We hosted our fifth annual open house on March 28—and there’s no doubt it was our best event yet. Four hundred industry pros—that’s twice as many as last year—came out for food, drinks, product demos, giveaways, live music, and networking.

Between snacking on sweets from Along Came Mary and gourmet burgers and sides from the popular Fire House Chefs food truck, attendees checked out a lot of lighting gear and effects.

A central bar from Poko Event Productions served as way to show off the Solaris by G-LEC, a curtain-like product made of hanging beads of light, which curved around the arcing bar. Overhead, Martin Mac Auras and Elation Platinum Beams hung from a circle truss.

In back, the event’s lounge included an additional bar from Angel City Designs and tables donated by Classic Party Rentals, lounge furniture by Poko, and gorgeous floral arrangements that popped in Kinetic purple, from floral designer Karen Amit. The brand new white Vari*Light VL880 Spots as well as white uplights hidden by white fixture shields, white pin spots, and white ellipsoidals projected break-up patterns throughout the space. White pin spots highlighted Amit’s flowers.

A gobo projection area showed off the capabilities of the Chauvet LFS-5 and Osram Kreios G1 LED projectors, and ETC Source Four Lustr+ and Prism Projection Reveal LED ellipsoidals, plus the cool new Darklight Gantom iQ, a tiny LED gobo projector in the form factor (and size) of a lipstick tube.

Users got to see the tiny fixtures next to the larger ones. Attendees also got to check out new gobos from Apollo Designs and Rosco, which were designed specifically for LED fixtures. And they could compare these new gobos with standard steel and glass versions

Will Murphy of ACT Lighting led GrandMA sessions, using GrandMA 2 Light and onPC command wings. The consoles were running MA 3D virtualization software.

A beam shootout showed off the capabilities of Elation Platinum Beam Extreme, Chauvet Legend 230, Sharpy Wash, and Sharpy. Lighting a step-and-repeat were Chroma-Q Studio Force D12 XT—a brand new LED fixture that features tremendous white light output (daylight) in a tiny, lightweight housing.

Many guests would count among the highlights of the day the live performance from Sons of Sunset, an industry band made up of members from ETC and MPA—plus Kinetic’s own Daniel Bortz. They played a set of original songs plus covers that the crowd really got into.

The guys performed on stage with a cool, industrial-looking truss backdrop (ingeniously created out of extra inventory) that displayed the new Chauvet Nexus 4×4. Throughout the day, it changed colors and patterns—at one point even spelling out “Kinetic” across the Nexus panels for a dramatic, branded look. Geoofrey Galper programmed the stage show on a new Hog 4 console.

Before they left, guests also scooped up logo T-shirts from Ellen’s Silk Screening in new styles, available in different cuts for women and men. While we’ve offered different colored shirts for our open house events in years past, this time around we opted for a completely different look, choosing style over the standard company-logo-tee. We hope the guests wear their Kinetic purple with pride!

See everyone next year!

Photos by Dan Eldridge Photography.

The post 5th Annual Open House: A Smashing Success! appeared first on Kinetic Lighting.

Having worked with Kinetic on numerous other projects, Production Elements’ C.E.O. Denny Beaubian again called upon the team to design and implement the lighting of this year’s event.

“This show is all about the cars” says Kinetic Lighting’s Principal Designer James Schipper. There are several days of viewing prior to the actual auction. “Our purpose is to not only to properly display the vehicals for the crowds of car affecianados of course. And since the cars are being carefully inspected by potential bidders, the need for bright, even illumination of the all surfaces is very important.”

To make it happen, Schipper uses a combination of Vari-Lite VL 3500 Wash, Vari-Lite VL5Arc, and Martin Mac Aura fixtures depending on the height, power, and rigging needs.  And for the first time, he utilized Chroma-Q Studio Force D12 XT daylight LED wash fixtures to light the auction’s showcase car display.

For the auction stage, a combination of color-corrected ETC Source Four Ellipsoidals provides the general illumination. Chauvet COLORado Tri Tour 1 Pars and Phillips ColorKinetics ColorBlasts provide scenic highlights and effects. For the first time, Schipper used Chauvet COLORado Batten 72 LED Striplights to provide illumination of stage drapery surrounding a video screen backdrop. “In years past I’d used individual LED fixtures to light the fabric. This year, I chose to replace them with the Batten 72’s to allow seamless lighting of the fabric. They worked perfectly and allowed us to do some beautiful color sweeps and other visual effects.” says James.

