Lighting

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21 October 2024

Poland - Theatre Muzyczny (Musical Theatre) in the seaside city of Gdynia on Poland’s north coast is the largest musical theatre in Poland, with three stages able to accommodate over 1,580 people.

Also known for its world-class performances and high production values, the venue has recently invested in 43 Robe Forte moving lights, which are rigged in its 1,070-capacity main stage venue. These were supplied by Robe’s Polish distributor, Prolight, who won a competitive tender to supply the new tech.

Bartosz Wolak has worked at the Theatre for the last 11 years as chief LX and head of lighting, a multiplexing role that also encompasses designing and operating the lights for their own productions. He and his lighting team of eight were instrumental in choosing Robe for this major technical upgrade that ensures Theatre Muzyczny will continue presentin

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21 October 2024

Europe - Schoko Pro in Wiesbaden recently organised a corporate event at the Stockholm Exhibition Centre. For the lighting of the entire day's celebration, involving both conference and gala spaces, the team led by project manager Joe Wippel used Claypaky’s compact Midi-B Wash/Beamlight.

300 moving lights fitted with 19x40W LEDs replaced an older LED wash light of the same size supplied by a different manufacturer and used for this same event in previous years.

Jens Wetterkamp of NicLen, a dry-hire company in Dortmund, suggested that Schoko Pro try Claypaky's Midi-B. “As soon as I looked at the technical data sheet I realised that this solution was exactly what we were looking for. Then, once on site, the projector took us by surprise in several different ways: it is lightweight, bright, extremely stylish, generates delightful colours and has an

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21 October 2024

France - Young people from around the world participated in the 47th annual WorldSkills Competition in Lyon.

Founded in the aftermath of WWII when there was a global shortage of skilled workers, WorldSkills is dedicated to promoting vocational education. The 2024 edition of this biannual event fulfilled this mission in style.

Beyond being enriched by the exchange of ideas and knowledge, however, participants and guest from 70 countries left WorldSkills energised by the uplifting mood that resonated throughout Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium during the closing ceremonies.

Enhancing this inspirational aura and taking its energy to a new level was the production design by Frédéric (Aldo) Fayard working with set designer Simon Fouillet, and lighting-multimedia designer Theo Broche Cannone, along with the rest of the team at Concept K that featu

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21 October 2024

Australia - Centrestate Sound & Lighting has expanded its inventory with the acquisition of the Prolights Smart BatWash to enhance the efficiency and the versatility of their productions. 

Centrestate Sound & Lighting provides production services even in the most remote areas of New South Wales, often facing the challenge of working in environments with limited technical infrastructure. In this context, adopting battery-operated fixtures like the Smart BatWash proves to be a strategic choice to ensure high-quality productions even in the absence of traditional power sources. 

Allan Brown, CEO of Centrestate, comments: “The Smart BatWash units have proven to be extremely versatile and suited to a wide range of events, from conferences to stage live. With features like IP65 rating, wireless DMX, and the battery operation option you can't go

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21 October 2024

USA - Elation has announced the hiring of professional brand strategist Braven Greenelsh as the company’s chief marketing officer. In addition to being an entrepreneur and award-winning thought leader in brand development, Greenelsh has a strong background in corporate identity and product design. He has collaborated with the Elation team for many years and contributed to the success of several of Elation’s top brands, including PROTEUS and Obsidian Control Systems.   

Toby Velazquez, CEO of Elation and president of the ADJ Group, comments: “We have always valued our brand as a vital part of our business, and as we continue to relentlessly push boundaries in design, engineering, quality, and reliability, I’ve personally recognised the need to amplify our marketing efforts. This is why we made the decision to invest in a proven visionary like Braven

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18 October 2024

The Netherlands/Slovakia - The global launch of the SRS Lighting VLAN-toolbox has been announced. This product is the result of a collaboration between Podiumtechniek B.V., a leading player in the entertainment industry, and SRS Group, a globally respected name in lighting, rigging, and power distribution technology. Together, they have developed a solution that will ‘significantly simplify the lives of AV technicians worldwide’.

The idea for the SRS Lighting VLAN-toolbox was first introduced by Paul van Schaik, co-owner of Podiumtechniek B.V. During the initial presentation of the prototype at CUE 2024 in Rotterdam, it quickly became apparent that there was a high demand for a simple yet powerful tool for network management specifically designed for AV professionals.

