Why use lasers at your event ?

Why use lasers ?

People love and crave lasers !!!

Lasers make your event current and exciting . Having a laser show added to your event or concert makes it memorable and extra special .

asers are " the most powerful " light source on earth. With their thin shafts of light and rainbow-pure colors, “Star Wars”-style laser beams are a dazzling cross between theatrical lighting and fireworks. Another technique, animated laser graphics, communicates exciting messages using a medium more eye-catching than conventional slides or video.

The unique features of lasers help put the “spectacle” in spectaculars, and the “special” in special events. This page will help event producers understand the benefits and requirements of laser displays.

Using lasers at events

Lasers can be used at a variety of indoor and outdoor events, including:

Indoor

-Corporate shows

-Openings, such as player introductions at basketball and hockey games

-Themed parties

-Parties held in planetariums

-Beacons and displays in trade shows

Outdoor

-Major special events such as the Super Bowl or Olympics

-Premieres, grand openings, launch parties

-“Laser searchlight”

What lasers can do

There are many creative ways lasers can be used in a production. Most of these uses fall into the two broad categories of seeing beams in mid-air, and seeing graphics on a surface.

• With beams, the audience sees “structures” in mid-air, such as fans, cones and shafts of light. Usually theatrical fog or haze is required to make the light shapes more visible.

• Beams can be fast or slow; they can give an event a “Star Wars” excitement, or a New Age mystical calm. In many countries, beams routinely (and safely) scan the crowd, literally "touching" the audience members.

  • Laser graphics can display a client’s logo, animate their product, tell a story, or simply entertain. Because of technology requirements, these images are cartoon-like outlines, without any interior fill or detail.

  • This can be a limitation, but it also helps make laser graphic shows very different and attention-getting, compared with ubiquitous video images.

Often beams and graphics are combined. For example, “screen and beam” shows use graphics on a single center screen or two side screens, with beams coming from below the screen(s) and over the audience.

Laser graphics can be seen on just about any relatively smooth, relatively light surface. You can use conventional projection screens, an indoor or outdoor wall, water screens, inflatable screens, buildings and even mountains.

(Incidentally, laser companies are sometimes asked to project logos on clouds. This is impractical; Mother Nature does not often provide the required smooth, low, dense cloud cover.)

Animated / screen Laser show choices

Laser show producers have three general types of shows for you to choose from when requiring a animated screen show : stock, semi-custom, and custom.

• • Stock shows have already been previously produced. They have general themes such as patriotism, achievement, holidays (e.g., Christmas), etc.

    • Laser Voodoo Does most of our shows fresh and new but may have a stock show saved from a past event .

  • Semi-custom shows can be the best value. Your logos, or perhaps custom animation sequences, are added to a stock show. If the already-existing show is appropriate to your event, this gives a custom look at stock price.

  • For custom shows, the sound track, the storyboard, the images and animations are all custom created brand new for you from scratch .

Producing laser graphics

How laser graphics work

To make a laser graphic, two tiny computer-controlled mirrors aim the beam at a screen. The beam bounces first off of one mirror moving horizontally, then off another at right angles, moving vertically.

The computer literally “connects the dots”, aiming the mirrors from one place to another fast enough that the viewer sees a single outline drawing. This process is called “scanning”. The computer-controlled mirrors are called galvanometer “scanners”.

The scanners move from point to point, at a rate of roughly 50,000 points per second. Due to technical limitations, it is not possible to go significantly faster. This limits how complex a single image can be.

Laser graphics are not TV

It is important to realize that laser graphics normally are not TV-like raster images. Instead, they are like a connect-the-dots drawing. Most laser graphics are cartoon-like outline. This means that you just can’t hand a photo or videotape to a us , and immediately have it be projected as a cartoon-like outline. Otherwise, it would just be a standard video projector with a laser as the light source. Remember , the images are created by one laser beam .

We will use a computer program to determine the outline of your image, and then turn that into a series of dots. The scanners smoothly move the laser beam from dot to dot. This happens fast enough and smoothly enough that you see a steady outline of the object.

