Germany - The Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin has once again been publicly acclaimed, for THE ONE Grand Show. On one of the biggest stages in the world, more than a hundred artists gave life to a show whose extravagant costumes were designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. The story revolves around an abandoned revue theatre, which is awakened from its deep sleep by an underground party. One of the party-goers gets lost in the magical aura of the venue, and the director of the former theatre brings back memories of the olden days. Past and present intermingle in a sort of daydream, and the young man is overcome by an ever-stronger feeling of nostalgia for one particular person (The One). The show lighting was designed by Peter Morse, using - among other lights - 22 Alpha Spot HPE 1500s, 21 Alpha Profile 800 STs, 15 Alpha Spot HPE 300s, 17 Sharpy Wash 330s and 12 K-20 B-E
The Netherlands - Seven halls of Amsterdam’s RAI expo centre hosted an annual two-day event for a well-known brand. The technical production – lighting, audio, video, rigging and special FX - for all areas was delivered by Breda-based Unlimited Productions B.V., who sourced over 600 Robe moving lights for the occasion! Several lighting designers were involved, working under the supervision of Unlimited Productions across the different areas with their own Bert Kelchtermans designing the general plenary session in Hall 8 for 7000 people. Michel Suk lit the three food halls and two smaller presentation spaces, while André Beekmans from The Art of Light, well known for his work with EDM superstars like Armin van Buuren and Hardwell, plus renowned dance music LD Ronnie Santegoeds from 4Light put creativity and flair into ensuring the party area was a memorable and fun
Europe - Showlight 2017, the quadrennial lighting symposium, this year hosted in Florence, Italy, is fast approaching. To ensure plenty of time for bookings to be made, the ALD has bestowed bursaries upon three of its professional members. The bursaries, awarded to Ric Mountjoy, Sherry Coenen and Sandy McRobbie, contribute to the costs of attending the event, such as registration, travel and accommodation and encourage those lighting practitioners to attend, who may not otherwise be able to take time out from a busy schedule. Supporting its members for the fourth time in this way, entries for the Showlight Bursary Scheme were judged by members of the executive committee and assessed on the applicants’ reasons for attendance as well as how they intend to report on the event for Focus, the ALD membership magazine. Showlight chairman, John Allen, highlights the
USA - Proteus Beam, the first in Elation Professional’s Proteus series of IP-rated, discharge-lamp moving head lights and an LDI Best Debuting Product Award winner, is now available to the market. Proteus moving heads are high-performance, intelligent lighting solutions designed to excel under varying weather conditions. “The Proteus Beam is a giant step forward for our company and our industry,” stated Elation sales director Eric Loader. “As more and more outdoor events occur, each year, production companies need a reliable, full-featured, moving head beam solution that can deliver the performance they need under any conditions while protecting their investment. “Our goal is to give designers the utmost freedom to design any event or project just the way they see fit. The ability to use the fixture when inclement weather occurs, and control it remotely from
USA - City Theatrical will be demonstrating innovative new technology at USITT in St. Louis, MO this week, 2017 (Booth 207). City Theatrical will also be raffling a free DMXcat on its booth, and at the Behind the Scenes booth. City Theatrical will also participate in USITT’s Innovation Gallery & Stage, speaking about the DMXcat Multifunction Test Tool, on Friday March 10 at 4:10pm. DMXcat Multifunction Test Tool makes it easy for anyone to control, analyze, or test any DMX lighting fixture, whether it’s a simple LED PAR or a complex moving light. SHoW DMX Multiverse can broadcast up to five universes of DMX data in the 2.4GHz band (for use worldwide) or four universes of data in the 900MHz band (for use in the Americas). The company’s growing line of dimmers for LED tape has been rebranded into the QolorFLEX family. At USITT a new tiny dimmer will be i
Croatia - Zagreb might be home to the Museum of Broken Relationships, but things aren’t all bleak in the Croatian capital. They have their mighty Philharmonic, world-class cuisine and bustling Saturday markets – and now locals have been blessed with easy access to ENTTEC’s lighting controllers and luminaires thanks to forging a new relationship (not a broken one) with audio-visual agent and distributor LAV Studio Ltd. At the crossroads of Central and South-eastern Europe, the city on the Sava river is well positioned for LAV Studio to look after ENTTEC’s range throughout Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro. To celebrate this new partnership, and as part of a collaboration with the RSVP event industry festival, ENTTEC’s technical sales manager, Ben Virgo, travelled to Zagreb recently for a product demonstration. H
