USA - tvONE and Green Hippo are inviting programmers, operators and designers who use Green Hippo’s Hippotizer range of media servers or tvONE’s CORIOmaster family of video processors to take part in the CONECT Control Competition. Launched at tvONE’s CONECT Summit, which focused on how tvONE, Magenta and Green Hippo products can help professionals reimagine the AV landscape, the competition aims to showcase some of the best-use cases of the companies’ solutions for creative control. Prizes of up to $1,000 will be awarded to the best entries in three categories: CORIOmaster Video Processors; Hippotizer Media Servers; and creative install using tvONE or Hippotizer products. Submissions opened on 5 April and remain open until 14 May, with the winners announced soon after. To enter, contestants need to fill out an online submissions form and attach a file th
USA - Evolve Technology is a video gear rental company serving the live event and virtual production industries, with offices across the U.S. The company’s ethos is built around the three equal pillars of rent, buy, and learn, where clients can get customised packages to meet their production needs, as well as hands-on education and training so that teams feel confident using any new piece of equipment. In the past several years Evolve has successfully expanded into virtual production consulting and training. Recently, the company opened its new Evolve CX (Customer Experience) space in the Atlanta BeltLine. Evolve CX is a technology laboratory aimed at education and training specifically for the virtual production market, where professionals can gain valuable hands-on experience and creative studios can develop and demo content for their clients. The Evolve CX team, led by
UK - Stars including The Who, Yungblud, Paul Weller, Liam Gallagher and Ed Sheeran took to the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust, backed by Production AV’s cameras, screens, servers and crew. Taking place over seven consecutive nights, the series of live music and comedy gigs were performed as fundraisers for the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), which provides care for people aged 13-24 with cancer. It was the second time Production AV supplied kit and crew for the events. This year’s set up comprised Production AV’s Desay M6 LED panels as a central 8m x 4.5 screen flown above The Royal Albert Hall’s iconic stage and a large, curved 23.2m x 0.9m banner of LED screen across the back of the main stage, to help drive donations. This was supported with a camera package for the relay of real-life stories and live perfor
Austria - AV Stumpfl recently released a new online information platform for its rapidly growing Pixera media server user community called the Pixera knowledge base. In addition to combining the latest written Pixera documentation with video tutorials and animated clips of key topics, visitors to the knowledge base can also contact the Pixera team by creating a support ticket from the same interface. The knowledge base covers topics related to Pixera media server hardware, software and the new show control system Pixera control. Pixera control is a distributed, software-based integration and control framework that empowers users to seamlessly host new functionalities within the Pixera media server system and to control all aspects of an extended project environment. Anything users create and integrate can be distributed across their connected systems and shares i
UK - PTZOptics, manufacturer of robotic cameras, has announced an extension to their distribution partnership with the Midwich Group into the UK and Ireland. Midwich (UK) and Square One (Ireland) now offer the full range of PTZOptics products, including from sister brands HuddleCamHD and TallyLights. This partnership expands PTZOptics’s relationship with the Midwich Group, the global distributor of AV products that includes Midwich, Square One, and Starin, a current distribution partner for PTZOptics in North America. “It’s been amazing to see, in less than a decade, the growth of PTZOptics into a truly international brand,” says Will Golde, director of channel development for PTZOptics. “Midwich Group is the ideal partner to help bring PTZOptics into new markets in the UK and Ireland. With their deep understanding of customer needs in the broadcast space, te
UK - Hive Media Control has unveiled a new generation of media playback and control systems comprising four hardware video media players that promise to "dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of media player solutions". The product family has been designed for use by AV integrators, architects, event producers, show designers, and brand activations. The four products are known simply as Player_1, _2, _3 and _4. They deliver HD, 4K, 4K SDI and 8K SDI respectively, with the SDI models also supporting genlock from a reference sync source. The range utlises the latest embedded GPUs by NVIDIA, and is said to offer "outstanding performance at a fraction of the cost and footprint" compared with other systems on the market. Hive was founded by Dave Green, Trey Harrison and Mark Calvert, who have together delivered video systems for global projects including the London Ol
