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Articles and press releases
about lasers and ILDA

ILDA supports our Members and the laser display industry, by writing articles about lasers and the Association for various publications. Below are some recent examples.

Placement of these laser-related articles and press releases has been sponsored by Pangolin Laser Systems. We would like to thank William R. Benner Jr. of Pangolin for his invaluable help.

Additional resources

Related articles at this website, focused on individual Member companies, include laser shows and projects, new products and services, and press releases from ILDA Members.

April 2007

LiveDesign article describes current laser technology

An article in the April LiveDesign magazine, written by ILDA's Executive Director, gives a good overview of current lasershow technology and applications. The article is subtitled "Advances in Lasers: New Light Sources, New Control, And Audience Scanning."

Here are the first few paragraphs:

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Laser light is sexy light. It produces the purest, tightest beams you can imagine. That’s why it is routinely used as a special effect in large-scale events like Olympics and world sports ceremonies. The saturated colors and pencil-thin shafts, choreographed to music, make an indelible impression on the viewer.

One reason lasers have not been used in smaller-scale, budget-oriented productions is that, until recently, the equipment has been somewhat difficult to work with. Previously, powerful lasers required 220 or 440 volt electrical power, along with water cooling. The show programming also was customized, and did not have interfaces to DMX or standard artwork creation packages.

Fortunately, in just the past few years, technology has brought major changes:

• The laser light source has gone “solid state”, using diodes and crystals instead of large water-cooled tubes. These lasers can run off standard 120 volt wall current, and are roughly the size of a breadbox.

• New laser controllers can be run from DMX. Some can also control DMX as part of their show programming.

• Laser projectors are increasingly being designed to look and work like a standard lighting instrument.

• For laser graphics, artwork can be created using common applications such as Adobe Flash and Autodesk 3Ds Max

• New regulations and technologies in the United States will allow safe direct scanning of the audience (as has been common in Europe and Asia for the past 30 years)

The total effect is that it is much more “production-friendly” to use lasers in both small and large shows....

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The article goes on to discuss these new advances. Large photos show examples of ILDA Members' work at Universal Studios, Six Flags Darien Lake, and on tour with Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.

The full text is at LiveDesign's website. If this link does not work, you can see a PDF of the article, including the photos, here. (Added to this page April 18 2007.)

October 2006

"Amazing Lasers" extend stays and increase the bottom line
 at amusement parks and waterparks

Park World magazine published an article, written by ILDA's Executive Director, about lasers in theme parks. The article's introduction reads:

From humble beginnings at just a few parks three decades ago, laser displays have now become regular fixtures at amusement and waterparks throughout the world. These highly creative, dazzling displays provide a real "Wow" factor for guests, and they give operators a tremendous marketing tool. Patrick Murphy shines the light on an exciting addition to the in-park entertainment offer.

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The article describes shows at locations including Universal Studios, Disney parks, Six Flags Darien Lake (New York), Celebration City (Branson, Missouri), Stone Mountain (Georgia), Wild Adventures (Valdosta, Georgia), and Cypress Gardens (Florida).

To see the full article as it appeared in the October Park World, click here. (Added to this page April 18 2007.)

How laser technology is being used in churches

Technologies for Worship magazine published an article, written by ILDA's Executive Director, about lasers in churches. The beginning of the story notes that:

... church productions looking to portray Biblical light – either literally or metaphorically – are turning to the purest, most concentrated form of light: lasers. In recent years lasers have become easier to operate and more cost-effective. Uses can range from basic, where the laser’s intense beam of light is used by itself, to sophisticated, where computers control the beam’s trajectory in order to project images and words.

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Topics discussed include laser technology, new easier-to-use lasers, graphic shows, beam shows, and laser power and colors. A number of examples are given of how lasers have been used in churches.

The full article is available online at Technologies for Worship's website. If this link does not work, a PDF of the article, as it appeared in the magazine, is here. (Added to this page April 18 2007.)

May 2006

Orlando Sentinel story about ILDA

On May 29 2006, ILDA was featured in a brief story in the Orlando Sentinel, about new laser technology. The story was pegged to the upcoming Universal show, but also talked about other aspects of the laser display industry.

Universal to use solid-state lasers in show
Chris Cobbs | Sentinel Staff Writer
May 29, 2006

A new generation of compact laser display equipment is a key technology that will be used in Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular, the new nightly show that opens July 1 at Universal Studios.
     The new, solid-state lasers can also create lighting effects for nightclubs, discos, corporate shows and other venues, said Patrick Murphy, executive director of the International Laser Display Association.
     ILDA, a trade group representing technology used in art, entertainment and education, is based in Orlando and is observing its 20th anniversary this year.
     Laser display technology comprises a $10.4 million niche in the overall worldwide laser market of $5.5 billion, which includes materials processing, medical therapy, basic research, instrumentation, and image recording.
     The latest generation of solid-state lasers, small enough to be carried by one person, have supplanted previous models which generally consisted of a long glass tube plus a washing-machine-sized power supply that took two people to carry.¹
     Those older lasers are still used to generate the colorful light beams that pierce the night skies at local theme parks.
     "The new laser displays can shoot beams of light into the audience², so it's like being inside a fireworks show," Murphy said.
     The use of lasers for entertainment began about 25 years ago, said Bill Benner, president and chief technology officer of Pangolin Laser Systems of Orlando, which makes software for laser displays.
     They were first used in planetariums to create three-dimensional effects in the sky," he said. "Since then, we have grown from a cottage profession to a full-fledged industry, with companies that do production, software and scanning."
     Helping to propel the industry's growth is the new generation of solid-state models.
     "They're more practical and make it easier to set up a show," he said.

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Two clarifications, courtesy of LSDI's Greg Makhov:

¹ The article implies that some Orlando theme parks use older lasers with glass tubes and washing-machine-sized power supplies.
    This is incorrect; as of May 2006 the referenced parks use lasers with ceramic tubes, and power supplies which weigh roughly 90 lbs and are 11"H x 19"W x 22"D.

² The article states "The new [DPSS] laser displays can shoot beams of light into the audience".
    This is technically true. However, some might read this to imply that older laser displays could not do this, or that all new displays will use audience scanning.
    To clarify, audience scanning has been legal and common outside the US for over 25 years. There is nothing inherently new about DPSS lasers for this application except that the lasers themselves are easier to use. Also, the new Orlando theme park show mentioned in the article will not use audience scanning.