Qatar - Al Isteklal is a busy rental and technical production company based in Qatar that has just taken delivery of 148 x Robe moving lights to boost their current rental stock. Al Isteklal was founded in 2004 by Akram Hamada to supply premium lighting, sound and AV packages – together with staging, rigging, trussing and all associated infrastructure - to a wide range of clients in the Qatari market The scope of their work encompasses concerts, festivals, live events and spectaculars, television and theatre productions, corporate events and product launches as well as multi-sector fixed installations. They now service over 100 diverse and varied shows and events annually, and have built a reputation for great standards of excellence, experience and being able to offer a proper “full production” solution that is delivered with imagination, flair and efficiency to all c
World - Coldplay’s Head Full of Dreams tour will commence its Asian stadium leg later this month. The tour has already made history by selling out 100,000 seats in Singapore. At the same time, Kings of Leon is winding up their UK tour and heading for America. What do the Southern rockers from Nashville have in common with the cerebral London band, each heading to opposite ends of the globe? Paul Normandale of Lite Alternative Design is production designer for both tours and Solaris Flare is his LED fixture of choice. “We’re using 96 Flares for Coldplay and 36 on Kings of Leon,” says Normandale. The genres are a little different but we found the Flares are quite ‘ecumenical,’ the perfect tool for any mood. On both shows we face the Flares toward the audience for maximum effect. We use them in all modes to create interest, occasionally zapping the crowd wit
USA - St. Paul and the Broken Bones, currently promoting their newest album, Sea of Noise, brought their soulful sound to the historic Ryman Auditorium for a two-night engagement with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. Lighting designer Chris Lisle sought to create an effective production package that harkened back to the old school looks of lighting. “For this design, I definitely wanted to think outside of the box and perhaps use a few fixtures that were a little more obscure,” Lisle explained. “I also wanted the system to be conventional heavy with a lot of warm tungsten. With this, we used the Maxi Brute fixtures, SunStrips, and Scoops. I also found some “tubular ripples” that had not seen some action in a while and decided to add them to the rig. The BB7 units were meant to add some colour and punch throughout the songs as well. It was
UK - Working for event designer Jason Morais, the team from event production specialist Maestra London returned to the Freemasons Hall in London’s Covent Garden for the second year to ensure that the 2017 Warner Music Brit Awards after-show party was a success. Maestra delivered the full technical and creative production including supplying all the technical and scenic infrastructure – set, lighting, rigging, audio, all décor – including a myriad of bespoke designed items, carpeting, furniture, drapage and soft-goods. With Jason’s vision, the team led by production designer Jenny Woollard, senior project manager Aisha Tarayan and technical managers Adam Jones and Edwin Higgins coordinated all elements right down to the colours, textures and styles permeating the rooms. This year the entrance was graced with a spectacular sculpture made from 30 silver helium filled s
The Netherlands - International creative design practice Painting with Light was commissioned by Panasonic to produce a high-impact multimedia live show for their stand at the 2017 ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) expo at Amsterdam RAI. Painting with Light’s creative director Luc Peumans initiated the idea of simultaneous tracking and projecting onto multiple objects. It was a mission for which no-one could calculate a potential success rate in the confined and frenetic space of an exhibition booth. Panasonic’s Hartmut Kulessa and Thomas Vertommen, both in charge of the Visual Systems Marketing, first asked the question which fired Luc’s love for creative risk and experimentation - setting a trail of events in motion. “Luc’s vision and determination plus the unwavering support from Hartmut and Thomas were real driving forces,” confirms Michael Al Far, Paint
USA - Former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung hit 70 in mid-February without breaking stride. Performing a two-hour-and-ten-minute Valentine’s Day concert before a packed house at the 3,400-seat Star Plaza Theatre outside Chicago, the singer-keyboard virtuoso exhibited the same spirited infectious energy that made him one of the more popular rockers of the ’70s and ’80s. Keeping pace with him note-for-upbeat-note on classics like Babe and Come Sail Away was a punchy Mathew Ryan light show that featured a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by JR Lighting Design, Inc. “We asked JR Lighting for help in beefing up our show for this concert,” said Ryan. “The first thing they recommended was the Rogue RH1 Hybrid, which we added, along with some beams and strobes, to our touring rig. They more than lived up to our expectations.”
