The Netherlands - Ayrton reports that its MiniPanel-FX, Huracán-X and Karif LED lighting fixtures will form a major part of the lighting design for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest which takes place at the Ahoy Arena, Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Lighting designer Henk-Jan van Beek of Light-H-Art design has chosen significant numbers of each fixture for the main ambient and effects lighting for this annual music extravaganza. The full requirement of Ayrton fixtures - 386 in total - will be supplied by Eurovision 2021’s lighting, audio and rigging supplier, Ampco Flashlight. The stage design for Eurovision 2021 by Florian Wieder is being kept under wraps for now, but those in the know at Ampco Flashlight have hinted at a wall of MiniPanel-FX which they describe on their Eurovision blog as ‘a cute little fixture that is fierce and powerful’ - and that’s ju
Belgium - Game shows are more fun when they’re challenging. Perhaps that’s why Game of Talents has been such a runway success. The show, which originated in Spain and quickly spread to other countries to debut in the US on 10 March, asks two teams of contestants to use their intuition and wits to figure out the hidden talents of performers based on only a few carefully selected clues. Game of Talents presents an interesting challenge for designers who must often simultaneously key light the contestants sitting in their chairs as well as the performers on stage, all while fitting within the parameters of a broadcast application. Michiel Milbou and his team at Never Fear Shadows met this challenge in winning fashion when lighting the Belgian version of this show, thanks to some adroit key lighting accomplished with Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Pro
Australia - The first Robe T2 Profiles to arrive in Australia went to Perth-based lighting and visual rental and production company What Noiz and made their debut on the lighting rig designed by Matt Marshall for West Australian Ballet’s As One: Ballet at the Quarry. This was performed as part of the 2021 Perth Festival at the Quarry Amphitheatre, an outdoor rock quarry in Perth’s coastal suburb of City Beaches. What Noiz’s founder and owner Benjamin Fry explained that they had been looking for a powerful LED profile for some time. They loved what they saw in terms of features and functionality with Robe’s T1, but wanted something with just a bit more brightness and then along came the new T2 Profile. The purchase was completed in time for the West Australian Ballet’s 2021 summer season with its three dynamic works combining ballet and contempor
Russia - On 12 April 2021, the Baikonur Cosmodrome hosted a gala concert to celebrate the spaceflight of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The festivities were broadcast live by the Russia TV network. The concert’s ‘X-factor’ was a beam of light shooting out from the pit of the launch complex that sent the Vostok-1 spaceship into orbit 60 years ago. The light beam was created by TDS, a full-service production company. The design concept called for the light beam to be so powerful that more than 60 high-power light projectors would be needed to create it. Another way to accomplish the task was to use augmented reality technology. “Our team landed at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 9 April,” reports TDS. “We had only four days to prepare the equipment for filming, install special marks, calculate precise distances using industrial-grade range meters, calib
Berlarus - Mozyr Ivan Melezh Drama Theatre in Belarus celebrated its reopening last summer after a major renovation. The building was originally built between the late 20s and early 30s of the last century, though it was seriously damaged in a fire in 2013, destroying most of the cultural monument. Over the past few years, the building has gone through reconstruction, and Cinemanext Bel designed, supplied, installed and commissioned all the stage lighting and sound system of the large and small halls, and provided training to the newly hired staff. “As part of the technical tender for the new equipment acquisition the theatre requested that the new fixtures had low power consumption, low heat and noiseless operation,” says Ulyana Barkova, Deputy Commercial Director at CinemaNext, adding: “With that in mind, we chose Prolights' Ruby and Jet Spot4Z for their LED so
USA - Global nutrition company Herbalife honoured its top performing sales force and distributors in an awards event staged at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in March, a streamed show that was executive & technically produced by Raj Kapoor Productions & Steffan Jones for CG Creative Studios. Tom Sutherland from DX7 Design designed the lighting and Julio Himede from Yellow Studio was tasked with the scenic design, and Tom’s lighting design featured 1,145 Astera AX5 battery operated wireless LED PARs - one of the largest Astera installations worldwide. The luminaires were amassed by lighting vendor Felix Lighting.. Tom’s starting point for the lighting was Julio Himede’s production design which featured a 160ft-wide black gloss stage and four massive modernist style moving LED video arches. Tom decided to surround and accentuate this epic look wit
