NAB 2010 – Day Two with Photos

Day two of NAB 2010 is done and gone. The day started off pretty awesome for me. I was invited to take a back stage tour of KA at the MGM Grand. Let me tell you, what an AWESOME experience! Seeing backstage at a Las Vegas Circqu show is unbelievable with KA especially. The amount of lifts, nets hydraulics, motors mad motion control involved in the show is just crazy! I was able to snap a couple of photos from front of house, not so much from backstage though, sorry.

After the tour back stage, it was a short trip on the Las Vegas Monorail to the convention center to visit and see more exciting products on the show floor. Let me tell you, some of the things I witnessed today were pretty thrilling. I saw over six, yes, six new LED fixtures that were hands down crazy excellent. DiSisti’s upcoming RGBW LED fixture is very bright and pretty damn affordable at under $2000. Videssence also has a couple new focusable LED fixture that are insanely bright. There was also a new studio LED fixture from Prism Projection, a new TV and Film LED that is being distributed by PRG.

I plan on going into GREAT detail about each of these fixtures quite soon. If you are in Vegas still for NAB, make sure to stop by the previously mentioned booths, these LED fixtures will knock your socks off!

I have a dinner date rapidly approaching here so I will leave you with some photos from around the show floor. Stay tuned for updates during the show tomorrow!

Photos from Day two at NAB 2010

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Day One from NAB 2010

Day one of NAB is in the bag, to bad I missed a good portion of it.  I spent most of yesterday traveling to Las Vegas for the NAB Show. I did how ever get a chance to get over to the show for the last two hours.  After making a delivery for Nila and find Beth, Tom and Phil at the SeaChanger booth and doing a quick interview, I had some time to quickly walk a fraction on the show floor to say hi to some friends.

After the show closed at 6pm, we all piled into the SeaChanger Suburban to head back to Treasure Island.  It is at this point everyone asked me which side of the hotel my room is on.  Well, when I checked in a asked for a strip view, why not right, pretty lights and an over head view of the pirate show below.  That is when everyone in the car began to laugh at me.  Apparently the pirate show goes until midnight and is very loud and will keep me awake. And yes, they were correct, it was very loud, but I had the iPod kicking a little music to put me to sleep so no harm, no foul.

Seeing as I was still three hours ahead of Vegas, I needed to get to sleep and get refreshed for today. Look for photos from day 2 of NAB here later today, or for those of you back home, first thing in the morning.

NAB Show in Vegas This Week

This week brings the NAB Show or National Association of Broadcasters trade show in fabulous Las Vegas Nevada. I am here this week doing two things, covering the show for our friends and colleges in the TV and Film world. Hey, they have lighting needs too you know! And second, helping out some great friends by being some an air talent!

The fine folks at SeaChanger asked me to join them at NAB to to interview lighting designers from both the theatrical and tv/film world. We’ll be doing interviews all week long right in the SeaChanger booth for use on SeaChangers web site. Why interview folks like this on the show floor and not on a professional sound stage? Part of the draw with NAB is to show tv and film folks how to use and incorporate products into their news gathering efforts. SeaChanger plans on showing attendees and walker-bys just how effective the Nemo is in lighting for camera.

If you haven’t heard of the SeaChanger Nemo, it’s a Plasma light source that not only cuts energy use in over half, but last longer and is even brighter, and hey, it can dial in a specific color too! Rather then me keep drooling over the Nemo here, stop by the SeaChanger booth, C6844 in Vegas and we’ll let the Nemo prove it self!

Wait… Even MORE USITT Swag Give-a-ways!

This is it, this is all my USITT swag that I have to give away. One person is going to win it all. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, write anything you like, anything at all. Make sure to include your name and email address! I am going to randomly select one person from the list of comments and they win, that simple!

I still have a couple of things to put up from USITT so stay tuned!

Update:

congest to Ethan Bolvi, he was the randomly selected winner of the USIT swag.

