The next phase of the iLight group's aim to become the biggest single source for all lighting control needs has been announced, with the creation of a single management team to lead the ongoing development of Zero88 and iLight Ltd. Heading the Zero88/iLight team is Graham Eales, who has global experience in the lighting industry. This has included the management of Zero88 and the launch in the last year of the 'Frog' range of entertainment lighting controls that have won industry-wide acclaim. He reports to the iLight group board.

Launched earlier this year, the iLight group bought together the existing teams and resources of leading players in the industry - Zero88 and iLight Ltd, as part of a move to create greater freedom for lighting designers. The creation of a single management team for both brands is the next stage of the plan, explains group chairman David Kerr: "From the

O-Town, one of the music industry's biggest success stories this year, recently filmed one of their live shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for an upcoming, MTV-produced DVD. The band signed with J records last September as the grand finale to their first season as stars of ABC's 'Making the Band'. The original touring show, which was lit by Ted Downing and programmed by Joe Allegro, used 18 Martin 918s, 28 MAC 500s and 14 MAC 600s, supplied through Premier Global Productions. For the recording of the New York concert, MTV producers Jackie French & Chris Williams brought in John Broderick to flesh out the design for television with gaffer Michael Callahan looking after the additional rig brought in for the filming.

Broderick's main concern was to keep the lighting in check for the seven isolated cameras: "All the cameras were simultaneously recording, to give the d

Wybron has announced that its colour scrollers have been specified for Kiss Me Kate, which recently opened at Victoria Palace Theatre. Cole Porter’s famous masterpiece is a play within a play, featuring a theatrical company rehearsing and producing Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Transferring from Broadway, where it swept away the best part of the Tony Awards as well as several Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, Kiss Me Kate has received glittering reviews. Lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski was also shortlisted for this year’s Tony Awards for Kiss Me Kate - but beat himself to win for his remarkable design for the Broadway hit The Producers.

Lighting rental company White Light was chosen to supply a large rig based around ETC Source Fours, fitted with 80 Wybron Coloram IIs which created the varying atmospheres in the mu

On September 15, 2001, exactly a year since the start of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney’s Olympic Cauldron was re-kindled in its new, permanent home at Homebush Bay.

The cauldron was re-lit to beating drums and resounding cheers in The Overflow Park on Olympic Boulevard. The stainless steel bowl will stand as a permanent reminder of the success of the Games. The project was conceived and designed by Barry Webb, Iain Clark and Fiona McVicar of Barry Webb & Associates, with Show Technology’s architectural products manager Jonathan Ciddor assisting with the configuration, control and integration. Installer Beyond AV was responsible for the co-ordination, installation and programming of the lighting system.

The cauldron sits upon a concrete slab at ground level and beneath it is a large chamber, 5 metres deep, housing the lighting equipment, pumping and gas controls,

The Training Initiative, White Light's popular training and education scheme, has enjoyed a successful autumn, with a further 25 different training courses scheduled in the run-up to Christmas. Many of these courses will take advantage of extra room and facilities offered by the White Light Group's new building in Wimbledon; others will see the Training Initiative visiting other venues around the UK. "We feel that training is essential, but currently undervalued in the industry. At White Light we believe we should be offering a complete service, and our Training Initiative - whether providing a course on a control desk or a seminar by one of our industry's leading lighting designers - is a vital part of that service," says Jason Larcombe, White Light's training co-ordinator.

Recent courses have included the regular Strand 500-Series training courses, covering different levels

Nearly four months after revealing its new 37,000sq.ft corporate headquarters in High Wycombe, AC Lighting announces a major opportunity for people with limited budgets to acquire a diverse range of items at substantially reduced prices. The completion of the task to relocate all of the stock from the company's previous locations and the introduction of a sophisticated computerized stock management system has revealed a substantial number of items which are now surplus to requirements. The items on offer include luminaires, Par cans, moving lights, followspots, control equipment, smoke machines, trussing, stands, rack cabinets, flightcases and general lighting equipment and associated accessories. These items are ex-demonstration, ex-showroom, ex-rental equipment as well as a wide range of new equipment.

