Business

Details
USA - The historic 920-seat Edwards Hall Auditorium on University of Rhode Island's Kingston Campus recently upgraded its sound system with a selection of products from Bose Professional Systems Division. The system was spec'd and installed by Sudbury, Massachusetts-based Adtech Systems. Adtech's senior design engineer Charlie Crane served as lead on the project.

The final system consists of two L/R clusters consisting of two RoomMatch RM12060, two RM9020, two RM7010 array modules, and two RMS215 subwoofers, all powered by four PowerMatch PM8500 configurable professional power amplifiers.

Crane points out the challenges of tackling the project in such a space: "The room was originally built as a library and converted into an auditorium much later, so they've always struggled with good sound quality in there. The university's architect was working with administration, and

Details
Latvia - Commissioned by the municipality of R?zekne, a small town of just 30,000 inhabitants in Latvia's easternmost region of Latgale, the new youth recreational centre Zeimu?s, also known as Caran D'Ache, has rapidly become an unmissable meeting point for the local youngsters.

Inaugurated in September 2012, Caran D'Ache offers now over 60 different recreational activities and workshops, regularly attended by more than 300 kids, from toddlers up till young adults of 25. Visitors can freely participate in singing, dancing, playing instruments, ceramics, drawing, sewing, checkers, chess and other clubs, all non-formal education and youth development initiatives aimed at improving, in a safe and supervised environment, the quality of life of young people through a creative stimulation of their own crafts and skills.

The architecture of this educational centre reflects the state

Details
USA - Inedit, a new establishment for Spanish cuisine / tapas and music, is rapidly becoming the spot for dining and entertainment in the South Florida metropolitan area. Inedit, derived from the word 'Inedito', which refers to the unknown that inspires discovery within the Spanish culture, is a beautifully decorated facility.

To ensure the music throughout the building sounds every bit as compelling as the food and the patrons who frequent the establishment, management decided to install a new loudspeaker system that would keep the music lively. Ultimately, they selected a system drawn from the catalogue of D.A.S. Audio.

Miami, FL-based FM Lab, a design / build firm with a focus on sound and lighting for commercial properties, was contracted to handle the design and installation of Inedit's new sound reinforcement system. Fernando Mezzarapa, owner and president of FM Lab, dis

Details
USA - Robert Juliat participated in Live Design's 2012 Concert Master Classes at USC, Los Angeles last month showcasing its fixtures for those attending the immersive two-day event and accompanying attendees to a performance of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, whose tour rig includes Robert Juliat Manon and Topaze followspots.

The Concert Master Classes by Live Design annually brings together the touring industry's top designers to discuss lighting and projection design challenges for the world of concerts. Award-winning lighting designer Jeff Ravitz, creative consultant to the classes, chaired an overview session on concert lighting design and gave a very personal perspective on how he lit Springsteen's Wrecking Ball Tour in another session. Other panellists included Steve Cohen, Marc Janowitz, Steve Lieberman, Anne Militello and Seth Jackson.

Robert Juliat's F

Details
Norway - For the last four years, the award-winning W-DMX by Wireless Solution Sweden has been used in a very special festival in Norway, the Verket Musikkfestival. The two-day festival, held in the beautiful town of Mo i Rana, located just below the Arctic Circle, hosts some of Norway's best artists each year, with the 2012 festival hosting a sold out venue of over 5000 visitors each night. The crowds came to see 14 musical acts including Timbuktu & Damn, Dumdum Boys, Gabrielle and Melissa Horn.

W-DMX is a festival favourite, avoiding cable runs in high traffic natural settings and leaving no carbon footprint for venues set in beautiful locations. Up to eight W-DMX units have been used for the Verket Musikkfestival in past years to set the mood in the festival area and at the industrial park above the festival site.

Technician Christer Sylten explains, "For the 2012 fest

Details
UK / Australia - SBLD is offering a student placement opportunity for an Assistant Lighting Designer - kindly sponsored by Robe Show Lighting - at Vivid Light 2013, which takes place in Sydney, Australia from 24 May to 10 June 2013.

The Vivid Light event attracts an audience of over half a million visitors, and is lit by an international team of lighting and video designers. The designs include lighting many of Sydney's most prominent buildings, and a series of art installation around the port area. The event also features live music performances, seminars and workshops for lighting practitioners, and public debates focusing on the creative industries.

