USA - Behind the Scenes has announced a generous year-end donation from MA Lighting International which has been a supporter of the charity for many years, through its partnership with the Lightpower Collection. MA Lighting International is responsible for worldwide sales and marketing of grandMA control systems. MA Lighting international managing director, Stephan Saremba, commented, “In times like these, when donations from companies have declined sharply due to necessity, MA Lighting would like to set an example with direct financial support and once again emphasise the importance of these foundations.” The Lightpower Collection is a long-time major supporter of Behind the Scenes. Lightpower, founded in 1978 in Germany as a lighting rental company, has grown to be an internationally established distributor for stage and studio lighting equipment. The Lightpower
Germany - Nearly 500 Astera AX3 LightDrop wireless battery-powered LED fixtures were utilised for a Weihnachtsshow (Christmas Show) special broadcast by popular German singer, dancer and entertainer, Helene Fischer. Essential elements of the show broadcast on Christmas Day were recorded at the vast Halle 6 of Dusseldorf Messe, complete production lighting designed by award-winning LD, Tim Routledge. Due to coronavirus restrictions and the relatively short lead-time in which these segments of the show had to be produced, neither Tim nor camera director Paul Dugdale – also based in the UK – could physically be there in person. So, to ensure that the lighting design was installed and ran smoothly, Tim brought German LD Michael Kuehbandner onboard as lighting director to oversee the project in Dusseldorf. It was Tim’s first design for the artist; however, he ha
USA - After arguably the toughest year in recent memory, Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California, one of the largest churches in the Sacramento area, wanted to do something special for its congregation this holiday season. As a special holiday gift to the community, Bayside built a Christmas village complete with ice-skating rink, towering Christmas tree and special Christmas light show, a festive holiday experience enhanced using dynamic IP-rated luminaires from Elation Professional. Alec Takahashi, a former lighting designer and lighting director at the church, was called on to light the project and worked on creative production with the church's creative team, including Bayside creative director Corbin Phillips. Felix Lighting of Southern California supplied all of the lighting gear for the project. The Christmas experience, which included a 10-minute light show
Qatar - The Amir Cup Final 2020 Ceremony, the biggest football cup competition in the State of Qatar, and the inauguration Ceremony of Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, the fourth FIFA World Cup stadium to open in Qatar following Khalifa International, Al Janoub and Education City was recently performed using two grandMA3 full-size and multiple MA Network Switches. Qatar Vision Company developed, produced and managed the inauguration and final, that took place during Qatar National Day and exactly two years before the country hosts the FIFA World Cup final. Mohammad Assaf and Mark Anton were the lighting designers. Because of strict health and safety protocols, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium was only allowed to reach approximately 50% capacity. Any fan who attended the match had to return either a positive COVID-19 antibodies test or a negative COVID-19 test prior to being allowed access
UK - The London skyline again turned into a beacon of blue at 18:00 on Thursday 7 January. Major sporting and entertainment venues, national landmarks and historic buildings across the capital illuminated in a gesture of thanks to the NHS, volunteers and all those on the COVID healthcare frontline. Heading the list of venues were The O2, London Stadium and Olympic Park, the National Theatre and Madam Tussauds London. The #LightItBlue campaign has been organised by mental health non-profit organisation Makeitblue CIC, formed last year by members of the live events and entertainment industry. Tim Owen, Makeitblue director of strategy and engagement said, “With the support of the Mayor of London, we want to light the city blue as a public demonstration of continued support and admiration for all those working under immense pressures to look after COVID and other e
USA - LEA Professional has announced a partnership with C&E Marketing Pro to serve the company’s growing customer base in Florida. “LEA Professional represents everything we look for in a partner - innovative, agile and run by a highly experienced expert team,” said Mike Sajecki, president and CEO of C&E Marketing Pro. “Their industry first technology has gained a lot of traction in the market and we look forward to helping them grow their presence further in Florida.” C&E Marketing Pro will represent the full suite of LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers. “2020 was a difficult year for the pro audio industry, but at LEA Professional we have aggressive growth plans for 2021. Our offerings address many pre-existing challenges which are now exacerbated by the pandemic. By coupling leading amplifier technology with proven IoT expertise,