"After the presentation, we immediately saw the potential," says Paul van Schai

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18 October 2024

Canada - Although bad weather cut Ottawa’s Escapade Festival 2024 from three to two days, 45,000 fans attended the EDM extravaganza.

The ever-popular Bet99 Stage featured performances by the likes of Slander, Isoxo, Seven Lions, Kayzo, and Subtronics, all supported by a versatile, dynamic rig created by Onedot that featured 29 Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes, and an equal number of STRIKE Array 2 fixtures.

Animating every performance on this stage was a massive video wall measuring roughly 124’ wide by 10’ heigh. Comprised of two sections, the wall displayed a variety of evocative images and IMAG content on its surface, which rather than being configured as a straight plane, was arranged accordion style, with different sections protruding out further than others. This design endowed the stage with a greater sense of

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17 October 2024

USA - Working with Stageworx AV at Kemba Live, LD Matt King kept pace with Kameron Marlowe’s multi-faceted, fast-moving show on the star’s recent tour, as he supported the music with a versatile, high-powered lightshow that moved through a wide range of looks.

Helping him accomplish this was a collection of 32 Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by 4Wall Entertainment. Included in this mix were 18 Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-wash, 10 Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, and four COLORado PXL Bar 16 fixtures.

“Kameron is a very dynamic artist,” said King. “Our show can go from old school country to rock and roll really fast, so I switched between warm and cool white to guide the audience and set the tone for where we were headed. For our opener I used cool white from the tubes in my Color STRIKE Ms to drive energy though big hits and swells i

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17 October 2024

UK - Avolites has announced an update to its Titan remote app, boosting performance and functionality. It is ‘a significant upgrade to the last Titan remote app’ (released several years ago) and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

The Titan remote app works alongside Avolites lighting consoles running Titan software, to provide moving light control from a mobile phone or tablet.

Using the Avolites Remote app on a mobile device, with the addition of an external wireless access point, any Avolites lighting console can be remote-controlled using Wi-Fi from an android or iOS mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. 

The remote app also enables running and storing palettes and running playbacks which is invaluable to lighting designers, directors and operators when rigging, testing and focusing fixtures.

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16 October 2024

Italy - The Vasco Live 2024 tour took place across three venues with a total of 12 shows, kicking off at the Stadio Comunale in Bibione, followed by seven dates at the San Siro Stadium in Milan and concluding with four performances at the San Nicola Stadium in Bari. As every year, the tour of Italy's leading rocker was marked by an impressive deployment of equipment and technology, including a powerful, visually striking lighting rig.

Vasco's lighting designer, Giovanni Pinna, comments, “We used the same rig and the same kinds and number of lighting fixtures as last year, and the same stage layout as in the past two years. However, we made a significant improvement in light programming and overall use. With today’s complex technology, it is not easy to use all the features the lights offer straight off. This year, though, after last years’ exp

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16 October 2024

Germany - This summer, A Chorus Line premiered at First Stage Theatre in Hamburg. The final project of the graduates of Stage School Hamburg runs until October 2024. The annual joint project receives support from the media technology students of Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg), who are in charge of the automated control of the lighting technology and use a zactrack SMART system for this purpose.

“In this venue, it’s absolutely essential to use followspots,” explains Fabian Oving, who supervises all student projects as a research assistant in the lighting laboratory of HAW Hamburg and also uses zactrack in the university’s own showroom for training purposes. As the First Stage Theatre does not have any dedicated personnel for followspot applications, someone came up with the idea of using the tracking system for the produ

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15 October 2024

USA/Europe - Elation has introduced Limelight, a range of high-powered colour-mixing wash luminaires.

The Limelight PAR is a versatile workhorse fixture, designed for even stage washes, side or front lighting, backlighting, and dramatic silhouette effects. It offers precision to accent scenery, sets, or specific areas of the stage for both functional and aesthetic lighting needs.

Available in two configurations, Limelight PAR S boasts seven 60W RGBL LEDs, while Limelight PAR L raises intensity further with 12x 60W RGBL LEDs. The added Lime emitter gives a substantial boost to overall output and fills in the entire spectrum to create a more expansive colour gamut. Limelight PAR L delivers an output of 8,213 total lumens, while the PAR S version brings 5,345 lumens to the table. Both fixtures are IP65-rated LED colour changers, built to perform ‘in a

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15 October 2024

USA - Justin Munana, aka Collie, of design house Nimblist employed an abundance of Elation Artiste Monet LED framing profile luminaires for Chris Brown’s recently concluded 11:11 tour. One hundred thirty-eight fixtures were distributed across the rig to ensure a consistent wash over the entire set, contributing to the elaborate and visually striking production. Fuse Technical Group provided lighting and video.