The assistant is required for an interactive art installation and architectural project which both incorporate the latest in lighting and music technology. There will be the opportunity to get hands on with the design process an

Details
World - PLASA, the global leader in developing technical standards for the entertainment industry, and the Event Safety Alliance, the emerging voice of event production best practices, are formally announcing their mutual endorsement in the ongoing efforts to raise awareness and use of industry best practices and technical standards throughout live entertainment production.

Lori Rubinstein, PLASA's North American executive director comments, "The ESA's Event Safety Guide will be an important and relevant tool for disseminating the vast array of industry best practices necessary in the successful and safe execution of live events."

Event Safety Alliance executive director Jim Digby comments, "The work of PLASA in the creation of wide reaching, industry technical standards is an absolute necessity in the rapidly changing sector of production protocols. The

Details
USA - Country music superstar Carrie Underwood continues her Blown Away Tour with a large inventory of Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures on hand to accent the video components of the show.

Lighting designer Peter Morse of Peter Morse Productions in South Lake Tahoe, California based his lighting scheme around three extremely large, trapezoidal-shaped, moving LED panels, which posed dynamic weight, power and sight-line block challenges. A tilting projection floor added to the task, "necessitating a 'surgical' application to lighting design and programming to avoid washing out all the projected images," Morse reports. He decided to hang the trussing in a way to complement and amplify the angles created by the trapezoid-shapes moving LED walls.

Lighting programmer Brian Jenkins notes that, "we were crunched on programming time for starters and then there were compli

Details
UK - Ambersphere Solutions will stage a series of regional open days throughout 2013.

The first one will take place in Glasgow on Tuesday 19 February between 11am and 4pm at the Scottish Ballet's headquarters (Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow, G41 2PE). This day-long event will enable customers to see the latest products from Clay Paky and MA Lighting demonstrated in a 'real' environment and meet the team that delivers these products exclusively to the UK market.

On display at the Scottish Ballet will be many of the products that featured so significantly at the UK's showcase events last summer, including the Jubilee celebrations and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Plus the latest additions to the MA and Clay Paky portfolio of award-winning products.

"The open day will enable us to show the new Sharpy Wash - we are certain it will be just as po

Details
USA - The Long Reach Long Riders and The ESTA Foundation will host their annual raffle to benefit Behind the Scenes at the USITT Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 21-23 March. This year's raffle will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Long Reach Long Riders annual charity motorcycle ride. The Riders have raised over $350,000 for charity in their 10 years of touring some of the country's most beautiful areas.

The Behind the Scenes Boutique will also be open for business during the show featuring the new USB LED Ghostlight, an assortment of great Behind the Scenes swag, and the famous Long Reach Long Rider T-shirts and kazoos.

Tickets for the raffle are an affordable $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased at the Behind the Scenes booth #731 throughout the show. Winning tickets for nine regular prizes and one grand prize will be drawn at 1pm on Saturday, the final day

Details
Argentina - German manufacturer GLP has added a new subsidiary office to its organisation in order to better serve the Latin American market. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the office will be headed up by sales manager, Peter Hald.

"The Latin American market has been growing with interesting speed in the past few years," commented Mark Ravenhill, president of GLP US. "We have had plans for a Latin American operation, but needed to ensure that we had the correct structure in place to support it 100%. We have that now and can ensure that customers benefit from our high level of customer service."

Peter Hald commented, "I'm delighted to be joining the GLP team. They really have a great product line up with leading edge technology which I can't wait to bring to the Latin American market." Hald has recently been working in telecommunications, but is

Details
The Netherlands - ISE 2013 saw record numbers of exhibitors and visitors. The show's final total of 44,151 registered attendees represents an 8% increase on 2012's world record of 40,869. Just under 900 exhibitors - also a record for ISE - occupied all 12 halls of the Amsterdam RAI from 29-31 January, with most reporting a brisk three days of business involving a healthy mix of new and established contacts.

On Monday 28 January, ISE celebrated its 10th edition with a widely lauded opening keynote address by renowned cyber-illusionist Marco Tempest, followed by a 10th Birthday Party at which some of ISE's founding exhibitors - those companies that have supported all 10 shows since Integrated Systems Europe began in Geneva in 2004 - were honoured in a special presentation. The celebrations were preceded by three pre-show conferences and over 1,200 people attended the Monday events

Details
Italy - Fibre network giant, Optocore has made a significant change to its distribution arrangements in Italy, appointing Prase Engineering S.p.A to handle the installation/contractor sector.

Following the direct contact between the two companies at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt last year the agreement was confirmed by Optocore marketing director Tine Helme and Ennio Prase, founder of the Venice-based company.

