focus Technology Focus by Richard Cadena - ELC Lighting · 2017-06-06 · ColorBlast 12s, 24 iWhite...
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LSi - January 2015 www.lsionline.co.uk 62 technologyfocus Mexico - The 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games are held every four years, and much like the Olympics, athletes from around the region compete in a variety of sports, some of which can qualify them for the Pan American Games in 2015. The Games date back to 1924 when the Mexican Olympic Society wanted to make the participants more competitive. Last November, the Games took place in a 30,000-capacity newly refurbished stadium in Veracruz, the first time they were held outside of Mexico City. Around 5,700 athletes from 31 countries competed in 46 different sports in front of over a million people. David Grill designed the lighting for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Montreal-based Solotech provided the gear and most of the crew. Solotech began loading in four weeks before the event, and programming began two weeks later. The show, which included over 500 automated moving lights, several LEDs, 12 followspots, and 14 haze machines, was programmed by Paul Sonnleitner of DGA using two grandMA2 full-sized consoles, two grandMA2 Light consoles, and one grandMA2 onPC console with a Command Wing and Fader Wing. The two full-size consoles were the main and backup consoles in the control booth, while the two Light consoles were always on the field where Sonnleitner could use them to focus from different locations, and the onPC console was for the technicians. “It’s easier to take a Light to the centre of the pyramid [stage] than it is a full-size,” Sonnleitner said. “And as it’s a stadium, I usually spec two so that one can be mobile from each side of the field. That way, I can program from one position and send the electricians to move the other focus desk to an alternate position without losing precious dark time. Moving anything in a stadium takes time. The onPC system was for the tech area; they used it to repair fixtures and if I wasn’t in until later in the day, they’d connect to the session and strike up and check out the rig for me without making the lengthy trip to the booth.” On the upper seating bowl there were eight large scaffold towers, two in each of the four corners, each housing 24 of the new Vari-Lite VL4000 Spots and 36 VL3500 Wash or VL3500 Wash FX fixtures. On the east side of the stadium, about 400ft (122m) of the lower balcony rail was filled with 108 Clay Paky Sharpys and 32 Clay Paky B-EYE K20s, plus a variety of PARs. On the Protocol stage, four large flags were each lit by three Elation ELAR 180 LED PARs that were mounted under the stage and focused through Plexiglas-covered openings. The Cauldron, on which the perpetual flame burned throughout the games, was a tall, beautiful structure with a geometric backdrop, handsomely lit by 55 ELAR 180 LED PARs. But the centrepiece was a three-level tiered stage, about 30ft (9m) high, complete with three pools, two of which were lined with eight Clay Paky B-EYE K20s, and one of which was lined with 18 Sharpys. The all-white structure served both as a projection surface and a platform for performances during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Four tall masts supported two long segments of truss, each of which carried 15 VL4000 Spots. There were also eight Big LED custom pan and tilt fixtures, with 90 10W RGBW LEDs, 24 Color Kinetics ColorBlast 12s, 24 iWhite Blasts, eight MDG theONE haze “All of the ELC switches and nodes were housed in two racks custom- built by Solotech. Each included a 1500W uninterruptable power supply and one of them had a PC on which the ELC dmXLAN software was run.” Technology Focus by Richard Cadena This month: Lighting the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games Opening Ceremonies The networking system racks set up at Solotech’s warehouse in Montreal. Photo: Solotech.
Transcript of focus Technology Focus by Richard Cadena - ELC Lighting · 2017-06-06 · ColorBlast 12s, 24 iWhite...
LSi - January 2015
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Mexico - The 2014 CentralAmerican and CaribbeanGames are held every fouryears, and much like theOlympics, athletes fromaround the region compete ina variety of sports, some ofwhich can qualify them for thePan American Games in 2015.The Games date back to 1924when the Mexican OlympicSociety wanted to make theparticipants more competitive.Last November, the Gamestook place in a 30,000-capacitynewly refurbished stadium inVeracruz, the first time theywere held outside of MexicoCity. Around 5,700 athletesfrom 31 countries competed in46 different sports in front ofover a million people.
