there would be 600 pixel rows (lines) vertically when the image is displayed on that screen. When the resolution of the monitor changes, the image will still be displayed across 600 lines of the screen, but it may appear larger or smaller because the lines are closer together or farther apart. or BMP files are two examples of formats that do not compress the image. If you want to reduce the “file size” (number of megabytes required to save the image), you can choose to store your image as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file and choose the amount of compression you want before saving the image. For example, when you program with the Catalyst media server, you’ll find that a recommended amount of By VickieClaiborne LED Walls When the output display device is an LED wall, how will the image be affected? This will depend greatly on how close the LEDs are positioned in the wall. The distance between adjacent pixels is called the “pitch.” It’s usually measured in millimeters and the smaller the pitch size, the better the image looks. In other words, the closer the pixels, the better the resolution. Image Quality In addition to image size, the quality of the image can also be manipulated. Enter the word “compression.” An uncompressed image is saved in a file format that doesn’t compress the pixels in the image at all. TIF At 72 dpi At 300 dpi compression is medium quality or around 60%. Any compression ratio higher than 60% simply increases file size without any real improvement in image quality through Catalyst. The trade-off of using high resolution images is slower loading speeds, but compression can help offset the negative affects on the server’s playback performance. Image Scale Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc A nice advantage of storing an image with a higher resolution is that the image can be made larger (scaled) without suffering as much image distortion (pixelization) as an image with a lower resolution. Most media servers include a control channel for scale, and it allows the image’s scale to be adjusted on the fly via a lighting controller and recorded into a cue for easy playback. So is it safe to assume that it is desirable to have as high a resolution as possible to ensure maximum detail? Not always. There’s no point having greater image resolution than your output device can manage. When you are working with media servers, there is a delicate balance between saving file space and maximizing server’s performance without sacrificing the overall quality of the image. So it’s important to know how to properly prepare the content to help ensure the media server plays it back the way you intended. Understanding how resolution and compression affects your images when they are played through a media server will go a long way toward helping you land that next gig as a digital lighting programmer or content developer. Vickie Claiborne is a freelance programmer and can be reached at [email protected]. 40 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.VidDigerati.BK.indd 40 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:41:14 AM VIDEO WORLD By RichardCadena Review Optics of Digital Projectors DVD Technical Short Course from Optical Short Course International you get a guided tour through each subject replete with narration and lots of graphics. The course is targeted at the middle 60% of lighting and video professionals who need to know about digital projectors and their components, including lighting designers, programmers, lighting and video engineers, installers, rental houses, marketing, sales and service technicians. With the ever-increasing influence of video in all sorts of productions, it’s becoming more important for every craft in the industry to learn the difference between LCD, DLP and LCOS/DILA projectors, different screen types, light levels and how they affect projection, single-panel versus three-panel projectors, etc. The DVD goes pretty deep into some of the topics, but it’s done without an overdose of math and equations. Not all of the material is for everybody who might view the DVD, but there is something from everyone from the different light sources available, how they work, their advantages and disadvantages, to the different types of projection technology in use today. Even the more technical information is well-illustrated and explained well enough so that even audio professionals can easily grasp the principles. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) The narrator, Michael Pate, is amply qualified for the job of teaching the course. Having completed his master’s degree in optical sciences from the Optical Science Center at the University of Arizona and his executive MBA from the University of California, Irvine, he is now president of Optical Short Course International and has been consulting and teaching video for nine years. His background includes 19 years in the optical engineering field, including new product development of optical instruments, R&D, optical system design, optical manufacturing, optical component and system testing, optical alignment, thin films and radiometric design and analysis. Basically, anyone who will come into contact with projectors would benefit from the course, and for many lighting professionals who are grappling with the newly-emerging field of digital lighting, this DVD is a great find. At $749, you might want to get a couple of friends or coworkers to split the cost with you. Then you can grab some popcorn, kick back in your home theatre and prepare to energize your brain. It sure beats reading a manual. What it is: “Optics of Digital Projectors” What it’s for: Technical and general training on digital projectors for anyone involved in video and/or lighting. Pros: Lots of information, very well presented and illustrated, easy to understand. Cons: DVD format is not as easily searched as paper. How much: $749 www.PLSN.com 100.0604.VidWorld.BK.indd 41 Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc J ust when you were getting comfortable with automated lighting, along comes this new technology that demands that you get up yet another steep learning curve. Digital lighting, LEDs, low-resolution and high-resolution graphics displays and DMXcontrolled media servers are little more than video with a new skin. But they are invading the lighting industry like it’s Omaha Beach on D-Day. Pause—press reset—reboot and begin again. Fortunately for us squints, there are abundant resources to help us gather and assimilate information about the crazy world of video and all the secrets of formats, lingo and interconnectivity. One of the most comprehensive is a DVD short course titled “Optics of Digital Projectors.” And when we say “comprehensive,” we mean 7½ hours worth of comprehension on three DVDs. It kind of makes you wonder where the term “short course” comes in. It’s certainly not short on subject matter, which covers a range of topics beginning with the very basics and going through measurement and testing. The basics include such topics as the projection environment, mercury and xenon light source chemistry and physics of operation, ballast info and more. As the DVD progresses, it gets into illumination systems such as DMD, LCD and LCoS and how they work. Other topics deal with performance, an excellent “chapter” on color and color perception, projection screens and measurement and testing projectors. Along the way, PLSN APRIL 2006 41 4/3/06 9:46:44 AM Televising the Tango: Photo Credit: Gunnar Rieger The Art of Lighting Ballroom Dancing Chas Norton T echnically, it’s a mess to take on. The subjects have to be lit for both a live audience and six cameras. In a cavernous, old auditorium. With no real rehearsal. On a public television budget. Yet, 24 world-class couples deserved rock-star treatment as they went toe-to-toe on their way to the top in an event called America’s Ballroom Challenge. Hosted by Marilu Henner and former dance champion Tony Meredith, the event featured four major dance styles of competitive ballroom dancing. And all that twirling, whirling and dipping needed to be lit for 360º viewing and be as splendid as the dancers themselves. Creator and producer Aida Moreno has been putting on these popular shows since 1979, and she has been working with lighting designer Chas Norton since 1977. “Every show I’ve done, he has it lit, and believe me—there have been a lot of shows,” she says. “He’s just one of those people you don’t work without. He’s so phenomenally curious, and not jaded at all. He’s still like a kid.” By Kevin M. Mitchell three more times there before we moved the enterprise to Columbus, Ohio, where it’s been for some 17 years,” Moreno says. But alas, like so many similar causes, funding dried up after 9/11 and the show went dark for a while (“as it should be” Moreno says). But in Jan. 2005, Moreno again acquired the necessary funding for the two-hour special for a November shoot. So, after a five-year hiatus from production, the crew descended on Columbus, arriving