Europe - ETC is hosting an online event on 30-31 March to launch two new theatrical fixtures. This event is open to the public and starts at 16:00 CEST/15:00 BST (09:00 CDT) with a keynote message from David Lincecum, VP of marketing. Immediately following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Tony-nominated Broadway lighting designer, Justin Townsend, on the impacts of LED on lighting design. Additional sessions over the next 24 hours include product demos and Q&A with the development team, and a series of classes that focus on incorporating technology into your theatrical workflow to increase efficiency and productivity. Much of the content will be presented in multiple languages (English, French and German) and multiple time zones around the world making this a genuinely international launch event. Visit
Europe - Robe has introduced the LEDBeam 350, a 6,000lm variant of its popular LEDBeam 150, which delivers “even more punch and presence for those wanting crystal clear beams and beautifully rich colour washes”. The new fixture has retained and built on all the features of the LEDBeam 150, including a zoom range of 3.8 to 60° and innovative lens coating technology which keeps the lenses clearer and scratch-free. Anti-static properties further reduce dust collecting on the lens, and the latest coating treatment brings countless additional benefits like lengthening the intervals needed between cleaning and enhancing the light output. More advanced technology includes CPulse, Robe’s acclaimed Pulse Width Modulation control system that removes any on-screen camera flicker, making the LEDBeam 350 a match for the most advanced HD and UHD camera systems, says R
USA - Darren Lussier and his team at Image Production Services in Shrewsbury, MA responded to the lockdown’s impact on their live event business by launching the Image Theatre Virtual Venue. Rather than converting a small space of their warehouse into a production studio, however, Lussier and his team built two complete sets outfitted with over 40 Chauvet Professional fixtures as well as a large LED wall, plus three high-definition cameras and four high DEPTZ cameras. They also became a production partner of Stellar Tickets, an online streaming platform owned by Goldstar, which allows them to sell tickets to a large audience. “If you’re going to start something, you should be fully committed to doing it in the best possible way,” said Lussier. “Even during this pandemic, our clients are still looking for ways to reach people. We figured that we’d have a bet
USA - Hope Fellowship Church in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas, made a recent purchase of Obsidian NX4 and NX Wing lighting controllers and runs the intuitive Onyx platform across the ministry’s four campuses. Mark Ellis, production development director at the church, is a past user of M-PC lighting control software but made the smooth transition to the Onyx platform when Hope Fellowship upgraded their lighting control system. “When I first came to the church they were using a Martin M1 console with M-PC software,” says Ellis, who has been with the church for the past eight years. “When it was time to upgrade to something new, I was looking for something user-friendly that all my volunteers knew. We looked at other consoles but they were more than what we wanted to pay and overly complicated. The Obsidian gear was a great value plus it let me keep familiarity wi
USA - Martin by Harman has unveiled the Martin MAC Ultra Series with two “extremely bright” new workhorse stage lights – the MAC Ultra Performance and MAC Ultra Wash. Featuring high lumen output across the zoom range, a new framing system, high-definition optics and low noise levels, the MAC Ultra family is ideal for concert and touring productions as well as noise-sensitive broadcast and theatre applications. With high output a key design pillar, the MAC Ultra Series is powered by a 1,150W, 6000K proprietary LED light engine, Martin’s brightest to-date. It gives the MAC Ultra Wash the ability to project 63,500 lumens of output and the MAC Ultra Performance, 46,500 lumens. In addition, with higher red content and better daylight balance, the fixtures produce rich, vivid colours and more natural skin-tones, says the company. Key features of the MAC Ultra
UK - EF Infection Control, a part of the EF Group, has announced the availability of a new solution to help ensure the safety of attendees at tradeshows and other major indoor events as industries worldwide move towards post-lockdown operation. EF has partnered with infection and virus control specialists Aeret UK to develop the service Sanitise 360. Sanitise 360’s technology delivers a non-toxic atomised mist that kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses that are airborne as well as on surfaces including Hepatitis, COVID-19, CoV2, SARS, MRSA plus fungi and mould that are associated with a variety of infections and allergies. Unlike most fogging systems, it is claimed to be completely safe to use around electronic equipment and has been engineered to leave no chemical residue behind in any of its applications. Undisturbed surfaces can remain protected for anything up t