Come auction time the vehicals on stage aren’t the only important item that needs to be lit—the bidders do too. Walking a Lighting Designers’ Tightrope betwen overlighting the audience, creating visual and physical discomfort, and not having the viewers bright enough (potentially causing the auctioneer and spotters to miss the often subtle gestures used in the bidding process) is a tough challenge. One that requires a careful, tedious focus, color correction for camera, and balance to the other light sources  James uses a large quantity of ETC Source Four PARs to achive this.

With a refined lighting design, a very experianced crew (many of whom have been doing the Gooding & Company Auctions with Kinetic for almost a decade), and the right tools for the job, it is not surprising to hear that the client was pleased as always with our work.

About Production Elements:
Production Elements, Inc. was founded by Denny Beaubien in November 2010. Our mission to provide clients with event-related “Production Elements”. PEI is a unique event production company that has worked with a variety of clients to produce remarkable events, receptions, classic car auctions, décor installations and marketing activations. The company is made up of a highly experienced team with varied backgrounds ranging from theater, art, catering, television & film, live music and show production.

About Gooding & Company
Gooding & Company is recognized the world over as a leading automotive auction house specializing in the finest antique, classic, sports and racing cars. We have consistently achieved world record-breaking results including the highest sales at prestigious venues such as Pebble Beach, Scottsdale and Amelia Island. Not only is Gooding & Company committed to conducting auctions of distinction, but we have also orchestrated many successful and significant private sales, provided accurate and detailed appraisals, guided estate planning and advised the custodians of some of the world’s finest automobile collections. We are determined to present the highest quality consignments and operate with transparency and integrity in every aspect of our business. Our team of well-qualified experts is ready to assist you in both selling your vehicle and providing advisement on current market values.

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Gobo projection seems to be more popular than ever. With a long history in theatre, then event lighting, gobo projection is now popular in non-theatrical marketing applications (think storefront, showroom, office foyer). Even in the height of the recession, calls were coming in from people who were looking to project their logo onto walls, floors, and ceilings. So I’ve been searching for a light fixture that would accommodate the needs of the average small business owner (i.e. non-lighting user).

This process proved more challenging than I anticipated. Fixtures existed that were small enough, but didn’t have the necessary light output (the applications for which I was searching all had white-light in the space where gobos were to be projected). Then I’d come across a fixture that was bright enough but couldn’t efficiently vent lamp heat (it only took a couple of lamp explosions to realize what was happening with that one).

After a while, and with lots of research, waiting for product debuts, trial and error, we finally found one that fits the price range, size/weight, power draw, projection quality and light output: The Kreios G1, by Osram

Relatively new to market, the Kreios G1 is a small, light-weight LED gobo projector. It has enough output for many of the short-throw applications described above. The fixture is available in a white or black housing and can be easily mounted to a variety of surfaces (tools required). And since the light source is LED, the fixture produce little heat and users don’t have to worry about replacing lamps. And of course, the Kreios G1 is energy-efficient, thanks to the 23 watts of LEDs on-board.

There’s enough to write about gobos for many, many more posts, but suffisive to say, you’ve got gobo options with the Kreios G1. The light accepts glass or steel gobos, as well as transparencies. The latter is a nice option if you’re not sure what artwork you want to project, since you can print your own transparencies and save money. But for long-term usage, which this fixture is designed for, the steel and glass gobos would be the way to go (glass is really the superior projection medium here, so if you can make the investment, it’s the way to go.)

If you need options with beam spread, you’ll need the industry-workhorse ETC Source Four ellipsoidal. But if you’re looking for a gobo projector for your office, restaurant, school, house of worship, or showroom — and the projector will be stationary at 12’ – 20’ from projection surface — check out the Osram Kreios G1. It may be just the branding-with-light tool you’ve been looking for.

The post Gobo Projection for The Office appeared first on Kinetic Lighting.

