The Last Lecture¶
The principal light show for the Pausch Bridge was designed by Christopher Popowich and Cindy Limauro in 2009. For many years it has been the daily show running every night from dusk until dawn.
The show was originally programmed using Pharos Designer 1 by Taine Gilliam. This page describes some of the programming strategies involved in the show as a way of introducing the capabilities of the current Pharos Designer 2.
Contents
Pausch Bridge Lighting Description¶
Text by Christopher Popowich and Cindy Limauro.
All lighting looks for the Pausch Bridge are inspired from visual metaphors in Randy’s book The Last Lecture 1. The lighting will run 15 minutes before repeating on a continuous loop. Here is a visual description.
Fun with Crayons
Randy talks about only using black and white crayons and then later on discovers color. The bridge panels will start in darkness and will then fade up to white light. The bridge will then start to change colors based on the favorite colors of Randy, Jai, Dylan, Logan and Chloe.
Space – The Last Frontier
NASA and space were another important dream for Randy. The lighting on the brick wall will simulate a rocket blast off while the bridge panels will create a panorama of space.
Make the Most of Each Day - Time of Day Cycle
Randy lived each day to the fullest. The lighting will transition from night into dawn, daylight into sunset.
Be the First Penguin
The lighting will create water imagery and motion to suggest the image of penguins jumping into water.
Live your Dreams- the Elevator in Randy’s bedroom
Randy describes how important it was to be able to paint his bedroom and one strong image is the elevator. The lighting on the bridge will create the motion of a moving elevator stopping at floors with the wall culminating in beautiful colors to become a metaphor for Live your Dreams.
Disney and the Circus - Grand Finale
There are so many references in the book to Disney and the Circus. The ETC program that Randy co-founded is about exploring cutting edge technologies. This section will be a grand finale of the magic of light and will really show off the possibilities of this cutting edge lighting technology that is being used to honor Randy’s memory.
- 1
The last lecture. Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow, 2008. Hyperion Books, New York. ISBN 1401323251. LOC QA76.2.P38 A3 2008A.
Timeline¶
The full show has duration 14:14 minutes. The approximate start times for each section are as follows.
00:00 |
Fun with Crayons |
01:03 |
Space – The Last Frontier |
01:39 |
Make the Most of Each Day - Time of Day Cycle |
05:44 |
Be the First Penguin |
07:00 |
Live your Dreams- the Elevator in Randy’s bedroom |
08:54 |
Disney and the Circus - Grand Finale |
14:14 |
loop ends and restarts |