From Stage to Studio, Top LDs Visualize their Designs with Capture

	Screenshot of a Top Rank Boxing rendering using Capture

An increasing number of lighting designers have turned to Capture lighting design software to visualize their designs and help sway clients. One advocate is lighting designer Jason Robinson, who uses Capture to create virtual designs for WWE professional wrestling and has designed lighting for Top Rank Boxing using Capture software.

"I now use Capture in my daily work and it has changed the way I think about the design process," he stated. "After I finish a drawing in SketchUp I just drop it in Capture. It's a seamless import and then it's simple to place the lights and turn them on. I can get all the attributes of a fixture. It's very intuitive, has an easy work flow and has become part of my normal work procedure."

Top Rank Boxing is the country's premiere promotions company for boxing with events that feature some of boxing's biggest stars like Manny Pacquiao. Robinson has been production designer on Top Rank Boxing since 2009 and has used Capture in his design process the last two years, including as a valuable sales tool to put together virtual presentations for clients. "When I needed to show the client what we could do I used Capture to take the drawing to the next step and show what it would look like with the lights," he said. "They loved the renders and it helped sell the design."

Because Capture can be used offline with no console attached, Robinson will often use it while sitting on a plane although he admits he doesn't yet use the software to its fullest. "Although you can do everything in Capture, I only use it for a few things right now. I draw in SketchUp but then use Capture to win jobs and accounts. I need those last few steps and I complete those with Capture. But there is so much more it can do," he says. For WWE, Robinson uses Capture for a variety of design jobs such as small setups, interview areas, etc. Another lighting designer, Eric Wade, recently worked with Robinson to create mockup renderings in Capture for a mesh ceiling for the Detroit Red Wings' new building and reported that it did a fantastic job.

Victor Fable, one of the US's most sought after lighting designers for television, with credits like The Rich Eison Show, Survivor, Guitar Center Sessions, and America's Best Dance Crew to name a few, spent years buying and trying various visualizers, "but all of them ended up falling short of my expectations," he says. "Then along came Capture. After a few hours of playing with the program, it became clear it was exactly what my office needed. It's incredibly simple to import SketchUp files, by far the most commonly used program by set and production designers. Capture is a great addition to any lighting designer's arsenal. It's the go-to item when it's time to take designs to the next level."

From touring productions and special events to installations, Capture allows users to virtually design the lighting, truss, stage, and scenery for shows or projects in a 3D environment. It includes a vast library of popular manufacturers' lighting fixtures, as well as props and can even incorporate video. Universally regarded as easy-to-use visualization software with a fast learning curve, Capture provides the ability to produce high quality renders and artwork for customers, and detailed plots and specifications. Elation Professional has been distributing Capture in the US and Europe for the last four years.