Mexico - Ballerina Elisa Carrillo, principal dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin and 2019 winner of ballet’s top prize, the Prix Benois de la Danse, travelled to her country of origin to present a series of ballet performances called Gala of Stars, Elisa and Friends. The special shows, which took place last year in some of the most renowned venues in Mexico, including the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, were lit by Rafael Mendoza using Elation Artiste Picasso LED profile luminaires. Gala of Stars, Elisa and Friends featured performances by renowned figures in classical and contemporary dance from some of the most important ballet companies in the world such as the American Ballet Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Berlin State Ballet, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Mendoza has served as lighting designer for the Elisa and Friends ballet gala f
USA - Accustomed to lighting and supplying production to large festivals and live music venues, John Garberson was concerned that the smaller livestream production area he put together in his company’s Phoenix warehouse after the COVID-19 outbreak would limit his creative possibilities. He has since learned otherwise. True, the 18’ by 20’ space doesn’t afford the opportunity to wow crowds with big looks, the way he has done for years at events like the Pot of Gold and West Coast Music Festivals, but lighting livestreams isn’t just about scaling down, it also involves the challenge of reorienting the focus of design. “This has been like a learning lab experience,” said Garberson, director of Creative BackStage, which produces a new LIVE From Backstage livestream series with Pro Production Services. “At first I thought this would just be limiting,
USA - ADJ has introduced its new range of Encore Profile Pro professional LED-powered ellipsoidal fixtures, complete with a wide selection of lens options. Designed for theatres and other performance spaces looking to embrace the power-saving and heat-reducing benefits of LED, without compromising on performance or features, two models are available. The Encore Profile Pro WW has a powerful warm white LED engine, while the Encore Profile Pro Color offers full colour mixing from a 6-in-1 LED source. The Encore Profile Pro WW features a potent 260W warm white LED light source with a color temperature of 3200K. It generates an even field of light, with no hot spot, and boasts a high CRI in excess of 97. When used with a 26° lens, it measures a total light output of 10,000 lumens, while the LED engine has an average lifespan of 50,000 hours. The Encore Profile Pro C
Canada - Driving over an hour on the highway, headed northeast from Montreal, motorists find themselves at Parc Bellerive, a secluded, peaceful expanse of green on the banks of the River Richelieu. Time seems to stand still here. Being far enough away from the big city, the clear and fragrant night sky is free of light pollution. This creates an idyllic setting for star gazing. It also provides a beautiful canvas on which to project colourful and dynamic aerial effects. This attribute was not lost on Érik Nowosielski-Lamoureux when he was called upon to light a two-hour drive-in concert headlined by Québécois recording stars Les Colocs for Canada Day. “Saint-Ours is a small city about 100km from Montreal, so the sky over the riverside park was completely dark,” said Nowosielski-Lamoureux. “I used this aspect to create interesting looks in the sky. Beca
UK - KAM has introduced three new iLink laser lights - green, blue and RGB multi-colour. All three new KAM laser lights, the iLink 60G 40mW Green, iLink 750B 500mW Blue and the iLink 500RGB 300mW Multi-Colour laser, feature remote controlled, pre-programmed auto mode or sound-to-light mode, projecting a large menu of clear built-in images on walls, ceilings and dance floors at the touch of a button. With a compact, lightweight tough metal chassis and adjustable hanging bracket, KAM laser lights are extremely portable and built to last, with up-to-date technology including standard DMX protocol used to control lighting equipment, whilst delivering high visibility, brightness and superb long-throw beam specifications that look stunning alone, or mixed with fog or haze. With a simple plug & play concept, the new KAM laser lights with quiet fan assisted cooling,
USA - Clearwing Systems Integration has provided systems design and integration for the LED lighting upgrade at Waterford Union High School’s auditorium and other venues and included Robert Juliat Roxie2 followspots as part of the new improvements. Waterford Union High School is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Clearwing’s Milwaukee office. Clearwing was charged with modernising the high school’s outdated lighting inventory from house lights to theatrical instruments as they migrate from conventional and tungsten-based fixtures to an all-LED roster. “Flexibility and performance were the biggest factors in lighting fixture selection, along with the energy and cost savings that went along with moving to LEDs,” says Mitch Van Dyke, engineering & estimation at Clearwing Systems Integration. “The school trusted us to get the best lighting we coul
