Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

Lighting

Details
May the force be with you - Star Wars fans are to feel the force of the seminal sci-fi films and their iconic soundtracks on stage in a major new show, which will launch next year. In Star Wars: A Musical Journey, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will play a live score as excerpts from the six films are shown on a cinema screen.

The show has been put together by director George Lucas' company Lucasfilm and composer John Williams. It will premiere at the O2 Arena in London in April before a European tour. It will not be a traditional musical with actors playing characters from the films, but will feature live narrators. The six Star Wars films have been edited down to two hours for the show, and Williams has "painstakingly rewritten" the music he wrote for the movies, a statement said.

The Royal Philharmonic will use an 86-piece orchestra and an a

Details
UK - The British Society of Cinematographers honoured Stan Miller of Rosco with the Bert Easy Technical Award for his contribution to lighting technology, at the BSC Operators Night at Elstree Film Studios on 14 December.

Stan Miller, who has owned the Rosco company since 1958 was travelling in Asia and asked Michael Hall to accept the Award on his behalf. Hall was introduced by Joe Dunton, executive vice president of Panavision, who spoke of new Rosco products being widely used in film today.

(Jim Evans)

Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

Details
USA - Billy Elliot - The Musical, which is enjoying success in both the UK and Australia, is now repeating that success on Broadway. And with Rick Fisher at the lighting design helm, the lighting is getting bigger. Fisher - who won Theatre Lighting Designer of the Year at this year's LDI Awards - has been using the automated ETC Source Four Revolution on the show since it first started in London, and has just finished work on the US show with one of the largest installations of Revolutions in town.

Across the rig, Rick specified over 100 moving lights - of which 50 are Revolutions. He explains, "I like to be able to light the performers with a good quality tungsten light - and the Revolution fits perfectly. With space in the rig always at a premium, it's good to have the versatility of moving lights, and so, wherever we had a good rigging position, I placed both a Re

Details
Sweden - Wireless Solution Sweden delivered an interference-free DMX signal at the 2008 Nobel Prize Banquet. This is one of the highest profile events of the year in Sweden. It is always held in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall on 10 December. In addition to the King and Queen of Sweden, approximately 1,300 guests attend the event, and it is broadcast live on television.

Per Sundin was again called in as lighting designer for the event, an honour bestowed upon him for 12 consecutive years. Ola Melzig was production manager, overseeing all aspects of lighting and video from build up through broadcast.

W-DMX was used in new ways this year. The Blue Hall, where the banquet takes place, is big space and the lighting is spread out in virtually every corner. "W-DMX is a life saver at this event," said Melzig, "In past years we've used it on moving lights that had

Details
South Africa - Johannesburg-based Gearhouse South Africa supplied full production, technical infrastructure and crew for the Miss World event staged at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg on 13 December.

Miss World 2008 utilised the resources, services and expertise of six Gearhouse Group companies - GHSA, LEDVision, SDS, In2Structures, GH Power and Havaseat - encompassing 10 technical production disciplines that provided design, rigging, structures, lighting, audio, video, specialist visuals, set building, power and seating in SCC's Pavilion venue. The event was broadcast live by SABC to 2 billon people in over 200 countries on 373 TV stations.

Tim Dunn's lighting design included the latest digital moving light fixtures from Robe Lighting in the form of 12 DigitalSpot 7000DTs and 36 REDWash 3-192s LED wash lights - the largest number of these newly launched units yet used

Details
UK - White Light has been appointed as lighting supplier for the Donmar Warehouse's season of drama at the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End. Designed to bring Donmar productions to a larger audience than can be accommodated in the company's own 250-seat Covent Garden venue, the Wyndham's season, which re-opened the newly refurbished theatre, features four productions: Ivanov, starring Kenneth Branagh; Twelfth Night, starring Derek Jacobi; Madame de Sade, starring Judi Dench, and Hamlet, starring Jude Law, over the course of a year.

Lighting duties for the shows, the first three directed by the Donmar's artistic director Michael Grandage and the last by Kenneth Branagh, are being divided between two of the Donmar's most frequent lighting collaborators, Paule Constable lighting Ivanov and Neil Austin the remaining three shows.

The two hav

Details
USA - ARRI's latest lighting products, the True Blue line of studio and Tungsten fixtures have won the International Forum (iF) Design Award. Introduced earlier this year, the True Blues offer innovative lampheads with over 30new improvements. The range was recognised by iF, an independent organisation that examines the success of design services in an economic context and promotes public awareness on the importance of design.

