We were pleased to have Richard Cadena at CHAUVET HQ for a three-day seminar from his APT class series. While here, Cadena sat down for talk with our own Ford Sellers, senior product development manager for CHAUVET. Here is part one of three:
On November 19, CHAUVET attended a swanky party to celebrate the launch of New Faces of Hollywood (NFOH) — Fort Lauderdale’s first TV and motion picture studio complex. Local, national and international celebrities attended the red-carpet event which took place in an industrial-style warehouse illuminated with more than 50 CHAUVET fixtures (see below for a detailed list).
8 x COLORado 1 VW Tour
6 x COLORado 1 Tri IP
5 x COLORado 2 IP
5 x COLORado 2 Tour
5 x COLORado 3 IP
4 x COLORado Batten 72 Tour
1 x COLORado Batten 144 Tour
1 x Q-Spot 260-LED
1 x Q-Spot 260-LED
1 x Q-Wash 260-LED
8 COLORado Panel
6 COLORado 1 VW
Academy of Production Technology: Electricity Safety 101
When it comes to safety, you really can’t be too careful. But you can try. And it’s typically recommended because, simply put, electrical current can kill. Did you know as little as 10mA (or .01 amp) can stop a heart? Protect yourself by wearing hard hats, rubber soled shoes and insulated gloves. Do not wear polyester. (Which should go without saying!)
Watch what could happen:
George Ohm had the answer, which is known as Ohm’s Law. Check out these videos for more explanation:
Academy of Production Technology: Day one. What is electricity?
The scope of the first day was about entertainment electricity and electrical theory. For example, how to measure current, voltage, wattage, calculate phase angles, Ohm’s law and AC and DC power.
There were quite a few ‘did you know?’ moments as well. Did you know you should look for a fixture with a power factor of one? Did you know that Thomas Edison made his own filament by baking bamboo until it was black? Did you know air is a good insulator? Did you know New York City’s Broadway earned the nickname “The Great White Way” because it was among the first electrically lighted streets in the United States. Did you know the band AC/DCgot it’s name from alternating current/direct current seen on a household appliance?
Mike Graham and Ford Sellers (L to R)
Naturally, this is only a fraction of what was discussed and does not begin to outline the detail and structure of this class. Nor does it remark upon how Cadena’s teaching style is equal parts thorough and easy-to-understand. Hopefully, it suggests that learning about electricity can be fun and that anyone will benefit from taking this class. Those new to the industry or more seasoned members like our own Ford Sellers, senior product development manager, and Mike Graham, product development manager for the professional line. Anyone.
For more information about Academy of Production Technology three-day seminars, checkout their website for upcoming classes.
Must see video show in class:
Five Questions with Eduardo “Wady” Rodriguez
Wady is a lighting designer with more than 20 years experience in the industry and is well-known throughout Latin America, particularly in his home country of Argentina. Throughout his career, he has worked with Ricky Martin, Shakira, Calle 13, Juan Luis Guerra and more.
1. How did you get into this field?
I started my career in the ‘90s while working with a band named Soda Stereo, in Argentina. We used to tour throughout Latin America and the United States. Ever since then I have loved my profession because it gives me the opportunity to express myself through lighting.
2. What is your favorite CHAUVET fixture?
I like the Q-Wash 560-Z LED because I find it very original and practical. Also, the Legend 412 caught my attention. I think with a certain number of Legend 412 fixtures, you can create very interesting effects.
3. What were some of the projects you were involved in?
I have traveled and worked directly with Ricky Martin as set designer for his promotional tour. Overall, I have worked on his concerts for 16 years. Preparing for this tour was an extensive project. It took us two months of production and one month for the setup and programming. I had the opportunity to travel to more than 50 countries and gained so much experience while doing the thing I love most. In 1997 I worked on a different project for a Shakira concert. I currently work with Calle 13, a band from Puerto Rico known for its eclectic style and use of nonconventional instruments. I have also collaborated with Juan Luis Guerra from the Dominican Republic, and created the lighting design for his concert.
