From all of us at Creative Stage Lighting we wish you the very best this holiday.

We’ll be closed the last week of 2010, starting on December 23rd at 5pm. We’ll re-opoen on January 3, 2011.

If you have an emergency during this time please call us at (518) 251-3302. We’ll list instructions for CSL Dealers, CSL Rental clients, and CSL Industrial clients if there’s an urgent need.

Also consider that December 23rd is the last day until January 3 that we’ll be processing orders. Any orders placed on CSLstore.com during the time our offices are closed will not be processed until the new year.

Above all enjoy yourselves, be safe and merry.

We had fun at the University of Texas at El Paso. We’ve uploaded some photos to Flickr. PLSN also has a small writeup here.

Thanks to Richard Cadena of PLSN, Damon Hatten of Rosco Laboratories, and Hideaki Tsutsui of UTEP for making this event possible.

There will be three main topics.

1. Workshop Presentation: Theatre Programming – Lighting To Video (presented by Michael Nevitt of Creative Stage Lighting)

Explore programming techniques for theatre designers from conventional fixtures to LED, video and more. Learn through lecture and hands-on demonstration using the Compulite Vector console. Topics to be covered include:

• Choosing a console
• How to setup a console for theatrical applications
• Techniques for programming various types of devices (dimmers, automated lights, media servers, LED, video projection and special effects)

2. Scenic Painting (presented by Damon Hatten of Rosco Laboratories)

Intro (10am) – In this session see professional examples of scenic painting. All attendees will touch samples that will reinforce reviewed material. And like always, SWAG will be given!

Hands-on (2pm) – All attendees will get their hands dirty! Brushes will be given! Free Paint samples will be handed out and everyone will see the applications for the variety of texture paints. Come and see how you can use the latest and greatest in your next production.

3. Keys to Success in the Live Event Production Industry (presented by Richard Cadena of Projections, Lights and Staging News)

The rapidly changing landscape in the live event production industry is both a threat and an opportunity for those who are interested in making it a career. Learn to recognize both and how to take advantage of new opportunities emerging in this fascinating field. Follow author, freelance lighting designer, lighting consultant, and PLSN editor Richard Cadena through an informative, amusing, and insightful survey of the direction of the production industry.

Interested? We’d love to see you there. As always, open houses are free to attend, we just ask that you let us know you’re planning to come.

• More details / registration

Compulite’s iControl App for the Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad, is a powerful application to remotely control and edit basic functions of all Vector and Dlite lighting consoles.

The App provides real-time information of the Console through a friendly user interface. By using the iControl App, you are able to control moving lights, conventional lights, create and store cues and libraries, add groups, control highlight and lowlight and more.

iControl is a free download from Apple’s App Store. More info on Compulite’s website.

• Compulite – iControl App
• iControl on the App store

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Making Strides is a fundraiser put on by the American Cancer Society.

From Theresa, our team captain:

This will be our second year participating in Making Strides. Last year we had 8 team members and raised over $1500. The funds are used locally to provide support for patients in the surrounding area.

The walk will be held at the Queensbury, NY High School on Sunday, October 24.

If you’d like to sponsor one of our walkers you can do so from our team page. If you’re in the Warren County, NY region and you’d like to walk with us we’d be happy to have you. You can join from our team page.

• Team Creative’s Making Strides page
• More information about the walk

Some of us think it looks a little like this guy from Robocop:

But maybe that’s just us.

FYI – High End / Barco posted a video about the Intellaspot XT-1 that you should check out if you’re interested.

From HES/Barco:

intellaspot XT-1

20,000 lumens with an 850W lamp

Impressive light output at reduced lamp power
With a lower wattage than the competition, the intellaspot XT-1 remains the brightest hard edge fixture in its class.

Large zoom range and large exiting aperture
The intellaspot XT-1 features an exceptionally large zoom range, and a particularly large exiting aperture.

Most professional fixture in its price range
Barco’s intellaspot XT-1 is the most feature-rich, professional hard edge fixture in its price range.