Over 1,000 companies from 39 countries applied 2,808 products for an iF design award this year. The competition is open to manufacturers and designers of mass-produced products that have been on the market for three years or less or are scheduled to go into mass production during the year of competition. The iF jury evaluated the many entries for the following: design quality, workmanship, choice of material, innovativeness, environmental compatibility, fu

Details
UK - LSC has announced that Aubs Tredget has recently joined the LSC team and taken up the role as business development manager for the UK and Irish markets. Working closely with White Light, the official UK and Ireland distributor, Tredget will concentrate on the continuing development of the markets whilst offering sales and marketing support across the product range for both the distributor and their dealer network.

Tredget studied marketing as well as film and TV production in his native Australia. On graduation he enjoyed freelancing in Australia and New Zealand for 10 years before finding himself in the UK accepting the newly created role of marketing manager for White Light. One of his first tasks in 2004 was to reinvigorate the company's brand.

After four years at White Light Tredget said: "It was time for a new challenge and taking on a business development role

Details
UK - 10 ADB Svoboda High Intensity Battens formed a distinctive effect for lighting designer Chris Bushell on the recent UK tour by The Hoosiers, with equipment rental from Neg Earth Lights.

Bushell, who was also co-designer of the tour's stage set, specified the nine-lamp Svoboda as part of a three-truss rig that surmounted a stage framed with a combination cabaret/theatre set with 2D cartoon-style set pieces silhouetted against the band's 19th century-style wallpaper backdrop.

He explains: "The band's performance is very visual, an excellent live act. They're always researching magic tricks coming up with new visual gags and buying new costumes. So I wanted to reflect this energy and excitement with quite a powerful light show, but with a design that was versatile enough to be dark and moody where needed.

"The whole look has a dark twist to it thanks to the band'

Details
UK - This month, Hever Castle in Kent is hosting a Christmas spectacular featuring carols and music, huskies and illuminated gardens. The organisers have created an opportunity to view Hever Castle by moonlight, as the castle is adorned with traditionally decorated Christmas trees and the gardens illuminated.

Philips has sponsored the lighting for the festivities which also features a giant snowflake projected onto the front of the castle. This was created using Martin Professional's new Exterior 1200 Image Projector.

The Exterior 1200 Image Projector is the newest addition to Martin's Exterior range of outdoor luminaires. Designed for night-time environments with emotional impact, the Exterior 1200 Image Projector brings new elements of drama to outdoor illumination: effects projection and animation, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

Details
UK - Barco has announced the release of a new High End Systems product for lighting control operation and programming. The Wholehog DMX Processor 8000 is designed to manage up to 16 DMX universes with ease while expanding the power and reliability of the Wholehog control system as a whole. By providing DMX and Art-Net output at a steady rate, the possibilities for lighting design are expanded. DMX Processor 8000 is 50 times more powerful than its predecessor the DP2000, says the company.

In addition, Version 3.0 software for all current lighting console products is now available. Version 3.0.0 represents major improvements to core components of the Wholehog software. Furthermore it adds support for the new DMX Processor 8000 and Art-Net output from the DMX Processor 8000 and Road Hog Full Boar console. Many network configuration windows, patch windows, and other dialogs have cha

Details
USA - Bandit Lites recently hosted a large bash at their Nashville, TN location to close out a year of anniversary festivities. Guests at the 6 December 6, 2008 event included a variety of Bandit's closest friends and colleagues as well as clients and employees that have supported the company in the last 40 years.

In addition to the anniversary party, 2008 was full of activities and announcements. In January, Bandit rolled out a six-part series featuring key milestones during their first 40 years. The January release covered Bandit in the late 60s-early 70s, February covered the late 70s-early 80s, and so on. The August release briefly recapped the entire history from 1968-2008.

In 2008, Bandit founder and owner, Michael T. Strickland was inducted into the East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame. He is now serving as Bandit Lites' chairman of the board. In addition to the celebra

Details
Germany - MA Lighting recently held a training week for its worldwide distributors. The objective of the training session at MA Lighting's headquarters in Paderborn was Prepare 2 Launch. 32 partners participated and learnt more about the features of the new grandMA2 series.

Similar to the current grandMA series, grandMA2 controls all kinds of lighting genres and takes the performance of grandMA to an even higher level, says the company.

