Belgium - International show, visual and production design studio Painting with Light has enjoyed a busy summer and autumn back to full speed working on a wide range of projects and events embracing theatre, television, and live broadcast. The company is headed by Luc Peumans, who comments, “It was fantastic for our team and all our clients to be back doing live shows with real audiences after two years of pandemic restrictions. While this ‘dark’ period forced us to be imaginative and inventive in creating entertainment and engagement, there is nothing like feeling the buzz and excitement of shows packed with crowds, anticipation, and real human experience.” Tien Om Te Zien, a popular Sunday night VTM music show ran from 1989 – 2008 and was then rebooted in 2014 and 2021. The 2021 was such a success that the broadcaster revived the concept once again to run
Lithuania - Kaunas State Musical Theatre has been under reconstruction. UAB Sonus exsertus in cooperation with AB Light were responsible for the architectural lighting solution for the building's façade. Sonus exsertus deployed a range of the Italian-based DTS Lighting projects for this project. According to the concept designer Arvydas Buinauskas the client's goal was to give liveliness to the theatre and make it more playful during the dark hours of the day. Artistic lighting was designed with the aim of transforming the building to the theme of a certain event. One of the challenges for the designer was to first give the very idea of how lighting a building must be done, highlighting the unique elements of the façade in pastel colours, so that it would not be annoying and that it could blend into the urban landscape environment. With such a structure located in t
USA - Rock the House Entertainment Group is a growing, Cleveland-based entertainment and production company with national reach. They cover several core segments from Fortune 100 company annual meetings, over the top social events such a Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, weddings and high-end celebrity gatherings, as well as national headlining acts and major music festivals. Founded in 1999, the company has expanded into several vertical markets over the course of its history and has consistently relied on Elation lighting the last 15 years to successfully realise all manner of projects. As a company that may design production elements for thousands of youths during school homecoming one day and head to Bonnaroo the next to work with top tier national artists, versatile products that can fulfil roles on an assortment of different projects are preferred. “We like lights that scale w
UK - Creative and technical solutions company, Visual Elements, has added the Prolights StudioCob Plus range, supplied by A.C Entertainment Technologies, (AC-ET) to their inventory. This Kent based business offers a full range of services from the dry hire of equipment to productions of any scale. The scope of their projects meant that they required a more energy efficient solution than the traditional PAR cans. Following discussions with the ACET team, the client decided upon the Prolights StudioCob Plus range, based on versatility and competitive price point. Opting for this range, Visual Elements received powerful units that have a high CRI and the capability to produce beautifully smooth pastels, vivid saturated colours and a full range of flattering white tones. Yvette Pinnington from the Visual Elements team comments, “The Prolights StudioCob plus
The Netherlands - Busy and vibrant live music venue, Doornroosje, in Nijmegen has invested in more Robe moving lights for its two main performance halls, which are action-packed with a full programme – currently staging around double the number of pre-covid shows such is the demand. Doornroosje is run by the local Nijmegen town council and managed by a full-time staff of bookers, admin and technical staff including Robbie Van Reen, who has been head of lighting since 2009. Twenty Robe T1 Profiles, 12 x T2 Profiles 12 x Spiider LED wash beams and eight LEDBeam 350s have recently been added to their house lighting rigs. These were all delivered by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux. The venue’s history with Robe goes back many years. In 2014 when Doornroosje moved to its current site in the city centre the current investments started, initially in MMX Spo
USA - City Theatrical’s Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology is now included as a standard feature in all three new ColorSource V fixtures, launched worldwide via ETC’s launch event on 10 November. The ColorSource V product family provides a range of LED luminaires that bring a richness of colour, increased brightness, and leading technology at an affordable price point to live entertainment lighting professionals. The integration of Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology into these new ColorSource V products comes as part of the strategic direction to make Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM technology and its benefits, including flexibility, scalability, and ease of use, available to a wider range of live entertainment end users. “Whether you’re making the next blockbuster film or the next middle school theatre production, Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM solves proble
