The Skills Academy is all about nurturing talent and building a skilled technical workforce for the future. Orbital's initiative is being managed by Adam Thorneycroft, head of engineering, who explains why the scheme has strong appeal:
"Given the current climate, we wanted to take some positive steps to keep people interested in working in the entertainment industry.
"We always spend a lot of time researching products which is exactly what we did when we recently decided to invest in some compact digital audio consoles," commented Darren Russell, Elite's managing director. "We looked at what all the manufacturers in the market had to offer but in terms of versatility and features, we felt that Soundcraft consoles had the edge over the competition."
For Russell, one of the main selling points with the Soundcraft consoles is their ability to either take analogue inputs and outputs on the back of the console or use Cat 5 digital
Gordon Cooper from SES commented, "When we took the call from Andy, we knew due to the time scale this order would be a challenge due to our current commitments on other high profile projects, but we are used to working under pressure and did not want to let an important client down, we were very pleased to be able to gain the order and more importantly delivered 2 days early.
" It is always a great feeling when you get the call from the customer saying how pleas
He continues. "It's been brilliant having The Voice based here at Elstree as we've been able to instantly provide LD Mark Kenyon and his head rigger Dave Morrell with all the gear they need right from our Elstree office. We worked closely with them on-site throughout the whole process, from creating technical drawings during the planning process right through to supplying extra components on actual show days."
ELP were involved even before The Voice UK came to Elstree. The show was broadcast in three stages. The first stage involved blind auditions from BBC TV centre where co
SAMA CEO and Idols judge Randall Abrahams enthused that the "sound quality was outstanding" and was quick to note that the "sound management of the various performances was handled extremely professionally which led to a final product that was of a very high standard."
It was a large scale event that was watched live and broadcast to millions of South African's around the country. Randall reminded us that the "sound qual
"What is different about the RGK is that they don't have a home arena, all 26 matches in their season are played on tour," explained Osamu Koki from Staging Okinawa. "They came to see us for ideas on how to liven up the excitement at each game; they wanted lighting and sound but with one critical proviso: everything had to fit in a two ton truck."
The fact is Okinawa
Recent openings include Long Day's Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre, starring David Suchet and Laurie Metcalf with lighting by Mark Henderson; two acclaimed transfers from the Chichester Festival Theatre, Sweeney Todd also lit by Mark Henderson and the double bill of South Downs and The Browning Version lit by Neil Austin; the Neil Simon comedy The Sunshine Boys starring Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths at the Savoy Theatre, also lit by Neil Austin, and The Duchess of Malfi at the Old Vic, lit by James Farncombe.
The Old Vic's production of Noises Off has transferred to the Novello, lit by Paul
Throughout the last year, the Association has continued to develop and promote its Technical Access Passport (TAP) - launched at the ABTT 2011 Theatre Show - a scheme that creates an online repository for verified training, skills, insurance and other professional information.
Now, with TAP gaining weight within the industry, the second phase of the scheme is ready to start. Industry trainers will
No Show - Lady Gaga has cancelled a concert in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, citing security concerns after protests by religious groups. The s
Two new LSC Redback wallmount dimmers, which sport a number of impressive features including optional relay channels, RDM, various output connector configurations, external wall-plate control and a 'slim figure', have been successfully installed.
A 48way Redback patch bay was chosen to cater for the 36 points as well as future needs and a Redback 6 way remote wall plate has also been installed to give simple control of the lights without the need of an operator or lighting console.
Jeff Morgan from Lots of Watts Central Coast said, "We have been able to give the school a safe easy dimming and control option. The Redback wallmount are perfect for this application i
Malcolm Reed designed the show which was supported by Richard Martin Lighting (RML). The almost festival rig consisted of LC2140 panels, VL3000 Spots, Chroma Floods, GLP Impressions and Sharpys.
Reed opted for a very patriotic colour scheme in places with strong emphasis on red and white, while the music numbers were packed full of colour, graphics and brightness.
(Jim Evans)
On entry into the gallery, each visitor was photographed and the photographs were projected in real time circularly on gallery walls, on the LED screen on Croatian capital Zagreb's Main Square and on the web. The gallery functioned as a generator for the content that was then presented in places where there was a much larger audience than in the cultural institutions.
Local Zagreb system integrator company LMT (Laboratory of Multimedia Technology) specified and provided five Axon Media Servers to en
The audio visual equipment - which includes an impressive new scoreboard and a super-charged professional D.A.S. sound system - played a particularly important role in this large-scale remodel. The installation was carried out by Grupo Ingevision (Ekintza) in collaboration with the D.A.S. Sound Projects Department, led by Eva Argandoña. Víctor Catalá from the D.A.S. Audio Engineering Department was on hand for system adjustments and set up, and the project was coordinated by the northern zone manager,
'The Rig' is a charitable organisation currently managed by Jason Robbins. It was originally set up in 2000 by parents of a local scout involved in the lighting and sound industry to help his group weather financial difficulties, and started off running local discos with some scouts on the crew.
Since then things have grown considerably. A team of 10 regular volunteers and others enable The Rig Scout Active Support Unit to provide a full range of technical production services for stage shows and events, in the process helping to support all scouting activities in the Huddersfield North District.