The tour followed Brown's November 2023 release of 11:11, which topped the Top R&B Albums chart. Beginning in Detroit on 5 June and concluding in Los Angeles on 6 August, the tour featured a complex production, with Justin overseeing the performance environment design.

The theatrical production features several intricate elements, such as lifts and elevators to move performers and set pieces, a rotating B stage, kinetic

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15 October 2024

USA - Grammy Award-winning artist Gary Clark Jr is touring the world with his new album JPEG Raw, complete with a lighting scheme designed by John Adamo and Robert Fuller.

For the first US leg of the tour, John utilised Robe Footsie2s (RGBW) footlights and TetraX moving LED bars on his lighting rig, which were supplied by Bandit Lites.

Virginia-based John, who has been working with the singer and musician since 2018, said his starting point for this completely new production design was … the music. The artist’s collage of soul, blues, rock and funk is often complex and multilayered. John and Robert wanted to deliver an impactful design that complemented the dynamic range of the music.

Robe’s TetraX was chosen for its versatility as it can be used as a wash, beam or eye candy fixture as well as its ability to create subtle effec

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14 October 2024

Poland - Pol’and’Rock is a three-day event held at the Czaplinek-Broczyno Airfield that bills itself as ‘the largest free festival in Europe’. Inspired by Woodstock, Pol’and’Rock drew over 800,000 fans this year for the 30th edition of the festival.

Artists from nu metal and alt rock, to classic rock and hip-hop performed on the festival’s two stages. Among them were international acts like Guano Apes, Clawfinger, Modestep, Flogging Molly and Motionless in White, as well as Polish stars, including Coma and T. Love.

Supporting their performances was a light show designed by Jacek Chojczak and the Green Beam Design team. At the centre of the massive main stage (it measures 80m x 20m with a 21m trim) was an automated RGB ring that captivated the crowd by changing positions throughout shows. Thanks to its half rounded stealth filer

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14 October 2024

Europe - Australian lighting designer David Gordon – known industry-wide as Gordo – wanted to create a different lighting ambience that was transportable and transposable anywhere around the globe for the ongoing Living Room Sessions world tour by indie folk rockers Angus & Julia Stone.

He turned to 48 of Astera’s powerful and handy NYX Bulb products to help produce this smart, eye-catching, and highly individual aesthetic which packed neatly into a Pele case.

The NYX Bulbs were purchased by the band for the tour and for future use. They pack into a bespoke moulded tray for transit which is fitted into a Pele type 1607 case, weighing around 20kg when full, which is “great for freight” as well as being sustainable.

The NYX Bulb lighting concept is built around a theatre show set up. Onstage, 30 x NYX Bulbs are (typically

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14 October 2024

Poland - Produced by Euforia Festivals, Tranceformations is one of Poland’s largest EDM Festivals. It takes place annually at the Centennial Hall, a UNESCO-listed building in Wroclaw, capital of Lower Silesia. The historic venue, built in 1913 to a design by architect Max Berg, holds 10,000 people beneath its 42m high x 67m diameter dome.

This was the location for the sixth edition of Tranceformations which hosted a line-up of international Trance music artists including Aly & Fila, Brinary Finary, Jordan Suckley, Nilsix, Thrill Seekers, Solarstone, Genix, Marcus Schulz, A.D.D.A, Roger Shah and Simon Paterson.  

Lighting designer, Marcin Chrzanowski of CM Light, Poland, used over 500 moving lights and 55 high-powered lasers to bring to life the light show, transforming the mid-air into a colourful work of art, with the DJs and artist

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14 October 2024

France - The Festival d'Avignon celebrates its 78th edition in 2024. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, this major international performing arts event attracts thousands of enthusiasts each summer to various venues around the city.

At the heart of the festival, the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes is an emblematic venue, offering the setting for a variety of performances. This year, eight Claypaky Sinfonya and six Claypaky Rhapsodya fixtures were installed, combining the latest technology with high artistic requirements.

