This morning I helped kick off the week of in-house training at Creative Stage Lighting in North Creek, NY. They are brining in a series of manufacturers and manufacturers reps to help get their staff up to speed on the latest technology and industry trends.
Everyone, it seems, has LEDs on the brain – and rightly so. They already figure prominently in our industry and we haven't even scratch the proverbial surface. Don't believe me? Check out the current Genesis tour when it comes to North America in September. They have over 15,000 Barco O-Lite LED panels – yes, that's right, there are three zeros after the 15. There are nine million pixels in total.
It's no surprise that along with the pixel explosion comes a plethora of networking and networking tools. That includes wireless, which naturally puts battery technology in the middle of the fray. And you can throw in media servers and digital lighting for good measure. This is what is being thrown at us and it's coming at mind boggling speeds.
As the keynote speaker of the training week, I tried to lay out the facts and figures as they apply to our industry. The fact is, we're in the midst of a technological explosion and we're living in exponential times. To excel in this industry during these times requires some extra effort, or as Jeanette Farmer of MGM in Las Vegas says, you have to put in some "OT" – your "Own Time." That means reading trade magazines, technical books, user mangles, and books on related subjects. I highly recommend "Empires of Light" by Jill Jonnes about the War of Currents between Edison and Tesla. If you're looking for something on the artsy side check out "The Art of Color" by Johannes Itten, who was an art professor at Bauhaus.
If you want more ideas and suggestions, check out my PowerPoint presentation at www.swamicandela.com.
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