on Tuesday, setting up on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing cameras in on Friday and shooting from 3:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, the contest itself had continued to grow: “This event has become the largest ballroom dancing competition in aside five hours for programming. Also, I had the package of lights I wanted.” Working with John Cini of High Output, he trucked in all Vari*Lite products, including 10 VL300 washes and six VL 3000 spots. Four VL 2500s were rail-mounted for ambience and ceiling texture. ETC Source Four PARs were used for the floor wash and eye candy accents, as were six followspots. The team ran it all with a Flying Pig Systems Wholehog 2 console. It’s good thing that Norton was able to negotiate the equipment he wanted as the house lights left much to be desired. “It’s not a particularly warm and cozy environment,” he sighs, and so all of them were all turned off except for some around the edges, which were gelled. The 45- by 90-foot flooring brought in was good. Too good? “A highly reflective shiny dance floor can be your best friend or worse enemy,” Norton warns. Another challenge is the dancers themselves: how to do them justice, highlight their originality and vary the look from one to another given the time, budget and, most critically, lack of rehearsals. So the general approach was to use a wash of lightly-tinted white light to create a base look for those times when multiple dancers were on the floor. Followspots were used to solo the couples. But in addition to lighting for camera, the team had to consider the 4,000 fans that filled the auditorium. Was one sacrificed for the other? “I’ve always tried to make it look good for both,” says Norton. “Some people feel you can’t do both, and I respect that. For the camera, you need to meet a certain requirement on the lighting level, but that doesn’t mean you have to turn the event into something bland and washed-out for the audience.” Another approach Norton used was to treat the audience as live scenery and a part of the show. By giving the audience “A highly reflective shiny dance floor can be your best friend or worst enemy.” Chas Norton has been lighting for Boston’s WGBH since 1965, and in the fall of 2005, he was looking to retire. But he has a funny definition of retirement, and he took the opportunity to launch his postretirement freelance career. This event was the first of many big projects he took on in that capacity. “I’ve been pretty busy since I’ve ‘retired,’” he says. He’s been working on these shows since the beginning, when the first was supposed to be just a one-time special, but whose popularity and ratings dictated that it become a nearly annual event. “We taped the first event in New York City, and produced it 42 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Ballroom.JH.indd 42 the world,” Moreno says. “It had more than 19,000 entries this year, and dancers came from all over the world to compete.” “I got my dream team of people,” Norton says. This included Boston’s programmer Gordon Manson and executive electrician Brian Pratt. Austin-based video operator Dan Martaus was brought in as well. Also on hand were Columbus locals Rusty Sneeden, an LD who had worked on the show previously, and Bill Jenny, IATSE Local 12 Steward. The experienced crew wanted to raise the production value from previous shows. “We wanted to be more economical, yet get a better mix of lights,” Norton says. “One of the problems before had been that we’d get everything set up, but have no time left for programming. This time, we actually set Photo Credits: zJeffery Dunn Programming for the Unprogrammable - Chas Norton www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 8:54:55 AM texture through the lighting, it made them as much a part of the event as the dancers themselves. Some highlights, attention to shadows and modeling were used, which all paid off well as there were frequent audience reaction shots spliced in. Also, PAR light on the back balcony rail gave “hints that something was happening in the darkness.” But it was something of a moving target. The 10-plus hour event naturally had a siphoning effect on the audience, leaving the smaller, more passionate fans until the bitter end in the wee hours of the morning—a reality that is something you don’t necessarily want revealed to the home audience. “Zone Defense” The natural tendency in a situation like this is to use a four-point lighting system similar to a sporting event, which is exactly what Norton has done in the past. But that approach evolved. “I had started out going with four-corner lighting, and then I got into side lighting along the long axis of the floor,” he explains. “But those lighting schemes had problems, mainly because of the glare of the floor picked up by the cameras. So what I did was use slightly frontal cross lighting from two sides, and most of the cameras fell between those two angles. Then I provided a full floor wash so I wasn’t cheating the audience,” Norton says. He divided the floor into zones, and focused lights accordingly in order for it to be evenly lit for multiple dancers on the floor. As for the solo dancers, that’s where the five hours of programming made the difference. Not having a rehearsal or even having a crystal ball handy, the team guessed—though the final product certainly doesn’t look like they did. “We set looks blind not knowing what we would get. It was a marvel of good guessing.” All that experience came into play too. Figuring out that they had a certain number of solo dancers (though not knowing which couples), they were able to create a certain number of different looks. Although budget constraints didn’t allow them to create an absolutely different one for each featured dance team, a lot of variety was achieved. “The show did so well in the ratings that they have ordered up five hours for the fall—to be run one hour a week for five weeks,” cheers Moreno. “That’s how well it did!” And already, Norton and company are looking ahead and thinking about ways to improve further on the show next time.“One of the things for the future is we would like to get more insight into the dancers—their costumes, special entrances and exits, major splits—things like that. But there’s an element of Catch-22 as it’s a competition and you’re not sure who is going to be picked out by the judges to be final contestants.” Next year, Norton plans to canvass couples earlier; plus, now that the event is being televised again and the performers have experience in how well that was handled, they will likely be more motivated to work with the production team. Setting up the ballroom Norton says that the biggest challenge was sticking to the schedule during the setup phase. “We knew we had to make the best use of the time, and make sure we didn’t take false steps so that we’d find ourselves bogged down either in focus, prep or hanging. The five hours we had for programming, something we didn’t have in previous shows, was crucial,” he says. The show was filmed on Nov. 19, 2005, and edited down to a two-hour special. It’s been rerun frequently on PBS stations, and as is typical of such shows, will likely have a three-year cycle. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc www.PLSN.com 100.0604.Ballroom.JH.indd 43 PLSN APRIL 2006 43 4/3/06 8:55:34 AM Country Stars Rascal Flatts Cast Big Shadows on Tour A Rocked-Up Country Act Explores the “Halo Effect” By Kevin M.Mitchell I t’s 4 in the afternoon at Mizzou Arena on the campus of University of Missouri-Columbia, and there’s a bit of tension. “Every venue has its challenges,” shrugs production manager Chris Alderman. Tonight’s challenge du jour is having to use student riggers to fill out the labor demands of the complex Rascal Flatts’ tour. Until the aluminum structure that encircles the stage is up, most of the elements of the show—lighting, video, staging, pyro—can’t be put in place. But the affable, laid-back Alderman, a Rascal Flatts (RF) veteran of four years, is not rattled. “It’s slowing us down a bit, but we’re a team here. We help each other out.” His walkie-talkie squawks regarding another issue that needs resolution, and he looks at his watch. Then, with a grin, he says, “But we always do a show.” True to his word, RF takes the stage a few hours later and puts on a dazzling, over-the-top show, the likes of which are usually reserved for your Madonna or Ricky Martin tours. “What’s intriguing to me is that this a country music act, but it doesn’t feel like a country music concert,” Bruce Rodgers says. “It has lasers, fog machines, confetti, pyrotechnics and an ultra-modern set. These boys like to go for it.” Keeping Up with the Joneses Rodgers, of Tribe Inc., did the set design of the previous Rascal tour and got the call to do this one as well. The last tour featured a series of found signs, advertising big neon 44 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Rascall.JH.indd 44 boot stores and old hotels. It was organic, Rodgers says. So