From the moment the second annual LDInstitute opens its doors on Monday, November 15, until the final cup of coffee is served at the Backstage Orlando farewell breakfast on Wednesday, November 24, LDI99 has an incredible schedule of professional training programs on the docket. With the exhibit floor at LDI99 open Friday to Sunday, November 19-21, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL, the LDI99 conference program wraps neatly around the high-tech products seen at the show.
This year's LDInstitute and LDI tutorial program repeat some of the more popular classes from 1998's inaugural program, including Basics of Automated Lighting led by Jim Waits, with Vari*Lite(R) automated luminaires and a selection of control consoles including cutting-edge models from Avab, Avolites, Compulite, ETC, and Strand. New courses in programming will be presented by High End Systems, pairing their newest automated luminaires with the Wholehog II console. This will be taught by Vickie Claiborne, a High End programming expert, who will also present an overview of the company's newest fixtures.
Other news from the LDInstitute includes a new version of last year's highly successful two-day course in show control, run by John Huntington and George Kindler. This year, the course has been expanded to three full days in order to include more hands-on problem-solving exercises.
Rich Rose, professor and associate dean of the UCLA school of film, television, and theatre, will return to LDI99 with his three-day course in AutoCAD, plus a one-day introduction to the world of three-dimensional computer rendering. MiniCAD and its new version, Vector-Works, will be presented by Frank Brault, software developer for Diehl Graphsoft.
Also returning this year is lighting designer Dave Feldman who will repeat his successful course in Basics of Television Lighting, this year in a fully-equipped studio at Full Sail, a professional training facility in Orlando. Lighting designer Clifton Taylor will present a full-day session on Designing with Gobos and Patterns, using a complement of accessories from City Theatrical, Wybron, Rosco, and others. Ted Uzzle, of the NSCA, will also be back as the professor of the three-day course in the Technical Fundamentals of Audio, from reverb time to decibel levels.
One of the highlights of day-long tutorials on the schedule at LDI99 is a master class with lighting designer Donald Holder, who will discuss his prolific career which includes the international productions of Disney's The Lion King.
"Nowhere else in our industry is this kind of concentrated training available," says Ellen Lampert-Greaux, LDI's workshop producer. "We have pulled together a highly professional program this year, with many options for basic and advanced training in a variety of technical areas. There are courses at all levels, from the basics to the most challenging."
Additional tutorials include a review of building and finishing sets using various scenic elements and fabrics, presented in conjunction with Rose Brand and Rosco. Adrian Segeren of Le Maitre Special Effects and Tyler Wymer from Walt Disney World will spearhead a session on the use of pyrotechnics. Clay Paky will also present an overview of its newest line of automated luminaires.
ESTA will also be present in the LDInstitute this year, with improved versions of the fog and smoke overview led by Karl Ruling with participation by various manufacturers, a field service course led by Carmel Alston, and Bob Luther's Basics of Power Distribution, which has been expanded to two days in order to offer a fuller, more comprehensive curriculum.
During the three days that the LDI99 exhibit floor is open, the workshop program is divided into three distinct areas with sessions in Lighting Design and Production Techniques, Sound in Entertainment, and Light in Architecture. These sessions present roundtables of industry experts who share tips and techniques on today's important issues and projects, from wireless DMX to the complex sound and lighting systems at Orlando's new Hard Rock Live venue.
Speakers in the sessions geared toward entertainment lighting in architecture include: Edward Effron and Rogier van der Heide on color temperature; Judith Daitsman, Scott Hershman, A.C. Hickox, Robert Prouse, and Todd Reemtsma on career transitions from entertainment to architecture; and Steve Friedlander, Michael Lay, Norm Schwab, John Featherstone, and Vickie Claiborne on the lighting systems at Hard Rock Live.
LDI99's audio panels include: John Huntington on the Basics of Show Control; Bill Whitlock on controlling hum and noise; Steve Friedlander, Eric Seifert, and Craig Jansen on the sound and acoustics at Hard Rock Live.
Appearing in the lighting and production design sessions are such industry veterans as Joe Tawil and Steve Terry, along with first-time LDI speaker Chris Watts, the British LD for the popular TV show Teletubbies. Phil Lindsey of Disneyland and a panel of experts will look into the skills technicians will need in the 21st century.
Other sessions include the annual NEC update, the mix of electricity and water, an advanced control network (ACN) update, a look at the lighting departments in various Cirque du Soleil venues, ESTA's annual standards update, a look at cutting-edge laser projects, a discussion of challenges for lighting designers and directors out on the road, lighting control at Universal's Islands of Adventure, and two sessions on the new millennium events at Walt Disney World Resorts. These will be moderated by John Haupt and Jim Heffelfinger and provide the perfect segue into Backstage Orlando.
A great way to see what's new in the area's theme parks, Backstage Orlando takes a group of 100 participants backstage at the hottest park attractions. This year, Backstage Orlando concentrates on innovations at Walt Disney World Resort, including the new Cirque du Soleil theatre at Downtown Disney, where La Nouba is playing, as well as Disney's millennium events: Tapestry of Nations and Illuminations 2000.
Backstage participants will also spend a day exploring the five new Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Escape, where Spiderman and the Cat in the Hat meet Popeye, Pluto, and the denizens of Jurassic Park. Backstage Orlando will kick off with a keynote address by leading entertainment architect David Rockwell of The Rockwell Group.
For complete details about LDI99 and its technical training programs, call the LDI hotline at 800/288-8606 or 303/741-2901. Complete information about the show can also be found at www.etecnyc.net or http://www.ldishow.com A faxed version of the full LDI99 brochure can be obtained by calling the fax-on-demand line at 800/601-3858.