ESTA Celebrates 20 years, Page 40 Apollo Goes Green

96 Pages·2007·50.34 MB·English

P
ESTA Celebrates 20 years, Page 40 StCR
aOO
rtNJ
s NE
oEC
n CTI
pTIO
agON
eN

7
5
Vol. 8.10 www.plsn.com NOV 2007
PPRROOJJEECCTTIIOONN,, LLIIGGHHTTSS && SSTTAAGGIINNGG NNEEWWSS
Apollo Goes Green
Agassi Charity Benefit Hits Grand Slam The Next Generation of
FORT WAYNE, IN — Apollo De-
Structural Technology
sign Technology Inc. announces it has
changed its metal gobo production
process from chemical etching to la-
ser technology. The chemicals used in
the etching process qualified Apollo
as a “large waste generator” in Indiana.
According to the company, changing
technologies eliminates thousands of
gallons of annual waste.
“While everyone at Apollo shares The 2006 ESPN X-Games; Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
a concern for the environment and Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, most stag-
workplace safety, switching tech- ing/structural steel companies were
nologies could not happen over- regional and didn’t tour with the show.
night,” states company founder and Brown United founder John Brown saw
President Joel Nichols. “We have been this as an opportunity and ran with it.
transitioning into this new process for “Concert touring helped the
over a year to ensure laser technol- grandstand business because nobody
ogy met or exceeded the quality and in the grandstand business toured,”
service standards our customers have says John. “So I took it from a regional
come to expect from Apollo. We are business to a nationwide business.
extremely pleased to be delivering That is where I was able to grow Brown
our products in a cleaner, safer way.” United with my other core products
from the touring staging business.”
Elation Makes Entrance
This became a stepping stone to
LAS VEGAS — On the night of Oct. 6, the floor of the MGM Grand Garden Arena was enveloped in splendor into Architectural other ventures, including sporting
as an elegantly attired crowd enjoyed flutes of champagne, eagerly awaiting the commencement of Andre events such as the ESPN X-Games and
Agassi’s 12th Grand Slam for Children. The rolling stage and set provided by All Access Staging and Productions Lighting Market the Association of Volleyball Profession-
was used for an impressive and diverse lineup of talent, including Tony Bennett, Jerry Seinfeld, George Wallace, als Tour, as well as the construction, cor-
LOS ANGELES — Elation Profes-
the Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20, Hall and Oates and Carlos Santana. porate and special event industries.
sional has entered the architectural
This is the fifth year SGPS Inc. has been involved in the event, and each year the company has supplied and To find out more about Brown
lighting market with the introduction
donated truss and motors. Brian White, vice president of SGPS Inc./ShowRig Inc., commented, “Every year has United, turn to page 74.
of two IP-rated LED products for in-
been different, except between this year and last year. They went with the exact same production, whereas
door-outdoor use. The ELAR EXFLOOD
every year prior, it’s been a brand new production completely redesigned. Since the schedule had been cut
PPLLSSNNInstallations
and the ELAR EXPAR, an LED floodlight
between the load-in and first show day, he noted, the design stayed the same to make continued on page 9
and LED par can respectively, are the 42 Get a VIP pass to the hottest
first of as many as 50 new products nightclub in Sin City and its glitzy
that will be offered in the new Elation lighting scheme.
NATEAC Announces Panel Lineup for 2008
Architectural series by early 2008 at
NEW YORK — The North American Theatre and Engi- Designing a Safe Workplace; Bringing the Past Forward; The attractive price points. DDaafftt PPuunnkk
The move into the architectural
neering Conference (NATEAC) has announced the panel Consultant’s Role; The Vegas Experience; The Architect’s 84 GGeett ppuunnkkeedd wwiitthh aa bbaanndd kknnoowwnn aass
market is a natural expansion for
lineup for its upcoming conference. The conference, to be Role; Theatre Inspections & Maintenance; Stage Machinery; mmuucchh ffoorr iittss mmuussiicc aass ffoorr iittss vviissuuaall
the company, which, in recent times,
held in New York City, July 20–21, 2008, will offer two days ADA in the Theatre; Educational Facilities; Structural Issues eeffffeeccttss.
has focused heavily on advanced
of panels on topics ranging from designing alternative in a Motorized World; Finish vs. Function.