now, it was time to go in the opposite direction. “Bruce is great,” says Trey Turner, who, along with Doug Nichols, manages RF. “He comes in and meets with the band. We collaborate real well.” Turner wanted to go bigger by twice—twice the trucks (to 10), and twice the bucks. “Trey and I had a series of meetings where we talked about the great shows out there, the things Mark Fisher and Roy Bennett were doing, and discussed what we could do to keep up with the Joneses,” Rodgers explains. Turner previously worked with Reba McEntire, and had a preference for the “big show business stuff. He likes to entertain the audience, and the band likes to be close to the audience.” Another known factor was the large band they have on stage—five additional musicians go out with the trio. Many stage positions were created so players could step into the spotlight for a solo, or at least get an effective silhouette treatment. “The stardrop upstage is built by Jonathan Perry of Perryscenic UK, a fabulous company,” Rodgers. Finally, they had drummer Jim Riley bring out about everything he owned, including a gong. The double-bass drum set and gaggle of cymbals might seem more at home at say, a Rush tribute band than a Nashville act. The band had ideas for Rodgers to stew over, including wanting a second drum set brought out for RF’s Jay Demarcus to do a drum solo with Riley, then launch into “Hotel California,” and later, a piano appearing so he could do a version of “Rocket Man.” Working in his modest Venice, Calif., studio, Rodgers came up with sketches. “I thought about this idea of surrounding the entire performance with video information, and that was different for the band.” Another big difference between this tour and the one the year before was that the video element was ratcheted up, too. On what they call “the halo,” a custom aluminum structure, 325 Barco D7 video tiles are spread - Bruce Rodgers throughout. The center halo screen is a Barco OLite wall, 16 feet wide by 22 feet tall. Just below that on a riser that will be a reveal for the piano are 32 D7 tiles covering doors about 20 feet wide and 5 feet tall. “I did something similar for a Madonna tour, where you try to put your video imagery in several different places in the downstage and upstage area, and by doing that you create depth,” Rodgers says. He tells of an early configuration of the set that Turner walked around with dissatisfaction. When Turner was told the tiles only wrapped 230º, he told Rodgers that wasn’t good enough and found extra money so the “What’s cool is that while we could afford to use the video elements on every song, we didn’t.” tiles could wrap an impressive 280º allowing the less expensive seats to experience the show to the fullest. A 90-foot-wide LED curtain backdrop is added upstage to make the stage look even bigger than it is. Video director Keith Lavoi uses a couple of Doremi hard drives with ShowPlay software to run the show. The video gear was supplied by I-Mag. At one point for one of the songs, “Where You Are,” they create a waterfall effect and the performer standing in front of the Barco appears to be getting wet. A firestorm for “Melt” is equally effective. For these and others, Rodgers turned to friend and visual collaborator Charlie Terrell. “I write out a rough description of what the visual element could be, and he provides them,” Rodgers explains. Less is More Always Equally impressive is what they didn’t do: The temptation to just use this incredible video tool they build all through the show was resisted, and the visual elements www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:32:09 AM are used sparingly. “What’s cool is that while we could afford to use [the video element] on every song, we didn’t. We knew we didn’t want it for the whole show. And that’s part of the reason we went with a clean aluminum structure, so that Andy could light it,” Rodgers says. Andy Knighton is the LD. He climbed aboard the RF bus in Aug. 2003 when they were just becoming a headlining act. “The biggest challenge on this show was where to put a light rig,” Knighton says. “After the video walls, the kabuki…I just let it beat me up and was overwhelmed for a day or two.” Then he went to work fitting pieces in. Vari*Lite VL 3000s were used extensively as “there is no better hard-edge lighting out there. The video system dictated that there be horsepower from the lights; otherwise the band would disappear into the video.” He placed 2K washes straight over the band like the GrandMA are fabulous, but they give you too many options. You end up spending more time trying to sift through options rather than programming. The Hog 2 is fast, user-friendly—and I needed that as I had only four days to program the show.” Plan B and Plan C While the band is on the rise, it might aptly be described as having the growing pains of a teenager. So while the show was in a terrific 8,000-seat modern arena when it played its Columbia show, that’s a situation team RF couldn’t take for granite. “Technically, the hardest thing about a Rascal Flatts tour is they play so many different venues,” Rodgers sighs. The night before the Columbia show they were in Lincoln, Neb., playing in an older, shallow 6,000-seat arena where it was physically not possible to hang the Halo as it was intended. In anticipa- when the trio gets on what appears to be a simple platform with steps, and then in mid-song, they take off over the audience to land on a small stage right behind FOH and proceed to play a few acoustic numbers. It was something the band wanted to do, but exactly how to do it was another challenge—again, because of the variety of venues and the number of open air amphitheaters and state fairs they would be playing. A call into Joey Branam at Branam West Coast Rigging enabled - Bruce Rodgers the crew to set up an old school trolley rig, something they affectionately refer to as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” tion of this, the team put together not only a It allows the flying gag to happen without plan B where the Halo had a few pieces left rigging it to a structure—this way, it can also in the truck, but also a plan C. So there are be used at outdoor venues. The first time it three configurations of the set assuring that was to be tested, Rodgers says he wanted a they can put on a show in any venue. couple of his crew to ride it, but the RF boys Of the reveals, the piano and the second jumped right on. Then Branum came up with drum set, Rodgers says, “They opted to make these harnesses and told them they had to big deals about them in a show bizzy kind clip it on. “What’s this s***?” guitarist Joe Don of way.” For the drums, a hydraulic lift with Rooney drawled. “We’re not wearing them!” a motorized cart pushes the drums up and The flying stage was augmented with safety onto the highest platform of the stage, and rails that locked into place. for the piano, it comes out from a “garage” While the band’s audience is broadening, door that was covered in LEDs. the majority of those in this audience were One of the highlights of the show is “What’s intriguing to me is that this a country music act, but it doesn’t feel like a country music concert. These boys like to go for it.” Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc focused straight down and that brought them out as well. “Behind the set were six PAR 64 ninelights, monster Colorrams that had a color scroller on the front and that all helps compliment the video wall with contrasting tones and colors,” Knighton says. He says he approached the show as if it were a Broadway play, and that what he liked about the Halo was that he was able to apply different color tones to it throughout the night, especially on the songs that didn’t utilize the video element. He drove it all with a Flying Pig Systems Wholehog 2, saying that “boards starry-eyed teenage girls and young women out with their friends. When the trio flies over the house and lands behind FOH, it’s an electrifying moment for those who thought they would get no closer to the boys than 120 feet (which is the distance that it flies indoors—it can go up to 200 feet outdoors). The band travels back onto the stage for the finale and encores, and there are more rock ‘n’ roll effects, including the firing off of six confetti canons. “We don’t have many friends in the janitorial departments at these places,” Alderman smiles. “But we tell them it’s not us, it’s Bruce’s fault.” www.PLSN.com 100.0604.Rascall.JH.indd 45 PLSN APRIL 2006 45 4/3/06 9:32:26 AM THEBIZ Lighting the Way: Churches use guerilla production to reach larger audience A merica’s mega-churches are biblical in their proportions. The largest church in the U.S. is Lakewood, a quasi-denominational congregation—more like a small city— that sprawls over five acres outside of Houston. At 150,000-plus square feet, the former Compaq Center, once home to the Houston Rockets basketball team, holds 16,600 churchgoers at a time for several services each weekend. It’s also a broadcast ministry, with