"This opens up an important new channel in Italy for us," stated Helmle. "Ennio and his company fit perfectly with Optocore - they are strong in permanent install and the AV market, and with our new MADI switches we can hit both these markets."

She added that the catalyst for the appointment had been Duran Audio, which Prase distributes, and with whom Optocore has a partnership arrangement.

Ennio Prase also welcomed the move. "It's great that a

Details
Germany - Fashion show Show-Me recently celebrated its world premiere in front of about 2,000 guests at the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin. The show boasts some impressive features: the legendary Parisian Haute Couture Designer Christian Lacroix created the costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies, and there was a 21m high waterfall on the stage, where 40 female and 20 male dancers performed.

The show's lighting set-up is equally impressive and mostly includes equipment from Lightpower. Ten Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1500s and 14 Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 300s have been used, among other lights.

Marcus Krömer is again in charge of the lighting design. He reports, "For the first time in 10 years we are using a grandMA2 desk at Friedrichstadt-Palast for this show, along with the grandMA 'series 1'. Basically the lighting and video are split. The lighting is handled on

Details
USA - PLASA has announced the members of the 2013 PERG Council who are responsible for overseeing the activities of the Production Equipment Rental Group which serves the needs of the film and digital community within PLASA. The PERG Council is made up of leading members of that community who donate significant time and resources to shine a light on the challenges and opportunities faced by professional rental companies and focus the collective experience and expertise of members to shape solutions and responses.

Mark Wofford, general manager of Production Consultants & Equipment in Atlanta, was elected chair of the council at their recent meeting in Dallas, TX. Mark commented, "It's important to PC&E to be a part of PERG and the important work that PERG does for the rental industry. The PERG Council is the driving force behind this and to be elected as chair of this group

Details
USA - grandMA2 went on a mission shortly after Christmas when almost 16,000 people gathered in St. Louis for Urbana 12, the triennial student missions conference held by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Dodd Technologies Inc. furnished the grandMA2 full-size as part of its lighting, audio, video and scenic support for the event's arena show.

With the theme of God's 'Great Invitation', the conference ran at the America's Centre and Edward Jones Dome. Attendees had access to more than 100 workshops and over 250 mission organisations and seminaries exhibiting at Urbana 12.

Dodd Technologies was responsible for supporting the three main stages for the show: one for the worship band, one for drama and skits, and the centre stage for speakers and business activities. "We used one giant rig with 280 moving heads, which was set up so they could use some or all of it as they

Details
UK - West London-based rental company, Entec Sound & Light were asked to supply lighting, trussing and rigging for a high profile one off concert by Malaysian Chinese superstar Fish Leong at Wembley Arena.

Entec was working for the show's producers Magic Sound and the project follows on from the massive success of another gig by Fish Leong last year at Hammersmith Apollo, also serviced by Entec

This time both the scale, the production values and the ante was upped considerably - and it all had to go in and out in a day.

The show's technical production manager Simon Tutchener co-ordinated all the different departments and oversaw the hectic production schedule on the day. Entec fielded a very strong and experienced crew consisting of Phil White, Pete 'Pepper' Schofield, Sudip Shrestha and rigger / crew chief Nic Burlace.

They worked closely in advance with Leong's lighting

Details
Denmark - From 28 December 20 January, Lennon and McCartney fans were treated to the theatrical concert Hey Jude at the Forum in Copenhagen. A spectacular musical and visual treat with lighting design by Jonas B°gh, the Beatles-inspired show used a host of Martin Professional MAC luminaires, including the new MAC III Wash, with supply by Nordic Rentals.

"I needed a very powerful fixture to create an enormous 'background of light,' explains LD Jonas B°gh. "At the beginning of the theatre concert I used the MAC III Wash to light through an opening in the enormous back drop to create the idea of something threatening outside pushing to be let in."

At one point in the show an enormous backdrop falls and the MAC III Washes define the entire background of a bare and open scenography. "The fall of the backdrop reveals a full-size building crane and

Details
USA - The Church of the Greater Faith is an active and forward-thinking Pentecostal congregation that has been growing by leaps and bounds, thanks in no small part to their contemporary approach to worship. Indeed, Greater Faith's rapid growth has been a source of both joy and challenges, and as their numbers have swelled, their modest 700-seat sanctuary now hosts two Sunday morning services, with a third service added in the afternoon.

