I need help fello laser mates!(first big show)

[oleger]

I have a 500mw projector, A 700w fogger, a notebook, ilda cable, a about 150m2 room, and about 100 people at a wedding where i will do the last 3 music songs with a laser show.
I basicly need advice to get the most out of this show, to make the most WOW! effect to the people who watch.

Facts:
First point: no way i want to do a graphics show. It will be a beamshow.
No divergence control, so i guess no direct crowdscanning.
No smoke sensors that react on my fogger.
Its in a closed large room with a dancefloor, stage, and lots of seats and a bar.
I will tell a savety story before stsrting my projector.
I cant hang my projector to the ceiling. It has to be on the ground/table/stage ect.
Already got permission and "a go" from the wedding master and from the room boss.

Ideas:
I now have a 500mw white rgb projector, although i can make it 1w if i turn up the 445nm, but this will ruinin my white balance.
My plan is to scan above the heads of the crowds, ofcource with some distance between beam and head. Although this messes up visibility i guess its the best way to go?
I want to place the projector on a table, on stage. Then scan with the upper part of the scan angle, and turn the other one down.
Its planned to be used during the time that everyone dances...but maybe i can ask to turn down or dim the lights for one song?

Any other ideas and suggestions?
I got till the 25th this month, then it takes place.

Put the laser is high and close to the wall of the room. very important! need a fan! for such a room sufficiently 50-60 watts. Put it next to the smoke machine. turn off the light and go!

[danielbriggs]

If you compare this 700mW RGB with 3W RGB,it`s certain that you think it`s bad.But if you take a 100mW RGB as a reference,the thought will be totally different.
Quality and price are direct proportion.

Sorry, let me re-phrase that:
"That show is artistically awful."
Projector power is irrelevant in this case.

[allthatwhichis]

Sorry, let me re-phrase that:
"That show is artistically awful."
Projector power is irrelevant in this case.

Statistically true...

[borgqueenx]

Great man, i remember how we rebuilt all the parts from the other projector onto the plate. Great to see you will now do you first show.
Still haven't heard which software you will use, will you play 3 shows with music linked to the soundsystem ? Or will someone play music and will you do the lasers live ?

Curious to hear and great news man ! Bring a good cam and make pictures and movies (the best is with the camera mounted on a tripod to get a steady picture/movie).

I want to wish you good luck !

Yeah i also cant wait! i will be doing the show with LSX.

[borgqueenx]

Well its going to happen saturday night.While everyone dances i will set up everything behind the curtain of the stage. Use a smoke machine to fill that room with loads of smoke, so much that you cant barely see each other. Then when the curtains go open the smoke will drift into the room/building while all alarm systems are offline, and my assistant will blow in more smoke manually.Then i beging with a remix of heart of the ocean while the curtain goes open wich starts slowly and movie like, and after 30 seconds or so turns into a dance song.After that song its time for basspiratez - the start and then Sander van Doorn - Renegade.Savety can be set behind the curtain and when i say yes and the weddingmaster says yes, the show beginsCant wait

[masterpj]

Good luck on he show

I also have shows coming up. (3 in fact)
one for strandwal festival, which i will be doing with francesco.
and also for an architect office
and also for an art gallery :3
One got me a visit of the mayor (at home), second by a letter and the art gallery by a visit at my home by the artist itself.

I wish you good luck on the event, I hope it will be a good one

[hobbybob]

Hey Borgqueen, make sure you position the camera man already before you start the show, tell him what to expect and where to be located before the show starts.
Ask him to use a tripod (=Statief) to get steady picture.

Good luck, looking forward seeing the pictures/movies, and don't worry, your projector will do fine in the space you described.
People that say that you need 2W for indoor 150m2 area are nuts ;-)

[colouredmirrorball]

the cheapest on the planet
just google for the cheapest fogger, its from eurolite.
but will purchase another one if its better... i dont want to ruinin the show because i dont have enough smoke.
im thinking about the Antari F-80Z...

DO NOT BUY AN ANTARI F-80z!!!

Seriously. It's great for home use but NOT for any commercial show. I have a lot of problems with it causing electrostatic shocks everywhere.
To give you an example: at this very moment I have an F-80z under my desk and every time I give a puff of smoke, my mouse freezes for half a second! Every time! I could activate a battery-powered toy of my little brother by putting it near the fogger and pressing the button.

I can give you horror stories all you want about it ruining shows and such.

I used a MIDI keyboard with foot pedal for controlling my lights with Freestyler. I had set the foot pedal as blackout so I could easily put out all my lights. Guess what? When I gave some smoke all the lights went out! Not every time but still... It took me a while to figure out what caused the sudden black-out.

