Light Art with Laser Technology - Winter 2025

January 21st - February 11th, 2025
Tuesdays,7pm - 9pm (IRL @ dadaLab in Austin, TX.)
4 class sessions total + opportunity to exhibit your work at dadaLab on March 7, 2025.
$195

Howdy, dadageeks 💙

We're glad you're here! dadageek is excited to offer this in-person course to the Austin, TX dadageek community. You can learn more about the course below. Feel free to reach out with any questions to kyle@dadageek.com

dadageek is a non-profit community of immersive artists and electronic musicians. Our mission is to offer education and community to those creating at the intersection of art, interactive media, and tech. Our community is filled with talented and creative technologists with a passion for sharing their expertise with others.

What is this course about?

This course will focus on lasers as a creative medium, from the fundamentals of laser science and safety to designing laser shows and installations. We will explore beam and graphics-focused applications and a range of more experimental techniques. Throughout the course, students will learn about the hardware and software necessary for creating preprogrammed and generative laser graphics. We'll also explore powerful cutting-edge techniques such as blending mapped lasers with mapped video to create next-level multimedia experiences. 

Students will get hands-on access to dadaLab's collection of laser technology and have the option to create laser artwork for the next student exhibition!

(The Current Underneath, a laser installation at the Seholm Intake Building by dadaLab)

What will I learn?

Students in this course will gain a solid understanding of working with laser hardware, control protocols, programming techniques, and best practices. You will gain experience using industry-standard software like Pangolin Beyond and Modulaser to create laser graphics animations and beam effects. Students will learn techniques for syncing lasers with other audiovisual software and hardware, gain practical experience in laser mapping to create spatially adaptable designs and effects and explore more abstract laser methods such as lumia and diffraction techniques. Through these exercises, you will gain hands-on experience with high-powered show lasers, while also learning essential risk management practices and safe installation techniques.

(Jestern's laser performance Blacklight at dadaLab)

Who is this course for?

This course is perfect for visual artists, performers, designers, and technologists interested in incorporating cutting-edge laser technology into their creative practices. No prior experience with lasers is necessary.

Students who enroll in this course are:

• Working artists looking to add new technology to their toolset,
• technologists and programmers looking to explore creative approaches to tech,
• musicians looking to add dynamic lighting to their music, and
• anyone interested in the intersection of art, tech, and design!

What is the class like?

Each class session will meet once a week at dadaLab; our headquarters in East Austin. The class is capped at 18 students so you will have plenty of opportunities to connect with your instructor and ask questions. Your fellow students in the class will be an eclectic mix of dadageeks from artists, musicians, programmers, and creative humans excited to learn, create, and connect! The class combines lectures, hands-on workshops, and collaborative projects. You’ll start with foundational skills and gradually move toward designing your own laser art piece, which you’ll showcase in a final class exhibition.

Are there any requirements?

• PC or Mac Laptop
  • PC is preferred since the Pangolin Beyond software is PC only. 
  • Modulaser is cross-platform so Mac users in the course would focus on that software primarily.
• 3-button mouse
• Pangolin Beyond and Modulaser (Trial versions are fine)

(Laser effects used during Crystal Voyager's performance for Quadrant v1 at dadaLab)

Meet your instructor!

Brandon Stargrave is a creative technologist focused on generative, interactive, and audiovisual immersive experiences. He creates deeply interconnected systems to meld various hardware, software, and protocols into a tangible embodiment of art and technology. Brandon has extensive laser technology experience including acting as the lead laser technician for the Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular national tour.

FYI

Refund Policy: Students can receive refunds up to 7 days before the class start date.

Class Minimums: If the class minimum has not been met, the class will be canceled or rescheduled. Those who have pre-paid will be notified in advance and will have the option to receive a class credit or a full refund.

Media Release: Please note that some events may be photographed or video recorded. Registering for this event hereby authorizes dadageek and dadaLab to use said photos or videos on social media or in future promotional materials.