Frances Thompson has announced that she is leaving the US-based production industry web venture, Shoptick.com. Launched last year, Shoptick.com offers ‘e-business for show business’ with production resources including online inventory tracking and project management, product and manufacturer listings and crew resources. Thompson, who previously worked for US truss manufacturer Tomcat, was responsible for marketing at Shoptick.com. She told PLASA Media that Shoptick.com was in the process of downsizing in order to concentrate heavily on product development. The company’s Kansas City staff will now handle marketing as well as continuing to provide the level of service already established.

London-based Optimusic had an interesting demonstration of a potential application for their product at the Frankfurt ProLight & Sound exhibition in April.

Using just one of the company’s OptiBeam units (see L&SI January 2001), the demonstration featured a display window in a booth, in front of which a single light beam projected down onto a reflective floor-sticker. With the OptiBeam in reverse mode, anyone breaking this beam, intentionally or otherwise, triggers one of a pre-programmed sequence of cues, via MIDI.

Designed by Raymond Haeck of Optimusic’s Belgian distributor Demon, the display was a mock-up of a product showcase. The first cue activated the opaque grey LCD glass, revealing the product (a running shoe!) behind it; subsequent breaks of the beam started the product turning on a revolve, triggered a musical soundtrack, switched on a fan to create a backdrop o

Late March in London saw several industry organisations come together to contribute to an evening of presentations, the theme of which was Entertainment Lighting and its Influences. Members of the Society of Light & Lighting (SLL), the Institute of Lighting Engineers (ILE) and the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) were present to hear several speakers outline their own particular experiences.

Peter Phillipson of Future Group Lighting Design talked about the differences between the disciplines of theatre and television lighting, compared to architectural lighting. To illustrate his point, he demonstrated the differences between a number of lighting fixtures. He also went on to discuss the critical role of the lighting programmer and introduced Stuart Porter, who had worked alongside LD Andrew Bridge on the production of Aida at the Royal Albert Hall. Dave Isherwood of The Moving L

An ongoing technical refurbishment at the Salisbury District Council-owned City Hall, which recently saw motorised hoists and rigging improvements bringing it up to Health & Safety standard, has now seen the venue upgrade to new Strand LD90 digital dimmer racks. While the previous analogue dimmer system sat exposed in the gallery, the conversion of a storage room has provided a dedicated area for the six new racks, which offer 144 channels of 2.5kW dimming (with RCD earth leakage breaker options on the power blocks). At the same time ten Strand SL 15/30 Zooms and eight Strand Cantata F soft-edge fresnel lanterns have been added to the lighting rig.

Work at the 953 (seated)-capacity concert venue was carried out by Edinburgh-based Northern Light, who successfully tendered for the specification prepared by technical consultants, Theatretech, and supplied all the Strand equipment. The Sco

The Adam Hall group has announced its agreement with California-based RPM Optoelectronics to distribute RPM’s innovative new Racklight throughout Europe. Racklight represents a new dimension in glare-free directional focused lighting for rack cabinets. Technical advances incorporated in the ‘Racklight’ provide visually uniform, brilliant illumination unavailable in other products. The unique design of the UV-resistant acrylic light guide provides heat-free, concentrated light with no hot bulbs to handle or change, and is guaranteed for five years. Racklight illuminates one metre of rack space with cool, even light. Built with high quality materials around dependable solid state lighting, ‘Racklight’ is a safe and durable addition to any rack equipment, and is available in a variety of light source colours.

Industry veteran Fred Bentham died on Thursday 10 May at the age of 90. Though his career was long and distinguished, he will probably be remembered most for his ground-breaking work on the Strand Light Console which he designed to run a light show at the 1932 Ideal Home Exhibition. Unlike the control desks of today, the desk was designed to be 'played' like a piano. The funeral will take place on Thursday 24th May.

Steve Terry, president of the Fourth Phase Systems Group, will leave the company on May 25th. Terry, one of the original owners of Production Arts, which was acquired by PRG in June 1998, is departing to assume the role of vice-president of professional services at Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC). In that role, he will be able to utilize his skills and experience on a much more diverse range of projects and will work closely with Bill McGivern, director of systems, and Sarah Spencer, director of technical services, to further strengthen ETC's industry-leading position in those areas.

Industry veteran Bill Groener will become the Northeast Regional VP for the PRG companies and will assume responsibility for lighting and audio rentals, large format projection (rentals and sales) and all permanent installation projects. Groener has been with PRG since 1998 and brings extensive experien

Al Ridella has joined automated lighting manufacturer High End Systems in the role of Northeast Region Sales Manager, and is now based in High End's New York City office. The industry veteran's resume includes years of experience at a number of familiar companies. Most recently he was production coordinator at Fourth Phase New Jersey. His career began straight out of college with Strand. From there he moved to Vanco as head of electronics, then to Bash Theatrical where he handled systems sales. That led to a rental coordinatorjob at Production Arts, then finally to PRG (whose name changed to Fourth Phase while he was there). "High End Systems is a good company," Ridella says. "They take care of their people and customers, and they make good products. I look forward to working with High End's authorized resellers in the Northeast territory."

