Rigging / Staging

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14 March 2016

Managed by Creative & Cultural Skills on behalf of a consortium of employers and industry organisations including Live Nation, Royal Opera House, White Light and the Association of British Theatre Technicians, the new National College will provide specialist training in the technical skills needed by the creative and cultural industries. This is in response to significant industry growth, with the creative economy growing at four times the rate of the national economy, and the value of the UK's creative industries exports standing at over £15 billion per year.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "The talent which brings plays, operas, and f

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14 March 2016

The historic London venue, famed for 'creating legends since 1937' has hosted an array of events in its 77 years, and Blackout has been part of some of them. At the very beginning of the company 25 years ago, founder Steve Tuck's second job was to install the PA system in Earls Court 2. December this year saw the exhibition centre host Victoria's Secret annual show, the inaugural BBC Music Awards and its ultimate concert by Bombay Bicycle Club. Between the first and last jobs Earls Court 1 and 2 has been a frequent destination for Blackout's team.

For Pink Floyd's 1994 Division Bell shows Blackout created 70 painted banners, featuring the a

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14 March 2016

The concert hall has no fly tower and in the theatrical format, with a false proscenium, has a seating capacity of 1,490. It is generally a receiving house and in more than 20 years this is the Hall's second year of producing a pantomime.

Jim O'Mahoney is the Hall's Principal Technician and technical godfather. He notes, "As we have no flying we needed to hang 19 separate cloths over 14 x 16M swipe tracks. These are all hand swiped other than two roped tab tracks. We have no wing space for the down pulleys.

"We already have a large quantity of Triple E track in house and wished to augment it, as we find that Triple E products offer a very reliable system. We rarely get issues with

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14 March 2016

BlackTrax is part of TFC's lighting, sound and video system for its 3,800-seat auditorium set up as a theatre in the round.

BlackTrax realtime motion tracking solution was installed in August 2013 and has consistently been used a number of times each week ever since.

"It definitely solved a lot of problems for me over the year we've been using it. As soon as BlackTrax was installed and I was able to control the iris and beam to a specific width no matter where the light tracked. The options of what we could accomplish suddenly became seemingly endless in terms of creating an

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14 March 2016

Peter Phillipson, award winning lighting designer and Principal at FGLD explained "Back in August we were asked to design something special for the Downing Street tree that signified the International Year of Light without looking like a corporate sponsorship. We considered many types of projection but went for backlit motifs resembling baubles in order that it could be left unmanned."

Turning to artist friend I

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14 March 2016

"Manufactured by Millimetre and engineered by Arup, the two structures are in fact shallow ellipses 15m long and 10m deep made from polished Alucore panels mounted to a lattice framework, much like the construction of an aircraft wing," explained

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14 March 2016

Kasabian's reputation for spectacular live performance continued with this maelstrom of shows, storming their way thought a set action-packed with energy, hits and material from their newest album, 48:13.

Nick Gray's starting point for the stage, lighting and visual design was in developing a video aesthetic. He and Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno discussed the initial concepts based on wanting something that was related to the band's performance, non-conventional, innovat

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14 March 2016

PLASA have developed a way in which those who wish to pursue a career in rigging can identify and record the necessary training and experience. They will also be able to demonstrate their commitment to rigging to potential employers.

The scheme will provide a way of logging experience against specific rigging tasks, building a picture of the trainee's practical rigging development and training undertaken. Over time they will be able to track their development and readiness to register for competence-based assessment at Level 2 of the National Rigging Certificate.

Training providers and trainees will have access to a syllabus of learning and the National Rigging Certificate Handbook. Each trainee will have attended a health and safety course recognised by the National Rigging Advisory Group as des

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14 March 2016

One of the latest areas of focus is the design and management of temporary electrical systems in not only the TV and Radio world, but also in films, at events, in theatres and other similar workplaces.

Whilst the current IET Wiring Regulations BS7671 (17th Edition) qualification exists for fixed electrical systems, there has not been an agreed industry qualification for BS7909 - the Code of Practice on Temporary Electrical Systems in the Entertainment Industry.