Estonia - Rental company Strikken supplied the lighting design and production design and equipment for the Power Stage Live TV podium, which welcomed the 2020 winners of Rally Estonia event - part of the World Rally Championship - and was set up close to the final stage finish line, near Rally Estonia’s HQ in Tartu. They relied on the power and versatility of Robe moving lights including LEDWash 300s, LEDWash 800s and MMX Spots to deliver spectacular looking results. The luminaires were picked for their compact size, light weight, and brightness, and all rigged on the stage ground support structure together with some outrigged pipes facilitating the front positions. The event was broadcast in 155 countries worldwide, and the Power Stage podium featured a 20m-deep by 30m-wide platform with two drive-on / off wings at the front and a substantial LED screen upstage. Li
Costa Rica - The elegant Teatro Nacional Costa Rica in San Jose, completed in 1897, is the jewel of the nation’s capital city and one of the most beautiful concert halls in the Americas. Leading up to this famed structure, the visitor can gaze on sculptures of poet Calderón de la Barca and composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Further down the entry walkway are statues of Frédéric Chopin. The message delivered by this external artwork is clear: inside is a venue that treasures artistry from around the world! Recently, the Costa Rican Philharmonic Orchestra reaffirmed this commitment by performing a virtual concert at the site. Supporting their performance and making it more vivid to viewers was the colourful light from the theatre’s newly installed Chauvet Professional COLORado 3 Solo fixtures. The 60W RGB LED fixtures were installed just prior to the show, when
UK - Dream is a multi-layered mix of movement, music, visuals, cool technology and narrative magic, an immersive digital performance fusing the drama of Shakespeare with the dynamic worlds of gaming and theatre in a production by the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company in collaboration with Manchester International Festival, Marshmallow Laser Feast, and the Philharmonia Orchestra (read a full production report in the upcoming issue of Lsi, out early May). Staged physically in the Studio at Portsmouth Guildhall and inspired by the classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the characters were played by six real actors utilising Vicon motion capture cameras, their avatars and effects appearing onscreen - centring around the antics of cocky and capricious mischief-maker Puck. They run amok in the virtual Midsummer forest, hellraising and spoofing four other sprites during
USA - Audio quality is a difficult challenge to solve in any video conferencing application and meeting that challenge was a top concern for Charlie Fiddler, technical events specialist at Asbury Theological Seminary when he undertook the task of upgrading the seminary’s conferencing system. To meet this challenge, he turned to ClearOne. Asbury Theological Seminary is an evangelical Christian seminary located in Wilmore, Kentucky. It is the largest seminary in the Wesleyan tradition and advocates for egalitarianism, giving equal status for men and women in ministerial roles and for ordination. “We wanted to be able to capture the voices of instructors, with or without lapel microphones, based on individual preferences and the questions from students, regardless of whether or not they are located on campus or calling in from other locations,” Fiddler explains. “
Spain - The public regional television station Telemadrid has recently added 75 EclPanel TWC soft light panels by Prolights to their studios in Madrid. The fixtures are used in programmes like La Redacción, a daily live news programme. Telemadrid decided to make a new investment to modernise its facility and cut their energy consumption through use of LED technology. The fixtures were acquired through public tender, and later supplied and installed by Fluge Audiovisuales, a Spanish AV integrator. “We decided to specify the EclPanel TWC soft panel because it provides a high luminous flux, a homogeneous diffusion, and includes a range of white colour temperatures, from daylight to tungsten tones, achieving a superior light quality with high CRI, TLCI and TM-30. All the features are exactly what we needed for broadcast environments,” said Alejo J. Arce, techn
Sweden - Blackmagic Design reports that its technology has been instrumental in allowing the creators behind ReaktLive.com to stream performances direct to audiences from its own platform. Based out of the former EMI/Abbey Road Stockholm studio, the live content experience has built its live video capabilities around the Blackmagic URSA Min Pro 12K, URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 and Micro Studio Camera 4K with the support of Scandinavian Photo. The full-service streaming studio and broadcast company features a studio design with six small, discreet cameras on robotic rails and jibs, reveals co-founder Nicolas Notini. “The purpose of automation for us was to ensure artists and creators have far fewer distractions and can just ‘do what they do’ more easily. “With our background as professional musicians, this is how we feel it works, and looks, best. After a few mi
