Lighting

Details

23 April 2024

USA - The 1,500-capacity Showtime Theatre show lounge and central entertainment hub of the 306m long Carnival Magic cruise ship has been upgraded with the installation of 30 x new Robe Painte, 30 x LEDBeam 350 and 12 x miniPointe moving lights, which were installed while the ship was still in operation around Miami.

Co-ordinating the upgrade project was Carnival Cruise Line fleet supervisor for lighting Silviu Ardelean and lighting manager Alexander Nelson, who explained that the refit saw the replacement of the original moving lights.

The three-tiered show lounge is located over decks 3, 4 and 5 of Carnival Magic and serves as the ship’s main live performance space, presenting a wide array of different productions. David Horner redesigned the venue’s lighting, incorporating the new fixtures, and giving it a new twist. However, everyone was keen

Details

22 April 2024

UK - The recently announced Profile Awards have created much interest within the industry, with sponsorship take up for all the 16 Awards. The Headline Sponsor is Ayrton with the TV Awards being sponsored by ChamSys, ELP, LCR, Light Initiative, Roxxlight and Version 2 Lights. The Theatre Awards are sponsored by Chauvet, Elation, ETC, Fix8, GLP, TSL, SLX and Vari-Lite; the pre-show bar is sponsored by Ambersphere Solutions and the Goody Bags at the end of the evening are sponsored by JLL.

The Profile Awards have been created and are coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD; the Awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and television in the UK and the inaugural event will take place at the Alexandra Palace theatre on 6 June 2024.

Alongside eight specific Theatre awards and six TV awards

Details

22 April 2024

USA - On the winter leg of Disturbed’s Take Back Your Life tour, Alex Mungal created a raw, powerful visual dimension that matched the intensity of the music.

Featuring multiple layers of lighting fixtures that projected colours and pixel effects in every direction - and often enveloped the band in brilliant hues – in addition to serving up volcanic eruptions of pyro effects and fog, the production design fused seamlessly with the gripping music to create an overwhelmingly moving and all-embracive experience.

Mungal and the design team were able to work their magic using an array of tools supplied by Premier Global Production of Nashville. “We had so many fun instruments to play with,” he said. “It was great working with the pyro team on arrangements and programming to find moments where lighting would pass off focus to pyro, or ev

Details

22 April 2024

USA - Altman Lighting has announced the appointment of Ethan Aberg as the new regional manager for the western region of the United States.

Ethan Aberg brings over 20 years of experience in the lighting fixtures and controls industry with a proven track record at Martin Professional where he contributed to the development and execution of the annual sales strategy and objectives for the Martin by Harman Professional lighting division for the installation market. As the North American brand ambassador he contributed to supporting relationships with regional sales teams, representatives, product development teams, marketing teams, key distributors and dealers.

Other notable accomplishments and positions include his work at Illuminarc where he developed and maintained new channels of distribution for business-to-business sales of architectural lighting

Details

22 April 2024

Europe - Lighting designer and programmer Jimmy Olausson was with his client, Avatar, on their European tour, when the metal band suddenly released a new song, Make It Rain, and asked him to programme looks for it.

“Normally, I prefer to do my programming in my office where I can focus on the details, so creating the lighting for Make It Rain during the tour was a challenge,” said Olausson. “But it turned out to be a fantastic addition to our set and gave me the opportunity to think outside the box, crafting a visual style for this song that stands out from the rest.”

Turning up the intensity level on his 12 Chauvet Professional COLORado Panel Q40 rectangular washes, Olausson created pixel mapped sequences that evoked the turbulent mood of an approaching storm. He coupled this with a ‘waterfall’ effect that he created wi

Details

19 April 2024

Spain - The growing Avolites team has welcomed aboard Gonzalo Herranz Gutierrez as a senior product specialist, who will be based in Madrid, and will be providing comprehensive support related services to Avolites customers and distributors focusing on Europe and Latin America including training new users and their own sales and support staff.

Avolites MD Paul Wong stated, “We’ve worked with Gonzalo for many years and are absolutely thrilled he’s joining the Avolites global team.

“He brings long lasting relationships, a strong knowledge of the market, and an in-depth knowledge of both Avolites lighting and media products, all of which will be key to helping us continue to grow our international footprint with a specific focus on Europe and South America.”

