This is the archive, no???

Enttec Datagate MK2 at #USITT

I stopped by the Enttec booth while at USITT in Charlotte last week and got to talking to Jeremy Kumin, US Sales Manager for Enttec.  Jeremy was really psyched up to talk about the new Datagate MK2.  He has every right to be, the Datagate MK2 has all kinds of possibilities to opto split, merge, converge and translate DMX over an Ethernet backbone. I’ll let Jeremy tell you more about the Datagate MK2.

Yeager Labs 1:6 Scale Light Lab

I have seen Kenton Yeagers Light Lab before.  That is when he was offering it as a guide and not a package!  Yeager Labs has designed a 1:6 scale light lab that is customizable for any theatre design. The “shell” of the system is scalable to any theatre design with different lighting packages to suit your lighting needs.

Yeager Labs has put together 10 reason why education institutions and students will benefit from a scaled lighting lab. What caught my attention is the detail in control and adjustability of the system. I’ll let Kenton Yeager explain the system.  To learn more about the model system, visit www.yeagerlabs.com.

Sneak Preview of ETC Selador Desire LED Fixture at USITT 2011

First things first, I love Novella Smith from ETC.  Novella always has a smile on her face and can charm you to death with her wonderful southern hospitality.  This is Novellas third video on iSquint and I hope it is not her last!

At USITT this year, ETC was giving a sneak peak to their brand new LED fixture, the Selador Desire fixture.  This is NOT a release, but a sneak peak at what the crew in Middleton have been working on for some time. The Selador Desire fixtures will be officially announced on April 7th.  Novella was kind enough to walk me through the new fixture and the Chipotle menu of the different options you have when ordering. I’ll let Novella take it over from here.  Thanks again Novella!

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Seen at #USITT: plotLight, Online Paperwork Management Software

Something new that shown at USITT 2011 in Charlotte was plotLight.  At it’s simplest form, plotLight is an online paperwork management softwork tool for the lighting professional.  At plotLight’s core is the plotLight BRAIN, a complex machine-learning application that combines data-mining with advanced Bayesian logic. Each plotLight project combines plotLight BRAIN components with your project’s specific lighting design, meaning that you can focus on creating your design while plotLight focuses on catching mistakes and simplifying your design process. Think of plotLight like a dedicated assistant, diligently working on the small stuff so you can worry about the big stuff.

There are three types of plotLight BRAIN components to help organize your paperwork:

Show Component —  The Show Component stores information about a specific show or event. This component manages general information about the show.

Venue Component —  The Venue Component manages information about a specific venue, theater, arena, room, or other type of performing space. From remembering a venue’s physical specifications to detailing the electrics capabilities of the space.

GearBox Component —  The largest of the plotLight BRAIN components, the Gearbox component stores information about the specific equipment available in a collection.

The basic monthly plan runs $15 USD.  Details on specifics on the plan have not yet been released as well as additional add-on options for more advanced control. plotLight was offering a one month FREE trial of the online tool at USITT.  If you want to try plotLight out for FREE for one month, head over to usitt.plotlight.com.  BUT HURRY, you must register for the free trial by March 16th.

You can learn more about plotLight by visiting their website at www.plotlight.com.

#USITT Brings Excitement and Engagement

What do you get when two people are in love, work in the same industry and attend a trades how… and engagement! Within the first hour of the 2011 USITT Stage Expo, a happy couple were engaged right on the show floor!  John Gruber had been plotting this exciting moment for sometime.  He got together with USITT Executive Director, David Grindle to make this happen.  Mr. Grindle approached Apollo Design to have a custom gobo made and arranged for John to pop the question right in the Apollo booth. She of course said yes! Here is wishing the best of luck and congratulations to John Gruber and Siobhan Ruane!

 

#USITT Day 3 On The Expo Floor

I am just a couple days late with this. I had great time on day 3 of the USITT Stage Expo.  As promised I got back to the Student Architectural Design entries and snapped a couple of photos.  I am really impressed with what some of the students came up with! I unfortunately missed the announcement of the winner of the competition as I was all over the expo floor and in and out of sessions all day.

