UK - Lighting designer Nathan Wan created a high impact design for the Live Action Arena at the 2018 Autosports International show, staged at the NEC, Birmingham, where a one-hour special presentation was staged six times a day for the duration of the expo. Nathan has worked on the show previously, and this year wanted to introduce some new visual dimensions to the mix utilising pixel mappable fixtures, which he drove using ArKaos’s powerful MediaMaster 5 control solution with Kling-Net protocol. The quick and easy implementation of Kling-Net enabled Nathan to drive the 36 x Spiiders on the rig, plus 70 metres of Chauvet COLORband Pix LED battens with assorted video content that he had compiled and selected for the event. The Spiiders were rigged on top of six 5m high scenic L-shaped Singapore F1 night-race style gantries that reached 9m over the track. These w
Japan - One of Japan’s most popular singer songwriters, Koji Kikkawa, added real dynamics to his recent Live Is Life arena show at the 8,000-capacity Musashino Forest Sport Plaza with the aid of 23 JDC1 hybrid strobes from GLP. Specified by lighting and set designer, Makoto Shimizu - who was also performance director - these were programmed in full 68-DMX channel mode to achieve full impact. The entire stage concept was put together between himself and Koji Kikkawa. “He likes stereo architecture so we assembled mainly curved trusses,” explained Shimizu. “Also, using the lights we designed the back-lighting truss to resemble a weapon attack by the Mazinger Z [from the Japanese animé super robot manga series], with the JDC1 featuring prominently.” Makoto said he had been aware of the power of GLP products for some time. “We had a tour last year,
Australia - The first in Australia and one of the most spectacular border lighting shows in the southern hemisphere has been launched by Twin Towns as they unveil their new dynamic digital media facade. The exterior of the Twin Towns Club’s main building in Wharf Street, Tweed Heads, has been transformed into a huge digital canvas, creating a dazzling attraction for both locals and tourists crossing the Queensland and New South Wales border. The ULA Group was engaged in this project from the early concepts, working close together with the team at Twin Towns, managed by CEO Rob Smith. Smith has said he and the Board are extremely excited to see the project come to fruition. “It’s been over five years in the planning and we believe the end result is truly spectacular, not just for Twin Towns, but for the entire community.” “We’re thrilled, we’
USA - After 15 seasons on FOX, American Idol moved to ABC this year where the show’s long-time lighting designer Kieran Healy added to the rig 50 Ghibli fixtures, Ayrton’s first LED spot luminaire with a factory-equipped framing system. “This year’s design for the American Idol studio shows has a moving ceiling with eight different panels,” says Healy. “I don’t have fixed lighting positions to key the judges since the ceiling can be in many different positions. I was looking for a new moving head spot fixture with an even field to put in the rig so I could take any pair of lights and key the judges from any angle.” Healy opted for 50 Ghibli fixtures, five of which are dedicated to keying and backlighting the judges while the balance serves as performance lighting. The fixtures were provided by PRG. ACT Lighting arranged a demo of t
USA - QolorPoint Wireless LED Uplighters by City Theatrical were recently used to illuminate The Spheres on Amazon’s campus in Seattle, Washington with a purple lighting display to celebrate 100 days until Seattle hosts the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. Twenty four QolorPoint Wireless LED Uplighters were set up within the 4,000sq.ft grounds of The Spheres to create high intensity coloured lighting effects that could be seen citywide through 2,643 panes of glass. In addition to the intensity of light provided by the uplighters, the fixtures were selected to light The Spheres for their high level of portability and IP65 rating to protect against water and humidity used to nurture over 40,000 plants in the three massive domes. The uplighters will also be used for future events in The Spheres. The QolorPoint Wireless LED Uplighters were controlled by plug and pl
USA - GLP US has strengthened its team with two new members. Brandon Jeffrey takes on the role of central regional sales manager and Brad Haynes joins in the newly created position of SceneX Lighting brand manager. GLP US president Mark Ravenhill comments: “Brandon has a fantastic combination of skills and energy that will really support our customers and their projects in a very solid way. We can’t wait to get him fully embedded into his new position.” Jeffrey adds: “I am excited to begin work with the great team that GLP is putting together, I can’t wait to hit the ground running and help the company grow within the central territory.” Haynes joins GLP in a newly created position to promote and strengthen the company’s SceneX brand of LED solutions that it promotes in the North American markets. A 20+ year industry veteran, Brad will add his