A full list of the items on offer can be obtained by contacting Jonathan Walters (

Entertainment Design magazine's EDDY Awards will be presented on 7 December 2001 at John Jay College Theatre in New York City. This special 10th anniversary EDDY event also includes six awards (both group and individual) to outstanding designers and technicians, as well as a tribute to all past winners, and a special salute to a talented group of young designers. This year's winners are High End Systems for the Catalyst projection system, developed in conjunction with Wynne Willson Gottelier. This latest Award follows on the heels of the PLASA Show and LDI Awards it has already won this autumn.

Lighting Accessory awards go to Lee Filters for the Quick Roll, a roll of colour gels already cut to standard fixture color frame widths; to Rosco for the Image Pro system of making low cost full-colour high-resolution plastic gobos; and to Wybron for the Eclipse II, a variable speed iris douser

The StratoSphere is a 60ft tall by 50ft wide inflatable dome with two airlock systems for entrance and exits. It has been designed to be a projection sphere capable of holding 300+ VIP guests and offer excellent projections of video, lighting and laser images inside a unique 360° environment. It is also possible to use the projection surfaces as a giant video screen as the surface of the sphere is specially designed for this medium, we have projected both on the inside and on the outside of the StratoSphere with equally impressive results and couple with the quick erection time of the sphere, Laser Magic feel that this system will attract users from many areas of our industry.

Its first showing was for a large event celebrating 20 years of King Fahad's reign in Saudi Arabia, where it was mounted on a barge in the sea. Inside the StratoSphere, Laser Magic installed high power video and

Mad Manufacturing Ltd (formerly Mad Lighting) has expanded its sales operation with the appointment of UK sales manager Ralph Stockley. Ralph's principal role will be to maintain and develop the company's growing client base in the retail and architectural sectors, a market already well established due to the success of Mad's Image Marketing Projector. With his many years of sales experience, Stockley will also service Mad's established UK dealer network alongside sales director David Linger.

Coemar has launched the CF7WashZoomX, a new unit which complements the already popular CF7HEX. The new 700W MSR unit continues the Coemar tradition of using carbon fibre in the construction of the body and, alongside now standard features from Coemar such as high output and crisp definition, uses a powerful zoom lens system and a range of filters to alter the beam output from maximum intensity to maximum evenness to maximum diffusion. Alongside the zoom capability, which can produce beams as narrow as 9° and as wide as 54° with the diffusion lens, and as wide as 80° with the prismatic lens - Coemar's rich CMY colour mix system is included with a single dichroic colour wheel and colour correction filters.

Also new from Coemar, the new iCyc250 and ColourCyc250 LX are designed for applications requiring compact, intelligent colour wash facilities and are both constructed utilising the

The Production Services Association (PSA) is arranging a series of informal get-togethers around the country to enable its members to share stories and network with others in the industry. The first of these regional meetings will be held at Vari-Lite’s Greenford premises on Tuesday 11th December at 7.00pm. Those attending will have a chance to view the company’s facilities and see how it is tackling the challenges of 2002. The evening will also feature a demonstration of Vari-Lite’s new lighting systems in the demo room.

Anyone interested in attending should contact Keith Owen on 0121 693 7109 or e-mail keith@psa.org.uk.

Expanding its presence in Germany, ETC has appointed a new dealer for the country. Effective from 1 December 2001, Despar GmbH will also be an ETC Authorised Service Centre, providing a round the clock service support to users of ETC's products in Germany.

Despar will distribute all of ETC's products, including Sensor and Unison dimming and the popular Expression and Obsession consoles, as well as ETCNet2, ETC's Ethernet network system. However, Lightpower Showtechnik GmbH will remain the exclusive distributor for ETC Source Fours and will also continue to distribute the full ETC product range. As a specialist in projects and installations, Despar has long been eager to include ETC's products in its stock. The company oversaw the first German installation of the Obsession in the State Opera in Hannover and has installed ETC equipment in various projects in Germany and abroad, includin

OpTex Ltd has appointed Tony Covell as senior business manager, Rental Division. Covell's great in-depth knowledge of the rental business both in the UK and worldwide together with his experience and contacts, will be of great importance to the planned growth of the OpTex Rental Division. Ron Collins, CEO of OpTex, said of the announcement: "My colleagues and I are delighted Tony has decided to join us. I've known Tony for many years and highly value his integrity. I am sure he will be a valuable asset to our company."