More USITT Swag Give-A-Ways

For all of you that couldn’t make it to USITT, I have some love from Lee Filters.  They were kind enough to send me home with so much lee swag that my wife will kill me if I hold on it any of it.  So time to give it away!  I am looking for three winners that DID NOT go to USITT this year.  “What do I have to do to win”? Easy, answer me this batman, how many colors are there in the 700 series of gels from Lee Filters?  The first three people to post a comment to this post with your name, email address and the correct number of gels wins, it’s that simple!

UPDATE:

The correct answer is 68 colors make up the 700 series of Lee Filters! So the first three in with the correct answer is….

• Karin

• Gerald Aragon

• Karl

Thanks all for playing.  I still have some more USITT Swag to give out this week so stay tuned.  Another big thanks to Lee Filters for providing the great swag to give out!

Walking Tour of USITT 2010 Stage Expo Floor

So you didn’t get a chance to go to USITT in Kansas City this year you say?  You still want to see what it was like on the floor?  I did take over 500 photos that I have put up here on iSquint for you to get a feel of what it was like.  But how about a video walking tour?  It took over 20 minutes to walk through the entire Expo floor at a pretty quick walk.  I speed up the video a little to help go through the tour a little quicker in under 9 minutes.  This is just another one of the MANY videos that I shot while on the floor. Look for more interviews and product demos to come!

Thank You Everyone & USITT

As I travel back to Washington, DC today, I have been doing a lot of thinking about USITT this past week in Kansas City. It has become clear to me that there is only one word that truly describes my entire experience this week, passion, shear and udder passion.

Every single person I meet and talked to this week was extremely excited to be here at USITT. Not only share, but learn and experience from others whether that be in a session or learning about a new product or technology on the Expo Show Floor to learning something from friends and working professionals.

There was real passion behind everyone’s eyes about technology in the arts. I found myself talking with students randomly at times on and off the show floor about what is new and exciting. The questions and excitement in the voice was so awe inspiring, it got me thrilled to see the level of commitment and willingness to listen, learn and grow.

John, Tyler, Beth, Travis, Daniel, Ralph, Julie, Tom, Brad, David, Nathan, Noah, Renee, Resse and the many many others I talked to during the week, it was a pleasure to meet you. Keep up the excitement and never let the passion of your craft die. It’s enthusiasm like yours that keeps me writing here and encouraged about the future of this industry we all love.

Thanks everyone and USITT, the 2010 Conference and Stage Expo will not soon be forgotten by this guy!

USITT Day 3 On the Floor

Just a little bit ago, the USITT Stage Expo closed here in Kansas City.  All the exhibitors are breaking down their booths and looking to get home.  But there is still one more day here is Kansas City tomorrow with sessions happening.  I have only 99 photos from around the floor today.  There are quite a few from some sessions that I have left out and plan some special writes up to post here along with some great talks, sessions coverage and product demos right from the floor.

As it is getting late quick here is Kansas City, it is time to pack, get some dinner and a beverage with some old and new friends as we close out USITT 2010.  Thanks KC and USITT for all the great times and info!  Look for more in depth coverage to come shortly here on iSquint.

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#USITT Day 2 Photos

Talk about another great day in Kansas City! Not only is the weather awesome, so is the Conference and Stage Expo. Today brought even MORE photos, interviews, videos and just plan fun! I only have a short bit of time to upload 130 photos from today as I do have to make it to some evening events tonight. Look for even more photos and coverage of the USITT show as we get closer to the weekend.

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Photos From Setup of #USITT in KC

Here is a sneak peak at what it looks like on the show floor right now. Exhibitors are hard at work finishing setup and programming their booths. In just the couple of hours of being on the ground here in Kansas City, I have ran in to a BUNCH of friends, old and new! There is still plenty of time to meet more this week, so look out!

These photos should hold you over till later tonight when the #KCgaffCrawl begins.

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#ProLight + Sound Releases iPhone App #PLS2010

All month long I have been writing about new and exciting things that are being announced and shown at the ProLight + Sound Show in Frankfurt Germany this week.  Well, it looks like ProLight + Sound has something to announce themselves!

