iSquint Podcast: Episode 8 – Interview with USITT President, Carl Lefko
Can you smell that? It’s the smell of excitement and anticipation. The USITT Conference and Stage Expo is right around the corner in Kansas City at the end of the month. As everyone is preparing to make the trip to KC for the Conference, what better time to learn a little bit about the organization and what to expect in KC.
In this, the 8th episode of the iSquint Podcast, I called up a good friend and president of USITT, Mr. Carl Lefko. We talk about Carl’s eventual rise to becoming the president of USITT and how the organization benefits students, educators, professionals and the entire entertainment industry. Carl and I also talk about some of the plans for this years 50th anniversary celebration of USITT. Not only does USITT have a ton of events planned, there are other mixers, parties and even a Gaff Tape Dress Prom planned.
The USITT Conference and Stage Expo begins on March 30 and goes to April 2nd in Kansas City Missouri. If you are attending, I’ll see you there! And don’t forget, you can subscribe to the iSquint Podcast for FREE through iTunes.
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Early Registration for USITT Ends Tomorrow – Feb. 18th
Are you planning on attending the USITT Conference and Stage Expo in Kansas City? If so, I’ll see you there. That is if you have your registration in! If you have not registered yet, why pay full price? Tomorrow, February 18th is the deadline for early registration for the show! After tomorrow, the prices increase!
There are all kinds of work shops and sessions to attend as well as the Stage Expo to see some of the latest and greatest lighting products. You can hear Broadway Lighting designer Jennifer Tipton talk about lighting the stage and how it relates to painting in time and space.
The USITT Conference and Stage Expo runs from March 29 through April 3rd with the Stage Expo open from March 31st to April 2nd. All of this takes place at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
So what are you waiting for? REGISTER NOW!
Present a Session at USITT 2011
The USITT Lighting Commission for Programming is calling on lighting professionals for session ideas for the 2011 USITT conference.
The USITT Lighting Commission is gearing up for the 2011 conference and is looking for ideas and session submissions. Sessions may consist of a single speaker, round table discussion, interactive workshop, or panel discussion. The workshops are 75 minutes long and should focus on lighting technology, design, history, education, safety, or projections. 2011 will be a Light Lab year so ideas for displays in the lab are also being sought.
Submission need to be in by March 26, 2010 to be considered. The Lighting Commission will review and submissions at the 2010 Conference & Stage Expo in Kansas City. Download the submission form or fill out the online form. To volunteer to work on the 2011 conference, come to the Lighting Commission meeting at this years conference in Kansas City.
I have submitted my idea, have you submitted yours yet?
A Look Around LDI 2009
I took just a little bit of video this year at the LDI show in Orlando Florida. Some of it was taken just for this, a quick look at some of the different things on the show floor. Of course there is a couple of things I missed, but then there are some things that were not on the show floor. Can you find them? There is also a quick glimpse of a certain Bald Blogger too!
WFX Show Open Thursday
This week brings us the Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) in Charlotte North Carolina. As you may guess from the title of the show, it is geared to houses of worship. A bunch of lighting manufacturers exhibit at the show demoing some of the latest and great products out there. WFX brings together everything a church may need from stage lighting, Video projection, to sound equipment and much more.
Whether your church is considering an expansion project or just wants to know how to better use your existing facility … if your team is considering a new investment in technology, audio, video, lighting or broadcast capabilities … or if your church is planning outreach via multisite or social networking to reach a new or broader audience.
If you are in the Charlotte area, you may benefit from stopping by the show. The Exhibit Hall opens at 11:30am on Thursday the 29 and goes to 4:00pm on Friday the 30. You can still get a free floor pass to walk the show floor. We mentioned earlier that Wybron is expected to announce a new LED fixture at the show so it may be worth while.
LDI Pre-Registration Time Almost Up
Are you heading to LDI? Still on the fence about it? Well, time is beginning to run out. This past week, Live Design announced that they are extending the deadline to Pre-Register for the LDI show. LDI offers a huge array of sessions, classes, certifications and courses over the 6 days in Orlando FL. Almost all of these professional development classes and session cost money, but then there is the Exhibit Floor where manufacturers, reps, dealers and organizations show off their products and services. While technically a floor pass to the Exhibit Floor cost $100, Exhibitors have the ability to offer FREE floor passes to attendees.
We asked exhibitors to send us there registration code for LDI. We have put the list together for you to choose from to register for FREE to walk to show floor. Be sure to get your registration in early, LDI is less then a month away!
Here is the listing of exhibitors with links to the registration page using their Source Code. If you click the link and there is no Source Code in the registration form, use the code next to the link.
See you in Orlando!
SeaChanger: Link – SeaNemo
Creative Stage Lighting: Link – CSLIGHT
Altman Lighting: Link – ALTMAN
Bulbtronics: – Link -BTRONIC
BMI Supply: Link – THCOM09
Barbizon Lighting: Link – BARBIZO
Live Design: Link – GP
Live Coverage of PLASA 2009
Are you planning on attending PLASA at Earls Court in London next week? You’re not?! Neither are we. We just could not swing the trip over the great big blue. But have no fear, there are some UK based designers and friends that will be covering the show for all of us giving you and me updates via their website’s and twitter feeds.