UK - The live events industry has launched a fresh appeal for a government-backed COVID-19 insurance scheme with a letter signed by 120 sector representatives and MPs. In the letter, written by the chair of the DCMS committee Julian Knight and addressed to the chancellor Rishi Sunak, the sector - which has largely been shut down since March 2020 - warns that “[w]ithout insurance, the events we know and love simply won’t take place this year - vaccine or no vaccine”. “Sustaining losses like those we’ve seen in 2020 for another year isn’t an option, and hundreds of businesses in the events supply chain have already been forced to fold,” the letter continues. “The Government has backed insurance for the film and television industry to the tune of £500m. It’s now time to do this for other creative industries.” The signatories, which include P
USA - Lectrosonics, together with a number of dealers, industry manufacturers and end-users, has been spearheading a social media campaign for the last few weeks, Sound is Essential, to emphasise that no matter the medium, sound is critical. Without sound, stories and messages are lost to the viewers, audiences, or congregations. Alongside the campaign, Lectrosonics is sponsoring the Sound is Essential creativity contest, where users can upload videos to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and tag them with #lectrosonics and #soundisessential. The deadline to enter the contest is 31 January, 2021. The Sound is Essential videos should be short, creative, and focused on demonstrating the importance of sound. For instance, with the sound of the video absent altogether, viewers will likely wonder “what went wrong” at first, while they try to figure out why
Europe - A selection of the latest ETC and High End Systems lighting equipment is now available through ETC rental partners with a newly launched programme, ETC Rent. Jeremy Roberts, regional sales manager for the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa comments: “To help the creative industries get back on their feet, we have introduced ETC Rent in the UK - a programme that will give local venues, hire companies, creative designers and more, access to the very latest ETC and High End Systems lighting equipment via our rental partners.” ETC Rent includes the new fos/4 Panel lights - designed specifically for the studio and film industry. They deliver intense light output and the highest color quality with the addition of Deep Red LEDs. ETC’s fos/4 Panels come in a Lustr X8 array and Daylight HDR array with different sizes also accessible via ETC Rental Partners. A range
UK - Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Martin Audio is intent on turning 2021 into a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary. The company - founded by Australian Dave Martin in London’s Covent Garden back in 1971 - has forged a well-respected reputation despite the twists and turns of the last five decades. The Martin Audio story follows an engineering development path dating back to the very foundations of the touring industry. Dom Harter, managing director, comments: “While we are forever mindful that COVID restrictions are still firmly in place, this is a landmark that should be celebrated in style.” To commemorate the occasion, Martin Audio has produced a book detailing its illustrious history and filled with eye-catching photography. This is available now online and in print from February onwards. A celebratory video is also available
USA - DePaul University in Chicago, the largest Catholic university in the United States, recently presented its 14th annual Christmas at DePaul holiday celebration as a virtual event. Long before the semester began, the school’s administration knew it would need to make some big changes if the Christmas show was to safely go on during these unprecedented times. With some ingenuity and an assist from DPA Microphones, the school found a way to host the event virtually. Leading into the school year, DePaul University’s director of operations & events, Melissa Grady, knew it was going to be hard to gauge what would be possible in a COVID world. “We had to make the call very early that we were not going to have an in-person event this year,” she says. “The show’s artistic director, Tony Peluso, and production manager, Jamie Davis, both alumni of DePa
Indonesia - UK manufacturer Prism Sound has appointed pro audio specialist ChandraCom as its exclusive distributor for Indonesia, with responsibility for its entire range of analogue to digital and digital to analogue converters and audio interfaces. Based in Jakarta, ChandraCom was established in 1997 by Setiadi Chandra and now services the recording, broadcast and HiFi markets. Its customers include sound engineers, producers, DJs and musicians, along with record labels, TV stations and educational institutions. The company also represents other high-end pro audio brands including SSL, Sennheiser/Neumann, Barefoot Sound, AMS Neve, Steinberg, Native Instruments and Arturia. With demo facilities and a seminar room in house, ChandraCom is well placed to introduce Prism Sound’s products to the local market. “Some Indonesian sound engineers have heard about Pri
Russia - Adamson Systems Engineering is reinforcing its presence in Russia thanks to a partnership with ARIS. The Moscow-based distributor has served the Russian pro audio market since 1990, offering support to an array of rental partners and boasting a renowned in-house installation division that has provided solutions for the Bolshoi Theatre, Patriot Park, Moscow State University, the Zaryadye concert hall, and many other high-profile venues. “We have 15 brands in our portfolio, but we realised we need Adamson because their technology and performance bring ARIS to the next level,” says Katerina Pogodina, ARIS’s general Manager. “Adamson is a technologically advanced manufacturer and they’ve always led with innovation. That’s important to us and to our clients and partners - we’re all looking to build toward the future and Adamson will help us get there.”
