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Lighting

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The recent LDI exhibition in Las Vegas saw Art-Net’s full feature set being used. Operating over a wide area of the show floor via a radio link, Art-Net linked four booths - ACT Lighting, Wybron, Goddard Design and Artistic Licence - onto one lighting network. Remote configuration of all Ethernet nodes and ongoing monitoring of the network was done via Artistic Licence’s DMX-Workshop. Art-net was used not only to transmit DMX512, but was for the first time used together with RDM (Remote Device Management) compatible products. RDM products could be addressed, interrogated and updated remotely over a wide area network. The RDM products used were a Wybron CXI colour changer, and Goddard Design single-channel DMX converters, while the Artistic Licence booth made use of a Hubbell Entertainment HX 250 Profile - an RDM compatible moving light.

Remote access to the network from any

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London’s Lyttelton Theatre, part of the National Theatre complex, has become the first venue in the Britain to install Matrix - a new, advanced technology dimming system offering ‘silent’ dimming, free from harmonic distortion, developed by International Electronic Services BV of the Netherlands. IES’ UK agent, Technical Marketing Ltd, worked closely with the National’s senior project manager, Michael Atkinson, who was responsible for selecting Matrix as the key component in the venue’s new state-of-the-art dimming installation. This modular, plug-in dimming system also represents an evolution in design, combining advances in dimmer technology with client and consultant requests for greater versatility in mechanical construction.

The Lyttelton installation was included in the first part of an ongoing electrical upgrade, and provides power to the stag

Riedel - Banner - August 25

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5 Star Cases, the Cambridgeshire-based flightcase manufacturer, has expanded its sales team with two new members. As from 1 November, Andy Harford has been appointed to look after all 5 Star's retail sales. This is Harford’s second spell at the company, having previously worked for 5 Star as a sales manager on the road. Harford will be mainly office-based, but is available to make visits to customers if required. Harford has a wide knowledge of the DJ Market, being a part-time DJ himself.

The latest addition to the sales team is Dave Peacock: based in Manchester and starting on 6 January 2003, Peacock will become 5 Star's North West sales manager. With 14 years’ experience in every aspect of the flightcase industry, having worked for BSH Transit cases and Condor, Peacock will aim to improve service and support to 5 Star’s existing customers whilst developing new conta

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Power over Ethernet use within the entertainment lighting industry took another big step forward last month, when Pathway’s Pathport DMX management system earned its certification for compliance in the application of power over Ethernet from PowerDsine, an industry leader in power over Ethernet power applications.

Pathway is the first industry manufacturer to earn this certification. It was also the first industry adopter of the evolving IEEE 802.3af power over Ethernet standard in 2000, incorporating the concept in Pathport, their new DMX management system. Pathport went on that year to win a coveted LDI Product of the Year Award at its launch in Las Vegas. Pathport Ethernet devices provide users with a powerful and economical arrangement for managing, patching, merging, prioritizing and distributing up to 64 universes of DMX. This certification by PowerDsine validates Pathway&r

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Elation Professional and Robe Show Lighting have announced the formation of Robe America. The new company, which is a joint venture between the two suppliers, will be the exclusive North American distributor of Robe Show Lighting products.

Based in the Czech Republic, Robe Show Lighting manufactures a variety of intelligent stage and club lighting products, including the widely acclaimed AT Series of rotating head fixtures, as well as special effects and DMX controllers. "We're very pleased to be working with Robe," said Chuck Davies, president and CEO of the American DJ Group, parent company of Elation Professional. "Our company has been very impressed with Robe's design capabilities, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and commitment to serving the stage and club lighting markets. Robe's products have earned the company a loyal international following, and we're

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Lighting designer Bryan Leitch and his company Siyan has invested in more new Avolites lighting control equipment to service the Coldplay world tour, currently delighting audiences in Europe. The Avo kit on the tour includes two Sapphire consoles, plus two Avolites ART2000 dimming systems.

One Sapphire is used to operate the 4-way Radlite PC-based video system, designed and operated by video director Nick Whitehouse. The RADLite footage is fed from seven black and white cameras onstage and played back onto four upstage screens. Above that is another level of video, projected onto a stunning 48ft (14.6m) wide by 10ft (3m) high semi-circular screen. This shows IMAG footage supplied by a 4-colour camera/Barco G5 system, provided to the tour by XL Video. The second Sapphire is operated by Leitch himself and runs all Coldplay's lighting.