UK - Crewing platform Entourage Pro (EP) has launched its free to use and join freelance production crew resource. The service connects and sources freelance production crew and underpins traditional word-of-mouth methods for finding work and sourcing crew. Partnered by major manufacturers of production technology including Robe, Avolites, Yamaha, d&b audiotechnik, MDG, Chainmaster and Marshall, EP is an online network of crew that has already secured thousands of members from over 60 countries around the world. Initial uptake is being extended by EP’s partnership with Showcase Music, with the platform being promoted to over 350,000 rental companies, artists, labels, management, venues and production and tour managers from across the globe. Searches by role, experience, availability, credentials, visas, rates, languages, qualifications and much more, gives
USA - The eight-time Grammy Award-winner and R&B superstar Usher Raymond IV recently headlined a Las Vegas residency. Opened at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in July 2021, Usher delivered 12 shows in total – eight in July, three in December, and a final event on 1 January, 2022. BrainHub and LMG Touring & Entertainment, both part of Entertainment Technology Partners (ETP), worked closely together and with the singer’s crew to design a larger-than-life experience featuring more than 500 moving lights, creative LED, and video solutions. “When the pandemic first hit we did some work with Usher in our studio out in Vegas. That wasn’t based on LED setup, but we were very good at bringing team’s vision to life and serving it with a solution that directly corresponded their requirements,” says David Luchsinger, director of LED services at ETP BrainHub.
The Netherlands - The Jeroen Pit House, a new children’s transitional care unit in Amsterdam, is now completed and ready to welcome chronically ill children and their families when the facility officially opens on 11 May. With support from the AV community, the building boasts a sophisticated systems integration tailored to the special needs of its users. At a celebratory event last week, Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events and Wendy Griffiths, VP engagement and global development at CEDIA were in attendance to congratulate the project team on this achievement. The Jeroen Pit House has been championed by ISE, along with ISE’s co-owners CEDIA and AVIXA, since planning began more than three years ago. The build has been supported with generous contributions from the AV industry to complete the eight apartments, dedicated cinema and presentati
UK - As if reopening the venue after a little problem with storm Eunice wasn’t enough, UB40 managed to implement several notable firsts of their own for their show at London’s slightly ragged O2 Arena on 25 February. “Grant Hickey, who took the reins as LD in 2018 was stranded in Australia by travel restrictions,” explains Oli Metcalfe. “Things in our business are currently so unstable but we have to roll with it. Fortunately Grant set me up with a starting showfile which I ran with and then added to on the load-in day. Even so, it was quite something to go in hot with nothing more than a quick sound check for the London show.” Metcalfe had formerly designed for UB40 himself and indeed on that last tour had directed video while Hickey ran the lights. “Luckily mine and Grant’s histories with the band goes back some way and this design is still his. With t
Europe - LED manufacturer Absen has announced the start of a new recruitment phase in a bid to further expand its global partnership network. Supporting the growth of the LED market, Absen – who currently operate in over 130 countries – is set to expand its global network of systems integrators and rental stagers by reaching out to other like-minded businesses who may apply to become an Absen partner representative in its commitment to remain market leaders globally. Absen currently boasts 13 domestic and overseas offices, employing over 2,000 staff and representatives who are responsible for the completion of over 50,000 projects to date. To further establish the global partnerships already fostered from two decades in the LED industry, the company is committed to welcoming ‘businesses with similar ideologies, vision and drive’. “We have, and will cont