I am working on arranging all the great information and all the content I recorded during the Expo and hope to get it up on the site during the week.  Till then, take a look at Day 1 and Day 2 photos from the floor as well as read over the student perspective that our intern Allison Hill wrote about. Allison also interviewed students about the conference and stage expo.

USITT 2011 proved to be another great year of learning and education.  While I am not a student, I still learned a bit about new products and much much more from friends and sessions that the Institute offers. Look for more coverage of the conference soon!

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#USITT: Students Review

Now that USITT is over, its time to return to real life, as much as we would rather pretend it doesn’t exist. I’ve had an awesome time this week catching up with old friends, making new friends, walking the floor, and as always learning even more about the opportunities in our future after school. I walked around today asking students what they thought of the conference, and if they were coming back next year, and found that USITT was getting glowing reviews:

“I’m loving the expo, the swag is spectacular! The sessions are great and I’m already planning for next year.”
-Z.P. – Western Kentucky University

“The last few days I’ve been so excited. For the first half hour on the expo floor I couldn’t stop smiling and taking pictures. This conference has been amazing, and I want to live here. I’m in techie heaven!”
-A.B. – Arts University College at Bournemouth

“As a sophomore, I really enjoyed this opportunity, but I’ll probably wait until senior year to come back for networking and employment opportunities. Its good to know that this is available.”
-C.G. – Emerson College

“Everyone seems really interested in what’s going on, which is much different from last year. Its very nice that people are interested in what’s going on and happy to be here.”
-B.G. – West Texas A&M

“I’ve seen that USITT offered many more opportunities as far as grad schools and jobs. Overall it’s been an amazing experience. I’m definitely coming back next year.”
-L.G. – Berea College

“This was my first time attending the conference and it was excellent to meet professionals in the industry and to network through those professionals is a great experience for undergrad and grad students. I’m definitely coming back next year.”
-B.G. – University of Oklahoma

“It was fantastic, amazing, awesome, pretty darn cool! My favorite part was the show floor, networking with people, meeting new people, making connections. I hope to be back next year.”
-S.U. – Virginia Commonwealth University

“The show floor was smaller then previous years, which gave more of a sense of community between vendors and designers, etcetera. It was good that there were more student geared sessions, where professors weren’t allowed.”
-D.M. – CalArts

The show floor this year was an amazing opportunity for everyone that made it, students, vendors, and professional alike. Hopefully next year can uphold the excellence that we’ve all come to expect, and continue to make attending the conference worthwhile. USITT strives to be specifically geared toward students and education, and this year they really managed to achieve that goal. I’ll definitely be attending in long beach next year, and I know a lot of students who I’ll be seeing there!

#USITT: Walking the Floor

The second day of USITT is over, and I feel like I’ve thoroughly explored the floor. Meeting people, seeing the sights, and visiting with friends is half the draw of the conference. Its up to students to get the most out of the booths, unlike sessions, they don’t cater straight to us! The goal is to learn everything about new technology and the companies that sell it in as little time as possible, and USITT can be the perfect place.

Talking to strangers can be intimidating, especially if they look at all busy. In my own experience, and from chatting with others, I’ve found that the best exhibitors are the ones that make any visitor feel welcome and who are willing to talk about their products whether you’re a potential buyer or a curious student. ETC, StageSpot, and Lee Filters have been three of the most student friendly booths at this conference, at least among the people I’ve talked to. ETC always is amazing, they have plenty of representatives so they don’t get overwhelmed, and there is always a product to see and learn about. The people at StageSpot have been great, they’re eager to answer any questions and show off their tools to any student who is interested in new toys. And Lee Filers is always fun, happy to talk about the products and find the swatch that matches my hair!

The floor is covered with technology, and it’s not just for looking. I’ve talked to many students today who rave about having the ability to play with the consoles and fixtures that make them drool. The products showcased at the booths provide an excellent opportunity for those willing to take advantage, for students to see what is out there and what it can do. Many of us won’t get a chance to work with such fantastic gear while still in school, so USITT is the perfect place to see where the industry is going and to start thinking about the future of design.