USA - "For us, every single one of our songs got big in a different way," Adam Met, one of the three multi-instrumental brothers who make up AJR told an interviewer. Creativity is one of the things that makes AJR a delight to work for, according to their lighting designer Ezra Donellan. Another is their seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy. Both were on full display in January on Squeek Lights’ Ruby Stage, when after performing their hit Bang on The Late, Late Show with James Corden, the band forged ahead and recorded a video of their new song Way Less Said, supporting by a lightshow featuring the Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 BeamWash. “One of most impressive things about this band is their ability to keep a high level of energy under all circumstances,” says Donellan. “We were all excited to be able to perform Bang for James Co
Germany - The proposed lavish party for the launch of Microsoft's new Xbox Series X had to be waived due to the COVID pandemic. Nevertheless, the market launch of the new generation of consoles in the Gamescom city of Cologne was celebrated with a live stream (known as the Xbox Dream Stream). The highlight was a drone show over the Rhine. At the start of the 150-drone extravaganza, Jens Hillenkötter, in his role as both executive producer and director for the drone show and the broadcast of the live stream - on behalf of the GUD.berlin agency - deployed 36 Creative Light 1 Plus fixtures from GLP. For outdoor use in Cologne, Hillenkötter chose the Creative Light 1 Plus model with wireless control. The total of 36 LED effects deployed were attached to six vertically standing pipes in groups of six. In this configuration they offered an impressive backdrop for the excit
To Safely Go - Pilots to assess how small and large-scale events can reopen safely are being launched by the government, which is describing the work as “crucial” for getting venues such as theatres reopened in June under the roadmap. The government said it was working with event organisers and local authorities to get “fans safely around a dozen events this spring”, as part of the previously announced Events Research Programme. The ERP will provide “key scientific data into how small and large-scale events could be permitted to safely reopen”, the government said, in line with getting venues - including theatres - reopened without social distancing no earlier than 21 June. Major events already lined up for the pilot scheme include the World Snooker Championships, at the Sheffield Crucible, and the FA Cup final at Wembley. The World Snooker Championships at
UK - disguise has announced new features for its xR software. This upgrade will further enhance its integration of Unreal Engine and address the continued demand for immersive content of the highest quality, detail and frame rate across Extended Reality (xR) and Virtual Production, says the company. The latest features introduced by disguise include ACES colour management, DirectX12 (DX12) and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) support from Nvidia. Together, they will allow users to deliver images of the highest quality via 10-bit HDR processing of Unreal content through disguise RenderStream. RenderStream is a proprietary IP protocol that enables the hosting of Unreal content on dedicated disguise hardware. “This approach of scale-out rendering in conjunction with features such as DX12 support, DLSS and the ACES colour management workflow allows Virtual Production
UK - Brixton Village Market, purchased over two years ago by new owners, Hondo Enterprises, has since undergone a series of renovation projects with the most recent, a sympathetic rejuvenation of the lighting system. The Brixton Market team turned to Bristol-based Fineline Lighting for a system that met the diverse needs of the space whilst maintaining the integrity of the Grade-II listed architecture. Brixton Market is a traditional market by day and the place to go for foods from around the world. At night, the space transforms into a popular nightlife hub, drawing in the locals with restaurants, rooftop bars and a bar playing jazz music. The lighting system, however, was inflexible and did not meet the diverse needs of the space. Brixton Market’s general manager, Diana Nabagereka, explained, “The lighting had always been a problem across the two covered markets
USA - Ferri Lighting Design & Associates (FLDA) recently equipped CNBC Studio B with a complete Martin LED lighting rig for optimal on-camera looks and increased energy efficiency. When anchor Shepard Smith joined CNBC in July 2020 to host The News With Shepard Smith, the network took the opportunity to completely renovate its 3,600sq.ft Studio B set. The new set is dominated by two massive LED video walls, including a five-panel display opposite the host’s desk that can be used to show multiple video feeds for remote guests and correspondents or combined to display one large image. Additionally, the centre screen can be moved up to 17ft away from the wall via a motorised arm to draw focus to a specific element. In order to complement the light from the displays with precisely-calibrated illumination and reduce electricity costs, CNBC opted to replace the
