A Wider Net

I spent a decade working with lasers in live entertainment, and the industry has changed significantly over the years. Lasers still have their place in live events because they possess unique qualities - brilliant, truly pure colors, long reach (they stay thin), and unparalleled speed and precision. The days of using laser graphic animation at corporate events are largely over, but the use of laser beams and atmospherics to create visual impact and reach out over the crowd is still highly relevant.

So, it’s nice to see lasers used well in high profile events. The gang at MTV Europe deserve a nod for their production of their recent awards show, and I wanted to highlight one piece in particular. The video clip found by clicking the link below contains a performance by a band called Muse, and features a sudden and dizzying eruption of laser beams. The beams appear to be created with an array of “microYAG” green lasers and are scanned all throughout the room, including at the audience. While audience scanning isn’t typically allowed in the United States, this European show exemplifies the pace, brilliance, and impact of well-utilized lasers.

For those of you who have used lasers before, it’s especially nice to know this type of show can now be done with laser equipment that plugs into standard power outlets and doesn’t require water cooling. Believe it or not, this type of show USED to require a torrent of continuous flowing water to cool the lasers, and each of those little green-emitting boxes would have required 30,000 watts of electricity and been the size and weight of a full cast-iron bathtub.