Tony Covell who has spent his whole career working within television and film and was the founder and former CEO of VFG plc, stated he was very pleased to be joining such a "well run" and well established business such as OpTex with its far reaching plans to increase its presence in the UK and World market. The rental of leading manufacturers' equipme

ARRI (GB) has announced the recruitment of Adrian Bottomley as general manager, lighting sales. Adrian has experience in industrial sales and marketing, having latterly worked for a division of IMI as UK marketing manager, and prior to that in a similar capacity with ADT Fire & Security - an industry he served in for 15 years. "During the short time that I have spent with ARRI GB, I have already witnessed many testimonials referring to the enviable quality of the ARRI product range and the personal efforts of the lighting sales team in assisting their customers," he commented. "I am therefore looking forward to working closely with both our customers and business partners to build on this platform. In the demanding environment in which we all work I believe our goal must be to achieve world class levels of customer service performance."

Veteran country music icon Garth Brooks is back on the road for three very special shows to coincide with the release of his new album Scarecrow. The Bandit system was once again designed by Dave Butzler with the help of Bob Peterson. Hanging from the almost 1,000 feet of truss will be over 400 Martin MAC series fixtures (61 MAC 250s, 54 MAC 300s, 58 MAC 500s, 162 MAC 600s and 72 MAC 2000s), and all will be controlled by four Wholehog 2s, three with expansion wings. Garth will once again utilize the exclusive Bandit Lites MotoData time and position based motor control system, to deliver stunning truss movement. Other equipment in use for the huge show will include 36 3k Syncrolites, 28 Martin Professional Pro 400s, 10 Lycian followspots and eight Anytronics Deathstar strobes.

The first spectacular show aired live on CBS television on 14 November from The Forum in Los Angeles. The secon

White Light Sales ha supplied the first production units of the new Ice Fog low-smoke generator from MDG to the English National Ballet (ENB) and to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The ENB has been closely involved with the development of the new machine, having tested a pre-production version on their production of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in London last year. Dave Richardson, the ENB's chief electrician, was very impressed that a single machine could generate low-lying smoke that would carry along the full length of the Albert Hall. He and his team did, however, return a list of suggestions to the manufacturer, these including simpler set-up, easier fluid refilling and lower running noise.

They were impressed enough, though, to order machines of their own - and, having taken delivery of the first production units in the UK, they are impressed that their suggesti

Award-winning British company Mad Manufacturing Ltd is now fully operational in the USA.Mad Manufacturing Inc operates out of Texas, with Ryan Krebs, who previously worked for High End Systems, taking up his position as vice-president of operations. Ryan brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience of the lighting industry. Working from his Texas offices he will offer advise and guidance to the MAD dealer network. The MAD Inc warehouse is stocked with the full product range all ready for distribution throughout the Americas. This will soon include the all new EVL Pro Lighting range as seen at LDI 2001.For full information contact Ryan Krebs on +1 512 341 7093 or visit the web-site:

At a meeting of Martin Professional's board held in Aarhus, Denmark on 18 November, the final go-ahead was given to the construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for the production of automated lighting. Construction of the new 12,000sq.m factory is to begin over the next few weeks, with completion expected by the end of the summer 2002. Total investment in the project will be approximately US$20 million.

The new facility, to be located in the city of Frederikshavn in northern Denmark, will be geared toward the production of Martin's most high-tech products. Upon completion of the new facility Martin will effectively double its production capacity for the manufacture of automated lighting. Martin's current production facility, also located in Frederikshavn, will continue operation.

The latest production techniques will be utilized in an innovative, state-of-the-ar

ESTA, the Entertainment Services and Technology Association, has announced that the following draft American National Standards are available for review.

