Lighting

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UK - For the second year running, evoke productions were approached to creatively brand the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music. Using a combination of custom lighting, projection and effects, evoke transformed the exterior and front of house areas of the Ocean venue in Hackney for this high profile event.

evoke used a mixture of moving and generic fixtures, fitted with custom multi-colour and high definition glass gobos manufactured by Rosco, to create an ever-changing environment. Control was provided by a Rosco Horizon system - a Windows-based PC lighting console.

According to Jon Stones, director of evoke, the Horizon was ideal for the project: "With the challenge of having fixtures spread over six levels, three rooms, and the also the exterior of the building, we required a system that would allow us the flexibility to move around the space easily while programming,

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South Africa - South Africa’s Standard Bank Stars event on 29 March was an incentive awards evening held to honour employees throughout the country who are part of Standard Bank’s retail arm. Gearhouse South Africa was contracted by Jenny Lenahan Productions to provide the technical equipment and skills for the event, which took its theme from three decades of television and featured music, celebrities and television personalities from each of those eras.

Heading up the Gearhouse SA team was Ian Watts, who is operation’s manager of the Johannesburg branch’s audio-visual department. Ian was project manager of the Standard Bank Stars and comes with 15 years’ experience in the broadcast industry - at the SABC, and M-Net as well as Gearhouse Broadcast on an international basis. What made the Standard Bank Stars so unique was that the event took place si

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USA - High End Systems has introduced the new x.Spot Xtreme luminaire. With the 2:1 lens, x.Spot Xtreme is 40% brighter than the original x.Spot with a 4:1 lens. At 16,000 lumens, its brightness surpasses all other competing fixtures in its category, say High End.

Advances in lamp technology have been instrumental in the creation of this new product. Philips has developed the P3, or improved pinch lamp, which essentially allows the lamp to operate at higher temperatures than ever before. This offers increased brightness and extended lamp life. Software modifications and changes in the power supply also help boost the brightness. x.Spot Xtreme is available with either a 2:1 or 4:1 lens depending on customer preference. The x.Spot HO (High Output) will continue to be available.

(Lee Baldock)

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Denmark - Martin Professional's 250W moving head fixture, the MAC 250 Profile, has been updated to produce two new versions. Retooled for greater performance and restyled, the MAC 250 is now available in either the full-featured MAC 250 Entour or the leaner MAC 250 Krypton - both of which build on advancements made with Martin’s larger MAC 2000 luminaire.

The MAC 250 Krypton features a number of significant changes including a new optical system for brighter output and improved image quality, new gobo patterns, improved movement and styling, and will be well suited to a variety of markets such as the club and installation market, retail and leisure applications, special events and more.

A new glass reflector produces even higher light output - more than competitive products using condenser-based optical systems, say Martin. A precision achromatic lens system maximizes th

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UK - Robe UK Ltd - a direct sales operation of Czech Republic-based moving light manufacturer Robe Show Lighting - has been launched. The new company is set up to exclusively supply and market the rapidly expanding Robe brand in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Robe UK is a joint venture between Robe Show Lighting and Ian Brown, formerly MD of Coe-tech, which went into administration last week. Coe-Tech appointed a liquidator after suffering a number of financial set-backs.

The new Robe venture will be based in Northampton and run by a management, sales and technical team assembled by Brown, and is the latest Robe Show Lighting subsidiary to be established, following Robe Italia Srl and Robe America.

Robe UK’s Ian Brown says: "It was a logical step forward to form the new company. The new business will allow us to focus tightly on our long-term business objectives

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USA - Debuting recently at SAFECO Field in Seattle, among the big boys of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Martin Professional's new professional lighting console, Maxxyz, handled everything a major event could throw at it.

Held on Sunday, 23 March, WrestleMania XIX was the largest event ever held at SAFECO Field and the first major show (BETA test show) for the Maxxyz in the US. The overall lighting rig was made up of 16 large truss-structures of varying shapes and contained a mixture of automated (MAC 600, MAC 2000 Profile, Atomic 3000 Strobe) and conventional lighting and was controlled by multiple consoles. In the future, the need for this kind of arrangement will be replaced by a Maxxyz network system (either a single console or multiple consoles). Additional automated lighting was placed on stage and on a special entrance ramp.

