The Netherlands - ELC Lighting has appointed two distribution partners for the Green-GO range. Event Communications Australia has taken responsibility for the brand in the Australian market, while Electrosonic SA has been appointed as distributor for South Africa. Sydney-based Event Communications Australia, founded by Peter Cochrane and Frank Madzin, is a specialist provider of professional comms systems for the event production market. To meet the demand for Green-GO across Australia’s vast geographical area, the company has formed close working relationships with partners around the country. In addition, they recently recruited Robbi Nassi, a well-known figure in South Africa’s production industry, as a Green-GO specialist. Nassi comments: “We see great potential for Green-GO Digital in this market. It has been extremely well received, as if the market
China - PR Lighting has added two fixtures to its XR Series of moving heads. The new XR 580 BWS (PR-2552) and XR 580 Beam (PR-2554) incorporate the Philips MSD Platinum 550W 25R lamp (with the Osram Sirius HRI 550W XR as an option). Features include a colour wheel with 11 colour filters (and CTO plus open), with bi-directional rainbow effect at variable speeds and stepping/linear colour changing. Also included are a CMY colour mixing system with macro and individual CTO colour temperature adjustment (0-100%). The optical path also contains a fixed gobo wheel with 18 gobos plus open, bi-directionally rotatable and shakeable at variable speeds, as well as a rotating gobo wheel with seven gobos plus open, which are replaceable. The fixture provides three prisms: 8-facet, 9-facet and 4-facet, with optional 3-facet and 16-facet prisms and frost filter, while the
Norway - Boasting 1000 cabins and 54 suites, the MS Color Magic is the world's largest cruise ferry. For guests on her regular voyage between Oslo and Kiel however, Color Magic's real appeal lies in its generous onboard activities and entertainment, which includes a fully-equipped theatre, shopping mall and a night club. After having installed over 50 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot and Wash fixtures as part of the vessel’s 2018 entertainment upgrade - which included installations in both the theatre and night club - Entech International was once again brought on-board to work on the ship's promenade area, specifying 14 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot and 12 Maverick MK2 Wash fixtures. In addition to providing a more efficient upgrade to replace the outdated lighting equipment on the ship, which is owned by Color Line, the new Maverick fixtures create
UK - Claypaky has announced that, with immediate effect, it will handle directly the distribution of its products in the UK market. The Italian manufacturer has thanked its long-term UK distribution company Ambersphere Solutions; the collaboration between the two companies will continue for the after sales technical support for all the equipment that Ambersphere has supplied. The direct contacts with customers will be managed by Emilio Cornelli, a face already known to many, who returns as UK regional manager. Pio Nahum, CEO of Claypaky, comments: "The stage lighting market is changing rapidly and we decided that, in an influential market such as the UK, a direct relationship with customers and Lighting Designers that make use of our products has become indispensable".
UK - Distribution company Ambersphere Solutions has announced a streamlining of its product portfolio. Ambersphere MD, Glyn O’Donoghue, comments: “We have decided to dedicate our moving light offering to Ayrton Digital Lighting. It has been a real privilege to witness the innovation coming from the Ayrton development team and to experience the exceptional product-reliability first hand. We are very excited about the future working exclusively with Ayrton moving lights”. O’Donoghue continues: “To allow us to focus solely on Ayrton, we have decided to cease our distribution relationship with Claypaky. However, we remain dedicated to providing ongoing service and support for all of the equipment we have sold”. “I would like to thank the Claypaky team for working exclusively with Ambersphere for the
UK - Lighting control manufacturer and specialist Zero 88 is all set for some serious networking and interaction in the highly convivial environment of PLASA Focus Leeds, taking place at the Royal Armories on 14-15 May. The team including Jon Hole, Tyler Holpin, David Catterall, Edward Smith, Nathanael Orr and Charlie Madsen will be on Stand N-B12 and is looking forward to welcoming current and future professionals from all sectors of entertainment technology. After successful take up and listening to feedback from previous years, Zero 88 is again providing free 75-minute training sessions through Tuesday 14 May on its award-winning FLX lighting console. Sessions start at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00. Places can be booked in advance to guarantee a space via training@zero88.com - and guests can also feel free to drop in too. “PLASA Focus Leeds has always
UK - Martin Dudley of Martin’s Lights has invested in the new Martin by Harman ERA 300 Profile, with six units already in action on the current Newton Faulkner tour. Supplying lighting design and lighting equipment hire services, Martin's Lights recently celebrated its 25th birthday. Current and past clients of owner Martin Dudley include Newton Faulkner with whom he has been working with for 13 years, James Morrison (as lighting director for lighting designer Cate Carter), Heaven 17, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Magazine, The Specials and many more. Having owned Martin fixtures a very long way back in the ‘DJ Series’ days of Magic Moons, Starflashes and Jem smoke machines, and of course experience of the countless Martin fixtures in the lighting rigs of venues and festivals, the new ERA 300 Profile modern day LED successor to the MAC 250 recently caught his attention.
