On the other side of the pastel green planet...

One of the things I am often asked about is "What do I need to have projection/video for my next production?".  Obviously this will never be a simple answer and I will always answer with a battery of questions.  Instead of going into all of the questions, being this is a single sided dialogue, I will over the next several weeks go over what I see as a direction for design.  I plan on giving you a parts manual of sorts.  Each part of a projection system will work together to bring about the end result.  Without understanding how the parts work, it would be impossible to describe the process.  Consider the end result of the video system like a clock face.  The end user doesn't really care what goes into the inner workings, only that they can tell the time accurately.  The clock designer will choose between an analog system with gears, springs, and other mechanical parts or a digital system with its related parts.  In both instances, there is the decision of how the end re

A couple of years ago I helped on a rather large scale project.  It was for a non-profit organization which I particularly like their mission.  So, when I was asked to help out with the visual aspects (projection), I accepted.  However, I didn't realize what I had signed on for. I work on one of the biggest permanent productions in history.  While I am used to working with and conversing with professionals of a similar background, I often forget just how foreign video can be.  After all, most every household has some sort of television that has any number of peripherals connected.  However, even the most experienced home user does not have the necessary vocabulary to discuss a large scale production. Here's the thing.  I am a geek for technology.  I love it.  I'm not just talking about the latest and greatest either.  I love all technology.  See, I went to school to become an archaeologist and my main focus was on ancient technologies.  Why do people make the things the