Matthias Hinrichs, lighting programmer

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USA - p-wave, the new decorative version of the award-winning ‘new wave’ truss series from Total Structures, has appeared on stage with Luther Vandross at Radio City Music Hall in New York. p-wave was chosen by lighting designer Warwick Price for their striking effects under various lighting conditions, as the edges of the plexi webs capture the light and the truss glows to form part of the light show itself. Large acrylic panels were set between the vertical array of trusses and water passed over the etched surfaces to reflect the light, with stunning results. The show also featured a number of aluminum ‘hexi-pods’ which were fabricated by Total Structures some time ago for Light & Sound Design. These house lighting fixtures and are supported from the main grid above the stage.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - Flying Pig Systems' Wholehog III lighting control system earned praises for its work in the Southeast Christian Church Easter Pageant held on 21 March - 4 April in Louisville, Kentucky. LD Jon ‘Hillbilly’ Weir used 81 intelligent fixtures and several hundred conventional fixtures on the event. Majestic Productions of Anderson, IN, provided equipment and technicians. Weir used the Wholehog III to run the automated fixtures and control the house console: the house system consisted of 400 desk channels and about 100 channels for house lights and various accents.

"In all, the whole show was on five very crowded universes," Weir says. "Out of 2048 channels on the Wholehog III, I had about 40 channels open - quite a full console! The whole show ran over fibe optic cable. The only copper coming from FOH to the racks was from the conventional console.&qu

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Australia - When the City of Perth put out a tender to light the exterior of Perth Concert Hall, Concert & Corporate Productions (C&CP) knew they had a good chance of securing the tender thanks to their impressive work lighting the exterior of another Perth landmark - Burswood Resort. And win it they did, beating seven other companies.

The City of Perth wanted to create a performing arts precinct on the forecourt of the Concert Hall and, to make this area more attractive, wanted the façade of the Hall to be creatively illuminated. Whilst some of the tendering companies proposed gobos and other such projection work, C&CP decided on colour washing the columns to create depth. To achieve this, they needed a small exterior light source that was both bright and had full CMY colour mixing so they opted for the Martin Exterior 200, its anodized aluminium cover camouflaging the fixture

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UK - Lighting designer Dave Smith and former LSD R&D chief Keith Owen have teamed up to form Specialz Limited. The company has been formed primarily to offer a one-off manufacturing service to set and lighting designers who cannot find the item they need ‘off the shelf’.

Dave Smith comments: "For some time I’ve felt that lighting and set designers need a dedicated company that can turn their ideas and concepts into a practical reality. With more rental companies concentrating on their core business, there is a need for a company that has the skills and expertise to design and build specialized items when designers call for innovation." Launched in early March, the company has already completed a refurbishment project for AFM lighting; six customized fittings for Placebo’s latest tour; and a set wiring project for Total Fabrications.

The compan

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Hong Kong - The tourism industry is one of the major pillars of Hong Kong’s economy, which is why its Government has initiated plans to upgrade the major tourism clusters of Hong Kong.

Sydney-based Laservision Macro-Media was commissioned by the Hong Kong Tourism Commission last August to draw up a harbour lighting report. The report was wide-ranging, and covered the architectural lighting of Hong Kong’s landmark buildings (as well as opportunities for regular lighting shows in Victoria Harbour), the inclusion of a night-time attraction, and an assessment of current lighting pollution. As a result of the report, the Hong Kong Tourism Commission promptly decided to showcase some of the lighting techniques to be employed under Laservision’s plan during the Chinese New Year holidays. China Light and Power agreed to offer sponsorship to ensure the trial became a r

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UK - There is something quite poetic about a conservatoire dedicated to creativity and artistic excellence, being built on the site of a former rubbish dump. This is the case with the recently opened Laban Centre in Deptford Creekside, South East London.

Laban is the world’s largest purpose-built contemporary dance centre, standing amidst a bleak environment of industrial sites as a beacon of creativity for the local community. Comparisons here with the Phoenix rising from the ashes are obvious, but apt.

Designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the prize-winning Swiss architects behind the Tate Modern, the building project cost around £20 million, primarily provided by capital Lottery funding. At the recent launch it was obvious that the building is a highly visible focus for the ongoing social and physical regeneration of Deptford and the surrounding areas.