UK - Flashlight has appointed David Manister to a directorship role within the company. Manister joined Flashlight in 2013 and had since spearheaded its business development. He comments: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to play my part in the continued growth of Flashlight. I’m lucky to work with a great team of highly motivated, industry professionals who help us to make sure we continue to deliver the highest level of service expected by ourselves and our customers." Flashlight founding directors Andy Dodd and Rob Williamson comment: "We're delighted with David’s progress within the company. His enthusiasm allows us to continue to be in front of end users and support new business with a strong presence." Flashlight supplies lighting equipment to the broadcast, motion picture and theatre industries from its Manchester and London bases. The comp
USA - ETC’s ColorSource family line of products has become a known staple for affordable theatrical systems. Showing up in venues around the world including schools, houses of worship, and restaurants, these products offer a full system of lighting, control, and power for a variety of installations. Today, ETC adds the ColorSource Pearl to the ColorSource family of fixtures. ColorSource Pearl is a variable white light LED array for ColorSource Spot, Linear, and PAR fixtures. This array utilises a mix of two different white LEDs that enable a user to set the colour temperature anywhere between 2700 and 6500 K. The Pearl array includes the same feature set and quality construction as its full colour siblings including an impressively bright output, a simple user interface, and a price point that is tough to beat. Designed for installations that depend heavily on
USA - With the launch of Elation Professional’s new line of SEVEN PAR IP colour changers, lighting designers have access to a wider spectrum of colour options to paint stages, sets, scrims and scenery in high-impact coloured or high-quality white light. Building on the success of the SixPar series of colour-changing LED PAR lights, the Elation Seven PAR IP uses the latest seven-colour multi-chip LED technology to give a more flexible colour wash solution. Available is the Seven PAR 7IP and Seven PAR 19IP with seven and 19 LEDs respectively. Seven PAR IP fixtures spread light at a 25-degree angle and produce nearly 80% more lumens versus comparably sized SixPar series fixtures. Useful for production applications or installations as a wash light, uplight, wall wash, truss warmer and more, Seven PAR IP fixtures are wrapped in a newly designed IP65-rated dust and waterp
USA - After 18 years of touring and a fistful of Top Ten hits, the Puerto Rican duo Zion & Lennox still exhibit the raw hungry power that has made them a defining force in their musical genre. This fervour was on full display in their recent hit music video Mi Tesoro, recorded with Nicky Jam. It was also very much in evidence on a cloudy Sunday night, 22 April, when they rocked the sold-out 4,400-seat Rosemont Theatre outside Chicago. Supporting the duo’s high-energy performance was a plethora of aerial effects, stage sweeps, blinders and intense audience lighting created by Juan Ocampo of High Frequency Productions (Gurnee, IL). Using a collection of Rogue and STRIKE fixtures from Chauvet Professional, Ocampo’s rig featured 28 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures, 16 Rogue RH1 Hybrids and four STRIKE 4 multi-formatted blinders, along with 16 Chauvet DJ Intimidator Hybrid 140SR u
USA - Grammy-Award winning Halestorm is back on the road with a new lighting package from Bandit Lites and launching into summer with their epic, hard rock sound, featuring the vocals of Lzzy Hale, drummer and percussionist Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith. Bandit Lites supplied nearly 150 fixtures included Ayrton MagicDot R, GLP impression X4s, Robe Halos, Clay Paky B-Eye K20, Chauvet Nexus 4x4, Chauvet FX-B, Martin MAC Viper Profiles, Sun Strips, Martin Atomic 3000 LED, Elation Color Chorus 48 with Base Haze, a GrandMA2 full-size for control along with a MA Lighting 8port node. When lighting designer Craig Richter began the planning this year’s tour cycle with the band, they communicated their desire to step up the production. To bring about this escalation, Richter opted for custom carts that hold nearly all the fixtures and raise up to