The Training attendees studied the whole system including its additional new system components like the MA Network Processing Unit (NPU), grandMA2 remote, the very much enhanced software versions of grandMA 3D and grandMA video plus the new network protocol MA-Net2.

"This training week was the next consequent step in bringing grandMA2 closer to the markets", comments Michael Althaus, managing director of MA Lighting Internati

Details
USA - Barco has announced the release of a new High End Systems automated luminaire. The Showgun 2.5 automated luminaire begins shipping today. Showgun 2.5 offers 30 percent more photonic output than its predecessor via a new 2500-watt Philips MSR lamp source producing 130,000 lumens of light. High End Systems co-developed the lamp with Philips.

The Showgun 2.5 automated luminaire is a hybrid spot/wash beam combination which provides entertainment lighting design possibilities in three dimensions: first, in the air with hard or soft-edge beams; second, with images projected on the stage surface; and third, at the Showgun fixture itself by using an innovative LED tracking system.

(Jim Evans)

Details
South Africa - Christ Embassy Church of South Africa, based in Randburg, initially contacted Martin's South African distributor Electrosonic SA in 2007 for dimmers and TV lighting for broadcast purposes.

Pastor Milton, who was then in charge of the lighting, was looking for a reliable supplier who could supply and install quality lighting equipment with back-up and support to match. Electrosonic SA then supplied and installed dimmers, lighting bars and 2kW TV lights along with a control desk.

During 2008, Electrosonic set up a demonstration of the Martin range of lighting fixtures, as well as some options for house lights. After the demonstration it was clear that the Martin Stagebar 54S was a suitable choice for the application and the venue.

Head Pastor Ose, Pastor Tayo and Pastor Mighty were very impressed and an order was placed for 72 Martin Stagebar 54s along with six

Details
Singapore - The Victoria Theatre in Singapore has been refurbished. A new MA Lighting dimMA solution consists of four 19" racks with 228 channels of 3kVA and 12 channels of 5kVA. Each dimmer rack was equipped with one MA Network Dimmer Processor (NPD - two to operate the dimmers and two as a backup. If the main MA NDP fails the backup system takes over 'control' without interruption.

In the second phase a grandMA2 full-size console will be installed for control. As the shipment of the grandMA2 consoles will not start until 2009 a grandMA full-size series 1 will be used until the new console arrives.

Raymond Yong was the project manager. Desisti Asia Pte delivered the lighting equipment. The electrical contractor was Xin Bao.

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - Bandit provided lighting for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, held at the Waldorf-Astoria's Grand Ballroom in New York City, NY. In addition to the awards presentation, Grammy-nominated rock band Matchbox Twenty performed and comedian John Pinette also entertained the audience at the 5 December, 2008 event.

At the ceremony, driver Jimmie Johnson added his name to the NASCAR record books by becoming the second driver in the sport's history to win three consecutive Cup Series championships.

Lighting designer, Mark Carver oversaw lighting production at the event. Equipment included Vari*Lite 3000 Spots, MAC 250s and 600s, PixelRange Pixelines PAR 64s, Lycian M2 Spots, and ETC Source Fours. Lighting was controlled by two Grand MAs and NSPs.

Co-production manager, Steve Hoover, said that the VL 3Ks, MAC 600s and PixelRange Pixelines all acted, in part, as the c

Details
Australia - In celebration of its 20th anniversary, lighting control and automation specialist Dynalite will step out in 2009 with a new look, logo and image.

Founded in 1989 by CEO John Gunton, Dynalite has grown from a six-person team in the Australian lighting control industry, to a 130-person enterprise with offices in China, UK and the Middle-East. The company is also represented by a distributor and dealer network in over 40 countries. According to Gunton, the success of Dynalite - which is still Australian-owned with all manufacturing in Sydney - has been the result of picking people who are the best in their field and incorporating a customer focus into every part of the business.

"Our new corporate logo heralds the beginning of a new era for Dynalite," Gunton said. "It represents where we are today and where we see ourselves going. While the future of t

Details
USA - Bandit Lites recently lit an invitation-only dinner, funded entirely through private donations, which was held to celebrate the completion of the new University of Tennessee College of Business Administration facility.

The new six-floor, 174,000sq.ft building at the corner of Andy Holt Avenue and Volunteer Boulevard houses 34 classrooms, more than 50 offices for staff and administration, 35 team and presentations rooms, a technology centre, an investment centre and an atrium with a glass elevator.

