Future of GOBOs

[tomemanski]

First off, I do not have a GOBO projector, nor have I ever been asked if I had one or if I could provide that effect. My question is, will there be a time soon when the image projected will be computer or self generated by a new breed of GOBOs? I understand the process necessary to currently produce a disc and the time and cost involved. I was just wondering if there would be a viable alternative to this anytime soon. Thoughts... insight?

 

[steve149]

Read through some of the threads here. Many if not most of the gobos are being projected by a data projector instead of a leko or similar. It's quick to make one in a graphics program and you can change it right up until go time. True gobo projectors still have an edge in sharpness and in throwing distance (usually), but the difference gap is closing and I would suspect that with data projectors under $500 and having a decent brightness, the days of a single color gobo fixture is limited.

Here's one: http://ourdjtalk.com/threads/40209-...his-past-weekend?highlight=monogram+projector

 

[Proformance]

First off, I do not have a GOBO projector, nor have I ever been asked if I had one or if I could provide that effect. My question is, will there be a time soon when the image projected will be computer or self generated by a new breed of GOBOs? I understand the process necessary to currently produce a disc and the time and cost involved. I was just wondering if there would be a viable alternative to this anytime soon. Thoughts... insight?

Wedding DJs have like with most things found a way to do this on the cheap. Most weddings have very minor staging concerns and very short throw distances (low ceilings, dance floor or a wall only 15-20 feet away. Anyone with MS PowerPoint and a video projector can project an image or logo under these conditions. There's no gobo to buy and most PCs have MS Office on them already with a few Word-Art tools to get by. Zoom and Keystone issues are easily resolved by simply altering the image at the PC source. If your good with graphics software you can make much more elaborate images with still no pattern cost. The only drawback is that projector lamps are expensive to replace and using a projector this way introduces handling vibrations that can break a lamp long before it would otherwise have burned out. (Projector lamps ~ $175 vs 1000w leiko ~ $17.) You also have to rely on dedicated electronic media to serve your image as opposed to a mechanical gobo that doesn't crash or corrupt.

Get out to throw distances of 75-150 feet and the projector is of no use anymore - you need a light fixture designed specifically to throw those distances. This is where an ellipsoidal, framing spot, or other light instrument still reigns supreme.

A lot of projection now is done with moving heads and other lighting instruments which have evolved beyond just lighting. Essentially anything that projects a focused high intenstity light can be modified to project and image and even full motion video.

 

[NLFX Pro]

There was initial discussion by some that LED projectors, "do it yourself" gobos, etc. would spell the death of gobos, but in fact, the gobo business is growing and is likely to continue to do so. The optical advantages of a quality gobo projector make it an excellent choice, and as the intensity of LEDs is already beginning to eclipse what the "Do it yourself" gobo is capable of handling, professionally produced gobos are on the rise, and likely to continue to be the choice in the future.

Take it for what it's worth I guess, but we sell professional LCD and DLP projectors, as well as conventionally styled lighting instruments, and produce custom gobos.

 

[DJ Wes]

Most of the current crop of data projectors come with a USB input for thumb drives. No dedicated computer required. For me, I own an older projector that doesn't have a thumb-drive input, so I load the image on my iPod and feed that into my projector.

I get results like this.

 

[Proformance]

Most of the current crop of data projectors come with a USB input for thumb drives. No dedicated computer required. For me, I own an older projector that doesn't have a thumb-drive input, so I load the image on my iPod and feed that into my projector.

I get results like this.

The point is not the quality of the result, it is the commonality of it that as a business proposition lowers the value and appeal.
Much like the iPod DJ - this is now iPod lighting.

While image and branding is at an all-time high at corporate events, branding a wedding has a much lower value.

 

[rickryan.com]

Get out to throw distances of 75-150 feet and the projector is of no use anymore

You're on a roll today, pro (consistently wrong). This one was done with a 2500 lumen Epson projector ($500) at somewhere around 100-150 feet. The bride was ecstatic and gave a glowing review.

 

[DJ Wes]

I charge a fair price for it and I haven't yet come down in price since I started. In fact, I've gone up. It depends on your ability to sell. Using your logic, that means that since DJs are more common now than in years past, that we now have a lower value. I beg to differ. If you're good at what you do, people WILL pay a premium for it. Have you lowered your rates since DJs are so common these days?

 

[Proformance]

I charge a fair price for it and I haven't yet come down in price since I started. In fact, I've gone up. It depends on your ability to sell. Using your logic, that means that since DJs are more common now than in years past, that we now have a lower value. I beg to differ. If you're good at what you do, people WILL pay a premium for it. Have you lowered your rates since DJs are so common these days?

The market is not measured by your individual price but, you can see declining value reflected in the limitation of your diminished positioning. The range of event types for which you can get your price is shrinking.

 

[Proformance]

You're on a roll today, pro (consistently wrong). This one was done with a 2500 lumen Epson projector ($500) at somewhere around 100-150 feet. The bride was ecstatic and gave a glowing review.

Buy a tape measure. Scaling for the tables, fixtures, and building materials in the room puts you at about 65-70 ft.