Cyber Monday

Happy Thanksgiving

We wish everyone a safe & happy holiday!

LDI re-cap, a follow up blog post...

Solus Lighting LTD Lead Designer, Maureen Patterson, is back in Cleveland from her trip to Las Vegas for LDI.  Below is her re-cap and thoughts about what she saw at the conference and what is on tap for the future.  So, as promised, read on & enjoy!

"At first glance, the LDI show this year was not very impressive.  Attendance was down for both exhibitors as well as attendees.  I suppose in the age of technology, most information and specifications can be found on the internet (not to mention countless demo videos).  However, I’m old school.  I want information first hand – to experience things in person.  After all, any piece of gear can seem quite impressive in a controlled demo room and even more amazing in a video that is specifically trying to showcase and sell that equipment.   In this age of technology, we must not forget that there is no electronic replacement for the tangible.  Seeing the newest fixtures, comparing the output of the latest atmospherics, and programming the newest consoles in person provides a wonderful experience to know what new toys are worth the hype and which old reliable workhorses are worth standing by. 

Most vendors were showcasing LED fixtures, as had been the trend for quite a few years now.  However, I do mean almost everyone.  Even some of the smaller companies presented some extremely impressive LED fixtures.  As the technology advances, we are seeing better optics, more advanced color mixing, smoother fades, friendlier color temperatures for flesh tones, longer battery life on wireless fixtures, and several flicker free models for studio and television.  That being said, are LEDs ready to take over completely?  Not by a long shot.  Although the technology is improving, it is still cost prohibitive in most permanent applications.  That being said, the amount of competition that has crept up over the last few years will no doubt help push the manufacturers to focus on fine tuning their products to meet and exceed the expectations of old school theatre folks, such as myself.  What I found more interesting was the various applications LEDs are being used for beyond entertainment, such as streetlights as well as healing.  http://www.healthcare.philips.com/pwc_hc/us_en/about/Events/RSNA/pdfs/Healthcare_Lighting_Solutions_Brochure.pdf

Of course, as lighting people, we are drawn to gadgets.  It’s always fun to see what I can control from my phone – foggers, hazers, playbacks, cue stacks, and architectural systems.  On top of just being cool, these apps and networks create powerful tools.  Need a remote focus unit?  Need to launch a cue stack or playback a specific look for a display?  With the right control system in place, you can do it all from your phone – even drive your console.  Pretty slick.   

I encourage everyone, no matter what your industry, to get out there and get your hands on the tools of your trade.  Information is abundant, but a product description, spec sheet, or demo video online will never be able to take the place of hands on experience.  As a professional, you know what challenges you face and problems you need to solve, whatever your niche may be.  Get out there, get your mitts on it, experience it, learn from it, and grow."

If you would like any additional information or would like to chat about some specifics, please do not hesitate to contact us - visit our website today!

25 years of Live Design International

LDI is in it's 25th year and has become the largest tradeshow in the U.S. for all production toys in lighting, sound, projection and special effects.  With well over 300 exhibitors, this is the place to be where you will find anything you are looking for and then some.  LDI is a great place to go for some hands on demonstrations of the latest and greatest gear that is out on the market.  From manufacturers, to production companies to huge touring/rental houses - they are all there and ready to give you the knowledge to go forward in your designs with the best technology out there today.  Many vendors are willing & encouraging their clients, or potential clients, to set up a meeting at their booth for some one-on-one interaction.  This makes a giant tradeshow feel a bit more easy to manage.  We take full advantage of this with some of our vendors, LDI can be a bit overwhelming...we want to see everything as soon as possible!  If you schedule yourself some meetings or make a list of must sees it can help you stay focused and quell the visual over stimulation.  For your convenience as an attendee there is an app you can find here with a complete list of exhibitors, info on classes & training, an interactive floor plan and much more.  Check it out.

Although the focal point of the conference, LDI is not only just about the show floor.  There are several special events and training seminars that you can attend.  Many people attend classes in the workshops at LDInstitute, there is also a chance to study up for and take the ETCP certification exams.

Solus Lighting wil be attending LDI this year to see new products, catch up with some colleagues and meet some new vendors.  If we cross paths on the show floor, in a class or at one of the special events stop and say Hi!  If you can't attend this year stay tuned here as we will have a full report on what's cool from our Lead Designer, Maureen Patterson, upon her return to Cleveland.  We'll see you in Vegas!!!

innovation through illumination

Solus Lighting LTD has the tag line, "innovation through illumination".  It is what we strive to do with each and every event, it is what we believe in and it is what we believe best serves our clients.  What exactly does innovation through illumination mean to us - and more importantly what does it mean for our clients?  Well, that is an excellent question.  In this blog we will tell you what innovation through illumination means to us and how we use this mindset everyday for the betterment of our lighting designs & for the benefit of our clients.

There can be many obstacles when talking about a light design for a special event.  There could be an issue with the event space itself, with the availability of a certain piece of gear that we think should be on an event, or perhaps the budget for the event is tight.  No matter what arises, a trained lighting designer can use their knowledge and expertise to keep the look they and the client wants but at the same time be able to make the necessary adjustments.

