Beam show
The laser effect that most causes audiences to gasp
with wonder and delight is the experience of seeing
laser beams move through open air. These effects are
called “atmospheric” because they rely upon beams
sculpting the atmosphere of the venue, with no
projection screen involved. Atmospheric and beam
effects are a true 3D experience, with no tricks or
3D glasses needed. There are, however, some basic
guidelines to producing a successful atmospheric
laser show.
The first thing to remember about laser beams
concerns visibility: a laser beam passing through
perfectly clean air will be invisible because there
is nothing to reflect or scatter the light. To help
make the beams visible indoors, laserists often
introduce particles into the air, usually using
theatrical fog machines. Beams passing through water
fountains or mist will also create beautiful
sparkling displays (be prepared for the high
humidity that comes with this type of effect).
Outdoors, the use of higher powered lasers combined
with the normal dust found in the air means that
beams are usually visible in the night sky.
The last element to consider is ambient light. The
easiest and most cost-effective way to increase the
brightness of an atmospheric laser display is to
make the venue completely dark. This lets the laser
beams be experienced at their full intensity. Keep
in mind that the audience’s eyes may need up to ten
minutes to adjust to the dark; after that they can
perceive laser lights much more intensely.
Graphic show
Animated Neon! That's an approximate description of
laser scanning: the richly colored line-drawing
quality of a neon sign set in motion with equal
contrast and even greater color saturation. It's a
medium that makes any message special. Laser
scanners can project names, logos and animated
imagery onto almost any surface-including the side
of a mountain, the curved dome of a planetarium,
even a sheet of pulsating water. Just about
everybody would like to see their name in
lights-especially laser lights.
Can Laser Images Float in Space?
Blame it on Princess Leia. Ever since Luke Skywalker
watched R2D2 project an image of the Princess in
mid-air during the first Star Wars movie, people
have been asking laser companies to duplicate the
effect. Although laser show companies are skilled at
many things, breaking the fundamental laws of
physics is not one of them. This doesn't mean,
however, that they cant' try...
So much for the bad news. The good news is that
lasers offer a host of ways to create pseudo-3D
images that amaze audiences. Some of these ways are
old tricks familiar to lighting designers, others
are so high-tech that they have yet to be introduced
into the marketplace.
There is no thing in the world similar to
laser!
You can't find more intensive colors with such
saturation!
Contrast level exeeds the best video and movie
technologies! |
