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    Dealer Trip to Mexico: Merida, Cancun and Playa del Carmen

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    Our own Business Development Manager for Latin America Paula Ortiz traveled to Mexico, in the towns of Merida, Cancun and Playa del Carmen to train general managers, sales managers and salespersons of the Electronica Gonzalez retail stores, a customer of Novelties, our distributor from Mexico. Paula presented new products from CHAUVET Professional, CHAUVET DJ and TRUSST lines, shared information on LED and DMX technology and more. Here are some pics:

    Mario Estrada, the sales manager for Novelties, talks about CHAUVET products.

    Second day of training-eager students.

    After two days of training employees received certificates of completion, and Novelties made T-shirts for all.

    Demo of COLORado 1-Tri Tour wash fixtures.

    Paula shows LEDs with primary optics only, to demonstrate the advantage of a secondary optic.

    Paula is proudly handing out certificates of completion.

    Store front of Electronica Gonzalez, in Cancun.

    Great CHAUVET Professional Products, Great Company at PLASA 2012

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    CHAUVET Professional booth displayed amazing new fixtures and welcomed various distributors at this year’s PLASA show. See how people mingle with lighting:

    From left, Senior Product Manager for CHAUVET Ford Sellers, Blue Haze Entertainment President Andrew Strain, CHAUVET CEO Albert Chauvet and also from Blue Haze Entertainment, Foxton Lewyn.

    International Sales Director for CHAUVET Stephane Gressier, right, with our distributor from Sweden.

    Our customer from Holland is checking out the new high-resolution video panels PVP S5 and PVP S7.

    Senior Product Manager for CHAUVET Ford Sellers, left, with Lighting Designer Jeremy Hoare.

    Our distributor from Norway plays with lights from the new Ovation line of theatrical fixtures.

    The distributor from Spain, middle, paid a visit to our team.

    The team from Utopium Lighting in the UK, passed by to check our new products.

    Chris Barbee, left, and Roth Edwards from Bandit Lites.

    ILUMINARC Colors Studio 743 in South Beach

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    Fifteen ILUMINARC fixtures color the white exterior of Studio 743, a historical landmark in South Beach that hosts parties, weddings, receptions and more. With an IP67 rating, six Ilumipod 7 IP, five Ilumipanel 48 IP and four Ilumipanel 28 IP lights wash the striking architecture of the venue in vivid colors, setting it apart from the surrounding facilities on Washington Avenue. HMS, Inc. of Miami provided the lights and completed the installation. See some gorgeous photos:

     


    CHAUVET Professional Booth stands out at PLASA 2012

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    CHAUVET Professional’s booth I-F53 attracts hundreds of visitors  at PLASA 2012. Among the fixtures on display are video panels from the VIP Series and new, soon-to-be-available fixtures: Legend 230SR Beam, Ovation E-190WW and Ovation F-165WW, COLORado 4 Tour and more. We introduced our line of architainment interior and exterior lighting solutions ILUMINARC, and were one of the sponsors for the fifth annual Knight of Illumination Awards, organized by STLD, ALD. Our captivating stand features a lighting design created by Knight of Illumination award nominee Tom Sutherland, and the CHAUVET Professional team hosted a panel discussion on LED lighting with Richard Pilbrow, Rick Fisher, Fred Foster and Jeremy Hoare. Check out some cool pics:

     

    CHAUVET Lights Take Over Cedar Point Amusement Park

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    Cedar Point, the second oldest operating amusement park in the United States, brings more color and excitement to its guests with more than 850 CHAUVET fixtures installed throughout the park. Coloring the rides, the midway area of the park and “Luminosity, Powered by Pepsi” interactive show are about 145 Legend 412 moving yokes, 150 MVP modular video panels, 135 COLORado 1-Tri IP lights, fixtures from CHAUVET’s ILUMINARC brand and much more. See them all in action. For part I of the video click here:

    LD Profile: Paul Carter

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    Six questions with Paul Carter, lighting designer and owner of LED MAN design, install and support company in Toronto, Canada.

