DVI is a versatile digital format that is now widely used in PCs, DVDs, projectors and display devices. The three-letter acronym is short for Digital Visual Interface, and this is one powerful video signal.
DVI was designed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) for carrying an uncompressed digital video signal to a digital display device such as a LCD display or projector.
If you were to pick one technology that has single-handedly changed the way lighting is designed, rendered and programmed, it would have to be CAD lighting design and pre-visualization software. But not only has it changed the way we design and program shows, it has also saved countless hours, manpower and dollars. Having the ability to design, lay out a plot, patch it, create looks and render them in photo-realistic images is one of the best tools to ever land on the lighting designer’s desk.
Since the 2007 introduction of Apple’s iPhone, the company has sold over 6 million of the wunderkind devices.
Described by some technology pundits as the “Jesus-phone,” the second generation of the touch-screen phone / music player / Internet device will hit store shelves at about the same time as this issue of PLSN.
There are several reasons why this could be the next big hit at LDI and beyond.
“As a rock star, I have two instincts: I want to have fun and I want to change the world.” — Bono
On a recent late spring day, a rock star walked out on stage before a live audience of 5,500 very enthusiastic people. It was a big stage with a huge video backdrop framed by black soft goods that were splayed by parallel beams of white light. As the man in a black shirt, jeans and tennis shoes made his way downstage center, the house erupted in wild applause. And then he pitched the new Apple iPhone.
Walk into any venue after midnight during pre-production for a show and you will find several creatures dressed in black lurking in all areas. These “people” often only come out after dark and seem to leave the venue once the sun comes up. They usually work in darkness and yet they wield total control of the atmosphere, at least in terms of lighting. The cast and other crew members often only see the lighting crew and automated lighting programmer as their paths cross, coming and going from the venue. The lighting vampires often seem confused as they exchange “good mornings” with the other staff members at 9 p.m. There are many pros and cons to working the “late shift” as an automated lighting programmer and also many things to consider as you switch from “normal” work times to overnight, then back to normal.
In the last issue (PLSN, June 2008) I joked about the usefulness of being able to BS your way through a difficult gig. But while I was pondering what I wrote last month, I realized that what is important in our profession is just the opposite. I think what makes someone good is that they run a fair business, earn their money the old fashioned way and don’t rely on BS to save a few bucks on a gig.
As I write, the cost of a gallon of diesel fuel had just topped $4.25 and crude oil is $130 per barrel, reflecting double-digit price spikes during some weeks in June and April. The rising cost of fuel has prompted the American Trucking Associations (ATA) to project a record high diesel fuel bill in 2008, with expenditures of $135 billion on fuel in 2008, up from the $112.6 billion spent by the industry in 2007. God knows what the price of fuel will be in July when you’re reading this, but at the current rate of increase, petroleum-based fuels are rising at about 92 times the national inflation rate.
Every couple years I decide to go back on the road and live on a tour bus. It generally takes me about 72 hours to realize why I stopped doing this. But then I look at the money coming in and realize it’s a good thing.
This month I got to program a tour that wasn’t all hard rock music. Quite a change for me after the last 5 concert tours I programmed this year.
Recently I was acquired by a company based out of Omaha, Nebraska named Theatrical Media Services (TMS) to LD the comedy tent for Bonnaroo 2008. If you don’t know what Bonnaroo is then look it up. In brief, Bonnaroo is music festival that has been annually held in Manchester, Tennessee over the years. When it started it would bring bands in that were notably out of the jam band scene with an attendance of 60,000 people. Now it has evolved into a mainstream festival bringing acts like Pearl Jam, Metallica, and The Police with a force of 90,000 fans in attendance along with the jam bands still rocking out.
Some baseball fans might say Yankee Stadium is already a place befitting worship. But as one of the highlights for Pope Benedict XVI’s six-day visit to the New York area in April, the hallowed baseball grounds needed to be transformed into an open-air cathedral including an altar, a performance stage and no billboards or other advertising in sight. Along with the need to be prepared for inclement weather and to operate under strict security measures, those involved needed to coordinate the efforts of hundreds of crew members, set everything up within a two-day time frame between ball games, and take extraordinary measures to avoid trampling on the grass.
Jill Scott wanted elegance. LD Martin Thomas, as set designer, lighting designer, and lighting programming, delivered. Scott’s Live Soul tour had a lot of elegance, plus a lot of heart and class, when it rolled into St. Louis river city one recent rainy night. The sold-out show was well worth trudging through the wet weather, as the R&B singer provided a powerhouse of great music and showmanship. Scott is far from what all too often passes for a pop star these days: she’s a woman of experience and talent, and effectively and sincerely connects with the audience.