France - Closing out a year that will be remembered as the most disrupting for the live sound industry, L-Acoustics announced three new initiatives to help industry colleagues, partners, and clients. Recognising the impact that the COVID crisis had on live event production companies and venues which remained idle most of the year, L-Acoustics has announced a one-year extension of its five year product warranty. The warranty extension is automatic and applicable to all products still covered under the manufacturer’s warranty as of 1 January 2021. In addition, following a global survey and roundtable with certified providers conducted in the autumn, L-Acoustics notified its network of amendments to the company’s commercial terms for 2021. Says the company: “Adapting its discount structure to reflect the network partners’ lower expected turnover, L-Acoustics strives to
Europe/USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) and dB Technologies have entered an agreement to distribute each other’s products in their respective home regions. As of 1 January, dB Technologies will become the exclusive distributor of EAW products in Europe and EAW the exclusive distributor of dB Technologies in the US.. This agreement provides customers in each region with local order fulfillment and product support, leveraging the RCF Group’s extensive presence in both markets to support its growing customer base. “The dB Technology and EAW brands offer exceptional innovation and value to their customers and deserve the best chance to grow globally,” says Arturo Vicari, RCF Group CEO. “A lack of unified distribution in Europe has held EAW back here for years and the star power of EAW will be a big part in lifting the image of dB in the US, exposing the brand
UK - Music industry organisation UK Music has published its Let the Music Play: Save Our Summer 2021 report, which outlines a strategy to protect and support the live music industry so it is ready to restart when safe to do so later this year. The report sets out the economic, social and cultural value of live music, along with a blueprint for reviving live music after COVID-19 forced the effective closure of the sector last March. In particular, it warns that the lack of COVID cancellation insurance available is the biggest barrier to major events happening in 2021 and calls for Government to introduce an insurance scheme as it did for the film and TV sector. It was published ahead of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s inquiry into music festivals. At Tuesday’s inquiry, Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parkli
World - As the LSi and PLASA offices close for the festive break, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued readership throughout 2020. It’s certainly been a challenging one for our industry, but there have been some incredible moments of solidarity and triumph over adversity too, many of which we’ve had the privilege of detailing for you both here at LSi Online and in the magazine. Our daily online news service will resume on Wednesday 6 January 2021. Until then, if you fancy a read, you can access LSi’s full 35-year back catalogue free online here. Merry Christmas and happy holidays – we wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! The LSi team
Portugal - João D'Oliva Monteiro Cine-Theatre in Alcobaça is considered one of the most beautiful in Portugal. The work of Swiss architect Ernesto Korrodi, the building is also of historic importance in Portuguese architecture, combining elements of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism and Functionalism. Its varied programme covers all forms of international and local music, dance and theatre productions. Commercial and independent cinema also makes up an important part of the venue’s programming, ensuring the Cine-Theatre has become the main focus of the social and cultural life of Alcobaça and its surroundings. Following a period of enforced closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, João D'Oliva Monteiro Cine-Theatre joyfully reopened its doors at the start of October for the R'B & Mr.SC concert that marked the opening date of Novo Palco, a festival exclusively ded
UK - In a year like no other, disguise is celebrating a number of successes, where the company saw the sudden shift to remote performance, production and events, and a new partnership with Epic Games to enhance the delivery of its Extended Reality (xR) solution on a global scale. This year alone has seen over 200 xR projects powered by disguise and in excess of 100 xR stages built around the world in 30+ countries. In light of the continuing global health crisis that has brought the live events industry to a standstill, disguise has worked hard to provide a lifeline to its community of users. The accelerated development of its xR workflows has shifted the production journey and allowed a number of cancelled shows to resume in a virtual environment. disguise’s response to the COVID-19 impact was also recognised in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100, marking the third consecuti