High energy efficiency
The intellaspot XT-1 operates from 100-240V, with an extremely high output.

Jimonlight.com took a look at the intellaspot XT-1 back in June, so if you’re interested you should read his impressions.

EDIT: More shots on our brand new Flickr page.

• intellaspot XT-1 on Flickr

The Post-Star has a good explanation of the event and what led up to it:

JOHNSBURG – On April 18, 2008, Wayne Bukovinsky’s life changed.

That’s when he lost control of his 2001 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic motorcycle on Golf Course Road, about 1.2 miles north of Blackberry Lane in Warrensburg, and ended up being thrown from the bike and losing his helmet.

He wound up unconscious on the ground and was flown to Albany Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition just after the crash, according to a Post-Star report from 2008.

More than two years after his traumatic brain injury, Bukovinsky’s speech is slurred and he walks with a cane, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to help others the way they helped him after his accident.

Wayne’s been with Creative’s Rental and Production department almost since the beginning. After his accident he started the non-profit North Country Hardship Fund:

As a way of giving back to the community, Wayne has started this organization to raise funds for others that may be in need as he was. Your donation and support for this wonderful cause will be greatly appreciated. The region covered by this fund will include Warren, Essex, Hamilton, Washington and Saratoga counties in New York.

Waynestock III will be held at the North Creek Ski Bowl starting tomorrow, August 7, at noon. There’s no charge, but donations will be accepted.

The following local bands will be there:

• Vinnie Leddick
• Blonde Roots
• S.L. Smith Band
• Phil Camp
• Don’t Quit Your Day Jobbers
• Donna Britton Band
• Finger Diddle
• Dogtown Cadillac
• Groove Therapy
• Hoffmeister/Keystone Band.

You can read more about Waynestock in these articles:

• North Country Hardship Fund gears up for Waynestock
• Waynestock in Johnsburg rocks on to help victims of tragic events

If you’d like to support the North Country Hardship Fund you can donate directly to the organization:

Make checks payable to the North Country Hardship Fund

Mail checks to:
Steve Studnicky
287 Bird Pond Road
North Creek, NY 12853

If you’re in the Lake George / Queensbury NY area this summer and looking for something to do check out Youtheatre.

From their website:

Youtheatre is a musical theatre workshop located in Lake George, NY for students ranging in age from eleven to eighteen. We produce three Broadway musicals in a four-week time frame. The performers participate in all aspects of musical theatre including, vocal, dance, stage direction and management, lighting, sound, scenic design and of course acting. Our mission is based on the value of learning and self discovery. We strive to build self confidence and feelings of self worth. We hope that our players will develop an understanding that personal growth comes from sharing their talents with others. Our performers come from various communities but they all leave Youtheatre with two very important things, lifetime friendships and a love and respect for theatre.

This year the group is performing:

• Les Miserables
• Bye Bye Birdie
• The Music Man

They usually perform in the Lake George High School auditorium, but this year they’ll be at the Queensbury High School.

Creative Stage Lighting is Youtheatre’s Corporate Sponsor.

For more information, including show times and location, visit lgyoutheatre.com.

Break a leg, guys!

Here are some of the things our rentals department has on special.

• Varilite VLX
• High End Systems SHOWGUN
• JB Lighting JBLED A4
• Martin Maxxyz Compact

Full list on our rentals site where you can also sign up to get our monthly rental specials delivered to your email.

• Popular Gear List
• Testimonials
• Get A Quote

Compulite has posted a story about Vectors at Expo 2010, the international exposition in Shanghai.

King Chou, a Vector user:

Vector with its 16 DMX output, fast cue modification/delete functions and unmatched performance was perfect to create these many different changing scenes perfectly expressing the city themes.

The study hall in the “City Being” pavilion shows a bookshelf circled by numerous small lights “turned on layer by layer by the Vector Red signifying the long road of study” said King Chou. He added: “I like Vector. Not only because its control ability, ergonomic design, but also due to its multimedia functions and powerful DMX output. It is easy to operate, and the system is very stable”

Check out the full story and more photos on Compulite’s website.