Europe - Hayden Borgars has covered a broad spectrum of shows during his career as a lighting designer, including various music genres, corporate, dance and theatre. Most recently he joined forces with American rap artist, Hoodie Allen (real name Steven Markowitz) for a British and European tour, at venues ranging from the 700-capacity Garage Glasgow to 2,000 Shepherds Bush Empire. Travelling with him throughout was an inventory of GLP X4 Bar 20s and JDC1 hybrid strobes, supplied by rental company, Siyan. The tour was set up essentially as a pre-album promo tour in advance of Hoodie’s next album release this month. Given the nature of the venues, Hayden simply assembled a powerful and scalable GLP floor package, giving him both versatility and big looks. He admitted he had been eager to use the JDC1s for some time, and his hunger only increased after GLP UK’s
Zimbabwe - Minister Michael Mehendere recently hosted a Night of Worship at UFIC Mutare, filling the venue with worshippers and beautiful music. Well known throughout Africa, Mehendere has worked with some of the best musicians on the continent, as well as being a senior pastor at the renowned United Family International Church. For the Night of Worship, it was important the lighting helped transport the audience visually in the same way Mehendere’s gospel-driven music did spiritually. Blessing Bero of Events Evolution was tapped for lighting design, with Tatenda Rushwaya running the board for the show. Using a mix of Chauvet DJ fixtures, Bero focused on creating warmth for the show through washes and special effects that would fit seamlessly with the inspiring and celebratory theme of the event. “UFIC Mutare has a good stage, but it is not very large, so
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has supplied the award-winning StageSmarts smartPDU power distribution system to creative technical production company, WCE-AV, to provide power management for its new lighting inventory. WCE-AV works with some of the UK’s most high-profile conference, live event, exhibition, roadshow, and fashion show clients. Its end-to-end service covers everything from set & stage design through to lighting, AV, power & rigging equipment. After recently upgrading all of the company's lighting inventory to modern LED-source fixtures, company director, Wayne Whitson was keen to find a power & distribution system which would offer maximum protection for the considerable new stock investment. Wayne approached one-stop technology supplier, AC-ET, who he had purchased equipment from before, to suggest a suitable solution.
Italy - The Colosseum in Rome is one of the world’s busiest tourist attractions, with over six million visitors per year. Now, under the management of archaeological park director Alfonsina Russo, it has once again become a venue for all kinds of events. Last year, visitors to the Colosseum were treated to a spectacular show, Sangue e Arena, at nightfall. This international collaboration between Canada and Italy offered a totally immersive experience, in English and Italian, with lights and remarkable holographic video effects at the heart of the ancient monument. wysiwyg was at the centre of all the action. The Sangue e Arena project was the result of a close collaboration between Italian company, Electa Editore under the direction of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo. Graphics eMotion and Lumin-ART gave life to the Colosseum, a world heritage site.