BSR E1.16, Entertainment Technology - Configuration Standard for Metal-Halide Ballast Power Cables. This identifies which pin on the ballast to power cord connector shall be used for the non-current-carrying grounding connector. Many manufacturers use the same connector when a detachable power cord is provided, but do not necessarily use the same pin for the grounding connection. This can lead to serious problems when users connect the power cords intended for one manufacturer's product to another manufacturer's ballast. This draft standard is an effort to regularize the grounding pin designation.

BSR E1.5, Entertainment Technology - Theatrical Fog Made With Aqueous Solutions Of Di- And Trihydric Alcohols. These theatr

Western Australia's Burswood International Resort Casino has undergone a major upgrade of its Resort facilities. The project is the biggest redevelopment of the Resort since its inception in December 1985, and involves the creation of additional floor space across three major areas of the Resort complex. The key components of the redevelopment project cover an International Food Emporium; a Cabaret Nightclub, Spinners Café & Sports Bar and a Grand Ballroom.

The atrium area of the resort has also been refurbished with the addition of commercial retail areas. As the atrium is housed under a large glass dome, the resort management were concerned about heat gain and light glare in the area. Architects Silver Thomas Hanley decided to address this problem by hanging large perforated reinforced PVC sails internally over the atrium, providing heat and sun control to the lower areas of the atr

King of its habitat, the T-Rex is the aggressive new companion to Martin Professional's other well-known predator, the Raptor. The T-Rex deploys a unique quad-angled mirror to create a salvo of effects with 48 sharp, dynamic light beams, changing colour and direction to the beat of the music. A combined colour/gobo wheel offers 11 solid colors, four multi-colours and four white, along with a full arsenal of 19 gobo patterns. The T-Rex houses a bright 250W halogen lamp with a long 500-hour lamp life.

Stagetec - the Slough-based lighting sales and installation specialists - are seizing the opportunity to offer anyone interested in stage and studio lighting the chance to attend an Academy Day at White Light North in Halifax on Thursday 24 January.

Taking advantage of the usual lull in activity during the first month of the year, the event is free, and attendees can learn about the latest products from both Compulite and LSC - for which Stagetec is the UK distributor. Compulite products will include the new RAVE lighting control desk - a low-cost compact console, the SparkTOP 'desk in a box' solution, the CompuDIM2000 series of dimmer racks, the CompuCAD 3D lighting design and rendering software package and theCompuCALL system - which converts DTMF telephone tones to DMX and MIDI.

From LSC, the MAXIM range of control desks will be demonstrated, as will iPRO/UK - a UK version of LS

Seeing is Believing, the lighting design consultancy based at Knutsford in the North West of the UK, has just completed four major contracts for Cisco Systems. The events, all produced by Project Worldwide of London, comprised an internal event in Paris and an external event - Networkers - in Copenhagen. Each event was in two parts - a conference and a party.

Seeing is Believing was contracted to provide the lighting, rigging and drapery for all four events.

The parties with the theme of 'The Stadium' and 'New Dimension' were for over 3,000 people and staged in the Grand Arch, La Defense, Paris and The Forum in Copenhagen. A large amount of intelligent (principally Martin MACs) and generic lighting, trussing and rigging was used, and in keeping with Seeing is Believing's policy of finding and using local suppliers, all equipment for Copenhagen was sourced locally. The company has rec

The new LightCorder from Martin Professional is a small and handy DMX recorder that allows you to record and playback any DMX 512 output. With the LightCorder there is no need for expensive on-site controllers for playback purposes. The convenient built-in scheduler allows recorded shows to be played back at any given time or date, or even have the show loop up to 255 times or loop continuously. Playback can be easily set up in the Scheduler directly on the LightCorder's LCD display or uploaded via the RS-232 connection to any computer and then saved into the LightCorder.

A handy Windows Scheduler for easy set-up and maintenance of light shows includes a complete show calendar for easy organization. The Scheduler can be used to program a light show to start at any given time or date. Three multi-function custom faders on board the LightCorder can be assigned to any controllable attribu

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