UK - GoboPlus.com, the one-stop, online shop for gobos and projection products, exhibited at PLASA Focus Leeds 2019 where the team showed off its new, high resolution glass gobos. “The new glass gobos render images in much finer detail than has been previously possible,” explains CEO Paul de Ville. “The exquisitely fine resolution allows much greater detail to be produced on smaller gobos, and has been created in response to the huge improvements in optical quality of most modern lanterns. The resultant HR gobos give the lighting designer more scope, not only allowing for more detailed images, but also enabling more accurate adaptation of standard gobo designs to fit on the new generation of smaller gobos used by many moving light fixtures.” In a further development for the company, GoboPlus.com chose PLASA Focus Leeds to introduce an additional brand into the
UK - Jamie Kluckers has joined the technical sales consultant team at Stage Electrics. Based on the South Coast, Jamie is responsible for developing new business and maintaining existing relationships with customers in this area. With over 20 years’ experience as a technical and production manager, Jamie had a long-standing relationship with Stage Electrics as a customer. “As a freelancer, Stage Electrics were my go-to supplier, it’s great to now be part of the team,” comments Jamie. “Jamie’s appointment falls in line with our continued expansion,” says commented Paul Roughton, national sales manager at Stage Electrics. “Having Jamie join us with his knowledge and background is a real positive and he is a perfect addition to the team.” (Jim Evans)
USA - Bob Schacherl, co-CEO of Robe North America, has announced that he will be stepping down from his post on 30 June 2019. “After nearly six fabulous years working with one of the most innovative and inspiring moving light manufacturers, which has included amassing a sales ‘dream team’ covering all regions, helping to take the brand to the very top of the entertainment lighting industry, it is time to spend more time with my family and in developing several ongoing projects,” he stated. Bob joined Robe at the end of 2013, just prior to the launch of the BMFL range of powerful high brightness fixtures that have become one of the Czech Republic based brand’s signature products. His career began in the 1980s with Blackstone Audio-Visual also based in Bob’s hometown of Austin, Texas. This became Blackstone Productions / Lightwave Research and the
USA - Located in Otisville, Michigan, Richfield Church of the Nazarene is dedicated to serving the community through an inspirational and heartfelt worship environment. Offering both contemporary and traditional services each week, the church recently underwent a lighting renovation to better create a positive and life-changing experience for all their members and guests. Needing an upgrade to the complete lighting system, they worked with the design professionals at Mercury Sound and Lighting who installed a new house design filled with Chalice LED downlights from Altman Lighting. “This was actually our first time working with the church and they wanted us to take a look at their theatrical and house lighting equipment which was reaching the end of its life cycle,” began Japheth Boivin, A/V solutions facilitator, Mercury Sound and Lighting. “The existing house l
UK - The Prolight spotlight at PLASA Focus, Leeds was the release of the 2019/20 catalogue and numerous new products showcased including a moving head, IP pixel mappable fixture and some genetically enhanced truss. There was an extra element of fun on this year’s stand in the form of a gigantic sized catalogue, which drew in the crowds. The event saw the official release of the 2019/20 catalogue The Big One – 2nd Edition, with visitors eager to pick up their copy. The marketing and purchasing departments have worked hard over the last few months to get the catalogue ready for its big release and features over 2,200 products. As a company, Prolight is continually adding products to provide customers with everything they need for installations and events from peripherals such as cables, connectors and cases through to high quality luminaries, along with st
USA/UK - Electronic wizard and Mercury Prize winner James Blake has been touring the States prior to returning to his native UK for theatre dates, and appearances at European festivals, starting with All Points East. On the road with him is Blake’s long-serving, and experienced LD, Chris Bushell, accompanied by an inventory of GLP fixtures, chosen, he says “for their uniqueness and versatility”. These include 18 of the JDC1 hybrid strobes (which he affectionately dubs ‘J-Dogs’) and 16 award-winning X4 Bar 20 battens (which with a wink he refers to as Twizzlesticks). When James Blake’s Assume Form album touring cycle was announced he zipped into action, production designing to a brief that was to have less equipment on show “and less of the circus that can surround a show as it increases in size.” He explained, “Last time we went out, there was
