UK - Lighting Designer Max Conwell devised a staging concept for Razorlight's recent tour and forthcoming summer shows which required eight 2m by 8m drop, DMX controlled Venetian blinds, behind which were flown eight tracking video screens. Additionally the Venetians' 80mm wide louvres had a finish that took colour well and allowed for both colour effects and projection to used on the closed louvres slats which gave a variety of very different looks.

Conwell also commissioned a 5ft high 24ft long 'Razorlight' sign with 800 bulbs which was flown from the front truss. The sign was made out of polycarbonate and when not lit either with its integral lighting or the main show lighting, blended into the rest of set seamlessly.

Max Conwell comments, "Specialz are the first call to make for me when I need bespoke and unusual fixtures and scenic elements. I am always safe in the k

Russia - Barco's Encore presentation system, FLM R20+ and CLM R10+ digital projectors were selected for use in the 11th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The forum, which took place on 9 and 10 June 2007, saw a gathering of 10,000 people - including more than 200 CEOs from top international companies - for a series of high-level industry workshops under the auspices of President Putin.

A new conference hall was built at the Lenexpo complex for the forum. Within the complex, one of the largest Encore presentation systems ever deployed in Europe was set up for the event. The system, along with projectors and other Barco image processing equipment, had been brought over from Finland by Finnish rental partner SVV which is the official video supplier for the event.

Mika Vakkilainen, MD of Suomen Videoviestint (SVV) states: "The event was a great challenge for us wi

UK - PSL, one of the UK's leading rental & staging services companies, has, in the last three months, invested £1 million into the latest audio, video and projection equipment, to keep its inventory right at the cutting edge. "And that won't be the end of it. It's part of our ongoing fleet upgrade programme," says PSL MD Gary Davis. "We are planning further purchases in autumn 2007."

Providing rental & staging event management and technical services, PSL has become a prominent supplier to the events industry. From company conferences to a Pet Shop Boys tour to the Farnborough International Airshow, PSL is able to provide a comprehensive package of technical services and staging, or specific expertise in video projection, lighting or AV, says the company.

The bulk of this spring's investment has been in the latest Christie Roadster S+20K and S+8K proje

UK - PLASA has relaunched its prestigious Awards for Innovation, which will be joined for the first time this year by the new Gottelier Award, named in memory of Tony Gottelier - the leading designer, innovator and industry commentator who died in 2006.

Designed to reflect excellence in new products in lighting, sound, engineering, AV and staging - the PLASA Awards for Innovation were first established in 1992 and have since been presented annually during the PLASA Show, which this year runs from 9-12 September at Earls Court in London. The Awards have a justly deserved reputation for identifying high quality, innovative new products early in their life and many previous winners are now firmly established in their fields.

Judged by a panel of respected industry professionals, products nominated for the Awards compete for one of eight Innovation Awards, plus an additional troph

UK - XL Video, the Hemel Hempstead based audio visual rental company, has acquired the business, assets and name of Midlands company Show Support Limited.

Show Support Limited, the Bromsgrove based AV rental business (a former Mice Group plc company) was placed into Administration on Tuesday 19 June 2007 (partners in the professional services firm Grant Thornton UK LLP were appointed Administrators). The business, its trading name and assets have been acquired by XL Video Limited the UK arm of XL Holding BVBA for an undisclosed sum.

Chris Mounsor XL Video Joint MD commented, "We have worked closely with Show Support over the last few years and we believe with our support this business and its people will make a valuable contribution to our UK growth strategy."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Procon Event Engineering, international leading technical service provider, has founded a subsidiary in London. Morten Carlsson and Christian Möller are managing directors of the new subsidiary which is being run by Claire Copeland in her role as branch manager.

Copeland brings with her a number of years experience of the industry having worked as a sales and account manager for companies such as White Light and Richard Martin Lighting. Copeland says of her post: "This is an exciting opportunity to work with such a well known and respected company in their latest venture. I am looking forward to working with the Procon team as we move forward into the UK market."

As a technical full service supplier Procon Event Engineering provides the media, entertainment and event industries. With subsidiaries and partners, Procon is represented worldwide, renting lighting,

UK - Fans of the White Stripes arriving at Hyde Park (by either entrance) to see the band headline the Wireless Festival on 14 June 14 were in for an unexpected treat.