USA - LDI visitors to Chauvet Professional at booth 2243 will have no trouble figuring out where the latest additions to the Maverick Storm series stand when it comes to output and performance. Making their world debut at LDI this year, the Maverick Storm 4 Profile and Storm 2 Profile feature a lumen output of 62,255 and 28,000 respectively. Like their stable mate, the previously introduced Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash, which will also be shown at LDI, the new hard-edged profiles were designed to provide a quieter, more reliable performance in a lighter weight package. “We have been in the forefront of developing IP65 rated fixtures in response to the demand from our customers who want more versatile products that can be used indoors or out,” said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “However, we’ve always recognised that an IP65 rating alone isn’t enough, which is w
USA – The University of Houston recently took advantage of the University Outreach Programme from Vari-Lite, which enables emerging lighting design students to elevate their production looks and facilitates hands-on professional fixture experience. The latest collaborative project saw Andrew Archer, who is undertaking a BFA in Technical Theatre Production, create an inspired design for the play The Learned Ladies using VL2600 SPOT luminaires. Archer took delivery of six VL2600 SPOT fixtures as part of the programme, working with Bobby Harrell, Vari-Lite sales and applications specialist at Signify, who spearheads the initiative. Archer says he was impressed by the powerful features and capabilities of these luminaires and harnessed their power to design the lighting for the production of The Learned Ladies, adapted from the Molière original. “We upda
USA - When lighting designers are looking for a workhorse washlight but also want something novel to add to their designs they often turn to the Proteus Rayzor 760, Elation’s popular LED wash, mid-air, and specialty effect light in one. Now available and shipping is the Proteus Rayzor 1960, a more powerful big brother that ‘opens up its distinct visual qualities to shows and productions of every scale’. With the power to handle long-throw applications, the Proteus Rayzor 1960 is part of Elation’s Proteus line of IP65 luminaires for use under adverse conditions and in any environment. The Proteus Rayzor 1960 is driven by 19 x 60W RGBW LEDs - all independently controllable. The fixture produces an intense and well-defined beam of over 18000 lumens. It can zoom tight to 5ﹾ for a very narrow collimated beam or spread wide to 55ﹾ for even stage coverage. The Zoom Over
USA - Robe is back at LDI 2022 in Las Vegas, action-packed with a range of new products and lighting technologies on Booth 1943. New products shown at a US expo for the first time will include Robe’s iForte moving light and the iForte FS (follow spot) luminaire - both IP65 versions of the original Forte. Also shown will be the TX1 PosiProfile, which combines the worlds of manual and automated lighting into a single fixture. Robe’s expanding iSeries of weatherized products also includes the iSpiider LED wash beam and iBeam 250TM which will join the iForte on Booth 1943. These iSeries fixtures will be integrated into a vibrant Robe live entertainment concept, the All Environments show, complete with a specially created lightshow presented in a purpose-built area. Other current products presented will be the new Painte and TetraXTM – a 360-
USA - Alice In Chains (AIC) hadn’t performed a live concert in three years when the band took the stage on 10 August at The Star Lake Pavilion in Seattle, but as the fans outside Pittsburgh discovered that night, and as thousands more at 29 other venues would learn over the next three months, it was well worth the wait. Keeping pace with the band’s 15-song set and capturing their sounds visually, was an intense, multi-faceted lighting design by Scott Holthaus with assistance from Cort Lawrence that included over 40 Chauvet Professional fixtures, which like the rest of the rig, was supplied by Bandit Lites. Like the music it supported, the Holthaus-Lawrence lightshow started out with a bang. Moments after AIC walked on to a darkened stage, illuminated only with hints of deep blue light, the rig erupted, led by the five raked LED video fingers over its centre. Rising
USA - Brompton Technology will demonstrate its latest tools at LDI in Las Vegas. Brompton will be exhibiting in booth #1005, showing its Tessera LED processors and the latest version of its accompanying Tessera software. Tessera Software v3.4, released last month, introduces new features including Extended Bit Depth and Stacking, to help boost both LED panel performance and production efficiencies. Extended Bit Depth unlocks up to 3.3 additional bits of precision, which offers 2 to 3 stops of additional dynamic range on camera, and also reduces visual artifacts. Stacking streamlines production by allowing for multiple processors in a setup to be controlled together in unison, rather than users having to apply adjustments to each processor individually. Additionally, Brompton’s 10-year anniversary falls during LDI. The company will celebrate at the LDI Circle Bar on S
