From Grassroots to Pros: The Evolution of LUMA Projection Arts Festival

When LUMA launched in September of 2015, no one involved had ever touched a large venue projector. The closest any member of its tech team had come was printing a manual off the Internet and studying it between handling helpdesk tickets at the local community college. But the group was just crazy enough to imagine they still might build a world-class projection festival in Upstate New York without an ounce of outside help. By its 10th anniversary that festival and its original technical team had grown into a professional operation, earning the acclaim of CBS Sunday Morning, the NY Times and some of the world’s leading projection designers. Hear the story of that evolution and the many technical challenges they overcame along the way from festival Co-Founder and Operations Director Joshua Bernard. Co-Founder/Executive Producer Tice Lerner and Lead Technical Director Melissa Schmitz will also be available for the Q&A.

The LIPA Annual General Meeting (AGM24) will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, CA! Please consider joining us. Visit our site here for further information on the event and here for a complete list of speakers.

Featured AGM24 Presentation, BARCO “LIGHTSTEERING – Explained”

Dr. Goran Stojmenovik, past Chairman of LIPA and currently “The R&D Guy” at Barco, will present an introduction to “Lightsteering”, a “Laser-enabled” technology that supports “HDR by Barco”. Goran will introduce and explain Lightsteering in the Technology Session of the AGM and will present it again as part of the evening’s live demo of HDR projection of specially mastered content.  He will be joined for the demo by Joachim “JZ” Zell, the “Master of HDR Mastering” of content now playing in select “HDR by Barco” theaters.  For those of you attending online, be sure to take this opportunity to ask Goran everything you always wanted to know about “steering light”.

The Premium Large Format (PLF) has been a key driver for the global cinema box office, consistently leading technological advancements such as high brightness RGB laser projection, 6P 3D, and the latest innovation, High Dynamic Range (HDR). This presentation will unveil Barco Light Steering technology, a groundbreaking development that powers the “HDR By Barco” PLF format, setting a new standard for premium cinematic experiences.

This talk will afford a rare look into a powerful new technology, uniquely enabled by high-end, high brightness RGB Laser illumination and will explain the foundation for the live demo that follows for LIPA members who attend the AGM24 in person.

The LIPA Annual General Meeting (AGM24) will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, CA! Please consider joining us. Visit our site here for further information on the event and here for a complete list of speakers.

Introducing featured AGM24 Speakers, Brian Montalbano and Paul File with Nichia discussing “NICHIA – Key to LIP Development and Beyond”

Nichia, a long-time LIPA member and global leader in GaN semiconductors, will give two presentations at this year’s AGM.  First, Brian Montalbano, Assistant General Manager, Nichia America Corporation, will update us on the Nichia Laser Diode and packaging line-up and roadmap.

He will highlight trends and progress in multi-die packaging of same color or RGB chips. 

Nichia has made a very significant contribution to RGB, Blue Laser-Pumped Phosphor (LaPh) and Hybrid engine architecture including the breakthrough development of GREEN Laser Diodes. They now offer RED diodes making them one of the only one-stop-shops for projection and lighting applications. Their depth in Phosphor technology makes them a very strong player in the LIP segment.

Brian’s colleague, Paul File, will present a talk entitled: Nichia Laser Diodes for Lighting which will be in the Blue-Sky session.

Please consider joining in person or online for both of these very important featured presentations of products and technology that enable a wide variety of Laser Illuminated Projectors and other systems.

The LIPA Annual General Meeting (AGM24) will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, CA! Please consider joining us. Visit our site here for further information on the event and here for a complete list of speakers.

Introducing featured AGM24 Speakers, David Hancock and Rosemary Abowd highlighting the GMU24.

This year, LIPA’s AGM24 will include a Global Market Update, covering most Laser Illuminated Projector segments, both Cinema and non-cinema.

David Hancock, Chief Analyst for OMDIA, will give a talk entitled: “Cinema: Recovery on hold for 2024 – but Rosier Times Ahead”

Abstract: Cinema is undergoing a faltering recovery from its full closure in 2020, and some unforeseen obstacles have made it difficult to regain a momentum in film supply and therefore recreate the cinema-going habit to the same extent. However, these issues are working through and the outlook is more positive for 2025 and beyond.

Rosemary Abowd is the Senior Analyst for PMA Research. Her talk is entitled “Global Projector Market Outlook” and will present an update of multiple key segments for Laser Illuminated Projectors such as Professional, Education, Commercial and will discuss trends, new applications and competitive technologies.

After the presentations, there will be a roundtable discussion of the rapidly changing markets for displays and the interaction between Cinema and Professional segments in terms of technology, operations, image quality and content sources. There will be several panelists and audience participation is encouraged.