For Jack and Meg White's latest album Icky Thump received the best form of promotion when the cover was simultaneously exploded across Marble Arch (at the north end of the Park) and Constitution Arch at the south.

Sensing a great promotional opportunity, the band's label, XL Recordings, contacted the concert division of PSL Events. Guerrilla projection specialist Pod Bluman was equal to the challenge, commandeering a couple of powerful 7k xenon slide projectors to display the images for the duration of the White Stripes'set and into the early hours of the morning.

"It was a complete success," said Bluman. "Fans were queuing up to have their pictures taken in front of the arches, with the

USA - Christie Digital unveiled a new single lamp 3LCD projector on the opening day of InfoComm 2007 in Anaheim, CA. The new Christie LX650 is the brightest, low-profile, single-lamp 3LCD projector available,says the company, offering a combination of high brightness, high contrast, low cost of ownership and reduced maintenance, due to its advanced light engine design.

Drawing on new LCD technology in a long-life, single-lamp optical engine, the compact Christie LX650 outputs 6,500 ANSI lumens, with a contrast ratio of 2000:1, and has been purpose-designed to meet the needs of small- to medium-sized conference rooms, houses of worship and education (serving audiences up to 250). With its flexibility to display high-impact graphics, computer data and 10-bit video processing for high definition sources from 6ft to 20ft wide, it will appeal equally to project consultants and rental

Belgium - Christie Digital reports that it has installed more than 3,000 Digital Cinema systems worldwide. The company claims that nearly 80% of all installations around the world are using Christie DLP Cinema projectors.

More than 2600 systems are installed throughout the USA as part of the groundbreaking AccessIT software & funding vehicle introduced in 2005. Christie installations also span Africa, Asia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Christie installations outside North America have begun to accelerate, positioning the company as the leading player in the global deployment of DLP Cinema systems worldwide.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Digital Projection International has recently been awarded the contract to supply the XTP (Cross Track Projection) systems within the London Underground network. This contract has been awarded by CBS Outdoor which controls the marketing and advertising rights for the whole of the London Underground Network.

Digital Projection has been working on the solution for a number of years and very closely with CBS Outdoor for the last two.

This unique combination of technologies offers advertisers and companies the opportunity to address 3,400,000 passengers a day with an environmentally friendly display. The images and content can be tuned on a minute by minute basis to best suite the relevant demographics.

One of the primary challenges facing the Digital Projection development team was the architecture of the tunnel network. The curvature of the tunnel wall meant that the scre

UK - XL Video UK, via Blink TV, is supplying 15,089 Barco 510 O-Lite panels with 270 control boxes, plus 102 panels of Mitsubishi 16:8 high resolution screen in a record breaking 9m pixel LED surface for the Genesis Turn It On Again world tour.

The O-lite makes up a spectacular 13m high, 55m wide set back wall and is surrounded by seven lighting towers reaching heights of up to 28m, which together resemble a giant conch shell. This was designed by Mark Fisher/Stufish.

The screen provides an elegant 3D curved wall and an elegant architectural back drop immediately behind the performance area. It is an interactive canvass for video playback, graphics images and IMAG which are integrated with lighting (designed by Patrick Woodroffe) effects.

The O-lite pixels are fitted into customised touring frames designed by XL Video and made by Brilliant Stages, populated at differe

Belgium / Germany - Barco reports that many of Europe's leading event rental companies have recently taken delivery of significant quantities of I6XP LED tiles, FLM HD projectors and MiTrix semi-transparent LED modules.

Both Creative Technology and XL Video have just added significant quantities of MiTrix to their rental fleets, as have Alabama in France and Sweden-based Massteknik, who successfully used it during the recent Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki.

Hulskamp in the Netherlands has renewed its DLP projector fleet taking delivery of SLM R12+, FLM HD18 and XLM HD30 projectors. Gahrens + Battermann Germany also renewed their DLP projector fleet by purchasing multiple FLM R20+, FLM HD18 and XLM HD30 projectors. In addition, they have just replaced their indoor LED screen by 90 square meters of new ILite 6XP tiles.