Belgium - The Ancienne Belgique - AB as it’s universally known - sits right in the bustling heart of old Brussels as part of a vibrant multicultural metropolis and a thriving music scene. The venue has just purchased 24 x Robe MegaPointes which join the 50 x Spiiders that have graced the house lighting rig since 2017. Together with some other lights, these ensure that the very best production values can be offered for all incoming shows - for those who might be using the full house rig and not carrying any of their own kit as well as those touring with specials packages and hooking into the house ‘top’ rigs each night. Head of AB’s lighting department, Renaat Van Hee, explained that they were extremely happy with the Spiiders and looked to Robe again to invest in new spot / beam fixtures. “We have good contact and have enjoyed great service from
Switzerland - Built in 1910, the rustic Alpine-style Volkshaus concert hall in Zurich provides a stark contrast to the many sleek glass and steel structures that dot the trendy western section of Switzerland’s largest city. Volkshaus offers excellent acoustics, which explains why so many internationally renowned bands representing every music genre have performed at the venerable venue. For all its charm and other attractive qualities, though, the Volkshaus’ small stage can present a challenge for a lighting designer seeking to create big majestic looks. Massimo Tomasino overcame this issue in early May for two sold-out shows by Antonello Venditti, thanks to some help from Chauvet Professional Maverick fixtures, supplied by Fumasoli Audio & Lights Rental. Tomasino used 14 Maverick MK2 Spots and 12 MK2 Wash units in his floor package. He arranged six of the spot
USA - The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world, drawing more than two million people each year. An especially large draw is the 20 consecutive evenings of rodeo and concerts held at Houston’s NRG Stadium. HLSR recently unveiled a new star-shaped concert stage and backdrop truss structure for the shows that supports LED video and hundreds of intelligent lights, among them Elation Protron Eclypse, Elation Paladin, and Elation Fuze Wash Z350 fixtures. Production company LD Systems has been working on HLSR since 1985 and for the 2019 version (25 February to 17 March 17) again provided complete audio, video and lighting production services and technical support for the NRG stage. LD Systems deployed a stadium-wide system of automated lights that lighting designer Nathan Brittain used to create spectacular look
UK - Maestra Group has made some major sound, lighting and video equipment investments recently in the London office, including white sound and lighting kit, which will ensure all its clients have the most flexible and dynamic solutions available for their shows and events. The equipment is proving especially popular for car launches and other automotive events, fashion shows, corporates, industrials and expo stands as well as for art exhibitions, parties and architainment applications, where white equipment is often better suited to blend into the environment than traditional black. The kit includes a substantial purchase of 30 x custom coated white Robe moving lights – 12 x LEDBeam 150s, 12 x Spiider LED WashBeams and six Pointe multipurpose fixtures which bring Maestra London’s total stock of Robes to over 100 including black versions of these three types and ot
UK - Le Mark Group has announced the appointment of Jeff Demain as northern sales manager, UK. Demain has worked in the entertainment industry for over 35 years. His experience has encompassed sound, lighting, sales and installation, and he has managed key projects in Russia, the Middle East and the UK. His history has included leading companies including Concert Light Systems, Playlight Hire, White Light North and most recently, HSL Blackburn. “I have known Jeff for many years and have always been in awe of his industry knowledge,” said Linda Gibbons, joint managing director. “With Jeff now on the ground locally, he is perfectly positioned and readily available to meet with many more companies interested in our products and to expand our sales in the north of the UK. It is an important move forward for the company.” “We are all delighted to have Jeff
USA - A sense of foreboding runs through Murder Ballad like the creaking noise in a dark and unfamiliar house. The Julia Jordan and Juliana Nash rock musical tells the story of a love triangle gone bad, as it spins into a vortex of ever-increasing pain, betrayal and shattered emotions. In a recent production of the 2012 cult favourite at the Broward Centre for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, lighting designer Clifford Michael Spulock captured the apprehension of characters caught in a world turned upside down. Helping him evoke this feeling in powerful, unsettling fashion were the gobo capabilities of the Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 Spot fixture. “The show is really charged with emotion as it moves through the breaking and splintering of relationships,” said Spulock. “I wanted to portray this feeling as literally as I could, not just with color,