On this, the first day of ProLight + Sound, Messe Frankfurt just released their iPhone app of the show! Seems like every trades how these days is coming out with their own iPhone app to help attendees navigate and find information about the show and I love it!  The app gives attendees the ability to locate an exhibitor by searching for their name or by booth location.  The app even has a Gelandeplan, or Ground Plan of the show to help navigate the large show floor.

Just like any trade show app should have, the ProLight + Sound app list events and sessions that are being offered at the show and gives the info about it and location. Find something you like or want to attend or see?  Add it to your Favoriten or Favorite’s right with in the app for quick reference!

The app is a great alternative to the traditional printed trade show guide as it is one less thing to carry, plus the app is searchable.  Unlike a printed trade show guide where you have to hut and search for what you are looking for.

ProLight + Sound did a fantastic job with the app and makes me wish I was at the show even more now!  The app is a FREE download from all countries of the iTunes App Store. If you are at the show, be sure to head over to the App Store on your iPhone or iPod Touch and download the FREE ProLight + Sound app!

Robe Launching 11 New Products at ProLight + Sound

Robe Lighting is kicking of the year with 11 new products being launched next week at ProLight + Sound 2010 in Frankfurt Germany. Robe is expanding their ROBIN series of moving lights by adding 6 new fixture while also increasing their LED line up of fixtures by adding to the LEDForce series of products.

ColorBeam 2500E AT™

Following the phenomenal success of Robe’s ColorBeam 700E AT, a brand new high powered ColorBeam 2500E AT™ fixture is launched – and becomes the most powerful moving head yet to be designed and produced by Robe.

ColorBeam 2500E AT™ delivers an exceptionally bright and intense beam light output, and is designed for the large scale applications where extremely powerful tight beam-effect fixtures are required. A Multi-step zoom facility provides variable beam size from between 1.5 and 10 degrees. Rotating gobos and rotating prisms can be used to create spectacular mid-air effects and there is also full CMY/CTO and variable frost for creating fabulous washing effects in a wide variety of colours.

This very exciting product has been developed in response to feedback from designers and specifiers of all types, and is in a class of its own. It uses a compact high-pressure Philips MSR Gold 1500 FastFit metal halide lamp and has a dichroic glass reflector for maximising the light efficiency.

ColorSpot 1200E AT Profile™

The Profile version of Robe’s flagship ColorSpot 1200E AT series drew a lot of interest from theatre and TV market after its preview at the last PLASA show. On top of many the features and functions of the ColorSpot 1200E AT it has inbuilt modular framing shutters that enable the fixture to be used like any standard profile discharge lightsource, when very precise framing and pin-pointing of objects and areas onstage is required. For full flexibility, the framing shutter module uses 4 rotating blades, and the final framed image can also be rotated. A newly included linear variable frost allows smooth scene transitions and blends.

ROBIN® 600E Spot

The ROBIN 600E Spot has an incredibly bright light output – thanks to a special optical system and new Philips 575W discharge lamp it is giving the same or higher output than 700W fixtures on the market today, which makes it also a super energy-efficient. The very strong light-output can be maximised by using ROBE‘s unique HotSpot Control system together with the linear iris to create very powerful beam effects. The hot spot intensity is even brighter than that of 1200W fixtures!

An innovative patented cooling system ensures the best lamp operating temperatures and allows DMX controlled noise reduction. Users have complete control of all features on this fixture, making it ideal for environments where noise levels are critical and light output requirements are high. The lightsource is a brand new compact high-pressure metal halide Philips MSR Gold 575/2 MiniFastFit lamp, just launched at the Frankfurt show.

ROBIN® 600E Wash

The ROBIN 600E Wash also features a fantastic light output and lower power requirements – thanks to the new 575W lamp and optimized optical path comprising of carefully selected components. A unique silent control system enables users to carefully adjust the desired noise levels while maintaining the best lamp operating temperatures, due to the newly patented lamp cooling system. All “top hat” accessories are compatible with the new ROBIN 600E Wash fixture.

