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Lighting

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MTFX now manufactures both 'Poly Packman' snow and 'Paper Packman' snow. These are fully flame retardant, does not clog the machine and can be used for dressing a set. The company has also added to its sales inventory a complete range of CO2 fired confetti cannons which includes a basic Kanji kit.

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Essential Lighting has appointed Peter Feeney, Toby Hughes and Martin Lubach to its board of directors. This recognises the long standing commitment and contribution they have made to the business and will add a broader base of experience for the future development of the company. At the same time Simon Clench will be joining Essential as production electrician to provide support and a resident client link for its project managers.
Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

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Current Events International, a technical production company offering lighting, audio and production management services, equipment rentals, and systems integration, has relocated and expanded its San Francisco facility. The company has moved to a larger facility in Oakland, occupying over 17,000sq.ft of office and warehouse space. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, Current Events International is an award-winning technical production company with full service facilities in San Francisco and Washington, DC.

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In a radical overhaul of their dimmer portfolio, Strand Lighting has announced the first models in an advance new programmed known as the SLD Series. The range has been ruggedly designed from the ground up - creating an architecture based on optimum usability and built with state-of-the art, entertainment specific components. Designed to interface fully with Strand's proprietary ShowNet Ethernet system, the SLD dimming system provides a wide range of inputs as well as presets for its Outlook architectural system, along with 99 system wide control back-up presets with individual fade times.

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The annual LDI Show has just finished its run at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas and early reports suggest that this was a busy and successful Show (more show news in the next few days). One of the highlights of the event is the annual awards presentation which took place on Saturday, October 21. The Wally Russell Award for lifetime contribution went to San Miller, chief executive officer and chairman of Rosco Laboratories. Miller is the only person ever to be named both a Fellow of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Having graduated from Brown University in 1954, Miller served in the US Army until 1956, and acquired Rosco in 1958. The Best Widget Award went to American Harlequin for its new storage bag. In the design categories, the Lighting Designer of the Year Awards are divided into three areas.

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After several months of negotiations, Stagetec (UK) Ltd has been awarded the entire technical equipment supply and installation contract for the Zion Arts Centre in Manchester. The installation includes a lighting system with Compulite Micron 4D console, the new CompuDIM 2000 digital dimmer racks, Robert Juliat and Selecon luminaires fitted with Compulite colour scrollers, a sound system with Nexo speakers, Crown amplifiers and Allen & Heath mixing consoles, a full AV system with projection screens, digital projectors and monitoring equipment, curtain tracks and a communication and paging system. The project is funded by the Arts Council and is due to open towards the end of November. The project specification has been drawn up and will be overseen by technical consultant Steve Curtis from the Green Room in Manchester.

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The industry rumour-mill has gone into overdrive following the news of the arrest of four individuals in connection with irregularities at the Dome. The arrests came part-way through Scotland Yard's investigation into fraud allegations at the Dome and followed scrutiny of the way in which contracts were awarded. According to a report on the Financial Times' website on October 14, the arrests were to do with the procurement of a contract by a south-east London lighting maintenance company, and focused on a number of individuals working at the Dome. PLASA Publishing contacted both Scotland Yard and the NMEC, but both refused to comment, the latter only willing to say that its internal control system had identified the irregularities and the matter was now in the hands of the police.

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At the close of the LDI exhibition on Sunday evening at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, the show was being hailed as the biggest, busiest and most successful LDI yet. In addition to its regulars, the show boasted no less than 65 first-time exhibitors, while the visitors were out in force. Speaking at the LDI Awards ceremony on Saturday evening, LDI's Jacqueline Tien said that with more than 12,000 visitors through the doors, LDI 2000 had already outstripped last year's visitor total, with a day left to run.

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Fourth Phase, the newly branded lighting arm of Production Resource Group (PRG) has announced a number of staff changes and office relocations. Jeff Senkovich was recently appointed chief operating officer of the PRG Lighting/Audio Group. He has been with PRG since 1997, joining the company as south east regional manager. Industry veteran Martee Nuruddin, previously general manager of Fourth Phase Orlando (Vanco), is now a group vice-president of Fourth Phase, responsible for the rental sales and operations of Fourth Phase New Jersey (Production Arts), Fourth Phase Orlando, Fourth Phase Las Vegas (Cinema Services) and Fourth Phase Burbank (Production Lighting Systems. Mark Rabinowitz, formerly the Orlando operations manager, has been appointed general manager of Fourth Phase Orlando. John Monaco, meanwhile, has come on board as vice-president of operations at the Las Vegas location with

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During the recent PLASA Show, Zero 88 held a competition to win special 'silver edition' versions of its Elara and Alcora desks. The winner of the Alcora was ex-Rose Bruford college student, Ianto Guy who correctly identified that Zero 88 was founded in 1972. He was one of a number of students who benefited from using the desk during his studies. Zero 88 has supported the college's lighting design course through the donation of control desks since 1998, and is continuing its commitment by donating its latest Illusion 240 console in November. Guy now runs his own company in Powys where he provides education on lighting issues to amateur groups, small theatres and schools. He also acts as a consultant to National Lottery Grant winners. Ianto Guy is pictured receiving his Alcora desk from Claire House and Cheryl Ryan of Zero 88.

