Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Starting Laser Show Business

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    29

    Smile Starting Laser Show Business

    Hi techies,
    I am totally new to the concept of laser show biz and hence wud like inputs from you experienced guys about the setup .
    To be precise I am only interested in running aniamted graphic laser show ,somewhat of a cartoon serial or a short animated story kind.I am looking for a setup for an outdoor events(for say around 700 ppl only) only where i can show ppl mid air motion graphics using some invisible kinda projection surface.
    What i would like to know is-:
    1) what is the min. powered RGB projector that would suffice this requirement of an outdoor show and the approx. cost of such a projector.
    2)what projection surface can be used such that it looks as if images are being presented in mid air and its cost.
    3)Since i a novice in field of animation graphics how can i get maximum of pre designed ,such graphic shows.i.e which software/hardware configuration would best suit if i want to keep the work of designaing frames etc. to the minimum.
    Which controller can best fulfill this role.
    Any indivisdal or company out here which can sell me equipment for
    my requirements are welcome to quote.
    I would be needing this equipment in INDIA.
    Last edited by elvis; 12-11-2007 at 00:10. Reason: updating

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    SoCal / San Salvador / NY
    Posts
    4,018

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by elvis View Post
    Hi techies,
    I am totally new to the concept of laser show biz and hence wud like inputs from you experienced guys about the setup .
    I would be needing this equipment in INDIA.
    Hi Elvis -

    Welcome to PL! You have come to a good place for well-seasoned advice and friendly, helpful people from all over the planet...

    Not trying to 'hog the ball' but since I am up late, if you want, PM-me your contact info (ie email, etc) and where you ARE - (are you IN India, NOW?) so I can make a calculation of what time zone you are in, cause while I'd be happy to email you answers to your questions above, we could probably 'cover more ground' chatting live than in many-page emails - certainly better than filling up page-after-page, here, with stuff that has already more or less been posted many times...

    Anyhoo, greetings, and will look forward to chatting with you more if you want... - ciao!

    jon
    ....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    29

    Default ?????????

    Hi guys
    Please pour in your valuable advice.I need it!!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    SoCal / San Salvador / NY
    Posts
    4,018

    Default ????? Back at ya... ;)

    Quote Originally Posted by elvis View Post
    Hi guys Please pour in your valuable advice.I need it!!!
    Hi 'Elvis' -

    Got your PM and answered all your ??s - did you NOT get my email?
    I re-sent it again without pix... PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU GOT IT OK, THEN I CAN REPLY WITH PIX... cool?

    lemme know
    - j
    ....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
    Posts
    2,147,489,446

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by elvis View Post
    I am only interested in running aniamted graphic laser show ,somewhat of a cartoon serial or a short animated story kind.I am looking for a setup for an outdoor events(for say around 700 ppl only) only where i can show ppl mid air motion graphics using some invisible kinda projection surface.
    Hello Elvis; welcome to PhotonLexicon. I'll take a stab at a few of your questions, but I have a few of my own first...

    Why are you looking to display images only if they appear to be floating in the air? That means using a scrim, which can be quite difficult to set up at an outdoor venue. It's a lot easier to display graphics on a wall for an outdoor show.

    Also, are you planning on creating your own original artwork for this show? (This involves a significant amount of work...)
    What i would like to know is-:
    1) what is the min. powered RGB projector that would suffice this requirement of an outdoor show and the approx. cost of such a projector.
    It depends on a lot of things - the size of the venue, the amount of ambient light, the type of scrim you use, and how large you need the graphic to be.

    Assuming a relatively small venue size (large enough to hold 700 people but not much larger than that), and assuming it's at night with no other lighting, and assuming you use a white scrim, then you should be able to project a 15 ft square image with a 1 watt RGB projector. If you need a larger image, then you're probably going to want to jump up to a 2 watt projector (or higher).

    I would expect the 1 watt projector to cost somewhere around $5-6K or so, assuming you go with solid state lasers. Note that you'll still need to buy the laser show software and a laser show controller to run this projector, and that will cost a minimum of $600 to $1500 extra. (And could potentially cost as much as the projector itself, depending on options and add-ons.)
    2)what projection surface can be used such that it looks as if images are being presented in mid air and its cost.
    Theatrical scrim material is best, but it is expensive and hard to find locally. Check theater supply houses or look on the Internet.

    A cheap alternative is this gossamer material they sell at fabric stores... I don't know what it's called, but it's usually white and looks a lot like a window screen. It's very light weight, and the holes are very small, maybe only 1 mm or 2 mm square. It works really well (lasers show up quite well on it) but it isn't very durable, and sometimes you can see it hanging in the air. Not recommended for permanent outdoor installations. It's also difficult to join the pieces together to make large sheets, because it's so thin and light.

    A good compromise between professional scrim material and the stuff you find in a fabric store is plain old window screening. You can get it in black, grey, bare aluminum, and sometimes a light grey that almost looks white. The black window screen is just about invisible at night, and works very well, but it doesn't reflect as well as the other colors. You'll want to do a few experiments to see which color works best for you if you go this route.
    3)Since i a novice in field of animation graphics how can i get maximum of pre designed ,such graphic shows.i.e which software/hardware configuration would best suit if i want to keep the work of designaing frames etc. to the minimum.
    The Pangolin LD-2000 system comes with nearly 100 shows already completed for you. About half of them are full-animation graphics shows. (The others are beam-shows.) All of them are designed to be played with music (though they can be played without the music), and are fully syncronized to the music.

