UK - Last month, the world’s eyes were on the spectacular ceremony celebrated at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III. For the celebration, including the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, Terry Tew Sound and Light was elected as the official audio supplier who relied on Shure gear to provide the audio throughout these historic events. Shure equipment included 24 channels of Axient Digital Wireless System handhelds and body packs, and 255 Shure Sound Isolating Earphones. The technical team used a Shure AD600 Axient Digital Spectrum Manager, along with Shure Wireless Workbench (WWB) software, to monitor the RF spectrum on-site. Additionally, six hard wired PSM900 In-Ear Personal Monitoring Systems were used on-stage to support performers like Lionel Richie, Take That and Callum Scott. Jonathan Edwards, Head of RF at TTSL, explains: “The scop
UK - This year saw the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells, the landmark recording created by Mike Oldfield that was originally released in May 1973 as the first album on Virgin Records. To celebrate, Oldfield’s creation was once again brought to life through a tour spanning over 30 venues across the UK this spring. Spearheaded by Robin Smith, Mike Oldfield’s collaborator and the musical director of the show, a live rendition of Tubular Bells was performed by an ensemble of musicians. Show Works, a UK production company with an expertise in delivering immersive installations, musicals, tours, live streams and outdoor events, worked with the show’s organisers to deliver an audio setup featuring a DiGiCo S21 console used by FOH engineer, Sam Ferstenberg, and S31 utilised for on-stage monitoring by Sam Manigley. Show Works' managing director, Osc
USA - When Lizard Boy, Justin Huertas’ indie-rock musical took up residence Off-Broadway at Theatre Row, sound designer Kevin Heard turned to Masque Sound, a leading theatrical sound reinforcement, installation and design company, to provide a custom audio equipment package. Produced by Prospect Theatre Company, Lizard Boy tells the story of Trevor, a young man with green scaly skin. He feels like a monster, and rarely braves the city outside his apartment. But when a powerful voice calls to him in a dream, he impulsively finds a date and begins an adventure beyond his wildest apocalyptic nightmares. Heard’s award-winning sound design work has been heard on and off Broadway, at regional theatres all across the US, from London to Manila, and in spaces ranging from small bars and cabarets to 3,000 seat halls. He has worked as associate or assistant sou
France - The Séries Mania Festival in Lille created a global buzz a few years ago when it hosted the world premiere of the Netflix series The Rain. None of the 32 premieres showcased at the four-day festival this year had rain in their titles, but there was plenty of precipitation outside. The inclement weather did nothing, however, to dampen the excitement at an event that Variety magazine has hailed as ‘Europe’s Premier TV Festival’. Nor did it interfere with the bright and colourful lighting that enhanced the upbeat mood at the gala and conference, which drew TV executives from 64 different countries. Valentin Lemarquier and Freddy Ledieu, who lit the Tapis Mauve (mauve carpet) area in front of the Nouveau Siècle auditorium, where the official ceremonies and screenings took place, credits an all-weather lighting kit supplied by Public Address/S
Jordan - HoverUp, the first Drone Show Company in Jordan, in partnership with SPH Engineering, entertained audiences with drone displays during the Jordan's Royal Wedding and Independence Day celebration. Utilising a fleet of 400 drones, HoverUp set the record for the highest number of drone light shows conducted per day, captivating audiences with 2-3 shows each day. The Abdali Drone Show, held in celebration of Jordan's Royal Wedding and Independence Day, showcased a display of synchronised movements and intricate formations. Expert drone pilots choreographed the performances using the advanced Drone Show Technology from SPH Engineering. One of the show's standout moments was a mid-air formation representing Jordan's 77th Independence Day, the Royal Crown, Flag of Jordan, and the initials of the Crown Prince and Princess Rajwa. "The Abdali Drone Show surpasse
Greece - ETC’s automated luminaires and entertainment fixtures have been selected by rental company Papadimas AVL S.M.P.C for TV shows The Voice and Just the 2 of Us, as well as a recent production of the hit musical Phantom of the Opera in Athens, and Thessaloniki. Almost 200 High End Systems moving lights feature across the productions, including Lonestar, SolaPix, SolaFrame and SolaSpot automated luminaires. ETC’s affordable Lonestar fixtures took their Greek TV debut on talent show Just the 2 of Us, bringing their professional feature set, and quality output all wrapped up in a small package. They joined over a hundred other High End Systems moving lights as well as 50 Source Four LED Series 3 Daylight HDR profiles, all controlled by a mix of Hog 4 and Eos consoles. Series 3 continues to wow on-camera around the world, with its pat
