LD-at-Large

Getting thrown into the fire is one of the fastest ways to learn.
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P R O J E C T I O N , L I G H T S & S TA G I N G N E W S

W H AT S H O T

The hard-traveling Mexican band Intocable does over 100 shows per year, and it can take up to six semis to haul all of their video, lighting and audio gear.

Production Profile

CONTENTS

Features Columns

4 Editors Note
Light at the end of a very gloomy tunnel.
Photos by Kevin Mazur, Ethan Miller and Denise Truscello

18 Inside Theatre

Richard Pilbrow has spent five decades taking on interesting challenges that range from theatrical lighting and projection to designs for theatres themselves.

38 Focus on Fundamentals

Haitzs law, and the promise of LEDs.

26 To the Rescue

A lighting software application, WYSIWYG, works out well as an information hub for the production of the TV series Rescue Me.

39 Feeding the Machines

The old skool practice of creating chases by hand.

40 The Biz

The metals market roller coaster.

28 Lighting the Revival

Eye Dialogue lit Todd Bentleys visit to Fort Mill, S.C. with LEDs.

44 LD-at-Large

Shocking confessions from a onetime greenhorn.

Installations

29 Buyers Guide
Automated rigging systems can eliminate some backstage hazards, but the four Ks still apply.

Departments

5 News 9 In Brief 10 Calendar 11 International News 13 On the Move 14 Product News 16 Showtime 33 Projection Connection 34 Projection Connection News 36 Projection Connection New Products
Bette Midlers LD, Peter Morse, needed to update the rig at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace to give a bright and punchy look to The Showgirl Must Go On.

32 Commentary

Arturo Cabada
Face-to-face business events are crucial to our industry and vital to the economy. But the media still calls them junkets. Whos going to set things straight?
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EDITORS NOTE

P R O J E C T I O N L I G H T S & S TA G I N G N E W S

Oh, That Recession

By RichardCadena
The Publication of Record for the Lighting, Staging and Projection Industries Publisher Terry Lowe
ust when you think youve snuck past the sleeping housecat, that sucker opens one eye, reaches out its furry paw and grabs you by the tail. It seems like only yesterday that I wrote in these pages that our industry was healthy and strong. What were those words again? Oh yeahI said, What Recession? There was even some chatter on the LightNetwork about the comment, though someone thought we said the in-

tlowe@plsn.com

Editor Richard Cadena

rcadena@plsn.com

Managing Editor Frank Hammel

fhammel@plsn.com

Contributing Writers Michael S. Eddy, David John Farinella, Kevin M. Mitchell, Edward I. Read, Bryan Reesman, Brad Schiller, Nook Schoenfeld Photographer Steve Jennings Art Director Garret Petrov

gpetrov@plsn.com

Web Master Josh Harris

jharris@plsn.com

National Advertising Director Gregory Gallardo

gregg@plsn.com

Account Manager James Leasing

jleasing@plsn.com

Production Manager Linda Evans

levans@plsn.com

General Manager William Hamilton Vanyo

wvanyo@plsn.com

6000 South Eastern Ave. Suite 14J Las Vegas, NV 89119 Ph: 702.932.5585 Fax: 702.554.Salida Dr. Austin, TX 78749 Ph: 512.280.0384 Fax: 512.292.0183 Stark Services P.O. Box 16147 North Hollywood, CA 91615
Circulation Editorial Office
Business and Advertising Office
Projection, Lights & Staging News (ISSN: 1537-0046) Volume 10, Number 2 Published monthly by Timeless Communications Corp. 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14J, Las Vegas, NV 89119. It is distributed free to qualified individuals in the lighting and staging industries in the United States and Canada. Periodical Postage paid at Las Vegas, NV, office and additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to: Projection, Lights & Staging News, P.O. 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 702.932.5585. 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. Duplication, transmission by any method of this publication is strictly prohibited without permission of Projection, Lights & Staging News.
ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES & TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
Disney Theatrical Productions, NBC Join ETCP Council

