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Thread: Need Technical Suggestions for a new On-Going Laser Light Show in a movie theatre

  1. #51
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
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    St. Louis, MO
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    1,182

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    Good luck! Passion is half the battle.
    "There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." Pablo Picasso

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    SoCal / San Salvador / NY
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    Hi SM55 -

    Welcome to PL..

    Quote Originally Posted by snowmaker55 View Post
    ...after 30 years ago. WOW things have changed! ..
    '..the more things change...' Anyhoo, I'll PM ya shortly, I can help with the ASCAP-questions (and also some recommends for 'Laser Sho-Co-friendly Ins. Co's', since most Liability Ins. agents will just give you the 'Uhhh, yer doin Waaat??' look.. Will chat at ya, in a bit..

    Meantime... just a few 'alt-thoughts' / comments, here:
    Quote Originally Posted by Bradfo69 View Post
    ......Laserium is gasping it's last breaths. Attention spans are shorter....
    *Ahem*, sorry but These people (from Last weekend..) beg to differ: (these were Unsolicited, btw..)

    "..[line about our 'recent move']... This is a "FUN EVENT" FOR EVERYONE - YOUNG AND OLD! I went to the first show which featured the music of the Beatles. I wish more people would hear about the show. I would go again and again!"

    ..and, this was someone who'd - Never been to a Laserium sho - so.. Not just another 'biased Griffithite, of yesteryear'... Here's another (sent in email, again, Unsolicited..):

    "You do an amazing job!! I am going to be completely honest with you. When we first walked in I thought it was going to end with 4 complaining kids suggesting that they could do better stuff with their phone apps. They were all blown away too. ...I cant wait until you are up and running again!"

    ..And, this was - by and large - the same type of feedback we'd gotten at Our Studio shows, at the 'old HQs' (RIP, 6911.. +_+ Sure, there were some that reviewed 'it felt like we were watching a laser show in a warehouse'.. ...Uh, weeelll... But, still many, many people - who'd Never been to, or, even Heard of Laserium before (..so, Not 'biased groupies'..) said 'Wow, that was Awesome; Never seen a laser show like it; I want to come with more friends, next time; We will be back!', etc, etc.. And, Many - 'kids' (18-22-ish) did just that - came back, again and again.. some, from over 130 mi. away (some, even further, like from near-SD, even SF!..)

    ...And, Every time - Every time - we've 'gone fishing' with Laserium - Sir Brian in St. Louis, us in Oakland in CA, then in Denver - with Limited marketing / advertising (mostly, the 'campaigns' were limited to marketing to the Existing Museum / Sci-Center member-base.. Very little 'broadbrush' media used, ie: Radio, TV, Billboards, etc..) I think the 'broadest' advertising we ever got in Oakland, was 1x time with a 'bus-wrap' (ONE bus, pfff...) - Even so - we've Had success: Many repeat patrons, Many sellouts, and.. Profit! Granted, not a 'ton', but.. That was more a function of 'how long we were there', and how much / widespread the marketing / ads, etc.. I am Certain that If - IF - we had, for example, been 'extended' in Denver, as we had been in Oakland? We'd have been MUCH better off, back on the 'home-front', financially..

    ..But, a 3 month run is Barely enough time to 'gain awareness-saturation' among the Targeted market, let alone 'word of mouth' taking root.. By the time we had to 'pack up' in Denver, we were selling out nearly ALL shows.. And, they did NOT make a 'big deal' out of those being the 'Last shows! Last shows', etc, (..thereby 'skewing' that data, from an 'end-of-run fever' boost in sales..) No, we were selling out because of Two things: 1) Laserium shows are GOOD / unique (more on 'why' in a minute..) and DO draw people to Come Back.. and, 2) we were Just Starting to see the 'word of mouth' spread, there.. We had SO many people emaling us - after we'd left - 'hey! why'd you leave! We want to come to the shows!!' and, well.. That was 'DMNS's call, Not ours / NOR because 'laser shows in planetariums are just not popular anymore', Nope..

    ..It was simply because the Sci Centers / PLAs of today are not 'hungry'.. Being largely 'Grant' / Foundation / Gov-funded, nowadays, they could care Less if they 'make $$' or not.. They're 'covered'.. They don't Need us to help them 'generate revenue' (though, we Did, for them.. they Grossed about $150K in those 3 months.. Not bad for a 'start up'..) so.. Once they got their 'popularity / PR-boost' from Us being there? <shrug> No need for Laserium, any longer - But IT WAS NOT THE POPULARITY / PUBLIC SATISFACTION OF THE SHOWS, THEMSELVES / 'Attention spans', etc... Again, even in our 'crummy little warehouse Theater' - we Consistently had regular, healthy numbers, Many sellouts, and Many, many 'repeat' patrons, and MOST of them were 'fresh blood' - Not groupies from the Griffith-era.. (I know, I asked for a 'show of hands' before each show.. Don't have 'hard data' (didn't count..) but.. That's the Fact I present...)

