Lighting

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UK - Blue-i, a supplier of video projection, high-resolution displays and audio and lighting to the live events industry, has received a seven-figure equity investment from Enterprise Ventures Growth Fund to help fuel its expansion.

A provider of technical staging for TV, West End theatre shows and high-profile events, the company's recent activities have included supporting the launch of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign and the Olivier Awards. It is also a preferred supplier for venues including the Camden Roundhouse, the o2 Arena, the Saatchi Gallery and the Royal Airforce Museum in London.

Founded in 2002 by Ian Riley, Lee Bradshaw and Stevie Warne, Blue-i employs 21 staff at offices in Leeds and Hemel Hempstead. The investment will allow it to expand its team and further develop its innovative technology. Lee Bradshaw will now become MD and Stevie Warne technica

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USA - Garth Brooks continues his Man Against Machine tour which started in fall 2014 and has been delighting his massive and loyal fan base. The rock/country superstar is known for his exciting live shows and connection with his audiences, as well as for taking a very active interest in his production and stage presentation.

The pressure is on for lighting designer Dave 'Gig' Butzler to keep the lighting rig constantly evolving to ensure that Brooks' extended touring campaigns are constantly fresh and interesting for his enthusiastic public. Introducing Robe BMFL Spots to the visual equation was the latest 'upgrade'. This move has enabled him to harness the power, throw distances and effects of the BMFL Spots to boost the impact of the lightshow even further. 44 BMFL Spots replaced the previous hard-edged spot moving fixture of choice, and these are being supplied by Ga

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Belgium - The Dunk! Festival is one of Belgium's fastest growing independent festivals, organized by a team of passionate music loving volunteers with a sustainable and DIY ethos. The festival acts as an extension of the independent record label, Dunk! Records, and as such serves as a platform for its bands to perform to thousands of post rock and post metal fans.

Tasked with creating a dynamic lighting concept for the main stage, LD Frederick Heerinckx of BlackBoxDesign specified 42 Chauvet Professional Nexus 7x7 panels, incorporating the fixture's classic tungsten looks and pixel mapping capabilities into the overall visual aesthetic of the stage.

"I wanted to create big looks for the Dunk! Main stage. My concept was to recreate the rock 'n' roll feel of the old par can tungsten fixtures, while incorporating new technical features like pixel mapping into the mix," commen

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Ireland - Global flightcase hardware and premium 19" racking manufacturer Penn Elcom is launching Penn Elcom Ireland, a new all-encompassing facility and operation which will spearhead expansion in a growing market and be headed by the charismatic Rory Winston.

Penn Elcom chairman and founder Roger Willems stated: "The Irish pro entertainment industry market shows definitive signs of recovering from the economic dip, there are many installations and other projects happening and flourishing! It's been our intention to open a base there for some time, but then circumstances converged to make this a really opportune time."

These circumstances include Rory becoming available to run Penn Elcom Ireland and also the 7000sq.ft warehouse facility in south County Dublin coming on-stream, so with these two plusses, Roger activated the plan. Stock of Penn's extensive standard flightca

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UK - Bringing a wide range of global experts together to share their insight and experience, the renowned programme of seminars will again be a feature of the 2016 PLASA Show, which takes place from 18-20 September at London's Olympia. The first tranche of seminar sessions has just been announced, featuring a diverse array of fascinating and thought-provoking subjects.

PLASA Show's first year at Olympia sees the show showcasing the latest technology in Olympia's National Hall and the Gallery floor above, with the two seminar theatres, product demos and interactive showcases also situated on the Gallery floor.

As always, every session at the PLASA 2016 Seminar Programme is free-to-attend, with subjects including audio, lighting, AV, staging and business skills being covered. The first 15 have been confirmed and include the return of LSI journalist Phil Ward's popular panel

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USA - The Rogue R1 FX-B is the latest addition to Chauvet Professional's popular Rogue series. With its five individually controlled pixel mappable 15-watt RGBW LEDs, strikingly fast movements, and infinitely variable pan and tilt options, the new Rogue can create an endless variety of high impact looks, says the company.

"The Rogue R1 FX-B opens up a wide array of creative possibilities for designers at clubs, on tour and in a variety of other applications," said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. "This is a fixture that will add a great deal of versatility to any rig, but at the same time it's affordable and draws very little power."