PLASA09: Get Your Show Guide Early
If you are attending the PLASA Show this year at Earls Court in London England, make sure you are prepared before you get there! With just a couple of days before the show floor opens on the 13th of September, prep your self before hand by mapping out your adventures on the show floor and all the sessions being offered.
For the first time, PLASA Media has published the Show Catalogue before the doors open. No more getting the Show Catalogue on the first day and spending time sifting through 100 pages of information to find the session or manufacturer on the show floor. Get it all done before you even leave for the show!
The online version of the Show Catalogue is the same as the print version that you can get at the show. It includes a full listing of all of the exhibitors with a quick reference guide listing exhibitors from A-Z as well as the ever useful show floor plan!
There is no PDF version available to download, but if you have a PDF “printer” installed on your pc, you can “print” the entire Show Catalogue from the online view and save as a PDF.
You can access the online PLASA Show Catalogue by visiting the Show’s website at www.plasashow.com.
PLASA09: Martin Professional New Lighting Solutions
We just received a press release from Martin Professionals regarding some of the things they plan on announcing and showing off at the PLASA Show next week at Earls Court. More from the official Press Release:
Martin Professional heads to PLASA 2009 at Earl’s Court in London (September 13-16) armed with a new and rapidly expanding range of LED lighting solutions. On display at stand 1-F44 will be Martin’s first LED moving heads, new LED video solutions, and new LED luminaires for indoor and outdoor use. A new compact beam fixture in the MAC family will also feature. Also on display will be a host of lighting and video control solutions, as well as updates in the Jem and Magnum line of fog and haze machines.
MAC 401 Dual™: The MAC 401 Dual is a creatively fresh and versatile LED moving head washlight with an innovative double-sided design that gives it flexible dual functionality, for example as a double washlight or beam reflective mirror. The 401 Dual’s innovative color mixing system fully blends colors at the source before they leave each lens, eliminating the problem of rainbow shadows and the messy multi-color lens looks of traditional LED fixtures. The 401 Dual’s advanced wash characteristics combine with a host of other useful features like fast zoom, new broad beam look and individual LED segment control to add a new and inventive element to a host of applications.
MAC 301 Wash™: The MAC 301 Wash is an LED moving head washlight that features a powerfully fast zoom with an impressive zoom range. It is capable of producing a wide range of exceptional colors from rich saturated shades to uniform pastels through the entire zoom range. The fixture’s 108 high-power LEDs produce a bright and well-defined beam and its compact, lightweight design makes it ideal for rental applications, television use, night-time venues and more. Appropriately quiet for noise sensitive environments, it offers all the reliability, energy and cost benefits of a highly efficient LED luminaire.
LC Plus™ Series: The LC Plus is a modular system of semi-transparent LED video panels with new generation technology that closely integrates light, video and set design for all new possibilities in indoor and outdoor staging. Designed for the demanding rental and staging market, yet equally suitable for fixed installations such as retail environments and outdoor architecture, the LC Plus is an easy-to-use, all-in-one video solution. It offers several key advantages over other types of LED panels including an innovative P3 technology platform for no-hassle processing and signal distribution, low weight, superior color and brightness uniformity, and true IP65 protection.
P3-100 System Controller: The LC Plus is driven by Martin’s innovative P3-100 System Controller, an ultra robust unit for advanced video signal processing and integration with lighting control. It includes built in scaling and de-interlacing, supports multiple video protocols and resolutions, and allows for direct DMX control of brightness, color, pixelmapping and more. It also includes a built-in graphical user interface and other innovative features.
FlexDOT™: FlexDOT is a lightweight yet bright string of LED pixels that allows designers to break free from the flat, rectangular format of conventional LED displays and create customized video solutions with maximum artistic flexibility and a minimum of effort. Easy to handle and simple to use, FlexDOT is made up of individually controllable, intelligent, full color pixels mounted on a flexible cable to provide unlimited options for enhancing interior and exterior spaces.
Martin MEL™: Martin MEL are the first fixtures in a new Martin line of IP65 rated outdoor LED luminaries. These attractively designed striplights are the first architectural fixtures from Martin to use tricolor LEDs for superior color mixing directly at the lens resulting in an absence of color shadows and a broader range of color choices. The MEL range also incorporates a new custom-designed lens system for very narrow beam angles that have been difficult to achieve with tricolor LED fixtures in the past. The MEL range installs in minutes.
Martin MSL™: Martin MSL is a simple yet highly capable plug-and-play LED striplight designed to enhance interior spaces in a wide variety of applications. Built for ultimate ease-of-use with full spectrum RGB color mixing, a choice of diffuser lenses and an exceptionally easy means of installation, Martin MSL is ideal for color enhancement in clubs, bars and restaurants or anywhere a low maintenance, decorative color effect is required.