based company is also touting favorable currency exchange ratesOrion Software (orion-soft.com) is offering free add-on modules for their Sirius Pro rental and inventory management software with every new purchase at upcoming trade showsAustralia-based Pollard Productions (pollardproductions.com. au) has invested in an automation system from Kinesys (kinesys.co.uk), citing the 3D programming ability and being able to offer their clients exact, consistent movement for flying performers and other applications requiring a high degree of precision and safety.
be cabled and installed so that it is completely safe for the public. But the biggest challenge is that the field lighting needs to be installed, plugged in, calibrated, and ready to go in six minutes. It takes a tremendous amount of planning. Every part needs to be rehearsed. But the pride and joy of every greens keeper in professional sports is the natural grass field. And for that reason, they had to be careful not to damage the turf. They only let us rehearse on the grass twice, Dickinson revealed, once on Sunday, before the Super Bowl. We had just started the installation of lighting a few days before and we were not ready to rehearse cues. The rest of the rehearsals were for the music and it occurs in tent outside of the stadium. So we had to program all lights in the stadium by focusing on nothing but grass, while we programmed the field level lighting in the tent. It was a very schizophrenic circumstance to build cues. The next time we got to see the lights and stage on the field was in dress rehearsals (in the pouring rain). We ran the show three times and thats it. It was really a disjointed, hair-raising process. But somehow we always manage to pull it off.

NEWS Calendar of Events

LEDucation III Mar. 11, 2009 New York, N.Y. www.dlfny.org ESTA/USITT Control Protocols Workshop Mar. 16-17, 2009 Cincinnati, Ohio www.estafoundation.org USITT Conference & Stage Expo Mar. 18-21, 2009 Duke Energy Convention Center Cincinnati, Ohio www.usitt.org ETCP Exams at USITT Electrical: Mar. 20, 2009 Arena Rigging: Mar. 21, 2009 Theatre Rigging: Mar. 21, 2009 http://etcp.esta.org Pro Light + Sound, Musikmesse Apr. 1-4, 2009 Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre Frankfurt, Germany www.prolight-sound.de, www.musikmesse.de ESTA/USITT Fall Protection Workshop Apr. 6-7 and Apr. 8-9, 2009 Bowie, Md. www.estafoundation.org NAB Show Apr. 20-23, 2009 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nev. www.nabshow.com Palme Middle East Apr. 26-28, 2009 Dubai International Exhibition Centre Dubai, UAE www.palmeonline.com Lightfair International May 5-7, 2009 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, N.Y. www.lightfair.com AESConvention May 7-10, 2009 M,O,C, Munich, Germany www.aes.org

Chroma-Q Color Block 2

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Elation RMD-1220

Furman F1000-UPS - Battery Backup
Global Truss TW-RGB9 Truss Warmer
Littlite LLX Gooseneck Connector
Think Abele GmbH & Co. KG +49 (0) / 98 51-0 www.thinkabele.de The Howard Eaton Lighting RDMLabPack LED Responder provides a convenient means of verifying operation of RDM controllers and integrity of data passing through splitters and distribution equipment. The responder is capable of operating as a DMX device and has support for many of the commands (PIDs) outlined in the RDM Standard. In addition, a number of special PIDS are implemented that allow variation of response timings, break timings, etc., to allow some degree of testing under simulated error conditions. The RDMLabPack is fitted with six RDM Responders and comes with DMX IN/ OUT, DMX LOOP XLR connections. It operates at 12VDC. Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd 0044 (0) www.helluk.com PR Lighting has launched the new StarBrite LED cloth and dedicated PR-8710C controller, which comes complete with flight case. The IP3-rated StarBrite comes with 12 preset programs and features a total of 144 LEDs (18 x 8 sequences) with a lamp life of 30,000 hours. Other features include 150 candelas (with all the LEDs in full white light), strobe, white color channel and DMX or manual control. It also has a key-press lock to avoid improper operation. Power consumption is less than 30 watts, and the controller can drive four separate StarBrite cloths. They are 6000mm by 4000mm and weigh 20kg.