UK - West London lighting and video rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment has expanded its fleet of vehicles with a new artic and trailer – a Volvo FH460 Globetrotter Euro 6 tractor unit, complete with a 45' Schmitz Cargobull low-ride Tri-axle semi-trailer. This vehicle - chosen for its efficiency and dynamics - is an investment made for the convenience of trucking equipment to tours and festivals across the UK and Europe. It will also offer clients an additional element of cost-effectivity as Colour Sound can offer independent trucking services for large one-offs. The truck will be especially busy during the upcoming festival season and will help streamline overall production logistics by reducing the off-site pick-ups required. “All our vehicles have been bought with a view to making our operations as flexible and versatile as possible to suit client n
Mexico - Experiencias Xcaret is aptly named. A collection of majestic parks by the sea, this eco-tourist destination is intended for those who want not merely to visit Mexico, but to experience it in all its natural beauty and rich cultural traditions. Within its expansive grounds, visitors can enjoy over 40 attractions that afford them the opportunity to wander through lush jungles, swim in underground rivers, explore caves, contemplate evocative Mayan ruins, and enrich their minds and senses with an array of other activities. The winner of three consecutive Travvy Awards (the international tourism industry’s equivalent of the Oscars), Experiencias Xcaret is constantly seeking ways to enhance its offerings to visitors, while maintaining its earth-friendly environmental footprint. It did both recently when it upgraded the lighting in its theatres with Ovation E-260WW IP LE
USA - Singer songwriter Jackson Browne is takin’ it easy these days on lamp changes and power requirements by using an all-LED touring rig which includes High End Systems Sola Series. Lighting designer/director Steve Comer chose five SolaFrame 2000s from lighting vendor Bandit Lites on his springtime acoustic concert tour, which ran through 13 U.S. cities 22 March through 9 April. “Our acoustic tour is a scaled-back tour production wise,” Comer explains. “I had to design a rig that could fit in a minimal truck footprint and still go up easily on a daily basis.” The LD says using an all-LED rig has been an ongoing goal. “We have been pushing to go 100 percent LED with Jackson for a long time now. The fixtures that were always lacking were LED spot fixtures. I tried the SolaFrames because of their light output (at 26,000 lumens from a 600 watt LED sourc
USA - A Yiddish-language production of Fiddler on the Roof opened at Stage 42 in New York City on 21 February with direction by Joel Grey and lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski. Playing an important role in this version of the musical are Elation Colour 5 Profile LED ellipsoidal spots supplied by G Scott Designs. Associate designer is Ethan Steimel who says that Kaczorowski required a fixture that colour changed in a tight warm palette from no colour incandescent to gel colours L162 to L147. He adds that the designer also wanted to achieve a deep blue. The solution was found in the Colour 5 Profile LED ellipsoidal. Housing a 180W RGBAM (Red, Green, Blue, Amber, Mint) LED engine, the Mint LED enhances the production of variable white colour temperatures from 3,200 to 6,500K and increases the CRI. An exceptionally flat field of light, CRI over 94, and a professi
Europe - Ayrton and Lightpower have announced that, from 1 July 2019, Lightpower will take over the exclusive distribution of Ayrton in Germany. "We are looking forward to working with Ayrton,” states Herbert Marx, sales director of Lightpower. “Ayrton is an extremely dynamic brand with innovative, market-leading products of the highest quality. Ayrton's high-quality standards and product and portfolio strategy are a perfect match for Lightpower." “It is a big step for Ayrton to join forces with Lightpower,” comments Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s global sales director. “A short four years after introducing Ayrton to the German market, it is now time for the next distribution level. To have a broader sales approach, to develop new markets and to also offer convincing service on the after sales side.” (Jim Evans)
USA - At Lightfair 2019, the lighting and design trade show held in Philadelphia, TMB will show a wide and varied selection of products derived in large part from the company’s extensive experience supplying innovative products to the entertainment and production staging markets. New to the Firefly Festoon range of professional-grade LED festoon lamps are ‘Classic’ S14, glass, 120V versions. The classic Firefly G45 versions, available in 24V and 120V, are outdoor rated, shatterproof, and safe. Firefly Festoon lamps are well known for their bright consistent colours and whites, plus a selection of golden warm white ‘Filament’ versions. The new Mozart UV is compact and lightweight, is IP65-rated and delivers up to 40 Watts of LED UV power, outputting 100% pure UV light with ZERO visible light. In addition to the compact size, a remote PSU and easy to connect wi