Europe - Wireless LED lighting specialist Astera has launched the RuntimeExtender – a ‘battery plate’ tool for lighting techs working with Astera products in all sectors including live shows and events. RuntimeExtender is compatible with most Astera products – Titan, Helios & Hyperion Tubes, HydraPanel, PixelBrick, etc – and allows connection to an external battery so spare camera batteries can be used to power the Astera units in situations where the internal batteries might run out e.g., protracted shoots, longer running events where longer than standard run times are required for the lights. This could be on video shoots, live or streaming / hybrid events and conferences, and especially when some Astera fixtures might be positioned in inaccessible and challenging places. When the connected lights are running at low level or switched off, the int
USA ETC has introduced High End Systems Halcyon and extended the ColorSource family with the addition of ColorSource V. Created to meet the needs of rental operations, theatres, and opera houses, Halcyon is a family of framing fixtures designed for ‘the exacting demands of lighting production’. Offering reduced cost, reduced weight, and increased output, Halcyon fixtures are ‘engineered to fit into every spec for every design’. Offering matching feature sets and performance across all fixtures, the Halcyon range consists of Gold, Titanium, and Platinum. Halcyon Gold outputs 31,000 lumens and is ideal for short to medium throw applications. Designed for medium to long throws, Titanium outputs 40,000 lumens. And for the most extreme light at the farthest distances, Platinum offers light output at 54,000 lumens, with 70,000 lumens in boost mode. With a new indust
USA - Nate Haber of Extraterrestrial Visuals believes in serving the client. “I think it’s important to note that design and programming are part of a service industry,” Haber says, in the middle of working with Lorna Shore on their national The Pain Remains Tour. “My main goal is to align my vision with that of my client. They know what they like and don’t like. Of course, on this tour, it helps that my design preferences line up with their vision. “This is a metal band, and an extremely heavy one at that,” said Haber. “So yes, our show is dark and moody, but in the age of social media, it’s also important that fans be able to see the band, especially one that’s as well-known to them as Lorna Shore. It’s also important that they be able to take good photos and videos. So, I try to strike a balance and add a higher level of light at different moments.
USA - The ambience, smells, tastes and cultural whiffs of traditional Italy and its Tuscany region can be sampled by diners delving into the cuisine offered at the Romanza restaurant in Reno, Nevada, USA. Part of the Peppermill Resort Hotel & Spa property, the whole Romanza eating experience is now newly intensified with an Anolis interior architectural LED lighting installation that has brought extra life and vibrance to this foodie hot spot. The new lighting scheme – comprising Anolis Eminere and ArcSource 4MC luminaires – was designed and specified by John Priebe, production lighting lead for the whole Peppermill complex, who co-ordinates lighting for all areas with color changing luminaires installed in addition to lighting the numerous events and conventions that are staged in the complex. The Anolis fixtures replace an older lighting scheme that
USA - Elation invites new and existing customers alike to join their team at LDI Booth #1142 for a chat and a look at our newest, premiere product launches. Featured products will include the leading IP65 Proteus line, including the new 75,000-lumen Proteus Brutus LED wash effects moving head, the powerful Proteus Excalibur sky beam, the linear Proteus Rayzor Blade LED wash and FX light, and the big brother to the popular Proteus Rayzor 760 LED wash effects luminaire, the Proteus Rayzor 1960. New fixtures in Elation’s high-performance, high-value Fuze series are also on the docket, including the full-color-spectrum Fuze MAX Spot/Profile LED moving heads, and the full-spectrum Fuze Wash 500 LED Fresnel moving head. Visitors can also get up close with new luminaires in Elation’s broadcast-optimized KL series, including the full-colour KL Profile FC ellipsoidal frami
USA - The Gaslight Anthem played the Holmdel, NJ PNC Arts Centre amphitheatre on a blustery October night, the New Brunswick band’s biggest local concert in eight years. A bold and powerful Matt Bodner lighting design featured fast-moving aerial effects, and a variety of and bold colour palettes, as well as plenty of audience lighting. Bodner, who lit the band on their summer tour, that culminated at the PNC Arts Centre, beefed up his rig for this hometown show, with extra Chauvet Professional fixtures from Squeek Lights. “I used Maverick 20 Force Spot fixtures, 26 Rogue R3 Washes, and 16 STIKE Array 4 in the air,” said Bodner. “I designed the lighting plot for the fly package as well, using it for our shows Wembley Arena and Manchester Apollo in the UK. For this show, we added 14 Rogue R1 BeamWashes and another 18 STRIKE Array 4s, for a total of 32 blinders.