Turning your artwork into laser graphics

From a production standpoint, this means that any custom laser show images need to be processed by a laser artist. "You can’t do this yourself ". The artist has to translate any existing artwork into laser imagery. Each frame of your animation will be created like a movie or cartoon .

There are very few programs that make this possible . We use Pangolin laser systems control software to help us . We can design a scene with objects that translate well into laser, and can then render it into laser as an outline, or an outline with contour lines. But again, this is still a situation where the laser artist must produce the final laser artwork for you.

Another program to convert artwork is to turn photographs or video into TV-like raster images. However, the resolution is only about 60 pixels wide by 60 lines high. This is about 80 times less detailed than standard NTSC television resolution (based on the total number of pixels).

These laser raster images are not recommended as they usually come out just weird and not so appealing .

Laser colors

One of the attractions of lasers is their brilliant colors – the purest in the universe. When planning with lasers, color is a key consideration.

Your event may need a certain color, which then dictates using a particular type of laser. Or, you may not care about color, and you simply want the easiest and most visible laser light.

If one color is sufficient, lime-green is the most common requested . One benefit is that lime-green (532 nanometer wavelength) is much more visible to the eye than blue or red. One watt of lime-green light looks 2-3 times brighter than one watt of red or blue light.

Some clients need specific colors, to match logos or products. And many clients want the flexibility of full-color. In both these cases, a full-color laser projector is called for. This is also called an "RGB" or "white-light" laser. Usually the laser has three beams internally: red, green and blue. Adjusting the level of each internal beam allows the final output beam to be any desired color. If all internal beams are at full power, the resulting output beam is white.

Laser powers and visibility

A laser beam is only visible if there is particulate matter in the air, such as dust, fog and smoke. This photo also uses a slightly misaligned laser to show how separate red, green and blue beams combine to form a "white light" beam.

The power of a laser beam is measured in watts and milliwatts (1000mw is equal to 1 watt .

Wattage alone does not determine how visible the beam will be. For example, a 1 watt green laser beam can appear as bright as a 3 watt red beam, since the eye sees green light better than red or green. Therefore, when deciding how much laser power to use for your show, there are many factors we will consider. These include:

• • Laser color: Green is most visible You can use a less powerful (and thus easier-to-use and less expensive) laser if green is acceptable.

  • Ambient light: Keep your event as dark as possible during the laser show . The laser won’t need extra wattage to “punch through” ambient light.

  • Laser beam divergence: Low-divergence beams look brighter since the light is concentrated in a smaller area. But this would not be ideal for a concert or events where you need coverage in large areas .

  • Amount of fog and smoke: "Fog is needed for the laser beams to be visible". If you can’t use a lot of fog, then you’ll need a much more powerful laser. A much powerful laser means greater risk and needs extra special attention and an extra strict checklist. Without fog scanning is not possible and only beams are visible .

  • Area projected: If the audience is spread out, then the laser’s power will be spread over a larger area. A higher wattage laser rental is required.

  • Audience safety: In many parts of the world, the audience is scanned with laser beams. The beam power and divergence must be sufficient that the beam and scanned effects are visible, but that there is no eye hazard. One solution is to have the beam be at full power when above the audience, but at a lower power when scanning the audience. Another safe guard is to attach a special lens or diffusion filter on the laser apature designed to cut the laser power in the audience area . Laser dimming and blanking are used in this area as well .

Utility requirements

Laser technology has rapidly advanced in just the past few years !

Before 2000, most large laser shows used bulky argon or krypton gas lasers which required 220 to 440 volts, and around 2 gallons of water per minute for cooling.

Fortunately, in recent years new solid-state lasers such as "DPSS" and "YAG" types have become widespread. The lasers themselves are small enough to be easily carried by one person. Some have a form factor and features similar to conventional lighting instruments. They can run from a standard wall outlet (e.g., 110 volts in the U.S.), and are now air-cooled by simple fans.

Other requirements

Here are some other factors to consider when you add lasers to your production. These factors are mentioned here so you have an idea of what to expect.

• • Beam direction: For beams, the laser equipment is usually positioned in front of the audience. Beams will be aimed over their heads.