    1. How did you get into this field?
    I started as a LD in the early ‘80s and have worked with major recording artist and club acts, which are a passion of mine. I really like to see new bands react to a bigger lighting and FX show than they are used to. I started specializing in LED lighting for bands several years ago and have evolved that into making my own mobile LED Liteboxes that bands can take to any show and fit in most car trucks. The boxes feature a quick setup and add impact to their light shows. I supply LED lights, design, installation and support for bands, clubs, DJs and events. A high school friend and neighbor Doug Adams, owner and lead designer of PyroTekFX, gave me a chance to do lights for his first band in the early ‘80s. I learned lighting by touring with his band and many others to follow. Almost immediately, I saw the importance of lighting in a show and how it affects the mood and impact of a band’s performance. I became more and more passionate about lighting and I consistently try to outdo myself with design ideas, no matter how small or large the show is.

    2. What do you think is the next big thing in the lighting industry?
    LEDs are the “it” factor when it comes to lighting. LEDs are by far the greatest advancement in lighting since moving head lights. I think in the very near future LEDs will be the primary light source everywhere, not just in the entertainment industry. Anyone using LEDs in their daily shows will tell you their huge advantages. My clients are amazed at the flexibility, beauty and advantages, when using or switching to LEDs. That being said, I think LED technology is still evolving and there are still huge unforeseen advancements that will take LEDs even further and make them even more unique then they already are. There are no limits to this technology.

    3. Do you have a favorite fixture (and why)?
    Currently, the CHAUVET SlimPAR 64 is my primary LED lamp for many reasons. It has a slim, lightweight, design and a powerful LED output. I would say about 25% brighter than any LED PAR in its class. But, probably my favorite feature is the ability to chain the power, one lamp to the next from the back of the lamp. This is a huge time and cable saver when building a show or using them when I build custom LED box designs and bars. Everything you want you can find in a SlimPAR 64 and there is no surprise that this is my most requested fixture.

    4. What has been your favorite design/project?
    Since my company has gone full LED, my favorite project so far is the Rehearsal Factory in Mississauga Ontario. The owners had a clear idea of what they wanted for their showroom—a big show. The room showcases new and seasoned bands from Canada and around the world, so it was important for them to make it the best that it could be. At the same time they were also concerned about power availability in the room and expensive hydro costs. I provided them with the answer: LEDs. I designed the room with 24 SlimPAR 64 wash lights, two blinder LEDs and a CHAUVET Hurricane Haze. The entire show fits on a single 30-amp breaker. Gone are the days of dimmer racks and three-phase installs. A simple wall switch and the LEDs are on. This is a great room to showcase the power, flexibility and beauty of LEDs. Their clients love it and it has become a great revenue stream for their already booming rehearsal business.

    5. What was the biggest unforeseen obstacle that you’ve faced in one of your designs, and how did you overcome it?
    Working with an Alice Cooper tribute band back in the mid ‘80s. This was no small production and was even endorsed by Alice Cooper himself. The band at the time was used to the standard, back, mid and front truss with the odd floor light. Things matched and made sense. But that isn’t the vision I had when I was hired. My design was anything but symmetric. It was chaotic and nothing matched. Lights looked as though they were just dropped somewhere on the stage and turned on. Trusses were standing or leaning up against things. It was a beautiful mess, but there was a lot of thought put into this design. I used even split gel colors (two colors scotch taped together) to add more oddness and irregularity to the show. The band and management didn’t understand, but I was sure I was creating the right atmosphere and eventually my design fit the show perfectly. About several months of band uncertainty, Alice Cooper was playing in the city and our band was invited out to the show. To their surprise, the lighting design was a “chaotic-nightmare,” asymmetric chaos in all its glory. Now, whether my design concept was borrowed or great minds think alike, I was vindicated. The moral to the story is, be true to your design.

    6. Complete this thought: A show without light is like…
    … is just radio. Lighting sets a mood, creates excitement and impacts people, which makes it an integral part of any show. For me, it’s a passion.

    Tech Talk: Creating Content for Video Walls — Part II

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    Product Engineer Anthony Chiappone proudly stands in front of MVP panels.

    Written by Product Engineer for CHAUVET Professional Anthony Chiappone.