Howard Eaton RDMLabPack

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U.S.: OmniSistem Lights & Effects 253.395.9500 www.omnisistem.com Canada: Erickson Pro 514.457.2555 www.eriksonpro.com Mexico: Hermes Music 55472111 www.hermes-music.com.mx
PowerLift, J. R. Clancys automated theatre hoist, has been listed as meeting UL 1340 Hoist standard for safety by ETL. PowerLifts will now carry the ETL Listing Mark. UL Standard 1340 for Hoists governs overhead hoists intended for material lifting service, using either chain or wire rope. It covers electrically powered hoists as well as the safety of the product design and the shielding of the component parts. To be listed, the product must undergo extensive testing: normal operation tests, a strength test of 250 percent of the rated load, grounding, starting current, temperature, power failure, and short-circuit testing. J.R. Clancy 800.836.1885 www.jrclancy.com

Performance Lighting Chicago

16 PLSN MARCH 2009

All Time Low: The Compromising of Integrity, Morality, & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour

Jax Anderson

Palladium, Worcester, Mass.
Lighting Designer/Director: Sarah Landau Automated Lighting Operator: Sarah Landau Production Manager: Matt Flyzik

Gear Lighting Co.

East Coast Lighting and Production Services Inc. Lighting Console: MA Lighting grandMA Lite Control Console

9 6 26

James Thomas Engineering 4-Lite Moles High End Systems Studio Color 575 Fixtures Martin MAC 700 Profile fixtures Martin Stagebar 54 LED fixtures Martin Atomic 3000 strobes NSI 2.4k 32-channel dimmer rack CITC DF-50 Profusion hazer Lex 208V power distro James Thomas Engineering 12x12 truss
Outstanding Business Achievement Awards
Video Company: Frischkorn Associates Inc.
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Lighting Console: MA Lighting grandMA 24 Martin MAC 250 Entours 6 Martin MAC 600s 33 ETC Source Four Lekos 60 Source Four PARs 18 6-Light PAR 64s 1000 16x16 truss 38 chain motors 100 Element Labs Versa Tube HDs 1 Inframe Designs Vixen media server
Promoter/Producer: Ontario Chamber of Commerce Production Manager: Robert Daly, JST Productions Lighting Designer/Director: Joel Weiss Lighting Technicians: Peter Servos Set Design: JST Productions Set Construction: Metro Toronto Convention Centre Rigger: Showtech

Christie Lites

Basic Office Supplies Gala
Outdoor Tent Toronto, Ontario
Lighting Console: 2 MA Lighting grandMA Lite consoles 28 Martin MAC 250 Entours 17 Robe ColorSpot 1200 ATs 24 Robe 575 Wash ATs 4 Martin MAC 575 Wash fixtures 4 Martin MAC 250 Wash fixtures 16 ETC Source Four PARs 2 9x12 projection screens 2 5k ANSI Lumens projectors
Promoter/Producer: Cooper Smith Production Manager: Tran Langford Lighting Designer/Director: Erik Agur Lighting Technicians: Kirk North, Ben Fekete, Paul Roseneck, Bill Wood, Laura Toombs Video Director: Darryl Dueck Video Company: See and Hear

Soundbox Inc

2009 MARCH PLSN

INSIDE THEATRE

By BryanReesman
Lighting designer Richard Pilbrow at the Hirschfeld Theatre in production forA Tale of Two Cities, the Broadway musical, which has completed its run.
ighting designer and theatrical consultant Richard Pilbrow has seen it all. Today he has 50 years in the business under his belt not quite all the way back to the age of gas lights, perhaps but a different world from todays automated lights and LEDs. He wrote the seminal book Stage Lighting, which has been in print for nearly 40 years. He worked with Sir Laurence Olivier at the National Theatre in London. He is also a video designer and a theatrical consultant who has worked on the construction of buildings like the New Amsterdam Theater for Disney on 42nd Street, the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Speaking to Pilbrow about his career and the evolution of theatrical lighting, one appreciates just how far we have come. While the upcoming show Mary Stuart may have a 20-minute rainstorm onstage, it is not the first time that has happened, but it will benefit from heated water and safer technology. The designer recalls doing the first production of Singin in the Rain in London at the Palladium. God, that was a mess, he quips. We all got very wet. Water and electricity is a very bad mix. Not New, but Improved