  • This is because laser beams appear brightest when they come straight towards you (the light scatters forward when it hits dust and fog particles). They appear second-brightest when they come from straight behind you, and least bright when they are crossing your field of vision.

  • Graphics screen: For graphics, rear-projection is generally preferred over front-projection. The images seem a bit more “magical” and can still feel the venue with colorfull beams of light.

  • The graphics projector should be no closer than the largest dimension of the screen area. For example, if projecting onto a 20’ x 30’ screen, the laser should be no closer than 30’. The farthest distance is roughly 100 feet. These dimensions can vary if lenses are used for wide-angle or beam sharpening. They can also vary depending on how close the audience is to the screen.

  • Equipment positioning: Direct-feed projectors join the laser and scanners as a single "laser projector" unit. These may be compact enough that the entire projector can be mounted on a stand or flown in the rigging.

  • Control positioning and setup time: Lasers require roughly the same setup time and control console space requirements as lighting and audio.

  • The control console location should allow the laser operator to see the audience. ,

  • Safety regulations: As listed below, both the show and the projector must comply with generally recognized laser safety requirements as well as government laws. In the U.S., this means compliance with federal laws and having a valid variance. Some states and localities may also have requirements. If lasers are used outdoors, then the appropriate aviation authority (FAA in the U.S., CAA in the U.K.) must be notified. In the U.S. this is required even if the beams are terminated on nearby buildings. The aviation authority will review the show and (hopefully!) will issue a letter of non-objection to the show performance.

  • We will take care of all these reporting requirements. They cannot be filed by the producer or venue (For fixed installations, the venue may be the variance holder but almost always it is the laser show company which handles the application process.)

  • Ceiling heights:

  • In practical terms, this means the venue ceiling must be a minimum 12 feet high (giving a foot or so for the beam effects)

  • Safety setup: Time should be built into the production schedule for aiming and fine-tuning the laser projections.

• Interfacing with audio: Laser applications requiring a graphic or full production laser show , a PA sound system will be needed . This goes into the planning details of your event .

  • Interfacing with lighting: Lights should be off, or as low as possible during the show. Sometimes we will prefer to add some complementary lighting, such as a low red wash when green lasers are used. This is usually done with existing fixtures, simply by coordinating with the lighting director. Too much light in the laser area will hurt the laser show !

  • Video projectors should be masked or turned off to prevent video “gray” from illuminating screens.

Special laser uses

Lasers are such a unique light source, they often go beyond “screen and beams”. A projector used in a planetarium for 360º X 180º scanning can also be used in a tent or party environment, to produce a ceiling-filling spray of laser beams.

The same projector, put at the mouth of a lighting balloon, can display an in-the-round laser show on the entire surface of the balloon. (Remember that the laser beam is always in focus, unlike a video projector that would be hard to keep in focus onto a sphere.) This is a unique effect that is hard to duplicate in any other animated medium.

Lasers can project fish inside an empty aquarium, and animated graphics on the side of a mountain.

Lasers and 3D

While lasers can do a lot of amazing things, it is not yet possible to create a mid-air floating hologram like the “Princess Leia” projection from R2-D2 in the original Star Wars movie. Despite this, you can achieve various 3D effects with lasers:

• • True 3D. Many people are familiar with 3D movies and theme park attractions that use polarized or shutter lenses. Laser shows can be made in the same way, so that when wearing glasses, the audience sees truly three-dimensional images.

  • Chromatic 3D. Chromadepth glasses make red images appear closer while yellow, green and blue images appear successively farther. The laser show is created with smaller red foreground images and larger background images to enhance the illusion.

  • Scrims. By projecting laser graphics onto dark scrims in a dark room, images can hang in mid-air. Each scrim is a flat screen so it is a sequence of flat planes that is not truly 3D. However, by making the image itself look three-dimensional (e.g., a rotating 3D object), a convincing simulation of mid-air holography can be achieved.

  • Mid-air beam effects. These are mentioned here because lasers can project planes, cones, fans, etc. of laser light. These are truly 3D, even though it is not possible to “stop” the light in mid-air to create complex floating objects.