David Grill designed thelighting for the Opening andClosing Ceremonies andMontreal-based Solotechprovided the gear and most ofthe crew.
Solotech began loading in fourweeks before the event, andprogramming began two weekslater. The show, which includedover 500 automated movinglights, several LEDs, 12followspots, and 14 hazemachines, was programmed byPaul Sonnleitner of DGA usingtwo grandMA2 full-sized
consoles, two grandMA2 Lightconsoles, and one grandMA2onPC console with a CommandWing and Fader Wing. The twofull-size consoles were the mainand backup consoles in thecontrol booth, while the two Lightconsoles were always on thefield where Sonnleitner could usethem to focus from differentlocations, and the onPC consolewas for the technicians.
“It’s easier to take a Light tothe centre of the pyramid [stage]than it is a full-size,” Sonnleitnersaid. “And as it’s a stadium, I usually spec two so that onecan be mobile from each side ofthe field. That way, I can programfrom one position and send theelectricians to move the otherfocus desk to an alternateposition without losing preciousdark time. Moving anything in a stadium takes time. The onPCsystem was for the tech area;they used it to repair fixtures andif I wasn’t in until later in the day,they’d connect to the sessionand strike up and check out therig for me without making thelengthy trip to the booth.”
On the upper seating bowlthere were eight large scaffoldtowers, two in each of the fourcorners, each housing 24 of thenew Vari-Lite VL4000 Spots and36 VL3500 Wash or VL3500
Wash FX fixtures. On the eastside of the stadium, about 400ft(122m) of the lower balcony railwas filled with 108 Clay PakySharpys and 32 Clay Paky B-EYE K20s, plus a variety ofPARs. On the Protocol stage,four large flags were each lit bythree Elation ELAR 180 LEDPARs that were mounted underthe stage and focused throughPlexiglas-covered openings. TheCauldron, on which theperpetual flame burnedthroughout the games, was a tall, beautiful structure with a geometric backdrop,handsomely lit by 55 ELAR 180LED PARs.
But the centrepiece wasa three-level tiered stage, about30ft (9m) high, complete withthree pools, two of which werelined with eight Clay Paky B-EYEK20s, and one of which waslined with 18 Sharpys. The all-white structure served both as a projection surface and a platform for performancesduring the Opening and ClosingCeremonies. Four tall mastssupported two long segments oftruss, each of which carried 15VL4000 Spots. There were alsoeight Big LED custom pan andtilt fixtures, with 90 10W RGBWLEDs, 24 Color KineticsColorBlast 12s, 24 iWhite Blasts,eight MDG theONE haze
“All of the ELC switches
and nodes were housed
in two racks custom-
built by Solotech. Each
included a 1500W
uninterruptable power
supply and one of them
had a PC on which the
ELC dmXLAN software
was run.”
Technology Focus by Richard Cadena
This month: Lighting the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games Opening Ceremonies
The networking system racks set up at Solotech’s warehouse in Montreal.
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machines and six MDG Atmospherehaze machines. On the followspotplatforms were four Robert Juliat Cyranoand eight Strong Gladiator followspots. In all, there were around 16,000parameters under control, requiring 30universes of DMX.
One of the keys to pulling off thisshow and programming all of thoselights was the control network, which wasprimarily switched by 12 ELC dmXLANSwitch8GB gigabit switches and eightELC dmXLAN Switch8LX Fast Ethernetswitches plus 24 ELC dmXLAN Node 8Sgateways to convert from StreamingACN back to DMX. Each group offixtures had its own power and datadistribution, Ethernet switch, andEthernet nodes. The power wasdistributed using eight Solotech 72-waypower distros, two Theatrixx 48-waydistros, and six Theatrixx 24-way distros.
Because of the long data runs in thestadium, many of which were 200m,much of the data was distributed usingfibre optic cable. The lower concourse ofthe stadium, the field, and the upperbowl were all ringed with a pair of fibreoptic cables, one active and one spare,using the two SFP cage connectors thatare a standard feature of the ELCswitches.