Moving data around between the departments allows creative information to flow multi-directionally and provides everyone with the opportunity to contribute to the show as a whole. On Rescue Me, files originate from the design department on Vectorworks and they are distributed as DXF files. They go to the gaffer, Mark Schwentner, in Sketch-up, and then they are plotted in WYSIWYG. During shoots, the lights are driven by a Figment 5.1 handheld, Light Factory PC-based controller, Wholehog III, or an Expression console. Without the ability to exchange information, creative idea sharing would be far more cumbersome and time consuming. In a show that frequently shoots from the hip, information sharing often saves time, money and unnecessary work. File integration has improved over the 26 PLSN MARCH 2009
For Rescue Me it is WYSIWYG, Cast Softwares lighting design software, which has proven to be the central informational hub for the shows lighting department. While it was designed as a lighting visualizer, WYSIWYGs inherent ability to manipulate lighting information quickly and efficiently has shown its strength in the high-pressure environment of television production. The programs ability to import different file types, translate them, and output drawings and reports has proven to be invaluable. It can read DXF files, DWG files, and SKP files and import a host of graphic files, both for use as a rendering tool to illustrate to production lighting needs and as a ground plan to scale an otherwise difficult location. The software has proven an invaluable tool. While not without its difficulties, the process has increased the informational flow between departments. Some of the simplest capabilities of WYSIWYG have had a powerful effect on the production. During season five, a bar set has been central to the story line with-
in the narrative. During pre-production our art director, Clay Brown, output design drawings in Vectorworks 12. Those drawings were imported into Sketch-up, Googles free drawing program, and the central lighting concepts were outlined by gaffer Mark Schwentner. Those drawings were then imported into WYSIWYG and re-plotted using its CAD capabilities, library templates, text labeling and output functions. On a typical day, 15 to 30 lighting setups are created and broken down by the crew. During production, routine changes are plotted immediately and a letter-sized plot can be produced before the shot is in the can. All this is generated in a 2D environment. While the 3D capabilities of WYSIWYG are renowned, the speed with which a 2D plot can be generated by a moderately skilled operator is conducive to the high-speed environment of movie and TV lighting. The studio lighting for the entire show is maintained on hard disk and the whole history of season five can be seen through the different updates to each set. This data management has been maintained throughout the shooting season, and flows bi-directionally. While information is primarily generated in the art department and disseminated by the art director, there are times when information is generated in the lighting department and distributed to other departments. Virtual Paint

the hang of their soft goods. Another copy was imported into Sketch-up and e-mailed to the gaffer so he could grasp the scene and develop the lighting concept for the play. Finally, after the backdrop was painted, it was photographed and the JPG was attached to a surface created in 3D showing what the drop would look like in relation to the rest of the theatre. While the rest of the theatre was still 2D, the 3D image of the drop conveyed to the production designer what his actual drop would look like. Given enough time, the entire theatre could have been drawn in 3D; however, the typical production schedule crunch that we all face meant that no one, least of all the production designer, would have had more than a minute to admire the drop in its location. This technique, at least, gave him the information that he was looking for regarding playing area and shooting space. Google Lighting Plots
In one particular episode, one of the characters is involved in a high school play. Scenery was created by the art department and mounted in a New York high school drama department. Drawings for the stage were said to be non-existent. During the scout, a copy of a building ground plan was discovered in the booth of the theatre. It was only 11x17, and it was a copy, but the scale was visible in the corner. After scanning the picture to a bitmap image, WYSIWYG was used to trace the ground plan, creating a 2D CAD drawing of the stage. This was output in DXF and sent to the art department to plan
On location, WYSIWYGs tracing ability has enabled the planning of large exterior shots. One exterior shot envisioned by the creative team encompassed a large college green at Wagner College in Staten Island, n area of a about three acres. Using Google Maps satellite capabilities, a screen shot was copied to MS Paint and a JPG of the campus was created. This was then imported into WYG as a ground plan and the pertinent structures and roadways were traced, creating a CAD drawing of the location. Using this drawing, the lighting and lift positions were plotted, cable runs and distribution were planned and equipment schedules were created. Additional manpower issues were resolved using the drawing as justification for the large workforce needed to put the shot in place. In the diagram on page 28, the generator and lift positions are marked in blue, 4/0 feeder runs are marked in red, 2/O runs are marked in yellow, and #2AWG banded in orange. Distribution box positions and cam-lock T positions are also marked in this scaled drawing. This process has been used extensively on location to plan lighting lift locations. Frequently man lifts (usually 80-foot boom lifts or 50-foot scis-

