USA - Visual design group Lightswitch has overseen lighting design and creative direction for Enchanted Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens in Southern California since 2016. This year, the popular one-mile nighttime walk through colourful and dazzling lighting displays shined brighter than ever with an expanded IP-rated lighting package from Elation that included the company’s new Proteus Hybrid MAX. Enchanted is an immersive visual experience tailor-made to highlight the historic botanical garden’s beauty and flora. Each year, Lightswitch reimagines portions of the experience, enhancing areas and repositioning luminaires. This season’s show ran from 19 November through 7 January and included a new area as a result of refurbishment elsewhere in the gardens. Lightswitch creates and produces the entire “Enchanted Forest of Light” experience, designing lighti
UK - PLASA is running an industry-wide survey on sustainability. The association aims to understand how and if companies across the entertainment technology sector are tackling the important issue of sustainability and carbon reduction. The survey was launched during the Member Business Forum on Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, which took place in London on 18 January 2024. However, the survey is now open to the wider industry until 29 March, in partnership with #WeMakeEvents, LSi, LIVE and PEARLE. Even though there are no current legal requirements in the UK to implement such plans, PLASA recognises the importance of sustainability across the industry and the need for support. Therefore, the association is now conducting research to understand the current position of the industry. The data will help to inform the activities of the association, as well as future in
USA - Just before Christmas, Two Cities Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina moved into a new worship centre where modern production equipment enhances the in-person and broadcast experience for a congregation of some 2,500 people who attend three Sunday services. SES Integration in Mocksville, North Carolina consulted on the design of the new building and, with the support of its SES Production division, suggested a complement of Ayrton Levante, Diablo and Zonda 9 wash lights for the rig. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. Seven-year-old Two Cities Church has undergone rapid growth, quickly expanding beyond the capacity of its previous locations. The move to a purpose-built worship centre on 13 acres in downtown Winston-Salem afforded the opportunity to create an all-new production environment to engage congregants
USA - Eastern Lighting Design has completed the lighting design and installation for the new Chicago-based studio of the sports podcast Numbers on the Board, hosted by Kenny Beecham and produced by Omaha Productions. The project involved 11 Prolights ArcShine M18FC fixtures, transforming a standard office space into a dynamic, visually engaging broadcast studio. Numbers on the Board combines in-depth NBA analysis with lively discussions, creating an accessible and engaging atmosphere for its audience. The design aim was to cultivate a studio environment that supports high-quality broadcast requirements while ensuring the space is optimally lit for video production. The Eastern Lighting Design team addressed this challenge by integrating Prolights ArcShine M18FC fixtures, renowned for their versatility and high-quality output. "The ArcShine M18FCs enable
France - The newly inaugurated LDLC Arena in Lyon, boasting a 16,000 capacity, is a prominent addition to France's event venues as the largest indoor arena outside Paris. In a city already known for its vibrant fusion of history, culture, and innovation, this new, Populous-designed venue symbolises the ambitious objective of the local government to offer a versatile space that can host large crowds for electrifying sports events and major concerts. LDLC Arena will serve as home to Lyon-Villeurbanne’s ASVEL basketball team while accommodating large-scale tournaments, exhibitions, and national and international tours. The venue opened in November with a concert from Lyon-born celebrity and comedian Florence Foresti, and it has already hosted concerts from the likes of The Arctic Monkeys. Given the stated mission of offering diverse events under one spectacular roof, t
France - Broadcasting 24/7, the international news channel France 24 reaches an audience of almost 500m households around the world in French, Arabic, Spanish and English. However, as is the case all over Paris, space is quite limited, so France 24 has to make the best of its available capacities, with its largest studios being just under 100sq.m with a grille height of 3.5m. Given the varied programming broadcast by France 24, cameras on this set are arranged very differently, depending on the show. Indeed, sometimes camera axes are reversed by 180-degrees. Also, since various news and editorial teams require their own looks during broadcasts, the studios have not one, but five different sets, all of which are rolled on wheels. Working within this set of circumstances, Jean-Louis Rousseaux, director of photography for France 24, was seeking a compact and very versatil