LED technology, reports Eric Loader,
spaces to the role of the consultant in the design process. “One of our primary goals,” noted Conference Direc-
director of sales for Elation Profes- TThhee BBiizz
Panel topics include: Alternative Spaces; The Philadel- tor Bill Sapsis, “is to establish a foundation for continuing
phia Theatre Company; The Greener Theatre; Mega Church- dialog among parties involved in the creation of perfor- sional. The emergence of LED light- 89 Sure, you’ve heard of a one-man
es; Can You Hear Me Now?; Theatre Technical Standards; mance spaces in North America.” ing and RGB continued on page 24 band — but a one-man stage
crew?
AA
dd
in in
fofo
:h:h
ttpttp
:// w:// w
ww
ww
.p.p
lsnlsn
.co.co
mm
/in/in
stanstan
t-infot-info www.PLSN.com
A
d
in
fo
: w
w
w
.p
lsn
.co
m
/in
stan
t-in
fo
100.0711.ADS.indd 2 11/1/07 12:08:49 PM
Ad info: www.plsn.com/instant-info
100.0711.ADS.indd 1 11/1/07 12:10:18 PM
100.0711.ADS.indd 2 11/1/07 12:10:51 PM
Ad info: www.plsn.com/instant-info
100.0711.ADS.indd 3 11/1/07 12:11:26 PM
NOVEMBER 2007
C O N T E N T S
wwwwww..ppllssnn..ccoomm NOVEMBER
PPRROOJJEECCTTIIOONN,, LLIIGGHHTTSS && SSTTAAGGIINNGG NNEEWWSS
Features
Inside Theatre 34 PLSN Interview 66 Product Spotlight
Behind Allen Branton is a creative Get in sync with Syncrolite Series 3.
team turning his vision into reality.
Find out why veteran LD Herrick Goldman is known as the kamikaze 68 Wide Angle
lighting designer.
TT 36 Production Profile Linkin Park + Steve Cohen = great
It’s a guessing game at 311’s design.
OO Summer Unity tour
71 Product Gallery
40 ESTA Celebrates 20 Years A snapshot of current media servers.
HH
The standards-making body marks
a milestone. 74 PLSN Interview
John Brown talks about the

42 Installations evolution of structural technology.
SS
PLSN flies you to JET Nightclub at
The Mirage. 84 Production Profile
’’ Daft Punk is music AND visual effects.
TT 44 Ban the Bulb
Is “banning the bulb” just another Columns
AA
political ploy?
6 Editor’s Note
46 Vital Stats Where do you turn for qualified
HH
Light Parts Inc. is all about the people?
service.
WW 82 Video Digerati
50 Know Your Place Get the 411 on HD technology.
1382 Guest editor Mike Mahoney
explains why the customer is 86 Feeding the Machines
always right. Negotiate fair pay for your work.
Feature
51 Appomattox 87 Technopolis
Appomattox makes history come Controlling light... with light.
TT Premios Juventud 2007 is high profile — so when star power,
alive at San Francisco Opera.
budgets, ratings and expectations spiral, what do you do?
88 Focus on Fundamentals
OO 54 Production Profile Behold — three-phase power...
Howard Ungerleider’s out again with
Rush. Has it really been 33 years? 89 The Biz
HH
How about a one-man stage crew?
58 Down to the Wire
Staging Solutions turns corporate 92 LD-At-Large
SS theatre on its head. What happens when life takes a
sudden turn?
62 Road Test
’’
Keep your body parts — get Departments
TT
automated with Apollo Right Arm.
7 News
AA
64 Road Test 22 International News
SoftPlot 9 lighting CAD software 25 On the Move
HH creates a complete lighting plot. 28 New Products
30 Showtime
65 Road Test 75 Projection Connection
WW The Smoke Factory Scotty II packs 76 Projection Connection News
quite a punch.
