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
Spain - Lighting designer Eduardo Valverde of Pixelmap Studios utilised the dynamic multi-functionality of Robe’s MegaPointe moving lights together with Robe LEDWash 800s and other fixtures to help create the atmosphere for Popland, a musical journey staged at the WiZink Centre in Madrid. The show was a diverse electronic and symphonic fusion illustrating pop, rock and dance music ‘moments’ from the last 50 years, presented by one of Spain’s most influential mix-masters, DJ Nano, in conjunction with Catalan experimental theatre company La Fura dels Baus and the Darevitam! Orchestra conducted by Bruno Axel. The event - three years in the making - was the brainchild of DJ Nano, who initiated with the concept together with Sharemusic! who produced this very special event with another two major Spanish promoters, Planet Events and Disorder. Eduardo and
Macau - Six Robert Juliat 600W LED Oz followspots have been installed as part of the recent upgrade of the spectacular Franco Dragone show, The House of Dancing Water in Macau’s City of Dreams. The powerful, long-throw LED models were supplied with push-pull, six-way colour changers and heavy-duty adjustable yokes in anticipation of the show’s extremely busy schedule. The House of Dancing Water has been seen by over 5m people since its premiere in 2010. It is probably the largest and most spectacular water-based show in the world and, after more than 3000 performances, the longest running show on the Cotai Strip. The show takes place in the purpose-built, 2000-seat, 270° in-the-round, House of Dancing Water Theatre and is directed by Franco Dragone. The story is focused around a huge 50m x 7m deep pool containing 3.7m gallons of water and involves 90
UAE/Europe - AO Technology has launched AO Drones, a new division in its portfolio of visual design services. Utilising advanced technology developed specifically for entertainment applications, AO Drones’ software facilitates flexible, fast show creation for both indoor and outdoor environments, says the company. AO Drones currently serves the Middle East region from its UAE hub, and Europe from its German HQ. However, with partnerships in America, Asia and Africa, the business is able to deliver shows worldwide. “We’re thrilled to bring AO Drones to the market,” says AO producer Marco Niedermeier. “Over the last couple of years we’ve merged 25 years of experience in visual design and entertainment technology development with this innovative new drone technology, to enable live visual design to achieve a who
Singapore - Concept System recently upgraded the ballroom and function rooms at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel with Martin by Harman RUSH LED light fixtures. Overlooking the picturesque Singapore River, the 30-story Grand Copthorne Waterfront is located in one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations. The hotel’s management recently decided to upgrade the antiquated lighting systems in the ballroom and function rooms with efficient LED solutions, and hired Concept System to outfit the property with Martin RUSH MH 1 Profile. "Elaborate functions like weddings and banquets require stunning visual effects," says Gerald Fong, senior sales manager at Concept System. "The Grand Copthorne selected Martin fixtures because of their quality, efficiency and Harman’s remarkable service, and specifically asked us to use Martin’s LED fixtures in their grand ballroom
Japan - It’s impossible to walk through the prefecture of Gion and not be swept up in its vibrant pace of life. The most celebrated geisha district in a city that is itself the cultural heart of Japan, the neighbourhood is renowned for its dining and entertainment attractions. Both of these offerings are found in the Kyoto Sushi Theatre, a lively venue that serves up a culinary and artistic feast for its customers. Creating a colourful and engaging backdrop for this dual experience is an Andy Hinago-designed lightshow that features a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by PRG Japan. Given that the ‘theatre side’ of Kyoto Sushi Theatre features not only traditional Kabuki, but also more modern, western-style Shingeki performances, Andy (who owns GOTTA, Inc.) placed an emphasis on versatility when putting together his rig for the venue. This led
Australia - Melbourne-based lighting rental and production company MPH Australia, headed by Matt Hansen, continues to invest in Robe products, with the latest additions being over 80 MegaPointes, 50 Spiiders and 50 BMFLs. These join a growing inventory of Robe moving lights, currently in the region of 700, including BMFL Spots and Blades, Pointes, LEDWash 600s and LEDBeam 100s. Hansen has made the commitment to Robe’s newest tech after having utilised the products on shows - including his own - for several years. He founded MPH (Matt’s Party Hire) in 2006 initially to stock LED products like SoftLED cloth and the company has grown into a much larger ‘party’. Having the new technology onboard has been “incredible” says Hansen. “They have been out constantly, and that’s set to continue; MegaPointes and Spiiders are both products ‘of the moment’.”