France - Studio le 25, a busy livestream production space in Bièvres, has been in operation since April. A harmonious and balanced economy characterizes the venue’s versatile rig, put together by well-known lighting designer Arthur Oudin, whose impressive client list includes Patrick Bruel. LED video panels, arranged vertically along the back wall and on the facing of the DJ stand, dominate the rig. Although the large video displays are essential to creating backdrops and conveying moods for the studio’s various livestream productions, they take up much of the space allotted for the studio’s rig, restricting the amount room left for lighting projections. This spatial issue, along with the limited power supply available, made it necessary to complement the video panels with lighting units that offered compact size, energy- efficiency and intense output. Studio l
Europe - Elation Professional’s European office recently launched The Elation Coffee Break on Facebook Livestream, an online presentation series that takes a up-close look at some of the company’s most popular product series. Elation continues the webinar series on Thursday, 20 August at 11:00 a.m. CEST with Elation technical sales specialist Alistair Smyth and international sales manager Frederik Afif looking at the innovative qualities of the Rayzor 760 and Proteus Rayzor 760 LED luminaires. The presentation will air live on Elation Europe’s Facebook page. No registration is required. The Rayzor 760 is an LED wash effect with wide zoom and innovative SparkLED pixel effect that offers all new design possibilities. Also available in an IP65 version, the Rayzo
Australia - Smiles and high spirits abounded at the HBF Stadium in Perth, Australia at the country’s first large scale live music event since March. Unlocked, staged mid-July, was possible due to the Western Australian state lockdown entering Phase 5 on 27 June, and Zaccaria Concerts’ ‘Castaway’ and VenuesWest took the opportunity to present a sizzling array of Western Australian electronic / DnB talent including Crooked Colours, ShockOne with Reija Lee, Slumberjack and Tina Says. The venue was sold out to an enthusiastic audience of just under 3,000 people, reduced to 50% of its normal capacity and run under new safe operating procedures (SOP) regulations. Lighting and LED screens were supplied by Perth-based rental and production specialists Showscreens, headed by brothers Ryan and Bryce Varley, who dipped into their 150 plus stock of Robe moving ligh
Australia - Brisbane’s Ekka show - the largest agricultural event in Queensland - was cancelled this year due to COVID-19, but in a bid to lift spirits, the fireworks show went ahead thanks to the donation of fireworks, audiovisual, lighting and programming by Skylighter Fireworks, NW Group, Chameleon Touring Systems and JLX Productions. The Fullscreen Fireworks Show, presented by 7NEWS Brisbane, was specially designed for television audiences to stay home and watch on TV for the best vantage point. Over 50 fireworks, lighting, sound and vision crew worked on the event - another example of our industry donating their time, expertise and gear to a worthy cause even though they have been hardest hit by COVID-19. NW Group’s involvement in the event came about whilst Ray Moss, general manager for NW Group in Queensland, was having a catch up with Tony Laff
UK - A webinar designed to unite the live production industry in developing new working practices for a more sustainable approach has shown a “clear willingness” for change, according to The Sustainability in Production Alliance (SiPA). The panel discussion, broadcast live on social media channels as well as via a Zoom video meeting, brought together many of the leading companies and individuals who are committed to a more sustainable future for live event production. The webinar was a collaboration between SiPA, the Association of British Technicians (ABTT) and The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). Top of the agenda was how the industry can use the current hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to create a more sustainable approach to its work. SiPA’s Carol Scott, principal advocate for sustainability at TAIT and SiPA, was joined by
USA - LSi is sad to report that Howell Binkley, one of the most distinguished theatre/dance lighting designers of his generation, died on Friday 14th August in Jacksonville, North Carolina, of lung cancer. He was 64. "He was just a special spirit," his widow, Joyce Storey, told the Winston-Salem Journal. "He was adored by so many and will be missed by all." According to the Journal, Binkley, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attended Atkins High School, where he was first drawn to theatre. He worked at the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem and graduated from Reynolds High School in 1974. After attending East Carolina University, he moved to New York in 1978, and began working with the Acting Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company.
