As I wandered the halls at 2015’s Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt last month, I once again looked for the unusual items. I’ve come to expect the large manufacturers to show off some great stuff to augment their wide array of fixtures. But I am more impressed at these trade shows with the little things that are original. I’m talking about stuff so cool and simple that I have been wondering where this item has been my whole career. And it’s not necessarily something that everyone can use. I found three companies I was unfamiliar with, that showed me gear I can really use.
For instance, I walked by the booth for Astera, a German LED company, and saw this little miniature LED light among some other fixtures they were offering. I give kudos to the salesman for roping me in as I strolled by. Had they not had a great sales guy, I would have missed something that I only wished I had, years ago.
The Dark Hole
On TV shoots where I program lighting, I am always fed a camera feed of what the director is looking at though all the lenses. One of the reasons is so I can understand what the director is yelling for in a certain shot, lighting wise. One thing they always point out is “The Dark Hole.” This means when the director is looking at a shot, he will see everything perfectly, except for one dark spot, like the bottom of a scenic flat, that I have failed to illuminate. They will sit there impatiently while I swing a moving light into place to get rid of that pesky black hole on the camera. The problem is, I am often borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. I will swing a light over into place, but covering that one hole often creates another where that fixture was previously focused.
A good LD will have ordered spare fixtures for the job, for when needs like this arise. A tech just grabs what they need to fix the problem immediately. This is great if you have a budget. For years I shot a concert series on PBS with an LD named Michael Dalton. He was my liaison with the guys in the video truck as I ran the console. We utilized every light in the TV studio as well as the hundred movers, or so Mike spec’d. All that time I really wanted a Pelican case with half a dozen miniature lights I could just plop in a dark hole and change color when needed. I wanted something quick and easy with no cables.
Ten years later, I’m in Frankfurt, Germany and I’m staring my solution in the face. Astera has this cute light called, appropriately, “The AX3 Lightdrop.” Picture three hockey pucks taped together — that’s the size of this beauty. A single bright RGBW Cree LED Chip; it’s all I need. But wait, there’s more. It has a magnet on the bottom to easily attach in confined places. (Think about lighting the undercarriage of a car at an auto show). It’s got a yoke for a clamp, or it can just stand by itself. It’s wireless, as it runs on a battery and receives its instructions per the AsteraApp, which works on most any mobile device. On top of that, it has an anti-theft device you can set so the fixture starts blinking and making noise when someone walks away with it. (More details at astera-led.com/pax3.php).
Get a GRIP
Next, I see a stand for a company called “Dirty Rigger.” They sell clothing and tools for people who rig steel and hang motors. I always wonder how these guys can grip cold steel with gloves and safely pull it up off a stage without it sliding out of their hands. Answer: These guys have the greatest work gloves on the planet. (More details at dirtyrigger.com).
Lastly, I came across Kirron Light Components. These guys make all kinds of LED tape that is attached to structures via ratchet straps — LED tape attached to a fabric that is stretched. Perfect for scenery. Imagine stretching this tape from a truss down to a drum riser and clamping it on and tightening it up. Incredibly clever. (More details at kirronlightcomponents.com).
Those three items, of course, were just a small fraction of the innovations on display at the 2015 Prolight + Sound exhibition. For more than 60 other booth descriptions, turn to the “PLSN 2015 Prolight+Sound Show Report,” which starts on page 20. And for even more photos and info, head on over to PLSN.com and plsn.me/PLS-2015.
For Nook Shoenfeld’s introduction to the April 2015 issue of PLSN, go to www.plsn.me/201505ednote.