With the expected longevity of the Coldplay tour an

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Scott Church joins Selecon Performance Lighting from December 2002, as regional sales manager, based in an office near Baltimore, Maryland. Church comes to Selecon with extensive sales and lighting industry experiences. His most recent position was sales manager for Baltimore Stage Lighting Inc, where he spent more than 15 years. He has also held positions in the past with Scandinavian World Cruises, US DOD/USO (Department of Defense/United Service Organization) tours and many other technical and entertainment positions.

Church said: "The innovative products, knowledgeable factory staff and excellent growth potential made it an easy decision to join. I hope to create long-term relationships with our dedicated dealers, architects, designers and many others."

Selecon's Jeremy Collins commented: "Scott joining the Selecon team is a further step in bringing to the US marke

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Tom Stoppard’s trilogy The Coast of Utopia is just coming to the end of its Royal National Theatre run; not for those with short attention spans, the three sequential plays - Voyage, Shipwreck and Salvage - are set across Russia and Europe, and relate an epic story.

Set designer Bill Dudley was struck by the shortness of the play’s scenes and the frequency of location changes. His design had to allow for quick, simple scene changes, which provided the opportunity to use 3D-computer modelling: it was but a short step then to the use of computer-animated projections to provide instant scene changes.

With 75 scenes, kinetics were key to the set and lighting design. The production sees a partnership between Dudley, lighting designer David Hersey, DHA’s projection specialists Wyatt Enever and Steve Larkins, the RNT’s new video department and Dick Straker, its vide

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The Marquee Club, one of London’s most high profile live music venues, has re-opened at a new location in Islington, North London. After a £4 million fit-out, the club has been transformed into a 1,200-capacity club/live music and entertainment venue. The Marquee brand is now owned by former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart of the Artist Network, and entrepreneur Mark Fuller.

The lighting and visual elements for the new Marquee have been designed and co-ordinated by Dan Cook, who vacated his post as technical manager of the Ocean Music Centre in Hackney to take up the role of lighting manager. Cook designed a flexible lighting rig to cater for a diverse range of artists.

For its rock and roll credentials, Entec Sound & Light was asked onboard by Gary McGovern, Dave Stewart’s studio maintenance manager and the club’s technical consultant. Entec supplied the lighting e

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This year’s MOBO awards recognized both new and established artists, from Miss Dynamite and Nora Jones, to the longer-toothed Jimmy Cliff and Chaka Kahn. The production team were closer to the latter in years, but they helped this year’s awards ‘Kick Ass’, as a star-studded occasion.

The atmosphere was more like that of a gig than an awards ceremony, due in large part, to its tight production and planning. The show itself changed format considerably this year, with the guests having dinner before the show in a separate draped area before moving into the main auditorium for the awards.

The event’s production manager, Mick Kluczynski, of MJK Productions, expanded: "We changed the layout in order to keep the show fresh. I brought together my regular team of suppliers, who make a consistent and professional team for the big awards shows I run each year.

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Elstree Light & Power (ELP) recently invited L&SI to an open day at its Millennium Studios home in Elstree, North London. The specialist supplier of lighting, power, rigging, transport, touring studio facilities and custom broadcast solutions to the television and film industry, was throwing open its doors to the production industry to reveal its highly resourceful, diverse and successful operation.

A number of high profile lighting designers from the worlds of television and live events attended the day, including Mark Kenyon, Vince Foster, Ian Dow, Mike LeFevre, Bernie Davis, Graham Banks, John Pope and John Fyfe.ELP had adorned the various areas of the extensive premises to provide a flavour of what they can offer: their mobile broadcast studios and production vehicles, including those returned from ITV’s coverage of the 2002 Formula 1 season, were erected by the roadside. The

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The whole slickly formulated Pop Idol phenomenon is the popular culture movement of the moment. With Will and Gareth topping the UK charts, the live Pop Idol concept is now flying high in the US with a30-date American Idol tour, produced by Simon Fuller and 19 Management, with production handled by Chris Vaughan’s CV Productions.

The show is a superlative example of high production values, with Chris Vaughan’s CV Productions team featuring many who made the first Pop Idol tour gel. With 12 trucks and 24 sold-out UK arena dates, this is some achievement in these politically jittery times.

