Good morning class, does everyone have a calculator? Today’s lesson is about calculating the center point of an image so we can align two LED curtains hung with space in between with different pixel pitches so that the image of one continues onto the second cleanly. The trick is to calculate where the center point is and work outward to find the starting pixel of the image. What follows is an example of how to work that math.

Recently, I began experimenting with ideas for an event that will involve video onto a building, walls, and other 3D objects. Hoping to be able to use the MBox Extreme, I set up a system and proceeded to create a 3D model of a building with windows using 3D object creation software. Once the model was built, I loaded it into MBox and was easily able to add movies and images to the object with no fancy setup required. Add a comment

What is Stereoscopy? Since I live in Las Vegas, I’d wager a healthy bet that we’ve all seen a 3D movie at some point in our lives. And I’m sure we’ve wondered how it works while we’re wearing those funny cardboard (or, if you’re at a theme park, they might be plastic) glasses.

In the events biz, it’s no secret that COE (Cost Of Ownership) is an ongoing issue. There’s one area in particular that rings up the cash register on a regular basis — namely, xenon lamp replacement. Whether the projector’s part of the rental inventory or permanently installed in a theater, it’s the same situation. In terms of lamp runtime, at somewhere between 600 and 2000 hours, the lamp needs to be replaced — and the cost (per lamp) for these little hand-made high-pressure xenon beauties can top $1,000, depending on the wattage. And speaking of COE, we’ll disregard the fact (for now) that each time you light that 7K lamp, another turbine has to spin up at Hoover Dam. Add a comment

After a big meal, you want some time to digest. That’s what mega-lighting entity Philips has done after a six-year tear of acquisitions, including its purchase of LED lighting system manufacturer Color Kinetics (announced in June 2007) and solid-state lighting technology company TIR Systems (March 2007). Then, in 2008, Philips acquired The Genlyte Group, an entity which had previously acquired JJI Lighting Group (May 2006), the U.S.- and Hong Kong-based operations of Strand Lighting (July 2006) and, a few years earlier, Vari-Lite (2002). Add a comment

One of the remarkable growth areas in the entertainment business in the last decade has been management of record producers and mixers. New shops popping up and consolidations of existing ones have increasingly crowded the big companies in that space, such as Nettwerk and World’s End. So I wondered, where are the managers who want to manage the careers of lighting designers, stage designers, video designers and the rest of the staged-arts disciplines? I’m still wondering. Add a comment

It may be worth noting that Coachella, the wildly successful music and arts festival, has been staged at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA since its inception in 1999. One of the next iterations of the event might also include water polo. Add a comment

Automated lighting programming often encompasses more than adjusting intensities and moving lights around a stage. Quite often, we find ourselves in circumstances that require intense planning, understanding and interconnectivity of lighting elements. Add a comment

The popularity of LED lighting has certainly taken ahold of our industry, and nearly every production now incorporates some form of LED-source products. Many wash lights are being replaced with LED fixtures, and now even LED ellipsoidals and automated spots are beginning to emerge from the major manufacturers. All these products generally operate very similarly to other automated luminaires, however there are important color differences that must be considered by an automated lighting programmer. Add a comment

This month, I am writing to all of you about a serious situation in our industry. Every production inevitably ends up suffering from this serious condition at some point in preproduction, or even after the show opens. It is time that we all work together as professionals to help reduce further occurrences of this terrible state of affairs. As I am sure most of you reading this are aware, all too often, cues and looks get programmed and never used. Add a comment