The LIPA Annual General Meeting (AGM24) will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, CA! Please consider joining us. Visit our site here for further information on the event and here for a complete list of speakers.

Introducing featured AGM24 Speaker, Dr. Karl Schulmeister, one of the world’s experts on Laser Safety and Global Regulations will kick off the educational portion of the meeting with a review of current regulations and ongoing committee work and anticipated updates. 

Dr. Schulmeister’s talk and topics to be covered follows:

Update on Photobiological Safety Standards 

The current (early) status of the planned update of IEC 62471-5 for the photobiological safety of projectors will be discussed. An important issue is to attempt to harmonize this standard with the FDA Laser Notice 57 for sources smaller than 11 mrad. A reduction factor might be necessary in the standard for classification of projectors (RG2 vs RG3) as it is given in LN57.  Up to now, in the early stage of the discussion, it appears acceptable not to apply the reduction factor for the determination of the hazard distance and only apply it for the classification of the projector, performed at 1 m distance. A new work item for the amendment of Part 5 is to be issued after the August IEC meeting. Project leader is Mr. Casey Stack. 

The revision of IEC 62471:2006 is still ongoing. It is important that this base standard also supports and is harmonized with Part 5 (the current IEC 62471 is still based on the previous version of the retinal thermal limits). It is a possibility that the formal position of adhering to the ICNIRP guidelines will be followed, which would mean that the future IEC 62471 might not even have a reduction factor for the retinal thermal limits as it is discussed for Part 5. This project is about to be re-started as IEC project with a new work item proposal coming up.

The new IEC 62471-7:2023 will be briefly mentioned, since it is the appropriate standard for the photobiological safety of laser illuminated stage lights. 

The planned update of subclause 4.4 of the laser standard IEC 60825-1, for the 4th Edition of IEC 60825-1 (currently in an early draft stage) will be given. Based on subclause 4.4 it is permitted that the output of laser illuminated projectors are classified under IEC 62471-5 and not under the laser classification system.

Finally, the free e-book “Optical Radiation – Radiometry and Safety Limits” will be introduced.

The LIPA Annual General Meeting (AGM24) will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, CA! Please consider joining us. Visit our site here for further information on the event and here for a complete list of speakers.

We’re happy to share the Preliminary Program for the upcoming LIPA Annual General Meeting on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City in Universal City, CA! Details on the location are here.

AGM24 Program – [Presentations and Times Subject to change. All times are Pacific – Los Angeles USA]

Start Time – 9:00 am PST (Los Angeles)

• LIPA Internal Committee Reports
  • Chairman’s Introduction – Tim Ryan, Texas Instruments
  • Membership & Communications Updates – Jason Meyer, Epson/Bill Beck, LIPA
  • Regulatory Business Committee Update – Shinsuke Kuraie, Panasonic
  • Update on Photobiological Safety Standards – Dr. Karl Schulmeister, Siebersdorf Labs
• Global Market Update (GMU24)
  • Introduction to GMU24 – Bill Beck, LIPA
  • Global Cinema Update – David Hancock, OMDIA
  • Global Projector Market Outlook – Rosemary Abowd, PMA Research
  • Roundtable discussion [Panelists TBA] – Market Trends; Positioning of Laser Technology; Breakout Applications; Interaction between Cinema and Non-cinema segments

• LUNCH – 12:00pm PST
• Technology Updates – 12:30pm PST
  • RGB Laser Diode and Packaging Update – Brian Montalbano, Nichia Americas
  • Light Steering technology introduction “HDR by Barco” – Goran Stojmenovik, Barco
  • New RGB Speckle Metrology and Mitigation Technology – Nathan Spiller, Oxford “Soft Matter Lab”
• Applications Updates
  • Progress and Trends in Multi-Projector Mapping – [Speakers TBA]
  • The Key Role of Laser Illumination in Advancing Automotive Innovation – Jorge Gonzales Maciel, Texas Instruments
  • Immersive Automotive Interior and Exterior Laser Projection Display – Meng Han, Appotronics

• “Blue Sky” Future-looking Topics
  • Introduction to Optical Fiber Delivery of RGB+ Laser – Bill Beck, LIPA
  • Lasers & Fiberoptics – Changing the Lighting Paradigm – Gio Tomasi, RSL Fiberoptics
• Wrap-up – 4:30pm PST
• Shuttlebus Transit to Deluxe/Barco Studios – 900 North Seward Street
• 5:00pm PST Arrival – Networking Mixer and Buffet
• ‘HDR by Barco’ Demo and Q&A – 6:00pm to 8:00pm
• Shuttlebus Transit back to Hilton – Universal City

Fremont, CA – January 22, 2024

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) recently announced 16 Scientific and Technical Achievements to be Honored with Academy Awards.