Ireland - Picture This played a record five sold out nights at Dublin’s 3Arena. This beat U2’s four nights and offered a lively, show-stopping performance to 60,000 adoring fans. Helping make everything at the 3Arena bit look that bit more special was production designer Liam McCarthy, who spec’d over 150 Robe moving lights for this extravaganza, delivered by Irish rental company Just Lite Productions, and featuring 37 BMFL Spots, 36 Spiiders, 46 Pointes, 16 LEDWash 600s and 16 SuperSpikies. Liam worked closely with the band and created some initial set and visual concepts based on their ideas of initially wanting a circular video screen - which was developed into two curved screens. Video content director Darragh McAuliffe and the team from content producers Algorithm were commissioned by Just Lite’s Paul Smith with input from the band. The IMAG camera mix dir
France - Ayrton has announced Levante, the company's new compact 300W LED wash, is shipping with immediate effect. Weighing just 22kg, Levante is a miniaturised version of the Bora wash light, which matches the dimensions of Mistral and Diablo. With Levante, Ayrton has created a wash luminaire that can actually sculpture light, and added a high-transmission diffusion filter to the zoom lens group to erase the edge of the beam without changing its angle. A variable linear frost system allows the user to adjust the desired diffusion level with precision, says the company. Delivering a light output in excess of 20,000 lumens (Levante-S) through its 138mm frontal lens, Levante’s optical system is specially developed for optimum wash applications. Its 13-lens proprietary optical system features a zoom ration in excess of 9:1 and a 6.3° to 58° zoom range, and p
Europe - Astera’s new Helios range of LED tubes is now shipping following “record presale orders”, reports the company. The new Helios tube was unveiled at the recent Prolight+Sound and has all the features and functionality of the popular TitanTube utilising the stable and well-respected technology. It offers “outstanding concept continuity in an even more transportable package - a neat and powerful little tube which can be mounted virtually anywhere”. Like all Astera products, Helios comes with an assortment of accessories to cover every rigging and positioning need, wish and necessity. The IP65 rated Helios has eight pixels and is half the size with half the battery weight of the TitanTube, but with the same high CRI and TCLI of 96 for skin tones and detail. With up to 20 hours of battery run-time, it’s a suitable option for areas like pop-up
UK - Elation Professional will be exhibiting on stand N-D31 at PLASA Focus Leeds tradeshow, taking place 14-15 May at the Royal Armouries. The lighting manufacturer is also a Gold Sponsor and a Show Bar Sponsor at the show, which will be the first UK trade expo since Elation appointed Entedi Ltd as its new UK distributor Elation will be showcasing the 50,000-lumen Proteus Maximus, a wash/beam and profile LED luminaire with a top-of-the-line design package that premieres as the brightest LED profile on the market. With a custom designed 950W LED engine and large 180mm front lens, Maximus has the power to cut through at even great distances and its IP65 protection means it can be used exposed on outdoor shows. Elation is also highlighting two new luminaires in its award-winning Artiste line of theatrical grade moving heads. The 45,000-lumen Artiste Monet is a full
USA - Jen Fok says that she enjoys making “large gestures” that mix colour and shadow, evidenced by her work as the lighting designer on Qui Nguyen’s family saga Vietgone, which is running at the Boston Centre for the Arts from until 25 May. An Emmy Award-winning writer, Qui recounts the story of his Vietnamese parents, who met in an Arkansas refugee camp following the end of the war in 1975. His play is a delightful mashup of hip-hop, romance, road trip, Kung Fu and myriad other elements that make up the mosaic of life. Scenes morph radically during the telling of this story, and Fok’s lighting never fails to keep pace, thanks in part to its evocative colour changes, made with help from Chauvet Professional COLORdash Par-Hex 12 fixtures, supplied by High Output. Positioned on the third Unistrut position, the RGBAW+UV LED wash fixtures were instrumental in cre
Hungary - For Event is based in Budapest and is among Hungary’s leading technical production and equipment rental specialists, working across multiple entertainment and event sectors including music festivals and concert touring, live events, exhibitions and corporates. The company was the first in Hungary to invest in Robe MegaPointes in early 2018. Before then, they were also the first rental operation with BMFLs in Hungary - of which they have purchased more in the last year together with 24 x Spiiders and 26 x ParFects. The For Event brand was founded in 2011 by Gábor Glatz, a well-known Hungarian rock musician and celebrity who also runs another successful company, GDP, dedicated to providing full creative scenic and décor services. For Event’s focus has always been on providing additional technical value - both in design and equipment - lighting, sou
