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Stefan Graf

Stefan Graf

One of the more fortunate circumstances in our industry is that it is still young enough that many of the pioneers are still around. This month, we had the opportunity to speak with a lighting designer who was present at the birth of the industry in the United States, who helped define the craft, and who had a hand in some of the innovations in modern concert lighting, including the automated lighting fixture and color changer. Today, Stefan Graf owns two successful companies, yet still found the time to speak with PLSN.

Sports Meets Art Meets Technology

For a number of years, the name Oaks Christian has evoked exclamations from sports fans across Southern California and beyond. That will happen when your teams dominate the local sports scene, your starting quarterback goes to Notre Dame and your football team wins the California State Championship game.

Yet, last August, the name Oaks Christian was uttered in awe by locals who had just seen the all-new 30,000-square-foot Bedrosian Pavilion that includes one of the most technologically advanced performing arts centers and media production facilities in the area. Sports fans were also pleased because the performing arts center doubles as a gymnasium that will be used for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams. The fact that these two venues are housed in the same two-story building on a 15,000-square-foot plot was just as amazing.

Speaking with the Best

Howard Ungerleider is one of the best LDs in our industry. He has a very distinguished career, having worked with bands such as Rush, Def Leppard and Queensrÿche. In addition, he has been involved with everything from corporate auto shows and interactive design to architectural multimedia shows, as well as theatrical productions, motion pictures, rock videos, nightclubs and television commercials. Howard is purely an LD and does not program his own consoles — he always works with a programmer.

Grease: A New Spin on an Old Favorite

As the title song goes, “Grease is the word,” and the new revival of the beloved 1970s rock musical, which focuses on two teens from different sides of the tracks seeking acceptance and each other at Rydell High in the 1950s, is certainly a crowd-pleaser. This rendition features all four songs written for the movie adaptation, brought to the stage for the first time. Additionally, the two leads — unknowns Max Crumm as Danny Zuko and Laura Osnes as Sandy Dumbrowski — were picked from a reality television show (Grease – You’re The One That I Want!), which aired on NBC earlier this year.

The Ultimate Punt Page

For years, I have talked about the art of running an entire lighting show from one page on a console — I light television, rock concerts and business meetings this way. So many people have asked me how to construct these pages, that I have decided to reveal the secrets of Nook’s Ultimate Rock ‘n’ Roll Punt Page.

First, the more faders and executor buttons (faderless “go” buttons) on a console, the better. I prefer a console that has a separate wing on it because I like to separate faders with conventional fixtures from faders for moving lights.

The USUAL, the UNEXPECTED and the UTTERLY SUBLIME

There is an eyewear shop on Kensington High Street in London with a poster in the window that says, “I’d like to see all the top designers under one roof.” The lady in the poster might just as well have been referring to the lighting exhibition that was taking place around the corner and a few clicks down Warwick Street in Earl’s Court. While many of the usual suspects plied their wares at the European trade fair, the show had plenty of unusual aspects this year, some of which were utterly sublime.

Hometown Heroes 2007

It is a diverse group of Hometown Hero honorees that were presented to the Parnelli board by a finicky and discerning jury of peers. Despite their surface differences, the shared characteristic of all of these companies is a passion for the artistry and a reverent dedication to the client.

It’s not far-out to assume that every year, hundreds of good road dogs “retire” to start their own company. Most flounder and fail. Few are able to make a living. Fewer still rise even higher, earning special attention and accolades.

Selected by their peers, these six companies are honored as standouts in their region.

A Brilliant Moment of Change – Not Repeated and Not Forgotten

In the 1990s and into the new millennium, the video industry experienced a “convergence” of sorts when computers, GUIs and Ethernet connectivity slowly invaded all aspects of video products and production workflows. To underscore the revolution, the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) even named their 2002 convention “The Convergence Marketplace.” Today, there’s hardly a piece of video gear that doesn’t have an IP address.

On Broadway Tonight – Strike

In 2003, a musicians’ union strike shuttered Broadway for four days, causing the theatre industry’s flagship location to suffer millions of dollars in losses. The outcome was a negotiated compromise: Musicians, who were seeking to prevent producers from replacing too many live performers with computer-based music systems, accepted the fact that the pit would go forward with a few less live bodies and reminded their employers that Broadway was rebounding with record profits from the problems of 2001. The producers, for their part, acknowledged that they could not completely automate the orchestra and were satisfied with keeping just a little less of those enhanced profits.

Resources

Here are a few resources for Readers, Advertisers and any who may be interested… Media Kit Info Ad Specs and Sizes, BPA statements, the PLSN… Read More »Resources