tage, said Jack Kelly, owner of Eye Dialogue. We have developed a mutually beneficial partnership, and have been given the opportunity to design for great men and musical artists, as well as provide solutions to video lighting dilemmas. Andrew called to ask me for ideas wanting a plan as soon as possible for budgeting. The dilapidated castle had been ignored for years. It was old and run down on the inside, but the potential for lighting it was enticing. I hadnt really looked at the Castle on the property, said Kelly. LEDs werent around when Bakkers Heritage was operational, so I would be the first to tackle the project with LED technology. Nothing is more exhilarating than getting to be first. The Budget Reality
The crew used Chauvet Colorado LEDs and Martin MAC Krypton automated fixtures to light the stage.

Lighting the Stage

Kelly designed a lighting system that completely surrounded the castle with LEDs on all three levels. It would act as a beacon, leading the thousands of guests to the location. But with the budget in mind, Ketcham asked to scale it down. So they eliminated all cross rental gear and limited the castle lighting to what could be seen by the audience in front of the stage. Making the best use of Eye Dialogues inventory of 12 different types of over 150 LEDs, the idea was to create the most coverage on the castles faade. The natural characteristics of the castles stucco walls are beautifully displayed with uplighting, Kelly said. Every bump and crevice is accentuated with shadows, creating visual stimulation and interest. The first level of the castle had a large overhang, and by using linear cove lights (Color Kinetics Colorcast 14s), we created an even glow along the rim of the castle. The rocky highlights on the perpendicular wall made a nice contrast against the smoother line of the 45 overhang. On the second floor, giant archways spanned 28 PLSN MARCH 2009
The crew used Chauvet Colorado LEDs and Martin MAC Krypton automated fixtures to light the stage. Audience blinders provided both short throw lighting for the cameras and long throw lighting to color the crowd nearly 100 yards away. The setup was plagued by rain, and the crew could only set up the Colorados for preproduction. On the day of show, there was a mad rush to set up everything. And then there was the focus. Because they were focusing during the day when the beams are not visible in the bright daylight, they did what Kelly calls burning the pupil. One of the crew members stood in the desired lighting position out in the field waiting for the light to burn their pupils, Kelly said. The results, he said, were worth it. The blinders provided an exciting visual display as well as a practical wash filling the dark audience voids for video. On the stage, the Colorados cross-washed every position. The musicians were positioned and confined to the back half of stage so a fixed focus was possible. Every musician was lit using three-point lighting. The back light provided a definitive break from the castle even when the stage and castle color was the same, preventing them from getting lost in the background. Downstage was a little different story. Todd Bentley is a traveler, so the wash across the front of stage couldnt have gaps, Kelly said. If I had to do it all over again, I would have used the 30 lens instead of the 15 for lighting the speakers. With less than a 20-foot throw, the narrow lens created subtle shading between beams across the stage. Fortunately, it was unnoticed by the crowd. Without the aid of a followspot, the movers were used to spot keynote people outside of the stages boundaries.

