USA - Last summer, eight of ADJ’s flagship Focus Profile automated luminaires were utilised heavily by Lighting Designer Jamie Roderick for the Wisconsin premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame by former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung. The musical was staged by Skylight Music Theatre at the Cabot Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and featured an impressive production that employed gobo projections from the Focus Profiles extensively to recreate the atmospheric interior of the famous cathedral. Based on Victor Hugo’s Gothic novel of the same name, Dennis DeYoung wrote his musical adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in the ‘90s and it debuted in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Centre’s Polk theatre in 1996. It was well received by audiences, generated positive reviews, and was set to transfer to Broadway, however illness meant that Denn
UK - London-based lighting designer Rajiv Pattani, formerly senior technician at the Bush Theatre, recently deployed a pair of the new compact Martin ERA 150 Wash fixtures for the production of Kim Davies’s play Smoke at the Southwark Playhouse. In search of ‘the perfect super-compact yet high performing wash fixture’, Rajiv discovered the Martin ERA 150 Wash. “I was interested in finding the next new compact fixture, suitable for low-ceiling, tight theatre applications that would deliver great colour balance and a wide zoom range.” he explains. Co-directors Polina Kalinina and Júlia Levai presented Smoke in the round, with an abstract non-naturalistic design by set designer Sami Fendall for the kitchen in which the play is set. Acting as the main colour wash the ERA 150’s were able to successfully bring the LD’s concept for the intense d
Europe - Full-service video and lighting company 4Wall Europe continues its expansion of equipment dedicated to the broadcast world with purchase of Elation Professional’s KL Fresnel 6 FC PO and KL Fresnel 8 FC PO lighting fixtures, both pole-operable units optimised for the specific requirements of on-camera productions. Darren Poultney, managing director EMEA at 4Wall Europe, commented on the investment: “With their outstanding performance, versatility and reliability, the new KL Fresnel fixtures are the perfect solution to support the growing demand for high-quality lighting in broadcast projects, from commercials and TV shows to film production, product reveals and corporate events. “Whether we're working on location or in the studio, the KL Fresnel FC POs deliver amazing results, giving us the flexibility to adapt to any situation and create stunning visual
Germany - Architectural LED lighting manufacturer Anolis will showcase its newest products at the Prolight + Sound expo in Frankfurt next week, highlighting new innovations across all three of its current key ranges - Ambiane, Calumma and Eminere. Anolis is on Stand D23 in Hall 12.1, adjacent to the main Robe booth. The full Eminere range is now available with new optics, and as either multichip (MC) or single chip light sources, a feature highlighted for the first time at Frankfurt. Anolis’ Eminere range builds on the success of the original ArcLine Outdoor fixtures, offering precision optics and available in four sizes and models, so perfect for a wide range of exterior and interior applications like flood lighting, wall grazing or washing and general accent lighting. Anolis’ Calumma range currently offers five different sized fixtures utilising high effic
Germany - Artistic Licence will highlight some of its recent and popular technologies on Stand D25 in Hall 12.1. The close proximity to both Robe and Anolis underlines the synergy existing between all three companies and brands, and the high footfall to these booths should ensure plenty of additional exposure for Artistic Licence’s lighting control innovations. Five key products from each of Artistic Licence’s main product ranges will be highlighted - sunDial quad, candlePower octo, railSplit uno, Commissioner multi and rackLynx octo. PLASA Innovation Award winning DMX512/RDM controlled 4-channel sundial quad, 1kW total, mains-powered trailing edge dimmer has become a best seller for theatres, cinemas and venues swapping from halogen to LED lighting as it eliminates the flickering in some bulb ranges with high resolution 8-bit or 14-bit control, scene playb
USA - Among the most watched and anticipated entertainment and broadcast moments of the year - the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show - saw superstar Rhianna rock back to live performance at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, USA, in a showstopping performance accompanied by a slick, elegant and super-epic production. The set was defined by seven flying platforms on which the artist and dancers started the show, mirrored on the pitch below by a striking red runway dancefloor where the action shifted for the latter half of the 12-minute segment. Choreographed by Parris Goebel, this piece of art was lit by Al Gurdon, who has sprinkled his magic on the event for several years, with cameras directed by the legendary Hamish Hamilton. Al needed to ensure that all performers on the moving platforms were evenly and consistently lit for the whole time as w