Spain - Entertainment production company Cabal Esports has acquired 126 Alfalite Modularpix Pro VP XR 1.9 LED panels with ORIM technology to broadcast virtual production content in the different gaming events in which this Spanish company provides services. Cabal Esports offers television broadcasting services, live events, gaming and eSports. It is a pioneering production company in esports competitions and streaming entertainment with extensive experience in audiovisual production for digital and terrestrial platforms, in addition to developing esports products and managing competitions for publishers and other industry players. Recently, Cabal Esports signed a strategic alliance with Atresmedia to jointly create CTK, an international organiser of tournaments and gaming experiences. Cabal Esports has installed the Alfalite LEDWall in its new studio in Alcobenda
Spain - Maxi Gilbert says that he draws inspiration for his designs from opera sets. At first that may seem a bit surprising, since the Madrid-based designer has created lightshows for stars like multi-Grammy winner Alejandro Sanz, and chart-topping Manuel Carrasco. But anyone who sees his work on Carrasco’s current Corazón y Flecha tour will readily appreciate the connection. Like opera itself, Gilbert’s design for the 30-city Spanish tour is bold, ambitious, and full of life. With its massive centre stage video wall and giant inflatable heart pierced by an arrow (16m wide for most of the tour), and 272 custom-made neon flex lights, the design, which was done with visual director Susana Martinez Allende, creates an immediate, and dramatic impression. This sensation is accentuated by the light from 282 other lighting fixtures, projecting a vivid array of colours,
UK - London’s Gotham City-inspired Park Row ‘theatrical restaurant’ has been installed with visual infrastructure by creative projection specialist Motion Mapping, to enable the venue to host immersive events. At the heart of the setup is a Green Hippo Hippotizer Mayon+ MK2 media server, which is driving image and video content, including for a DC Universe game launch which saw a 280-degree projection of pre-programmed custom graphics onto four surfaces that enveloped the space, using seven Optoma ZH406ST projectors. Motion Mapping was tasked with specifying a permanent projection and video manipulation solution for the venue, and designing a touch screen GUI interface that would allow simple operation of the content via the Hippotizer Mayon+ MK2 - Green Hippo’s two HDMI output Hippotizer system designed for smaller live events and installations. “At o
South Africa - English singer-songwriter, Calum Scott, who found fame following his 2015 appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, recently performed to a full crowd at Zevenwacht Wine Estate in Cape Town as part of his Bridges album tour, supported by local artists Craig Lucas and Werner Bekker. The event, attended by 2000 fans, was organised by Breakout Events with Ultra Events responsible for delivering the technical solutions on the day. “Zevenwacht Wine Estate is an interesting venue, as the front row is at stage height and the back row rises to an elevation of 8m, due to a natural slope,” explains Costa Champanis, owner of Ultra Events. “The brief was to provide great sounding audio for all guests, from the front row to the back row.” Ultra specified a full d&b Audiotechnik system. The main PA system consisted of 12 d&b V8 mid-hi
USA - The live finals of American Idol 2023 moved to a new venue - Red Studios Hollywood - giving lighting designer Tom Sutherland of DX7 design and production designer Florian Wieder the chance to create a fresh and new look in this special space, which has embraced history and innovation in film and TV production since the early 20th century. Tom included plenty of Robe moving lights on his lighting plot, including 137 MegaPointes, about which he states, “I would not do a show without MegaPointes.” These were joined by 104 Robe Tetra2 moving LED battens. He also used 49 Spiider LED wash beams, together with BMFL Blade Follow Spots. The new set was one starting point for his lighting design concept. Elegant and modern, the performance area was a distinctive diamond shape, and the overall set incorporated a host of LED sources: screens, panelling, an
Europe - Metallica launched their M72 World Tour on 27 April in Amsterdam with Rob Koenig again at the helm as lighting designer, an outing that has the thrash rockers playing a two-night, no-repeat schedule in cities across Europe and North America. Koenig crafts customised lighting looks using 600+ automated lights, a rig that includes Proteus Excalibur sky beams from Elation Professional. Lighting supply is by Premier Global Production. Koenig has been part of the Metallica family since 2008. He started as lighting director under John Broderick, eventually moved into the lighting designer role and is now on his fourth record cycle with the band. Metallica is touring in support of its eleventh studio album, 72 Seasons, which released in April. The number 72, which refers to the number of seasons in a person’s formative first 18 years of life, is a th