Therefore, an industry working group involving the leading broadcasters, lighting rental companies, BECTU, PACT - representing the Independent Production Companies, several key employers and, Creative Skillset have all come together to

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14 March 2016

Speaking of Candice's appointment, Laurence Dyer, Doughty's sales and customer services manager, said, "In the short time that Candice has been with us, her enthusiasm, efficiency and initiative has been impressive. She took the reins on day one and has demonstrated excellent customer service skills, and a good technical know-how. Candice will be a real asset to the UK sales team and to our customers too."

Candice, who will deal with all UK orders, customer queries, invoicing and dispatching, said, "Although it's early days, I feel as though I've been at Doughty for months. The entire team made me feel welc

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14 March 2016

It is part of the company's planned expansion following robust trading worldwide in recent years, and the strategic location in Mexico's bustling Baja financial and industrial centre will benefit both Penn's Latin American and US markets with even quicker and more efficient delivery times and product options.

Penn Elcom Mexico will be headed up by MD Javier Haro with Frank McCourt heading up the sales effort. Javier has a manufacturing background owning businesses both in Tijuana and in San Diego, California. Frank's career with Penn Elcom stretches back an impressive 32 years, working for Penn both in the UK and in the USA. He has very close links with all Penn's OEM clients. They will be assis

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14 March 2016

High Fence is billed as an exceptionally strong and durable reinforced aluminium barrier system, with a Polycarbonate upper section that can be adapted transparent, black or white. It allows event organisers and venues to create robust restricted zones such as stage access areas for artists, either giving security personal and the audience uninterrupted views, or creating complete sight line kills.

Mojo's extensive range of compatible doors and gates are also available, which integrate seamlessly into the barrier line, to ensure fire safety, access and egress regulations are met. It is aesthetically attractive and safe, with increased strength compared to the traditional fencing methods and similar types of barricade us

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14 March 2016

The striking video feature - which moves on all axes and rotates throughout the show - is at the hub of the spectacular and inventive set, lighting and visuals show created by Gunther Hecker.

In addition to displaying conventional playback video, its different fascias are used as alternative lightsources. In the second half of the show, three large sections of gold mirror surface rise up from ground level around three sides of the stage, and the video takes on yet another dimension with these used to bounce and reflect its ambient light back onto the stage.

The Wicreations team led by project manager Yves Vervloet, was approached by Ste

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14 March 2016

Stage manager Nik Rea approached All Access to provide the tour with a riser package. A multi-level riser system was put together with the decks in a diamond configuration which was filled in along the back from our stock triangular decks to produce areas for the band to move around on.

The production also used All Access rolling risers throughout the summer on their festival tour.

The All Access Versa system is designed so you can create the stage you require. Whether it is onstage risers or our proprietary rolling stage system.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

B&A is located in Madrid, with warehouses in the outskirts of the city to keep a stock and support customers efficiently.

"They are recognized as a premier firm with the proven ability to successfully provide flexible and effective solutions at short notice. They truly have solid knowledge and 25-year strong experience of technologies and special needs of cu

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14 March 2016

Candidate information, including eligibility requirements and applications, is available on the ETCP website (http://etcp.plasa.org/usitt2015.html). Materials can also be mailed by contacting Meredith Moseley-Bennett, ETCP Certification Manager, at 212-244-1505 or etcp@plasa.org.

Those unable to make it to USITT are encouraged to register and take an exam at one of over 190 computer based testing cen

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14 March 2016

"It was a phenomenal three days and I personally feel like the richest person alive with the knowledge that together we have made such an unforgettable impact on the teenagers and the next generation," said Karen Burt.

Messages on facebook started rolling in from the participants shortly after the workshop ended, a testimony to what Inspired Stages meant to everyone.