Early on, he established himself in the dance world, working with the Joffrey Ballet,
USA - Clearwing Systems Integration has included Ayrton Diablo profile luminaires in provision of systems design and integration for the LED lighting upgrade at Waterford Union High School’s auditorium and other venues. The school is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Clearwing’s Milwaukee office. Clearwing was charged with modernising the high school’s outdated lighting inventory from house lights to theatrical instruments as they migrate from conventional and tungsten-based fixtures to an all-LED roster. “Flexibility and performance were the biggest factors in lighting fixture selection, along with the energy and cost savings that went along with moving to LEDs,” says Mitch Van Dyke, engineering & estimation at Clearwing Systems Integration. “The school trusted us to get the best lighting we could for their budget.” Clearwing chose A
USA - Thriving and growing Daystar Family Church in Western Alabama hadn’t improved their video and lighting system since moving into their current facility well over a decade ago. That changed this year when AVL integrator Narrow Road Pro supplied and installed a complete new system. This included a large video wall, constructed from ADJ AV6X LED panels, along with a comprehensive lighting setup of LED-powered fixtures from ADJ as well as sister company Elation Professional. Founded by Bishop Patrick M. Schatzline and Lady Deborah Schatzline, with a congregation of just 50 people, today Daystar Family Church in Tuscaloosa, AL, has a congregation of over 1,300. Now pastored by Patrick and Deborah’s son Scott and his wife Kristi, it is multi-cultural, multi-generational, non-denominational church with praise and worship that is energetic and passionate. However, thi
USA - The 30 July Under The Skin livestream by the Grammy-nominated band Code Orange combined music from the band’s March 2020 LP Underneath with early songs presented during the Mudbangers Ball pre-show. Moving in step with this temporal tapestry was a harmoniously balanced Sam Jimenez lighting design that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Star Design Event Services. “From a lighting standpoint, this show was really a blend of the old and the new,” said Jimenez. “We tried to blend the surreal with reality in a way that flowed naturally. This show was something the band has been leading up to. It’s the product of three months of back and forth with different creative ideas, budgeting, and designing. We ended up doing this at the Trafford Theatre Factory, in Trafford, PA. My friend Chris Robin, who worked as a tech on the
UK - As event professionals took to the streets of every major city across the UK on 11 August, in support of the PLASA-led #WeMakeEvents campaign, TechLED once again bathed Production Park, including the Studio and Rockwell cafe in the companion #LightItInRed campaign’s signature colour, emergency red. TechLED’s MD, Gordon Addison, once again turned to the power of Prolight’s LEDJ Spectra QX40 Pixel exterior fixtures to illuminate the buildings. While the Production Park team attended the protest demonstration in Leeds, the team at TechLED kept alive the signal of allegiance, with many other theatres and cultural institutions across the country affected by the continued inability to open during the coronavirus pandemic. Addison comments: “We would like to say a massive thank you to all our customers and everyone who came together on the eve of Tuesday 11 August,
France - Over 160 Anolis LED luminaires have been used to illuminate public and connecting areas of the Les Bassins de Lumières, an imposing former World War II U-boat bunker in Bordeaux. Originally known as ‘Betasom’, four of the 11 vast submarine basin areas have been reimagined by private organisation Culturspaces for use as a sanctuary for immersive digital arts and mixed media installations. Nicolas Valette from lighting design practice 4eleven was asked to create a lighting scheme that highlighted the internal architecture of these impressive 115m long water-filled bays which have a draft of between 9 and 11.40m – with a tidal allowance of 1.5m. Each of these is separated by a 6m-thick concrete wall. In their former incarnation, each of the four giant basins could accommodate two submarines. Nicolas found a stark and raw beauty in the functional, br
USA - Designed as a fusion of performance, features and value, Elation’s Fuze series of LED fixtures has found a niche in the market. Elation is now expanding the series with the Fuze Wash FR, an automated LED Fresnel fixture with framing designed for a wide array of precision lighting applications and ideal for the refined performance required in theatrical venues. The Fuze Wash FR features a new 480W (6,500K) 92 CRI engine that utilises a five-colour homogenised LED array of red, green, blue, mint and amber sources, the same colour system found in the Fuze Profile and Fuze Spot. High colour quality and colour manipulation are central to the Fuze Wash FR. A virtual gel swatch book, virtual colour correction, magenta/green adjustment plus CMY emulation give designers access to an impressive LED colour array including a mixed white. The carefully-tuned RGBMA LEDs and
New Zealand - Colossal is a lively, dynamic, and inventive street theatre and performing arts company based in Wellington, founded by brothers Zane and Degge Jarvie and Imogen Stone, with backgrounds in circus, architecture, and design. Over the last three years, Colossal has started working light in various different forms into their pieces which have become popular at light festivals, a path that’s highlighted their passion for detail and innovation combined with fun and audience connection that lies at the heart of all their performance concepts. For the 2019 HighLight Carnival of Lights in Lower Hutt, the company purchased eight Astera Titan Tubes specifically to provide a solution for their invigorating Metronomes installation. Since then, they have found numerous ways to integrate the highly practical and portable Asteras into other ideas and activities.