The most important thing to remember is that there is more to be gained from the booths then the swag. Fortunately, it’s not too late to get the most out of the show floor, we still have one more day! It’s been a great conference so far, and I’m looking forward to spending today making sure I didn’t miss a thing.

Day 2 of #USITT2011

Day two of USITT 2011 Stage Expo is in the bag.  Yet another day of excitement and walking.  When I say walking, I mean WALKING.  I had to have done another 5 miles of walking around the show floor and around the convention center in Charlotte.

I got a chance to meet even more new people and see some new and different things from around the industry.  I did a quick walk through the Student Architectural Design Competitor entries… most impressed.  I got so into it, I forgot to take photos! I’ll fix that though.

Not to many photos today sorry.  I got caught up in talking with exhibitors all around the expo floor and filled up the Flip camera with 2 hours worth of video today.  There is just one more day of USITT’s Stage Expo and still a bunch of stuff to see.  Time for some dinner!

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As Promised, #USITT2011 Day 1 Photos

I HAD AN AMAZING DAY!  That’s right, I am yelling that because that is just how amazing of a day it was!  I got to see so many old friends and catchup and see where they are and how they are doing. As well, I meet some bright up and comers into the industry.  I love USITT!  The excitement I see on the students faces and the willingness to learn and explore new things, I LOVE IT!  This is how I feel everyday about our industry and when I get to share it in person with others, it’s just makes my giddy.

Like I said, it’s been a great day.  Did a couple once overs on the expo floor and got to see a couple neat things coming out.  I’ll get more up about them individually.  But as promised, here are some photos from day 1 on the expo floor.

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#USITT2011: Students on Sessions

If you’re going to pay for a conference like USITT, there is no reason not to go to as many sessions as possible. All the students I talked to have spent the last two days running from one session to another, trying to get the most out of their time in Charlotte. I’ve asked a bunch of students to tell me what they think of the sessions so far, and they all seem to have the same idea of the ideal structure. When trying to identify a good session, storytelling is good, but only if its humorous, and having enough information to fill the time slot is crucial. The presenters, much like any college professor, have to be interesting and fun to hold the attention of an audience, no matter how important the information they’re presenting is.

In my opinion, the best sessions are those that are not only engaging, but cater to the interests of multiple disciplines. Lighting for Costumes, Makeup, and the Multi-Ethnic Cast in particular is a session that I wish I could have made, as I have heard from both a lighting designer and makeup designer that it was phenomenal. It apparently had it all, a humorous presenter, enthusiastic audience participation, and information that could be valuable and interesting to everyone, not just the lighting designers it was geared towards.

However, in many respects, there are a lot of sessions missing the mark when aimed towards students. We all attend this conference to learn something new, not take a class that’s offered in our schools, so the level of the information should be accessible to every student who wants to be involved. From everyone I’ve talked to, the split between fantastic and going completely over their head is a close one, and there is about a 50% chance that the session will be worth it. Luckily for us, this isn’t college, and if you don’t get it you don’t have to stick around! Head back out to the floor and wait it out, or pop into the next room, a little extra learning never hurts!

So far USITT has been so much fun, and I can’t wait for tomorrow when I’ll be hitting the floor, chatting with people, and just exploring!

#USITT2011 is Tomorrow!

USITT is tomorrow! I know I’m ready, I’ve been spending the first half of spring break sitting around my dorm avoiding the homework that’s been piling up and surviving on quesadillas cooked on the George Foreman. Business cards in pocket, clothes packed, plane to catch, its time for an adventure!

I’m not sure what part of the conference I’m most excited for, there is so much going on. Beyond all the fantastic opportunities and displays on the show floor, the events taking place in the evenings are amazing for catching up with old friends, meeting new people, and a generally awesome time.

Nighttime fun aside, the show floor is an obvious draw for students to the conference. I know I love looking around the booths, asking questions about products, and learning about the new technology that I don’t get exposed to at school. The sessions are also a huge opportunity for students looking to learn from industry professionals of the different opportunities a future in this field can hold. I’ll let you know what I find when the show floor opens tomorrow, and I hope to see you there!

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