two massive video monitors flanking the huge stage that the telegenic Rev. Joel Osteen shares with a band. The church market has emerged as one of the fastest growth areas for lighting and video in the U.S. Video One could be forgiven for confusing Lakewood with a large television production stage, given the eight Sony 900 and 950 HDC cameras that cover each service. Two are fixed, one on the centerline 65 feet in front of the podium, the other slightly off center; the other six cameras are either handheld, dollied or on jibs. Director Jon Swearingen guides the service from a production control room on the fifth floor, part of a 200,000square-foot adjunct structure added to the original structure, bringing the entire facility to a total of 605,000 square feet. The cameras feed three huge LCD screens—the 34- by 19-foot, 12mm-pixel main screen above the stage and two 20- by 11-foot, 8mm-pixel screens that flank the stage on either side. The video monitors are widescreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The picture is later letterboxed to a 4:3 ratio for broadcast. There are abstract formulas for figuring out the appropriate sizes for the screens for such a large space, but as they did with the sound system, the staff at Lakewood preferred to use an empirical method. Chief engineer André Guidry supervised the raising of huge sheets of fabric upon which projectors beamed images. It was ultimately determined that three screens could cover 85% of the 16,000-plus seats in the sanctuary, and spec for the main monitors were By DanDaley down, loaded out, and the theater readied for the noon movie showings. The prepackaged lighting systems are compact but comprehensive: four Robe color spot XT fixtures, two Robe color wash XT units and eight PAR cans all hung from a pair of 16-foot trusses, all controlled by a Hog2PC console. A High End Catalyst DMXcontrolled media server feeds a 10,000-ANSI lumens Sony HD projector that projects lyrics, abstract images and the pastor’s message on the massive screen. The trend is the reverse of one that helps many mega-churches get started: Fledgling congregations will contract to use cinemas on Sunday mornings as they save up to build The best part for lighting and video professionals? These churches for the most part rely on volunteers to man their entertainment infrastructure. Their needs will quickly and inevitably become more sophisticated than their training. given for custom fabrication to digital signage company Daktronics in Billings, S.D. The remaining seats are covered by 10 Sony SX VPL51 front-projection monitors arrayed in a semicircle around the catwalk. Lakewood’s lighting system is proactive and dynamic; the system designed by Bill Klages, who lights the Republican National Conventions, has presets on the grandMA console that follows the moves of the sermon at each service, with concertlike lighting transitions between live and prerecorded action. In fact, the lighting would not be unfamiliar to patrons of heavy metal concerts: smoke generators provide an interference medium for moving lights, while Arri 5K Fresnels and Color Kinetics LED fixtures create a brilliant cloud effect in the atrium above the stage. The Weekend Warrior Church Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc There are some new trends in the mega-church sector, and they’re worth noting by LDs and manufacturers. Second Baptist Church, also in Houston (Texas is the epicenter of the mega-church trend), has had to spread its 40,000-member congregation over three campuses that hold a collective 12,000 seats. Even with some of the locations holding multiple services each weekend, they still needed more space. Rather than consolidating, Second Baptist instead diffused its congregation. Every Sunday, they take over several local cinemas, and between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., church teams bring in prepackaged lighting systems and plug various sources into the theatre’s projection and sound systems. The Saturday night service has been videotaped using high-definition cameras and is played back in full. The entire system is then broken 46 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.Biz.BK.indd 46 their own facilities. There are an estimated 125 of these temporary theatre churches ongoing now and their number is expected to rise, with a combination of live and videotaped services. There is even an entire Web site dedicated to the phenomenon—www. theaterchurch.com. This is the perfect confluence of forces here: Churches are trying to expand their reach and accommodate growing congregations—Second Baptist has a $5 million initiative that will extend the theatre-church to four more Texas locations this year, and is considering doing the same in other cities as far away as San Francisco and Raleigh, N.C.; theatre chains, reeling under a slump caused by intense competition from other entertainment venues and, arguably, rotten movies, see churches as a revenue source to fill seats that would have been unused anyway and, according to an Associated Press report, are actively courting churches. Churches have figured out that the new breed of American evangelism needs to be entertainment-based, and are willing to invest in the lighting and projection accouterments of their secular counterpart. Given the massive constituency of these churches—a mega-church is defined as one that seats at least 2,000 per service, and the Hartford Institute for Religion Research estimates that there are now 12,000 such churches in the U.S. with a total attendance of about 24 million—they might be as much as force for promoting HDTV as Best Buy and Toshiba. The best part for lighting and video professionals? These churches for the most part rely on volunteers to man their entertainment infrastructure. Their needs will quickly and inevitably become more sophisticated than their training. If that’s not opportunity knocking, I don’t know what is. www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 8:56:22 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 47 4/3/06 8:52:23 AM TECHnopolis How to Win Friends and Impress Power Engineers By SwamiCandela Fig. 1 D ear Swami Candela, I was pleased to see your power article in the February issue (“Swami Candela Sees But One Path,” Technopolis, Feb. 2006). However, I think you missed out on an opportunity to answer a question that I get about three times per week: “How do I calculate the per-phase current (of the feeder transformer) when I’m using 208-volt, two-wire plus ground-moving lights, with no neutrals?” Perhaps you can weave this (and an explanation of the square-root-of-three application to single-phase, two-wire, 208V loads) into a future Swami-Gram™. Finally, the power diagram showed no ground, which could be confusing. were 180º out of phase with each other, then the difference would be 240V. Instead, they are 120º out of phase with each other, which yields somewhere between 0V and 240V. As we can see from the figure below (Fig. 2), when we subtract the two voltage sine waves, we get 208V. There is another way of arriving at the voltage using an ancient art called trigonometry, but I fear the mere mention of the word will start some heads spinning. Suffice it to say that we can multiply the phase-to-neutral voltage by the square root of three and that will give us our 208V. Fig. 2 120V × Steve Terry, VP of R&D ETC The main point, however, is that we can figure out the per-phase current in a threephase system when multiple 208V loads are connected by first adding the wattages of the loads, then using the power formula as follows: Dear Master Terry, You have been a great source of information, inspiration and fashion sense for the Swami over the years. The Oracle of Ocular Arts is pleased that you have readdressed the subject. The language of the electrical arts, it seems, is a bit of an enigma. While the derivatives of Ohm’s Law (V=I×R) are straight- Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Technopolis.JH.indd 48 3 = 120 × 1.73 = 208 forward and easy to use, it’s sometimes a challenge to figure out exactly how to apply it based on the terminology that the practitioners use. For example, single-phase 208V service actually uses two phases of a three-phase supply. Another example; 100 amps three-phase service actually supplies 300 total amps. Many times, the key to understanding how to arrive at the correct information is decoding the terminology. The question that you bring up describes a 208V supply with two wires plus ground and no neutral. That is a typical hookup for 208V gear that you most often see in an entertainment venue such as an arena or theatre in North America and many other parts of the world, excluding most of Europe. The two wires come from two hot legs coming from a four-wire plus ground wye connected feeder transformer. Each of the two hot legs, or phases, can supply 120V to neutral or ground (if it were so connected) or they can supply 208V across the two lines (see Fig. 1). The 208 volts comes from