Procon, headquartered in Germany, has also taken deliv

France - For the third time, tarm Showlaser from Bochum, Germany, staged an open-air laser performance for the European Space Agency's The Night Of The Astronautsin Paris.

Following up on the preceding events held in Cologne and Barcelona, the background chosen this time was the Paris skyline. The Trocadero Gardens in front of the Eiffel Tower provided an impressive setting. After a live link to the International Space Station (ISS) and a roundtable discussion with former astronauts, a 40-minute, multimedia spectacle followed. Altogether, eight, time-code-controlled, full-color lasers interfaced to a fiberoptic-linked, central, computer network were installed in the grounds.

tarm General Manager, Ralf Lottig, noted: "Fortunately, the days of elaborate water-cooling systems and three-phase, electrical cabling as thick as a man's arm are over. Even though all of our

UK - PSL's music division is helping Faithless to deliver an integrated lighting and video stage show during this summer's big festivals.

The design debuted in London's Hyde Park, where Faithless was one of the headline acts at the O2 Wireless Festival. Lighting director Jvan Morandi has conceived a visually stunning backdrop for the show, which has been realised by PSL's Pod Bluman and team, using the latest high-resolution projectors from Christie, bought by PSL especially for this event and other summer/autumn touring commitments.

Morandi's design was based around 18 8ft x 6ft rear-projection screens, split into a 6 x 3 matrix. He specified 40,000 ANSI lumens to front-project onto each block of six displays, a brightness quotient dictated by the fact that Faithless go on-stage around 8.30pm when there is still high ambient light.

Pod Bluman introduced Morandi to the new C

UK - XL Video UK supplied screens, one of their new High Definition PPUs and an IMAG system for the the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium. The event was co-ordinated for XL by screen producer Chris Saunders. Flanking both sides of the stage were two screens made up from 9 x 7 modules of Lighthouse R16 LED, flown in the conventional side-stage positions.

Unusually, two additional screens were configured and flown above the side stage monitor positions at right angles pointing away from the front of stage and directly at the restricted view seats around the back - to ensure that everyone in the stadium got an equally good view of the action. These were also made up from Lighthouse R16 in a 5 x 4 panel format.

Onstage, XL supplied six 10m high by 4m wide Barco MiTrix columns on a tracking system, that formed three pairs of 'doors' for stage entrances and exits and also tracked

UK - Birmingham-based manufacturer and designer Deco Leisure has launched Plasmariser, a portable mechanical Plasma or LCD screen lifting system. The product allows a flat screen display to be wheeled around a venue easily and safely while being fully protected. Once the Plasmariser is in position you simply press a button and the screen rises from the case for viewing, says the company. Once that viewing is complete the screen can be lowered back into the case and Plasmariser removed from the area.

The Plasmariser can accommodate screens up to 60"; it has a wide variety of applications from hotel conferencing to educational facilities to companies and government bodies. Plasmariser is available in a fixed installation format.

(Jim Evans)

UK - DMi - D&M Installation - has launched the latest in the Escient FireBall SEi range of HDD digital music servers onto the European CI market. The new FireBall SE500 boasts a 500GB internal hard drive, enabling the acquisition, storage, replay and management of thousands of hours of encoded music.

The latest FireBall SEi digital audio servers are packed with features that make acquiring, encoding, storing, searching and playing music files as easy as watching TV, says the company. Multi-functionality includes CD playback, ripping and CD-R recording, analogue recording, internet radio streaming, PC/ Mac file sharing, and HD storage for thousands of albums worth of music.

The on-screen user interface for browsing, managing and selecting music, IP streaming, system configuration and setup functions, is supplemented by the included FireBall-PC application for control and stream

UK - 3M Visual Systems will exhibit its range of wall-mounted and mobile, interactive digital projection systems for the defence industry at DSEi 2007. Featuring Vikuiti Super Close Projection technology, the products are designed specifically with the needs of military users in mind, delivering reliable, high performance audio visual (AV) tools for the most challenging of environments, says the company.

"For mission critical military applications, having the most up-to-date, responsive and robust AV systems that meet every need for presentation, communication and collaboration, whether on-site or over a long distance, whether in a fixed location or in the field, is an absolute necessity," comments Paul Gardner, business development manager, 3M Visual Systems.