The Rogue R1 FX-B has 16-bit dimming of the master dimmer, as well as individual colours for smooth control of fades. Built-in colour macros add even more options to the lighting designer's creative toolbox. For even greater creative possibilit

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UK - Ipswich-based MGC Lighting Group is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The company was incorporated by Wallace Greig on 21 June 1976 as McCormick Greig Company, initially as a worldwide distributor for GE Lighting. The company was renamed in 1980 to MGC Lamps Ltd and has recently rebranded as MGC Lighting Group.

Initially MGC distributed stage/studio lamps, however it now covers many area of specialist lighting including healthcare, purification, airfield as well as stage/studio.

Managing director James Greig comments, "The last 40 years has seen MGC transform from a small start in stage/studio to becoming a global leader, developing into medical and purification. We have a strong base in UK and now Spain, along with exporting to more than 90 countries. I would like to thank all of our customers, our suppliers and especially to all the people who have worked

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USA - The recent opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Hollywood is the latest in a series of high-profile projects by the systems division of 4Wall Lighting.

Despite a track record that includes installations at the Venetian, Palazzo and Cosmopolitan hotels, Las Vegas CityCenter and CBN TV studios, the company is still better known for rentals and used equipment sales. "It has taken nearly 20 years for us to be an overnight sensation in the installation market," says systems and design general manager Bill Groener. The Las Vegas team, headed by senior project manager Buddy Pope with John Fernandez and CAD specialist Shaun Blue, has worked together for over 15 years.

Built on the site of the old Universal Amphitheatre, the California attraction follows successful openings in Japan and Orlando. "Meeting the tight schedule set by Universal wa

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USA - E11even Nightclub in downtown Miami attracts an impressive number of top DJs and other dance music artists, especially around Winter Music Conference time. The profusion of EDM, hip hop and house music talent has been even more marked since the two-story club expanded by opening a rooftop dance and chill area that recently received a lighting upgrade from iDesign Productions that included Elation Professional lighting fixtures.

E11even opened in 2014 as a 24/7 club with a sophisticated atmosphere. New lighting for the rooftop, an open area with dance floor, sofa seating and views of downtown Miami, was completed early in 2016 and has invigorated the space as a place to linger. The truss above the rooftop dance floor holds an atmosphere-generating rig that includes Elation Platinum HFX moving heads, Sniper multi-effect lights, SixPar 200 LED PAR lights and Protron 3K stro

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Australia - As part of this year's Vivid Sydney light festival, the Australia Museum's rooftop was once again a big canvas for a lightshow. As part of the setup, . Paul Walton, managing director of Fusion, collaborated with Show Technology, and chose ShowPro HEX 18 LED Pars and ShowPro EX36 LED Floods, both IP rated units.

"It goes through a few colour fades and variations keeping within a maritime theme," said Paul. The north side of the building was completely lit up by EX36 floods. "The reason they wanted the northern side lit up is that there is a lot of foot traffic from the ferry terminal."

It was important to use Wireless DMX from Wireless Solution on this side of the building, due to safety issues and constraints in using cables. "That's why we used some W-DMX as we couldn't run cable across the main thoroughfare. It was just a short link but an important one for s

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UAE - Celebrated lighting designer Terry Miranda used a Jands Vista L5 console to seamlessly synchronise his elegant lighting design with media content at the recent Al Burda Islamic Arts Awards, held at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre.

Open to artists specialising in calligraphy, poetry and music from across the Middle East, the prestigious awards are held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and organised by the UAE's Federal Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development.

For the twelfth consecutive year, Terry - at the helm of his Dubai-based company Lighthouse Productions - was responsible for designing and supplying the awards' set and lighting design.

This year, the starting point for Terry's design was Islamic architecture - with its geometric curves, arches, complex symmetries and domed structures. The intricate calligraphy asso

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South Africa - For the third consecutive year, Blond Productions supplied the full technical for the televised competition Clash of the Choirs held at Global Access Studios in Fox Street, Johannesburg. Mauritz Neethling from Blond was responsible for the lighting design, having control on a Grand MA 2 light and an impressive Robe lighting rig at his disposal.

Filmed for Mzansi Channel on DSTV, the competition saw seven celebrity choirmasters assemble amateur singers who went head to head at the Clash of the Choirs SA.