Germany - Singer-songwriter David Vidano would have imagined the launch date for his debut album Slo-Mo to be something different. However, on the release date itself, the world was in the middle of a pandemic that did not treat young artists particularly kindly. The tour had to be postponed until autumn 2021, but the album release is an event that needs to be celebrated, and so Vidano gave a small concert, observing the strictest health guidelines, in the rehearsal hall of TTL Event Solutions in his hometown Ochtrup. The event was also recorded. Vidano’s lighting designer, Jens Hillenkötter, works globally as a designer and creative producer. For the artist's release show, he also took on the role of DoP, and for the first time deployed the GLP Creative Light1 Plus. Forty pieces of the compact, flexible LED fixtures augmented the artist's set. “These were still
China - The BoomBoomRoom is a new fixture of the thriving nightlife scene in Liuzhou City, China, and the latest addition to the growing club empire of Singapore’s Disen Kaine Group. Looking to make a powerful statement with the extravagant 1,000-capacity nightspot, Disen Kaine invested in a production technologies package featuring a venue-wide PK Sound audio system sold and installed by Polar Audio, the Canadian manufacturer’s exclusive Chinese distributor. “We pride ourselves on delivering an elite and luxurious nightlife experience across our growing network of clubs, and high-impact audio powered by PK Sound plays a big part in that at the BoomBoomRoom,” comments Disen Kaine Group’s Mr. Kane Lin. “Thanks to PK Sound’s technology, we’re able to very precisely direct sound to maximize clarity and impact throughout the venue, and the company’s reputation
USA - Audiovisual and lighting integrator Icon Media of Georgia is transforming a sanctuary space at Lighthouse Church in Ventura, California and has used Fuze Pendant downlights from Elation Professional for the first phase of the project. Wanting to address their sanctuary lighting before Easter, the church initiated a house lighting overhaul as the initial step in a larger refurbishment project that will entail audio, video and lighting. Icon Media, specialists in integrated systems for houses of worship and an Elation dealer, was contacted by church leadership and strategic planning consultant’s GrowMentum to handle the project. “We have a staff that understands the specific nuances of this market, how it operates and is structured,” states Icon Media president Brian Gore. “The HoW market requires a special approach, specific skills and sensitivities that
UK - The Vice-Chancellor’s Innovation Awards recognise and celebrate the high-quality research-led innovation at Oxford University, that is having societal or economic impact. With categories including Team Work, Building Capacity, Inspiring Leadership, Early Engagement Innovators and Policy Engagement, the Awards reflect the excellence of the innovation that takes place across the University. Established in 2018, the first two editions of the Awards were celebrated at a live event involving around 150 delegates who enjoyed panel discussions as well as a presentation ceremony. The 2020 renewal was due to take place at the Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre at Worcester College, Oxford, but the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered this impossible. Supported by events organiser Michelle Miles of Fusion Events and Weddings, the university opted to stage a virtual event.
Germany - At the new Axel Springer Campus in the heart of Berlin, WeltN24 has commissioned two state-of-the-art TV studios for the WELT station. Both news studios are equipped with Ethernet/IP-capable lighting fixtures throughout, enabling IP-end-to-end communication and, therefore, efficient workflows that are fully integrated into the broadcast infrastructure. The ARRI System Group handled the consulting, planning, and turnkey installation of the studio lighting and control systems on behalf of the system integrator Qvest Media and in close partnership with the planning office mo2 design. WELT’s two TV studios enable closer networking and collaboration with digital and print. This exchange is also reflected in the visual concept of the studios, each measuring 175sq.m and 5.5m high. Glass fronts in Studio 1 ensure transparency, visibility, and interaction. Challenges in t
Spain - Pixotope has enabled VideoReport Canarias, a regional news and entertainment broadcasting services provider, to expand its virtual production offering in six months. VideoReport Canarias is the broadcasting services provider of a number of well-known media broadcasters in Spain, including RadioTelevision Canaria. VideoReport Canarias partnered with Pixotope to find a more resource-friendly and visually stimulating way of producing live TV. Working through Pixotope’s distributor Tangram and VideoReport Canarias’ supplier and system integrator Bienvenido Gil (BGL), an entirely new show format was created for RadioTelevision Canaria’s daily primetime weather show, Una Hora Menos. “Innovation has always been at the core of VideoReport Canarias. This is why we were excited to introduce virtual reality in our sets, specifically in our prime-time show.