Zambia - Entrepreneur Siddharth Patel wanted his new Fire & Ice Night Club in the heart of Ndola, Zambia’s third largest city, to be truly cutting-edge in technology and aesthetics, so he approached Johannesburg-based lighting sales and installation specialist DWR for ideas and solutions. DWR project manager JP Vernon conducted a site visit, chatted extensively with the client and produced some concepts which they discussed, including the installation of Anolis Arc Source 4 MC luminaires to provide mood lighting. The 28 x ArcSource 4 MCs are installed above the bar, DJ booth and VIP area at the back of the space. They function as striking down-lighters and greatly enhance the ambience of the lively 200 capacity venue. The bar is geared to attract a dynamic community of guests living and working in the city which is also Zambia’s commercial capital and is
UK - GoboPlus.com has announced its support for the #SaveStageLighting campaign by providing free #SaveStageLighting gobos to performance venues across the UK and Europe. A campaign initiative spearheaded by the Association of Lighting Designers’ Robbie Butler, encouraged theatres and other performance venues across Europe to project a ‘#SaveStageLighting’ gobo on the buildings’ exteriors to raise awareness of the controversial Ecodesign Working Plan 2016-2019. GoboPlus.com gifted 150 metal gobos to ALD members to project on Light Up day on 28 April. The #SaveStageLighting gobos were given to any venue which wanted to take part, and theatres, schools, opera houses and even television studios all over the UK and mainland Europe took up the challenge. The National Theatre, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Brechin High School, West Yorkshire Playhouse
UK - Production equipment specialist VER has opened its new lighting showspace and pre-visualisation suites. The new facility houses VER's entire product range. It has been built as part of upgrade works at the company’s North London hub and is adjacent to VER’s equipment store. To help launch the new showspace, the company is running a series of open-house events featuring a variety of automated fixtures and lighting effects, including the Minuit Une M-Carré, an innovative new approach to scenographic illumination and effects that will change the way you look at light - exclusively available to rent from VER. Speaking about the new studio, VER’s director of lighting, Europe, David March says, “We’re delighted to be launching our new showspace. The facility allows us to provide crews with hands on testing of both the VER and Aurora product range plus
Israel - Light architects Cochavi & Klein produced a 'show-stopping' lighting designs for a major event staged in Pavilion 2, Tel Aviv’s largest venue. They were working for production company MPLive who delivered the event for financial services giant, Isracard. The format was a gala dinner for around 2,500 people, a live show featuring a star-studded line-up of popular Israeli talent onstage including Infected Mushroom and others, culminating in a party. Eran Klein operated the lights working closely with stage designer Omer Israeli, Cochavi & Klein’s project manager Dor Aichner and video designer Rubi Saati of Studio Vega. Omer and Eran chose Robe moving lights to deliver serious impact and effects, with 12 x Mega Pointes - used for the first time live in Israel - plus 30 x Pointes, six Spiiders, eight BMFL Blades, eight 8 x BMFL Spots and three Patt 20
UK - The Charity Film Awards have been created to celebrate the success of film in fundraising, to increase exposure of charity films and to encourage donations for good causes. This year’s ceremony took place at Central Hall Westminster on Friday, 11 May where White Light is the venue’s production service partner. Attended by more than 300 people, WL provided a complete technical production solution as part of their commitment to sponsoring this event. WL’s venue manager James Thurlow comments: “The Charity Film Awards is the only one of its kind, and we wanted to support them in creating an unforgettable evening. To achieve this, we worked closely with co-founder of the Charity Film Awards; Simon Burton to ensure that we delivered on his vision for the evening and to ensure smooth running. We are pleased to be able to offer Central Hall Westminster a charity awards
USA - For the fourth consecutive year, global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks will continue its partnership with the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas (SILV) as part of its ongoing support for student designers. As a first-of-its-kind intensive training programme, SILV offers improved and efficient ways to train students in all areas of live entertainment in an effort to grow the next generation of practitioners in the field. Vectorworks aids in this mission by donating funds to the organisation and teaching workshops on cutting-edge entertainment technology. “The partnership that SILV has with Vectorworks has dramatically expanded our students’ experience with digital drafting and increased their pre-visualisation and console programming capabilities, making the plotting and paperwork process possible,” said Jane Childs, director at SILV.