Germany - LMP Lichttechnik, distribution partner for Follow-Me, has been working to support the sales of the new scalable Follow-Me Track-iT system which is now available in Germany with both design and production companies Essen-based Rocketchris, and Virtual&Live in the Munich region. Both companies have become avid users of Follow-Me 3D as their go-to follow-spot system. Christian Glatthor, owner of Rocketchris has been using Follow-Me since the beginning of Follow-Me 3D and the LMP Partnership with Follow-Me. Well known to the Follow-Me team, Chris’ invaluable knowledge of Follow-Me has often been used for testing of beta features and also strength testing for Follow-Me Track-iT for outdoor production use. He uses Follow-Me widely across his companies work, for design, rental and operation. Recently Follow-Me 3D SIX Systems were used by Rocketchris, de
Germany - Digital solutions company HTFmediserv & Co has invested in Vari-Lite VL5LED Wash luminaires from Signify to provide high intensity lighting capabilities and eye-candy effects for its tradeshow and events customers. The move follows a change of direction for the company after the Covid pandemic, with the new business focusing on high-quality lighting and AV solutions for clients, in addition to digitisation processes implementation. HTF already holds a series of Vari-Lite VL3500 luminaires and the VL5LED Wash fixtures will complement the offering. “We have experience with the Vari-Lite brand, which still enjoys a good reputation,” says HTF’s managing director, Thomas Füllengraben. “The VL5LED Wash attracted me with its proven design, its high intensity and new additional functions. On the one hand, we can use it specifically to illuminate exhibit
UK - SLX has announced it is providing lighting, control and power to the theatre adaption of Virginia Woolf's novel, Orlando. London's Garrick Theatre welcomed the debut of this captivating play in November 2022, with its star-studded cast, visuals and directorship stealing the show according to critics' reviews. "As specialists in supplying long-term kit to theatres all over the UK, our team is driven to overcome whatever challenges transpire to help ensure every performance is a success," says Ruari Cormack, business development manager at SLX. "It's been an honour to support Howard and his team design this rig, bringing the play's journey through four centuries of gender-defining history to life in the historic Garrick Theatre." Working with lighting designer Howard Hudson for the first time, SLX’s Ruari Cormack supported the design team in develop
UK - White Light has recently added new ETC fixtures and consoles to its rental inventory including 50 Halcyon Titanium moving lights with Ultra-Bright engines. The Halcyon range – which consists of the Gold, Titanium and Platinum – is the powerful, latest addition to ETC’s family of automated fixtures. Engineered to fit into any design, these new framing luminaires offer increased output at a reduced cost and weight. Halcyon Titanium outputs at 40,000 lumens and is packed full of features, a big zoom range and a best-in-class colour system. It was selected as a good all-round fixture for WL’s hire stock, meeting a broad range of their client’s requirements for a modern LED moving light. WL has also invested in ETC’s ColorSource Spot V and Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures as well as Eos Apex 10 consoles and Eos Apex 24K Processors. The Apex consoles are ET
Singapore - Located 11 floors above the Vista Exchange district, atop the celestial inspired Star Performing Arts Centre, The Star Loft offers breathtaking views from its interior space and enchanting rooftop terrace. This panorama, however, was not the only impressive site that visitors to Chauvet’s Singapore Open House got to enjoy in early April. The two-day event treated guests to an array of innovative, new products from Chauvet Professional and its sister brands, including Kino Flo and ChamSys. Featured in this lineup was the Color STRIKE M motorised strobe, along with the Maverick Storm 4 Profile and Storm 2 Profile, COLORado PXL Bar 16 and PXL Bar 8, the STRIKE Array 2, STRIKE Array 4, the Rogue Outcast 3 Spot, and more. Kino Flo was represented with products such as the Free Style Air, while ChamSys showcased the MagicQ Stadium Connect, MagicQ MQ70 and QQ2
Germany - Robe will be showcasing six new products – iForte FS, iEsprite, iPainte, iTetra2, iBeam350 and Footsie – at Prolight+Sound 2023, as well as highlighting several other innovations including RoboSpot with full networking capabilities. Robe’s iSeries range of products will take centre stage, taking the concept of IP-rated lighting fixtures to a whole new level, and a spectacular live performance show and lighting extravaganza will again be integral to the stand and run five times a day. The third in Robe’s highly topical All Environments trilogy, this is designed to illustrate the waterproofness and durability of iSeries products with an eye-catching, entertaining, and relevant narrative. Robe’s On the Road show truck / mobile showroom will be parked up on a paved area in front of Hall 12 for people to check out ahead of its summer 2023 f