the difference between the two phases. This is a little tricky because, as the nomenclature implies, they are out of phase with each other. By this, we mean that the alternating voltage wave starts at two different times. If they were in phase with each other, then there would be no difference in voltage between them. On the other hand, if they Power = e × I, where power is the per phase power in watts, e is the phase voltage (120V) and I is the line current We already know that E = e × 1.73, where E is the phase-to-phase voltage (208V) By substitution, power = (E/1.73) × I Or I = (power/E) × 1.73 This is the current from one phase, which is one-third of the total power, P, so if we use the system power, P, then we need to divide the result by 3: i = (P/E) × 1.73/3 In short, if you need to know the per-phase current in a three-phase system, then add the total wattage of the loads, multiply by 1.73 and divide by 3. These loads are often referred to as “delta connected” because of the triangle, or delta, formed by connecting them across two phases. Don’t forget to account for the additional power consumed by the fixture electronics and ballast, as well as the surge current that occurs while the lamp is warming up. Not only can you use this information to impress your friends and family, but it also comes in handy for engineering power distribution systems. 4/3/06 9:37:40 AM PRODUCTGALLERY Show XPress DoveStar Port Maxxyz PC Illustration Desktop PC Spawns the Virtual Console And the lighting industry has never been the same By RichardCadena I n the mid-1980s, a small lighting company in the United Kingdom was making a decent living as, among other things, the distributor for the Italian lighting manufacturer called Coemar. That company, WB Lighting, was on the forefront of a new movement in automated lighting. They were among the first to sell, rather than rent, an automated luminaire called the Robot. The Robot was a moving mirror fixture that was very simple by today’s standards. It has exactly four functions—pan, tilt, color and gobo. There was no iris, no remote focus, not even a dimmer. But the product was a big seller because it was an entirely new effect. Showco (later to become Vari-Lite) had recently launched the VL-1, and it spurred an industry in which several fast followers, including Morpheus, Summa Technologies and Dyna-Might, among others, started building their own moving lights, including the Pana-Spot. But every one of these companies also copied the Vari-Lite business model, which was to rent, but not sell, their products. Coemar was among the first to offer an automated light for sale. Coemar distributors were quick to take advantage of their newfound edge. The Robot was quickly sold into myriad nightclubs around the world. But that edge didn’t last long. Soon, Clay Paky began offering their first moving light, the Golden Scan. The competition was heating up. Competition, it has been said, is good for the marketplace. It eliminates weak competitors and it brings out the best in new product development. One of the byproducts of the increased competition with Clay Paky was that the weaknesses of the Robot were brought into sharper focus. Among them was the dedicated controller that you had to have in order to program and control the fixtures. It was very limited in that it could only control one fixture address. Even though the Robots were individually-addressable, when they were under the control of the Robot controller, they all had to be set to the same address; therefore, they only moved in unison, which very much limited their effectiveness. A young engineer who worked at WB Lighting at the time recognized the weakness and also saw an ingenious solution. Since the fixtures were capable of being individually addressed, he reasoned, then it would be a relatively simple task to build a new controller that was capable of controlling multiple fixtures with a different address. But he faced two obstacles along the way. The first was that Coemar refused to divulge the protocol they had devised to control the fixtures. The engineer was unfazed, and with the help of his colleagues, they reverse-engineered the protocol and solved the first issue. The second obstacle was the development of a hardware platform around which to build a controller. It would take a lot of time and money to build it from scratch. So rather than reinvent the wheel, they found another solution that would prove to be very forward-thinking. At the time, a new desktop computer had just come on the market. It was called the Amstrad computer. It provided hardware with enough comput- ing power and allowed them to develop the software to pull off the development of the first moving light controller that used a mouse and icons with a visual display. Thus was born the first PC-based automated lighting controller. This month’s Product Gallery is a validation, of sorts, of the approach used by WB Lighting 20 years ago. More and more manufacturers are recognizing the value of focusing their efforts on software while letting the computer industry provide the hardware. PCbased controllers are generally cost-effective, readily available, have a smaller footprint than full-sized consoles and make great backup controllers. And in many cases, the software is freely available (without the DMX output) for offline editing and educational purposes. Oh, the engineer? His name is Mike Wood, and he is now a lighting industry consultant (www.mikewoodconsulting.com). Vista S3 Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc Pharos LPC www.PLSN.com PLSN APRIL 2006 49 Manufacturer North American distributor Web Address Product Name Description Operating System Chauvet Nationwide authorized distributors network www.chauvetlighting.com ShowXpress Plus USB to DMX interface, DMX-in, joystick compatible, fixture groups, user-definable profiles, quick access to scenes, mask, live control, hot keys, multimedia triggering, sound-activation, MIDI in, easy stage sizing of shows, 3-D visualizer, 2-D visualizer, change colors/gobos via external DMX board through DMX in, 14 recordable shows without computer USB to DMX interface, DMX-in, joystick compatible, fixture groups, user-definable profiles, quick access to scenes, mask, live control, hot keys, multimedia triggering, sound-activation, MIDI in, easy stage sizing of shows, 3-D visualizer, 2-D visualizer, change colors through gobos via external DMX board through DMX in, one recordable show without computer USB to DMX interface, DMX-in, joystick compatible, fixture groups, user-definable profiles, quick access to scenes, mask, live control, hot keys, multimedia triggering, sound-activation, MIDI in, easy stage sizing of shows StarPort for Windows turns a PC into a DMX controller with USB adapter, software and computer. The mouse is used for all functions. It can receive input from any DMX controller for setting levels, for manual submasters or as a backup. DasLight Virtual Controller is suitable for controlling moving heads, scanners, lasers, LEDs and more.  PC X-Factor Xpress 100 Dove Systems DasLight America OmniSistem Lights & Effects www.dovesystems.com StartPort www.omnisistem.com Das Light Gold PC Windows XP Windows Windows Das Light Standard Authorized Entertainment Technology Dealers www.etdimming.com Marquee® PC The Marquee® PC lighting control console, utilizing the Marquee PC USB to DMX Interface, may be any Microsoft Windows XP computer running Marquee PC operating software. Windows XP Rosco, Entertainment Technology www.rosco.com www.etdimming.com Horizon® PC Windows XP High End Systems HES worldwide dealer network www.highend.com Hog3PC Horizon® is a PC-based lighting control software that runs under Microsoft Windows® XP. Available in Base and Gold level packages. Hog 3PC transfers the functionality of a Wholehog 3 console to your personal computer. Download for free the Hog 3PC software from the Web site, then add your selection of hardware components for DMX output and intuitive control interfaces. Jands Pty Limited AC Lighting www.jandsvista.com Vista S3 Control Surface, Vista App - Software Windows XP MA Lighting GmbH A.C.T. Lighting, Inc. www.actlighting.com grandMA onPC and grandMA offline Designed to be used with desktop or laptop, S3 is a Vista without the computer hardware components: Jands provides the software and the control surface, you provide the computer. Install the software, connect your PC to the S3 via USB and you’ve got a fully-operational Vista console. All of the features of a full grandMA console in a user-configurable PC application. This free program can also be connected through Ethernet for real-time display, control, tracking and back up of almost any console in the grandMA range. Martin Professional A/S Martin Professional Dealer network www.martin.com, www.martinpro.com LightJockey LightJockey 2 Windows-based controller included graphical representation of all fixture functions. Windows XP, 2000, Windows ME, Windows 98-95 www.martin.com, www.martinpro.com, www.maxxyz.com