    Since video walls have become so desirable for large and medium shows, in my previous blog post, which you can read here, I explained why it is important to know when and how you should create video content. I focused on defining the resolution, the pixel pitch, and how these relate to video. Now, it is time to understand the application and the streamline process. Read on:

    Application:
    When selecting the design for the show, it is important to understand the desired outcome. If the intension of a video wall is to have live video (IMAG) played back on them, then you need to know the minimum viewing distance of the stage and also be sure to select an appropriate pixel pitch for this distance. In situations where you intend you play back motion graphics, the pixel pitch can be as low as 50mm, while still being effective. However, it is often good practice to use the following guideline when selecting video panels for an event where you intent to play back live camera/recorded footage.

    Minimum viewing distance:
    You should convert the pixel pitch to meters, and this is the closest that your audience should be at any time in order to comprehend what the video wall is playing back. For example, 12.5mm pixel pitch panels should only be seen at 12.5 meters, or 40 feet; although with increased distance the quality will look even better. This means that for indoor events in smaller venues, you would likely only want to use panels with pixel pitches of 3mm-12.5mm. And, for outdoor events with longer viewing distances, 12.5mm-40mm panels would be appropriate.

    Indoor/outdoor:
    If you are using the LED video panels outdoor, you should consider safety and strength of the structure you are hanging from. If you are using a temporary truss structure, then you should be concerned about the wind blowing over a solid wall. Therefore, the following words should be included in the product description: transparent, blow-through, and sometimes curtain (not used for flexible panels, but rather panels made of strips). This allows the wind to pass through the gaps in the panels, rather than blowing them over. This also is something that you should consider when selecting your pixel pitch, because larger pixel pitches provide greater transparency. Something else you should consider is the local weather. If you are using the video wall in an area that has frequent rainstorms, you should make sure that the panels have some degree of ingress protection (IP rating of 50 or higher). This does not need to protect against permanent outdoor installation. But, it should be sufficient for unexpected rainstorms.

    How to streamline the process?
    Keep in mind that many video playback software have the ability to grab certain portions of a single video file and send them to individual sections of your video wall. One of these is ArKaos MediaMaster Express. If you are using the Express version of the software, then you have the “cropping” tool. This is invaluable, as it simplifies the preproduction of your shows, and allows you to do most of your conversions to accommodate different pixel pitch panels in the same show, playing back the same content. With this tool, you no longer have to render custom video files 24-48 hours before the show time. Keep in mind that when you are using this technique, you should not apply any masks to the video content, if rendering it.

    This miniseries on how to create video content should give you enough info to start rolling, but remember you have to conduct research on your own, as well, in order to keep up with the new technologies. Don’t be afraid to invest hours of practice and don’t forget to have fun!

    On the Road: Tampa’s Agua Luces

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    The bridges of Tampa illuminated by ILUMINARC.

    Mayor Buckhorn in front of the people of Tampa and a press crew for the lighting ceremony.

    The City of Tampa held a lighting ceremony for its latest project of the Lights on Tampa initiative entitled Agua Luces. On August 10, 2012, Mayor Buckhorn was on hand at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park to “push the red button” which illuminated five bridges in downtown Tampa. Tracey Dear of Chicago-based Dear Productions designed the illumination project, sourcing over 100 LED ILUMINARC exterior lighting solutions. Additionally, the city is gearing up for the Republic National Convention, held this August 27 – 30, 2012.

    “We are going to make Tampa proud and we are going to shine,” said Mayor Buckhorn, addressing the crowd during the lighting ceremony. “Ladies and gentlemen, these lights are going to light the path to Tampa, Florida, for the world. We’re going to shine like we’ve never shined before. We’re going to tell Tampa’s story like it’s never been told before. Tampa, Florida, these lights are for you. Forever.”

    Gear list:
    20 x Ilumipanel 90 IP
    90 x Ilumipanel 40 IP
    6  x Ilumiline 36 IP

     

    Behind-the-scenes at HQ with Zach Matusow

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    We had the pleasure of hosting Zach Matusow, tour lighting designer for Foster the People. While he was at CHAUVET HQ, we did a Take 5 Interview with a Lighting Designer segment with our own John Dunn, business development manager for the west coast, and gave him some one-one-one time with a few select CHAUVET Professional fixtures.

    The interview is coming soon. Stay tuned.

    Zack Matusow behind-the-scenes shot during interview

    Zack Matusow interviewed by John Dunn (l ot r)

    Matusow talking one-one-one with our product team

    Matusow talking with Product Manager Mike Graham