The peaked, metal A-frame structure has long suffered from challenging acoustics, and as Jason Ryder, general Manager of Lake Charles, LA-based Porche Advance Systems explains, efforts over the years to improve the situation have only made things worse.

"Their original system was poorly designed and underpowered to begin with, and they spent the next 11 years trying to fix it," says Ryder. "The end result was a patchwork of mis-w

Details
USA - The first four days of the new year found more than 60,000 college-aged Christians from around the globe flocking to Atlanta's Georgia Dome for Passion 2013, an annual conference of message and music that just raised over 3.3 million dollars to combat slavery and human trafficking worldwide.

Hosted by Passion City Church Founders Louie and Shelley Giglio, this year's event drew students from 56 countries and 2,300 universities and featured a long list of top Contemporary performers, including Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Matt Redman, Kari Jobe, Lecrae, Jesus Culture and numerous other artists, alongside notable evangelical speakers like John Piper, Judah Smith, Francis Chan and Louie Giglio, himself.

With a large increase in attendees anticipated for this year, Giglio's Choice Ministries and Passion Conferences hired UK-based management company Black & White Live to over

Details
UK - Toby Alington and his team at Richmond Studios Productions are amidst last minute preparations for recording the UK's largest annual music show, The BRIT Awards 2013 in association with MasterCard.

Whilst this will be Alington's 19th year recording The BRITs, it is set to be one of the most exhilarating productions with the Nation's on-going Diamond Jubilee and Olympic fever. The new BRIT Award statue has been designed by Damien Hirst and has already caught the public's eye, and the show will once again be hosted by James Corden.

Alington and his audio team will mix the music for the live-to-air show from Floating Earth's state-of-the-art mobile recording unit, Floating Earth. This is equipped with an SSL C200 digital console, linked to over 100 remote mic-amps connected by fibre-optic cable which provide the feeds to be mixed and broadcast live on television. This will b

Details
Czech Republic - As Robe Lighting's head office and production facilities are located not far from ?eský Krumlov where Showlight is being held this May 18-21, the Robe team is offering all Showlight 2013 attendees a special visit to its factory outside of the Showlight schedule.

Participants will have the opportunity not only to visit the production area but also experience the famous Czech hospitality in the spa Hotel Solan, based within the stunning Beskydy Mountains.

The coach will be scheduled to leave ?eský Krumlov on Tuesday 21 May at 5pm, with an expected travelling time of approximately 4.5 hours.

After arrival at the Hotel Solan, the guests can enjoy dinner consisting of local specialities and also visit the spa centre or the hotel swimming pool.

On Wednesday morning the schedule starts with a tour of Robe's architectural lighting division Anolis and its daughte

Details
France - Philips Selecon is powering up its range of LED luminaires to exhibit at SIEL Paris this week (Stand D88).

Philips Selecon's French dealer Dimatec will be showcasing Selecon's PLFresnel1, PLProfile1, PLCYC1, PlyCyc2, and Studio Panel luminaires at this year's SIEL, taking place at Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris from 4-6 February.

"The new PL products use the same proven LED engine as the Philips Selecon PL3, PL1, PLCYC1 and the Philips Vari-Lite VLX ranges, which means colour matching in a multifunctional rig is entirely simplified," says Grant Bales-Smith, sales manager for Strand Selecon Europe. "In addition the user interface is the same for all luminaires, which ensures intuitive operation across the whole Philips Entertainment range of LED luminaires."

(Jim Evans)

Details
Keeping Clean - London's National Theatre is one of four historic sites to receive funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for "wash and brush up" restoration work. It has been granted £2.5m to help enhance the 20th-Century modernist building on London's South Bank. Last year, Arts Council England gave the theatre £17.5m to aid its upgrades. The remaining sites include Rochester Cathedral in Kent, the Carnegie Library in Dunfermline and Victorian mansion house Insole Court in Cardiff. A total of £11m was awarded to the places of cultural interest in England, Scotland and Wales.

Open Air - An amphitheatre is being planned in north London on the site where a 16th century theatre that hosted the premiere of Henry V used to exist. The remains of the Curtain Theatre - which was the base for the Lord Chamberlain's Men before they moved to the G

  1. MilTec and Limelite on Brand New
  2. LarMac LIVE production manages Donny & Marie
  3. Soinua named as Spanish distributor for Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake
  4. National Theatre of Saint-Nazaire opts for Innovason
  5. Community brings technology to historic church
  6. LumenRadio and the art of Iktomi
Page 1461 of 1813

Latest Issue. . .