The Laser Illuminated Projection Association (www.LIPAinfo.org) is pleased to announce that seven (7) of the 16 awards went to members, co-founders, or past members of LIPA.

Three (3) Technical Achievement Awards (Academy Certificates) and four (4) Scientific and Engineering Awards (Academy Plaques) will be awarded at the upcoming “Scientific and Technical Awards” ceremony on Friday, February 23, 2024, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles (6067 Wilshire Boulevard at Fairfax).

The announcement by The Academy is significant. It recognizes the technical and engineering contributions of LIPA’s members in the development of laser illuminated projection technology and products over a span of more than 20 years.  The core missions of LIPA being:

• To be a single industry voice in rationalizing laser regulations.
• To provide companies a forum to develop evaluation methods and provide that information to standards bodies
• Educate key constituencies
• Coordinate best practices

Since it was founded in 2011, LIPA has provided the scientific basis for the establishment of rational and practical safety limits and practices, enabling the broadest possible adoption of laser illumination – for digital cinema and nearly all other projection applications. Furthermore, it has led multi-year efforts to rationalize, update and codify ISO/IEC international laser safety standards in coordination with the updating of the historical regulations of the US-FDA.

LIPA Scientific and Technical Academy Award Recipients (from the Academy’s January 11, 2024, press release – LIPA member companies and recipients in Bold)

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)

To Bill Beck for his pioneering utilization of semiconductor lasers for theatrical laser projection systems.

Bill Beck’s advocacy and education to the cinema industry while at Laser Light Engines contributed to the transition to laser projection in theatrical exhibition.

To Gregory T. Niven for his pioneering work in using laser diodes for theatrical laser projection systems.

At Novalux and Necsel, Gregory T. Niven demonstrated and refined specifications for laser light sources for theatrical exhibition, leading the industry’s transition to laser cinema projection technology. [ed. note: Necsel was a member of LIPA and was acquired by USHIO/Christie]

To Yoshitaka Nakatsu, Yoji Nagao, Tsuyoshi Hirao, Tomonori Morizumi and Kazuma Kozuru for their development of laser diodes for theatrical laser projection systems.

Yoshitaka Nakatsu, Yoji Nagao, Tsuyoshi Hirao, Tomonori Morizumi and Kazuma Kozuru collaborated closely with cinema professionals and manufacturers while at Nichia Corporation’s Laser Diode Division, leading to the development and industry-wide adoption of blue and green laser modules producing wavelengths and power levels matching the specific needs of the cinema market.

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)

To Steve Read and Barry Silverstein for their contributions to the design and development of the IMAX Prismless Laser Projector.

Utilizing a novel optical mirror system, the IMAX Prismless Laser Projector removes prisms from the laser light path to create the high brightness and contrast required for IMAX theatrical presentation.



To Peter Janssens, Goran Stojmenovik and Wouter D’Oosterlinck for the design and development of the Barco RGB Laser Projector.

The Barco RGB Laser Projector’s novel and modular design with an internally integrated laser light source produces flicker-free uniform image fields with improved contrast and brightness, enabling a widely adopted upgrade path from xenon to laser presentation without the need for alteration to screen or projection booth layout of existing theaters.



To Michael Perkins, Gerwin Damberg, Trevor Davies and Martin J. Richards for the design and development of the Christie E3LH Dolby Vision Cinema Projection System, implemented in collaboration between Dolby Cinema and Christie engineering teams.


Note that these 16 recipients, from 7 current or past LIPA member companies, were supported in their efforts by a large cast of supporting actors from their respective organizations and many other parts of the Digital Cinema ecosystem.

LIPA, along with its founders, officers, and members both current and past, can take great pride in their contributions to the global cinema industry.  They have together combined the many benefits of laser illumination to provide better and more consistent image quality with lower total cost of ownership and greater sustainability – making Laser the light source of choice for all Cinema exhibitors.  From intimate “art house” theaters to the largest multiplex 3D-capable screens to the most advanced Premium Large Format (PLF) integrated facilities, laser illuminated cinema delivers the original creative intent: the best possible images – show after show after show.

Introduction – LIPA’s Communications Working Group (CWG) Identified the topic of Laser Engine Architecture as an important subject for a technology update Webinar in 2023.

Title: Evolution, Status and Applications of Laser Light Engines for Projection

August 3, 2023, 06:30-0800 US Pacific time 

54 people attended representing all LIPA members

Our LIPA Member Speakers

Zuqiang Guo

Director R&D – Laser Device and Laser Light Source, Appotronics

Lead off with a review of terminology, the evolution of Laser diodes and Laser-pumped phosphor architectures over the past 10 years; current status and the direction of future developments and applications.

Eric Vieth

Sr. Product Developer, Projection Engineering, Christie Digital  

Focused on “direct” RGB architectures, the rationale for their use, current status, and future development.

