Are planetarium laser shows antiquated?

[mixedgas]

Too many people have let inexpensive solid state redefine the medium. Diodes are poor quality lasers,

Nothing, and I mean nothing, reaches the brain like the color gamut and contrast ratio of laser light.

Laser Animation is not dead, it is simply too complex and time consuming for most non-artists to do, so they pass it off as cartoonish, boring, old fashioned etc. It requires serious artistic skill, that most people who want to be laserists do not have. Since the majority cannot do it, they belittle it.

Look at what Swami Dog does, and tell me how you could cost effectively do that with cgi as a single person. I think when that gets shown at SELEM a lot of people are going to have their eyes opened. I've already seen it in person, and the poor quality of streaming Internet video cannot do it justice.

When the OPSL patents expire, the floodgates will open again.

Steve

[The_Doctor]

Look at what Swami Dog does, and tell me how you could cost effectively do that with cgi as a single person. I think when that gets shown at SELEM a lot of people are going to have their eyes opened. I've already seen it in person, and the poor quality of streaming Internet video cannot do it justice.

That's one reason I rarely look at YouTube video. I looked at his though, and given what I saw, I liked it a lot, and I know that if it does that much for me through a YouTube it's going to be astounding in practise.

About 'cartoonish', there are two ways that gets used. One, as you say, but the other is that some of it IS cartoonish, by which I mean not enough is being made of the resources. As to 'old fashioned', that's nothing. Anything good has its time again, and again. I remember when I was about 11, seeing a visiting show of 'magic lanterns'. Those were by far the coolest show I have ever seen, because of how much they get out of so little resources. Not just the ratio, the effects were so cool in their own right. The closes decendent in the laser world is probably the lumia.

[laserist]

Steve, come on it's not the quality of the lasers that's hurting the quality of laser shows - it's the quality of the shows. Better lasers won't improve things - it'll take better shows to do that. A great laser show is not Not NOT just a compilation of good individual numbers. And what are people doing today? Individual numbers where they throw everything but the kitchen sink at the viewer in a machinegun "cooreography" that leaves the audience lost in space or worse still - lost still sitting in their seats. My personal opinion - The worst thing to ever happen to laser shows is ILDA.

[absolom7691]

I would agree. This (among the other safety headaches) is the reason I don't do commercial shows. I know I don't have the chops to cut it. What I lack is the experience of working with a big audience. I also agree about ILDA. You can't "standardize" art. What I think is fascinating is that for a long time during the 90s and into the 2000s, everyone was after graphics. More graphics, better graphics.... graphics. Abstracts kinda went by the way-side as well as lumias. Now, there are quite a few threads popping up that are all about abstracts and lumias. These threads are getting a lot of attention, too. There seems to be a general disragard for graphics as the core and soul of a show and rightly so. Graphics are okay but they are like watching a cartoon. It reminds me of V'ger coming back to the creator. Laserium and other old school planetarium shows gave birth to the laser show in general, we strayed and now it seems that a lot are coming back to their "roots" and without having the audience feedback loop, there is a general lack of experience. To add to the statement about ILDA, I think beam shows have also whored out lasers. Beams entertain me for about 5 minutes. Display is where it is at. Sweet abstracts with a side of lumia and a sprinkling of sparse graphics. I like beams and all, a well placed fan, here and there but not an entire show of just beams.

[Vidal Wolf]