Gonzalo commented, “I Love the Avolites brand. The team is amazing and the t

Details

19 April 2024

USA – Harman Professional Solutions has introduced the Martin MAC Viper XIP, the next-generation Viper-class fixture that integrates Viper performance, Martin’s patent-pending XIP weatherproofing technology, and the most robust feature set Martin has ever developed. Drawing on features that defined the renowned Viper lineup, MAC Viper XIP sets a new standard for all-in-one performance, innovation, and reliability. 

Integrating powerful lumen output, XIP water and dust ingress protection, and whisper-silent noise levels, MAC Viper XIP is not only designed for temporary, year-round outdoor needs but equally suitable for theatre, broadcast, and other noise-sensitive applications. Featuring Martin’s tailor-made light engine, the fixture delivers 28,000 lumens consistent output, outperforming much larger products on the market.

Unleashing an impres

Details

19 April 2024

France - The renowned Théâtre de la Renaissance is the latest venue in Paris to choose ETC gear to upgrade its lighting. ETC dealer So What & Co supplied High End Systems Halcyon Titanium fixtures for the Parisian theatre.

Well-known spaces across France including the Bordeaux Opera, the Théâtre National Populaire, the Comédie Française and the Grand Théâtre de Provence have all recently selected Halcyon automated fixtures to light their spaces. In the heart of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, the Théâtre de la Renaissance also made the same choice with the support of So What & Co.

Halcyon’s quality, powerful output and low levels of noise were just some of the features that appealed to the technical director of the Théâtre de la Renaissance Éric Milleville when deciding on the right solution for the theatre. “The first thin

Details

19 April 2024

Slovenia - Writer, actor and TV personality Lado Bizovicar presented the 2024 Slovenska Muska extravaganza, staged at Ljubljana’s Stožice arena, the first time in the venue’s history that a 360-degree show had been presented, which bumped up the capacity to 13,000, with every seat sold.

The production and lighting design was created by Crt Birsa of design studio Blackout and Greta Godnic and recorded for broadcast. Crt utilised 355 Robe lighting fixtures in the 500+ luminaires on the rig, from the high-powered Forte to the scenic Patt 2013 plus seven other types of Robe product, all supplied by rental specialist Event Lighting from Ljubljana.

At the heart of this production design was an elaborate metal structure, the top part of which resembled a giant multi-level spider crawling through the roof area. This structure cleverly incorporated the v

Details

18 April 2024

Argentina - Singer and former YouTuber María Becerra made history as the first Argentine female artist to sell out River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, the largest venue in Argentina, for two consecutive nights, 22-23 March 2024. A large complement of Claypaky fixtures illuminated the show designed by creative director Julian Levy and lit by lighting designers and programmers Pablo Martinelli and Joaquin Boerr from Gou Studio.

A leading voice in Argentina’s urban pop movement, the 24-year-old Becerra began her career at the age of 12 on Facebook then created her own YouTube channel.  She has more than 24m monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 5m subscribers to her YouTube channel; her video clips have netted more than 12bn views. This year she has performed at the New Year's celebration organized by Univisión in Times Square and was part of the lin

Details

18 April 2024

Australia - Novatech Creative Event Technology of Adelaide, the first production company in Australia to hold stock of Ayrton’s IP65-rated Domino Wash fixtures, invested in 48 units, supplied by Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for Australia, Show Technology, and immediately put them to work on the Adelaide Festival.

Domino Wash is an all-terrain luminaire developed specifically for resisting hot or cold weather, wind, rain, hail, sand or dust.

“We’d been looking for a high-powered moving wash light with a Fresnel lens for more theatrical uses, as well as outdoor uses,” explains Novatech’s Ashley Gabriel, director of sales and marketing. “We needed one with enough punch and zoom to handle long throw distances, and a Fresnel lens which was important to us to differentiate it from the other traditional LED wash lights in our inventory.

Details

18 April 2024

Europe - Claypaky Rhapsodya is a low-noise multi-spectral RGBAL LED fixture designed for various applications such as touring, live events, theatre, and TV production, and managed by a specially crafted, internally developed firmware algorithm.

It is an evolution of Sinfonya, particularly regarding the focus on quality of optics and colour management, and the quiet operation even at full output. Rhapsodya has a new product design that is sleek and modern, with a double power output (24,000 lm) compared to Sinfonya.

