Did you know about this?  FInland has an “Idol” like show, and they’re using some Showguns and some Showpix in their rig.  From the press release from Barco (thanks, Debi!):

The formula is the same: the wannabe stars sing their hearts out for a chance at being the final winner of the “Idol” title. The TV talent series has its own versions in countries around the world.   Finland’s 2008 “Idols” used 6 High End Systems SHOWGUN automated luminaries throughout the series, adding 10 SHOWPIX pixilation luminaires recently for the final broadcast. Moving Light Oy supplied the HES products.

Lighting operator Mikki Kunttu says, “The SHOWGUN is really the best possible fixture for TV. I love that super high power beam it produces. Also, the strobes (beam and LED) are really amazing on TV. The SHOWGUNs are there for the power they have. They also add an extra dimension to the lighting, giving the stage more depth and more attitude.”

A while ago, I wrote about a product called SpectraWOW+ - it’s an LED source, very small, with a very big output.  I was fortunate enough to run into the LDDE booth at LDI this year, and met Greg Fuller, the guy responsible for the USA getting to know the products.  SpectraWOW isn’t the only awesome thing that Greg’s team is working on, I guarantee.

Check out some images of LDI and European Dynamic Lighting, LLC from 2008:

SpectraWOW is just such a great product - low heat energy (well, really nearly no heat exchanged, it’s such a cool product to the touch), and the little rig that Greg had at LDI, which was basically a stand of 4 (from what I remember) with power and signal built in.  Very neat.  I am hoping to hear back from Greg about the lens that SpectraWOW uses to rid the fixture of multicolored shadows, and I will post an article dedicated to that lens, as it is spectacular.

European Dynamic Lighting also has a product - a color changing, fluorescent-esque LED product with a zero flicker on dim feature that Greg was telling me just got ordered for an opera in Europe - on demanded request from the designer working the show.  I hope to get more info on that ASAP.  I *think* it was Patrick Woodroofe, I *think* the product was the CYCLED 9, and I am pretty sure Patrick ordered about 400+ of the units for a show in Vienna.  Cool.  From what I understand from Greg, Cirque is testing some of his products as well.

Remember in October when I posted about Pablo Pardo’s awesome LED lamp, and how I thought I saw it on an episode of The Fringe?

Of course you don’t remember.

I SAW PABLO’S LAMP on Agent Broyles’ desk!  I could be totally wrong, but is that NOT Pablo’s lamp?  See for yourself.

Pablo’s lamp:

Now, the set dressing in Agent Broyles’ office:

Now, is that NOT Pablo’s BRAZOS Lamp?  That is TOTALLY Pablo’s lamp!

I am officially a nerd.

Live Design has a good article about how the President Elect’s acceptance speech was lit.  Check it out.

In case you’re a big nerd like me, here’s the gear list from the televised speech:

72 Martin MAC 2000 Wash XB™
2 grandMA 2048 Ch. Console
6 SyncroLite XLs
2 Musco Type “C” Trucks
72 Altman Focusing CYC
29 2-foot Ministrips
3 Jem ZR33 Hi-Mass™
3 DF-50 Hazer
3 Versa Fan
3 M2 2.5k Lycian Spots
4 Lycian 1293 3k Xenon Followspot

I found a bit better video of CNN’s holographic projections of Jessica Yellin during election night.  I keep wondering where Mr. Scott is to finish beaming her up.

LRX Lighting was at LDI this year - if you’re not familiar with LRX’s products, they do a lot of high-output fixtures and accessories for film and television lighting, mostly robotic.  The first picture I took here (well, and the second one too), with the fixture having 36 lamps, is the Scorpion.  The Scorpion is a fixture that has 36 lamps, and has pan, tilt, and trolley control either via their proprietary controller, or via DMX.

The other fixture is the LRX Piranha, which is another big punch HMI.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

So, I’ve embedded a video below of CNN’s Holograms that I posted earlier this week.  They looked okay, but as the technology improves, I know they will look better.  Check out the video - the holograms are towards the end.