So in the aftermath of the terrorist act in Boston, sporting events were suspended. Then after they caught the dudes responsible, they made a big bubba hubba about Boston strong. This was all good and I was proud for that city. Then, when they had a  chance to shine, they blew it..., big time. 

     The Red Sox came back to life and had a large crowd complete with Neil Diamond singing at the park etc. It was a spectacular event well caught on all the networks. An outdoor venue…

Let me start of by saying that I love the idea of localized trade shows.  I am a huge fan of them. All of the exhibitors are on a level playing field meaning that they have about the same space as each other to show off their latest products and services.  Unlike larger trade shows where you can easily be sucked into a massive booth seeing everything that the manufacturer has to offer.  Sometimes that is fun, but when you have a limited time frame, you begin to miss out on other…

     Hey folks this week is the first step of my rig upgrade this has been in the works for some time. For a few weeks now I have been bidding out a lighting package I have been wanting to take out on the road with me. We always want to give plenty of vendors a chance to bid on a package, but there are certain factors for me when it comes down to deciding on a vendor. Price is always the most important, but that will NOT…

I've seen more ETC Smartfade MLs fly out of the door than any other console on the market.  It's not the best console available and it's not the cheapest console available but ETC has really captured a balance between price and functionality at a specific market.  The console fits perfectly in venues like small churches, small theaters, and small performance venues, all whom have a bit more than conventional lighting.  Once you throw some LEDs or a handful of movers, you need a bit more then…

Some of my friends and colleagues will disagree with me here. Oh, well. To each, his or her own method of working, that's part of the joy of Vectorworks.

Now, there's a funny title for a post; The Joy of Vectorworks. But I digress.

I all seriousness, I use a lot of Vectorworks classes and some of my colleagues argue that I use too many. You'll have to decide for yourself and come up with your own strategy. Classes allow the specification of attributes to objects, and visibility…

Due to major oral surgery that has gone horribly pear shaped, the writer is in too much discomfort to write, Sorry, will hit you all up as soon as I am on the mend. I think there are only 2 things that can ever stop me from gigging. Tooth aches and back aches. Thank goodness I only have one of them at the moment.

     While I brainstorm for ideas on my shows I try to come up with everything myself. Whether its looking at past works I've done or just starting from scratch sooner or later I will hit a wall creatively somewhere. That's why it's important to keep and open mind and not be objected to outside suggestions from colleagues or even people in my personal life. There may be an idea that another can relate with personally or it may even relate with them professionally…

Layers are like sheets of tracing paper on a drawing board. They are useful in organizing and presenting information.

Specifically, right now, I am referring to Design Layers. Later on, I make some comments about Sheet Layers. Design Layers are for Designing, Sheet layers are for presenting. Sheet layers are like desktop publishing for blueprints.

In my stationery file, I have a basic layer structure. I'll pretty much always need to begin with these layers:

1. Light…

                                                      And the Winner Is?? STS9

          I think this is a perfect title for my blog because I don't get to see my small little club with such a GREAT temporary lighting rig. My club, the Beacham, has the best sound system in Orlando hands down, but the lighting package could be beat by the newest 7/11 gas station. I have written several blogs profiling bands coming thru because my little sound hall really changes for the better every…

     Nothing impedes your programming like a hurting tooth. I can run shows with the flu. I've run shows in a recliner when my back was hurt and they wheeled a console on a rolling table up to my chest. But the one thing really impeding my programming this week is a busted tooth.

    I admit it, I never flossed when I was young. I brush my teeth everyday, but couldn't be bothered with the 30 second it takes to floss. So as I enter my older years, I am paying dearly. With my second…

We have added more Color Force 12 to our inventory. We now have 12, 42, 72.

http://intelligentlighting.com/rental/

     Ooook so after getting back from Australia and getting sorted at home with my newborn son. It was time to get back to work after some schedule balancing. I found myself doing a couple one offs and then it was onto some pretty big shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. We wanted to go big for our shows back home so we got a high res Winvision video wall from…

One of the things I have always valued about my theatrical training and experience is the ability to find creative solutions to many different types of problems. Some call it thinking outside the box. We just don't believe there is a box.

That training and experience was accentuated when I assisted designer Peter Wexler. His work knew few boundaries as to what constituted theatre: museum exhibits, interiors, public space, performance facilities, the list goes on. Peter taught me that…

Every once in a while I get a gig that enables me to work with other lighting designers. I like that because I get to see how others light something in contrast to what I would do. This week I get to work with some old friends, Ken Ferencik and Steve Wojda. They do the production design on one of these large scale marching band shows.

    This one actually takes place inside an arena. But that doesn't stop the band from moving around. The well choreographed 200 musicians is a pretty…

If there are any fathers out there you can definitely attest that when a new baby arrives in your family your scheduling gets flipped upside down. Even though your daily responsibilities change with a newborn it is important to keep up with what work you need to get done at home, and getting the rest you need at the same time. Since our son arrived I noticed it is crucial to split up your daily tasks into three hour intervals. I say three hour intervals because the usual norm for new born…

With any technology, give it two years and it will hit the mass market. That hold true with 4K "ULTRA" HD TV.  It is offical, you can buyt 4K TVs at Best Buy... Well, Pre-Order one at least.

You can …

Hello!

I recently started a blog on Tumblr that I would love to repost here. At the moment it is general LX geekery - Links, Articles, Reviews, Op Ed, Pics (with a graphics twist), etc. Check it out, add your comments, forward at will, and simply enjoy!

http://lobolux.tumblr.com/

See you there,

Amy D. Lux

Today was the first day of the Lightfair International (LFI) Trade Show and Conference in Philadelphia, PA.  I spent all afternoon browsing the floor for the newest products on the market.  It was my first Lightfair and it is a HUGE show.  Much bigger, but less colorful, than LDI.  LFI is an Architectural Lighting show, so a little different from what typically do, but still a neat show.  I saw street lights, accent wall fixtures, LED everything, and dimmers/controllers.

My…