With Vaughan himself in the States for American Idol, the UK tour is production managed by Kenny Underwood and Debbie Bray, with tour management by Bill Barclay. XL Video UK is once again the live video equipment supplier, working in conjunction with Blink TV - the latter hiring the gear

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Coe-tech/Robe UK's active sales team continues to expand with the addition of David Linger as sales manager. He will be based on the road and at Coe-tech's HQ in Northampton. Linger has worked in the moving light business for the past decade, most recently as sales director of one of the UK's leading manufacturers - MAD. Previous to that, he was at Coe-tech, and brings his considerable technical and industry experience back to familiar territory.

At Coe-tech/Robe UK, Linger will be working with the extensive Robe Showlighting product range, for which Coe-tech is the exclusive UK distributor. The Robe range was instrumental in Linger's move: "I saw the fixtures at PLASA and thought they were excellent in every way," he commented. "I knew this was the right company and the products into which to plough my energy, and I'm very pleased to be back on board with Coe-tech.&quo

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15,000 people gathered at St George’s Plateau in central Liverpool to see a free mixed-media extravaganza that fused live performances, lasers, fireworks and an interactive snow storm. The event was promoted by Liverpool City Council and ensured that the city was turned on for an early white Christmas.

The event was designed and produced by LCC’s Cultural Events Unit, which sorted all the necessary technical and health and safety infrastructure and dealt with all site co-ordination. The show was run by event manager Nick Handford, working with Lee Forde (CEU Manager), Eddy Grant (CEU Operations Manager) and Kirstie Blakeman (CEU Events Officer). The City’s Christmas Illuminations were switched on by Stephen Gately, ex-Boyzone pop star.

The CEU team’s biggest challenge was squeezing an ambitiously-sized production into a small area full of beguiling and histori

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At the Swiss Expo 2002, 60 Clay Paky V.I.P. projectors illuminate the breathtaking pool in the ‘CY-City Pool’. The Cyberhelvetia stand is found in the Arteplage Biel-Bienne’s Forum at the Expo, combining the appearance of a traditional Swiss bathing complex with more modern forms of meeting and communicating in cyberspace. Today, going for a swim together no longer requires water: now, swimmers simply dive deep into the Cyberhelvetia stand’s multi-faceted ambience of extended virtual reality.

The stand holds 200 guests and can accommodate up to 600 visitors per hour. The project was developed by Wiesbaden’s ‘3 de Lux’ and required 130 metric tons of material extending over around 1150sq.m on two levels: the exhibits have utilized 110 metric tons of wood, 11.5 metric tons of glass, eight metric tons of steel and 12 kilometres of cable. The Wiesb

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It's been an autumn of parties for the White Light Group - and winter looks set to continue the same way, but with one major difference: autumn was political parties, winter will be festive ones! In the political arena, White Light Group members were responsible for lighting both the Labour and the Liberal Democrat Party Conferences.

Having worked with the LibDems during their 2001 Election Roadshow, Colourhouse were once again entrusted with the Party's lighting, working again with lighting designer Tim Ball and set designers The Original Propshop. Meanwhile, the Labour Party conference called for lighting with a rig that included 50 moving lights and ten 5kW fresnels supplied by White Light and The Moving Light Company, with the installation overseen by a team led by production electrician Stuart Crane. At least one attendee seems to have thought that the rig was overkill: the Daily

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Jonathan Adkins has returned to Lighting Technology Projects Ltd (LTP). Terry Reeves, general manager of LTP stated: "Jonathan’s departure from LTP, in advance of its acquisition by the PAI Group, left a void in the organization’s skill base. Everybody within the PAI group and Jonathan’s customers are extremely pleased he has chosen to return to the fold." Paul Adams, chairman of the PAI Group, added: "We are pleased to have Jonathan joining us, and know that he will prove an invaluable asset to both LTP and the PAI Group."

(Ruth Rossington)

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Following the sale of its Vari*Lite product manufacturing and sales division to Genlyte Thomas Group (as reported on this site last week), Vari-Lite International, Inc has announced organizational expansion and investment plans for its rental division, VLPS Lighting Services.

"We have provided professional rental services to the entertainment industry for 21 years and we will continue to build on this well established foundation," commented Rusty Brutsche, CEO of Vari-Lite International, Inc. (to be renamed VLPS Lighting Services International, Inc.). "The sale of our manufacturing division enables us to focus all of our attention and resources on pursuing and developing growth opportunities in the rental market." VLPS will continue its strategy of providing equipment for rental along with commitment to customer service and support. The company will also continue

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Syncrolite is offering a $10,000 reward for the return of an SX7K Xenon Skylight which was stolen from LDI 2002 in Las Vegas on October 22. In addition, the reward rises to $25,000 if information is provided which leads to the arrest and conviction of the thieves.