The 46th Eurovision Song Contest at Denmark’s national stadium, Parken, featured one of the largest automated lighting rigs ever assembled for a single show. Danish lighting rental company SeeLite A/S, who recently took over Martin Danmark’s rental division, supplied all the lighting for Eurovision 2001 (subhired through rental company ProCon of Germany). The package included nearly 900 automated, computer-controlled fixtures including over 700 of Martin’s most successful and popular lights, MAC luminaries. The massive rig also included over 1000 conventional luminaries - all in all a 4.2 million watt lighting system. The Eurovision Song Contest has featured Martin lighting for the past several years, including in Israel in 1999 and Sweden in 2000. By comparison, last year’s Eurovision show in Stockholm incorporated just 300 computer-controlled fixtures. Set-up be

New Malden, Surrey is the new home for Direct Lighting, the latest addition to the Lighting Technology Group of companies. Established over 10 years and under the leadership of directors Ian Moodie and Steve Copping, Direct Lighting is well-known in the industry for the distribution of light sources and related products to independent retailers and commercial end users. The company is already networked to take full advantage of the Group's new National Distribution Centre in Corby where a new computerised internal order processing system has been installed to mastermind and speed up deliveries to its customers. The new address for Direct Lighting is: 4 Shannon Commercial Centre, Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PT, UK.

Bandit Lites Inc has promoted Ben Dickmann to the role of director of marketing. Dickmann joined Bandit Lites in June 2000 as a marketing associate and quickly developed the company’s marketing efforts. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University with a BSBA in Marketing.

When the switch was flicked on the impressive 400ft high St John’s Beacon tower in Liverpool, it was a bold, dramatic statement to mark the first phase of an ambitious City of Light project being undertaken by the Liverpool Vision organisation.

City of Light is a long-term plan to architecturally light several important landmarks in Liverpool, and is scheduled to unfold over the next five to seven years. St John’s Beacon lies at the heart of Liverpool: its elegant form is one of the most distinctive shapes on the skyline.

Lee Forde, the lighting designer for the project, chose 10 Studio Due City Beam luminaires - supplied to Slough-based Stagetec by Studio Due’s UK distributor Coe-tech. Stagetec also designed and installed the lights and a custom-designed interactive control system, based on radio DMX links and operation via a telephone handset, for the St John&rsq

ETC Europe has announced today that Mike Lowe will be retiring from the position of managing director at the end of May. Lowe has been instrumental in the continuing expansion of ETC Europe and has been intimately involved in developing the European markets for ETC. As part of the ongoing international expansion of ETC, improvements to operations are taking place to further leverage the extensive resources available in its network of offices worldwide. Bill Gallinghouse, vice-president of business development, assumes responsibility for European sales, and Dick Titus, chief operating officer, assumes responsibility for leading ETC Europe operations. ETC's European offices will remain in London and the company will continue serving its clients with the support of its dealer and distributor network.

Zero 88 has appointed Rolight Theatertechniek BV as a European dealer. The company, based in The Netherlands, currently distributes throughout the country via six dealers, Lichtpunt Theatertechniek in Groningen, Pulcinella in Arnhem, Aukes Theatertechniek in Amsterdam, Aveq in Den Haag, Rouvoet and Stagelight who are both based in Den Bosch. Mark Beens of Rolight commented: "The market place is very interested in Zero 88 products thanks to their ease of use and competitive price." To increase Zero 88's presence in the Dutch marketplace, Rolight have organised a dealer meeting at the beginning of June. Tim Burt, Zero 88's product manager will be visiting the event to lend a helping hand with product demonstrations.

This month, DHA Lighting has sold its 1000th Digital Light Curtain. The company has supplied seven pitching six lamp Digital Light Curtains (DLC) and three standard six lamp units for the Australian production of Mamma Mia, already hugely successful in London, Toronto and the USA, taking DLC sales over the 1000 mark. Due to preview from 31 May at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, with the premiere on 9 June, rumour has it that Mamma Mia is scheduled to run until 3 November, though there have been unconfirmed reports that the show may move to Sydney.

What is now DHA's DLC began its life as a prototype Light Curtain produced for the English National Opera's 1976 production of Dalibor and in 1978 24 Light Curtains were used in Evita to create the innovative production concept of a 'white out' effect. The first motorised Digital Light Curtains were installed on Miss Saigon in New York and t

The release of Version 4.2 software for the highly successful Jands Event 408 and 416 lighting consoles heralds a new era in desks designed to control both conventional and moving light fixtures. The Event 408 and 416 are hybrid consoles featuring all the familiar characteristics of a two-preset memory console along with powerful controls and options to select, manipulate and operate almost any modern lighting instrument. This makes it sutiable for operators making the transition into complex multi-function moving head fixtures, as well as people making a first-time purchase and needing to ensure they have a desk with maximum flexibility.

Version 4.2 software adds a new Effects Processor which provides an easy path to the sophisticated effects that are possible with today’s moving lights. The Effects Processor provides a range of basic position movements as building blocks, with

This year’s PLASA will see the future of automated lighting and the application of high-powered video projection, move a step forward with the launch of High End Systems’ new product, Catalyst. Developed for HES by English design company, Wynne Wilson Gottelier (WWG), the alpha version of Catalyst created a considerable stir at the Showtech Exhibition in Berlin where it was soft-launched earlier this month.