Before making their choice, the festival's technical team carried out rigorous tests at FabricA, a theatre in Avignon with dimensions similar to those of the Cour d'Honneur. These tests allowed the performance of the spotlights to be accurately assessed.

Manuella Mangalo, general lighting manager, explains, “I wa

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14 October 2024

Singapore - Arts venue, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, has recently invested in its first consignment of Ayrton fixtures having purchased 21 Argo 6 Wash and 12 Rivale Profile units for its Recital Studio.

The fixtures were chosen after a thorough evaluation process by Esplanade’s technical theatre managers and lighting team who judged the Ayrton fixtures to be a good balance of performance and reliability which met all their technical requirements. “Ayrton's products stood out for their versatility, innovative features, and the positive feedback we received from other industry professionals,” said Heryadi Yusof, head of lighting, technical production, The Esplanade Co Ltd.

The Ayrton Argo 6 Wash and Rivale Profiles proved well-suited to the intimate 245-seat Esplanade Recital Studio, meeting all the tender specifications and criteria set out

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11 October 2024

Hungary - Robe fixtures were prominent on a number of lighting installations designed by Centrum Production and delivered by VEG (Visual Europe Group) for the 2024 Hungarian National Day Celebrations in capital city Budapest.

iBolts, iFortes and iForte LTXs together with MegaPointes and Tarrantulas were utilised across five key sites on the main day of celebrations which included performances, attractions and events taking place along a 5km-long stretch on both sides of the River Danube that dissects the Hungarian capital city.

The project was managed for VEG by Kristof Nagy and the five areas utilising Robe products were the 118m-wide Hungarian Parliament Building, the Hungarian National Gallery, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Elisabeth Bridge and the Mandoki Soulmates stage.

The imposing and majestic Parliament Building on the Pest side of th

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11 October 2024

Czech Republic - Žerotín Castle in Valašské Meziříčí has a new look and style for after dark with an installation of Anolis Calumma M and L LED fixtures, which were chosen to illuminate this heritage-protected building that houses a museum and gallery centre covering the whole Zlín region.

The initiative to light the building was led by Valašské Meziříčí’s city council working with lighting design studio Archlights.cz from Usti nad Labem, who provided expertise and selected the Calummas for the job.

The architectural lighting practice has utilised Anolis – a Robe business – products on several other jobs with great success, so it again looked towards the brand for a stylish, high-quality lighting solution.

The brief included creating some very specific colours to match the brickwork and general ambience of the Baroque-sty

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10 October 2024

USA - Jonny Tosserello, production manager and lighting designer/director for Lynyrd Skynyrd, is continuing his long-time use of Claypaky Xtylos for The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with ZZ Top co-headlining. Tosserello is a principal of Rock’n’Roll Drive-in based in southeastern Missouri.

Lynyrd Skynyrd, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, kicked off the 22-city North American leg of the ongoing tour with ZZ Top in July in West Palm Beach and wrapped in Ridgefield, Washington in September. Premier Global Production Company, Nashville, is the lighting vendor for the tour.

“I started deploying Xtylos in 2021 when they became available through Premier,” recalls Tosserello, who has been Lynyrd Skynyrd’s lighting director since 2010. “I wanted more beam fixtures in the band’s floor package, and Steven (Creech) Anderso

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10 October 2024

UK - The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of World War One France. Filled with stirring music and songs, it has become renowned for its astonishing use of life-sized horses by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who help bring this story to life on stage.

Having first been performed in 2007, the show is returning once again for an all-new UK and Ireland tour, featuring a lighting design by Rob Casey. Given the company’s long-term involvement with the show, White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, was called upon to supply the touring lighting rig.

The original production of War Horse was lit by Paule Constable, who would also light subsequent touring productions. For these, Casey initially served as one of

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10 October 2024

USA - 3G Productions LLC (3G) has announced that it has received a strategic investment from Chimney Rock Equity Partners (Chimney Rock), a private equity firm focused on lower-middle-market industrial investments. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Chimney Rock’s investment in 3G was made with the intent ‘to leverage the company’s longstanding reputation in live event production and systems integration services to grow into a national brand, both organically and via acquisitions’. With Chimney Rock’s partnership, 3G expects to actively seek to add new locations and customers and increase its already strong market share.

Under the terms of the agreement, the 3G management team, consisting of CEO Keith Conrad, CFO Andrew Ross, executive VP Jay Curiel, and VP of production Andy Ruiz, will remain in place, and all current employee