"I personally find it interesting to note how many times Inspired Stages is referred to as family, specifically as many of thes

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14 March 2016

Luis is a well known entrepreneur in the region and will continue selling lighting fixtures, consoles and sound systems through his own company Wholestage - D&B Group. He has considerable knowledge and experience in the staging and rental business in Latin America. Luis plans on furthering his education and practical knowledge, through focused training programs fully supported by Eurotruss and has the complete support of the global Eurotruss sales and product support team.

Martin Kuyper, CEO USA reported, "We are delighted that Luis has joined Eurotruss and we are confident that he will be a great asset to the team. After his successful sales of Roof Systems i

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14 March 2016

Most recently, Entec supplied sound and lighting equipment and crew for Albarn's critically acclaimed sold-out shows with his live band, The Heavy Seas, at London's Royal Albert Hall venue.

Over the years, Dave Byars has been tasked with realizing the vision of musicians and artists in a plethora of venues ranging from tiny local clubs to stadiums around the world.

His design for Albarn's 2014 tour and the RAH shows included a heptegram - seven pointed star - backdrop, a symbol of particular i

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14 March 2016

Broadcast live on ITV and watched by a packed live audience inside the O2 arena, Dermot O'Leary lead the glittering ceremony with TV's biggest stars out in force for the 20th annual event. The evening saw Eastenders steal the show, taking home the serial Drama Award and Ant & Dec who took home their 14th consecutive National Television Award for Best Entertainment Presenter.

Contracted by NTA producers Indigo Television and working with set designer Chris Webster, Blackout installed a 30m cross stage drape backdrop that framed the large video screen, which was the focal point of the show for the TV broadcast. Additional drapes were installed to screen VIP areas and mask off the arena seats obscured by technical production positions, to create the d

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14 March 2016

The German television presenter and singing star's sell-out tour saw her perform on a complex, multi-level stage with a large LED tree as a spectacular backdrop.

Working from a design concept by Stufish Entertainment Architects, with whom Brilliant Stages has worked on innumerable occasions, the main design realisation was driven from Brilliant Stages' drawing department, led by their chief CAD designer, Mel Welch.

Fabrication of the 22m wide x 12.5m deep x 2.1m high main 'A' stage took place at Brilliant Stages' site in Hitchin. The stage surface incorporated two 5m long travellators, a star trap and rear access steps, with the whole structure built on a rolling aluminium frame for easy deployment. T

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14 March 2016

Members of the live event production industry trade association PSA can now benefit from both the uTRAC Core and Core plus packages, providing a comprehensive application for managing and tracking high-volumes of labour.

Andy Lenthall, general manager of the PSA said, "It is our ongoing aim to offer membership advantages by bringing the latest resources from credible systems to benefit their businesses."

uTRAC's founder Ronan Moore said, "Following a fantastic year of new investment and exponential feature developments, we're pleased to offer PSA members our award winning solution for more streamlined crew scheduling and improved communication with their teams. Visit us at the Event Production Show for a live

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14 March 2016

EES is a successful importer and distributor of equipment and accessories for professional entertainment lighting in Spain and Julian Chiverton, sales director at Doughty, hopes this partnership will see his company's name grow in popularity in the region.

"EES is very much regarded as the premier supplier of lighting equipment and accessories across the region. It has been supplying the needs of Spain's touring market and new venues for over twenty years, with the CEO, Nacho Acha-Orbea, building the business around delivering quality and reliable solutions to his customers' technical problems. Doughty is already known in Spain but we are confident that with EES as our main representative for the region Doughty's reputation will

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14 March 2016

France's second most-visited theme park (after Disneyland Paris) allows visitors to witness history being brought to life through over 60 shows - from the Vikings and Knights of the Round Table, to Richelieu's Musketeers and Gallo-Roman gladiator games.

The park's flagship show Cinéscénie - which, at over 23 hectares is also the world's largest night show - provides a look through the ages and utilises the latest advances in technology and artistry. It was for this show that the drone technology was created.

Nicolas de Villiers, President, Puy du Fou, says: "The team was searching for a way to incorporate new heights to Cinéscénie. We wanted to create the biggest c