MaxxyzPC MaxxyzPC software is free of charge, but a USB license dongle and a DMX interface are needed to output DMX. The USB interface device outputs two universes or uses Artnet via the PC’s Ethernet port. Windows XP Pro or Home Entertainment Technology 50 PC Windows XP Windows XP or 2000 Pharos Architectural Controls TMB Architectural Products www.pharoscontrols.com; global distribution by TMB, www.tmb.com Pharos A complete modular system solution for entertainment and LED lighting in an architectural setting. It supports DMX and Dali for color-mixing, moving lights, dimmers and dimmable ballasts. Pixel-mapping allows LED arrays to render imported media. The LPC includes RS232, MIDI, and Contact Closures for interfacing with touchpanels and wall stations. Windows XP or Mac OS X ShowCad Techni-Lux, Inc. www.techni-lux.com Artist ShowCad Artist is the original PC-based controller for club, theatre, retail or architectural use. Artist is a WYSIWYG CE product allowing visualizing, programming and outputting DMX from one computer. Effects engines, fixture libraries and macros included. Windows 2000, XP, XP64 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.ProdGallery.EP.indd 50 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:23:32 AM Builtin fixture library? Built-in Visualizer? Hardware interface (ex., USB dongle, PCI card, etc.) Number of channels Number of fixtures Yes Yes USB 512 Unlimited based on channels Yes Yes USB 512 (1,024 with two units) Yes Yes USB Yes No Yes $949.99 Unlimited based on channels Yes $499.99 100 10 Yes $299.99 USB dongle 512 512 External DMX Control Console dovesystems.com/ pages/sp/ demo/index. html $995 Yes USB dongle 512 N/A omnisistem. com $798 Yes Yes USB dongle 512 N/A omnisistem. com $598 P Yes No, WYSIWYG compatible interface Marquee PC USB to DXMX Interface 128 to 32,768 128 to 32,768 etdimming. com P Horizon 512 Channel Parallel to DMX Interface, Horizon USB Key (128 or 512 Channels) USB Widgets for DMX output and USB Wings for programming and playback controls 125 to 7,168 125 to 2,000 P Gold Level Software only Yes Marquee Button Array Wing Panel, Marquee Slider Wing Panel, Marquee Remote Focus Unit Horizon Submaster Wing Panel 512 to 4,096 DMX channels depending on user configuration Up to 8,192 multi-parameter fixtures flyingpig. com Free software, MSRP USB DMX widget $2,200 per 512 channels P Yes Basic via fixture icons S3 Control surface. USB dongle required for output 128 to 8,192 Up to 500 automated plus 1,500 dimmers USB DMX Widget, USB DMX Super Widget, USB Timecode Widget, Expansion Wing, Programming Wing, Playback Wing S3 control surface jandsvista. com TBA P Yes Yes Network Signal Processor (via Ethernet) Up to 4,096 Up to 4,096 actlighting. com Downloads/ d_frme.htm Free software download, $10,500 for each NSP Yes, hundreds of fixtures + builtin editor Yes, hundreds of fixtures Yes, Martin Show Designer USB (2 universes), PCI512 (1 universe) or PCI2048 (4 universes) 2,048 100 martin.com USB-2 universes/5-pin or any Artnet device up to 32 universes (Ether2DMX Router 4 universes) No limit No limit Wireless remote (free software for PocketPC), ELC Sidekick (external faders via USB), grandMA 3D (free external visualizer for PC), grandMA, grandMA light, grandMA ultra-light, grandMA Replay Unit (rack-mountable console) Integration with Martin Fingers, 2532 and 2518 for more direct access Playback wing module via USB USB-DMX = $1,325; PCI512 = $1,790; PCI2048 = $3,670 USB Dongle = $2,470; USB-DMX = $1,325; Ether2DMX = $3,300 XP X Library of lighting fixture personalities is provided and new personalities can be added Screen shots, real-time simulation, import CAD to add fixture profiles, import video for LED shows and more Dedicated hardware supports RS232, MIDI, DMX, digital Inputs, Ethernet and USB for remote IP addressing LPC-1, 512 channels. LPC-2, 1,024 channels with expansion modules for additional universes as required No limits, other than DMX channels required per system spec pharos controls.com, latest version 1.1.7, Mac OSX Beta now available POA 2000, Yes WYSIWYG CE USB dongle or Ethernet 32,000+ Up to 32,000 channels worth Expansion modules available: Dali Master, Dali Slave, Time Code, DMX, RS485, audio, and with other modules forthcoming. New touch panel station soon to be available. MIDI SMPTE, touchscreens, Pathport, manual controllers, any Windows device ShowCad. com $1,379 full, $2,799 advanced P XP, ows ws XP me Compatible interface with ESP Vision and WYSIWYG www.PLSN.com 100.0604.ProdGallery.EP.indd 51 Optional accessories Retail price Demo version download, i.e., Web address Yes g horizoncontrol. com maxxyz.com PLSN APRIL 2006 51 4/3/06 9:24:20 AM PRODUCTSPOTLIGHT Exploring the ETC Congo Console By PhilGilbert hile ETC’s newest lighting console is considered “new” by most standards, the parents of the system would say that the console has been in gestation for more than 30 years. The true heritage of the console began with Avab, the Scandinavian lighting console manufacturer that, three decades ago, had one of the two existing 999channel boards, the Viking. With a simple, direct-access control structure, the Avab brand has maintained a strong presence in European markets ever since. Jump ahead to today, and an arranged marriage orchestrated by ETC’s Fred Foster W has brought together Avab with industry leviathan ETC. With strong product histories on both sides of the aisle, the newlyweds decided to leverage ETC’s domestic brand and extensive resources while taking advantage of Avab’s proven technology and international user-base to create a new console with the features most requested by their users. The Hardware Weighing in at just over 80 pounds with a footprint two feet deep and nearly four feet wide, the board features two builtin monitor arms that assist in reclaiming some of that highly valuable desk space, while supporting a total of three outboard displays. The innards of the desk include a Pentium M running at 1.6GHz and Windows XP Embedded behind the scenes. The board sports standard USB connections for input, storage devices, alphanumeric keyboards and pointing devices. Two physical DMX-512 outputs are available at the rear of the desk, with expansion available via Ethernet using the manufacturer’s proprietary ETCNET2 protocol. The Ethernet connection can also be leveraged as a direct connection to third-party visualization software such as WYSIWYG and Capture, or to connect to file servers for show backup and collaboration. The left half of the control surface includes 40 master playbacks below 40 palette “direct selects,” while the right half of the console is broken up a bit more with programming keys and main playback controls appearing below the grand master, independent masters and a semi-dedicated moving light control surface. All keys and faders on the board appear to be of a very high quality, with only one real surprise in the layout: In the dead center of the console sits a back-lit trackball which, as it turns out, was put in the middle of the console not to draw attention to it, but to keep it out of reach. The console does, however, have navigation controls in the keypad, which are more readily accessible. (The buttons and keys are also relatively large, making them much easier to read at a glance. –Ed.) The Software With a graphical interface that drives a middle road between other manufacturers’ color-saturated offerings and ETC’s own text-only displays, the visual output of the Congo is very easy to understand at first glance, and probably its strongest trait. System functions are accessed via a tree-like “browser” tab, with all subsequent information available via tabbed windows. A presumably unlimited number of tabs can be opened simultaneously, with each display showing its tabs full-screen, split in half vertically or split horizontally. A zoomable channel sheet or “Live” tab anchors the array of available display options. For those heavily steeped in theatre, the available information should be a welcome change from the MS-DOS typefaces still seen every day, offering up basic channel intensity and color scroller values as well as easily discernible channel selections and record status. For those users who are coming from boards that offer data-intensive moving light displays, the GUI will be very easy to understand, but may not offer quite as much information at your fingertips as you are used to. Spreadsheet views abound throughout the system, but are not yet as thoroughly developed as competitors in this category. The Method The Avab style of programming is somewhat foreign to most programmers in the U.S., with a scheme that seems to sit right in-between today’s theatrical consoles and the more moving light-friendly or concert-oriented consoles on the market. While the concepts of a command line and a programmer do not exist in Congo, there is fairly strong support for live editing of cues and sequences. The direct access input method is the hardest part of the console to learn, with a fairly strict command