The cause of it is that it uses the ground wire for controlling. What were the manufacturers thinking?

And then there is the horror story of that time I did the lights for some friends in a tent, about 200 m from an old farm. It was winter and VERY cold, and there was snow. We had to lay extension cords to the tent across the snow and a swamp (yay!). During the party I noticed that my gear was slowly charging up: everything I touched gave me electrical shocks. Tripods, cases, and even the usb to dmx interface I had. The usb to dmx didn't like that and fell out. Seriously, it hurted to simply touch the interface! The solution: unplugging the F-80z. Everything worked again normally.

I had a button over the power plug installed so I could easily plug and unplug the fogger, but the grounding wire remained connected. Guess what? The light in the controller of the Antari was still lit up even when powered off! I have footage of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0sqgfgVctA.

I have to admit: the situation was pretty extreme. I believe there was no grounding in that farm as it was pretty old (or something went wrong in the cables). Also the tent was already set up a whole week in the cold, and the inside was covered with ice. Needles to say, as soon as the party started, with my heavy non-LED spots and the gas heaters, everything started to melt and drip on my equipment. Also, when the party was over, I and some other organisators and a few pretty ill left-overs slept on the least muddy place: the stage. It froze that night and I woke up with hypothermia symptoms. I was sick for the rest of the week. I will never forget that event.


Also on a more on-topic note: I have seen 40 mW greenies in a 1000+ venue. Not that bright but did the trick with all other lights out. Not saying you only need 40 mW, but never underestimate the power of laser.

No worries, you'll be fine. Just don't mix light and sound on the same electrical circuit.

[borgqueenx]

Hey Borgqueen, make sure you position the camera man already before you start the show, tell him what to expect and where to be located before the show starts.
Ask him to use a tripod (=Statief) to get steady picture.

Good luck, looking forward seeing the pictures/movies, and don't worry, your projector will do fine in the space you described.
People that say that you need 2W for indoor 150m2 area are nuts ;-)

Thanks hobbybob for the support

According to the seller on ebay, my Martin Magnum 2500 gets shipped tommorow so that will be a nice toy

[borgqueenx]

DO NOT BUY AN ANTARI F-80z!!!Seriously. It's great for home use but NOT for any commercial show. I have a lot of problems with it causing electrostatic shocks everywhere.To give you an example: at this very moment I have an F-80z under my desk and every time I give a puff of smoke, my mouse freezes for half a second! Every time! I could activate a battery-powered toy of my little brother by putting it near the fogger and pressing the button. I can give you horror stories all you want about it ruining shows and such. I used a MIDI keyboard with foot pedal for controlling my lights with Freestyler. I had set the foot pedal as blackout so I could easily put out all my lights. Guess what? When I gave some smoke all the lights went out! Not every time but still... It took me a while to figure out what caused the sudden black-out.The cause of it is that it uses the ground wire for controlling. What were the manufacturers thinking?And then there is the horror story of that time I did the lights for some friends in a tent, about 200 m from an old farm. It was winter and VERY cold, and there was snow. We had to lay extension cords to the tent across the snow and a swamp (yay!). During the party I noticed that my gear was slowly charging up: everything I touched gave me electrical shocks. Tripods, cases, and even the usb to dmx interface I had. The usb to dmx didn't like that and fell out. Seriously, it hurted to simply touch the interface! The solution: unplugging the F-80z. Everything worked again normally.I had a button over the power plug installed so I could easily plug and unplug the fogger, but the grounding wire remained connected. Guess what? The light in the controller of the Antari was still lit up even when powered off! I have footage of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0sqgfgVctA.I have to admit: the situation was pretty extreme. I believe there was no grounding in that farm as it was pretty old (or something went wrong in the cables). Also the tent was already set up a whole week in the cold, and the inside was covered with ice. Needles to say, as soon as the party started, with my heavy non-LED spots and the gas heaters, everything started to melt and drip on my equipment. Also, when the party was over, I and some other organisators and a few pretty ill left-overs slept on the least muddy place: the stage. It froze that night and I woke up with hypothermia symptoms. I was sick for the rest of the week. I will never forget that event.Also on a more on-topic note: I have seen 40 mW greenies in a 1000+ venue. Not that bright but did the trick with all other lights out. Not saying you only need 40 mW, but never underestimate the power of laser.No worries, you'll be fine. Just don't mix light and sound on the same electrical circuit.

By the way, my fogger behaves desame. Its easily solved by plugging it in another power distribution box.Gladly they have alot of those at the wedding location.But yeah if my laptop and mouse and laser is on, and i use my fogger, the moment i release the remote button the speakers go off, the mouse freezes and the laser projector is suddenly unregonised hardware.