UK - Located in the heart of Chelsea, Cadogan Hall is an historic 950-seater concert hall, presenting a wide range of events and performances, from classical music to jazz to musical theatre. Its acoustics and luxurious surroundings make it the first choice for some of the UK’s top orchestras, including the Hall’s resident orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, as well as a favourite London destination for international touring orchestras. It recently decided to upgrade its lighting set-up, in order to become more energy efficient as well as offer performances more options and flexibility. As such, they approached White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, who oversaw this significant investment. The upgrade of the existing rig was driven by the venue’s head of production, James Tapping. He explains: “Previously we had a ‘concert rig’ of ETC Source Four Pa
Canada - Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) recently announced its $350m renovation for the Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) and Toronto Raptors (NBA). This multi-phase renovation will see improvements to almost every part of the venue to greatly enhance the fan experience. The work began on the Mastercard Executive Suites level along with state-of-the-art technology upgrades, which was the start of the proof of concept with the upgraded audio system. The initial audio design came from WJHW, a global design and consultant firm, who reached out to 1 Sound to specify 1 Sound’s Cannon C4i’s in the design for the Mastercard Executive Suites, Theatre Suites, and Mastercard Lounge. The goal of the design prompted by MLSE was for the audio system to fit in with the high-end finishes and feel of the room and have an enhanced audio experie
USA - When officials at the Von Braun Centre, located in the heart of historic downtown Huntsville, Alabama, approved a transformative renovation project at the multi-purpose facility, the task of installing a new audio system was awarded to Verta Technologies, a pioneering force in audiovisual solutions. Spearheaded by Christian Tuttle, principal and CEO of Verta Technologies, the company selected an ADAPTive audio system from EAW. The Von Braun Centre has undergone extensive renovations over the past two years and sought a comprehensive update for its aging audio system at the 10,000-seat Propst Arena, home to the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Huntsville Havoc. This is in addition to EAW ADAPTive being deployed in the 1,300-capacity Mars Music Hall and the 2,000-seat Mark C. Smith Concert Hall. While Propst Arena is primarily used for hockey, all three of t
UK - North of England based leisure operators ARC Inspirations have developed three different brands, spread across 21 units. One of these is BOX, a growing collection of high-octane, American style, city centre sports bars. The latest 650-capacity unit in Nottingham opened recently in a Grade II-listed former bank building, to reveal an RCF HDL 10-A active line array, installed by Pro Technical (UK). This is providing the solution for the venue’s extensive schedule of entertainment and events, including Thursday night’s ‘Bandeoke’ sessions, with a live band providing the backing track for all-comers taking the open mic. Commenting on the results, Arc Inspirations head of bar operations, Mark Austin, said: “Music and sound quality is utterly critical to a venue like this, as it sits at the heart of the guest experience that we create. This is a large,
USA - A sensitive installation of Martin Audio’s Adorn ACP-55T pendant speakers has been undertaken at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) West Building Gallery in Raleigh, NC, by RMB Audio. According to RMB Audio owner, Cooper Cannady, 16 of the shallow pendant speakers were selected for their 150° conical coverage (117 Hz to 20 KHz ± 3dB, -10db @73 Hz) and off-white finish which matched the ceiling. These were approved by the architectural committee after careful review. The speakers are paired to cover the wall-to-wall open space. Three areas of the gallery were zoned for audio isolation to control the social gathering adjacent to the art exhibitions. The ACP-55T pendants were hung at 15ft height across three selected zones in the gallery to mitigate sound leakage into other areas. “Well-articulated speech is the most critical parameter for the sound sys
Norway - Absen, has partnered with Czech sports software company, Goal Sport, to provide high-performance screens at the home of professional Norwegian ice hockey team, Stavanger Oilers. The Stavanger Oilers, a team in Norway's top ice hockey division, the Fjordkraftligaen, sought to upgrade the outdated centre cube display at the DNM Arena, its home stadium and training ground in Stavanger. The arena, with a capacity of 4,500 spectators for ice hockey matches, and 6,000 for other events, needed a modern, visually appealing display to enhance the fan experience. Goal Sport, an international AV integrator with expertise in LED screen technology, was tasked with delivering a turnkey installation for the new central visual display. The company chose LED manufacturer Absen to supply the screens for the project. The Absen K3 Plus was specified for its lightweight and flat