They last about 12-16 hours on battery and can create any combination of Red, Green, Blue, Amber or White. So…any color, really.

They have just about the same output and color temperature as the Chauvet Colorado (an LED par), so if you’re mixing them in a rig, there is virtually no difference.

The best part about them is their versatility. Taking them out of the case and being able to drop them anywhere where light is needed is their best feature. For instance, the other day on a show, this happened:”Oh, the live wolves are being moved to a remote location outside the party but need to be lit? We have 5 minutes before the party starts? No big deal! We have the wireless Cube lights.”

They’re versatile. They’re functional. They are the quick-fix in nearly any situation. I highly recommend them.

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As far as we can tell, we’re the first to rent ETC’s new Source Four LED. And since we’re also one of the few lighting companies to have used Source Four LED in event lighting rigs, we thought we’d share our thoughts on the fixture. Specifically, we’re referring here to the Lustr+ model, which utilizes the 7-color mixing system found in the ETC Selador series. ETC also offers Daylight and Tungsten versions of Source Four LED. While we sell all three versions, we only currently rent and use the Lustr+.

First, the PROS:

ETC did a great job with the form factor. This is the best-looking housing we’ve seen on an LED ellipsoidal. While several manufacturers have released LED profile fixtures, they seem big, heavy, and cumbersome. The Source Four LED, on the other hand, is not much larger than a convention source four (Note: It is larger, just not significantly relative to competing products). Another great thing about ETC’s newest member of the Source family is that you can purchase (in our case, purchase or rent) just the LED light engine, without lenses. Many lighting companies, venues, theatres, and houses of worship already own Source Four lenses, so it’s nice not having to buy/rent a whole new fixture. That said, the LED light engine is the bulk of the cost. But more on that later…

Lighting designers will appreciate Source Four LED’s feature set.

In typical ETC fashion, the quality of light is great. The fixture outputs an incredibly flat field. While this makes it easier to achieve a uniform focus, it may present issues for some applications. To compensate for the flat field, each unit ships (and rents) with a soft focus diffuser. The diffuser looks like a piece of diffusion gel (be careful not to accidentally trash it!) and softens the beam edges, so that when fixtures are focused to overlap each other, the result more closely resembles the field of a conventional Source Four. Color mixing is superb, thanks to the 7-color array system. We’re equally impressed with the saturated colors, pastels, and even white light output. Photometric data and CRI values are available at ETC’s website.

Gobo projected with Source Four LED Lustr+

The Source Four LED operates much like a standard Source Four, menu system notwithstanding. The framing shutters and lenses haven’t changed. The fixture accepts A and B size gobos, inserted with the same ole’ pattern holders we’ve been using for years. There are benefits to keeping some functionality the same. It pays to have an easier learning curve with respect to users and sales reps, and it also means the fixture is likely to be spec’d more if it fits within a familiarity zone of lighting designers. Speaking of LDs…

Lighting designers will appreciate Source Four LED’s feature set. It’s comprehensive and well thought out. For example, the Lustr+ light engine can mimik the red-shift that occurs when dimming a tungsten lamp. But you can turn that function off if it’s not desirable (e.g. if used as a key light for broadcast.  There’s also Tint control, in addition to the more common Intensity and Color parameters. And if that’s not enough fine-tuning for you, there’s also on-board programming, a master/slave option, +-green control, multiple dimming curve options, white point selection, loss-of-data behavior options, different modes depending on whether maximum output or consistency is the priority, and more.

The Lustr+ also provides all of the benefits we’ve come to enjoy with LED lighting: energy efficiency (136 watts for the Lustr+), vivid colors, no need for dimmers, relatively low maintenance, and relatively low heat output. Every electrician and gaffer who has had to focus 575 watt ellipsoidals will appreciate the reduced heat factor.

Source Four LED & 575. Which is which?

Now for the CONS:

One of our biggest complaints is about the menu system. It’s not intuitive. We’re hoping this is a software fix rather than a hardware upgrade, and that ETC will address it (pun intended) ASAP. Most moving lights these days have intuitive on-board menu systems, and it’s fair to expect any non-mover to offer the same. Not so in this case.