    In addition, the system comes with 3 CD's full of images and animations that you can use in your own laser shows. This means that you don't have to hand-draw everything; you can pick and choose from the library of frames and create a show that way. No other laser show hardware/software package includes this much material for you to use.

    Also, Pangolin is the acknowledged industry leader when it comes to laser show software and hardware. Their controllers are extremely reliable; an important factor when you're talking about doing shows commercially. They also have excellent customer support.

    Finally, Pangolin has a couple add-ons that you can purchase which will make it easier for you to create your own shows. For example, they have a plug-in that works with 3D studio Max that will convert objects (and even whole animations) into files that you can use in your laser shows. I believe there is also a flash-based converter, though I don't know much about that.

    If you're really serious about the project, you might want to contact Pangolin directly (they're based in Orlando, Florida) and talk to them about your needs. They may even be able to point you to a dealer in your area (India, you said?) that can offer more localized assistance with the installation. Their number is (407) 299-2088.

    Adam

    Disclaimer: I do not work for Pangolin, but I do own a Pangolin controller. I've used 4 or 5 different controllers over the years, and I actually own two other controllers besides my Pangolin QM-2000 unit, but my Pangolin rig is by far my favorite. I am not personally in the business of performing shows commercially (I'm a hobbyist), but I have helped out on several commercial shows by working with other laser show companies.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    29

    Default Some more info

    thanks a lot adam for your very informative advice.
    Why i am looking for scrim screens is becoz the venues here hardly have any walls to project onto.
    Please let me know if pangolin LD2000 intro version would be sufficient for running only graphic shows.Also if i only want majorly pre designed shows and only few editing tools such as displaying text ,what would be the most economical option for me in that case.
    Also can you let me know from where can i see demo of few graphic animation laser shows dat come free with pangolin.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
    Posts
    2,147,489,446

    Cool

    The Pangolin LD-2000 Intro package is actually the one I had in mind for you. It comes with all the pre-made shows I mentioned above, and has plenty of editing tools to allow you to create your own material. (Including the basics like text and 2D object editing, but also 3D object editing, an abstract generator, morphing, masking, and much more.) It's capable of doing quite a lot. However, it does not include the 3D Studio Max plug-in, nor does it come with some of the more advanced features of the basic or pro model. But for your needs, I think it would be ideal. (For the record, it's the system I'm using now.)

    If you wanted to go cheaper, you could purchase the Flashback 3 evaluation kit from Pangolin. That comes with the LA Studio software, but it doesn't come with any shows, and only includes a limited supply of frames. (Creating complete shows, or even custom frames, takes a lot of time, which is why that sort of content costs so much.) But at a price of $595, it's hard to beat the price.

    Another option would be to purchase Mamba Black and the EasyLase USB controller, which costs around $850 right now. That package comes with about a dozen pre-made shows (some are graphics, some are beams), and one CD-rom with images and animations you can use.

    But really, for a commercial installation, you're better off with the LD-2000 intro package. Just by itself, the huge library of laser shows and frames that they include is worth more than the cost of the whole package. (Note that even the Intro package comes with all the frames and shows. You don't have to buy the more expensive versions to get all the content.)

    Also, the LD-2000 system is *extremely* reliable. (The host computer can actually crash, and the show will continue to play!) So that's great when you've got an audience waiting and the show must go on. Plus Pangolin has awesome customer support. And that's really important when you're stuck on the other side of the world with a problem!

    They have a dealer in India that should be able to offer you more assistance. As for videos of the Pangolin system in operation, I suggest you search for the word "Pangolin" and "Laser" on either google video or YouTube. You should be able to find plenty of examples... There are also quite a few members here on PhotonLexicon that use the LD-2000 system. Some of them have posted pictures and videos of their equipment in action.

    Adam

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Native Floridian
    Posts
    3,127

    Default

    Also can you let me know from where can i see demo of few graphic animation laser shows dat come free with pangolin.
    Wow Adam, how much they paying you?! Ok, I'm not as long winded as he is, but I can also tell you that the QM2K is the best you can get and for the price is a fantastic deal. As for the free shows, there are a few on google:

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...88403120420293
    abstract laser show

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...12226808781995
    beam show

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...48441862901569
    Winamp plugin demo

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...44657606461827
    bad video, but shows some graphics

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...52849710706718
    this ones my favorite abstract demo!

    http://www.pangolin.com/Downloads-videos.html
    this page has a couple demos on it

    And there are many, many more....

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
    Posts
    2,147,489,446

    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by DZ View Post
    Wow Adam, how much they paying you?!.
    Aw come on David... You know better than that. I'm just long-winded like that. All my posts look that way!

    And though I know it was meant as a joke, I did post my disclaimer at the bottom of my original post: I don't work for Pangolin - period. I'm just a fan. (Ok - a big fan...)

    Adam

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    29

    Default Imapct of fog/smog during laser show

    Hi all!!!
    Here in my country we have kinda fog/smog these winters,so just wanted to know what would be the impact of fog/smog(fog+pollution particles) on an outdoor laser show being done on scrim screen.I mean would it make Laser beam more weak or would it help to better project graphics images on screen or in air?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •