Water Cooled

Lasers have come a long way, baby.

Our laser experience dates from 1986, when Flying Pictures pioneered laser show technology and concepts in New Zealand and Australia.

Learning to craft the very best shows took time, with a lot of custom engineering and late nights with soldering iron and early computers. Back then, lasers were like a steam locomotive; large, heavy and high maintenance.

We would have a team of 5-10 crew to rig a show for an event, and hope the 3 phase power and water cooling (for the laser) in the building would hold out while the show was on.

We were a full service company, doing show design and directing, AV, lighting, 3D animation, video editing, installation and large scale fireworks.

We have done bunch of amazing stuff over the years, and I’d like to thank all of out team and the clients that made it possible.

Check out the backstage tour (below) from our 1994 tour with Jesus Christ Superstar in 8 theatres throughout NZ and Australia. (4 Argon and Krypton gas lasers, each 30A/p phase plus water hose in and out of each, into an optics bed with beam switch to scanners and fibre optics)

Today, the lasers are diode based, and being 99% efficient, are bright, light, and require very little power. All the optics, electronics, and lasers are in one small sealed case, that can be rigged anywhere. Not only that, they are reliable. Now, we will rig 10 lasers with one or two crew in a couple of hours. They are networked, and run from a PC, as a lighting fixture, or standalone.

The software is slick and sophisticated and is designed as a robust and reliable control system, that syncs to all other show systems. Lasers have company these days, with moving lights now also creating space filling effects. However, they cannot match the purity of coherent light’s colour, nor the speed, nor control.
Lasers are fast, in movement, colour change and the ability to do animated imagery.

We now design shows as an ensemble; with lasers, video mapping, lighting effects, a great soundtrack, SPFX and of course performers, all working together to create a totally immersive story.

Lasers just keep getting better and have a brilliant future.