USA - By calling their facility The Venue, the United Auburn Indian Community and Thunder Valley Casino Resort left no doubt about the goal they set for this 4,500-seat indoor theatre located outside Sacramento. Their new attraction was designed to stand-out from the pack and define its own category. Featuring shows by artists like The Eagles, Bruno Mars, Santana with Bryan Adams, The Black Crowes, and Ringo Starr, The Venue, which was built to replace the casino’s outdoor amphitheatre, offers top-flight entertainment in an engaging and supportive setting. Contributing to the fan experience at the facility are three massive video walls made with over 550 Chauvet Professional F3X LED tiles supplied and installed by CTM Sound of Sacramento, which has worked with the casino since 2010. CTM used 255 of the 3.9mm high-res panels to create an impressive 50ft wide cen
Denmark - Theatre and musical producers Lion Entertainment turned to automation specialist Motor Stage Automation (MSA) to provide specialist knowledge and equipment for three major moving elements and control for its production of musical Pretty Woman. The system included Kinesys motors and control, Litec trussing and EXE trolleys in MSA custom touring dollies, and an ALFA Systems double revolve, all of which helped bring a fantastic set design by Benjamin la Cour to life, enhancing the narrative set to music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Valance. The automation system was specified and designed by MSA’s Christian Vigsø in conjunction with the requirements of Lion Entertainment’s automation supervisor, Thomas Sunesen, who also operated the Kinesys Vector console running everything on the road. The show featured three specific aspects that needed
USA - Lorna Shore doesn’t hesitate to bend or break rules in order to expand their musical horizons, readily adding techno and symphonic elements to their signature metalcore sound. But when it comes to lighting, the band and their LD, Nate Haber, do have one edict that they’re pretty strict about: limit the use of front light. “The band and I have come up with a few guidelines regarding front light,” said Haber. “In no particular order it goes something like this: the default is that they have no front light. Also, we try to keep Austin and his drum set as lit as possible. When Adam has a guitar solo he always needs light; and when Will is talking to the crowd, he needs light too. There are a few other parts in songs where I light the band because it feels right. In those cases, typically, if you can see one member of the band you can see them all, but at this poi
UK - Creative Technology UK supported the technical delivery of National Geographic Explorers Festival in London, a flagship event that takes place all over the globe, with previous locations including Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Washington, D.C. National Geographic’s long-time partner e2k Events x Entertainment have a long-standing global relationship with Creative Technology and the UK team were very happy to support by providing video solutions to the event this time around. 2023 brought the festival to the Royal Institution of Great Britain, in London, attracting both leading and upcoming explorers ‘back to base camp’ for an experience of knowledge sharing and ‘science telling’. The historic operating theatre style of the venue allowed for a unique viewing platform for all the attendees, creating an intimate and immersive space that brought th
UK - A 500 drone show was experienced nightly by 50,000 music lovers at the Isle of Wight Festival last weekend. US-based Skyworx Drone Shows, producer for The Global Drone Network (GDN), presented a 12-minute show at the close of each night for revellers to enjoy. References to Jimi Hendrix, the island’s heritage and the world-famous festival filled the sky on all four nights with an attention-grabbing animated display. Skyworx and GDN were supported by UK company AeroAVA, who handled all UK regulatory permissions and flight crew for the project. Skyworx founder and CEO, Taylor Woodall, comments: "It has been a great pleasure to create and deliver our first UK drone show at the iconic Isle of Wight Festival. We believe this is the largest drone show presented at any UK festival to date." Reflecting on the sustainability aspects of the project, Tom Rees,
Namibia - RFS Fund Administrators (RFS), recently upgraded its Windhoek headquarters with the expansion of its boardroom. The doubling in size of the space called for a new audio-visual and voice conferencing system. Stage Audio Works (SAW) Namibia was contacted by RFS directly to assist with the installation of the new boardroom. “The client knew exactly what they wanted and gave a clear and precise brief of their expectations,” explains Emcé Smit, technical manager at SAW Namibia. “They had enlarged the existing boardroom to double its size and required an upgraded system to handle conference calls and meetings in the new space.” Measuring 84sq.m and containing 20 seats, through close collaboration with RFS accounting manager Nicolo Benade and associate director support services manager, Louis Theron, SAW Namibia specified a dual-screen room VC solution wit