Cambodia - To deliver sound reinforcement with optimal clarity and coverage at the Smile Charity Concert at Aeon Mall Sen Sok City, Smart Axiata hired Nano Sound Cambodia to deploy a Harman sound reinforcement system comprised of JBL, Crown and Soundcraft solutions. Organised by telecommunications provider Smart Axiata, the Smile Charity Concert was created to raise money for Kantha Bopha Hospital and Angkor Hospital for Children. The concert took place at Aeon Mall Sen Sok City, a shopping centre featuring a 1,500-seat performance hall that hosts concerts, weddings, trade shows, conferences and gaming competitions. Nano Sound reported that the client requested a high-quality audio system that could be adjusted for a variety of performance types. The client also required complete coverage for two different stages, as well as the venue’s lobby. To deliver premium soun
USA - Located on the Jamul Indian Village reservation, 20 miles east of downtown San Diego, the Jamul Casino attracts visitors from across southern California. In addition to gaming, it offers multiple restaurants, bars and lounges, the newest of which is The Rooftop. Developed on the roof of the main casino building, it provides 360° views of the surrounding valley and is used for private parties as well as regular live music performances and theme nights. Having initially rented lighting for special events, earlier this year the casino’s management invested in a permanent house rig comprised of 80 ADJ fixtures. For a number of years, AV support for the casino has been provided by CBC Technical Inc., located in nearby Temecula, CA. The company originally rented a lighting system to the casino for live music performances and special events at The Rooftop, following
USA - Since its official opening in 1930, the stately structure that is today known as the James L. Whitten Building, home of the US Department of Agriculture, has stood out. Not only was it the first large scale example of Beaux-Arts architecture in the US capital, and the city’s first governmental structure made of reinforced concrete, it was also (and still remains) the only “working building” on the Federal Mall that is not intended for the general public. From 18-21 April, the building held another distinction, being the only federal structure in the capital to be lit in green. Radiating in emerald against the Washington sky, the USDA home office commemorated the International Year of the Plant in stunning fashion. Endowing the James L. Whitten Building with its green glow was a lighting design by Atmosphere, Inc.’s Sparky Hopkins that featured a collectio
USA - With the year-long Covid shutdown turning live performance on its ear, the challenges facing music venues and organisations have been relentless. Like so many orchestras, the San Francisco Symphony has been reinventing and regrouping, finding new ways to bring music to arts-starved audiences, including incorporating the recording and streaming of audio and video content. One of the challenges, explains Jon Johannsen, audio engineer for the Symphony, is capturing the orchestra when members can’t play together as an ensemble. “With wind and brass players in particular, we can’t have that many musicians together in a common space. People still need to be isolated in individual capture rooms.” As a result, the Symphony has created literally dozens of individual capture spaces on site. “We’ve now created capture rooms everywhere – downstairs, in dressing room
USA – Northview Church, a multi-site community church serving central Indiana from nine campuses, is delivering engaging visual content for its live worship and online services using the time-saving features of a Hippotizer Boreal Media Server from Green Hippo. Located at the church’s Carmel campus, the Boreal feeds content to the 60ft x 25ft projection screen which forms a striking backdrop to services both live and streamed. “The Boreal drives all the video content on the upstage screen, plus any overlays or synchronised video on the house IMAG screens,” says Evan Rodecap, president of Signal Productions. A long-standing full-time engineer for the church, Evan knew Hippotizer from the touring world, and consulted on the specification of the Hippotizer Boreal. “The Hippotizer had the outputs and resources, within a single frame, needed to drive the projecti
The Bahamas - Doughty Engineering has supplied a range of custom kit for the MSC Ocean Cay Lighthouse project in the Bahamas. When White Light was approached to supply kit, crew and project management for the lighting aspects of the project, Simon Needle, WL special projects director, realised that a bespoke solution would be required for mounting the moving lights to the handrail of the lighthouse. He explained: “We were approached by John Coman of Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD), who we have previously worked with on several projects (including Secret Cinema, Rolling stones’ EXHIBITIONISM, Dinosaurs in the Wild to work on the MSC Ocean Cay Lighthouse. “Our remit was to supply kit (in particular the moving light), project management, crew and associated levels of support in respect of lighting the lighthouse, including ‘local’ console hire for programming wit
