Possible in the US?

[Bradfo69]

In a group e-mail received from Olesya Kazantseva, a laser artist and ILDA member, the following link shows a wedding show from Russia. I gather this is becoming popular there. Graphics show through rear screen projection. What strikes me, as I'm wrestling with the same sort of circumstances is, how to accomplish this in the US without major paperwork headaches, expensive measuring equipment, and who knows what else I'm forgetting. It's obvious that the guests are going to be hit with (albeit diffused) beams at some point just by nature of the set up. Unless you have your reception in a theater or sports arena where the rear projectors can be what, 9 feet high, shooting into scrim over 30 feet tall so the beams terminate in the ceiling and you can still view the show? I've got tall ceilings but, not that tall. I can send the image through scrim to where it will terminate on the ceiling and not the audience but then, the projector ends up being below what's considered "legal".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuvZLkO4lPI

Am I missing something?? This is ultimately what I want to DO with these damn toys....just gotta figure out how.

Here was the e-mail BTW:

I posted a new video on YouTube of my new laser show. This magnificent panoramic wedding laser show. The wedding took place on Saturday 6 August 2011. It was a private party, so could be removed only on a mobile phone camera. Still, a pretty good shot and laser graphics looks great.

Show also unique in that the characters have a portrait likeness to the real bride and groom. I have already mentioned that in our country has developed culture is a graphic show. Customer is important to show the laser show history dating bride and groom, to paint their portraits and do a show with colorful and romantic. It seems to me that here I am!

[Phredy1]

The only way I can see it's possible in the US without mega tall ceilings is to put the audience behind the scrim and laser projector. You would lose some of the beam effects, but the projection onto the scrim would look great still.

[Stuka]

Brad -

I agree with you 100% on this one -
Projecting graphics / abstracts through a scrim makes a HUGE difference in the appearance of the show, ESPECIALLY if the scrim is between the projector and the audience!
I just recently had the opportunity to view some of my more recent graphics shows purchases through a scrim for the first time, and was blown away by the difference it makes in the show!

Ceiling height & depth between the projector and scrim are definitely issues to contend with...
Though I seem to always be in "venues" with low ceilings (no commercial shows at this point, mind you), as long as I can get the distances between the projector, scrim, and the audience, and terminate the beams ABOVE the audience, I'll give it a shot if at all possible.

I generally approach the setup with the idea that low projector placement is not a problem, provided audience can't get between the projector & scrim (restricted area).
"Setup low, aim high" - I have adjustable extensions on the front of my projector so I can raise the front, if needed, just for that purpose.
The Pangolin zone adjustments will let you setup your zones for just about any skewed projector placement you can think of.

To keep the projections zones safe, I have an thin metal plates (attached with industrial velcro on the outside of the projector window) on the front of my projector that I use as beam masks.
Once the target zones are adjusted so all the beams terminate above the audience, I adjust the plate so it just touches the bottom and side edges of the beams at the window.
With this arrangement, even if the scanners go to max negative or left/right deflection with a full-power beam, the audience still stays safe.

No unintentional audience scanning, no MPE concerns...and unless I'm missing something (which is always possible! ), I think you can still be legal provided you keep the audience from getting inside any of the projection zones, and terminate the beams (even on the ceiling, if necessary) so you meet all the horizontal / vertical clearance requirements.

Probably worth tinkering with at your place, provided you can get the projector-scrim-audience distances you need.

[flecom]

use a DLP projector, looks more realistic anyway lol

[Stuka]

use a DLP projector, looks more realistic anyway lol

Nah, most of us haven't spent several years running laser shows in planetatiums, so we're still easily entertained by simple laser graphics...

[flecom]

I'm really over laser graphics, most of them just look cheesy to me... unless they are nice patterns, I love good lissigious patterns... which is why when I win the lotto the first thing I'm buying is a copy of DigiSynth

plus most people at the planetarium shows are wearing diffraction gratings glasses so the graphics are lost on most people... plus they are generally high out of their mind so the patterns are better for them anyway

[Bradfo69]

I'm really over laser graphics, most of them just look cheesy to me...

Ahh yes, and most DJ's are "over" playing "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey too.... BUT.... The ones whose money you're going after with a wedding aren't over laser graphics!

[taggalucci]

X2 for cheesy

[Bradfo69]

X2 for cheesy

tag - ya ain't helping my argument here! LOL

[taggalucci]

tag - ya ain't helping my argument here! LOL

Oops, sorry about that