4. What has been your favorite design/project?
I really enjoyed working with Ednita Nazario, from Puerto Rico, during her “Soy” show, in May 2010. The great thing about this project was that I addressed each element of the show separately, but also looked at the overall picture, looking for harmony. The combination of music and lights reflected Ednita’s personality – her fragility, passion and great talent.
5. Complete this thought:
A show without lights is like… an iPod without headphones.
We visited The Lyric Theater recently and while checking out their collection of CHAUVET gear used in the theater and the neighboring Flagler Center, we grabbed a shot of their ghost light. The one above is in the foreground with COLORdash Batten Tri linear wash lights on the cyc while some LED PAR 38 Tri wash lights are used as front light for the stage its sitting upon.
Have a shot of a ghost light to share? We’d love to see it.
Ten COLORado Batten 72 Tour linear wash lights traveled to Puerto Rico to animate a Christian concert at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot. Five LED wash lights were installed symmetrically on each side of a video screen and used as sidelights.
The lights were specified and temporarily installed for the event by Musique Xpress. The concert was sponsored by Carlos Baerga, former Major League Baseball player who was born in Puerto Rico.
CHAUVET joined a one-of-a-kind party thrown by Algam, distributor of musical instruments, audio and lighting equipment throughout France. Algam exclusively distributes CHAUVET DJ and Professional products. Organized every two years, the party aims to bring together Algam’s main suppliers. CHAUVET lights filled the hotel where the event took place, and lit a theater, showroom, bar lounge temporarily turned into a concert room, ballroom and garden.
Algam CEO Gérard Garnier, director Jean-Luc Dubois and Algam employees entertained their guests with a play, introducing the general theme of pirates to the gathering. Garnier recognized CHAUVET CEO Albert Chauvet on stage for his efforts and innovations brought to the lighting industry. The performance was lit by 12 Q-Wash 260-LED moving heads , six COLORado 1-Tri Tour static wash lights and one Intimidator Spot LED 150 moving yoke spot. Ten COLORado Batten 72 Tour linear wash lights framed the audience on each side of the stage.
About 30 CHAUVET fixtures were installed behind audio equipment in a showroom shared with HK Audio, including the Gobo Zoom LED gobo projector, Cosmos LED, Radius, Circus, and Hemisphere 5 effect lights, Intimidator Scan LED 200 and Intimidator Scan LED 300 scanners and 4PLAY CL wash light. Other lights on display were the 4BAR and 6SPOT wash lights and LFS-5 framing spot.
The bar lounge was turned into a concert room by installing nine SlimPAR Pro Tri and six COLORado Batten 72 Tour wash lights.
For a dancing soiree a variety of fixtures animated the ballroom: one Radius, one Circus, three Abyss LED 2.0, and two Eclipse effect lights, as well as one Intimidator Scan LED 300 scanner and six Gobo Zoom LED gobo projectors. Furthermore, 12 COLORdash Batten Tri linear wash lights, 10 COLORtube 3.0 EQ fixtures—a linear chase, static color effect and a real-time music visualizer in one light, MotionFaçade LED front board for DJ booths and six WELL wireless wash fixtures. An Arena Hazer 3 haze machine set the atmosphere for dancing.
Additionally for exterior decoration, WELL wireless event wash lights uplit the trees in the garden.
Written by Mike Graham, product manager for CHAUVET Professional
Mike Graham looking pensive in front of MVP video panels.
One of my biggest pet peeves is messy cables. Even at my house, all of my cables behind the entertainment system are all zip-tied and grouped by control and power. Show time, being superficial with your cables is not recommended and is not professional. Neat cables translate into a smooth show and smooth wrap-up. When you cut the zip-ties or tape and the cables drop off the rig in a nice long line all ready to be spooled up, it can mean the difference between making last call at the bar or not. So, here are a few simple tips on how to keep under control miles of power and data cables.
This is not the cable management you are looking for.
1. Run motor cables first. Only run what you need. Tape or zip-tie them down neatly on the top upstage side of your truss. This is the least visible side of your truss from the front of house.