structure. The upside to this is that once learned, the structure becomes very extensible, with complex changes requiring fewer keystrokes than other consoles. Core to this technique is the goal of keeping the operator’s hands Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 52 on the console at all times. Touchscreens are purposefully not offered as an input method, as the displays are strictly designed for visual feedback. The Summary Anyone who is looking for a console to take control of a theatrical style show with a lot of cues and more than a few movers should take a very serious look at this desk. Operators looking for the next rock ‘n’ roll board will probably not be blown away, though I would expect to see very large improvements to that side of this desk’s personality in the next year or two. And finally, anyone operating media servers in any market should definitely take this desk for a spin. The 40-palette “direct selects” at the top left of the console cry out for quick work on a Catalyst or a Maxxedia. The Conclusion While only time will tell how this console does in the wild, the resources that ETC is putting behind it are a very good sign for the future of this platform. Congo is destined to make waves in ETC’s currently-dominated theatre segment, and maybe even beyond. Phil Gilbert is a freelance lighting designer/ programmer. He can be reached at pgilbert @plsn.com. Special thanks to Tall City Stage & Cinema of Chicago for kindly providing testing grounds. ETC 800.688.4116 www.etcconnect.com PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.ProdSpotlight.BK.indd 52 www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:30:48 AM FOCUS FOCUS ONTECHNOLOGY ONDESIGN Pre-empting Plotter Envy S everal years ago, a friend of mine got a pen plotter. It was a big, beautiful instrument. It was shiny and gleaming, and it stood on its own two legs in the corner of his office. I was envious of him and his plotter for two reasons—one was that he could create blueprints and crank out professional-looking drawings at will, and the other was that everyone who saw it immediately knew he was an AutoCAD stud. It was more than a convenient tool to aide him in his work; it was a status symbol. Over the years, I acquired and learned to use CAD software, but I never got; pen plotter. I thought about it, but I never got one because it’s hard to justify spending thousands of Washingtons on a status symbol that you can’t even drive out of your office, much less down the street. As a result, I’ve become quite familiar with dealing with reprographics companies from Austin to Australia. I’ve learned how to find them, how to communicate with them and how to give them what they need to get what I need from them big beautiful rolls of blueline drawings. They’re all pretty similar in their requirements and in their way of asking you to jump through a couple of hoops when you have a plot you need printed. You’ll want to find a reprographics shop that’s convenient to you and/or the job location. A lot of time I will be in one city working on the drawings and the people who need them are in another city drinking Starbucks and eating Krispy Kremes until I send them the drawings. If you have Internet access (read: you can do this from Starbucks, too), you can find a reprographics shop in almost any small to medium-sized metropolitan area fairly easily by going online on a search engine and typing “reprographics” and the city or town in which you want it plotted. Once you find a reprographics company, you need to check with them to find out how you can deliver the file to them and in which format they prefer it to be delivered. They might want you to download a print driver so that you can plot an output file that will be compatible with their plotter. Other times they might ask you to create a plot file or PLT file, which is a way of creating a generic file that can be printed on any plotter. Either way, many of them will want you to create an account and log in before you can send them your drawing file. Most of these reprographics companies are reasonably priced; you can get a D-sized drawing (24 by 36 inches) plotted for about $2 or $3 per sheet, or an E-sized drawing (36 by 48 inches) for about $3 to $4 per sheet. At those rates, it would take a couple hundred drawings to justify buying your own plotter. It might make sense for a company with several designers, but for a freelance lighting panies have very limited hours of operation, typically 7 or 7:30 a.m. to 5 or 5:30 p.m. So if you’re working after business hours or on the weekend, then you’re going to wish you had your own plotter. But here’s a little tip that I’ve recently discovered—Kinko’s can print blueprints up to 48 inches wide, and they’re …it’s hard to justify spending thousands of Washingtons on a status symbol that you can’t even drive out of your office, much less down the street. or set designer, the Internet reprographics route is a good way to go. A lot of reprographics companies will even deliver within a certain area for a small fee ranging from about $5 to $20, depending on the travel distance. The drawback is that most of these com- pretty good. They have locations in 11 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia, and they’re open seven days a week with extended hours. Some are even open 24 hours a day, year round. I have been working on a project recently and I needed prints very early in the morn- www.PLSN.com 100.0604.FocusDesign.indd 53 ing. I looked up my neighborhood Kinko’s, which is about five miles from my house, on the Internet, and I called them late on a Sunday evening. I explained to an employee what I needed and he told me that they could have it printed for me in about an hour. They want you to register and log in in order to send files, but I just sent my file to their e-mail address without registering, and they got it and printed it. I picked it up early the next morning and they did a fine job. There is, however, a caveat: The people at Kinko’s are typically not well-versed in AutoCAD, while there is almost always a CAD expert at most every reprographics company. On this particular Kinko’s encounter, the employee asked for a PDF or a BMP file from which to make the prints. If they have to resize the drawing in order to make it fit, it could alter the scale, which could be disastrous. In this case, the drawings were fine, but I would be very cautious about this. My friend ended up getting rid of his pen plotter and he’s no longer involved in design. Perhaps there’s more to being an AutoCAD stud than acquiring the veneer of one. E-mail the author in his Starbucks “office” at [email protected]. Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc “If a man will begin with certainties, he will end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he will end in certainties.” – Sir Francis Bacon, philosopher, statesman and author By RichardCadena PLSN APRIL 2006 53 4/3/06 9:00:00 AM 100.0604.Index.SS.indd 54 4/3/06 9:01:19 AM ADVERTISER’SINDEX COMPANY PG# A.C.T Lighting, Inc. All Access Staging & Prod. American DJ Applied Electronics Atlanta Rigging Avolites Branam Bulbtronics Chauvet Lighting Checkers Industrial Prod. City Theatrical Inc. Clay Paky America Coast Wire & Plastic Tech., Inc. Coemar Creative Stage Lighting Doug Fleenor Design Dove Systems Elation Element Labs ESP Vision GE High End Systems InfoComm Legend Theatrical Leprecon/Cae Inc. Leviton/Colortran Lightronics Light Source Martin MDG Fog Generators Limited Minolta Mole-Richardson Co. 7 43 30 31,41 24 32 3 24 21 35 52,55 1 10 23 8,15 14 43 C4 12 15 9 6,25,47 39 15 16 27 55,C3 4 FC,13 34 53 28 PH# 818.707.0884 310.784.2464 800.322.6337 757.591.9371 404.355.4370 865.938.2057 661.295.3300 631.249.2272 954.929.1115 800.438.9336 800.230.9497 661.702.1800 800.514.9473 954.689.8833 518.251.3302 888.436.9512 805.541.8292 323.582.3322 512.491.9111 702.492.6923 800.435.2677 512.836.2242 800.659.7469 888.485.2485 810.231.9373 800.959.6004 800.472.8541 803.547.4765 954.927.3005 800.663.3020 888.473.2656 323.851.0111 URL COMPANY PG# www.actlighting.com www.allaccessinc.com www.americandj.com www.appliednn.com www.atlantarigging.com www.avolites.com www.branament.com www.bulbtronics.com www.chauvetlighting.com www.checkersindustrial.com www.citytheatrical.com www.claypakyamerica.com www.coastwire.com www.coemarUSA.com www.creativestagelighting.com www.dfd.com www.dovesystems.com/plsn www.elationlighting.com www.elementlabs.com www.esp-vision.com www.ge.com www.highend.com www.infocommshow.org www.legendtheatrical.com www.leprecon.com www.leviton.com www.lightronics.com www.megaclamps.com www.martinpro.com www.mdgfog.com www.minoltalightmeters.com www.mole.com Navigator Ocean Optics Philips PR Lighting LTD Robe America Roc-Off Rosco Laboratories Sanyo Scharff Weisberg Lighting, LLC Staging Dimensions SuperScreen Techni-Lux TLS TMB Touring Video Tribe, Inc. Tyler Truss Systems Wybron Xtreme Structures & Fabrication 5 19 11 29 2 35 10 33 48 17 12 C2,46 14 5 37 45 49 40 8 