UK - The fantasy world of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones is brought to life at Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Northern Ireland with over 1000 Elation lights supporting its epic storytelling. The new global attraction, located at one of the series’ original filming locations at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, invites fans to step behind the scenes and discover the making of the celebrated series. Game of Thrones achieved record-setting ratings over 73 episodes and eight seasons, and established itself as one of the most iconic shows in television history. Opened in 2022 in partnership with Warner Bros, Game of Thrones Studio Tour is a 110,000sq.ft interactive indoor experience that allows fans to explore the original sets, costumes, props and weapons used in the series. Brian Reilly, MD of PSI Production, one of Ireland's largest technical producti
Saudi Arabia - Terhal, the most recent creation by Dragone, is an original, immersive theatrical show that celebrates the rich culture of Saudi Arabia. This spectacle honours the country’s vibrant culture, exploring the vital role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's people and heritage in shaping the future. Terhal features acrobatics, stunts, aerial performance, and dazzling special effects alongside traditional Saudi art and dance. To accompany and enhance this awe-inspiring production, Dragone chose L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology by L-Acoustics to create an immersive sound experience to complement the enchanting visuals. While the show run is temporary, to ensure that each performance is memorable, the venue housing the show is purpose-built, designed explicitly for Terhal. Delivering the large-scale production in the purpose-built venue wi
Turkey - Show architects Black Skull Creative and Balich Wonder Studios collaborated to present Pepsi’s 2023 UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show on 10 June in Istanbul. Brazilian pop sensation Anitta and Grammy award-winning Nigerian superstar Burna Boy and special guest multi-platinum DJ and producer Alesso featured in the show. Black Skull’s Jay Revell comments: "With The 2023 UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi, we wanted to showcase the immense power of football to unite diverse fans and cultures. Istanbul, a symbol of global cultures, serves as the perfect backdrop for this unforgettable TV spectacle. “By enlisting artists from three different continents - Africa, South America, and Europe - we wanted to highlight the global reach and influence of football. This show is a testament to the unifying force that brings powerful, disti
Norway - The Voice, officially distributed in 62 countries, is one of the most-watched television formats worldwide, with over 650m viewers. For the eighth season of The Voice - Norges beste stemme, TV2 Direkte studios have chosen numerous Prolights fixtures. Prostage, the official Prolights distributor in Norway, supplied 20 Astra Wash19Pix moving heads, 40 Astra Hybrid420 hybrid moving heads, 50 LumiPar 12UQPro LED fixtures, 30 Lumipix 12QTour linear LED bars, and 20 Stark Bar1000 units. The lighting system installation, entrusted to Center Stage and Hilux, has delivered a visual experience, illuminating the stage, backlighting the contestants during their performances, and enchanting both the live audience and the millions of viewers at home. The lighting designer, Kasper Melgavis comments: “I worked very well with the Prolights lighting fixtu
USA - There are as many ways to tell a story as there are stories to tell. The incomparable Reba McEntire has demonstrated this with the rich and varied narratives that run through her songs. So too did Matthieu Larivée and the team at Lüz Studio when they created one of the final shows in the Queen of Country’s current tour at Madison Square Garden. The Montreal based design and production team, which included David Rondeau, Pierre-Luc Bedard, and LD Andy Knighton, wove a textured narrative to reflect the multi-Grammy winner’s music by using a range of different techniques, most of them centred on employing lighting and set extensions as storytelling tools. “This show is a great music show; it is not theatrical at all, so lighting is a big actor in the narrative,” said Larivée. “We wanted to create lighting moments. There’s so much history in Reba’s l
USA - While not a single moving light source could actually appear on camera, Robe BMFLs, Esprites and RoboSpots played a starring role for three different live concerts filmed for the live sections of the Amazon Prime hit Daisy Jones & The Six. A massive effort and meticulous detail went into crafting the vintage 1970s concert looks for the series by lighting director Matt Ardine, and while the hundreds of PAR cans visible at the gigs played their part in the visuality, for practicality, the band’s key lighting was achieved using Robe innovations. The narrative follows a fictional rock band embroiled in the thrills and spills of the LA music scene, as Daisy Jones & The Six rise rapidly from obscurity to global fame and success, quitting unexpectedly at the height of their fame. Matt was brought onboard by the series gaffer, Nicholas Kaat, and th
