Phoenix Comicon, which takes place at the Phoenix Convention Center, started as more of a comic book and science fiction/fantasy convention but has expanded over the years to include a larger range of pop culture elements with many events taking place at downtown hotels. The event is growing each year with the 2014 convention setting an attendance record.
Endless Entertainment was Phoenix Comicon's partner in all audiovisual and entertainment services for the entire event with Endless Entertainment's Will Curran, Eileen Wells and Andrew Latimer handling lighting and show design for the event.
"We create experiences for our clients and use Elation lighting to help make our vision a reality," states Will Curran, president of Endless Entertainment. "It's our goal to create an engaging and memorable experience for everyone involved, both the client and the attendees. This year we upped the ante a bit and took the vision to the next level." This year's Phoenix Comicon was Endless Entertainment's second running, and their second using Elation gear, which they supply from their own in-house stock.
The convention's 4000-seat general session room is where the superstars of the Phoenix Comicon world are featured. This year the room played host to celebrity comic panels that included comic book legend Stan Lee (Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men), Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin), Julie Newmar (Catwoman), actors Bruce Campbell and Danny Glover, and more. The room included a 50' x 24' stage and a rigged truss structure with an array of spots, beams, Pars, lekos with custom gobos, and more.
"Here we used Elation Opti Tri Pars to up- and downlight a backdrop of off-white, two-foot wide square tiles that produced the Pow! that made it undeniably our stage look," Curran says, explaining that the lighting was often used to match what the author or guest speaker was reading or presenting.
The Sheraton Hotel's Valley of the Sun Ballroom in downtown Phoenix hosted a variety of events and parties, including the popular Doctor Who-themed 'Party Like a Time Lord' fest, the Geek Prom, and the Zombie Beauty Pageant, all of which were lit with Elation Opti Tri Pars and Platinum Spot 15R Pro moving heads.
The first night of the convention featured the Zombie Beauty Pageant, where spirits of the dead paraded down a 40' runway that extended from the stage. Endless Entertainment had some concerns about the ability to fully cover the runway considering there was neither the budget nor the space to set a front-wash rig. "The Platinum Spot 15R Pro's colour correction and wide zoom features allowed us to get an even side-wash all the way across the runway and on the stage," Endless Entertainment's Andrew Latimer states.
The Renaissance Hotel's Grand Ballroom was the signature party room throughout Phoenix Comicon and featured a near non-stop run of entertainers, DJs, and theme parties such as the Minecraft Block Party, One Man Star Wars Trilogy, and Steampunk Ball. Here Endless Entertainment used Elation Opti Tri Pars, and Platinum Spot 5R Pro and Platinum Beam 5R Pro moving heads to create the energy of a club atmosphere that made attendees forget they were in a ballroom.
The Renaissance's mid-size Pueblo Room featured karaoke, bands, and other live performers while serving as a more relaxed and intimate party room. Here Elation Opti Tri Pars running on set colours and sound-active mode were used.
Finally, at the Browncoat's Jamboree at the Sheraton Oculus Lounge, Elation Opti Tri Pars demonstrated their ease of use and reliabi