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At the LDI 2000 exhibition in Las Vegas last weekend, Vari-Lite introduced the Virtuoso DX console, the latest addition to the Virtuoso system, intended for those who wish to purchase their control system. The Virtuoso DX, which uses the same operating system as the Virtuoso, supports up to 2,000 luminaires and contains eight built-in DMX universes in a smaller, more compact package. A 3D graphical interface provides real-time status from all Vari*Lite luminaires and simulated feedback from all other devices. The console provides easy and consistent programming of Vari*Lite luminaires, DMX moving lights and conventional lights. The console supports up to 26 DMX universes and is equipped with an off-line editing program that allows 2D and 3D programming of all show data. The Virtuoso DX provides manual control functions including three hard encoders dedicated to intensity, pan and tilt co

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Continuing its free upgrade philosophy, Pulsar is offering all users of its Masterpiece control desk the latest 'Chase Generator' software free of charge. The 'Chase Generator' allows the creation of complex chase sequences from just a single scene memory, making programming quick and easy. The upgrade is supplied as an EPROM and is simple to install. To obtain the free upgrade software, contact Pulsar on 01223 366798 or your nearest Pulsar Reseller.

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Keith Dale has announced that he is to represent Group One's Elektralite brand of lighting control products outside the US. Dale, who recently left Celco, has a long association with Group One, who were previously the US distributor for Celco products. Group One, based in Farmingdale, New York, is the US distributor for Clay Paky and Pulsar, Celestion, XTA Electronics, Cadac and SPL of Germany. Elektralite manufactures universal lighting controllers for live and fixed installations, including the CP100, the CP10XT and the new CP20. Dale will develop the brand awareness of the Elektralite product outside of the US. More news on the venture is expected in the near future.

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PAI held a demonstration of exterior lighting techniques at Llanelli's Diplomat Hotel, on Thursday 26th October. With product from Griven, Studio Due, Martin, Enliten and Pulsar, The PAI Group (consisting of PA Installations, Vaughan Sound Installations and PA Technologies) demonstrated a wide range of exterior lighting effects that can be produced to highlight buildings and draw attention to the 'Brands' in residence. Technical Manager Andy Bonehill commented: "With the range of product on show we can demonstrate how even small buildings can benefit from an exterior lighting installation. The Mini City's from Studio Due are excellent value for money colour changers, whilst the Griven 'Kaleido' provides real punch from a relatively small unit. We are also using Martin Professional Mac 500 for moving image GoBo Projections mounted in an ECO Dome and a Martin Professional Ext 600 floo

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Osram Sylvania has launched a new interactive website, intended to be an on-line lighting workplace for its commercial partners and end users. The company has created a virtual lighting community where visitors can get all the news they need, from information on products and industry trends, to specifically tailored promotions.

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Skyhigh Stage FX has designed a new range of pyro detonating systems - the PDS Range. The company claims that this new range is one of the safest pyro firing systems commercially available. As soon as the PDS firing key is turned to arm the system, not only does the fire button illuminate, making it perfectly clear the system is armed, but also an LED is illuminated on the Smartpod, informing anyone at the business end, that the system is now armed. The LED is bi coloured, and serves two purposes. It not only warns personnel on stage that the system is armed, but it also informs them whether or not the pyro in the Smartpod has a circuit through it.A Smartpod will only pass an electrical signal to a pyro once. If a pyro fails to go off the first time, the system has to be re-set, before that pod will receive a signal again, thus eliminating a possibility of an unexpected explosion. Curren

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Vari-Lite has now completed the sale of its operations in Belgium, The Netherlands, France and Sweden to First Events BV, an investment company that owns Focus Showequipment BV in Amsterdam. According to Vari-Lite chairman Rusty Brutsché, the sale will allow the parent company to concentrate its attention on the development and sale of its Vari*Lite automated light which until recently was only available for rental. First Events will build on the reputation of production companies Focus Showequipment (Amsterdam) and EML (Brussels/Utrecht) which were acquired in the transaction. Together with operations built by Vari-Lite in France and Sweden, First Events intends to develop a branded international network of professional full service companies in northern and western Europe.