Know the rigging system youre working with; keep the equipment in safe and working order; know how to use it; keep your concentration
Jay Glerum, from Stage Rigging Handbook
JR Clancy SceneControl 500
Niscons CH-800 Hoist Controller

2009 MARCH PLSN 29

BUYERS GUIDE
A Custom Hoist from JR Clancy Show Distribution TourTrolley Niscon RTDM-Rack

Manufacturer

North American Distributor Distributor URL
Product Name SceneControl 500
Description Rigging control system with 3D visualization of stage. Automated rigging hoists, with lifting capacities up to 2,000 lbs and speeds up to 180 fpm. Specialty hoists customized by J.R. Clancy engineering department. Software provides 3D graphic representation of moving objects in correct proportions and relations to the stage, set and other items as well as moving objects.
J. R. Clancy www.jrclancy.com

Call for a local dealer

PowerLift Custom Hoists
K2 3D Graphical Rigging and Motion Control software Kinesys www.kinesys.co.uk TMB www.tmb.com Libra load cell - 3.25 / 4.75 ton; 3/4 / 5/8 shackle
Digital loadcell system ulitizing a load measuring shackle and software for displaying suspended loads in a variety of formats
Raynok Motion Control System Niscon Inc. www.nisconinc.com Niscon Inc. Raynok MK2 Motion Control Console Raynok CH-800 Hoist Controller Serapid, Inc www.serapid.com Show Distribution www.showdistribution.com Serapid, Inc www.serapid.com LinkLift
Motion control solution engineered for the Entertainment Industry. Motion control console with 24 Programmable Macros and redundant backup Programmable hoist controller accepting 24V encoder feedback on fixed speed hoists. Mechanical lifting column made of specially shaped links interlocking under a load to form a rigid column.
Show Distribution www.showdistribution.com

TourTrolley

Motorized trolley that can move up to 12.5 tons at fixed or variable speeds with 5mm accuracy

Vortek S Series

Automated stage rigging system operated by push button control.
Vortek by Daktronics www.vortekrigging.com
Vortek www.vortekrigging.com

Vortek M Series

Automated stage rigging system.

Vortek Pro Series

Automated stage rigging system with optional Vortek Automation Center for computerized control.

30 PLSN MARCH 2009

J. R. Clancys Powerlift Serapid Linklift 80 rigid chain lift Niscons Raynock motion control system

What its for

Retail Price (or P.O.A.)

Comments

Control of motorized rigging. Installatons in- 1 - 250 channels; two indpendent playbacks; clude schools, professional theatres, concert every hoist in a cue can have its own speed halls in the US and overseas. and target; UL Listed Theatres of all types for lighting, scenery, curtains, front of house lighting, etc. Example: self-climbing unit built into 40W by 22H media screen. Allows programming of automated moves and sequences in a graphical and intuitive way. Applications include concert touring, theatre, corporate, film and tv Measuring and logging the loads imposed on structures and hanging points, both static and dynamic. Encourages safe practice and improves rigging safety. Fixed and variable speed hoists; dual brakes; redundant limit switches; load monitoring option; ETL Listed. 34,000 lb capacity, dual brakes, dual motors, four double purchased lift lines. PC or laptop running Windows operating system with appropriate graphics card and memory. Optional USB control wing is available. Multiple cuelist playbacks with speed override facility; lookahead collision detection system; 3D world import from standard CAD packages. POA