80 Projection Connection
New Products
1680
A
d
in
fo
:h
ttp
:// w
w
w
.p
lsn
.co
m
/in
stan
t-in
fo
Ad info: www.plsn.com/instant-info
100.0711.ADS.indd 5 11/1/07 2:46:39 PM
EDITOR’S NOTE PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS
Who in Your Crew By RichardCCCCaaaaddddeeeennnnaaaa
Do You Turn To? The Publication of Record for the Lighting,
Staging and Projection Industries
Publisher
Terry Lowe
[email protected]
Editor
Richard Cadena
Iwas once on a gig where, for no appar- When the 1984 Olympics came to Los An- Personnel” clause was put in. Now, “qualified [email protected]
ent reason, the power distro went snap, geles, one of the production vendors wrote personnel” is a requirement for installing Editorial Director
crackle, pop. Really, it was more like crack- to the City of Los Angeles asking permission single conductor feeders, feeders over 150A, Bill Evans
[email protected]
le, big snap, bright flash, little pop, smoke
Managing Editor
puff. That’s not a sight and sound you want
Geri Jeter
“Whether it’s a legal requirement or not, whether
to experience first thing in the morning, not [email protected]
even when you’re having cereal. The dim- a licensing requirement or not, an entertainment Associate Editor
mer tech who energized the PD, just before Breanne George
electrician has a need to be able to demonstrate [email protected]
the impromptu light and sound show, went
looking for the house electrician who had just he is qualified to anyone who requires it in some Contributing Writers
Vickie Claiborne, Phil Gilbert, Rob Ludwig,
tied in the feeder cables. He was nowhere to acceptable manner.” Kevin M. Mitchell, Bryan Reesman, Brad
Schiller, Nook Schoenfeld, Paul J. Duryee
be found. Then he went looking for someone
— Ken Vannice, chairperson, ESTA Electrical Power
more qualified than himself to resolve the Photographer
problem before doors a few hours later. Working Group and former USITT code panel member Steve Jennings
If you’re on a gig and you’re looking for Art Director
Garret Petrov
a qualified electrician or rigger, you probably [email protected]
know who in your crew to turn to. But what if to use a particular type of cable for feeder. feeders without connectors and feeders with-
Graphic Designers
you’re a production manager or a venue that Until that time, there was no related code, so out coordinated overcurrent protection. David Alan
[email protected]
is looking for qualified personnel to hire? the letter put the onus on the city. That inci- QQQuuuaaallliiifififieeeddd PPPeeerrrsssooonnnnnneeelll iiss ddeefifinneedd iinn AArrttiiccllee
The Standards Committee of the National dent eventually forced the NEC to address it 100 of the NEC Code as “one who has skills and Crystal Franklin
[email protected]
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) wondered in section 520 of the NEC Code. knowledge related to the construction and
the same thing when they were writing the But the code panel requirement was that operation of the electrical equipment and in- Web Master
Josh Harris
Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, there must be a separation between profes- stallations and has received safety training on [email protected]
also known as NFPA 70E. sionals and amateurs. As a result, a “Qualified the hazards involved.” Then there’s a fine print
National
note: “Refer to NFPA 70E-2004, Standard for Advertising Director
Gregory Gallardo
Electrical Safety in the Workplace, for electrical
[email protected]
safety training requirements.
Account Manager
In the Foreword to the NFPA 70E, it says James Leasing
that part of the reason it was created is be- [email protected]
cause the “NNNEEECCC iiss iinntteennddeedd ffoorr uussee pprriimmaarr- Production Manager
Linda Evans
ily by those who design, install, and inspect
[email protected]
electrical installations. OSHA’s electrical
General Manager
regulations address the employer and em- William Hamilton Vanyo
ployee in their workplace. The technical con- [email protected]
tent and complexity of the NEC is extremely Business and
difficult for the average employer and em- Advertising Office
6000 South Eastern Ave.
ployee to understand.” But if you consider
Suite 14J
the challenge of writing a document to de- Las Vegas, NV 89119
scribe electrical safety training, that can be a Ph: 702.932.5585
Fax: [phone]