UK - Stage Electrics has installed and commissioned the power distribution and data systems, including 40 Socapex and data connection facility panels, in the Hippodrome Casino London, ahead of the Casino’s critically acclaimed production of Magic Mike Live, a spin-off live-version of the major motion picture. “We went from concept to installation in less than two weeks, we were called in to provide the Casino with the necessary infrastructure to meet the technical requirements for the show,” commented Stage Electrics’ project manager Tim Sachno. “The whole installation was delivered on a very tight time scale, including the design and manufacture of over 40 bespoke facility panels.” Stage Electrics has a long-standing relationship with the client, V&A Productions. “We’ve worked with V&A Productions in the past, mainly on equipment sales
UK - White Light has supplied the lighting equipment for Night of the Living Dead LIVE! which is currently spooking audiences at The Pleasance Theatre, London. Based on the George A. Romero film, Night of the Living Dead LIVE! tells the story of a group of strangers holed up in a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. With hoards of the undead approaching, will any of them make it out alive? The show is lit by Nic Farman, who comments: “I hadn’t actually seen the film version prior to working on the show but I allowed myself to watch the first 20 minutes. This was so I could get a feel for the style of the cinematography, but also not become fixated on recreating the film on stage from a lighting point of view.” Despite not wanting to be an imitation of the film, the production did remain true to the Romero classic. Nic explains: “The interesting thing
UK - Following the death of lighting designer Bryan Leitch last month, Backup chairman John Simpson has written an open letter to the industry charity’s supporters. “You will have read with great sadness that Bryan Leitch, the legendary production and lighting designer passed away peacefully on Tuesday, 23 April. His work over 30 years covered many of the top artistes and his encouraging advice along the way brought so many young and talented designers and technicians into our industry. “Over the last few years, whilst still working, he embraced his role in Backup as that of an ambassador but more importantly he engaged with those in our industry who were suffering from degenerative and life-threatening illnesses. His calm and supportive presence and regular contact, no matter what time of day or night, meant so much to those who faced exhausting treatment and r
Columbia - El Lugar de Su Presencia (The Place of His Presence) is a neo-charismatic Christian denominational church in Bogota, currently headquartered on two sites in the Castellana district of the capital city. These two venues are on opposite sides of the same road. The first arena was built in 2005 with a capacity of 3,000, and in 2017 the new building was constructed to contain an overflow congregation of up to 1,500 people. They have Robe Spikies, LEDBeam 150s and ParFect 150s installed in these two main venues, where all-things technical are looked after by technical manager David Zamora, who is also a lighting designer. David has worked there for six years and manages a full-time technical team of around 50 - covering all aspects of these two auditoriums - from staging to IT - plus five other sites around Bogota. They have around 400 volunteers regularl
Europe - Will Chandler side-hung 10 Chauvet Professional Next NXT-1 panels on poles behind diamond-shaped band risers for Hayley Kiyoko’s European tour, which concluded on 3 March in Madrid. The symmetrical diamond-on-diamond design created an engaging, balanced look on stage and served as a supportive backdrop for the 2018 MTV Push Artist of the Year’s famed dance moves. “This show is a mixture of very powerful, beat heavy songs and some slower, more subtle moments,” says Chandler. “Especially with having dancers on this tour, I wanted to be able to create some really bold hip-hop moments with blocks of light, and also to be able to have a lot of the rig disappear into the background during slower dance solos. We toured last year with various designs incorporating LED strips, but with this version of the show I wanted to break up those lines into bolder blocks of
Poland - Fans from across the globe turned the Polish city of Katowice into the epicentre of esports in late February for the Intel Extreme Masters tournament. Included in the large lighting and video package used by Warsaw-based technical event production company ARAM were full colour SixBar 1000 and white light DTW Bar 1000 battens along with Fuze Par Z60 luminaires, all from Elation Professional. Intel Extreme Masters is one of the biggest esports events in the world with a modern multimedia Champions Stage designed especially for the tournament. Held 28 February - 3 March at Spodek Arena in Katowice, players and teams from around the world competed in a variety of games for a prize pool of $2.5m. The Electronic Sports League (ESL) sanctioned event, sponsored by Intel, is not only a hot ticket to come by, it attracts a huge online audience as well. “Every year w
USA - In the continuing effort to release quarterly software updates to the Hog 4 operating system, High End Systems has released Hog 4 OS v3.12 software. Hog 4 OS v3.12 brings support for ETCnomad Dongle/Gadget II, as well as minor improvements including XML Import/Export of custom fixtures, Carallon-sourced fixtures, Custom Lock Screen Image and hiding of PIN dialog and Capture Presentation CITP connectivity (requires Capture 2019). Console product manager Sarah Clausen comments: “We're very excited to bring Hog 4 PC to the ETC nomad family. Users of our Educational package will now have yet another control system option to expand their horizons. Professional users will enjoy the new options for data distribution using Hog 4 PC and the ETCnomad USB key.” (Jim Evans)