USA - Eighty-eight Ayrton MagicPanel FX multi-function luminaires, controlled by a grandMA3 lighting console, play a key role as Post Malone’s Twelve Carat Tour gets underway this fall. The Ayrton and MA Lighting brands are both exclusively distributed in North America by ACT Entertainment. Post Malone’s Twelve Carat Tour is in support of his new album, Twelve Carat Toothache. The North American tour kicked off on 10 September in Omaha and will wrap in mid-November with a pair of dates in Los Angeles. The new tour reunites Malone with Dan Norman, owner of LA-based Evolve Lights, Inc., who serves as his lighting designer and technical director. Norman previously designed one-off shows and a festival run for Malone last year, acted as the lighting designer for his Billboard Awards 2020 performance, and assisted on Malone’s Runaway Tour in 2019. Norman
UAE - Ayrton and Procom Middle East have entered into a distribution agreement for the Middle East region. Procom will take the responsibility for the marketing, sales, technical support and development for the Ayrton product catalogue in the GCC including UAE and Saudi Arabia. Ayrton is one of the world’s most recognised manufacturers of entertainment and architainment LED moving lights. Ayrton’s products are a mainstay in world tours as well as the most prestigious venues around the world. Procom has a strong portfolio of professional lighting and stage equipment that goes hand-in-hand with Ayrton. Procom offers customers project and product support services across the region. It services the market from its state-of-the-art showroom and demo-space in Dubai, as well as a service centre that will extend Ayrton’s factory warranty. “As the region welcome
USA - Obsidian Control Systems is returning to the LDI show in Las Vegas 18-20 November and invites designers, programmers and operators to Booth #1142 to sample a host of new releases that includes several new lighting control products under the Onyx lighting control platform. Visitors will have a chance to demo the new NX1, a scalable, full-featured lighting console that offers the complete Onyx experience without compromises in an ultra-compact package. The NX1 offers a slate of professional features and is built from the latest in industrial components. A compact, motorized fader wing, the NX P, as well as a small USB-powered control surface for Onyx, the NX K, both suitable companions to the NX1 console, will also be on display. The latest developments in the Onyx platform will also be featured, from powerful NDI video input connectivity to new fixture parameter
Germany – Stage lighting and rigging specialist Christie Lites has opened a Berlin base to strengthen its Central Europe operations. Located in the north of the city, Christie Lites’s Berlin shop, which is already fully operational, offers local industry expertise and a diverse and well-serviced inventory to the company’s existing network across the USA, Canada, and the UK. Christie Lites CEO, Huntly Christie, comments: “We are pleased to be launching our European operations in Berlin, alongside the Clair team at the Black Box production facility. We have plenty more work to do to bring our operations to scale but are well on our way after only six months in the market.” The new location has also seen Christie Lites expand its global account rep team, appointing respected industry professional Torsten Mund as their first account/rental representative ba
Germany - Munich’s traditional weekend of classical music, Klassik am Odeonsplatz, by Pro Events Veranstaltungs GmbH, which is held in the historic city-centre square named after the former concert hall on its north-western side, took place in mid-July 2022. Over two sold-out nights the event hosted a programme of classical music from the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra on the first night, conducted by Daniel Harding, and an evening of movie theme music played by the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle ahead of his three-year residency as conductor of the Munich Philharmonic next year. The performances were enjoyed each night by an audience of 8000 people and broadcast live to 1.5million viewers on Germany’s premier ARD television station. Assistant lighting designer in charge of programming and key lighting, Nick Schmitt, jo
UK - The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has hired Royal Albert Hall executive Ollie Jeffery as director of event operations and technology. Jeffery spent over 18 years with the Royal Albert Hall, most recently as head of production and technical. Jeffery’s experience at the Royal Albert Hall included developing the venue’s lighting and audio services, establishing an apprentice scheme, and supporting the delivery of around 400 events a year. EICC CEO Marshall Dallas comments: “As we aim to further establish the EICC as a globally-recognised conference venue, getting someone of Ollie’s international experience and know-how on board is a major coup and signposts our ambitions for the years ahead. We look forward to Ollie helping to drive continuing success during our next phase of growth.” Jeffery adds: “I am extremely pleased to be j