Rudolf Laban, a

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Denmark - Martin Architectural has made two new beam angle options available for the Exterior 600 automated colour-changing washlight.

A super-narrow PC-lens option offers 12° field angle optics suitable for long-throw applications. This narrow angle option has recently been used at the Palms hotel in Las Vegas, ensuring an even distribution of light across the 100-metre high hotel. A super-wide prismatic lens is also available, offering 100° field angle optics suitable for short-throw applications. This lens option is available for both the Exterior 600 and the Exterior 600 Compact.

Both lens options are highly effective front glass replacements with efficiency ratings of approximately 48%. Neither the Super-Narrow nor the Super-Wide option offers zoom functionality.

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - Stagetec has announced the introduction of a Reseller Advantage Programme, aimed at expanding the company’s reseller sales base. Stagetec is the exclusive UK importer and distributor for leading brands such as Compulite and LSC, and the scheme begins with dealers of these ranges.

The scheme will build on the company’s philosophy of after-sales service, and Stagetec will offer access to its reputation in these fields, plus the company’s considerable resources and expertise, as part of a value-added package to its resellers. Benefits of Stagetec’s Reseller Advantage Programme include the utilization of Stagetec’s engineers and programmers for product demonstrations and training, the supply of demo stock when available and use of the 24-hour Technical Support Line. Technical and creative advice and assistance will also be available from Stagetec v

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UK - Students in the third and final year of their acting course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts recently performed a production of The Tempest at the Academy, under the direction of Debbie Seymour, head of Mountview’s Directing course.

The technical crew were students on the two-year fast-track BA Honours Degree in Technical Theatre, which is validated by Middlesex University. The production brings the action of Shakespeare’s play forward to the 1920s, using the period’s developments in the fields of quantum physics and genetics as the background for Prospero’s grasp of ‘magic’. It was also decided to use moving projection to visually characterize the ‘masque’ aspects of the play.

Mountview strives to give its students access to the latest technology, and this production has taken them to the leading edge of stage projectio

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UK - Lighting manufacturer Ryger Ltd has reported the sudden death of Tony Edwards - a lighting industry stalwart and long-time associate and personal friend of Ryger managing director Phil Smith. Edwards played a significant role in the relaunch of Ryger in 2002. Smith told us Edwards was "a man with a huge and often controversial personality, admired for his commitment to British design and manufacturing. Whilst owner and head of design at Apollo-Spectrum lighting he developed such well known effects as the Equinox and the Doris. Even in semi-retirement following the sale of Apollo-Spectrum Tony continued to design and innovate and was tireless in his desire to see new products through from concept to production.

"It was a great shock to all who knew Tony to learn of his sudden death on Good Friday and our thoughts are with his wife Janet and family at this difficult

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Denmark - The Alien 05 stem mount is a new variant of Martin’s Alien 05 recessed colour changer. Designed as a surface-mounted fixture with a die cast aluminium casing, it is available in two stem lengths - 150mm and 600mm. Like its recessed cousin, the Alien 05 stem mount is suited to background washlighting in retail, restaurants, cafés, bars, and other low ambient light applications.

The mounting base has been designed to be either surface-mounted or concealed behind ceiling tiles and includes an electronic low-voltage transformer so the only additional requirements are line voltage and data signal. Its rotatable, tiltable head is easy to aim and can be locked in position. The product’s three components - head, stem and base - are sold as separate items to offer a high degree of flexibility and to reduce stock bindings.

The Alien 05 stem mount performs identica

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UK - The Rosco ImagePro was recently used by Matt Veitch in a production of Ibsen’s play The Lady from the Sea - a play described by one of his contemporaries thus: "There is thrown over the whole play a glamour of romance, mystery, of landscape beauty." These are appealing words for a lighting designer, says Veitch. This particular production was lit for ArtsEd and directed by Christine Kimberley.

When asked why he chose the ImagePro, Veitch said: "The set designer had put together a design which was very austere, abstract and two-dimensional. I figured the lighting task fell into three categories. Firstly to create and reflect the environment of the play within this stage setting, secondly to create locations within this that would have their own identity and thirdly to provide the dramatic support the piece required.