UK - FIX8Group's virtual events, broadcast and connectivity centre is fully operational for business. Known as The Hub, it is located at FIX8Group's facility in Greater Manchester and has been designed to enable virtual and hybrid events, shows or presentations to be produced entirely under one roof. Inside, The Hub offers a studio, gallery and master control room, along with competent technical operators. With all of the technology, systems, processes and talent in one building, The Hub facilitates on-site as well as full remote event production, including capacity for managing signals from broadcast locations worldwide, says the company. FIX8Group soft-launched The Hub in late summer, enabling a number of virtual events to be successfully generated and managed while significant investments were made to install best-in-class technology. The team says
UK - Britannia Row Productions has supplied a varied array of projects in theatre, TV and radio while utilising COVID-safe procedures. From a high-profile fashion event in a socially distanced venue with an army of masked crew, to working in sparse TV studios and on-air radio broadcasts, sound rental company Britannia Row Productions has maintained COVID-safe working practices during the pandemic. Freelance sound engineer Scott Maxwell was touring with deep house DJ and producer Jax Jones when COVID cancellations saw his calendar fall apart. After months without pushing his faders, Autumn finally kicked off a run of new shows. A theatre production in Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre was his first foray into socially distant events. The theatre partnered with Stage2View to present a selection of West End and Broadway musicals and plays, allowing for a cinematic
Germany - d&b audiotechnik has partnered with Gareth Owen Sound to launch En-Snap cue automation software, a significant step in advancing the application of the immersive sound experience that is Soundscape. Since its launch in 2018, d&b Soundscape has provided audiences worldwide with an immersive audio reality that shapes deep and intense connections between audiences and artists. "En-Snap allows for even more efficient and seamless Soundscape integration within the wider entertainment technology ecosystem," the company says. Developed by Gareth Owen Sound for d&b Soundscape, d&b is working in cooperation with the renowned sound designer and his team to make the powerful En-Snap tool available free-of-charge to registered d&b Soundscape customers and users. Owen has already used Soundscape and an early version of the En-Snap tool to bring
UK - Shure and The VoiceOver Network have announced a collaboration to support the evolving voiceover industry. Shure and The VoiceOver Network will help to “bring the industry together by offering the best advice, training, events and on audio best practice within a friendly and supportive environment”. The collaboration includes educational programmes and workshops, social media giveaways and competitions, The collaboration will kickstart with social media giveaway to win an MV7 and a 3h online workshop. (Twitter @NetworkVO / @Shure). The VoiceOver Network began in July 2013 when Rachael Naylor started organising small meetups with a few other voiceover friends. “I started out as a voiceover artist over 12 years ago. Like a lot of people, I felt very comfortable in front of the microphone and have always enjoyed talking, so being a voiceover artist was th
UK - West End theatres must once again close their doors as London moves into the highest tier of COVID-19 restrictions from midnight tonight (Tuesday 15/12). Many shows – including Pantoland at the Palladium, Six and Les Miserables: The Staged Concert – had only just opened and were following strict COVID-safe measures. The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) said the move would cause “catastrophic financial difficulties" for venues, producers and thousands of workers.” Andrew Lloyd Webber issued a statement saying: “I feel devastated for all those in theatre who have tried so hard to provide entertainment for the Christmas season. Theatres have worked tirelessly to make themselves as COVID-safe as possible. It does seem arbitrary and unfair that people can jostle uncontrolled in crowded shops yet orderly socially-distanced theatre-going is banne