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The Broadway Lighting Master Class has lined up an eclectic programme for this year's event which takes place in New York from December 6-10, 2000. Tony Award-winning lighting designer Don Holder will present an in-depth look at his acclaimed lighting for Disney's The Lion King. BLMC has obtained a block of hard-to-get tickets for this sold-out Broadway musical as one of two major performance elements in this year's programme. BLMC attendees will also get to see Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular at the magnificently renovated home of the world-famous Rockettes. The visit will also feature a one-hour guided tour of Radio City and a technical discussion of the lighting after the performance with LDs Ken Billington and Jason Kantrowitz. The BLMC programme will feature some of the leading names form theatre. Joining creative consultant Jules Fisher (the upcoming Jane Eyre) will b

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Essential Lighting has appointed Peter Feeney, Toby Hughes and Martin Lubach (pictured) to its board of directors. This appointment recognises the long-standing commitment and contribution they have made to the business, and will add a broader base of experience to the board for the future development of the company. At the same time, Simon Clench will be joining Essential as production electrician to provide support and a resident client link for the company’s project managers.

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Two of the USA's largest sound reinforcement companies are to join forces, following the news that Vari-Lite International has entered into a letter of intent to sell Showco - its sound reinforcement business - to an affiliate of Clair Brothers Audio, Inc. 'The combination of Showco and Clair Brothers will create the most impressive sound reinforcement company in the world,' said Rusty Brutsché, chairman and CEO of Vari-Lite. 'The decision to sell Showco to Clair Brothers was based upon the long-term benefits to Showco's customers and employees as Vari-Lite concentrates its efforts on the development, manufacture and sale of its automated lighting systems and continued operation of our lighting rental and production services offices in North America, Asia and London.'Showco, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, was formed in Dallas, Texas by Rusty Brutsché and Jack Maxson and fr

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High End Systems debuted its newest automated luminaire, the x.Spot, at the recent LDI exhibition in Las Vegas. The x.Spot boasts enhanced projection capabilities through its sophisticated f2.0 (4:1) zoom lens (11° to 45° range) with steady aperture and flat-field focusing. The fixture’s high light output comes from an MSR 700W short arc lamp, optimized through a multi-elliptical reflector for maximum output.Modular construction lets each user customize the x.Spot and assemble the optimal feature set for every show. Gobo and effects wheels are placed in x.Spot's three user-configurable slots. Oversized, rotating LithoMotion wheels create dynamic image movement through the light beam. Another option is a comprehensive set of framing shutters, which accurately frame set pieces. The x.Spot offers state-of-the-art colour mixing as well as variable colour temperature correction (3000

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Martin Professional A/S has entered into an agreement with the owners of its two Argentinian distributors to establish a joint company, Martin Professional Argentina SA. As of November 1st, the newly established company will handle distribution and service of the group’s products in Argentina. Martin will hold roughly 20% of the shares. The establishment of the new joint company is a natural part of Martin’s market strategy, aimed at securing a foothold in the South American market, which is growing rapidly within the group’s areas of interest. The company will maintain its registered office in Buenos Aires.In Hong Kong, Martin has entered into an agreement to establish a similar company with its local Chinese partners. Martin Professional Hong Kong is expected to be operational before the end of 2000, and will take over distribution from its former Chinese distributor,

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Pete Barnes, assuming the triple role of LD, set designer and production manager, explained that he had been carrying the idea for the design for Mel C’s Northern Star tour in his head for some time.

"I went to the Pompidou Centre in Paris four years ago, and one of the works was a cave by Bernard Buffet, called Jardin d’Hivers. It was very simple - just a white landscape but with heavy black contour lines like you would find on a 3D map. Ever since seeing it I’ve wanted to do something in that style."

Barnes applied the concept to a design that had to be practical for small-scale touring - Melanie C’s first major tour plays to civic halls rather than the arena circuit tramped by the Spiceys. The floor and cyc are decorated with seemingly random lines, and a trio of stylistic trees adorns the stage, marked out in black and white. The trees themselve

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Vari-Lite Production Services has appointed Colin Brooker as regional sales manager. This is a highly significant role as the roll-out of the new Vari*Lite sales luminaires makes its impact felt on the European marketplace. Since joining the industry in 1992, Brooker has worked in numerous lighting production roles at venues including the London Palladium, the Theatre Royal Haymarket and the Shaftesbury Theatre, followed by years ‘on the road’ as lighting technician and board operator for a number of bands including Garth Brooks, Wet Wet Wet, Spice Girls, Finlay Quaye, Beautiful South and Simply Red. He also has wide TV experience, having worked on TV shows such as the MTV Awards, Miss World, Lord of the Dance and TFI Friday. Brooker will be working closely with Simon Roose, European dealer manager.
  1. Strand Appoints New CEO
  2. London Associates and Strand Win Award
  3. Martin’s Wizard
  4. The Lyric, Hammersmith
  5. Illuminating Video
  6. Toxic8, Cambridge
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