The SX7K is the flagship product of Syncrolite’s award-winning Xenon Skylight line and one of the largest theatrical lights in use today, so not something easily concealed. Its case measures 57" x 39" x 39" and weighs 560lbs. The company guarantees that all leads will be treated in confidence and the reward will be paid in two parts, $10,000 immediately on return of the light and $15,000 upon arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. If you have any information, contact Gary Carnes at Syncrolite on the e-mail below.

(Ruth Rossington)

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S. Leonard Auerbach, ASTC, founder of Auerbach + Associates Inc. has announced that both of the company’s divisions have changed their names to more accurately reflect recent company expansion. The name of Auerbach + Associates, Theatre and Media Facilities Design Consultants, has been changed to Auerbach · Pollock · Friedlander, Performing Arts/Media Facilities Planning and Design. Auerbach + Glasow, Architectural Lighting Design, is now Auerbach · Glasow, Architectural Lighting Designers and Consultants.

"The new name recognizes the firm’s growth and evolution from a San Francisco-based consultancy to a national entity with a thriving New York City office and a busy Minneapolis project office, marking yet another step in the ongoing development of the firm," said Len Auerbach.

The change of name also reflects the rise of two of the company’s principa

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transtechnik Lichtsysteme is expanding its national sales network, adding four new dealers to further serve the German sales regions. The dealers will be authorized to sell an extensive portfolio of transtechnik Lichtsysteme, ETC, and Avab brand products.

The new transtechnik Lichtsysteme dealers are WIBA Theater-und Studio-Equipment of Cologne; Think Abele of Nufringen; Fischer Vertriebgesellschaft of Berlin and Lucifer of Wolfenbüttel. In Germany, ETC Source Four-line luminaires will continue to be distributed exclusively by Paderborn-based Lightpower, whilst WYSIWYG lighting-visualisation software will remain exclusively distributed by Arcus Licht-und Präsentationstechnik of Hoevelhof. transtechnik Lichtsysteme, which also supplies advanced studio automation systems and components, was acquired from parent company transtechnik GmbH by ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.) in Ma

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Lighting Services Inc, a leading US manufacturer of track, accent, display and fibre optic lighting systems, is opening a UK operation.

The New York-based architectural lighting company, whose new BP150 Series Metal Halide Image/Framing projector won the award for Debuting Product of the Year for Architectural Lighting at the recent LDI show in Las Vegas, already enjoys success in Europe through distributor Enliten. However, with the products in demand throughout Europe, and equipment in retail stores across the continent, plus other installations such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the company is keen to establish a more formal presence in the European market. A UK operation will also enable the company to work directly with the designers who are now doing work all over the world.

"Lighting Services collaborates with designers worldwide and in recent years we have become

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Twenty-year laser industry and special effects veteran, Kevin McCarthy, has launched a new firm, Holo-Walls, specializing in producing large holographic environments and effects that are available for sale or rental to the entertainment and display industries.

Previously with Laser Media until 2001, he moved on to work with Hiro Yamagata, producing spectacular holographic art installations throughout the world - the largest being the critically acclaimed 'NGC6093' at the Ace Gallery in New York, which comprised of 25,000sq.ft of holographic mylar panels covering floors, walls and ceilings.

In his new venture McCarthy has a total of eight patterns with five patterns producing varying multi-coloured effects while three patterns simulate the raw look of steel such as galvanised metal, diamond deck or brushed aluminium. "Holo-Walls are basically a product that incorporates a thin fi

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This season’s opening at Madison Square Garden for the New York Rangers was a spectacular theatrical mix, featuring kabuki drops and FireFly projectors, along with dozens of moving lights. The Firefly projectors were used by Dierson to project large format images of the season’s players on to free-floating white drapery which then dropped, right on cue, to the ice.

Lighting designer Patrick Dierson and assistant lighting designer/programmer Demfis Fyssicopulos pre-programmed the entire show at the Prelite Studio in New York City. Their console of choice is the grandMA from MA Lighting, distributed in North America by A.C.T Lighting Inc, and supplied, along with the rest of the lighting equipment by Light Action of Willmington, Delaware.

"This was a pretty interesting show from the control point of view," said Dierson. "We were using the main grandMA console

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