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Tragedy Strikes Again

It happened again. This time, it was in Brazil, where 238 people were killed when fire raged through a nightclub in late January. It will take time to sort out all of the factors that led to the fire and to the carnage, including locked or inaccessible fire exits and clueless venue staff, but initial reports point yet again to a sadly familiar scenario: live pyrotechnics used in an enclosed space, with less-than-ideal supervision and apparently little in the way of planning for potentially disastrous outcomes.

Smooth Moves

Automated lighting fixtures are extremely sophisticated, to the point that some people even refer to them as “intelligent.” While the fixtures are packed full of very smart features, they actually require a human with a bit of knowledge to operate them properly. This is very true when it comes to controlling the movement of pan/tilt or other features. Fixtures and consoles provide a multitude of methods to ensure that these movements are either perfectly smooth or extremely quick. A thorough understanding of the various options is imperative for any automated lighting programmer.

LD Dale Doucette with Heart sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson

Designing with Heart; ESA Needs You; TV Lighting Interns Sought; Quick Cues

Production/lighting designer Dale Doucette describes Heart’s touring schedule as “Two week tourettes.”

 “During March to November, we do ‘tourettes’ — two weeks of shows in a particular section of the country in casinos and small 3,000-5,000 venues, then we go home. Every day is a different gig. I carry a file of shows and a handful of songs I keep consistent.

Illustration by Andy Au

Sub-Renting

This month, I continue on my quest to figure out which gear has the best return for a lighting company investment. Is it as easy as following the old “Supply and Demand” way of thinking? I always assumed that a lighting company chose what fixtures they would purchase based on what the customer’s latest needs were. But what if you did many shows each year with various LD types, and they all want different fixtures? Do the lighting buyers choose to base their decisions on the latest, coolest moving heads in the business? Or do they buy from certain manufacturers because they have good, lasting relationships with them and their salespeople?

Rig view, Moving Light Assistant

Moving Light Assistant

Moving Light Assistant is a new software title for the entertainment lighting industry. Many of us have either grown up on John McKernon’s Lightwright software or have gone “home brew” by creating our own paperwork in Excel. Moving Light Assistant fills a new segment in tracking data between the designer, the console and multi-attributed devices.
Keeping tabs on a moving light is a bit more challenging than a standard dimming circuit. Rather than just one attribute to track, each moving light has at least two, and usually multiple, attributes, and it can be mind boggling to keep track of all the individual fixture variables across an expansive lighting rig.

Yanni LD Bud Horowitz

Bud Horowitz, Production Designer/LD for Yanni

Tour Name: World Without Borders Concert Tour, 2012/2013

2013 Tour Dates: Starts mid-March and includes performances in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Romania, Russia and other international destinations. Yanni just finished 80 dates through the U.S. and Canada, and another extensive tour through South America in 2012. During his “off time” in 2013, Yanni was off to do a private wedding in Chennai, India. “It was for two of the richest families in India — quite the three-day extravaganza!” said production designer/LD Bud Horowitz, now preparing Yanni’s new tour.

For the video, go to www.plsn.me/201302ednote

Whom Do You Serve?

In late January, I attended Super Saturday in New York. It is an all day event put on by Sonny Sonnenfeld and Scott Parker from StageSeminars.com. The aim of the event is to educate and introduce students to lighting design, new technologies and products available in the market.

For the video, go to www.plsn.me/201302ednote