The competition kicked off at the end of 2015, with the finales held in April 2016. This meant the entire rig - the set designed and created by Dream Sets - had to come down and be put up again. The set was larger than before and with the studio on the sixth floor, it was a relief to have a lift in the building and a team of enthusiastic crew on site.<

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UK - Fat Boy Slim, Seb Fontaine, Nick Warren are just some of the legendary resident DJs that have shaped Cream's dance music identity since its inception in 1992. Beginning life in the form of a super club, the brand has gone on to become a worldwide success with numerous one-off parties and the annual Creamfields festival, bringing high-energy dance music to millions of fans in the process.

For the latest incarnation of the Cream series, which featured DJs John O'Callaghan, Bryan Kearney and Will Atkinson, Justlite's John McGuinness turned Belfast's cavernous T13 urban sports complex into a warmer club-like setting with help from a collection of fixtures from Chauvet Professional. At the heart of his design was a 55sq.m video wall created with PVP S7 panels. Adding colour and impact to the overall look were 24 Legend 230SR Beam moving fixtures, as well as 30 SlimPANEL Tri 24

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UK - Ahead of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, Aurora took to the stage with LD Gurdip Mahal to spotlight the BBC's televised live debate at the SSE Wembley Arena.

With representatives from the Leave and Remain camps lined up in front of a 6000 strong audience, the elaborate stage was full of colour as the campaigners traded views and addressed a selection of invited questions for the live broadcast.

Working closely with Gurdip Mahal, Aurora helped deliver the live experience with an array of equipment spread across two main stage areas, whilst also keeping the audience well and truly in the frame.

Martin MAC Viper Performance and Washes added strong tones to the production, with Viper AirFX also on board for extra versatility. 60 Clay Paky Mythos fixtures were also included with their beam properties whilst GLP XA XLs were placed throughout the arena t

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UK - Technical production specialist Hawthorn has seen significant expansion in its stock inventory over the last 12 months after investing £3m in new kit and warehouse improvements at its Leicestershire headquarters.

Hawthorn's hire service has seen a 90% increase in its supply to the theatre sector this year and the recent investments will play a key role in supporting the business's ambitious plans to build upon this success, as well as demonstrating the company's commitment to providing the very best possible service to clients.

Four prestigious productions are currently using Hawthorn equipment, including Hairspray the Musical, Brideshead Revisited and Jackie the Musical.

The company is currently exhibiting at the ABTT Theatre Show 2016 at London's Alexandra Palace.

Amongst the new stock additions were Martin MAC Viper Performance fi

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USA - R. Kelly's Buffet Tour shows open with a haunting scene right out of a horror flick, complete with scary backlighting, eerie full moon images and a menacing bat-like drone flying overhead. When the star himself finally emerges, it's as if he's rising from the stage. Dressed in grim reaper black with large feathered wings, he is made all the more mysterious by shooting bursts of fog that appear to be triggered by his steps as he walks to the lip of the stage.

Russell Armentrout, president of Performance Lighting, came up with the fog burst concept after a design concept meeting with R. Kelly. Performance Lighting made it happen with the help of lighting director Tony Trovato by using a collection of 24 Vesuvio RGBA high-output LED foggers from Chauvet Professional.

"The concert is really an unfolding story told with music, words, effects and lighting," said Armentrout

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USA - The Daryl Hall and John Oates 2016 tour kicked off this year at New York's Madison Square Garden and will continue through the summer. Nashville-based Morris, in collaboration with famed designer Jesper Luth, provided the production and lighting design.

Featured in the design are 140 Solaris Mozart fixtures. "While these lights are small in scale, they make an incredible impact, encompassing both performers in light and creating a warm, asymmetrical backdrop for the show," says Jessica Charlton of Morris.

In January of this year, Morris provided lighting and audio for the 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend, where they first put the Mozarts to the test. The 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend's festivities were broadcast live, and the Mozarts performed well in the live show, while also looking great in both the television coverage and photographs. After that successful deployment, Matt

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Belgium - The fifth season of the Voice van Vlaanderan (Voice of Flanders) was staged in Hall 8 of the Ghent Expo centre, a massive complex on the outskirts of the picturesque Belgian city - with show design once again delivered by a team from design practice Arf & Yes, led by company owner and founder, Ignace D'Haese.

Arf & Yes provided the full show and venue technical design package for producers Endemol, including stage, set, lighting and video, plus the layout accommodating a large main performance stage and 3000 live audience, taking full advantage of all the available space.