UK - Teams from SLLFX, JK Entertainments and Pfphotographics joined forces to light The Hub at St. Mary’s in Lichfield red. The event was part of a day of action from the UK live entertainment industry to highlight the challenges the sector faces at a time when events are essentially banned. The Hub at St. Mary’s was one of more than 700 buildings across the UK that were lit in red on Tuesday, 11 August. The #LightItInRed night of action served to highlight the cultural institutions and companies that form a vital sector of the UK’s culture and economy. “It seems there is no industry untouched by the impact of COVID-19. However, some sectors have been hit harder than others and it's important for people and more importantly the government to realise that it's an entire ecology that is affected when it comes to the impact on the Arts,” says Anthony Evans, crea
USA - Fireworks by Grucci, the latest partner company to invest in Verge Aero’s drone show technology, recently completed a project with a difference for YouTube superstar MrBeast when he decided to have a little fun with some serious fireworks in the Nevada desert. MrBeast - real name Jimmy Donaldson - is a YouTube phenomenon, attracting over 38m subscribers with his videos of elaborate challenges, attention-grabbing stunts and jaw-dropping philanthropy. With each video quickly drawing tens of millions of views, he brings his unique brand of fun to an impressive worldwide audience. For his latest video, I Bought The World’s Largest Firework, MrBeast commissioned Long Island-based Fireworks by Grucci to design and produce all the professional fireworks effects. Filmed at a site not far from the fabled Area 51 (a location long associated with strange lights i
USA - The Loop, a public architectural feature in Downtown Long Beach, California, recently joined the nightly neighbourhood celebration to honour first responders with a spectacular light show. With original content design by Ryan Mueller and the team at TheatreDNA Creative, the structure that sits on a 7,700sq.ft lot at the southeast corner of Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue is a steel mesh infinity loop that sparkles and dazzles with a variety of shows that rotate randomly throughout the night. Westview provided the fixture installation and programming, as well as a robust controls system with remote management. The newest element is a daily five-minute light show at 7:00 p.m. designed and programmed by Westview. Its computer-driven LED system can display an infinity of colours, making for a spectacular array of lights to brighten up the city. This latest initiativ
UK - Following the recent announcement of a strategic partnership with SFL, alongside its appointment of several new roles, WL is continuing to expand its production department, offering a complete technical service. With so much recent change within both the wider world and live events industry, WL saw this as the ideal time to look at its existing production offering and assess how this could be broadened in order to further benefit the huge range of projects it delivers annually. As such, it has restructured its existing team and created roles which will see them work even closer with clients in order to fulfil their creative requirements. With many years of experience both at WL and in the technical production sector the account management team now consists of key account managers, Stuart Crane, Dominic Yates and Richard Stirzaker who have been joined by tec
South Africa - The South African entertainment industry joined forces on 5 August for the #LightSARed ‘Code Red’ activation. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the critical state of the country’s live entertainment industry and its support infrastructure. The industry is yet to receive financial support from the government five months since mass gatherings were banned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the whole sector out of work and with no cash flow to depend on. Over 500 buildings, structures, monuments, venues, spaces and places all over the country were lit including the side of Cape Town’s most famous natural landmark Table Mountain. Robe moving lights were used on many of the installations, and the various action was coordinated by project teams in major cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Free State, Port Elizabeth, East London