USA - Brentwood Baptist Church was officially constituted on Easter Sunday 1969 in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee. In the past half a century, it has grown to nine campuses around the region and has consistently averaged over 5,000 worshipers in weekly on-campus attendance, along with an estimated 4,000 additional online viewers. The current main campus’ church was built in 2002 and had a few updates along the way, but last May it completed a complete refresh of the sanctuary’s audio, video, and lighting systems, in concert with leading AVL systems integrator Diversified. And the finishing touch on the updated audio infrastructure is a new KLANG:konductor, the most powerful and versatile immersive in-ear mixing processor ever. “We had a few periodic updates to the systems over the years, such as going from analogue to digital audio and upgrading ou
Italy - Prolights Mosaico series illuminated the main facade of the Naval Academy of Livorno with the colours of the Italian flag. Spazi Sonori Live, the company responsible for implementing the project, faced numerous technical challenges to complete this emblematic initiative, showcasing the versatility and effectiveness of Prolights products. The request was to permanently illuminate a 25x25m facade with LED lights in the green, white, and red colours of the Italian flag while adhering to strict technical and environmental constraints, including resistance to marine conditions and the need for angular projections without compromising uniform coverage. After careful evaluation, Spazi Sonori Live chose the Prolights Mosaico series. They used two Mosaico L projectors for the green and white colours and one Mosaico XL projector for the red colour, harnessing their pre
UK - The King’s Head is popular pub in the village of Bwlchgwyn, not far from Wrexham in North Wales. Providing a valuable focus for the community, owners Eddie and Abbie always strive to deliver the best customer experience possible, and recently took the decision to upgrade the pub’s sound system, which they no longer considered fit for purpose. Specialists Pivotal Sound & Lighting of Wrexham were engaged to design and supply a solution for The King’s Head. Pivotal cover every facet of audio for live events, hire and installation, and their vastly experienced team has a reputation for excellence across the region. Pivotal recommended an Optimal Audio system to meet the pub’s varied programme. Darren Hughes, director at Pivotal Sound & Lighting comments, “The existing system comprised a number of loudspeakers driven by a home cinema amplifier which w
Korea - The need for a lightning fast, reliable and infinitely flexible digital network were the key requirements when Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) set out its requirements for a ‘black box’ theatre in Seoul. The Multi Content Testbed was conceived as a test ground where all types of cultural and artistic content would merge with innovative cutting-edge technology. Optocore originally received the inquiry from installation company, SiDiS, as far back as October 2021 when the search began for a robust network. The equipment needed to be compatible with any incoming production mixer, as well as the in-house Midas M32, feeding the L-Acoustics PA. It was based around an M8 MADI switch at FOH, which would share the inputs and outputs of four stage boxes. These, in turn, are catered for by a variety of X6R-FX and X6R-TP devices, and BroaMan Repeat 48, which conv
USA - In a harmonious blend of cultural reverence, sustainability and modern entertainment, the Lāna‘i Ocean Theatre has emerged as a spectacular amphitheatre on the southeast coast of Lāna‘i, the sixth-largest island in the Hawaiian Archipelago. This visionary project stands proudly within the lush grounds of the Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i, overlooking the serene Hulopo'e Bay, and employs IP-rated Proteus Lucius and Arena Zoom Q7IP luminaires from Elation. An entertainment space that organically conforms to its natural surroundings, the Lāna‘i Ocean Theatre is a Greek-style amphitheatre that pays homage to the historical roots of theatre. The project, initiated in September 2021, transforms a section of the hillside overlooking the bay, creating a venue that seamlessly integrates with the natural landscape and botanical garden setting. Land and res
USA - Situated on the Kent State University campus in Kent, Ohio, the Centre for the Performing Arts is dedicated to creative excellence and delivering an exceptional learning environment for students. After struggling with a single-channel communications system and walkie-talkies for some time, the School of Theatre and Dance evolved its production communication with its recent installation of Clear-Com’s Arcadia Central Station IP intercom platform. The new Arcadia system seamlessly integrates with the school’s Clear-Com FreeSpeak II digital wireless and HelixNet digital wired party line intercom user stations they had previously installed as part of an infrastructure upgrade. This set-up now combines all the functionality Kent State University requires to have the constant clear communications it needs for every stage of the production - from pre-production tech set-