Traditional fixtures utilized four focal planes, often leading to a loss of sharpness. Rhapsodya features a new approach with Accuframe, utilising two focal planes to achieve ‘a remarkable level of precision’.

Lineguard is a new frost system that features pairs of blades for superior uniformity and reduced unwanted reflections.

Details

18 April 2024

Europe - Elation‘s KL Series full-colour PAR light is now available in an IP65 version, the KL PAR FC IP, that makes it an even more versatile luminaire for production settings indoors or out. This theatrical and broadcast-grade luminaire pairs modern technology with classic design, serving as a key, fill, and area wash light source for broadcast environments, film, theatre, or ‘any production requiring outstanding colour quality’.

Colour rendering quality, fully variable CCT control, and remotely adjustable LED refresh frequency– all in a traditional PAR form factor – make the KL PAR FC IP an appropriate choice for today’s fast-paced production environments. Its fully weatherproof IP65 protection gives this versatile PAR colour-changing luminaire application in all types of outdoor events and weather.

The KL PAR FC IP houses a powerful 3

Details

17 April 2024

UK - Highlite International has announced an operational restructure and relocation of its customer support and services within the UK.

Highlite's UK operations have recently relocated to new facilities in Colchester, Essex. The move sees the expansion of the regional offices, service department and UK stockholding, as well as the welcoming of a newly-appointed sales director, David Drane, and an increase in support resources and technician team members.

The new facilities and operational changes provide Highlite with a long-term strategic move for accelerated growth and enhanced value for its customers. Allowing for a larger UK stockholding of new and popular product lines from Highlite's long-established core brands: Showtec, Infinity, DMT, DAP, Artecta, Showgear and Wentex. The space will also house a purpose-built repair and service centre.

Details

17 April 2024

UK - Visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds (14-15 May, Royal Armouries) who stop by the ChamSys Stand (N-B23) will have the opportunity to see something that will “take them to an entirely new place,” the company says.

ChamSys is promoting the UK debut of its new MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console at PLASA Focus Leeds with the slogan ‘Go Where No Other Console Has Gone Before’. The latest addition to the company’s MagicQ M series is capable of supporting 400 universes directly from the console without requiring external processing.

Along with showcasing this powerful tool in the UK for the first time, ChamSys will also be opening new vistas to show-goers with a series of educational sessions, including a guest LD session by Ed Warren, who has run shows by The Strokes, Interpol, Mumford & Sons and many other artists on ChamSys consoles.

Join

Details

16 April 2024

Norway - Robe has announced Oslo-based Prostage as its new exclusive distributor for Norway. Michel Arntz, Robe’s key account manager for Europe states: “Norway is an important market and in Prostage we have a strong and proactive partner to move our business forward to the next level and are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with the team there.”

Prostage AS was established in 2008 by CEO Gunnar Waldemar Naas to offer quality and cost-efficient professional lighting, sound and stage products. A full-time staff of 22 manage a streamlined operation, including a large showroom, and expansive warehouse facilities incorporating a service centre.

Prostage co-owner Carl Tidemann says: “We are super-excited to be working with Robe. We have watched the brand for some time and seen it become a market leader and a constant innovator

Details

16 April 2024

Luxembourg - Rockhal Club is amongst the latest to have taken stock of Ayrton Mistral S and Levante S fixtures, which were supplied to the venue through Ayrton’s Belgian distributor, FACE.

Situated in the Centre de Musiques Amplifiées on the Avenue du Rock’n’Roll in the industrial heritage area of Belval in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Rockhal has two main venues amongst its rehearsal and creative studios. The 6000-capacity Main Hall has seen many bands and performers pass through its doors, including Mariah Carey, Iron Maiden, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bryan Adams and Rammstein. Meanwhile, the 1,500 capacity Club has a fully-loaded and equipped stage with a fixed lighting rig and sound setup. As of now, a large part of this fixed grid is equipped with Ayrton fixtures, which replace outmoded stock.

“We have 20 Ayrton lights installed as perma

Details

16 April 2024

USA – Jazz musician Brian Culbertson is out on his Trilogy Tour with a lighting system provided by Bandit Lites. Named for his Red, Blue, and White albums, the tour features a mix of songs from the albums, as well as the greatest hits from his catalogue.

For the tour, lighting director Terese Fensler sought to create looks with negative space and loads of energy, saying: “Brian's show is very funky for a jazz artist. With all the instrumental hits and solo moments, I tried to pull back some so that those short moments were bigger and had a time to shine.”

