Dr. Hypknotronics Projection Lightshow

Personnel:

Robby Pore

In the beginning:

I had been doing weird lighting since I was a kid (lighting up the house, blacklights and posters, etc) and got more into real lightshows back in the mid-80's with some local bands in Albuquerque, where I was going to school.

I am not influenced by anyone specifically, but I have been influenced by various "trip" B-movies from the 60's (Acid Eaters, The Trip, Willy Wonka, etc).

I have worked with The Strawberry Zots mostly. Also the Ant Farmers and Elephant, local Albuquerque bands. I also did the psychedelic lights for the first Las Vegas Grind in 1999.

The story behind the name of the lightshow goes like this:

One of the go-go dancers in the Strawberry Zots (Emily) called me Dr.Hypkno, then I added the "-tronics" to sound more official(!)

Equipment wise I have been using pretty much the same stuff the whole time, but have only replaced what I have broken. I inherited this light show from Wuzzy Thare, the former lighting designer for the Strawberry Zots. It consists of an overhead projector, 2 -16mm film projectors, 2- slide projectors, 3-35mm filmstrip projectors, and one retrofitted "kaleidoscope" projector. It's a primitive, slapped-together, school-surplus lightshow!

As far as effects go I don't really quest for "better effects than the next bloke", just for great looking lighting. Some of the things that I have used to make it unique are ziplock bags filled with colored water, glycerine in the "blob" for more "blobby" effect, color slide film uncut through the 35mm projectors, and homemade slides. I have use birefringent material (stressed plastics) and polarizing filters to make really unique lighting, but this is sometimes too dark to use on stage.

Hypnotronics started with One 16mm, one overhead, and one 35mm projector and I branched out from there.
I now I have about 7 projectors, and I started with 3 or 4. More are better, I think, to give a bigger expanse of light in the room. I think that all-around lightshow is the way to go. Also, I have acquired other stage/effects lights; a strobe and some sort of bizarre rotating-light contraption, and use those from time to time (when they work).

As far as modifying kit goes I ditched the lower-wattage projectors. I modified the 35mm projectors by taking off the "auto-wind" feature, and added some fans to the overhead.

Thanks to Dr. Hypknotronics Projectulon Zot for the biog.