The advantage of using fibre opticsinstead of copper is that it can be runmuch farther than the 100m limit oftwisted-pair copper wire. It’s also
immune to electro-magnetic interference(EMI) and provides a huge amount ofbandwidth. On the other hand, it is madeof glass, so is not as rugged as copperwire and it will break if stepped on, rolledover with a fork lift, or bent too sharply.Antoine Malette, the technicalcoordinator for Solotech oversaw theproject and mapped out the network. Heexplained that they used NeutrikOpticalCON fibre optic cable, whichmeets EIA/TIA-455-25 militaryrequirements for impact resistance andTIA/EIA-455-41 military requirements forcrush resistance. It has a bandwidth ofup to 2GHz for a 1km run.
Ordinarily, you can’t form a completeloop with the data lines using a standardEthernet switch because it creates a situation where the data is sent aroundthe loop in an endless cycle, flooding thenetwork and eventually bringing it down.Some Ethernet switches have specialprotocols, like Rapid Spanning Tree, thatallow you to loop the data runs so thatthere are two paths to any device in caseany of the cables fail. In the ELCswitch8LX, the ports can beprogrammed for looping, making one ofthe cables a backup. The backup outputis detected by the switch and disableduntil it is needed. In the event of a cablesfailure, the data is automatically reroutedthrough the backup port within 30 to 50milliseconds. “With ELC we don’t have toconcern ourselves with IP terms becausethey just call it ‘looping,’” Malette said. “Itwas very easy to use.”
The centrepiece was a three-level tiered stage, about 30ft (9m) high.
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All of the ELC switches and nodeswere housed in two racks custom-builtby Solotech. Each included a 1500Wuninterruptable power supply and oneof them had a PC on which the ELCdmXLAN software was run. dmXLAN isused to configure the nodes on thenetwork; it can be used to discoverRDM fixtures and monitor the fixtureswhile the console is being programmedor while it’s running a show. Thesoftware also gives you the ability tomonitor DMX values for every universein real time.
“It’s very useful for a large system like this,” Malette said. “It diagnoses thesystem to make sure everything isonline and if something goes wrong youdon’t have to go to the node, you can fixit from the computer. In another projectwe did in Mexico, the programmerasked for Cisco switches, so we had tolearn how to program the switch, how tomake VLANs, make a trunk, and all that.For what we do, it was way over-designed. It takes two weeks of trainingto get familiar with it. That’s what greatabout ELC switches - they make it reallyeasy to understand and bullet-proof. Ittakes no time to go into the softwareand designate different ports or differentVLANs, baud rates, or loops.”
The entire network was set upbeforehand in the Solotech warehousejust to make sure everything wasrunning properly because they weremixing the older ELC switches with thenewer gigabit switches.
“Even if an entertainment switchmakes it easier,” Malette said, “it’s notalways easy. But that’s normal with newtechnology. ELC provides us with 100percent great service. We were one ofthe first companies to use their gigabitswitch and we had some issues. If wefind a problem, Joost (van Eenbergen,ELC design engineer) usually sends usnew firmware the next day.”
Once they were on site, Malette said,they had to use a crane to get all of theVari*Lites, cabling and power distrosonto the scaffold on the upper bowl andall the way up in the bleachers becausethere were no elevators.
“It took about 20 trips per corner,”Malette said. “It was about one day percorner doing six lights at a time. We had a crew down, and a crew up. Therewere about 20 local crew taking thelights from the top of the stadium downthe stairs and using a rope to hoistthem up to the scaffold. It took forever,but that was scheduled.”
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They also had to worry aboutthe weather. “We developed a rain cover with Vari-Lite toprevent water from getting intothe ballast. But we had issueswith heavy rain getting in throughthe screws and we had to swapa few ballasts. It’s going to be a full-time maintenance job,” hesaid before the event.
Despite the challenges, theOpening and ClosingCeremonies came off without a hitch, thanks to lots ofpreparation, a great crew, andgreat gear. See photographs athttp://bit.ly/Veracruz2014 andvideo at http://bit.ly/Vera2014video.
www.elclighting.comwww.solotech.com
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