"Our portfolio of digital annotation and super close projection products resolve traditional issues suc

UK - XL Video supplied one of its new HD PPUs, cameras, screens and 30 crew to the Live Earth London show staged at Wembley Stadium.

Broadcast live on BBC One and Two and presented by Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton, the Wembley show featured performances by Madonna, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Razorlight, Snow Patrol, Keane, Corrine Bailey Rae, Genesis, Duran Duran, Paolo Nutini and many more.

Co-ordinating all the video elements between XL and the various event designers, producers and others involved in screen content, was screen producer Chris Saunders.

Although XL already had also a large video system installed at Wembley for the Princess Diana Tribute concert just six days before Live Earth, this all had to be removed in the meantime. Some kit from that system was then re-installed for Live Earth along with several new and different video elements.

Flanking both sides of

UK - The Honourable Artillery Company's new £6.5 million conference and events venue in the City of London was officially opened by HM The Queen on 18 May. The venue's Prince Consort Rooms can accommodate up to 750 people at a reception, or be divided into smaller areas.

The Prince Consort Rooms have been built in the shell of a Victorian drill hall. PSL has been chosen as a preferred supplier of AV and Production, and has already produced custom-designed sets for the venue. The Prince Consort Rooms have an inbuilt pinspot lighting scheme and audio visual infrastructure which will be augmented by PSL's high-tech inventory of display screens, digital sound reinforcement and state-of-the-art media servers and playback devices.

Diane Waldron, head of marketing and events at the HAC, says, "The City is short of flexible, large-capacity venues that can accommodate 300-pl

USA - Christie has acquired Vista Controls Systems Corp (Vista), makers of video processing systems, including the Vista Spyder.

According to the terms of the acquisition, the Christie and Vista transition plan ensures no disruption to employees, customers or business partners, many of which are already shared by both companies.

"Christie's acquisition of Vista Controls Systems significantly increases our opportunities for deeper market penetration and reflects Christie's core strategic goal of establishing solid leadership in markets for professional display solutions," remarked Jack Kline, president and COO, Christie Digital Systems USA.

"Vista offers advancements in technology that no other image processing company has been able to achieve, making our two companies an ideal fit. We already share many of the same channel partners, philosophies and commitment

International - With only a few days remaining before the close of the nomination-gathering period for the Gottelier Award, there is just time for a final reminder to everyone to make sure that they have taken a few moments to nominate the individual or team that they most admire.

Named in honour of the late Tony Gottelier, the industry innovator and commentator who passed away in 2006, the Gottelier Award is aimed at those members of our industry who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology - whether in audio, lighting, rigging, staging, or any other related field.

Once the deadline for nominations passes this Friday (13 July), a shortlist will be drawn up of the most widely nominated people, and their names will be put forward, along with a brief summary of their achievements, to the Gotte

UK - A new technical writing service for the professional audio, AV and related industries has been launched by two well known industry figures, Craig Lovell and Mick Boggis.

Based in Milton Keynes, IMS Technical Publications is able to offer a range of document services from simple text generation to full layout, graphic design and publication to print and electronic media. IMS Technical Publications claim that their many years of industry experience allow them to "provide a user's viewpoint of a product, something that many manufacturers have a problem with, especially after a long R&D phase".

According to Lovell and Boggis, the motivation for the new venture comes from what they see as a need to provide manufacturers with an alternative and more effective solution to generating technical documentation. "A manufacturer will frequently spend much time and effor

Denmark - The LC Series from Martin Professional is a semi-transparent, modular system of lightweight LED panels (40 mm pixel pitch), designed for displaying film, digital images and graphics.

As the LC units are semi-transparent, they can be used in an array of applications and allow the seamless integration of moving images, lighting and set design, says the company. The panels can move through a range of intensity, from a solid wall of images and colour to near-invisibility and allow light, air, and effects to pass through.

The variety and depth of achievable colours in the LC series, combined with a brilliant output, allows the accurate broadcast of digital media, which remains true to the source formatting and the colour and intensity of other lights in the design.

Although useful in a wide variety of applications, the LC series is specially prepared for video and TV ap

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