USA - Ayrton, and its exclusive US distributor, ACT Lighting Inc, in conjunction with lighting equipment supplier 4wall Entertainment, supported Boston Ballet’s 2018–2019 spring season with the provision of Ayrton WildSun K-25 TC LED fixtures for Full on Forsythe, a trio of works from prestigious choreographer William Forsythe. The programme features Playlist (EP), Forsythe’s first world premiere to be created with an American company since 1992, the North American premiere of Blake Works I, and the return of Pas/Parts 2018. Boston Ballet’s lighting director, Brandon Stirling Baker, explains why he chose Ayrton WildSun K-25 TC: “As the lighting director of Boston Ballet it is my responsibility to maintain the work of over 100 international lighting designers in our repertory. I am always looking for creative tools and lighting equ
USA - On the North American leg of their current Timeless tour, multinational classical crossover group Il Divo is being supported by a smoothly flowing and versatile lightshow anchored by Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by Showtime Sound LLC. A collection of 22 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures, along with 20 Rogue R1 FX-B units and seven STRIKE 4 multi-formatted lights, are used in the touring rig. Flown on the upstage and midstage truss and hung on vertical truss towers, the Rogue R2 Wash fixtures bathe the stage in even fields of richly coloured light. While the overhead RGBW units bathe the stage in a variety of colours to reflect different moods, their 12° to 49° zoom range allows changes in the coverage area throughout each show to create a variety of different looks. The linear Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures are used to frame the stage. With their infinite pan an
France - Elation Professional’s French distributor, Best Audio & Lighting, is inviting lighting professionals to its studio near Paris 21-23 May for a chance to demo and get hands on with Elation lights, including the newest luminaires in Elation’s comprehensive product line. This is an opportunity to check out Elation’s award-winning product line and get up close with some of the newest offerings such as the Proteus Maximus, Artiste Monet, Rayzor 760, Proteus Smarty Hybrid and Fuze Profile. Lighting control products from Obsidian Control System like the NX 2, M-Touch and M-Play will also be available for hands-on examination. Registration is requested at info@bestaudio-lighting.fr (Jim Evans)
South Africa - DWR Distribution is hosting a studio lighting workshop presented by Peter Rieck on 28 May from 9am to 5pm local time. Peter is well known in the South African industry for lighting countless studio and television productions. His easy-going nature and wealth of experience will make this a training course not to be missed. The course will be hosted at DWR, 9 Zeiss Street, Laserpark, Honeydew. The cost is R450 and includes eats and refreshments. Bookings can be made here. (Jim Evans)
UK - At the beginning of May, a two-year project came to be realised for inspirational Guildford School of Acting lighting tutor Michelle (Mig) Burgess when her design installation Blackout was revealed to the industry. Harnessing the collective powers of light, sound and video in the hope of affecting genuine changes in an approach to mental health, Mig set about on her quest over two years ago. Mig is open about living with Bipolar II disorder – a condition with which she was finally diagnosed in her late twenties. And for the past couple of years, she has been formulating a plan to create a design installation to portray, in a sensory way, the mental journey inside a Bipolar II patient’s head as they transition through a manic episode. The result has been a highly provocative, moving installation, experienced alone for six minutes, and which, over
USA - Djembe! The Show is an energy-filled, theatrical concert experience that mixes traditional West African beats with modern takes on contemporary music that has toured Europe and even been featured on Ted Talks and Oprah’s Super Soul Sessions. It made its limited US debut at the Apollo Theatre in Chicago with lighting design by Zach Blane who used an all Elation LED lighting rig to accentuate the production. Support was provided by Elation dealer ILC. Djembe!, which opened 10 April and ran through 12 May, is a celebration of African culture with drumming and musical performances by a cast composed mostly of West African musicians. Guests of the show were handed a drum – a djembe – and invited to play along. The Apollo Theatre features a three-quarter thrust stage with the audience on three sides, a setup that gives guests an intim
