Laser light shows in addition to a great operator and a great laser system needs something that most clients don’t think about and that is “stuff”. You should always think of "stuff" when you buy laser
By “stuff” I mean particles floating in the air. The more the better. Laser really needs particles to reflect of to be seen properly. When the sky at night is crystal clear lasers look boring, but when it is hazy, foggy and pollution full they look really great. One man’s rubbish really is another man’s treasure.
When you see a laser beam, even if it is a club laser, it is not actually the beam you see, but rather the light bouncing of the particles.
Particles of dust, smog and even rain make lasers look great. Some of my best shows were performed in the pouring rain. When you buy laser also consider your haze and smoke. You will need it
When planning a laser light show, especially when outdoors such as a theme park or stadium, the producers must make sure that there is “stuff” in the air. We often use smoke canisters or large output haze machines, but there are other ways such as having a BBQ stand or two near the show area. Really, this is something we do here in the Philippines. The visitors love to eat the odd sausage or two during the night and the smoke from the BBQ really helps and also provides extra income.
Failing that then high powered lasers such as YAG’s need to be used. These are special lasers that producer huge amounts of laser light normally seen far away from a venue as 20 watts or more is common for these lasers. I saw my 1st 40watt YAG in Abu Dhabi in 1993 and I still have the photo. Simply stunning!
Color lasers (and club laser) really need haze or smoke to be seen for the best effect. Blue and red are the least visible colors to the eye and can look really dim without.
Do not cut back on your smoke and haze as this will really determine the outcome of your show and it is always good to have too many rather than too few as the wind can change direction at anytime and ruin your show preparations. Good to have machines dotted all around the show area just in case so that no matter which way the wind blows the best result will always been see.
Argon Animation always provide haze and smoke for all of their laser shows and it is included in the cost of the laser rental. Always trust a professional team such as Argon animation Inc if you want good laser light shows.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Laser Cost
Laser cost has dropped over the last few years to a level that most people or small companies can afford.
I remember when I 1st started laser technology in 1991 the laser cost was quite incredible with the big 40 watt gas lasers costing over 100,000$. Now they are almost cheap. I have seen the laser cost at about 1000$ for a small system now, which is ideal for the small operator, however do not expect professional results from one of these systems.
The laser cost has reduced, but so also has the cost of all the other components from beam tables to programmers, but again you get what you pay for and this is what my article is about today.
Just because the laser cost is getting cheaper from some "laser companies" does not mean that you are getting a good deal. In fact quite the opposite is normally true. The cheaper the show, normally the cheaper the product. I mean it stands to reason that you will not get a top of the range show for almost no investment.
If you want a great show, do not let the laser cost influence you too much. Take into consideration the skill of the operator, what projects they have done before and how experienced they are.
Also a laser is not just a laser. There are different beam qualities and different wavelengths to take into consideration and this will play a huge effect in the end result of the show. Beam focal points need to be thought of, especially when displaying graphics because if the beam divergence is too big, the quality of the graphics will be poor.
A cheap show that does not work is actually very expensive and a more expensive show that does what you want is actually really great value for money. The special effects of a film are normally the 2nd most expensive part of a movie to to the special handling they require so I suggest that you do not let your local light company handle such a specialized product.
Focus a little more on the final outcome of the show and the value of the production and this will without doubt justify paying a little more for the laser cost.
I remember when I 1st started laser technology in 1991 the laser cost was quite incredible with the big 40 watt gas lasers costing over 100,000$. Now they are almost cheap. I have seen the laser cost at about 1000$ for a small system now, which is ideal for the small operator, however do not expect professional results from one of these systems.
The laser cost has reduced, but so also has the cost of all the other components from beam tables to programmers, but again you get what you pay for and this is what my article is about today.
Just because the laser cost is getting cheaper from some "laser companies" does not mean that you are getting a good deal. In fact quite the opposite is normally true. The cheaper the show, normally the cheaper the product. I mean it stands to reason that you will not get a top of the range show for almost no investment.
If you want a great show, do not let the laser cost influence you too much. Take into consideration the skill of the operator, what projects they have done before and how experienced they are.
Also a laser is not just a laser. There are different beam qualities and different wavelengths to take into consideration and this will play a huge effect in the end result of the show. Beam focal points need to be thought of, especially when displaying graphics because if the beam divergence is too big, the quality of the graphics will be poor.
A cheap show that does not work is actually very expensive and a more expensive show that does what you want is actually really great value for money. The special effects of a film are normally the 2nd most expensive part of a movie to to the special handling they require so I suggest that you do not let your local light company handle such a specialized product.
Focus a little more on the final outcome of the show and the value of the production and this will without doubt justify paying a little more for the laser cost.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
What Make A Good Laser Operator?
What makes a good laser operator?
Once upon a time, in order to operate a laser it was necessary to go on a training course (as I did) provided by one of the laser manufactures such as coherent lasers to learn how to turn on the laser, how to ‘walk’ the laser mirrors so that the laser would lase ( this means to make the beam come out of the front of the laser) how to clean all the optics and all the other considerations that went into putting together this incredible piece of art making machinery.
Today however, (unfortunately in my opinion – and I say that due to health and safety reasons) anyone can go down to the local hardware shop and buy a cheap laser, or get on the internet from shady sellers and set-up a laser show company.
This to me is really irresponsible, but it happens. What is more irresponsible to me is reputable companies employing these shady laser operators with no training to perform shows to their specially invited guests of honor and sitting them in a room with a laser that could potentially be damaging.
