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    Tech Talk: Untangle and Unwind: Know How to Manage Your Cables

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    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.

    The Making of a Legendary Infectious Booth

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    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.

    Post-LDI

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    Written by Mike Graham, product manager for CHAUVET Professional

    …And then it was over.  After four days of load in, each consisting of about 14 hours per day, three days of show, and 12 hours of load out, it is all done. LDI 2011 is officially in the can. I have barely had time to really reflect on the show yet, but wanted to make sure to thank those who made this whole thing a success.

    Our rental suppliers for the show, Bandit Lites and Christie Lites were on point with all of their respective gear. (Christie supported the Club/DJ booth, while Bandit handled the Professional side.) Bandit also supplied a crew chief who was second-to-none. Our programmer, Chris Lisle was very supportive and open to our direction for all of the programming of the lights. Northstar Event Services provided us with a top notch crew for labor and all of the people they supplied attacked every situation we threw at them with a smile.

    On the CHAUVET side, Todd Murray cranked out some amazing video footage that showed off everything that the MVP panels were capable of doing. It came out perfect. I would also like to thank Ben Dickmann and Ford Sellers for all of their assistance (while I was overseas or stuck in bed) ensuring nothing got missed. Our onsite team of Allan Reiss, Alex Ocampo, Anthony Chiappone, Graham Neave, Michael Corby, Maurice Allen, Max Morgan, Richmond McDaniel,  David Valez, and  Raglan Jones worked till they dropped to make all three of our booths come to life. Our marketing team did a killer job of making sure our branding was up to standard and that we had great catalogues, cut sheets, banners, handouts, t-shirts, and everything else that people remember after the smoke clears.

    All in all, to everyone who made this show a success, thank you!!! And to any doubters who are still out there, it’s only a matter of time till you are INfected!

    CHAUVET Wins Best Large Booth Award at LDI 2011

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    Out of more than 120 exhibitors, CHAUVET’s infectious lighting became contagious and received the Best Large Booth award at LDI 2011 in Orlando. It’s not the first time CHAUVET has stolen the show and infected attendees with light. In 2007, we received the same award at LDI when we ingeniously presented the “It’s Green Thinking” theme.

    This year, we were on a mission to get attendees addicted to lighting, so we built our Pro booth around the theme “Lighting Is Infectious“.

    A total of 579 fixtures were installed in the 1,800-square-foot booth. The center of the booth featured an intricate truss design, which was created to resemble a hovering spider carrying more than 200 lights on its infectious metal legs. The walls were framed on three sides by 296 interlocked MVP panels of different resolutions: MVP 12 LED, MVP 18 LED and MVP 37.5 LED video panels.

    We launched innovative lighting solutions such as the COLORado Zoom Tour static wash and Legend 412 moving yoke, and highlighted more inspiring fixtures like the MVP series, Colorado 1-Quad Tour and Q-Wash 560Z-LED. An “infected” runway was flanked by Q-Wash 260-LED moving heads and the new revolutionary Épix Series of pixel mapping fixtures run by ArKaos Kling-Net protocol.

    The MVP video panels, Legend 412, Épix Bar, Épix Strip and the Q-Wash 560Z-LED were among the most popular CHAUVET fixtures, drawing and enticing hundreds of guests.

    The Best Large Booth award is a well-deserved recognition for a labor of love. Lighting has infected us and we have passed it on…

    Straight to You, COLORado

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    Josh Groban‘s Straight to You Tour played its first show—back in the States, fresh from its European leg—at the Bank Atlantic Center (which is just minutes away from CHAUVET HQ!) in Sunrise, Fla. We had a chance to see the crooner perform live as well as see 14 of our COLORado Batten 144 Tour linear wash lights illuminate the stage’s backdrop.

    We talked briefly with the show’s Lighting Designer, Mac Mosier, about the show. “The tour just got back from Europe,” said Mosier. “I’m glad to have all my lights back! The [COLORado Batten 144 Tour] lights are fantastic. They work great, I like them.”