This is a great topic.
Dome shows I think, should go back to their roots and reinvent themselves. I remember going to the Boeing Spacearium at the Seattle Science Center back in the 80s and 90s. It seemed like Laser Fantasy was at its best then. I used to work at the fountains cafe there and when my shift was over I would go talk to the guy practicing for the nights laser shows and just sit and watch him work--for hours. The board that they ran from was incredible. sitting and talking I learned alot.
As far as beam effects in a dome show, back then, Laser Fantasy had a single argon beam at the front of the dome that was used at the last part of the final song that was color modulated and and would do a liquid sky effect over the audience and that was it. It looked good. not overdone, not too splashy. Dramatic. I dont know what its like now, I haven't been back in a loong time.
Beams vs.graphics-- The real artestry comes from the ability to effectively combine beams and graphics and lumia and scan thru making it a fullon art show utilizing all the effects, throw in another wrinkle, perfect effect timing and another wrinkle *good* color mixing, and color matching, using say, a blue and green ended graphics portion along with yellow and red beams (sparingly) for example. It makes graphics go a long way farther and would keep the audience caught up in the show when you have additional support. The true artestry seems to be getting lost, watered down, diluted, fading away. I hope it wont be lost for the future generations.
I would do just about anything to get a working old school laser fantasy rig and learn how to use it, every effect, every abstract and learn how to mix graphics, lumia effects, beam effects, scan thru effects, the works. What I saw back then has to this day, stuck in my mind as something I want to do. I want to be that guy at the console making the art, creating images, entertaining people. I want to create art that lasts for a fraction of a second yet lasts forever in peoples minds.
I am slowly working on an old school style table that can do lumia, graphics, scan thru effects, and .....beams.... I want to be able to create that total visual experience, reminescent of what Laser Fantasy has done in the past. Thats my dream.
Maybe someday. =)
Anyway, sorry to stray from the topic.
-Nate.

[Lazerjock]

Back in the 90's the Youngstown State University Planetarium would do a Halloween show every year. It included the star ball a variety of slide projectors a video projector and several home made light projectors. No lasers. This was all based around a Halloween theme. One year they started with the history behind the holiday. The lights went down the stars come up and the projected corn stalks around the perimeter of the dome and played the sounds of crickets. You would swear you were laying in a corn field listening to the story. After the show I got to see some of the homemade light projectors. They were very simple. One design was a baby food jar on its side with the bottom glued to a gear motor. The open side had a light bulb inside. They used masking tape to create lines and waves on the outside of the jar. When the motor and light were turned on the sweeping effect on the dome was incredible.
These Halloween shows were the most entertaining show I've ever seen without using lasers.

Chris

[polishedball]

The biggest problem is after ones first show, they always seem to under-impress. I know several people who loved there first show, only to go back and not have the same blown away experience the following times.

I recently had my buddy post on my facebook wall, I have to come over with the wife and kids to see a real laser show. He had taken the family to the planetarium and he was very disappointed in just the basic projection.

I feel you need to have more of a Laserium type feel for people to really enjoy it, not saying it needs to be live and different each time, but it needs extra effects. They can even be programmed to a push and play system. My HD24 runs shows, with slaved timelines that control 16 ttl channels and also some DMX (shortly this will be in the same app right now it is separate). Just amazing how much a simple torture tube backdrop can add.

Last summer was the eye-opener for me seeing DZ's rig with all the scan-thru (i'll have one setup shortly to a add a few effects to one PJ head.)

The look is in the layers.

[The_Doctor]

Scan-through? Is that the thing with different grades of dark mesh screen to get a space filled with repeated planes of one pattern?
And torture tube?? All I can do is ask about that one...

[absolom7691]

And torture tube?? All I can do is ask about that one...

I believe that this is what you're looking for


http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...-Torture-Tubes

[laserist]

Scan-through? Is that the thing with different grades of dark mesh screen to get a space filled with repeated planes of one pattern?
And torture tube?? All I can do is ask about that one...

Scan through (or in laserium speak, scan glasses) are anything that you might want to put a beam through. Diffraction gratings, art glass, photography special effect filters, and plexiglas with a bit of dulling spray are just a few examples.

Torture (or in laserium speak, dimple tube) is a plexiglas tube with dimples pressed into it. Take a 3/4" tube heat it carefully with a heat gun and push several dimples into the tube at points around the circumference. (experiment with depth and angle - and remember Plexiglas fumes are bad for you.) Let it cool and rotate it on axis at right angle to the laser beams. Ideally the different color beams shouldn't be superimposed. This is one of my all time favorite laser effects. It's especially fun if you have a beam torquer to play with.