So what makes a good laser show? Well for me and number 1 on the list is only work with the best. This does not necessarily mean that the company or operator has been performing lasers for 15 years or more (but it does help) but it should mean that they have been trained in laser technology, laser safety and what to do in case of an emergency and how to set-up a safe show.
If it is the local light and sound company with a young guy who has just unpacked his laser out of the box for the first time, I would be really scared to deal with them.
I will in my next article talk about the elements that make a great show, but for today my message is this: Only work with reputable trained laser operators if you want a safe and enjoyable show.
Once upon a time, in order to operate a laser it was necessary to go on a training course (as I did) provided by one of the laser manufactures such as coherent lasers to learn how to turn on the laser, how to ‘walk’ the laser mirrors so that the laser would lase ( this means to make the beam come out of the front of the laser) how to clean all the optics and all the other considerations that went into putting together this incredible piece of art making machinery.
Today however, (unfortunately in my opinion – and I say that due to health and safety reasons) anyone can go down to the local hardware shop and buy a cheap laser, or get on the internet from shady sellers and set-up a laser show company.
This to me is really irresponsible, but it happens. What is more irresponsible to me is reputable companies employing these shady laser operators with no training to perform shows to their specially invited guests of honor and sitting them in a room with a laser that could potentially be damaging.
So what makes a good laser show? Well for me and number 1 on the list is only work with the best. This does not necessarily mean that the company or operator has been performing lasers for 15 years or more (but it does help) but it should mean that they have been trained in laser technology, laser safety and what to do in case of an emergency and how to set-up a safe show.
If it is the local light and sound company with a young guy who has just unpacked his laser out of the box for the first time, I would be really scared to deal with them.
I will in my next article talk about the elements that make a great show, but for today my message is this: Only work with reputable trained laser operators if you want a safe and enjoyable show.
What Makes An Ideal Laser Show?
What is a laser show?
A laser show is a show, displayed to the audience using lasers. First let me define the word show.
A show can be a variety of different things and here is a list of some of the common types of shows:
Theatre show
Product launch
Fashion Show,
Exhibitions
Advertising both indoor or outdoor
Wedding, birthdays, debut, etc
Dance parties (rave, night club style)
Television
Exhibitions
and Concerts
Now I am sure that this is not a complete list as once provided a laser system for a funeral and I am sure that there are laser specialists with other strange stories to tell, but I am sure that you understand that a laser can actually be used for any type of event under certain conditions.
What are the ideal requirements for a laser show?
A laser, as does most lighting, is best seen in complete blackout conditions. The ideal venue is an indoor venue that can achieve total black out and allows haze or smoke. The haze or smoke allows the laser to more effectively be seen and would normally come with the laser system for free. (We supply one free with all our shows). However, sometimes it is not possible to achieve blackout. Does this mean that you cannot have a show?
Indeed NO! We realize that some areas such as shopping malls cannot achieve complete blackout due to security reasons, so we would normally work with the mall technical staff to see what levels we can achieve or we install higher powered lasers or even indoor truss and tent to have a room in a room stage area.
Sometimes, during outdoor shows for example, we have to take into consideration ambient lighting from buildings, street lamps and even the light emitting from the moon can have an effect.
Most reputable companies (our included) will never perform a laser show without an ocular site inspection and a technical meeting to reduce any surprises or problems and lighting suggestions will be submitted so that the best result can be achieved.
Only once in over 17 years of laser experience have I ever had to decline a customer request for a show due to lighting problems. We work very closely with the lighting directors to achieve the best lighting possible for the shows. If you are using the popular green lasers for example and need to have extra lighting, use dark reds and dark blues as the colors will really complement each other and make the green laser look fantastic.
By the way lasers cannot be used (normally) outdoors during the day.
A laser show is a show, displayed to the audience using lasers. First let me define the word show.
A show can be a variety of different things and here is a list of some of the common types of shows:
Theatre show
Product launch
Fashion Show,
Exhibitions
Advertising both indoor or outdoor
Wedding, birthdays, debut, etc
Dance parties (rave, night club style)
Television
Exhibitions
and Concerts
Now I am sure that this is not a complete list as once provided a laser system for a funeral and I am sure that there are laser specialists with other strange stories to tell, but I am sure that you understand that a laser can actually be used for any type of event under certain conditions.
What are the ideal requirements for a laser show?
A laser, as does most lighting, is best seen in complete blackout conditions. The ideal venue is an indoor venue that can achieve total black out and allows haze or smoke. The haze or smoke allows the laser to more effectively be seen and would normally come with the laser system for free. (We supply one free with all our shows). However, sometimes it is not possible to achieve blackout. Does this mean that you cannot have a show?
Indeed NO! We realize that some areas such as shopping malls cannot achieve complete blackout due to security reasons, so we would normally work with the mall technical staff to see what levels we can achieve or we install higher powered lasers or even indoor truss and tent to have a room in a room stage area.
Sometimes, during outdoor shows for example, we have to take into consideration ambient lighting from buildings, street lamps and even the light emitting from the moon can have an effect.
Most reputable companies (our included) will never perform a laser show without an ocular site inspection and a technical meeting to reduce any surprises or problems and lighting suggestions will be submitted so that the best result can be achieved.
Only once in over 17 years of laser experience have I ever had to decline a customer request for a show due to lighting problems. We work very closely with the lighting directors to achieve the best lighting possible for the shows. If you are using the popular green lasers for example and need to have extra lighting, use dark reds and dark blues as the colors will really complement each other and make the green laser look fantastic.
By the way lasers cannot be used (normally) outdoors during the day.
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