Let's take a look at all three of those limitations on one job.  In a perfect world we, along with any other special event lighting company, would love to have an unlimited budget.  This is not the norm or reality in many markets.  However, no matter what the budget for the event, you as the client should be able to get the biggest bang for your buck.  We recently had a client who wanted some automated lighting for a special event.  When we presented the light design and the quote, it was a bit out of range with the budget for the show.  So our lead designer sat down with the client to talk out what he was trying to get out of the lighting.  Ultimately, they wanted the movement & color changing of an automated fixture for the price of a reverse mirror ball DJ fixture.  The fixtures had to be small, because of limitations with the performance space.  The fixtures had to be able to take the elements of a September in Cleveland, Ohio - as the space was outside & exposed to those elements, which in September in Cleveland it could have snowed!  With our experience in the entertainment lighting industry, our knowledge of what gear is out there and most importantly remembering that we use "innovation through illumination" we were able to come up with some fixtures that made everyone happy and the event a great success.  We were able to keep the integrity of the design, achieve the desired effect, mount the fixtures safely and stay comfortably within the event lighting budget.

This is just one example of how we stand behind our tag line & company.  We could offer up many more, but in the interest of getting some other things done today - we will stop there.  If you would like to hear more or talk with us about how we can use innovation through illumination for the lighting of your special event, please don't hesitate to pick up the phone or keyboard!  Check out our website.  It has all of our contact information and it's pretty cool too!

What is the best lighting fixture for the job?

Just like any other profession, there is a wrong way and a right way of achieving the end goal.  In our case, as trained lighting professionals, part of getting to our (or more importantly, our client's) end goal is having the knowledge to choose the correct fixture for the job.  There are several other elements that also contribute to making the "wow-factor", such as fixture placement & color palettes.  However, this blog entry will focus on why having the knowledge to choose the correct lighting fixture is the most important first step for the expected end result.

First, we will discuss automated lighting fixtures.  We could go on and on and on about this subject for days, but will try to keep it simple & brief.  Here is the bottom line, there are so many different types of moving lights out on the market today - the choices are endless.  Fixtures with stock colors vs a color mixing system, static gobos vs rotating gobos, fixed vs variable lensing and the reputation of a fixture's optics can be extremely overwhelming.  We have to be honest and say that anyone can read a spec sheet of a moving light fixture, but nothing but real world lighting experience is useful in making the correct decision when specifying the correct mover for the job.  One real quick example...the Elation Platinum series of moving lights use the exact same lamp as the Clay Paky Sharpy moving light.  So these fixtures must be comparable with each other?  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The video below shows the Elation Platinum series fixture at work in a small venue for a wedding reception.

This next video shows the Clay Paky Sharpy fixture at work.  These fixtures, with the same lamp as the Elation but different optics, are so bright and fast that they need to be specified for a very specific purpose in a much larger venue.  The Sharpy lighting fixtures can be seen on the circle and the stage floor at the 2 second & 15 second mark of the video below.

Next, we will talk about LED fixtures.  A couple of months ago, we wrote a blog entry about LED vs incandescent lighting fixtures.  Many factors go into deciding on when to use one over the other.  To use an LED fixture because it's "better" and "newer" is merely a sales pitch, and should have no basis in the final design.  There are senario's for all types of different lighting fixtures.  Knowing what the best answer for both the budget and the final result is what sets a lighting professional apart from the rest.  We have some photos to help us explain.  The photo below is of LED fixtures trying to uplight a venue.  The beam spread on this particular fixture is the wrong choice to wash a wall, which is what the client wanted.  This is a strong example of the incorrect lighting fixture being specified to achieve the end result.

The client then called Solus Lighting LTD to help enhance what was already done to get closer to the desired look of the space.  We used incandescent lighting fixtures to supplement the LED fixtures to achieve a truer wall wash.  The incandescent fixtures not only have a much wider spread than these particular LED fixtures, the client did not want any color change through out the evening so there was no need for the extra cost of an LED fixture.

Like we said before, this blog entry could go on for days.  We just wanted to give a few examples of how important it is to hire the correct people for the correct aspect of a job.  So when it comes time to light a wedding reception, gala, fundraiser, private party or corporate special event, who ya gonna call...the lighting professionals at Solus Lighting LTD!

Solus Lighting SCOREs!

Greetings from sunny, hot & humid Orlando, Florida!  A couple of weeks ago we told you to stay tuned for some highlights from what we have been up to in July 2012...wait no more!  Although, this blog entry will not speak of only special event lighting in Cleveland, Ohio.  In this blog entry we are showcasing the Cleveland chapter of SCORE, and how important is has been to Solus Lighting LTD as well as how they can help all small businesses.

SCORE is all about helping small businesses succeed by offering former business counselors to aid in the review of their business plan, stimulate business growth and ensure long-term stability.  The counselors we spoke to before opening were extremely helpful, to assist us set out on our path to starting Solus Lighting LTD.  Everything from helping us to accurately project cash flow, to helping us streamline our business plan, to helping us understand what the banks we were going to talk with was expecting from us - SCORE was there every step of the way.  The repetitive and key word in that last statement... helping.  It's what SCORE does, and it is what they do well.

When it came time for the Cleveland chapter of SCORE to hold it's annual awards luncheon, they called us to help them.  They called us & asked if our Co-Owner and Lead Designer, Maureen E Patterson, would be their keynote speaker.  We were more than happy to be able to return the favor of help for them.  We have pulled some clips from Maureen's speech that reflex how SCORE helped us launch & since then grow.