UK - For Kent-based production rental company, Limelite Lighting, taking delivery of two new QC-Check electrical testing workstations from Data Strategy at the end of February 2020 just as the industry began to wind down into a global Covid-19 lockdown, could have been a mis-timed event. However, the versatility of the product and its ease of use enabled Limelite’s directors to turn the situation to take full advantage of their investment in product safety, warehouse organisation and logistics. The ability to commission QC-check workstations remotely – which has enabled customers as distant as Australia and the UAE to benefit from the safety testing system – ensured that Limelite Lighting’s QC-Check workstations, including the robust and rapid testing power of Out Board’s PAT-4 Test Processors and CAB-5 Cable Test modules, were up and running within 12 hours of del
Denmark - DJ and music producer Martin Jensen has played a series of livestream concerts in unexpected, innovative locations around the country including Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium, aboard Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Niels Juhl and aboard historic paddle-steamer Hjejlen, atop the Camp Adventure nature reserve forest tower in Rønnede and amidst Copenhagen’s famous Illum department store. At the heart of ensuring that all concerts on this tour were visually and sonically engaging experiences was lighting designer Mathias Skall Hansen from Frontsound. For five of the seven shows, Mathias specified and used quantities of different Robe moving lights – MegaPointes, Spiiders, BMFLs – which were supplied by Nordic Rentals. Mathias has been using Robe products consistently in his lighting designs for the last six years. “They are very powerful with good c
UK - Last year the Light It In Red campaign saw hundreds of venues, workplaces and landmarks light up in ‘emergency red’ to raise awareness for the plight of the live events industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in a bid to spread a message of hope and support to individuals in the industry, the campaign is asking everyone to get involved with a week-long show of solidarity from 15-19 March. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to support the campaign not only by illuminating buildings and structures as in previous #LightItInRed actions, but also by sharing the campaign’s heart logo on social media. A statement from the campaign reads: “We know the past year has been bad, we don’t need reminding! So we’re not going to focus on that. We’re going to focus on you. We want to bring the live events
Italy - Prolights EclProfile CT+ is now capable of being controlled in RAW mode and xy coordinates control. This update comes after the release of the new ellipsoidal in the autumn of 2020 and a successful kick-off in sales amid a global pandemic, and with many users giving great feedback about the profiles and comparing its features against other market-leading units, says the company. Xy coordinates control allows users to pick a colour in the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram right from their consoles, or to typing in the exact colour coordinate to match different sources. “This is an extremely useful feature for our customers in theatre or film lighting, where colour precision is important,” says Andrea Gabrielli, R&D manager at Prolights. “We are working on implementing features that are inclusive to all segments of the industry. This is the first ellipsoida
Zimbabwe - Winky D and Jah Prayzah both draw passion and inspiration from the same rich, deep and fertile wellspring that is the Zimbabwean musical tradition. However, the two artists take this inspiration in slightly different directions; the former favouring chanting dancehall reggae beats, while the latter opts for a sound that is a bit more contemporary. In both cases, the two have soared to superstardom in Zimbabwe and throughout southern Africa, each with a rabidly loyal following. Indeed, nothing divides the country’s music lovers quite like the Winky-Jah debate. This February, Kayse Concert TV presented Best of Both Worlds, a three-hour pay-per view livestream that showcased the talents of both artists. The widely anticipated show met and exceeded all expectations, as it served up a nonstop outpouring of pure passion and joy, not only with its music, b
USA - BriteShot, a vendor of LED lighting solutions for television, film and events, has shifted its manufacturing strategy to help venues re-open safely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Making the most of its resources during these challenging times, BriteShot is now specialising in coronavirus air filtering and decontamination products. “At Briteshot, we aim to have our decontamination technology be a factor in helping entertainment venues, restaurants, and more, reopen their doors in a safe and effective way,” says Roy McDonald, co-founder at BriteShot. “It’s been a difficult year within the entertainment space as facilities have been forced to close their doors or reduce capacity, greatly impacting revenue and job security across the board. “To help ease customers back into business, we dedicated countless hours in production and testing to provide a solutio