"My choice of ImagePro c

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UK - The recently downsized S Club are out on the road again, as part of a major UK arena tour. Working with production director Chris Vaughan of CV Productions, LSD/Fourth Phase is providing the lighting (Pete Barnes is again LD), Britannia Row the sound (including an EAW line array speaker system and flown subs) and XL Video the video equipment. The sets were designed by Hattie Spice and the set construction was a collaboration between Brilliant Stages, Total Fabrications and Hangman Backdrops, whilst the spectacular inflatable for the cave scene was built by Air Artists.

The tour features an integrated show performed by both S Club Juniors and Seniors, with the Juniors’ high-action set kick-starting the evening’s entertainment. The live camera mix is directed by Blue Leach, working with an XL team of five. Leach was also involved in creating most of the Seniors&r

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USA - Mark Nelson has been appointed national sales manager for Martin Professional Inc’s fast-growing architectural division, Martin Architectural. Nelson has extensive experience in the lighting industry and joins Martin from Metalumen Manufacturing, a manufacturer of specification grade fluorescent fixtures where he was central regional sales manager.

Prior to Metalumen, Nelson was employed with Hubbell Lighting as their national account manager, working with major end user accounts. He also has experience from a position as national sales manager at Paramount Industries, a manufacturer of high performance lighting equipment for specialized environments.

(Ruth Rossington)

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USA - LED specialists Color Kinetics and Zumtobel Staff Lighting, Inc, an architectural lighting solutions provider, have reached an agreement designed to help both companies meet rising demand for architectural lighting products that blend innovative design with advanced LED technology and intelligent control.

Through this agreement, Zumtobel Staff Lighting will leverage Color Kinetics' patented Chromacore technology and integrate Color Kinetics’ components to add a full spectrum of controllable colours and lighting effects to a new line of European-inspired lighting products for the North American market. The products will be unveiled next month at Lightfair International 2003 in New York.

The range will include the Ledos and Kava interior and exterior luminaries featuring die-cast housings and innovative lenses, and Kovos, a new tubular lensed source solution for colo

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Vietnam - Italian manufacturer Studio Due have been involved in an interesting architectural lighting project in Vietnam. The company’s fixtures have been used to illuminate one of the main bridges in Hue City. Lighting designer Rainer Frey, who conceived the project, has used 154 150W MiniCitys to ensure complete coverage of the bridge, which measures over 400m in length and features six major arches.

The project is just one of many which has led Studio Due to invest further in products aimed specifically at the architectural market - as a result the company is about to launch three new projectors. The first is the MiniCity 70W - an IP66-rated fixture with a beam angle of 20° - comes with a mounting bracket and is ideal for installation in small spaces. This will be joined by two intermediate versions of the company’s CityColor, with 300W and 700W lamps. The CityCo

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UK - To coincide with the imminent summer festival season, the Technical Focus section of the May issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine will be looking at the technology related to the development and use of mains distribution systems. An often overlooked area of entertainment technology, safe and efficient distribution systems are a fundamental part of any show. We will also assess some of the current standards and safety issues in this area, including work done by British Standards and the ABTT. This will be followed by a brief profile of the main manufacturers and coverage of a selection of their leading products in the marketplace.

If you would like your product to be featured in this report, please e-mail L&SI’s technical editor James Eade at the e-mail address below before Thursday 1 May, 2003.

(James Eade)

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Sweden / Denmark - PLASA Media is lending its support to two seminar sessions with leading lighting and production designer Marc Brickman. The seminars, organized by Masters of Light, will take place in Stockholm on 11 June and in Copenhagen on 12 June.

Brickman's credits over his 25 year career include Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, the Barcelona and Nagano Olympic Games Ceremonies, Steven Spielberg's 'AI' and the new 'Cat in the Hat' movie. Current projects include the new touring production of the Blue Man Group and Matchbox 20.

Masters of Light, in conjunction with PLASA Media, is offering a 15% discount to anyone registered on PLASA Media’s free weekly News Headlines mailing list. Anyone wishing to take advantage of this offer should register their interest by e-mailing news@plasa.org, from the same e-

  1. DHA Design wins Lighting Design Award
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  3. Blackout plays the King of Clubs with Budweiser
  4. Lightfactor at Pantiles, Camberley
  5. Harte joins Stagecraft
  6. grandMA opens Washington DC Convention Center
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