MAC 250 Beam™: This new member of the industry’s most popular 250 watt series is an extremely punchy and compact beam fixture that generates variably sized pencil beams as well as wash effects via a motorized frost filter. It is available as an easy and inexpensive upgrade that installs in only 5 minutes on any existing MAC 250 Wash™ fixture.
Maxxyz™ Modules: Based on the modular design of the Maxxyz Compact™ lighting console, a new range of stand alone modules has been developed for the Maxxyz system that allows users to design their own console. These new modules allow for customization around the user and the specific control demands of a show. Five innovative modules are available to build a custom console or to be used with Maxxyz PC™, Maxxyz™ or Maxxyz Compact™ and all of them can be used table-top, mounted in a 19” rack system or in the new Maxxyz Module Frame.
Maxedia 4™: This new version of Martin’s Maxedia media server is optimized to play H.264 MOV encoded video files using a state-of-the-art H.264 video decoder. This latest broadcast hardware is capable of playing eight 1080p Full-HD video files, encoded in H.264. The Maxedia 4 engine is capable of playing pixel-accurate Full HD resolution.
ColorFox VX01™: Martin’s ColorFox VX01 is the first lighting controller specifically designed for architectural use with dynamic color changing fixtures. This incredibly simple control solution allows users to customize and personalize a variety of architectural lighting settings. It allows for easy playback of static and dynamic scenes and provides a simple-to-use interface for users to alter the hue, saturation and intensity of their surroundings.
Jem ZR44 Hi-Mass™: The Jem ZR33 Hi-Mass™ has undergone a thorough makeover that preserves its reputation as a reliable and highly efficient fogger. The new Jem ZR44 Hi-Mass features improvements in overall performance and fluid type, as well as advances in digital functionality such as RDM compatibility.Magnum Wireless: The newly introduced Magnum range of fog and haze machines is now even more accessible thanks to new wireless control capability.
Be sure to stop by the Martin Professional booth to see all of these great products in action. For more information before hand, visit Martin’s website at www.martin.com.
Barco Announces New Video Wall at InfoComm
More news on this the eve of InfoComm show opening tomorrow June 17th.
From the Press Release:
Visualization specialist Barco has announced its new series of LED-lit rear-projection video wall displays. With the development of the full HD (1920×1080) LED-based video wall system, Barco builds on many years of experience with LED displays. Next to the obvious benefits of LED-based rear-projection technology, such as low maintenance and saturated colors, Barco’s OL video wall series also features the unique Sense6 color calibration and stabilization technology which makes the video wall systems truly ready for 24/7 use.
“With the introduction of our new video wall series with LED-based illumination, we have made use of our vast combined experience with LED-based and projection-based visualization technology,” comments Mr Mathieu Massart, Director Product Management of Barco’s Displays technology unit. “Barco’s OL video wall series incorporates our unique Sense6 sensor technology, which has proven its invaluable benefit with Barco’s OV-D2 video walls during many years in 24/7 use. This way, we can offer a display solution that is truly maintenance-free and ready for mission-critical applications.”
Barco’s LED-based projection series consists of the rear-accessible OL and front-accessible OLF video walls. During the introduction phase, both are available in 50-inch and 70-inch screen sizes. All of them offer an ergonomically excellent viewing experience, with the sharpest and most saturated colors in full HD resolution. The OL and OLF video walls have a wide LED color gamut which exceeds the EBU standard, and present no signs of color break up whatsoever.
The OL and OLF video walls have been designed for an entirely maintenance-free operation over several years, with a guaranteed LED lifetime of 55,000 hours and a 5-year service-free runtime. There is also no need for consumables, such as color wheel or mercury lamps. Thanks to the embedded Sense6 sensor technology, the OL and OLF video wall systems are truly maintenance-free. As proven with the current OV-D2 product line, Sense6 provides brightness and color stability over time and across the entire video wall screen. Sense6 continuously measures brightness and color and adjusts the color space to provide an image that is most convenient for the human eye. Therefore, no maintenance or manual adjustment is needed.
Thanks to the small depth of the projection modules, the OL and OLF video walls are ideally suited for installation in confined spaces. Additionally, the OLF projection modules can be serviced from the front. A rugged design makes the video walls ideally suited for industrial environments.
The use of advanced low-weight materials and the mostly prealigned delivery make the OL and OLF video walls very installer-friendly. After installation Sense6 automatically keeps all projection modules in tune to compensate for the inherent color shift of LEDs during their lifetime. Additionally, the Barco control manager software keeps track of the health status and allows the user to configure the uniformity and health status in an easy way. The software exposes an API which allows it to be integrated into larger device management applications.
Next to the new OL video wall series, Barco will also still maintain its current OV-D2 product line of DLP-based rear-projection systems for applications beyond the current capabilities of LED technologies.
The OL and OLF video wall series will be demonstrated at this year’s InfoComm 2009 exhibition in Orlando, FL, USA, from 17 to 19 June 2009.