I am just curious, what kind of shows do you do the most (or prefer the most)
(ideally this question is for actual shows, not at home, but I guess either way is fine)
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I am just curious, what kind of shows do you do the most (or prefer the most)
(ideally this question is for actual shows, not at home, but I guess either way is fine)
It all depends on what kind of venue it is if its a night club then mostly beams but at a planetarium it would be mostly animations
the shows I find the most impressive and that I like doing best are a combo of beams ,graphics (all types 3d/2d/Lissajous/abstracts ect..) using multiple projectors beam tables and bounce mirrors and a that point i also like to incorporate video and lighting and make it like a full on production
I love beam shows but the money is in graphics and corporate logos as companies only use lasers for rare events and want to see their name in lasers, not beams.
I'm asking, individuals (you guys) which do you do or prefer the most, not theories or conjectures :)
Graphics shows and I'm a banana.....
It's PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!
oh and like allthatwhichis says: Money is in the graphics for big companies.
I'm doing an Graphics show for Grolsch beer.. if it were a beamshow they wouldn't even reply'd
ya those gigs are sweet but hard to come by... :(
had a tiny bit more luck doing beam shows @ clubs and parties
Well, I had to vote I'M A BANANA (thanks for that, Frank, lol.. ;) cuz most of our show-Clients require graphics - but - thanks to the discovery of 'Skeeta' :)Quote:
Originally Posted by flecom
vs the old 'aerials-stifling' fiberglass screens, we can now deliver the 'best of both worlds'...
ie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osjrkWc1eG8, http://www.myspace.com/dsli/videos (...sorry, not trying to 'hawk-dsli', but the YukTube robots deep-6'd the sound on that one :rolleyes:) ..where we'll specifically-put geometrics in the show (cones, fans, etc) that would be *yawn..* on a wall / FP, but RP, thru skeeta, they form nice aerials.... and if the laser is powerful-enough / room-atmosphere is good, etc, seeing the 'shapes' on the scrim are not that 'distracting', cuz the focus becomes on the room-filling sweeps, sines, cones, fans, etc...
So, I guess my short-answer is: Both, where-possible. :)
j
If I had to make a choice it would be a beam show because they are typically more impressive. A good graphics show MIGHT hold my attention longer.
Now, a show that combines laser beams, laser graphics, and projected video will get me excited.
I'll go for beamshow. I like the atmospheric effects and the live control on parties.
I had to go with banana. I probably like graphic shows just a little more than beam but, they're easy to tire of unless they're good shows. They can be set up fast and shown to people without fog and can give people an idea of what in the hell you are talking about when you talk about high powered lasers. Beam shows are always amazing and impressive but, hard to really demonstrate to people because of the set up time. I think I'd prefer to PUT ON beam shows for people because of the "wow" factor but, for my own personal enjoyment, I like checking out new graphics shows.
Graphics for me. I like it all, but developed my love for laser shows from graphics and abstracts in planetarium shows. This is probably the result of many years doing animation as a film student.
I'd really like to create an 3-4 minute animated short in laser graphics some day, if I can ever find the time to sit down and make it happen O_o
Banana (I think?)
If the stage is setup correctly, beams firing around a centralized graphics scrim can make for a VERY impressive display!! :cool:
Very glad i'm not the only one who thinks there's money in graphics.
I never said there was no money in graphics ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by masterpj
I just enjoy doing live shows a lot more, and thats not really realistic with "graphics"
I DO do a planetarium show (at our planetarium) every month live with mostly lissigious patterns etc... used to use LivePRO but been using QS2 lately, lot easier to move around and does 90% of what I used in LivePRO anyway
aaah I take that back then.
oh and good morning! *just got out of bed yeah*
DO you have a video of the planetarium?
you should play a graphics show on there :D
we play plenty of graphics shows... actually pretty much all graphics shows... the main projector plays back shows that were recorded on ADAT and then I run a second projector doing live stuff
another guy runs the intelligent lighting, another person runs some of the other lighting effects and the star projector... and another guy runs the beam table on the main projector
you are coming to SELEM right? a few of the shows we are running are shows I... um... "borrowed" from the planetarium :)
Displaser that last sentence about making an 3-4 minute animated short.. is exactly what I'm working on.
How about a collaboration once on this field someday hmm?
My 2c...
RGB lasers are not the best projection medium for graphics. I prefer High Def digital video myself for that. So laser graphics just look gimmicky to me. Eventually, a laser projector and associated software may be able to render the animations we've had available via Standard Def video projection for years, but what's the point (even if it can be done in 3D on a 2D screen/scrim/wall)?
Nothing beats the sharp precision of a laser beam cutting through thin (haze assisted) air. This is where lasers can't be beat, and for me, where the energy should be spent in advancing the state of the art.
Additionally my view is driven by the 17 years of regular experience in being bathed in audience scanned laser light. Every time I see a video of a laser show where there are only overhead beams and scans (i.e. no audience scanning), it looks weird because it is lacking that which I love most: the magic of being touched by the razor sharp beams and scans.
I'm with you on this.Quote:
Originally Posted by taggalucci
I've been to many shows audience scanned and not and non audience scanned just leave me dead, I agree that magic is just missing.
The last large planetarium show I went to was a NIN show back in the 90s. It was a '3D' show so they gave out some sort of difraction glasses that made it all sparkly. That was pretty cool. Otherwise, it was kind of dull. Part of the show had silouettes of dancing girls and I heard several people commenting on how 'cheesey' that was. Projecting ATARI Tempest video game quality images don't do much for the average person but they get excited about seeing wildly colorful abstract images that are 'dancing' with the music. Most people go to laser shows expecting a psychedelic experience. Cartoons don't do that. Abstracts do. Beams do. 3D worlds made of laser lines.... don't (in my opinion). The cartoony/3D stuff definitely serves a purpose for stuff like Intros, commercial display, theme park stuff, etc... so I think that you will find more money in being able to create really high quality images. But, if you're doing laser shows for audiences you might as well leave that stuff at the door unless you have something exciting to back it up.
Disclaimer: This is obviously just my opinion based on my observations.
Beams.
Abstracts.
Old school arcade games.
As was said, why use a less than ideal technology for doing graphics when we have very advanced technology already, and VJ's more than willing to provide it.
I'll be honest with you, I agree, but at the same time, I kind of disagree.. being audience scanned like we end up at the LEM's and such, ya it is truly magical... I mean, seriously, its like some kind of crazy drug induced tripping or something (mind you I have never done drugs, so I just figure thats what a good trip would be like) but it really does bother me when I get hit in the face with a beam... does not matter if its 20mW or 5W, it just drives me nuts, and after a while kind of gives me a migraine (405nm really, really messes with my head, I get a headache almost instantly)Quote:
Originally Posted by taggalucci
I prefer graphics/abstract shows. Sadly, there aren't many really good graphics/abstract shows out there. On many occasions, I've left a planetarium laser show early due to piss poor programming. Some of the best graphics/abstract shows I've seen have come from AVI, it's a mix, some are bad, some are good and they have a couple that are outstanding.