Malta - The walled Cittadella on the Maltese Island of Gozo has been of strategic importance since the Phoenicians first set out in boats to trade with their neighbours more than a thousand years before the beginnings of the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, the fortifications were regularly extended and improved by whoever had taken possession of the island at the time. Ironically, 300 years without a siege has meant that it has been allowed to lapse into serious decay. The Maltese government has adventurous plans to restore the Cittadella as a World Heritage site and museum to cater for the wave of tourists beginning to pour on to Gozo for its natural beauty. Renowned museum and attraction design and AV specialists Sarner International were engaged to design and implement an unusual experimental visitors’ centre located in the Cittadella’s abandoned water storage rese
UK - A VIP crowd gathered recently in a 39th floor luxury penthouse in London’s South Bank tower for the launch of Fabergé’s new dual time zone watch, the DTZ. Set to the backdrop of London’s impressive skyline, the unveiling of Fabergé’s watch was accompanied by a special live DJ set by Vogue Williams. An equally impressive supporting lighting concept was created within the penthouse, courtesy of Big Fish SRL, which used a selection of Chauvet Professional WELL Fit, Maverick MK1 Hybrid and Ovation E-190WW fixtures to create a lighting backdrop to the celebration. With the penthouse itself harbouring numerous interesting characteristics such as high ceilings, a balcony, and a central chandelier consisting of stainless steel balls, illuminating the space was a complicated and involved task. One of the fixtures instrumental in achieving this was Chauvet Professional
UK - A.C. Special Projects Ltd. (AC-SP) has specified, supplied, installed and programmed a versatile colour-changing performance and house lighting system for the Belle Shenkman Studio at the prestigious Royal College of Music (RCM), London. The RCM is one of the world’s great conservatoires, training gifted musicians from more than 60 countries for international careers as performers, conductors and composers. Situated in South Kensington, the RCM's teaching and performance facilities are amongst the highest technical standards in the country for musicians studying at undergraduate, masters or doctoral level. The project brief for AC-SP was to provide a multi-purpose lighting solution for the RCM's Belle Shenkman Studio, which is used by students to make video recordings of musical performances for their portfolios. Up until now the college had been using por
USA / Belgium - Barco and ETC have announced that they are in serious discussions over ETC’s possible acquisition of High End Systems, part of Barco’s Entertainment division. Details of the timeline for the completion of the acquisition remain unknown, but both parties say they are committed to moving forward with a successful transaction. Wim Buyens, senior VP of Barco’s Entertainment division, commented: “For Barco, the envisioned divestment of its lighting activities is in line with its strategy to sharpen the focus on its core activities. We believe joining forces with ETC would enable High End Systems to realise its full business potential, while providing ongoing support and opportunity development for its customers, and we appreciate ETC’s commitment to maintain High End’s operations in Austin and fully support the development of High End’s products.”
UK - PRG XL Video, the UK operation of Production Resource Group (PRG) has announced a new management structure which includes the addition of Teresa-Anne “TA’ Dunleavy as managing director, United Kingdom. TA will take-up her new position on 13 March 2017. TA brings more than 10 years’ executive leadership experience to PRG XL, joining the company from Concerto Group where she served as CEO from 2012-2016. Prior to Concerto she was CEO of Good Relations, part of the Bell Pottinger Communications Group, where she was responsible for wins of major global brands that transformed the agency such as Nintendo, TalkTalk and Subway. Her focus will be on further growing the commercial aspects of PRG XL’s business. She will report directly to Stephan Paridaen, PRG’s global president and chief operating officer. Stephan commented: “We are delighted to welcome TA as m
World - City Theatrical has announced that the DMXcat Multifunction Test Tool is now shipping and is available through City Theatrical dealers worldwide. The DMXcat makes it easy for anyone to control, analyse, or test any DMX lighting fixture, whether it’s a simple LED PAR or a complex moving light. The system consists of a small hardware dongle and a suite of mobile applications. Together, they combine to bring wireless DMX and RDM control plus several other useful functions to the user’s smartphone. The DMXcat solves the problem faced by all users of modern lighting equipment: How to turn on and test DMX lighting gear without using a complicated lighting console. The DMXcat hardware dongle is a compact battery powered unit which fits easily in a pocket or tool pouch or may be worn on a belt. It uses Bluetooth LE technology for communication with the smartphone