The lighting rig included 86 x Robe moving lights - 52 x Pointes, 30 LEDWash 800s and four LEDWash 300s, which, together with other lights enabled Ignace and his team including lighting programmer / operator Timothy De Mets to create a versatile show environment.

Onstage were three massive L

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UK - Lighting and visuals rental company Colour Sound Experiment celebrated 10 years of being a main technical supplier to Field Day - one of London's premier and most popular urban music events, staged in Victoria Park, Hackney.

"We are all extremely proud of that achievement," commented Colour Sound's MD Haydn Cruickshank (H), "and in that time have seen the event develop and diversify, all the time retaining its unique approach to music programming and its emphasis on delivering the highest production values to its audiences."

Working for LarMac LIVE, contracted by producers Loud Sound Events to co-ordinate all the technical elements of the event, Colour Sound supplied lighting to the nine largest performance areas (out of 12), and LED screens to five of these performance spaces.

Around 140 moving lights plus generics, control and all the LED screens filled three ar

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South Africa - Lighting designer and consultant, Denis Hutchinson, was loaned six Robert Juliat Dalis 300W LED Cyclights by DWR Distribution to 'test drive' on the musical Sophiatown which played at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg and at the State Theatre in Pretoria.

In South African history Sophiatown, apart from violence and poverty, was the renowned "mixed suburb" in the days of Apartheid, affectionately remembered for the lively politics, music, jazz and blues. It was where people lived together, undivided by colour, before the authorities tore it apart. Sophiatown, the musical production, played tribute to this society and also formed part of the Market Theatre's 40th birthday celebrations.

"Initially I wasn't quite sure how I was going to use the Dalis units on the show because they're cyc lights and I didn't have a cyc," commented Denis. "But I was

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Canada - Montreal's 22nd Bal en Blanc, Canada's oldest electronic music festival and one of the first EDM festivals in the world, featured an exclusive attraction by 45DEGREES, Cirque du Soleil's events and special projects company. Five Cirque acts performing during the Sultan+Shepard set were lit by an array of Clay Paky fixtures provided by 4U2C.

Held on Easter weekend at the Palais du congres, the Bal en Blanc was produced by Produkt with One Drop as its official cause partner. One Drop is a Montreal-based non-profit, created by Cirque founder Guy Laliberte, whose mission is to provide safe water to communities worldwide. 45DEGREES staged its "One Drop Moment" to showcase this collaboration and provide a taste of what's to come as the partnership continues with Bal en Blanc 2017.

"The challenge was to create a unique Cirque moment during a big EDM show with a live VJ a

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USA - Maryland is known for its beautiful beaches, splendid shellfish and rich nautical history. In recent years, however, another item has been added to this notable list, as the 'Old Line State', the place that gave birth to the US National Anthem, is becoming known as an epicentre of metal music.

Every Memorial Day Weekend, the state hosts Maryland Deathfest (popularly known as MDF), the country's largest metal music festival. This year, the 14th annual edition of the festival, drew black leather clad metal fans from around the world to downtown Baltimore to see bands like Venom, Testament and Mayhem perform on a main stage that featured a blisteringly intense light show anchored by Rogue R2 Washes and Strike 4 multi-formatted warm white LED fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

Zack Bunner, lighting designer at Showtime Sound (Frederick, Maryland), selected the fixtures

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Australia - Elite Sound and Lighting based in the Australian capital Canberra is one of the country's fastest growing rental and production companies. Headed by owner and founder Darren Russell, Elite made its first Robe investment in 2011 and in 2013, Darren made the conscious commitment to Robe as their 'house' moving light brand. "I simply wanted a premium brand that was reliable and had a diverse enough range to cover all requirements for rental, staging and installation applications."

The purchases have been constant and steady since that time, and they were the first in Australia to purchase Robe's signature BMFL series, with 32 x BMFL Spots joining the rental inventory as soon as they became available.

The latest BMFL WashBeams were then added to that count at the end of 2015.

More LEDWash 600s have also recently been added to the inventory - in fact, every time

  1. ABTT 2016 Annual Theatre Awards
  2. Ayrton debuts AlienPix-RS
  3. Avolites controls fast-paced rave lighting for Cream Tours at T13 warehouse
  4. Platinum FLX for 2016 Duftstars Awards
  5. Hog Factor 2016 - Still time to register!
  6. ETC Lustr brings colour to American Idiot
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