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?
USITT New Diggs on The Internet
We knew this was coming, but hadn’t heard anything in quite some time. While preparing for USITT’s 50th Conference and stage Expo in Kansas City next year, we stopped by usitt.org and found this, their new diggs on the web! This is a fantasic new site design that is easy to navigate and find specific information. This is a HUGE step up from where they were for the longest time.
USITT Stage Expo Comes to a Close
The USITT Conference and Stage Expo has just come to an end here at Cincinnati. It has been a great event with excellent sessions throughout the week and the the Stage Expo with new products being announced and shown. There are still plenty of products to cover here on iSquint over the weekend and plenty of photos to upload. We also have a few special features to include from events and sessions from the week.
As we close this the 49th USITT Conference and Stage Expo, we look to the future of the 50th anniversary Conference and Stage Expo in Kansas City, Missouri at the Kansas City Convention Center from March 30th to April 3rd. The Theme of the 50th Conference and Stage Expo is “Honoring Out Past and Securing Our Future”. USITT will have events and sessions planned to look back at where the industry has come from as well as looking forward to see where we are going and how to keep the industry going within these hard economical times.
Be sure to make your calendar’s now for next years Conference and Stage Expo!
USITT – Day Two Wrap Up
Day two of the USITT Stage Expo comes to a close in Cincinnati. It has been quite a busy day on the show floor with new products to see and play with. While we crunch the information in to a manageable and understandable piece of information, we have uploaded more photos from the floor. Visit our 2009 USITT Photo Gallery here.
ETC iRFR iPhone App – Update
We wrote yesterday about ETC demonstrating one of their latest products on the show floor of the USITT Stge Expo, the iPhone iRFR app. We were able to get a few more images of the iRFR in action as well as a bit more information. One of our readers, robinsta, talked with ETC reps in the booth and was able to get a price on the new app at $ 49.95. Compared to some apps in the iTunes library, this may seem a little high, but with the features this app provides it will be well worth the money. Then of course there is the fact that either all or portion of the proceeds goes to Behind the Scenes and Light Relief, makes it even more appealing.
We are still waiting to hear when the iRFR app will be ready for download from the iTunes store. At the time of this writing, it has not been added. We also have to wait for the latest version of the Eos/Ion operating system upgrade to be released from ETC in order for the iRFR app to work in conjunction with the consoles.
We have added a couple more screen shots of the iRFR iPhone app in action to the 2009 USITT Photo Gallery.
USITT 09 – End of Day One
The first day of the USITT Conference and Stage Expo in Cincinnati has come and gone. There is a feeling of the first day of school around Cincinnati with everyone pumped up with all the great products and services announced today. The conference sessions have been getting rave reviews and everyone is enjoy the nightlife around twon. Let’s not forget, there is still two more action packed days left in Cinny! Make sure to plan your days accordingly to ensure you do not miss anything and of course, have fun.
We have added more photos from teh show floor to the USITT 2009 Photo Gallery.
Quick Review of the day
Leprecon LPC-48V Lighting Console
Creative Stage Lighting Named NA Distributor
Sapsis Rigging Introduces New Fall Protection Line
ETC Element Console – More Details
ETC Demo’s The iRFR iPhone App
Wybron Announces New Shop Online Feature
FocusTrack 2.0 Software Announced at USITT
Now it’s your turn, What did you see?
FocusTrack 2.0 Software Announced at USITT
FocusTrack, the Production Lighting Documentation software is set to announce the release of version 2.0 of FocusTrack at USITT today. FocusTrack is a database system designed for keeping track of how lights are used within a show. It offer a complete lighting rig management system for recording every facet of both conventional and automated lighting fixtures, including set-up, dimmer set-up, gobo and color loads in addition to focus.
From your showfile, it can figure out how your show is made: which moving lights are used in which focuses, which scenes they’re used in, which bits of scenery those focuses are for. Which conventional lights, colors, gobos and more are actually used. No more trawling through the off-line editor manually making lists.
It can help you document your focus with digital photography, a precise record, not a written description; FocusTrack will bring up lights in the right positions for you as you photograph them, then import those pictures. No more perching a laptop on one knee while you call up channels on the radio to take their pictures.
In version 2.0, FocusTrack, functionality is extended to include ETC’s Eos, Ion consoles and the MA Lighting, GrandMA consoles.
If you are attending the USITT Stage Expo, make sure to visit the FocusTrack booth, 81. FocusTrack will be ready for download the week of March 23, 2009. A full licence of FocusTrack run UK£400 or $580.00. Visit FocusTrack’s website at www.focustrack.co.uk for more information and screen shots.
USITT Conference & Stage Expo Begins!
Today is the start of the USITT 2009 Conference and Stage Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio. The doors have opened to the Stage Expo and the show floor is filling up nicely. Throughout the day we will be updating events and products announced at the show live, right here on iSquint.net.