bit perplexing as well. Try as they might, the Toll Free: 800.252.2716
recently expanded description still leaves
room for interpretation. Editorial Office
10305 Salida Dr.
In some places, it’s easy to identify quali- Austin, TX 78749
fied personnel. For example, in Oregon, it’s Ph: 512.280.0384
Fax: [phone]
anyone with a Stage Electrician’s Journey-
man’s License. Unfortunately, it’s the only Circulation
state with such a license. But now we do have Stark Services
P.O. Box 16147
an ETCP Certified Entertainment Electrician. North Hollywood, CA 91615
According to Ken Vannice, who is a chair-
person on the ESTA Electrical Power Working
Projection, Lights & Staging News (ISSN:
Group and was a USITT code panel mem- 1537-0046) Volume 08, Number 10 Pub-
ber, “Whether it’s a legal requirement or not, lished monthly by Timeless Communi-
cations Corp. 6000 South Eastern Ave.,
whether a licensing requirement or not, an Suite 14J, Las Vegas, NV 89119. It is
entertainment electrician has a need to be distributed free to qualified individuals in the
lighting and staging industries in the United
able to demonstrate he is qualified to anyone
States and Canada. Periodical Postage paid
who requires it in some acceptable manner. A at Las Vegas, NV, office and additional offices.
defendable Certification program goes a long Postmaster please send address changes to:
Projection, Lights & Staging News, P.O. Box
way toward doing that. It documents skills
16147 North Hollywood, CA 91615. Mailed in
and knowledge, related to the construction Canada under Publications Mail Agreement
and operation of electrical equipment and in- Number 40033037, 1415 Janette Ave., Windsor,
ON N8X 1Z1. Overseas subscriptions are available
stallations, and of having had safety training and can be obtained by calling 702.932.5585.
regarding the hazards involved.” Editorial submissions are encouraged, but must
include a self-addressed stamped envelope to
It turns out that the dimmer tech who
be returned. Projection, Lights & Staging News is a
A went looking for qualified personnel tracked Registered Trademark. All Rights Reserved.
d
info:http:// w Ad info:http mlinemge d ewaociwthhn p tahienecd ep a ooswkf etehdr e dm piseut rtzooz. l seAo, frIt tep oru udt tii sttc hboean cpnkre otcbot--- Dtpheuirspm lipcisaustiboiolninc oa, tfi toPranron jseimsc tissiostirnoicn, tL lyig bhypt rso a&hni ySb titaemgdie ntghw oNitdhe owuostf.
ww.plsn.com :// www.plsn gweneadtyh,, eetorv embriyta tkbheyi ns gbu ricte,h eaevpcekprelyydtih noigun tgp a ownwdase w ro okaralkoyen. dIgn fi ttnhheee.
/instan .com/in It hsues PpDe crta cthka tto s fionmde ad baya dsolym cehoarnree dw siltlr oapy elono uspe ESTA
t-info stant-in conductor or perhaps a fried rat. TEENCTHENROTALIONGMYENATSSSOECRIVAITCIEOSN&
fo
NEWS
PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS
High End Systems Teams Up with Wachovia Bank
AUSTIN, TX — High End Systems Inc. new facility to further support technology equipment,” said Bill Morris, HES executive companies where I have been fortunate to
announces the completion of a new $9mil- innovation and its global sales effort.” vice president. be part of senior management. The rela-
lion line of credit with Wachovia Bank, NA. “High End sales revenue continues to Merritt Belisle joined High End Sys- tionship with Wachovia allows High End to
“Our strong financial performance dur- grow dramatically in Europe, the Middle tems as chairman in January. “I was ex- continue leading the industry in technol-
ing the last three fiscal years has allowed East and Asia, and we have now strength- cited by the outstanding team of innova- ogy innovation. Entertainment lighting is
us to team up with one of the largest banks ened our position to provide customers tors when I joined High End,” Belisle said. a fun industry, and it is amazing to see the
in America,” said Frank Gordon, HES Chief more financing options and to support “The seasoned professionals at Wachovia excitement that lighting designers create
Executive Officer. “We intend to use the dealer sales with more demonstration have always provided banking support to with our products.”
Film Industry Professionals Form LED Specialty Lighting Co.