ROBIN® 600E Beam

The ROBIN 600E Beam has an amazing linear iris ranging between 1 and 6.5 degrees. By implementing this feature over a wider range, users can have full control over the beam size. It has also enabled the provision of more gobos in the gobo wheels for customizable beam shaping. Two ‘black-hole’ positions are available for a full and fast blackout in dark-sensitive environments. The extended focusing range also allows for very precise focusing, starting with the closer distances.

Robe’s ROBIN ‘Classic’ series offers all the functionality and quality engineering of the ROBIN brand in a compact and cost-effective package ideal for multiple applications.

ROBIN® 300 Beam Classic

The Robin 300 Beam Classic uses a Philips MSD Gold 300/2 Mini FastFit lamp and has a beam angle of 1.5 °– 6.5 °, complete with dichroic glass reflector for maximising the light output. There is a colour wheel with 7 replaceable ‘Slot&Lock’ dichroic filters, plus both static and rotating gobo wheels. A variable frost effect ensures a smooth transition in effect from a beam light to a regular wash light and there is also full dimming, variable strobe effect and pan/tilt of 540/260 degrees. The lamp is a compact high-pressure metal halide Philips MSD Gold 300/2 MiniFastFit.

ROBIN® 300 Spot Classic

This fixture has a host of specially designed modular features including a 12°–36° zoom, colour wheel, rotating gobo wheel, colour/gobo wheel, rotating prism and many others. The ROBIN 300 Spot Classic is a punchy profile fixture with features such as linear zoom, a full package of rotating gobos, colour – gobo wheel including 4 colours and 5 static gobos and a standard colour wheel. Up to 24 colour mixes can be achieved with a combination of the colour and colour/gobo wheels.

ROBIN® 300 Wash Classic

This is a flexible, lightweight, silent fixture with a zoom range of 10 °– 35 °. The compact dimensions of the ROBIN 300 Wash Classic make it easy to conceal in smaller spaces and for more discreet installations, whilst providing an extremely efficient light output and a stunning colour range from the gentlest of pastels to the richest of saturates. The enhanced CMS system mixes real colour correction quickly and accurately. The 7+1 colour wheel with its easily replaceable magnetic positions can spin rainbow effects at high and low speeds.

Light4ce

Robe uses its considerable expertise and resources in LED manufacture to launch Light4ce – a new series of LED products. LEDForce LED PARs have been developed to complement and/or replace conventional PARs in clubs, installations, rental applications and any other market needing a true “workhorse” fixture. Bringing all the advantages of low power, LEDForce products are virtually maintenance free and have a massively longer life expectancy than conventional PARs.

LEDForce 7™ RGB/RGBW

This unit utilises a new compact tri-colour and quad-colour LED technology driven by a 7 x 3 in 1 RGB LED or a 7 x 3 in 1 RGBW LED multichip, all in a tough small housing.
The fixture features a very bright beam, smooth homogenised colour mixing with no pixelating or multi-colour shadows.

LEDForce 18 eXterior™ RGB/RGBW & LEDForce 18™ RGB/RGBW

This fixture also uses tri-colour and quad-colour LED technology with an 18 x 3 in 1 RGB LED or an 18 x 3 in 1 RGBW LED multichip. It is IP 65 rated for external use, and has superior colour mixing with no multi-colour shadows. The extremely bright beam has a 25° angle, and it’s housed in a tough aluminium die cast shell. The LEDForce 18™ RGB/RGBW fixture is an indoor unit with exactly the same spec as the LEDForce 18 eXterior™ RGB/RGBW.

You can see all 11 new products along with other products that Robe makes at ProLight + Sound in Frankfurt Germany starting March 24 through the 27.  Visit the Robe stand at C35 in Hall 11.1.  You can also learn more about these fixtures by visiting www.robe.cz.