Goran Stojmenovik, Ph.D.

Director R&D, Barco NV

Presented Barco’s “agnostic path” for engine architecture development and describe how different approaches can best support an expanding range of application requirements. 

Tom Bert, Ph.D.

VP Product, Barco NV

Wrapped up the presentations with a discussion of current status and a new types of laser sources, spatial light modulation and engine architectures to support new high dynamic range (HDR) applications.

Major Takeaways

• Both major architectures, “Pure” RGB and Laser-Phosphor “La-Ph”, have been under development for nearly 20 years with commercialization beginning around 2008 for La-Ph and 2014 for Cinema RGB
• RGB is used primarily for large screen Cinema and Professional applications
  • Highest possible lumen output (75K+) with widest color gamut (near Rec 2020)
  • Required for efficient fiber coupling for ultra-high brightness or remote source/modular systems
  • Required for special “Cascaded” HDR and High Contrast systems enabled by high f# (small étendue) Laser input.
• Lower output RGB engines are finding applications where they can enable both brightness and resolution from a smaller SLM chip.
• Original Blue Laser Pumped Phosphor (BPP) has evolved into many special architectures, with direct Red, Green and Blue diode “boost” to achieve a target mix of performance optimizations such as higher lumen output, wider gamut, speckle mitigation/reduction, higher wall plug efficiency etc.
• Care must be taken when comparing efficiency metrics (i.e., lm/W), as these can be affected by gamut primaries, white-point, cooling system design, expected lifetime and other system level differences.  (Wall plug efficiency should always be considered in the context of other performance metrics.)
• All speakers mentioned that operating efficiency (lm/wall plug watt) has become a very important performance metric for Cinema Projectors and all high duty cycle applications due to the recent and rapid increases in power costs.
• A new type of architecture called “light Steering” was described, where additional RGB light is efficiently added to the base laser-illumination with a spatially controlled distribution, increasing the dynamic range and maximum pixel brightness of the final image.

LIPA will hold a companion Tech Webinar on Wide Color Gamut/Volume September 28, 2023, open to members and the A/V public.

Some good news for the kickoff of CineEurope 2023 for Cinema Exhibitors – and Laser Illuminated Projectors are there.

Lead post from Digital Cinema Report…

Weekly Digest – June 19, 2023 A summary of last week’s top stories

International Box Office Surges in May    In May, and for the first time since January 2020, the international market (excluding China) reached the same box office level as the comparable month in 2017-2019 on average, according to a report released by the London-based analytics firm Gower Street. The international box office (excluding China), reached $1.54 billion in May, just shy of the pre-pandemic average at today’s exchange rates. Globally the third part of Guardians of the Galaxy achieved the highest box office in May with around $750 million. Only once since the start of the pandemic had the international box office previously achieved even a single-digit deficit compared to the average of 2017-2019 – in June 2022 with -4 percent. This is a major milestone in the recovery process. The global box office reached $2.8 billion in May, following April’s $2.9 billion. It’s the first time since the beginning of 2020 that two consecutive months have delivered over $2.8 billion. Last summer June ($2.7 billion) and July ($3.2 billion) delivered above $2.7 billion in back-to-back months. https://rb.gy/21puj

It looks like the content pipeline is full and people are back in theaters everywhere.  Box Office Revenue is Back!

Speaker: James P. Nole, Director, Business Development at TelAztec LLC.
Burlington, Massachusetts, USA (see: TelAztec.com)

Introduction

LIPA provides its membership with exclusive, Laser illumination related educational webinars. These sessions include technology, devices, integration, optics, testing, applications, trend analysis; regulatory; business and market development and even “Blue Sky” topics, which are designed to stimulate new thinking about the longer-term direction of our industry.

Recap

The Telztec webinar was held on April 25, 2023. Jim Nole introduced the LIPA audience to the history and evolution of TelAztec and then did a “deep-dive” into its unique, optical surface treatment technology. Starting with general capabilities and processes, the presentation then reviewed the primary capability of interest – broad band, anti-reflection surface treatment for high power, laser, fiber, SLM and projector optics.

The last 15 minutes of the session were devoted to audience questions and a discussion of how the technology could support further improvements in Laser-Illuminated projector performance, reliability, and lifetime.

In Case You Missed It…

A PDF of the TelAztec technical presentation and/or a video recording of the session + Q&A, are available to LIPA MEMBERS ONLY by logging in to the LIPA member site, Documents section.

Engineers, R&D personnel, QA professional, reliability specialists will find the presentation both novel and useful. Please promote LIPA and its educational mission within your organization.

Feedback on the presentation as well as suggestions for future technical and business Webinars are welcome. Send to billbeck59a2@gmail.com for incorporation into our ongoing project planning process.