Bandit Lites provided Elation Smarty Hybrids, Elation CuePix WW4 Blinders, Elation Seven Batten 42, Martin Sceptron VDO 10 as well as a grandMA2 Ultralite for control. Towers were outfitted with the Sceptron VDO 10s and topped with Smarty Hybrids.

Details

16 April 2024

USA - Elation has introduced ColourTune Technology, a lighting fixture software that allows for “unprecedented control over output and colour accuracy” across Elation’s range of full-spectrum LED lighting fixtures.

“With ColourTune, users can customize lighting output to meet their exact needs, whether emphasizing brightness or colour fidelity. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, ensuring adaptability and colour precision for the highest quality lighting designs,” the company says.

Bob Mentele, associate product manager at Elation, was instrumental in ColourTune’s development. He remarks: “Our team has dedicated over a year to research, development, and testing to bring ColourTune Technology to life. This advanced software represents a significant advancement in lighting control and precision and will be a great benefit to the

Details

15 April 2024

Canada – Montreal-based PixMob has been bringing its immersive crowd-lighting experience to the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) since its inception. PixMob already engaged more than 14,000 fans at the three home opener games in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal with its LED wearables. Now, the company is gearing up for the historic game between Montreal and Toronto on 20 April at the Bell Centre, where a new women’s hockey attendance record is expected to be set.

The partnership was born out of PixMob’s dedication to bring the same big league experience the company has created for the NHL, Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, NBA, and numerous other top level Pro Sports teams and events to the PWHL. By putting a spotlight on the under-represented talent of the PWHL’s athletes, PixMob’s lighting tech gives players and fans the electrifying experience

Details

15 April 2024

USA - More than a few people sitting close to the stage during Beartooth’s recently concluded 40-city North American tour, reportedly felt they were in an arena once the band’s 75-minute show started, even though they were actually at 1,000 or 2,000 capacity club venues.

Early in the planning stages of the tour, Caleb Shomo, frontman and founder of the metal band, told Victor Zeiser, head of Squeek Lights, that he wanted to hit the road with “an arena level production that works in clubs.” Zeiser and lighting designer-programmer Ben Jarrett duly delivered.

With its centre stage video wall displaying a seemingly endless stream of multi-layered images from Luke Shomo, the show created an arena-like vibe at every club, regardless of its size. This feeling was amplified by pyro effects and confetti cannons evoking powerful moods, laser patterns f

Details

12 April 2024

Europe - Owing to the continued growth of the business, and the imminent move to the new HQ in Colne, Bradley Jeffrey has recently been appointed as group operations director at Prolight Concepts.

In this new role, Bradley will help bolster the business logistically and strategically. Bradley has been in the business for over 10 years, and has worked in all areas, which has provided him with the knowledge and understanding to streamline and grow the business with other directors, managers and workforce.

Details

12 April 2024

Germany - The new Avolites Diamond 7 (D7) lighting console was shown publicly for the first time at PL+S in Frankfurt, with two variants on the stand – the D7-215 and the D7-330 – both running on Avolites latest Titan v17 software.

This initial product launch has enabled the Avolites team to gauge reactions and glean valuable feedback ahead of the full launch, planned for later in the summer.

The reactions were “overwhelmingly positive” stated Avolites MD Paul Wong, delighted with the comments and enthusiasm he’d received from Avo users who came from all over Europe as well as further afield like Asia, Australia, South Africa, and Latin America.

Avolites benefitted from additional footfall of people visiting the Robe stand, especially to catch the live <I>Power of Imagination</I> performance show which was also programme

Details

12 April 2024

South Africa - Cape Town based Rainbow Lighting has invested in new lighting fixtures from Astera. The company was started by freelance gaffer Desmond Gqitekaya in 2020. At the time, he was working mostly on major movies and feature films being shot in South Africa and was lucky enough to also start picking up commercials and music video work through his contacts, for which there was always a demand for thinking quickly and ‘out-of-the-box’ when it came to lighting. This soon led him to Astera.

His first purchase was Astera Helios Tubes in 2022, and this has quickly expanded to also include Astera’s workhorse Titan Tubes, HydraPanels and NYX Bulbs.

He was first inspired to look at the wireless LED brand after seeing other film lighting professionals using them on set and in the studio, and observing how some lighting set ups struggled to make l