Turkey - Earlier this year, Istanbul production company Autonomy partnered with virtual production facility MGX Studio and Formula 1 to deliver an immersive commercial project for the country’s financial hub and official sponsors of last year’s Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul Financial Centre (IFC). The project was filmed at MGX Studio, with Brompton Technology Tessera processing delivering optimum colour management for the LED wall. From extreme close-ups of the F1 vehicle and the driver, to the revving engine sounds as the car navigates through the streets of Istanbul, and images of IFC reflected on the driver’s helmet, MGX Studio’s virtual production facility offered a spread of creative possibilities to the Autonomy team. “Achieving optimum colour profiles and creating realistic reflections and natural background lighting were key challenges for t
Italy - Green Hippo has appointed Prase Media Technologies as its new distributor in Italy. Working on applications in the install, retail and rental channels, Prase will distribute the full range of Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Media Servers and in addition, tvONE products. “We are excited to announce Prase as the latest distributor for Green Hippo,” says Frithjof Becker, EMEA sales director, Green Hippo by tvONE. “Our goal is to continue developing the growth of Green Hippo product lines within the retail and rental markets in Italy. We can’t wait to see the next set of impressive projects featuring Green Hippo and tvONE products.” “We welcome Green Hippo’s premium media servers in our catalogue, and are thrilled to offer to Italian professionals the best-in-class technologies for creating an engaging and stunning multimedia experience,” says Luc
Sweden - Sweden’s Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra performed a ‘musical adventure’ at the imposing Göteborgs Konserthus recently, enveloped in video projections driven by Hippotizer Media Servers. The 90-minute orchestral performance, entitled The Crescendoing City, immersed the audience in a ‘visual flow’ designed to complement the piece. Stockholm-based Pixelfield Studios - styled PXLFLD - was commissioned by the Gothenburg Symphonic Orchestra to design a visual concert experience based on ‘The City’ as an overarching concept. The PXLFLD team responded to the brief by considering what defines a city, taking in architecture, communications, culture and, most importantly, people. Over two nights of performances, audiences were treated to sweeping cityscapes, eerie urban scenes and flashes of abstract colour and patterns. “We needed a reliable
UK - Specialist audio visual design and installation company, North Star Engineers is behind the ship-wide AV system design and installation of the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Global Mercy - the newly built vessel of Mercy Ships. The project has been designed and delivered from the head office of North Star Engineers in the city of York. Mercy Ships is an international charity providing a team of volunteer nurses, doctors, surgeons and other crew from all over the world. The Global Mercy was docked and open for physical and virtual tours in the Port of Rotterdam between 26 February-14 March 2022, before setting sail on 15 March for Granadilla Tenerife to continue outfitting in preparation for service within West Africa, the first of many new missions expected over the next 50 years. The team at North Star Engineers has been responsible for all s
Australia - To gain the necessary power and versatility for their multi-functional event spaces, Rocco’s Bar & Gusto acquired a range of Harman Professional audio-visual solutions. Rocco’s Bar & Gusto is a restaurant and venue located inside United Cinemas in Warriewood, New South Wales that hosts parties, private business meetings, sporting and dining events in its multipurpose event spaces. Because the venue space can be divided into multiple separate areas to accommodate a variety of events and meetings, the restaurant required an audio-visual solution with the flexibility to route and matrix signals to their respective zones. To meet this request, Rocco’s acquired a fully networked audio-visual system featuring solutions by AMX, BSS, JBL Professional, Crown and AKG. “We wanted an immersive experience for Rocco’s Bar & Gusto, and the Harman sol
UK - Whitwam AV Integration has solved intelligibility issues and improved audio coverage at St. George's Chapel Windsor with the installation of a new K-array loudspeaker system. Originally built in the 15th century by King Edward IV, the chapel has been the scene of many royal services and weddings. Whitwam AV Integration has installed a modern and sympathetically styled audio-visual system that has transformed the way that words and music are experienced throughout the building, blending with the magnificent and historically rich setting. The loudspeaker system from K-array focuses on providing superior vocal intelligibility in what is a generally challenging acoustic environment with a typical RT60 of three or four seconds, so the audio design emphasised the placement of sources relatively close to the listener to increase direct sound and reduce reflections.