2. Run fixture power second. Again, only run what you need. Make sure that you leave a little slack between the back of the fixture and your first tape or zip-tie point so that you can easily focus or adjust your light position easily if you need to. If you are stuck in a position of having to use a 25-inch cable to jump three inches, do not coil it up and attach it to the rig. Uncoil the entire cable and fasten it in down the truss so that it lays out neatly down the upstage top pipe above the motor control cable. Power up your lights to make sure that everything turns on and homes. This gives you a little bit of time to swap out a light if you need to before you get your data all tied in. I recommend having a spare circuit of power every 20 inches so that if you have to add in something, or something goes awry, you have an open circuit without having to run it in a rush and risk messing up your cable management.
Neatly tied down and coiled. This is barely visible from the bottom.
3. Data runs – work backwards. If you are using multiple universes of DMX, then this is a one-person job. It is really important to pay close attention to what is going on. Messing up the DMX run can create huge problems down the road. I recommend working from the last unit on the DMX chain to the head. This way all of my excess cable is going back towards the opto-splitters and can be easily hidden as we go. I also suggest not cleaning any cable until you have control over everything from the control desk. This is because if you are going to have a problem, it is most likely to be data-related. Data cables are fragile and for some reason, get caught in road case lids all the time. Once you are sure that you are good to go for control, try to tie these again to the upstage backside of the truss. If you are out of room or it’s getting to look like the all-you-can-eat pasta buffet, use the downstage top of the truss.
Passing data runs through a corner block in truss. Notice how it is all neatly running in the same direction.
More quick tips:
1. Labeling your power distro helps you find what power is plugged in where and avoids signal loss.
2. Sharp cables are much easier to find when you’re in a rush, especially when you are running in the dark during a show.
3. A big spool of power cable becomes an electromagnet when powered up. This can cause electrical fields that will mess with your more sensitive gear, especially if you are working on a wireless network.
Remember, a successful show is not just about the façade! Be thorough and neat, follow these suggestions and manage a successful show.
Written by Mike Graham, product manager for CHAUVET Professional
It took four days for our CHAUVET team to set up a giant spider and create a booth that amazed and infected hundreds of attendees with light at LDI 2011 in Orlando. We worked day and night installing 46 pieces of truss, 31 motors and ran about 2,000 feet of cable. Overall we rigged approximately 17,000 pounds of gear. We also had a custom-built motor control and used seven universes of control. Our efforts paid off when CHAUVET was announced the winner in the Best Large Booth category.
In the beginning there was empty space…
We interlocked about 300 hypnotizing MVP video panels into a large-scale wall that framed the booth on three sides. It was impossible to miss the addictive light show projected by the giant truss spider lingering above the 1,800-square-feet booth. The truss spider held over 200 fixtures, including the COLORado Zoom Tour static wash lights and Legend 412 moving yokes. At the floor level, we built a runway flanked by Q-Wash 260-LED moving heads and the new Épix Bar and Épix Strip, pixel mapping fixtures run by ArKaos Kling-Net protocol. We also added lights from the COLORado series, the WELL and a Followspot 1200 into the booth space.
The spider receives the light
And there were the MVP video walls…
The hand that controls everything in harmony – Chris Lisle
We enlisted the help of lighting designer Chris Lisle, who was most recently involved in the Miranda Lambert tour, and Scott Chmielewski, president of Digital Media Designs. Chmielewski helmed the controls and video integration while Lisle spent more than 12 hours programming a show that featured 57 cues controlling 17 different CHAUVET fixtures.
Even though everything ran smoothly, we decided to go above and beyond to make the booth even more infectious. The spider’s legs were initially designed to be tighter towards the center, but we adjusted them to go above the video walls, adding more dimension to the entire setting. We decided to add layers because it makes everything more dynamic and gives a lot of perspective. We ran outside the booth and outside the box – literally.
A piece of art!
And since we had everything coordinated so well, breaking down the booth only took 12 hours total. We have gone through months of preparation and brainstorming to create something so unique, and LDI passed by like a flashing beam of light. But it was all worth it, because we knew we made history.