South Africa - Brent Sauls of Magic Arm Lighting is a freelance gaffer and cinematographer from Cape Town - currently based in Johannesburg - whose professional career has encompassed 15 years at the forefront of making a diversity of commercials, movies, and TV series. Last year he invested in a set of eight Astera Titan Tubes, purchased from distributor, DWR and these have been working constantly ever since. Brent noticed that Titan Tubes were becoming increasingly frequently requested by a variety of DoPs, especially on commercials. As a gaffer, it is advantageous to be able to offer certain specialist lighting elements and products to a production. “It’s all about having the right tools,” he stated, and this drove the purchase by Magic Arm Lighting, which Brent co-owns with two other cinematographers, Quinton Fredericks & Ebrahim Hajee. He wa
Germany - Lighting designer Jerry Appelt and Matthias Meyert have set up their own pre-programming studio under the name Salty Dog, in his home town of Hamburg. Eight GLP impression FR1 TM (Trackmount) can be found in the new premises, set in the historic Zippelhaus. “Our planning office, Beacon GmbH, has been based in the Zippelhaus in Hamburg's old town for a number of years,” explains Jerry. “So far, we have rented various studios for pre-productions, which apart from the technical equipment, usually don't offer a lot of com-fort. With Salty Dog we wanted to create a really appealing alternative in a prime location, which we of course use ourselves and also rent out. “In the Salty Dog Studios we have integrated everything that we often missed in other studios. In addition, there is the attractive location directly opposite the Speicherstadt, with a large sel
USA - For the 2020 filming of Netflix musical, The Prom, Hog programmer Scott Barnes worked alongside director of photography Matthew Libatique and CLT Jeff Ferrero, with High End Systems Sola Series fixtures and Hog 4 control becoming central figures behind the scenes. The creative team employed SolaFrame Theatre, SolaFrame 3000 and SolaHyBeam 3000 fixtures in many of the performances; all luminaires featured High CRI engines and were supplied by Lux Lighting. When production commenced, Barnes says they already knew the SolaFrame Theatre and SolaFrame 3000 would be their ‘go-to’ movers. Barnes says, “The SolaHyBeam 3000s were not available until about midway through production, but they soon became our powerhouse fixture. The SolaFrame Theatre was especially helpful because of its ultra-quiet performance. “After the first week of production, we realised
Russia - Robe luminaires were selected for another cultural project, this one at the Said-Galiev Cultural Centre in Derbyshki in Kazan, the capital of the Russian semi-autonomous region of Tatarstan, an area renowned as a lively melting pot of Russian and Tatar heritage. Robe’s Russian distributor LTM - with branches in Moscow, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg - delivered the order of Robe Pointes, LEDBeam 150s and ParFect 150s for its client the Altin Group. LTM also undertook all the related installation and commissioning work for the Robe moving lights and other elements of the venue’s lighting that were extensively updated in this project. The ornate Said-Galiev Cultural Centre has two main auditoriums, a main one seating 560 and a smaller 120 capacity hall and was originally built in 1959. This latest technical upgrade, which also included audio, flexible riggi
UK - The Martin MAC Aura PXL has a rich feature set of internal FX macros allowing maximum versatility even when time is of the essence. Created as a resource for lighting designers, Martin's UK distributor, Sound Technology has published a complete video reference library of all of them. There are six categories of Macros in the PXL - Beam Intensity FX, Beam Colour FX, Aura Intensity FX, Aura Colour FX, Beam and Aura Combined FX, and Full Fixture FX. Each category has its own video, time-stamped in the YouTube description with each individual effect. Utilising the MAC Aura PXL's 141 Aura LEDs and 19 Main Beam LEDs, each effect can also have speed, colour, zoom range & output level manipulated simultaneously, and both the Aura and the Main Beam effects can be active at the same time.
UK - With esports rapidly becoming one of the world’s most popular spectator sports, one of the challenges for the industry is to ensure that audiences in studios and stadiums see every detail of the gameplay on the large screens at the same time as the players. Any lag or juddery visuals can ruin the immersive experience, and Panasonic’s latest high fame rate (HFR) upgrade kit (ET-SUK10) for the Panasonic PT-RQ35K projector addresses these issues, bringing stadium and studio spectators closer to the action. The HFR upgrade delivers higher quality images with rapid and smooth movement and less image lag by enabling the 30,500 lumen, three-chip DLP laser projector to accept and output 240Hz HD signals using just one cable. The improvements delivered by the upgrade are significant. As well as enhanced images, latency can be reduced to just 5ms - compared to 82ms using pre