    More than a dozen musicians (horn players, drummers, violinists, guitarists, etc.) performed with Groban. A highlight was their instrumental version of Live and Let Die.

    Here are a couple of photos. Enjoy!

     

    LDI 2011: Day Two

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    More sneak peeks into the building of an infectious booth (183).

    Rigging board for the “spider”. Infectious!

    “Spider” rig

    “Spider” rig with video walls

    “Spider” rig and video walls

    “Spider” rig and video walls

     

     

    LDI 2011: Day One, Load In

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    Written by Mike Graham, product manager for CHAUVET Professional

    It’s day one of load in for LDI. Our crew killed it today! We rigged a total of 31 rigging points and all of our truss is ready for lights and video. Yep, its official, we are at LDI and ready to go. Big thanks to Andy Knighten from Bandit. Everything he promised us has come true. Nothing better than a man keeping his word!

    LD Profile: Thomas Aratanha Fonseca

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    Six Questions with Thomas Aratanha Fonseca
    Lighting Designer and Account Manager for Kor Media & Lighting

    1. How did you get into this field?
    I started as an actor studying at Uni-Rio in Brazil. When it came time for everyone to leave the theater so the stagehands could have the stage, I just wanted to stay. I loved being in the theater and ended up doing a little bit of everything. I started designing small productions for friends and before I knew it I had completely shifted my focus towards lighting.

    2. What do you think is the next big thing in the lighting industry?
    Because my focus is more in theatrical lighting, I would have to say an LED that could replace the  ETC Source4. A fixture that is equivalent to a 575-watt or a 750-watt lamp and is quiet. Color temperature of LEDs is getting better and better. I think every theater, church, or production company would buy a fixture like it in a heartbeat.

    3. Do you have a favorite fixture (and why)?
    I’ve worked quite a bit with the COLORado 1-Tri Tour. It’s great for backwash because of its tri-lensing as well as for incredible color mixing. Although it’s only a one-watt LED, it has great output and works perfectly for the theaters (where I mostly work) that have a trim of 21′ or less. Also, I’ve been truly impressed  by the Clay Paky Sharpy. It has an incredible output and it looks great.

    4. What has been your favorite design/project?
    One of my favorite designs would have to be working for YoungArts and being part of the alumni show. We had to put together a show that included artists from all different backgrounds. There were performers such as, a ballet dancer and a visual artist, a classical cellist and a pop singer, or a film maker and a jazz sax player. If that wasn’t enough, we only had a week to create it from scratch, tech it, and perform it. It was a great experience.

    5. What was the biggest unforeseen obstacle that you’ve faced in one of your designs, and how did you overcome it?
    I suffered every lighting designer’s nightmare. After finishing lighting and teching a full performance, I came back the next day for a dress rehearsal and was told the board lost ALL my cues. I went crazy of course and almost killed my programmer, but the end everyone said that the cues looked better the second time around.

    6. Complete this thought: A show without light is like…A snail without a shell… SLIMY!!

    Arts and Music Festival Celebrates in Vivacious Colors

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    Maplewood, N.J.  – Ten COLORado Batten 72 TOUR fixtures washed an old façade and clock tower at Columbia High School in brilliant colors for an arts and music festival. Charlie Hooven, owner of Synergy Systems in Holmdel, N.J., specified the wash lights incorporated in this temporary installation.

    Hooven chose to invest in CHAUVET fixtures when the high school wanted to stop using incandescent lights.
    “This was the first time we used CHAUVET, and everything worked so well! People driving by were pulling out to take pictures of the entrance,” he said. “Installation was so easy and overall I am very pleased with how the lights performed.”

    Eight of the COLORado Batten 72 TOUR lights were placed on the ground while two others perched in a window balcony halfway up towards the clock, where they ran a slow synchronized fade uplighting the tower and surrounding a projector screen with vivid colors.