BURBANK, CA — LED-Z, LLC. (LED-Z) an- LEDs are designed to be durable, energy reportedly used in automobile dashboards and “We have accomplished the goal of producing
nounces the formation of a specialty lighting efficient, cool to the touch and last more than electronic devices such as mobile phones. high-quality power LED lighting fixtures that
company, which aims to satisfy the market’s 100 times longer than conventional incandes- Karl Schultz, LED-Z president, cofounder close the gap between the existing 0–200w
growing demand for innovative lighting cent lights. The solid-state semiconductors are and inventor of the pending patent, comments, HMI market.”
solutions and related technologies using
LED technology.
“The movement to convert traditional HMI,
incandescent and fluorescent lamps to LEDs has
begun. Solid-state lighting has the potential to
save billions of kW hours of energy, millions of
tons of carbon emissions and billions of dollars in
energy costs every year. The high brightness and
efficiency properties of LED-Z products make
them an ideal solid-state light source for enter-
tainment, motion picture, video and still photog-
raphy applications,” said Malcolm Mills, executive
vice president of LED-Z, LLC.
The company’s patent-pending products in-
clude the LED-Z Mini Par and Brute. Led-Z products
can operate on low-voltage 12–15v DC (120–240 V
AC power supply). According to the company, no
special wiring, high-wattage dimmer equipment
or specially trained studio safety staff is required.
Ad info:http:// w om/instant-info
ww.p plsn.c
lsn.co www.
m/instant-info Ad info:http://
NEWS
PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS
J.R. Clancy Receives Patent for Counterweight System
SYRACUSE, NY — J. R. Clancy Inc., a de- many years, PowerAssist uses a padded R. Clancy has developed many innovative the company, this reportedly allows opera-
sign, manufacturing and installation com- rope that fits into the existing head block, products for the rigging industry — and tors to ensure that the batten always stops
pany for theatrical rigging equipment, has which works in combination with a roller all of them are designed with safety and in exactly the same place, minimizing er-
received the United States Patent for its chain and toothed sprocket to balance the security as our foremost priority,” said Bob rors during scene changes and accidents
PowerAssist Counterweight Automation weight of the batten, which is designed to Theis, president of J. R. Clancy. “PowerAs- involving battens that come down farther
System.PowerAssist received the 2006 eliminate the possibility of slippage or ac- sist is not only an entirely new concept, than expected. All controllers have a key-
Rigging Product of the Year Award at the cidental release. but it is also a way to increase the safety operated On/Off switch to limit access to
Live Design International Show in 2006, Using a compact fixed speed hoist that of installed counterweight systems in the system.
and the 2006 ESTA Dealers’ Choice Award fits under the locking rail, PowerAssist is schools, church auditoriums and theatres
for Equipment. It is now being installed in designed to provide a simple control sta- around the world.All of these venues can
Starlite Productions
theatres nationwide. tion with “dead man” Up and Down but- enjoy the security and convenience of au-
According to the company, PowerAs- tons. Operators press and hold the button tomation without making an unscheduled Announces
sist technology is new to the theatrical rig- to raise or lower scenery on the batten investment in total theatre renovation.” Mole-Richardson
ging industry in that it eliminates the need and stop the movement by releasing the In addition to the patented technology,
Distribution
to rebalance counterweights on line sets. button.No scenery moves unless the op- PowerAssist also offers SceneControl 50,
While counterweight/motor combinations erator is actively pressing the button. a controller that allows users to program CHERRY HILL, NJ — Starlite Produc-
have been available in several forms for “In our 120 plus years in business, J. preset stops for each line set. According to tions of Cherry Hill, N.J., announced that
it will distribute the Hollywood, Calif.-
based Mole-Richardson Company’s en-
tire product line of television and mo-
tion picture lighting equipment.
Starlite has the opportunity to carve
a niche within the Delaware Valley’s
growing television, theatre and motion
picture industry.
“This is an excellent opportunity for
us,” Starlite’s Lighting Sales Representa-
tive Joseph Masciangelo says. “With our
close proximity to the city, the addition
of Starlite to Mole-Richardson’s dealer
network will enable us to provide su-
perior customer service to television
customers in this market and to further
develop a market that was previously
lacking in local attention.”
A o
d info:http:// www.plsn.com/instant-info Ad info:http:// www.plsn.com/instant-inf