USA - Country music star Easton Corbin has been bringing his smooth twang to audiences around the country with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites. His newest single, Girl Like You, has been climbing the charts as fans await his much anticipated fourth studio album. Lighting designer Andy Knighton utilized GLP Impression X4S on Bandit created ‘Go-Go’ Truss, a custom designed A-type truss where a pipe can be mounted down the centre allowing smaller fixtures to be more portable. “There are also two Bandit exclusive GRNLite pars in the bottom for toners and one Robe Pointe at the top of each tower,” Knighton said. “This allows for an expedited up and down as there is not very much time in between set changes, along with fitting in various clubs and drawing low power.” Bandit also supplied Chauvet Legend 230 SR Beams, GRNLite moving washes,
USA - The early years of this century were tough on Kmart. Once the second largest retailer in the US, the company had been surpassed by faster, nimbler rivals. Emblematic of the chain’s demise were the vacant Kmart stores that dotted America’s landscape, like the one at 4411 Olton Road in Plainview, Texas. Vacant since 2002, it stood as a neglected eyesore in this West Texas town for 14 years, until it became the gleaming new home of the rapidly growing Harvest Christian Fellowship. The transformation of the old abandoned store is instantly apparent to all who pull into its spacious parking lot, thanks to the tasteful landscaping and new building façade. Inside, the utilitarian discount store interior has been turned into a warm and inviting worship environment. At the centre of it all is a bright sanctuary stage that projects a contemporary look, while still connectin
Japan - dnp Partner KIC Corporation has installed dnp Supernova Infinity Screens to create a huge display for customers of Satellite Chuetsu, an off-track betting facility in Japan. This not only meets the customer’s demands for size and clarity, but gives the facility a new selling point. Based in the Niigata Prefecture, Satellite Chuetsu wanted to upgrade its previous two 130” rear projection displays, and so turned to dnp partner KIC Corporation of Tokyo for the solution. The customer wanted a display that was not only bigger, but would also offer wider viewing angles. KIC had already installed a dnp Supernova Screen solution at Satellite Aizu, a similar facility in Fukushima Prefecture, and Satellite Chuetsu were keen to use similar technology. Satellite Chuetsu eventually chose a dnp Supernova Infinity display (comprising four 120” units) using 08:8
Czech Republic - Extravaganza is a high-profile corporate event, organized by the multinational Herbalife in the world’s most prestigious cities. The latest edition took place in Prague’s O2 Arena. The Extravaganza organization enlisted Planet Service for the design and implementation of the event. The Planet Service staff report, “Extravaganza Prague was an event of the highest technological level. For this production we used the new CORE hybrid moving heads by DTS. “The COREs have proven irreplaceable for the highly dynamic lighting design we have created. This, thanks to their great luminosity, combined with the wealth of internal effects and their super-fast movements; also they provided the versatility of Spot and Beam projections in the same fixture. “In addition to the COREs, we installed over 250 DTS projectors of various types. The stage
UK - Almost 300 Robe lighting fixtures were used to illuminate the 2017 Total Production International (TPi) Awards produced by TPi Magazine and staged at Evolution in Battersea, central London on Monday night. Robe used the opportunity of being in front of the entire industry to launch a brand new lighting fixture - the pixelPATT - featuring seven 30W RGBW LED multi-chips, one in the centre surrounded by a ring of six, housed in a super-slim and lightweight brushed metal frame - which extends Robe’s PATT range of elegant retro-styled light sources. 20 x pixelPATTs graced a spectacular lighting rig designed by Nathan Wan, together with other new fixtures including the Spiider LED wash beam and the Spikie, and favourites like Pointe, ColorStrobe and DL7 range profiles and fresnels. The starting point for the lighting design was the shape of the screen / set crea
South Africa - The city of Johannesburg is the country’s hub for film, television and music and that focus on the creative industries spells opportunity for those interested in fields like production, design, and multimedia technology. City Varsity school of media and creative arts plays an important role in the education of young talent in the region and access to professional equipment is essential. So when the school recently launched a new multi-cam studio at their Braamfontein Johannesburg campus they chose to outfit it with Elation Professional broadcast-optimized lighting including TVL CYC RGBW cyclorama wall wash luminaires, TVL Panel DW softlight luminaires and DW Fresnel LED lights. Elation’s South African partner The Production Warehouse (TPW) was responsible for consulting and installation on the project from start to finish, including design of the li