When we first got our units and fired one up, we tried setting up a static look with one specific color. Even with three lighting guys — one of whom is our senior technician — and an instruction manual, we couldn’t get this simple look. To be fair, a quick call to our rep got this fixed (we had to be in a different mode). But still…

Since that first experience, we’ve had training and more time with the menu system. Yet from time to time, we still find ourselves spending too much time trying to accomplish menu-oriented tasks. We’re optimistic the menu system will be improved for a more intuitive user experience.

Cost is another negative, but to be fair, every comparable fixture is equally as expensive. There’s a lot of R&D investment manufacturers have to recoup just before they can break even, so this isn’t much of a surprise. But jumping from the conventional model to the LED is a considerable investment increase. You can save some money if you already own lenses by simply buying the LED light engine (which is sold either as a stand-alone piece or coupled with framing shutters).

While light output is impressive compared with what’s currently available in this type of fixture, it’s only comparable to a 575w. This is, however, rapidly changing technology, and as such, we’re sure it won’t be too long before there’s a model that can rival the output of a conventional 750w.

We’d also like to see a thinner power cord. Small detail.

In Summary:

We really like the Source Four LED Lustr+ and applaud ETC for this product. As mentioned above, there’s room for some improvement, but considering how new this light is, we’re impressed. Same goes for others we’ve talked to that have had a chance to use it.

There’s no denying that lighting technology in all markets is changing, moving increasingly towards LED. We think Source Four LED will be a prominent fixture in this shift and we’re proud to be one of the first companies offering it for rentals.

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1. How would you characterize your design style?

Theatro-tele-rockn-cinematico. I think.

It’s just evolved on its own, as I look back, and I never truly set out to have one style or another.

2. When you look back at your first designs what has changed most in your style over the years?

I started as a student of theatre—both observationally, studying the great Broadway designers when I was young, and then attending Northwestern University. So when opportunities opened to do lighting design for live music, it made sense to approach it theatrically from a cue and focus point of view. My work began to pick up elements of what was to become recognized as more of a rock style, and maybe I set a trend or two here and there, just because I started  my career so early in the development of that new industry. But when I began doing more work for the camera, it became necessary to incorporate just enough of the ground rules for better TV, but with a leaning toward interesting cinematic style when I could get away with it. All the other styles just stayed in the mixing bowl.

3. How much does an artists’ performance style factor into your work?

For me, quite a lot. That’s the all-important first impression, and a huge clue to the energy that I’ll be playing off to create lighting that will match and enhance what they’re doing onstage. I, personally, have to start with the content of the work for which I’m designing. That encompasses the artist’s performance style combined with their lyrics and music. All of that is the road-map I use.

4. Lighting has to look good to the live audience as well as for the camera, often with considerably different needs. How do you address this challenge?

It’s true, and not easily solved. But I do maintain that good lighting for the camera can also look exciting to the live audience. Often, the lighting for live shows can be more unbalanced from an intensity standpoint, and not necessarily flattering when magnified in a close-up. Not that I’m saying it’s wrong. It might be exactly the best design, but if a few levels can be tamed down and a few angles and colors adjusted, the same cue can work for both the live and the TV audiences. Also, sometimes using only one light can be better than using multiple lights to do the same job. By paying attention to cleaner shadows that become more apparent in a closeup of the performer’s face, huge improvements happen immediately.

5. What inspires you?

Nature certainly does. The magic of sunlight and all its wonderful cues playing on mountains, trees and water are overwhelming. Great art is wonderful, but I think it, too, has nature as its muse.

I’m a big fan of the unpredictable. In a musical context, that’s one reason why jazz is very interesting to me. Rock music is sometimes very repetitive and formulaic. But when it breaks out of its own mold, I start to pay closer attention and I begin to develop more visual ideas about it.

About Jeff Ravitz

Well-known for years as Bruce Springsteen’s lighting designer, Jeff Ravitz has since forged a reputation for transforming live entertainment performances and arena extravaganzas into exciting, but also broadcast-proper, television shows.