rate meetings will start to right itself by summer, just enough to allow companies to again invest money in face-to-face communications with their field staff and customers. Companies will have products to sell and the survival of brands will be at stake. It is difficult or impossible to get people motivated or reward them over a conference call or a streaming Internet feed. That is just the way it is. Research shows that people need connection. They need to hear the story from their leaders in person. But the mood will not change and the herd will not turn without a concerted campaign to reinforce our benefits to clients, politicians, and the press. Our industry must make a compelling case to politicians and news media that business conferences and events are part of maintaining and rebuilding the economy, not indulgences that squander money and produce few tangible results. Meetings and events produce measurable ROI. When the going gets tough and companies downsize, there is no more appropriate time to reach out across a company to present a vision for recovery and growth. Employees need to believe in their company they need to stay connected. Those employees and sales forces need to know even more they need to believe that their firm is on the right track and that there will continue to be a pipeline of new products to sell, and support behind the sales force and the products. Cutting back is a serious message that employees and sales forces take to heart. And the results show on the bottom line, and in lack of employee retention. And slowing sales do not support the recovery of our economy. If businesses want to communicate and motivate sales forces or market their products to clients, the proven best approach is face-toface communications. Anything less is just a low-budget attempt to achieve the same goals using superficial means. Clients know nothing is as effective as bringing people together, but in tough times, they often choose to act as if this has not been proven over time, or they are simply afraid to be seen spending money. Nobody wants to be judged in the press or by shareholders for extravagance in the time of layoffs, even though every company needs to communicate to survive. A carefully-coordinated industry response must be crafted to both defend those companies who choose to hold conferences and incentive events, and to support the large and diverse segments of the economy who depend on meeting/staging and business travel industries for their livelihood. Only then will there be the potential for a large and powerful voice of moderation to rise above the din of politicians and media taking shots at our clients and our livelihood. The efforts of MPI and USTA are beginning to reach out to the media and government, and at www.keepamericameeting.com the petition is also making slow progress. But unless we act quickly and forcefully, we may not see the effects of these for quite some time. I support the intentions of the leading industry associations, but their efforts still seem passive. I think we can and should do more. Which industry association should the staging business should turn to in times like these? ESTA? InfoComm? Does anyone really represent our interests? Should our industry join MPI and USTA efforts to get the word out, or is that enough? Who will you choose to stand up for us? How will you sell the government, the news media, and corporations on the fact that companies who use meetings or events to market, motivate, and communicate are not only smart, but also patriotic and providing a service to the recovery of the economy? And where will you begin? Do your elected representatives know what you think and how these issues affect your livelihood? We cant wait any longer for others to galvanize our industry into action. Stand up, and demand that our industry organizations represent your interests, and write to your congressman today, unless, that is, you are happy with the way things are now. Standby..and GO! Floyd Dilman is the owner of Event Engineering, Chicago. He can be reached at floyd@eventengineering.com

Altinex DA103-217 VGA Line Driver/Receiver
Milos Structural Systems freestanding LED screen support system can be used with screens up to 22.97 feet in width. It has a weight loading capacity of 2.5 tons and a maximum span and height of up to 23 feet (7m). The goalpost-shaped system consists of Milos MT2 aluminium trussing towers that are topped with MT3 sleeve blocks. Each leg is stabilized by two adjustable feet. The span is made from Milos M950 trussing and can be pre-rigged at ground level and then hoisted by motors rigged within the two ends of the M950 span. Milos Structural Systems 800.411.0065 www.milosamerica.com
Milos Screen Support System
For-As new 1M/E multi-format HVS300HS HD/SD switcher is a 1RU main unit, making it suitable for flight packs, mobiles or small production facilities. Standard resizing engines on all inputs make it possible to mix SD and HD signals in a full HD production. Optional analog and DVI/WUXGA input modules enable the use of legacy SD equipment. Standard frame syncs, available on each input, eliminate the timing issues involved with mixed signal installations. Plus, optional output modules each contain one channel of down conversion to feed existing SD systems. It supports 1080/60i, 59.94i, 50i, 24PsF, 23.98PsF, 720/60p, 59.94p, 50p, 525/60 (NTSC) and 625/50 (PAL). For-A Corporation of America 714.894.3311 www.for-a.com
For-A HVS-300HS 1 M/E Multi-Format Switcher
Coolux recently released a new software version of Pandoras Box, version 4.1 revision 2814. It has two new major features: the Matrix is included in every server and player package, and the new software enables the second input of HD SDI. With the new Matrix feature, the video output can be converted to ArtNet without the need for the optional plugin. The redesigned Matrix Patcher software includes new features and is included in the package. The software is free for Media Server clients of all versions and Media Player version 4.x owners.
Coolux Pandoras Box Version 4.1 Rev. 2814
Coolux GmbH +0 www.coolux.de