If you are attending the show, be sure to stop by our sponsors booths to pick up a copy of the 2009 iSquint-USITT poster:
Selecon Lighting – Booth 650
Enttec/Stage Research – Both 1040
If you are not attending the USITT Stage Expo, be sure to download a PDF of the 2009 iSquint-USITT poster here, or by clicking the poster to the left.
Follow all updates on the USITT Stage Expo by following our RSS feed here.
ETC Element Console – More Details
Yesterday we posted about the long rumored Element Console from ETC. Today, the start of USITT Stage Expo in Cincinnati, we have more information and photos.
The Element Console is based on ETC’s Eos control operating system but with a simplified feature set in an all in one package. The Element is designed for smaller lighting systems with the larger selection of faders on board. Which can either be channel faders or submasters at the turn of a switch, similar to the Congo’s master and channel knob.
The Element comes in two hardware versions based on fader count. That being the Element 40 or the Element 60. From there each supports either 250 or 500 channels depending on how many you need. All the models of the Element support up 2 universes of DMX on board or via ETCNet. The thing to remember as in most modern lighting consoles, one channel now can equal one device. That one device can be a one DMX address dimmer, or a 36 DMX address moving light.
Channel Faders you say? The element gives you 40 or 60, depending on which model you go with. These are true LTP (Last Takes Presidents) channel faders. This means that building shows from channel faders for use as submasters or cues is quick and easy, thus not requiring channel and intensirt enter via the keypad. Another nice feature about the channel faders is that you can edit levels of channels stored in subs or cues all while live.
Now you want to play with submaster on faders, no problem, turn a switch and there you go. The faders that were once channel faders now act as submaster faders. On the Element 60, you have 20 dedicated submaster on board and then an additional 40 with the switchable 40 channel/submaster fafers.
The Element is design for smaller lighting systems and thus not needing the ability to have 999 cue list likes is big brother, the Eos. The Element only has the ability to run one cue list. But when the time is right, a novice can become a master of their domain by jumping into more complex timing functions such as cue parts, follow/hang to create more intelligent lighting transitions.
More information will be coming on the Element as the time progresses. In the mean time, visit the newest section of ETC’s website, www.etcconnect.com/element. Now what everyone has been waiting for, more pictures!
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USITT – More Photos Added To Photo Gallery
We have added more photos from setup of USITT in Cincinnati. We had to leave some photos out of the gallery for the moment. We don’t want to take give everything away before tomorrow! Trust us though, there are some amazing things planned for tomorrow.
Visit Our USITT Photo Gallery
Doors to the Stage Expo open promptly at 9:30am EST. If you are not at the show, fear not, we have you covered! Make sure to check back through out the day and on into Friday and Saturday.
ETC Announces New Lighting Console – The Element
Over the past few months we have been hinting numerous times about the long rumored replacement of the ETC Express Console (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) . This finally confirms the rumor.
Directly from the Middleton:
Industry professionals have been asking for an ETC lighting control console designed expressly for modest rigs and maximum hands-on fader control. In response, we are introducing the new ETC Element™ consoles. We will unveil them tomorrow at USITT in Cincinnati, Thursday, March 19th, 2009.
ETC defined the basic lighting controller when the Express™ console was introduced in 1995. We’ve seen over time that the basic lighting rig has changed. With Element, we’ve redefined what ‘basic lighting console’ means, without losing the ease of use of Express. Element comes in two hardware versions, based on fader count (the Element 40 or the Element 60). Each supports a full two universes of DMX output and either 250 or 500 channels.
Element is directed at smaller venues like schools and houses of worship who depend on single console operators or volunteer staffers. It is designed to handle rigs outfitted predominantly with conventional fixtures, while also accommodating some LED fixtures and/or a small number of simple moving lights. We based Element on the Eos® control system but with a simplified feature set in a stand-alone console. Integral faders, a single cue list and command prompts echoing those of the Express console make operation of an Element console simple and direct.
Element navigates basic accessory, LED and moving-light control. At the press of a button, the console’s On Demand ML Controls appear on screen with tools designed to control smaller numbers of non-intensity equipment like scrollers, gobo rotators and mirror heads for conventional fixtures. Element’s color and gel-picker tools simplify the process further, applying just the right colors to LEDs and color-mixing accessories and fixtures.
ETC plans to begin shipping the Element this summer. Pricing has not been released. If you are attending USITT in Cincinnati, make sure to stop by ETC’s booth, 1100 , for the offical release.
USITT09 Photo Gallery Updated
Close of another day of setup, meetings, and catching up with friends at USITT in Cincinnati. Only one more day till USITT Stage Expo opens at 9:30am. Things are shaping up and looking good on the show floor. We have only a few photos to add to the USITT Photo Gallery today.
Be sure to keep checking the gallery though out the conference and stage expo as we will be adding more and more images through out the week.