Jeff has created lighting for live televised spectaculars, concerts, awards, game and talk shows, comedy specials, fashion, ice show broadcasts, and studio-based TV productions. Recent work includes the current Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band tour, as well as the talk show series starring CeeLo Green, Talking To Strangers, and the new season of John Oliver’s NY Standup for Comedy Central. Jeff has lit television specials for Springsteen, Usher, Beyoncé, John Fogerty, and Journey, and comedy specials for Bill Maher, Wanda Sykes, Terry Fator, and Larry The Cable Guy. Jeff was the lighting director for the Vancouver Olympics nightly Medal Ceremony and concert broadcasts.

Film audiences saw Jeff’s work in the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, for which he designed specialty lighting, and Paramount’s concert documentary, Heart of Gold, starring Neil Young. He has also consulted on the lighting for 3D concert films for Dave Matthews, Phish, Lollapalooza and Justin Bieber.

Jeff was awarded a Primetime Emmy for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on HBO and was previously nominated for Cher . . . Live at the Mirage. He has also received two Los Angeles Emmys for his designs of LA-area programs, and three Emmys from the Pacific Southwest chapter of the Academy.

Jeff currently serves as Creative Consultant for the annual Concert Master Classes. He is the founding partner of design firm Intensity Advisors, LLC

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An upper enclosure houses the control electronics as well as the arc power supply for the 1200 watt short arc lamp. The arc power supply is power factor corrected for efficient power distribution.

The VL3000 Spot luminaire can be controlled from a wide variety of DMX512 consoles.

The luminaire is the same size as the VL3000 Wash luminaire, providing a consistent hang configuration and appearance no matter which luminaire type is required.

We now rent the Varilite VL3000 Spot. We also sell this fixture. Contact our sales department for a rental or sales quote

Download VL3000 Spot Specifications

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Proudly built in the USA, the Vari-Lite VL3500 Spot luminaire maintains the same high standards for imagery, beam control, color and brightness set by the original Vari-Lite Series 3000 Spot luminaires, but with the added feature of a four-blade shutter mechanism that allows the blades to be operated independently or in unison on two planes for a clear and crisp image.

The Vari-Lite VL3500 Spot luminaire features a 6:1 zoom optics, CYM color mixing, variable CTO color temperature correction, a six-position color wheel, two gobo/effects wheels, a shutter and separate dimmer and ultra-fast strobe mechanisms. A standard pallet of gobos, effects and colors is provided with the unit. Custom gobos, effects and color are available.

An upper enclosure houses the control electronics as well as the arc power supply for the 1200 watt short arc lamp. The arc power supply is power factor corrected for efficient power distribution. The VL3500 Spot luminaire can be controlled from a wide variety of DMX512 consoles.

The luminaire is the same size as all other Vari-Lite Series 3000 luminaires, providing a consistent hang configuration and appearance no matter which luminaire type is required.

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The Varilite VL880 Spot luminaire is compact and economical but still loaded with powerful and useful features. This new series of luminaire from Philips Vari-Lite provides lighting designers with effective and creative tools.

The VL880 Spot luminaire comes complete with all of the optical quality and functionality designers have come to expect from Philips Varilite. It is small, lightweight, and fast with a 800-watt MSR Platinum 35 lamp, impressive lumen output, a zoom range from 15º to 36º, and a mechanical iris for continuous beam control. A drop-in frost glass assembly allows users to soften the overall beam, allowing for additional beam control.

The VL880 Spot luminaire provides brilliant color mixing with its three-wheel CYM color assembly based on the widely praised Series 3000 color system. When combined with eight standard colors on a fixed wheel, the color options are practically limitless. Additionally, a coated glass dimmer wheel provides smooth fades, and a separate dual-blade strobe system offers quiet and reliable strobe effects. The VL880 Spot luminaire’s powerful pan and tilt motors provide smooth, fast time-controlled continuous motion capable of 0.3° resolution with a pan range of 540° and tilt of 260°.

For image projection, the fixture has one gobo wheel with seven rotatable and indexable positions and a second gobo wheel with ten fixed positions. The VL880 Spot luminaire comes equipped with glass gobos and effects.

The VL880 Spot luminaire contains everything that really matters to designers – limitless color options, unmatched clarity of optics, exceptional zoom range, fast, smooth movement and powerful output; all of these features are combined in a compact, lightweight and cost-effective, new luminaire.

The VL880 Spot luminaire can be controlled from virtually any DMX512 console or DMX output device.

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