USA - At the 21st Parnelli Awards in Anaheim, Bandit Lites was once again named Lighting Company of the Year and Michael T. Strickland accepted the honour. “Bandit is again humbled to be so honoured by the industry we love so much,” stated Bandit founder and chair Michael T. Strickland. “To have our peers bestow this honour upon us is amazing. Everyone at Bandit works tirelessly each day to allow our clients to ‘experience excellence’, and that is what drives us. “The number of great firms in this industry makes the win even more special,” he continued. “Bandit will always go to extra lengths to assure the highest quality of service and people in the industry. And speaking of people, I wish to thank the entire Bandit family for making this happen. Without them, there is no Bandit.” This is the eighth Parnelli Award for Bandit Lites, who has bee
USA - There are things you will always see at a Parker McCollom show, like the rising young country star getting down close and personal to interact with fans. From the moment he walks out on stage, the ACM’s New Male Country Artist of the year, puts things in high gear with his melodic voice, rolling out a welcome mat for fans, inviting them to get up to dance and sing-along. Such a warm, embracing mood lends itself to being supported by an inviting tungsten-like glow of light, believes McCollom’s lighting director, Alex Sanchez. And that’s precisely what the Texas-born star is getting on tour with a Chris Lisle lighting design that often immerses the star and his band in an evocative amber glow created with Chauvet Professional fixtures. “I personally love using ambers,” said Sanchez. “They warm up the stage beautifully and looks great in photos. This yea
Portugal - Europalco and Vallis Capital Partners have announced ‘a capital partnership’ between the two organisations. This partnership will allow Europalco to continue its growth, through regional expansion and business segments. This partnership is based on constant innovation and the introduction of new features in the market, which are already characteristics of how Europalco is viewed in the sector, says a joint statement. “The partnership with Vallis Capital Partners is a new stage in Europalco's development,” says Pedro Magalhães, founder and CEO of Europalco. “We will continue with the same identity and culture that characterises Europalco, offering our customers the most innovative solutions in terms of events and shows, allowing us to participate in projects of great dimension and renown nationwide and internationally. Investing in new technologies
Canada - Quebec’s KOTV is wrapping up the first season of Zenith, a new concept in live musical competition broadcast by Radio Canada, where song stars of different ages fight for the votes of an audience of 100 judges representing four generations. Lighting designer Martin Labrecque selected Ayrton Zonda 9 FX fixtures for the show in what is believed to be their first TV broadcast appearance. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America and Eric Belanger is the show’s lighting programmer. Zenith aims to unite viewers from the Baby Boomer generation and Generations X, Y and Z in front of the small screen. Each week four well-known singers cover hits from yesterday and today in a battle to get the most votes from a studio audience of 100 representing those same generational demographics. The audience is divided into four
UK - Manchester Opera House has recently replaced its in-house followspots by purchasing two Robert Juliat Arthur LT 800W LED followspots from White Light. Arthur LT is a long-throw version of the original Arthur followspot with a narrower beam (4°-10° zoom range) and an output that exceeds that of an HMI 2500W followspot. It has an enhanced light quality with a CRI >94 and a sound level that is quieter than any of its discharge rivals, all of which helps to ensure Arthur LT is as suitable for theatres as for concerts or big arenas. The Arthur LT units replaced Manchester Opera House’s aging Cyrano followspots which had given a good 15 years of service at the busy venue. White Light’s business development manager, Jonathan Haynes, first introduced Arthur LT to Stuart Graham, head of technical operations at the Ambassador’s Theatre Group, owners of Manc
Europe - MA Lighting has released grandMA3 software version 1.9. This software release presents ‘massive workflow improvements and new functionalities’. In addition, there are lots of improvements in overview and visibility. The encoder bar got a first clean up and better graphical elements and additional information for the user lead to an enhanced programming experience. The software release version 1.9 also provides multiple workflow improvements and massive optimisation in network and multi-user environments. MA Lighting offers grandMA3 v1.9 public webinars! 45 minutes with the most important changes and functions of the new software version, presented by the MA Lighting Tech-Support. This is the link to register for one of these free webinars on 18., 19. and 20. April:
Germany - Visitors to the Elation stand in Frankfurt (Hall 12.1 B49, C49) can can meet the team and discover how Elation can help you achieve your goals ‘through the power of positive rELATIONships’. Elation offers offer a broad range of automated lighting complemented by professional Obsidian lighting control and Magmatic atmospheric effects. Visit Hall 12.1 B49, C49 at Prolight+Sound to learn all about our newest cutting-edge products. The Proteus Brutus is a powerful 75,000-lumen LED wash fixture with IP65 rating designed for piercing beam looks and high-intensity washes in any environment. The Proteus Excalibur is a powerful IP65 beam moving head ‘set to assume the role as the new 21st Century searchlight’. With extreme power (20,000 lumens), narrow 0.8° beam (3.5° expander lens available), and wide front aperture, it excels at creating aerial lig
The Netherlands - For 18 days this winter, Het Amterdames Winterparadijs turned RAI Amsterdam into an enchanted world that filled 38,000sq.m of indoor space, (plus 5,000sq.m outdoors), with many attractions including a market, massive indoor-outdoor ice-skating rink, snow play area, ferris wheel, apres cross country skiing trail, silent disco, and a variety of food and drink options, as well as on-stage performances by various artists. Providing the technical production that supported this captivating event, produced by 4PM Entertainment, was Unlimited Productions. For the lighting that was so essential to setting the “winter escape mood” at the attraction, the production specialist relied on over 600 IP65 rated Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Splendit. Having IP65 rated units for the event was essential to Unlimited Productions achieving its vision for
Hungary - Pop-rock band the Bagossy Brothers Company marked their tenth anniversary with a spectacular concert at Budapest’s MVM Dome recently where a complement of Claypaky lighting fixtures helped deliver an unforgettable experience to a crowd of some 20,000 fans. The band’s lighting designer Ádám Pintér selected Claypaky Sharpy Plus, Sharpy Plus Aqua, Sharpy, A.leda B-EYE K20 and HY B-EYE K25 fixtures for the rig. According to Pintér, the basis of his lighting plot was 40 Sharpy Plus and Sharpy Plus Aquas, selected for the versatility of their spot functionality and light beams. “The light and speed of the 24 fixtures placed on the catwalk in front of the stage is still a classic,” he says. “They served as a particularly good effect for the faster, more electronic parts of the show.” But the real key elements of the show were the 16 HY B-EYE
Slovenia - The Križanke Summer Theatre (Poletno gledališče Križanke) in Ljubljana, is one of the city’s favourite venues, utilised by the city’s Ljubljana Festival in summer, as well as for a variety of concerts and shared with the School of Design and Photography. The 3400 standing / 1400 seated capacity arena is located inside the courtyard of the former Holy Cross Monastery, right at the heart of Slovenia’s capital. During the pandemic, an elegant new load-bearing tensile fabric roof was installed – this was planned for some time – which facilitates production elements like lighting and sound, as well as providing year-round weather protection. New Robe moving lights were purchased as part of a major upgrade to the house lighting system and a major investment by the municipality. Križanke did have house lights previously, explained technical manager
USA - Pharos Architectural Controls has confirmed attendance at this year’s LightFair, where the brand will be officially launching its newest controls solution, Expert, to the US market. The exhibition, which is now a biennial event, is taking place at the Javits Centre in New York. It brings together a five-day conference, held between 21-25 May, and a three-day trade show between 23-25 May. Visitors to Pharos (booth 1769) will be able to explore and interact with Expert, with members of the US team on hand to provide demonstrations of Expert, Designer, and the remote management and control solution, Cloud. Pharos representatives will include Thomas Ladd, sales director; MG, regional sales manager; Chad Kuney, sales manager; and Katrina Maurer, technical support specialist. Expert, the latest addition to the Pharos portfolio, is an innovative and straightforw
Germany - ArKaos– launches its new powerful and flexible VS4 media server at the Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt next week. The ‘industrial strength’ design and build of VS4, complete with custom rock-solid motherboard and a fast graphics engine, offers 4 x 4K outputs (or 16 x HD) and runs on Windows 11. Its sturdy, no-nonsense appearance reflects its place in the ArKaos VS range of creative visual control products – which also includes the popular VS1 – of which it is the ‘big brother’. The aesthetics have been developed in keeping with the contemporary style of InMusic’s dynamic brand portfolio. Running seamlessly with the latest ArKaos MediaMaster software, VS4 interfaces and works with any lighting console, and is targeted at high end television studios, streaming facilities and broadcast scenarios. With this exceptionally rugged engineerin