UK - London’s Roundhouse concert and performing arts venue in Camden now has an all Robe moving light rig with a recent investment in 20 x Esprite luminaires, fitted with the HP (High Performance) LED engine for the highest output and strongest colours. The order was overseen for Robe UK by Curtis Lewis, their business development manager for the London area. These fixtures join 82 existing Robe moving lights at the venue – 42 x LEDBeam 100s, 16 x DLF Washes, six DLX Spots and six LEDWash 600s – with the Esprites now the primary house rig spot fixtures, and available to all incoming productions. Roundhouse head of lighting Steve Royle explained that the new Esprites are part of a major technical update and an ongoing sustainability drive to make the Roundhouse as energy efficient as possible. He has held the head of lighting post since 2010 and was instr
UK - The National Theatre on London’s south bank has long been a bastion of creativity and world-class productions. Its three auditoria - the Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Dorfman - host productions from leading creative and technical crews. As part of its continued transition to LED lighting, lighting resources manager at the National Theatre (NT), Paul Hornsby, and his team set about replacing their outdated HMI Fresnel fixtures in the NT’s floating stock. “Trying to find a modern LED replacement for a big Fresnel Wash that can provide that big punchy back light and colour hasn’t been easy,” says Hornsby. “We are always trying to recreate that classic 5kW Fresnel/2.5kW HMI look that is really important to a theatre, and there have been no true alternatives until now. Moving lights or profiles with frost are a poor substitute and don’t have the same look in t
USA - One of America’s best-known monuments, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, shines more brightly than ever thanks to a new and improved lighting system from Technical Productions, Inc. (TPI) that features 76 Proteus Brutus lighting fixtures from Elation. ‘The Arch’ has stood on the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Louis since 1965 as America’s symbolic ‘Gateway to the West’. The Gateway Foundation, a private non-profit that first lit the structure in 2001, funded the lighting upgrade. Under its direction, TPI spearheaded the specification, design, and installation of the new lighting system with focus design provided by Randy Burkett of Reed Burkett Lighting Design. Burkett was hired by the Gateway Foundation to light the Arch back in the late 1990s, a design that included luminaires installed in underground pits, then renewed the lighting several yea
Australia - A $140m redevelopment programme by the state of Victoria’s government has transformed the Geelong Arts Centre into Australia’s largest dedicated regional arts centre, boasting two new theatres alongside new bars and event spaces. The upgrade includes the installation of 28 Claypaky Sinfonya Profile 600s, low-noise LED-based fixtures conceived and developed exclusively for the theatre market. Ben Van Dillen, technical operations manager for the venue, comments: “we needed a fixture that had shutters and an excellent colour profile. I also wanted a moving light that was going to match our LED profiles, something that we could use not just as a theatre light but also as a rock’n’roll-style light. It was important to have automated fixtures for shows that come in for only a day, which you need to turn around really quickly.” Show Technology
USA - World Changers Church International (WCCI) was founded in 1981 by the author, conference speaker and bible teacher Creflo Dollar. It is a thriving Christian worship centre which in 1995 moved to its present location, the 8,500-seat World Dome in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. In 2021, during the global Covid-19 pandemic which forced the closure of many churches, Jason Farah of Outline US was approached by WCCI who expressed a need to upgrade their existing sound system. Although it was a flagship product from a major brand, the sound team felt that the audio throughout the large sanctuary could be improved - their initial inclination was to remain with that brand but they were also aware of Outline and asked Jason to undertake some room modelling with 3D modelling software from both companies. Jason comments: “I have served as WCCI’s audio consultant
USA - AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, has significantly upgraded the capabilities of its main audio control room with the installation of a Solid State Logic System T S500m console. The new system, which was supplied and integrated by Clair Global Integration’s Pro Media Audio Video division, is primarily used to mix and route audio throughout the 80,000-seat stadium during the venue’s very busy calendar of sports, entertainment and corporate events. AT&T Stadium is in use 365 days a year, not just during football season, and the control room is the hub through which all audio signals pass for almost every event. “This room routes audio for the whole venue, to the bowl PA system, the X clubs, back-of-house, concessions and bathrooms, as well as broadcast feeds - you name it, we route it through here,” says Gary French, head of audio for the