UK - Stage Electrics Group CEO Maria Townsend and marketing director and PLASA chairman Adam Blaxill met with Ashley Fox MEP for the South West to discuss the proposed EU Ecodesign regulations. At the meeting, Blaxill outlined the potential implications, not only for specialist lighting companies like Stage Electrics and their sister company SLX Hire & Events, but also for theatres, social clubs and schools all of whom own equipment which will effectively become obsolete. He comments: “The UK and Europe are world leaders in entertainment lighting, these regulations are a direct threat to our ability to deliver world class entertainment.” Fox, who had already responded to the consultation before meeting the Stage Electrics team, offered insight into the legislative process and promised to continue to raise concerns with the European Commission and lobby for an
China - MA Lighting and Avolites had blocked alleged infringing companies from exhibiting certain products at the recent Guangzhou Entertainment Technology (GET) exhibition after a number of product copyright infringements were identified by both companies and the GET organisers. The move comes shortly after the two stage lighting solutions manufacturers joined forces in a similar action against an alleged counterfeiter at Frankfurt’s Prolight+Sound. Franco Zaghini, director of business development for MA Lighting, and Avolites’ sales director Koy Neminathan led the team to negotiate with alleged counterfeit manufacturers on the show floor and asked them to withdraw all displayed infringing products. Zaghini comments: “On the first day of the show, we sat with the GET organisers to show them all our patents, trademarks and IPs and their authenticity. At t
USA - X-Laser USA began with the goal of making high-powered laser systems accessible and affordable for anyone who wanted to add dynamic laser effects to their lighting rig. With the 2017 release of their Mercury laser control system, X-Laser continues to make lasers accessible and easy to integrate for all sorts of lighting professionals. To coincide with celebrating their tenth year in operation, X-Laser has released three new laser systems that will add to the brand’s legacy as a democratizer of high-powered laser fixtures. “We’re kind of going back to our roots with these new fixtures,” Adam Raugh, president of X-Laser, said. “The Mobile Beat Mercury adds our Mercury laser control system to our most popular model line, the Mobile Beat, the model that really helped us make a name for ourselves. And while our Skywriter series is a bit newer, the Skywriter
USA - When Swedish House Mafia (SHM) decided to reform after five years, providing the Ultra Music Festival in Miami with its surprise headline act, production designer Andy Hurst was brought in to design the extravaganza. Already the show designer for Axwell and Ingrosso, two of the band members, he immediately turned to GLP’s LED catalogue, procuring 60 JDC1 hybrid strobe and 96 impression X4 Bar 20 from PRG in Las Vegas, knowing that SHM would be the closing act. “As the festival main stage design was changed one month before the show we had to work quickly to get a new SHM design signed off and ready in time,” he explained. His main challenge was to interface with the existing house rig, supplied by AG Light and Sound. “We had to have our entire system set in 35 mins. In that time we had to fly our back wall, set our custom DJ riser and roll in our lighting
UK - When Richard Tring opened Le Poivrot, an unmistakably French wine bar, on Colston Street in Bristol, it was in sharp contrast to his speakeasy-style Red Light bar, described as an "adult drinking den in the heart of Bristol". Le Poivrot demonstrates an altogether different creative expression from Tring, who with his wife Sarah also owns Weber and Tring's wine and spirits shop in the city. Since opening night, a seat at the bar at Le Poivrot is much sought after. To help realise his vision for Le Poivrot, Richard engaged the services of Bristol-based designers, Out of The Woodwork Designs, with whom he already had a good working relationship, to design and manage the entire refit. Out of The Woodwork in turn, consulted with GDS over lighting provision for the project. The project team wished to “combine exquisite detail and an understated old world charm to cre
USA - One of the most successful off-the-Strip venues in Las Vegas and one of Sin City’s more individual resorts is South Point Hotel and Casino. The resort offers novel amenities for a casino resort like an equestrian arena and 64-lane bowling centre, but teems with standard casino attractions as well. In 2017, the resort decided to upgrade three popular areas with LED video displays – Showroom, Sports Book and Bingo Room – and chose Elation Professional’s high-definition EVHD3 LED video panels for the job. Twelve separate screens were installed across the three areas in November and December last year, an installation encompassing a total of 600 EVHD3 panels. South Point operates a busy 400-seat Showroom facility that features headliner entertainment, live bands and other acts on a daily basis. The Showroom operates seven days a week the majority of the yea
Japan - Since its founding in 1902, the American School in Japan has sought to provide its students with a well-rounded education. This is very apparent in the diversity of its student body, which includes youngsters from 47 different countries, as well as in its diverse programme of music, theatre, and conferences. Recently, the school enhanced the infrastructure that supports its educational and arts programs by adding four Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures from PRG to its multi-functional theatre/auditorium. The new 440W LED moving fixtures join the full complement of conventional units in the school’s lighting system to give it greater flexibility. “We have been looking to make our lighting system more versatile to meet the varied demands we place on it,” said Ed Gilmartin, theatre manager/resident lighting designer at the American School in Jap