  • Traditional “tricks”. At Disney’s Haunted Mansion, many of the 3D effects are done using clear glass and mirrors. These tricks can be done with lasers as well, so a laser image appears superimposed on a scene or set.

Laser safety

Lasers have an admirable safety record, especially considering the millions of people who have attended laser shows in the past quarter-century. One reason for this excellent record is that laserists understand the vital importance of having safe shows.

There are three main aspects of laser show safety:

• • Eye and skin safety – the laser beam must not harm anyone and all safeguards must be used . We use the safest techniques possible and stay very current to modern advances .

  • For outdoor shows, aircraft safety is important. The beam must not distract a pilot.

  • Regulatory compliance must be considered. The show must comply with all applicable health and aviation regulations.

We will take care of all safety and regulatory concerns. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us . We will be happy to verify and answer any questions or concerns that you might have . You should only deal with companies that have the legally-required paperwork for a show (including any federal, state and local licenses or "variances").

One other thing to keep in mind: Safety is paramount. Although our goal is “the show must go on”, the company must stop lasing if an unforeseen hazard arises. For example, if an aircraft buzzes an outdoor show, or an unruly audience member shows hazard to the laser show , We may need to shut down the show until the hazard is past or corrected .

International regulations

Many countries have safety regulations limiting the power of laser light that can go near or into an audience. In general, the limited amount (MPE or "Maximum Permissible Exposure") is the same in all countries, including the U.S. However, specific regulations and enforcement differ from country to country.

This is why laser shows with audience scanning, that may be common in Europe or Asia, have until recently (2007) been very rare in the United States. Strict rules apply when audience scanning is done here in the US . It is safely possible through a series of safe guards .

U.S. national regulations

Laser companies in the United States must certify both their equipment (the laser and projector) and the actual laser show (where the audience is in relation to the lasers, how the equipment is used, etc.). Anyone doing a laser show or demonstration must apply for a “variance” to the Center for Devices and Regulatory Health (CDRH), a division of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As its name implies, a variance gives the holder permission to vary from the FDA’s laser safety regulations.

Fire watch not required

Sometimes there is a misperception that a “fire watch” is required when using lasers indoors at sites like hotels. "This is not true" ; there are no special fire requirements for laser production or fire hazard .

Fog machines may be used to make the laser beams visible, The facility’s smoke detectors are often turned off to prevent false alarms from the fog , if this serves an issue in your venue .

Audience scanning

Probably the most stunning laser effect is deliberate audience scanning. Beams and shapes are intentionally projected directly onto the audience. It is beautiful – like swimming in an ocean of light. The walls of the venue instantly disapear .

Audience scanning is actually safe if various factors are met.

Some people falsely believe that deliberate audience scanning is banned in the U.S., or that there are differences between U.S. light levels and overseas light levels. These statements are "untrue". Audience scanning is legal in just about every country -- including the U.S. Safe and unsafe exposure levels are about the same in every country.

Aircraft safety

Outdoors, lasers need to be kept away from aircraft. At very close ranges the beam may be an eye hazard. At longer distances the brief but bright flash as the plane flies through the beam could temporarily flashblind a pilot (like a bright camera flash).

To remain safe, laser show operators take into account the direction and power of beams, as they relate to airports and air routes. They also plan for control measures such as spotters, who turn off the laser temporarily if aircraft come too close.

In the U.S., this pre-planning is submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration at least 30 days in advance of the outdoor show. If the FAA does not object to the shows, and other CDRH requirements are met, then the CDRH will grant a variance to allow the use of laser displays outdoors.

How to find the right lasers for your event

Pencil-thin shafts of laser light, and brilliantly colored unique laser graphics will always have a place in the arsenal of special effects:

• • Laser beams create fantastic mid-air shapes and patterns. Beams can even reach out and touch the audience. Just as placing a hand on someone else's shoulder creates an emotional bond, having lasers scan the audience helps bring them emotionally into the event.

  • Laser graphics have an eye-catching futuristic look very different from the dozens of TV screens we see each day.

    • If you're in the U.S., don't forget that it now is possible to do European-style audience scanning. This is brand-new and current to most Americans !!