36 PLSN MARCH 2009

FOCUS ON FUNDAMENTALS
few short years ago, LEDs were like the Jessica Simpson of the live event production industry; they were pretty but not too bright. Thanks to Haitzs law, thats changing faster than executive salaries on Wall Street. But what does the technology have in store for us in the future? For answers, we asked Chad Stalker of Luminus Devices where all this will lead.

the CRI, more colors must be added. Some companies tile many different colors together to create the appropriate spectral profile, but the end result is a fixture that has significant color pigmentation in the near field. An added problem of doing this is that when an object is placed in front of one of these fixtures, the spatial separation of the different colors causes color breakup in the shadow. To address this, Luminus created the PhlatLight CBM-380 a four primary LED module capable of delivering 2500+ white lumens at a CRI of greater than 90. The result is an LED module that can track the blackbody curve with high color rendering as well as match the chromaticity points of 97 percent of the standard theatre gels. Additionally, the close proximity of the chips in the CBM-380 only the width of a few human hairs allows the fixture to look extremely uniform in the near field. Since all of the light is coming from a single source, color shadowing becomes a thing of the past.
the area and solid angle of the source. For example, lamp-based projection systems use a small and efficient light source that allows the system to output high amounts of light flux in a very tight beam. Typical LEDs are larger than most lamp sources and do not allow the system designer to efficiently focus enough light through the gobo system from a single chip. The lack of light has been addressed by tiling many small LEDs into tightly packed arrays and focusing them all onto a single gobo, but due to etendue, the light flux out of the projection lens is very low. Eventually, LEDs will improve in efficacy enough to compete with high power lamp-based sources from an etendue standpoint, but it is going to happen with different system architectures due to the differences in which lamps and LEDs emit light. Lamps emit light over a small area but into all directions, and LEDs emit light over a larger area but only in the forward direction. Luminus LEDs were originally designed for microdisplay pro-

they utilize a conical end-point connection rather than an end plate Kahn says resupplying the rental market for complete truss assemblies is part of the companys strategy to gain market share in the U.S. Another part of that strategy is using lower prices to foster niche markets, such as DJs seeking to move from plastic truss assemblies to aluminum ones, and to market permanent truss installs in venues like churches and retail as well. Also, Kahn says, lower materials costs allow overseas manufacturing to stay competitive in the custom-made market. If a customer cant wait the three weeks or so it takes to ship a custom truss by container, the cost of air-freighting it is offset to some extent by lower products prices made possible by lower materials and manufacturing costs, he says. Ups and Downs
What truss makers and other companies whose products depend upon raw and finished metals can expect is more price volatility, with the larger industry leaders providing some early indicators. One of the worlds largest aluminum
Truss makers and other companies whose products depend upon raw and finished metals can expect more price volatility.
by moving its manufacturing in China. The lower manufacturing costs there more than offset the shipping costs, says Ken Kahn, Globals general manager. While the format of Globals trusses is dissimilar to some used in the U.S. makers, U.S.-based Alcoa, reported a 35-percent decline in Qaluminum prices, dropping Alcoas alumina revenues by 21 percent and leading to its first quarterly loss in six years. To compensate, Alcoa announced it would cut output and costs dramatically, including 15,000 worker layoffs. Copper has been experiencing the same sort of roller coaster ride, with the COMEX (raw copper) price dropping 58.8 percent just in the last six months of 2008. Bill Anderson, marketing director at TMB in Southern California, which supplies professional lighting and staging equipment from its locations in Los Angeles, London, New York, Toronto and Beijing, says he noticed a slight rise in the pricing of copper, which they use mainly in the form of cabling, in January. But no clear trend had emerged by the start of the year. All that was certain is that volatile price swings create the thing that businesses fear most: uncertainty, and the inability to reliably forecast strategically. People might initially think that dropping prices are a good thing, Anderson says. But the reality is, when prices change this fast in either direction, it removes your ability to plan inventories. Thats the real issue for all of this.
Gemini Stage Lighting, like others in that market, watched as vendors hiked prices incrementally over the last two years. It seemed that where we used to get a price increase once a year, we were getting incremental price increases every other month, recalls Jerad Garza, sales