Robbins approached 5 Star's Keith Sykes - initially at the PLASA 2011 exhibition - aski
A collaboration between the town of Les Baux de Provence and the specialist French venue management company Culture spaces, Carrières de Lumières'('Quarries of Light') is a hi-tech re-purposing of the Carrières du Val d'Enfer- a network of abandoned chalk-mining tunnels close to the historic Provençal village.
With a subterranean feel, the Carrières de Lumières is a labyrinth almost 200m long that varies in height between 10 and 15m. In its newly re-invented form, the space provides the perfect backdrop for large-scale video projection- a place where visitors can view images close to or from a greater distance away, while the texture of the chalk surfaces adds further visual interest to whatever a
The AM Only Showcase featured a performance by Grammy award-winning artist, Skrillex, as well as performances by Laidback Luke, Kill the Noise and Knife Party to name a few. Several thousand fans gathered at Mohawk, an outdoor, live-music venue, to see some of the biggest names in electronic dance music take the stage. Justin Jenkins, lighting designer for Creative Production and Design, specified 12 Legend 412 moving heads for backlighting while the remaining four fixtures created audience pixel-mapping effects and downlit the high-energy show.
"We chose Legend™ 412 fixtures because of their RGBW LEDs and quadrant-control capability," Jenkins said. "As far as what
Black Coffee were sub-contracted by Kingston Sound in Durban to supply the lighting equipment which included 46 Robe fixtures. A relaxed atmosphere prevailed, especially thanks to enough time to tour from city to city as the team visited the Rhema Church in Randburg, City Hill Church in Hillcrest and His People Church N1 City, Cape Town. In Port Elizabeth, the full technical was supplied by Magnetic Storm.
"Apart from the rented truck having a blow out on the w
This year for the first time, Beachsound slotted a DiGiCo SD8 into FOH duties to handle a majority of the headliners over the 3-days-over 100 DJs from David Guetta to Tiesto - with FOH engineer/crew chief Neil Rosenstock at the helm aided by systems engineer Harry Brill.
"All the DJ's and vocals went through the SD8," offered Beachsound president, Andre Serafini, "and the sound quality was superb. There were over 30 sets performed over the three-day span from artists including Tiesto, Skrillex, Benny Benassi, Av
Luminous at Darling Quarter represents an important investment in green digital art by the Darling Quarter joint stakeholders, Lend Lease, Commonwealth Bank and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority.
The project, which has taken 12 months to complete, establishes Darling Harbour's vibrant new precinct - Darling Quarter, as the new face of digital arts in Australia.
Bruce Ramus, creator of Luminous at Darling Quarter stated, "The digital façade adds radiance and playfulness to the precinct and brings people together in the spirit of creating light and art for others to enjoy."
Ramus says Luminous at Darling Quarter has been the collaborative effort of many, resulting in a unique approach to urban space that aligns public ar
The appointment is a direct response to the continued growth in the creative and entertainment industries in South Africa, a sector that, according to the Department of Trade and Industry, is valued at around R7.4-billion per year.
Commenting on the appointment, DWR's Duncan Riley says, "I'm delighted to be adding the Clay Paky range of lighting fixtures to our portfolio of professional lighting products. Clay Paky is spearheading some of the most innovative and exciting developments in lighting technology design and the resulting products respond directly to the needs of end users.
"It's undeniably one of the most exciting brands in the entertainment lighting arena. We're looking forward to bringing Clay Paky products to all the sectors we oper
In the Footsteps of Giants was conceptualized by Kai Piippo of Ljusarkitektur of Stockholm who has integrated dynamic lighting on a family slope as an integral part of the story telling. Besides creating an after-dark activity for children when entertainment possibilities are limited, the tour continues a tradition of centuries of storytelling, spoken-word folklore that combines with the surrounding landscape - including lighting
The AC World Series allows teams and their sailors to prepare for the Louis Vuitton Cup, the Defender Selection Series (if necessary) and the finals of the America's Cup. At the same time, the various events are designed to bring the America's Cup to fans around the globe, giving thousands of people the opportunity to follow the action close up.
The ceremony in Piazza del Plebiscito took the form of a spectacular party and played host to a series of live music and dance acts. Filmaster Event's organization ensured a quality occasion. This production company was responsible for the success o
The training covered all bases from MA2 basic training to advanced user training for live events, theatre training, grandma 3D and networking.
Nick Britz from DWR Distribution, having visited MA Lighting on various occasions and always keeping up-to-date with the latest courses, presented the sessions. "I really enjoy the training," said Britz. "There was certainly a need, and the more the industry know about the console, the better for everyone."
The course was split into different categories, and while delegates could decide on which days they wished to participate, many attended all the set days offered.
(Jim Evans)
Over 100 fixtures have been supplied by Ambersphere Solutions to leading rental house Neg Earth for what has become a showcase tour for the latest generation of Clay Paky equipment.
Featuring heavily are more than 50 of the new QWO800 fixtures, a luminaire which can stand up to the most demanding of lighting applications. "I've been blown away by the QWO800. Initially I had specified the Alpha Spot 700 but Neg Earth invited me to go and check out the new QWO800, which had literally just arrived in their warehouse. The optics are amazing, the light output is fantastic and the speed with which this fixture moves is phenomenal," observes Leesmith.
Complementing the QWO800 is the increasingly popular Sharpy extreme be
