Do not be deceived, in dark rooms a 2000 lumina projector can look amazing. In order to stay within budget, I had to control the ambient light on the stage and in the room. I had to avoid any direct lighting on the screens and keep the stage lumens under wraps. Three 5000 lumina projectors would have taken most of the budget before we even started. However with the right lighting three 2000 lumina projectors pulled off one of the biggest visual presentations in Charlotte this year.

To fill in the gaps and cover the cables, two 42” TV’s were placed in front of David, the keyboard/effects/musical guy. The LCD TV’s hid all of the cabling and stands as well as provided yet another layer of visual presentation. I love using prime numbers with screens. The 5 screen visual packed onto stage created a very balanced yet focused look. A single centered screen followed by two pairs of screens shrinking in size as they move towards the floor, subconsciously distorts depth perception and keeps the eye traveling up and down stage.

For stage blinders, the PixelLine was both out of budget and too big for our stage. We decided to use Colorcast 14s instead. For each truss leg we ran 4 Colorcasts. With a small waterproof casing and dynamic output, the unit was perfect for our stage size. As the color changing coves flashed, strobed, and swept through ranges of colors, anticipation continued to build through the opening acts until Bunny entered the stage.

To light our moon bunny, we used two 250 watt moving heads to chase him wherever he journeyed. For the general stage wash, I used 6 color changing pars to down light the stage and 6 color changing pars to uplight his performance platform. Oh yeah, to help control the stage, we used an 8x8 platform for Bunny control. The platform helped control roaming so we could place more fixtures on the floor, which would be hidden by the 12” lip covering the entire stage. The placement was ideal providing nearly 360 degrees of light allowing me to create interesting shadows and suspenseful up lighting when called upon. For David we tucked 8 more Colorcast behind the truss. Unfortunately he had a projector in his face the entire night. Thankfully he is a seasoned performer and graciously accepted his fate.

Dealing with the mover lights took a little more creative initiative. In order to create crowd energy, lights have to sweep through the air, especially at an electronic event. However any fixtures six feet above the stage cannot project onto the ceiling above the crowd at Amos’s because the light is blocked by the in-house speakers and conventional par can system that is on the edge of stage. By putting Bunny on the platform, we were able to use the space on the floor around him for both the LEDs and scanners. By mounting the scanners on the floor at 45 degrees, we were able to encompass Bunny with beams all around him. Those beams could be used to scan both bunny and out into the crowd. Set 6’ off the ground, four more scanners were inverted on the truss to create cross beams with the floor scans. Rays of light seemed to come from every corner of the stage.

For the final touches, we worked with a solid state laser, haze, fire, glow tubes, hand held lasers, cryo systems and lots of fun interactive effects. The entire show was programmed with transparent cues so colors, positions, and effects could be changed on the fly. Due to the complexity of the show we used two lighting consoles and two operators; one for the moving lights and one for the LEDs. We rented a Clear-Com system and the VJ called out light cues all night long. Although this was my first time working with Rabbit in the Moon, their communication was clear and allowed for creative interpretation. After three intense hours of the best live show I have ever seen, I have never been prouder of my team and the finished product. Tired and exhausted, I curled into bed dreaming of carrots and rocket ships