PH# URL 615.547.1895 727.733.2447 800.555.0050 253.395.9500 323.260.7733 954.436.2118 203.708.8900 888.495.3452 212.582.3860 866.591.3471 303.778.0353 407.857.8770 256.533.7025 818.899.8818 800.773.8687 310.452.8683 903.877.0300 800.624.0416 903.473.1100 www.hiretrack.com www.oceanoptics.com www.broadway.philips.com www.onmisistem.com www.robeamerica.com www.roc-off.com www.rosco.com www.sanyolcd.com www.swinyc.com www.stagingdimensionsinc.com www.superscreenusa.com www.techni-lux.com www.tlsinc.com www.tmb.com www.touringvideo.com www.tribedesign.net www.tylertruss.com www.wybron.com www.xtremestructures.com Marketplace City Theatrical Inc. ELS Hybrid Case Lightronics Music Gear Capital RC4 Upstaging 52,55 55 55 55,C3 55 55 55 800.230.9497 800.357.5444 800.346.4638 800.472.8541 800.614.4083 866.258.4577 847.949.4900 www.citytheatrical.com www.elslights.com www.discount-distributors.com www.lightronics.com www.musicgearcapital.com www.theatrewireless.com www.upstaging.com For quick response go to www.plsn.com and click on Instant Info. Employment Tired of a heavy travel schedule? Looking to join a team of professionals? Seeking long-term employment with a committed company? Support Our Advertisers Let Them Know...You are Seeing their ads in PLSN Our advertisers enable you to receive PLSN for FREE! Palm Beach Staging & Production, based in Palm Beach, is expanding its client base and operation resulting in immediate openings for lighting, video, projection, audio and production coordinators. Qualified candidates will be working events for top “Fortune 500” companies that span a number of industries, as well as high profile charity and social events. Competitive Compensation! Great Benefits! Please call Amy @ (561) 653-6645 Fax: (561) 659-8401 www.PLSN.com 100.0604.Index.SS.indd 55 PLSN APRIL 2006 55 4/3/06 9:01:57 AM LDATLARGE Working Your Crew in Foreign Lands (Like Philadelphia) T here are two main ingredients that I need for every gig; the local crew I work with and my “go-to” guy. I believe there is an art form to working with people and getting the most use out of each person based on their individual persona. The word “stagehand” covers a broad spectrum of people all over the world. In the concert and theatre worlds, the lighting techs are often fortunate to work with IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), or union, stagehands. These crews have been around the block and are pretty familiar with most gear that crosses their paths. They build different shows constantly, so they get to work with just about every gadget, light fixture or P.A. that’s out there. On the contrary, touring crews constantly set up the same light rig and P.A. every day. They don’t always see all the advantages of how other people may do the same job they do. You can learn a lot by watching some IATSE guys work. Of course, not every venue on a concert tour is a union hall. In the place of IATSE crew, you can expect some great crews in a select number of venues; guys that have been in this biz for a while and know their way around a stage. But more often than not, you are going to get some unskilled labor wrapped around a few key people who may have actually worked a few shows. These people are not as experienced as a good crew, but it’s up to you to see how useful you can make this manpower. Last week, I was having lunch at some arena. I was listening to two young aspiring LDs talk about how useless the stage hands are in the clubs they have been touring in this year. These guys flat-out agreed that they would prefer to set up 20 movers and wire them all personally rather than go through the trouble of showing the local labor how to do it. I chalk it up to being young and inexperienced, but basically, these guys are so wrong. New stagehands are only as good as the person instructing them. First of all, they provide muscle. First thing I have them do is carry the trusses and lay them out in their proper place, only once. Then I look around for the smallest crew members to bolt the truss together. Anyone can do that, but not everyone can stack dimmer racks and lug heavy cables. Use the larger crew members for that. Early into the load-in, you can usually pick out one person with a good, strong mind. Show them how to lay the cable looms on the truss and attach the multi connections. Show another person 56 PLSN APRIL 2006 100.0604.LDatLarge.BK.indd 56 [email protected] how to attach the spansets to the truss and have them connect every pickup point. Take 20 seconds to show one guy how to run up a chain motor with a pickle and have them repeat the process until they’re all done. Don’t be afraid to teach and then trust someone to do it right. If you can keep everyone working on their own particular job, it keeps them busy and moving around the work area. That prevents the hands from constantly stopping to chat with each other, which creates a work stoppage. To a lot of new hands, our business is fascinating. They may never wish to pursue a career in entertainment, but while they are there, they are anxious to work. I try to turn a whole load-in into a fun time for everyone. I make fun of everything from pulling on 300foot cables to having four girls unstack all the moving lights cases from on top of each other. Motivate your hands while making fun of assorted crew members at the same time. I make sure I never leave stagehands idle with nothing to do. As soon as that happens, one of three things will happen, all of them bad: One, the hand will walk off to the bathroom or get stolen by another department because he was standing there doing nothing; two, the hand will start conversations with other people walking by, thus stopping that hand from working as well; or three— my personal favorite—you have given them a moment to use their cell phone. And they are not going to hang up right away just because you suddenly need their help. Good stagehands are only as good as the leadership in front of them. My favorite arena is Madison Square Garden in NYC. The hands there are the best. These guys routinely dump 10 trucks of gear, drive it up five floors of ramp and deposit all of it on the arena floor before opening up anything other than a rigging box. Then they come at you en masse and start building your stuff at the speed of sound. What normally takes three hours to construct is built in an hour. That is because they are departmentalized. Each department has a take-charge boss. Mongo grabs the rigging plot and does all your work for you. Show Chief the box of motor cables and walk away; he’ll deal with it. Cha takes the light plot and hangs the fixtures precisely. Explain to the IBEW how much power you need and which dimmers get which feeder, and it’s done correctly the first time. These guys are all over you to tell them what needs to be done. If you are not on your game, they will ride you for taking too long. Believe it or not, I use the same strategy of dealing with local labor in foreign countries. It’s all about communication. It’s not about the language being different. You can always find an interpreter. Hand signals and slow talking work wonders for me. Foreign By NookSchoenfeld stagehands are generally good workers and want to please you. With the possible exception of Philadelphia and the country of Italy, I think most stagehands want to work hard for you. (Attention readers without a sense of humor: This is called sarcasm.—Ed.) Many lighting designers have a tech they trust to prep their systems, no matter who the lighting vendor is. I think every good designer needs a guy who can come up with technical answers. I used to know all this stuff, but I’m afraid I no longer have all the answers. Instead, I’ve got an answer man. Whenever I’m asked how much a truss weighs or how much power I need for a show, I get a dumb look on my face. Then I pick up the phone and call the Goose. That’s the name I gave Mike Hosp years ago. He’s one of the few people I know who, if he doesn’t have the answer off the top of his head, will have one in five minutes. I design things, but sometimes I do not know the logistics of doing what I envision. I may have a whacky idea to put 50 Versa Tubes in a row, but have no idea how to address them, let alone construct a frame to hold them. But Goose does. On top of that, it’s a thing of beauty watching that guy direct 20 stagehands at once. The number one greatest job any crew chief does is to keep his local crew busy constantly. If you have all the answers and can work a crew properly, you will find yourself in more demand than most lighting designers. E-mail Nook at [email protected]. COMING NEXT MONTH... Manilow in Vegas LD Seth Jackson explains how the lack of concern for the truck pack impacts his sitdown gig. Media Servers The hottest new trend in lighting is video. How they’re served up is the subject of next month’s Product Gallery. www.PLSN.com 4/3/06 9:11:17 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 3 4/3/06 8:52:55 AM Ad info: www.plsn.com/rsc 100.0604.Ads.ss.indd 4 4/3/06 8:53:34 AM