Mounted on the front of a Barco ELM R12, a 12,000 ANSI lumens output, triple-DMD video projector, Catalyst allows an image to be moved smoothly and positioned accurately, time after time, within a global envelope. As it is video-based, Catalyst allows truly unlimited colour mixing, with a selection of masks that act as framing shutters or overlays on video clips. The system is delivered with hundreds of gobo patterns, that can again be overlaid, including the entire DHA

Following the news of the recent death of Fred Bentham, we have been advised that his funeral will take place on Thursday 24 May at 2pm at Mortlake Crematorium, Mortlake Road, Richmond on Thames (nearest station Kew Gardens). All are welcome to attend the funeral, which was devised by Fred and has no religious content. A celebration of Fred's life and work is being planned for late June at a West End Theatre. Further details to follow.

Richard Martin Lighting have recently purchased a further 20 Clay Paky Stage Zoom 1200s for their hire stock. This purchase means that RML now have a grand total of 100 units, which are regularly used in TV shows, theatres, exhibitions and several other applications. As Steve Wells, RML’s operations manager enthuses: "The Stage Zooms are very powerful and versatile projectors and increasing our stock was a natural choice, due to their high popularity and demand."

The entire future of automated lighting and, the application of high powered video projection, moved a big step forward at Showtech in Berlin this week, with the European soft-launch of High End System’s new product, Catalyst. Developed for HES by English design company, Wynne Wilson Gottelier (WWG), the alpha version of Catalyst created a considerable stir at the show. Mounted on the front of a Barco ELM R12, a 12,000 ANSI lumens output, triple-DMD video projector, Catalyst allows an image to be moved smoothly and positioned accurately, time after time, within a global envelope. As it is video-based, Catalyst allows truly unlimited colour mixing, with a selection of masks that act as framing shutters or overlays on video clips.

The system is delivered with hundreds of gobo patterns, that can again be overlaid, including the entire DHA and High End libraries. All of these facilit

London's Southwark Cathedral has been described as Shakespeare's church, where clerics and commoners alike congregated amongst the infamous bear baiting pits, brothels and theatres in the surrounding area. However, having been immersed, and to a degree obscured, by a network of roads, railways and warehouses for the past 100 years, the glory of Southwark Cathedral has now been reinstated. On Saturday 28 April hundreds of people turned out to see former South African president Neslon Mandela re-open the cathedral, as the culmination of a restoration and building programme. Southwark Church, previously a monastery, became Southwark Cathedral in 1905 and now, nearly a century on, an interior exhibition linking the building's past with its present takes visitors on a remarkable journey through time. Myriad Productions Ltd was commissioned to research, curate, design and install the exhibitio

AC Lighting will use the PLASA Show to underscore its recent appointment as a distributor of Canadian manufacturer MDG’s range of non-stop haze, fog and low fog systems. Visitors to AC’s stand will be able to see the range of MDG machines which employ CO2 gas for their propellant and have an in-built Automatic Purging System (APS) which purges the heating module after the first heating cycle and after every emission of fog, preventing residual build up and clogging. The complete range includes the Atmosphere and Touring Atmosphere Haze Makers, the MAX 3000 and MAX 5000 Fog Makers, the ICE Fog low fog generator and ICE Fog Touring low fog generator.

A unique hazing system is encompassed in the Atmosphere models that utilizes a safe mineral oil that is heated to a precise temperature and infused with inert CO2 gas to exponentially reduce particle size (0.5 - 0.7 microns). Th

Following a reorganisation of its business, Playlight is hosting a massive auction next Tuesday, where literally hundreds of items will come under the hammer. On the lighting side these include a collection of lighting desks and dimmers, and just about every type of lantern and moving light under the sun. For special effects, there are smoke machines, mirror balls, projectors and ultra-violet systems, whilst on the audio side, a large stockholding of speakers, amplifiers, mixing desks and microphones will be auctioned. Rigging and trussing will also feature, as will a range of office furniture and general equipment.

The auction takes place on Tuesday 22 May in London at 860 Coronation Road, Park Royal, London and begins at 11am. All items in the auction can be viewed on Monday 21 May from 9.30am to 4.30pm and on the day of sale.

For a catalogue call +44 0117 930 4020.

iLight Ltd, a specialist in lighting control systems, continues to expand its team with the appointment of Crispin Rock as project engineer. Rock joins iLight from an entertainment lighting background, latterly working as a freelance lighting engineer with the television industry and on the London Eye attraction. Prior to this he spent 10 years in Australia developing his technical skills on a varied range of projects. As project engineer, Rock will be responsible for ensuring the smooth management of installations on site, liaising with electrical contractors and lighting designers. He will also use his electrical engineering skills and 'keep his hand in' by undertaking the role of commissioning engineer on certain projects. And he has already 'hit the ground running' working on two iLight projects in London - commissioning the O² Centre, a cinema and shopping complex and Atlantic Hous

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