Lighting designer Shawn Beaulieu chose to use ETC Source Fours, Martin MAC 2000 Washes, Vari*Lite 3000 Spots and Coemar LED Pars to light the event. Lighting was controlled by a Flying Pig Systems Wholehog II.

(Jim Evans)

Details
USA - At Chicago's Grant Park Barack Obama's 2008 victory speech ran through crowds, as MA Lighting's grandMA consoles (supplied by overall Lighting Contractor - Christie Lites) took front row. States lighting designer Bob Peterson, "The Obama campaign provided the statement for the directive, which was to elegantly transfer from the exuberance of the campaign to the seriousness of the presidency. What that meant to me was to deem victory night a serious and strong historical evening."

According to Peterson: "We massaged our single look over a course of three nights. The primary component was to light the President Elect to his very best advantage, then cleanly illuminate the 100,000 plus people in the park, all at exposures that would allow the skyline and city to be a backdrop in the network cut shot." Several disciplines of equipment including Martin, Sync

Details
UK - A host of celebrities and artists from the worlds of music, comedy and theatre came together for the annual Royal Variety Performance. Celebrating its 80th anniversary, the show returned to the London Palladium to be performed in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Headlining for 2008 were Take That, alongside artists such as Pussycat Dolls, Duffy and Leona Lewis. Recorded on 11 December, it was transmitted on BBC1 on Wednesday 17 December.

Lighting director Bernie Davis comments: "The key thing is flexibility. All the programming is done over three days on site, and we have to be ready for any plans to change. The only way to achieve the range of looks is to use moving lights."

The decision on which lights to use was partly influenced by the venue. Bernie explained, "We took over the Palladium dur

Details
UK - Supported by Milton Keynes Partnership, the city's main shopping centre thecentre:mk, Midsummer Place and local newspaper The Citizen amongst others, Light Fantastic was a free public event that featured a lantern parade, French aerialists Transe Express performing a display suspended from a 150ft crane, acrobats suspended from giant balloons, gas jets flaring into the night sky, stunning images projected onto landmark buildings and a futuristic Exploratorium, all set to a bespoke soundtrack.

"We were approached as event producers and asked to come up with a number of different ideas," explains Mark Harrison. "Milton Keynes is set out on a grid system and the city wanted something unique that, when the centre of the city was closed off, would work with the road system, naturally leading people from place to place, with the building projections u

Details
South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa's Cape Town branch swung into action supplying staging, sound, lighting and LED screens to production company Celebrity Services/Maximum Exposure for the annual festive lights switch-on ceremony along Adderley Street, performed by Mayor Helen Zille and attended by 70,000 people.

The show included performances by several high profile artists including headliner Loyiso Bala, supported by Loading Zone, Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels, Denim and Dozi, all MC'd by comedian Wayne McKay. The event was project managed on site for Gearhouse by Zane Carim.

The main stage was a 22m wide by 14 deep Layher construction, with a Slick Dome roof giving 12m of headroom.

Upstage of this was a Lighthouse high-resolution LED screen. Most of the artists performed before dusk, but it was dark by the time the main ceremony swung into action. This plus three del

Details
UK - HSL supplied lighting equipment and crew to the most recent leg of UK rockers Thunder's Bang tour, LD'd by Ian Bintliff. It's the second Thunder production tour that HSL has supplied, and was managed for the Blackburn-based rental house by Howard Dean.

Bintliff states, "It's always a pleasure to work with HSL - their kit, crew and service is second to none, and they also came up with a very good deal."

The trussing structure comprised of four 5m pre-rigged 'fingers', each fully loaded with 24 PARs, and each length also forming an integral architectural element of the design. The fingers fanned out from a central point at the back, and in between them were three triangular pods. Each pod was rigged with four Robe ColorSpot 575E AT moving lights, four JTE PixelLine LED battens and a string of ACLs.

The impact of the pods was maximised by being moved in an

  1. Maurice Marshal awarded MBE
  2. New Year celebrations with Stage Electrics
  3. i-Pix BB4 wins innovation award
  4. Martin lights Gatecrasher in Folkstone
  5. The Week in Lighting & Sound
  6. ESTA and USITT announce control workshop
Page 773 of 1185
LSi 40th sponsors - Large MPU - July-Aug

Latest Issue. . .