Three Pros Talk Video, LED Lighting And More

New schools of thought and creativity in the content being shown on the screens are part of the mix as well, as bars, able to reasonably afford multiple, if not many, screens are able to take video from being merely a corner tool for sports fans to catch the ticker or a one-or-two-screen system showing just music videos.
    We chatted with three professionals on the supply end of the equation who are answering marketplace demand as well as innovating to propel the trend to its next logical conclusions and applications.

Greg Brailsford, President Atriniti Systems
    “We make a high-definition music visualizer product (G-Force HD). What we’ve found is very surprising. We thought we’d run into a lot of road blocks where clubs didn’t have video  displays, and what we’re finding in 99 percent of the clubs we contact and more than half the bars we contact have video display technology — not necessarily the best way.
    “A lot of these places, especially nightclubs, have this really cool music playing, and they then they have ESPN  playing on the TV. That doesn’t resonate with guests. You might get one or two people who want to watch the Sox game, but the rest of the people there ignore it. You might as well turn it off. It’s a waste of electricity, when you could be doing something that’s very immersive and marrying the music to the visuals, which is what we’re trying to do.
    “We’re trying to replace (the situation where) clubs are playing ESPN  and movies. We create music for your eyes, basically. You don’t have to watch it 24/7, but it creates an ambience and atmosphere, just like the lighting does. You don’t stare at the lighting and what it’s doing the whole time, but you know it’s there, and it creates
an atmosphere. The clubs that implement it correctly really see a difference.
“We did our homework and research and launched it unofficially at the Nightclub & Bar show in March 2007 and had a very big positive response. We’re working on another one that’s going to add onto what G-Force HD has done and really take the segment to a new level.”

Corey Silverman,
Regional Sales Manager (Southeast)
Martin Professional Inc.
    “As far as the high-energy, large-format nightclubs, we’ve just introduced our video effect wall, and we just did an install at a club. It’s a strip club, but it’s different than your average strip club. It’s the place where everybody goes after the clubs close and still has that dance club vibe to it. (It features) the LED video effect stuff. That’s been a big trend. It’s a new product for us, and we’re pushing that product, but across the line it’s a big trend.
    “A lot of clubs that have videos are using a DVD player or throw (the screen) on ESPN and what not. With a video server, you can put custom content into it. You can use it for branding or specials or whatever is going on throughout the nightclub. It’s content-driven and ties into a theme of what the club is trying to get across.
    “LED is just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the different technologies clubs are embracing. It’s low maintenance. You install it and don’t have to worry about changing bulbs or anything. It’s not just about architectural stuff or highlighting parts of the club; now it’s being embraced on the dance floor even.”

Dave Chesal,
Entertainment & Leisure Segment Manager
Robe America
    “Daytona Beach is heir to the Spring Break fortune, Daytona 500, Daytona 400, Black College Week. There’s a list of events that take place in this sleepy little resort town in central Florida. It’s where you’ll find a 21-year-old nightclub called Razzles that constantly reinvents itself and went through its last major remodel some 5-7 years ago. Since then (in early October 2007), they reopened after shutting down for a couple of weeks to do a major remodel, but this time in the area of technology.
    “There are no boundaries once you enter the front door. It’s an all-encompassing experience with a hint of sensory overload since this quantum leap in technology. What they’ve done — aside from new interior surfaces and furniture — is incorporated myriad LED lighting. This LED lighting is seen in five major areas of the club and is meant either to get the attention of the patron or accentuate the architecture that was existing or new to this extreme makeover.
    “What an investment was made by an up-and-running business that had a line out the door. Why does a club owner do this? Is it for their ego or their vision or foresight of realizing that they want to stay on top, and not wait for someone to come into town and try to knock them down a notch or two? There was nothing wrong with the place, but they made a $650,000 investment. The original intentions were sprucing up the light show and maybe changing the carpet. But we came up with this design with a cohesive blend of all the elements of the club (including) the incredible video system they put in, high-res and low-res, and the mix of technologies.
    “When you talk trends in new build or renovation, it’s a matter of what does the club-goer appreciate. What moves them?”                                     NCB