    ..So, 'What made / makes Laserium different', and Why can I state, so confidently, that It - as a 'Product' - is NOT 'gasping it's last breaths'? (if anything, it's ME / DSLI that is, but.. there are Many complex factors for that, none of which have to do with the 'popularity of Laserium'.. I've just spent nearly 1/2 Million bux keeping it 'all going', and.. I'm just near-tapped.. Anyhoo...) Why? It's the 'RECIPE' Ivan pioneered, so long ago..

    a) It must be Performed (which, in-and-of-itself, is a 'Draw', from a marketing / ad-standpoint..) vs just 'all playback'.. That is One of the 'mistakes' that many of Laserium's (eventually Dead..) imitators / competitors made, AND - One of the factors that makes SO many of the "Laser Shows" of today - whether in a PLA or a Theater, or whatever.. get 'tired', so-quickly.. LIVE performances will ALWAYS yield a 'better show' (Yes, assuming there's a "good Laserist" at the helm..

    ..and b) His concept of the "Laser CONCERT' approach - that does Not just mean 'lasers set to music' - That aspect is elementary.. No, what he Meant / demonstrated, with the LII Projector-designs - across the model-evolution / years, etc - was a 'Philharmonic Orchestra-level of FX' - Variety - that could be varied / changed-up, both within the show, and/or, from 'Laserist to Laserist'.. THAT is ALSO Why most of these so-called "Laser Shows" of today, have Gotten so 'stale' - Sure, '25x XY boxes' CAN 'look cool' - ONCE or twice / a few Choice moments - in a performance. But, a Whole Show of nothing but color-variating, criss-crossing fans / sheets / beams.. Gets very tiring, very quickly, and - Will simply NOT bring people back and back and back - doesn't Matter what the 'music is'..

    ..So, going back to snomaker: IF you just wanna 'make some $$ with Lasers' at yer Theater, I'd (speaking from experience..) just do 'Laser Ads' and 'PSA's (ya know, before the Flix..) and, sure - you can make it 'snazzy', with some aerials, etc, like the examples that swamidog posted.. This 'format' can be successful for several reasons: a) it's Unique (so, it will 'get press' / attention / 'that was cool' distinctions from other Theaters in the area..) b) You'll get More local Biz'z to sign-up / pay for such (vs just the 'same old video / slide-format' Ads (snore..) c) You won't have nearly the same costs for ASCAP, etc, etc..

    ..Here's a couple cheezy-clips from some 'pitches' I did a waaaaay long-ass time ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s60SUlY6c0 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuxL1pfUAI4 ..etc (and yes, these 'Demos' were for the Outside portion I was pitching.. Intended to show them that we could to 'after-hours' Ads, for the Theater, itself.. But, the 'main pitch', was to do Laser Ads.. they Loved the idea, but.. didn't have the $$ <shrug>) Anyway, that would be my advice for 'Just making $$ with Lasers in a Theater setting'.. BUT..

    ..IF you really wanna have a true "Laser Show" that is - An Attraction - that Will bring people back and back and back... Then you will Have to do More than just 'have XY-Boxes and Pango-software with canned-shows' - If, that is, you expect to actually make some $$ at it longer term.. You WILL need such-like 'variety' in FX, like Ivan's pioneering-approach offered. Truly, a 'Laser Concert', full of variety / variability in FX - and - Spectacular Content.

    .02..

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnYayas View Post
    Laserium may have sold 20 mil tickets but it won't sell 20 mil more even with a brand new audience. You aren't going to impress anyone with slowly rotating circles anymore. ...
    Pfff, it's too bad neither you nor I Have the money To-bet (..unless, you Do? ) cuz I would Bet you 1 Million Dollars we could. a) Just take it to Bejing. Ok, ok, that's too easy, I know.. b) IF we HAD a 'dome venue', like Ivan had always envisioned, post-Griffith? I would, likewise, Bet you that same Million bux that - by now - we Would-be 'Well on track' to selling Another 20M tix (remember, that was Over the 40 Years, not just 'one time shot'..) again, because of Ivan's approach to Doing laser shows.. Which was Far more than 'just a bunch of XY boxes'.. Snore..

    ..I'll leave you with a couple examples (whether you like the music or not... But, side-note, Yes, I agree, 'Skinny Puppy' would be Excellent.. we Need a good follow-up to our NIN sho..

    ..One of my all-time Favs.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbLTRJed0rM ..and, Sure - I could also see (especially if the PJ doing this could not Have ALL these 'layers'..) a few - judiciously-placed - beam-matrix bounce sequences, and/or x-crossing aerial sweeps from L/R aerials-boxes.. But, again.. Variety...

    ..Another great example, underpinning that sometimes, 'Simpler can be Better' - it doesn't always have to be '200 layers', etc..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj3NJDoP_bg ...Take away all those 'scan glasses' (star filters) in this piece, and.. what have you Got? A bunch of Dots, multilayered boxes, a few chopped-lines, etc, with X, Y (and sometimes Z..) rotation, Good choreography (to a Great song, yes.. and some Color Mod - Not 'much' by today's "Laser show standards".. Zero graphics, no complex spirals / abstracts, etc.. Just some very simple, well choreographed 'Dots' / lines.. But the Optical FX (the 'Variety'..) turns the ordinary.. into Extraordinary.

    (imho...
    j
    ....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...

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