UK - Last August, after a two-year hiatus following a £60m refurbishment project, Theatre Royal Drury Lane opened its doors to Frozen the Musical. The story’s plot and scenery are brought to life in full, frosted glory thanks to ultra-realistic visuals displayed on the upstage LED wall. Using Brompton Tessera processing to help accurately recreate shimmering snow peaks, fjords and mesmerizing auroras in incredibly fine grades of colour, bit depth and brightness, audiences are transported into the magical world of Arendelle. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the team worked in close collaboration with Finn Ross of FRAY Studio who oversaw video design; Jonathon Lyle of Ammonite, in charge of developing system design; and video equipment rental company, Blue-i Theatre Technology, to bring this show to the heart of London’s West End. “We had us
Germany - Held annually by audiovisual equipment supplier, Lang AG, at its Lang Academy in Lindlar, this year’s AV Innovation Days 2022 once again offered a platform to discover the latest highlights and developments, as well as encouraged communication and exchange of ideas by the AV industry’s key players. Brompton Technology participated in the event, showcasing its latest Tessera v3.3 software and running demos of Frame Remapping, a Tessera feature that enables the significant benefits of multi-camera shoots on a virtual production set. The two-day event saw 18 exhibitors in total, including Absen, Barco, Brompton Technology, Disguise, INFiLED, ROE Visual and Seervision, among others. There were more than 350 attendees from 130 companies joining between 2 and 3 February. As well as Frame Remapping, Brompton presented additional Tessera v3.3 software featu
USA/Canada - Evolve Technology has expanded its partnership with Montreal-based Theatrixx Technologies by adding two new products to its inventory of Theatrixx equipment for sale, rent and lease in the US. The new products are the North American-designed xVision Nomad 2.6mm indoor LED display and hardware-based media player, the xPressCue. They join Evolve’s roster of Theatrixx video converters, power distribution equipment and the 2.5mm LED Totem, which have been available for the past year. Evolve is the launch customer for the xVision Nomad 2.6mm indoor LED display; it is the first company to take orders for and offer an inventory of those new LED panels for US clients. “Our new 2.6mm display is the first to feature TPEP (Titanium and Polymer Edge Protection) technology that offers unparalleled LED protection ” explains Jacques Tessier, CEO of Theatrix
The Netherlands - DMT has introduced the E6-N 50 x 100cm LED pixel screen, a successor of the popular E6 updated to feature an onboard Novastar A5s receiver card. The indoor screen has a light-weight frame that offers flexible mounting in five angles. The DMT E6-N is a 1,200-nit indoor LED pixel screen with a high resolution, intended for a minimum viewing distance of 6m. Its pixel pitch is 6.25mm, which makes for 80 x 160px in one 50 x 100cm panel. The new screen is equipped with an A5s receiver card from Novastar, offering a reliable control system. The black-face LED screen offers a high contrast ratio for an outstanding image quality and dynamic colours. Its light-weight frame keeps the total weight low (11kg) and allows you to mount the panels in five different angles (15°, 7.5°, 0°, -7.5°, and -15°), making it very versatile and flexible to rig in any shape
USA - Nashville-based CTS AVL, a full-service audio, video and lighting company specialising in live events, has expanded its lighting inventory with a large complement of Ayrton Khamsin profile and Mistral-S ultra-compact spot luminaires. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting fixtures in North America. CTS AVL had been an audio company for almost 40 years when it branched out to video and lighting about half-a-dozen years ago. The addition of Ayrton Khamsins and Mistrals, the company’s first Ayrton purchases, offers more high-end lighting options for customers across all markets and across the US. “We needed a high-output fixture with framing shutters and an LED source,” says lead lighting technician, Carter Ranson. “We were looking for something with a big feature set. I saw Khamsins in use on the road and loved the fixture, and fr
Australia - A new initiative and a first for Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) recently transported the performance out of the concert hall and into the outdoors to present the Festival of Orchestra (FOFO), a six-concert series celebrating a mix of musical genres. Supported by the Australian government’s RISE Fund and technical partner, Novatech Creative Event Technology, the event was staged at the Adelaide Showground, with the stage for the 5,000-capacity central arena fitted with three large LED screens in different configurations throughout the six concerts. Brompton Technology’s LED processing was deployed throughout, giving a sense of visual grandeur to the stunning music performances. Established in 1936, ASO is South Australia’s largest performing arts organisation, with a membership of 75 world-class musicians, renowned for a diverse and v
UK - Television lighting rental specialists Version 2 has announced a management reshuffle at its Reading operation with Emma Gale now as general manager, Sam Crook as technical operations manager, and Joe Marter as sales operations manager. Emma has a strong track record in management and was instrumental in the transformation and growth of an independent transport company. “I am new to the lighting industry but can apply my skillsets in the various aspects of running a business to Version 2. I have always been responsible for vehicles being in the right place at the right time. Here it’s about delivering lights to a studio or location on schedule - the logistics are the same and I’m fast finding out about TV lighting.” Meanwhile, long-serving Version 2 stalwart Sam Crook will continue to oversee equipment preparation procedures, equipment specification and pr
