PL & P : What ’ s the most recent thing to hit the market or that you ’ ve just recently encountered that has you excited about its potential , or that you could see yourself regularly incorporating into your work ?
FROOD : The obvious answer is of course LED ; it ’ s been the driving tech for the last five years . More specifically , it ’ s the introduction of smaller , cheaper lights that you can build into massive arrays . You ’ re seeing a lot more designs with a high level of detail , even at the larger club level now … Because they ’ re smaller , you can get a higher level of detail , although the challenge is finding the balance to keep that crispness . It ’ s too easy to create a muddy mess with that many sources
HASLAUER : They ’ re by no means recent , but products such as Upstaging ’ s Saber or Elation ’ s Octostrip have huge potential for what they are and what they cost . I want to try and move away from just having a handful of lights on the floor and use these LED strips to tie the lighting package into the set – and if there isn ’ t a set , to help create one .
HERKIMER : It may be old news at this point , but the innovation of multiple instance fixtures continues to keep me amused – everything Ayrton really started with the Magic Panel that people are continuing to build on , adding more pan / tilt-capable LED sources , zoom , lens rotators , etc . Where this really gets exciting is in the video mapping capability .
GORTON : I was blown away by the effectiveness of the Intellipix product from Ayrton . I ’ m really loving unique , malleable products where LDs can take existing technology and make it extremely unique with some fairly simple integration . Mike Herkimer used it absolutely flawlessly [ on Billy Talent ’ s tour ]. If you have a chance to check out that show , don ’ t miss it .
PAQUETTE : LED fixtures have come a long way over the last decade and I really loved what the [ Robe ] Spiiders had to offer – great colours , a nice tight beam when zoomed in , and the 60-watt LED in the centre creating what they call the flower effect . I found uses for all of these features [ on the current Blue Rodeo tour ] and was able to create a lot of new and interesting looks . I also used the Robe Patt 2013s and loved the retro look of these beautifully designed fixtures . It was nice to have that glow of a conventional light source . I thought they fit the band perfectly .
MATHISON : I like that more options are moving away from visibly pixelated LED fixtures . We use TMB Firefly FloppyFlex in a light-up mic stand right now , and I would love see that sort of neon look in more of Kelsea ’ s staging elements in the future .
MCLAUGHLIN : For me , the fixtures that have grabbed my attention are the hybrids , such as the Clay Paky Mythos and the Elation Platinum HFX . As most of the tours I am involved with are mid-sized , I need to utilize the space I have in the truck and having a fixture that can do more than one thing really helps . I like getting more bang for my buck .
PL & P : In your opinion , which technological trend of the last two or three years has had the most significant impact – positive or negative – on your work , or the concert lighting industry in general ?
FROOD : Again , LED . Ayrton is coming up with really imaginative fixtures at an absurd rate . We ’ ve started to see LED technology replacing [ several different sources ]. It ’ s not quite ready to replace arc but it ’ s really , really close .
HASLAUER : I wasn ’ t sold on many LED moving profile heads several years ago because of some features that those products didn ’ t do as well as their counterparts . New LED moving profile heads like the Martin Quantum are absolutely incredible .
HERKIMER : The evolution of the LED is really driving this industry forward . We are now just seeing the first truly useable LED source spots on the market in the last year or so . This continues to bring down weights , power consumption , and allows for more lamps on a show . LED blinders and strobes are really just becoming readily accepted as well . Once designers feel comfortable fully making the switch , I believe the state of the design industry will take a large turn . We have already seen it change the EDM festival scene forever .
GORTON : Without question , media integration and easy accessibility to media for lighting designers , with the emergence of products like Resolume and Madrix as well as cheap availability of media tools to experiment with . Now you can buy LED tape or consumer-grade projectors for incredibly cheap , which gives designers and operators at any level experience and insight into tools that a few years ago would have been extremely costly and inaccessible .
MATHISON : The significance of video in live performance , and the expanding methods we can use to implement video content , such as LED fixtures , pixel mapping , interactive video , and projection mapping . The use of lighting and video in live performance is becoming increasingly integrated , and the lines between the two fields are blurring . I ’ m always trying to learn as much as I can in the video and LED world to stay effective as a lighting professional .
MCLAUGHLIN : LED technology taking over both the theatre and concert shows . I think it ’ s great and love that every time you look , there is a newer , brighter fixture . But at the same time , I can ’ t wait for the LED technology to figure out a colour temperature engine that will work with all fixtures so that you are not always trying to make fixtures match colour-wise .
PAQUETTE : I would have to say LED technology . The combination of low power consumption , weight , and heat is allowing manufacturers to package their LED fixtures in new and interesting ways . With the high cost of touring a country like Canada , the LED fixtures have allowed me to put a lot of light power in a relatively small space on the truck .
PL & P : Any predictions on the next big technological innovation that will have a widespread effect on people ’ s performance and workflow in the concert lighting industry ?
GORTON : I think augmented and virtual reality has a ton of potential for both performance and workflow . It ’ ll be interesting to see if it gets integrated behind the scenes as a powerful pre-vis tool or an accessible show element first . It ’ s difficult to predict if this will happen or not but there is a real trend in the digital music world towards a “ makers ” movement . I love that people can define and create their own interfaces and bring a real custom element to their operation style or design techniques … that runs in parallel with existing technology .
HASLAUER : The ability to export a 3D environment in Vectorworks and allow clients to navigate through a design either on their computer or even through virtually reality glasses is huge . I find even when showing an orthopgrahic view of a stage design , it is difficult for some to grasp and there are still “ a-ha ” moments on the first day when everybody sees the real thing . Virtual reality eliminates this confusion and creates a much better workflow between the client and the designer .
HERKIMER : I fantasize a great deal about the day where the trends we are seeing in kinetic lighting and projection tracking are achievable for LDs [ on tighter budgets ]. With lighting becoming so blended with video , I really see a style of show on the horizon that will truly have a new look , abandoning conventional sources of light for everything other than key light .
MATHISON : If automated followspots become more popular , I could see that affecting my workflow and overall show quality . That ’ s one thing that specifically seems to be lagging behind as technology evolves so quickly in other aspects of the industry , which is surprising when you consider that the whole reason for a concert is for the audience to see the artist , hopefully in their best light .
32 • PROFESSIONAL LIGHTING & PRODUCTION