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds will present a first opportunity for GLP UK to showcase the five new products unveiled at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt last month. It will also demonstrate the degree to which the company has grown this past year. From the corporate end they have celebrated their 25th year by adding Fusion to their brand portfolio, while the UK operation, having moved to larger premises in Redhill, and recruited former Robe and TSL specialist, Greg Westwood as new technical manager. The full complement of UK staff will be present at the booth. In order to give full exposure to the new products GLP has moved to a new location at the Royal Armouries, occupying the main foyer of the New Dock. “This will provide us with a great opportunity to build brand awareness and engage in the kind of networking for which PLASA Focus is well known,” said head of GLP UK, Simon
France - Details of Showlight 2021, the unique lighting colloquium organised for lighting professionals by lighting professionals, have been announced. The next gathering for this quadrennial event will take place on 22-25 May 2021 in the French town of Fontainebleau. The main sponsor for the event will be the 100-year old French manufacturer of followspots and theatrical luminaires, Robert Juliat. The Showlight committee searched long and hard for a setting worthy of Showlight’s reputation for fascinating locations, and settled on the historic town of Fontainebleau which lies 55.5km (34.5 miles) south east of Paris. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its medieval Château de Fontainebleau, a royal and imperial residence for more than 800 years, and surrounded by former royal hunting park, Fontainebleau Forest, Fontainebleau is
Europe - ETC has given new roles for two of its employees. Jeremy Roberts has been appointed as regional sales manager for the UK and Mark White - as regional sales manager for Ireland, & UK rigging. Roberts will support ETC and High End Systems’ dealers, distributors and customers across the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa sales territories and provide strategic and operational client management whilst continuing to identify sales opportunities across these regions. He joined ETC 20 years ago having previously worked as the head of light and sound at Nottingham Playhouse Theatre. He had experience working in theatre for 15 years before starting with ETC in the London office. Mark White has worked for ETC for over 18 years. In his new position, he will focus on growing the business in Ireland whilst progressing ETC’s stage machinery offering across the UK. As the rig
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) knowledgeable staff will be on hand to demonstrate a number of leading brands and technologies from its one-stop portfolio at PLASA Focus Leeds next week (stand N-E02). Continuing Chroma-Q’s celebration of 15 years in LED innovation, the multi award-winning Color Force II will be on show to demonstrate stunning colour blending for a multitude of cyc, wash and effects lighting applications. The award-winning Space Force LED space/soft light will be illuminating the stand. It combines a powerful output with tuneable white control in a lightweight, internally ballasted design featuring low heat convection cooling. Using a homogenised LED source capable of delivering variable colour temperature, plus/minus green shift control and the ability to produce deep saturated colours when needed, the Studio Force II is specifically designed
Germany - Singer-songwriter Max Giesinger has been a regular in the German-speaking world of music for several years. Following the 2016 album The Boy Who Runs, Giesinger released the studio album The Journey in the Autumn of 2018. From mid-February to mid-March 2019, he embarked on the first leg of his eponymous tour, which led him through German arenas via four stops in Austria and Switzerland. Lighting designer Tom ‘Standtom’ Groß, who has been with Giesinger since 2016, produced an unconventional design for the tour. "In the run-up to the tour, I brainstormed this with the management and the artist,” he recalls. “I wanted a classic set-up of spot and wash lights, and to avoid a backdrop at the back. So all involved provided input, and the result was a three-dimensional design - minus a backdrop.” In addition to some spots that Standtom foun
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.
