This was our second year of participating in this spectacular celebration of Americana. Green Acres Baptist Church committed to producing a laser-charged production, and it paid off in over-the-top emotional highlights to their show.
2016 was the 26th annual production of “I Love America”, which is provided free to anyone who cares to attend. The shows last year were packed, with the last Monday night show having to turn away people, so in 2016 Green Acres added another show on the Friday before the weekend. This year everyone was seated!
Details of this very complex laser show:
Control was provided by a four channel Lasergraph DSP Mark 2 Workstation. Additional elements were controlled by two Lasergraph DSP Compacts that were “slaved” to the Workstation. An ethernet network was set up, and graphics and DMX were sent over the network to FOH via DexLogic StageMate and StageFeed ILDA A to D converters.
We used a custom Blisslight laser star projector and Laser Spectacles’ Laser Galaxy lumia projector in the show to provide “special moments”.
In order to accommodate the heavy high power lasers used in the show, an incredible 26 foot long “bridge” was created out of steel I-beams and steel sheet metal, and placed across the loft in front of the choir.
A special custom “turret projector” targeted mirrors hung up in the lighting catwalks and bounced to other mirrors placed conveniently on shelves provided by the architect of the building years ago, without knowing that he was providing them for the lasers used in the future. Some things are just meant to be!
Two “side lasers” normally used just to expand the beam effects over the room were also mapped to flat surfaces on the side walls and used effectively for words and phrases to expand the show.
A high power RGB graphics projector was mapped to seven laser “projection zones”, and highlighted elements of the patriotic “Star and Stripes” set hung the week before the show. The elements of the set were outlined, used to mask laser imagery, and used for paths for laser images to follow.
Many thanks go out to Phil Burks (creative source), Mike Parks (conductor), Tim Nipp (arranger and pianist), and Mike Foudy (lighting designer) for their dedication to making the lasers the best that they could be.
Some “Laserist’s View” pictures from the balcony from where the show was controlled:
