Lighting

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UK - To mark the launch of Love Actually on DVD and video, Universal Pictures is the first to showcase the latest Elumin8 technology in its bus T-Side campaign across the capital. The result is a 1.8m illuminated red heart on each of 20 bus sides in London, that pulses as the bus travels across town.

In a campaign put together by MediaCom Outdoor and Impact, Viacom Outdoor's special projects team, the Love Actually buses form part of a wider campaign to promote the release of the hit movie. EMG, senior planner Ben Gordon and MediaCom Outdoor's Matt Styant, devised this highly innovative campaign to maximize high street presence for the client. The pulsating heart technology is made possible by a small electrical current through the drop stem of the T-Side.

The campaign, which was planned by Outdoor MediaCom and bought by Posterscope's innovation department, Hyper

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USA - Visual Terrain recently completed the lighting design for Space: A Journey To Our Future, a traveling exhibit created by Clear Channel Exhibitions. Space opened at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington 22 November 2003.and continues until 9 May 2004. Considering the unique requirements of a traveling exhibition, designers Lisa Passamonte Green and Matt Levesque developed a lighting system to blend the creative desires with the practicalities of the project's lifespan. "Our goal was to create a design that enhanced the special features of each environment by integrating much of the lighting within the scenic elements," Passamonte explains. Using a combination of architectural and theatrical fixtures, Visual Terrain created the coolness of space with the warm magic of discovery.

"We were fortunate to work with such a creative and expe

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USA - Nashville Star premiered its second season earlier this month on USA Network, and VLPS Lighting Services once again provided a full lighting package to the successful country music's talent search series. Aired live over nine weeks at the famed BellSouth Acuff Theater, contestants are judged by a panel of industry professionals and the television viewing audience. A group of 20 semi-finalists, chosen from a nationwide audition, began an elimination competition two weeks ago to win a recording contract with Sony Music Nashville.

Veteran lighting designer Bob Peterson is working closely with his team, Ken Hudson and Dave Butzler, to paint on set designer Bruce Rogers' lighting-friendly "canvas". "The goal is to create a lighting environment that helps establish each contestant's clear and distinct persona," said Peterson. "Throughout the rehe

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UK - Set Lighting & Sound recently supplied the lighting equipment (automated and generic) for the popular Asian TV program Malai Presents, a long-running BBC series that showcases cutting-edge British Asian arts, culture and comedy. Lighting designer David Bushell and lighting programmer/operator David Bishop worked with a rig of Martin Professional's MAC 500s, MAC 250s, MAC 600s and MAC 300s, along with Pulsar ChromaBanks, all controlled via a Martin Maxxyz lighting desk.

Lighting programmer/operator Bishop, who has a wide range of experience on a number of industry lighting consoles, found the Maxxyz an effective lighting board for the show. He commented: "This is my first experience using the Maxxyz in what I would call a normal television environment. Although I had used the console for a small part of a smaller show previously, this was the first opportunity to put th

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UK - Leading project management company Stagecraft is the first company in the UK to install an innovative new touch-screen lighting system created by Zero 88. Stagecraft has been working with Salisbury nightclub The Chapel on the supply and installation of £100,000 worth of lighting equipment, which includes the new touch screens.

Since early 2003, Stagecraft has been involved in the major refurbishment project at The Chapel. Project manager Martin Palmer commented: "Lighting can be used in so many different ways in clubs like The Chapel and the system we installed had to be extremely versatile. With so much new lighting technology out on the market we spent a great deal of time researching all the options available."

Linked directly to the Zero 88 Frog Box, the touch screens can be used to recall and edit lighting sequences stored in the Frog Box's memory. Throug

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Germany - Shortly after going public about its future plans, The-Fun-Company has announced the first sneak preview of it show control system at the forthcoming ProLight&Sound show in Frankfurt, Germany. The company also announced the following key members of its product and business development team:

Yngve Sandboe, a renowned software developer and networking expert, is the company's director of software development. Sandboe's many achievements include the award-winning VLC Safari Lighting Control software and the unique SandNet network operating system.

Hans Lau is responsible for the company's manufacturing operations, as well as thehardware and firmware development. He has more than 25 years of experience in the lighting controls industry and an extensive record of product development and manufacturing management.

Lennart Knauf - long-time support expert for the transtech

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UK - When Craig Sheppard from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Stratford walked into the facilities of VLPS Lighting Services in Greenford, he was expecting a regular Vari*Lite training course, joined by RSC colleague Matt Peel.

To his surprise he found he was the 2000th trainee to walk through the doors to gain Vari*Lite training! Specifically he was at VLPS to learn about the VL1000 luminaires, but before the training got started he was presented with champagne, a certificate, t-shirts and a Lewis Lee book. Matt Peel was also presented with some goodies as he was lucky trainee number 2001.

Craig Sheppard commented: "I felt very honoured to be the 2000 trainee. It is as much a milestone for me, as it is for VLPS - actually the best part was the gifts and champagne! Coral [Cooper]'s training is very comprehensive; a valuable part is the on the job handy hints that hav

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Germany - When German car manufacturer Opel introduced the new model Astra to its dealers, the Wholehog III console was chosen to drive the rig of automated lighting in the launch presentation. This was more than just a product launch, however: On Air Productions created the Opel Astra Testcamp to help dealers get hands-on training on the new Astra. The test camp toured four weeks visiting various venues such as racetracks and automotive testing areas, drawing about 250 visitors a day. Schoko Pro GmbH supplied the production gear.

Wholehog III board operators were Matt Finke and Timo Weinhold of Loop Light lighting design, based in Marburg, Germany. The opening show featured a presentation which reviewed the last 36 months of the Astra's development. Finke says: "The opening show is based on timecode triggered by a hard-disk recorder and received by the Hog's LTC (Linear Ti

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USA - On 12 March, Britney Spears kicked of her 'Onyx Hotel Tour 2004' in Seattle, USA backed by a spectacular 3D display of over 25,000 Barco MiPIX LED blocks. The MiPIX blocks form part of an order placed by Barco Rental Partner XL Video in January 2004. The order by XL Video and use of Barco's MiPIX on the Britney Spears tour mark yet another high point since Barco launched the revolutionary LED block in Frankfurt last year. Winning the coveted 2004 Entertainment Design Product of the Year Award in New York City in January this year, Barco has also now announced that it has sold over 100,000 blocks of MiPIX to various rental partners over the past six months.

"We are enormously proud to have MiPIX associated with a high profile artist such as Britney Spears," says Stephan Paridaen, president of Barco's Media & Entertainment division, adding: "Our Rental Partner

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UK/Europe - Bandit Lites is supplying lighting equipment and crew for the Offpring Splinter tour, currently steaming around the UK and Europe - this section serviced by Bandit Lites UK. LD Phil Ealy has designed a stylish, asymmetrical show for his sixth tour with the band, with their incredible thrashy, metal energy and stage presence demanding an equally energetic lightshow.

Ealy wanted a complete break from the conventional symmetry of the last tour. The flexibility and dynamism of asymmetry also allows easy adaptation of the show for different venues - ranging from theatre to arenas in Europe - without compromising on creative or practical fronts.

Ealy runs his own lighting rental company, West Coast Lighting, based in the LA area, and so is pretty discerning when it comes to choosing a rental partner for his large-scale tours! He's worked with Bandit - which has se

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USA - High End Systems' DL1 digital light engine recently won Best Lighting Product in the Second Annual Club World Awards, sponsored by Club Systems International magazine. The awards ceremony took place on 8 March during the Winter Music Conference in Miami. Robert L. Iraggi of Club Systems International commented: "High End Systems is certainly a powerful force in the club lighting community. Good job and well done."

DL1 bridges the worlds of video and automated lighting. The digital light engine is housed in a moving yoke fixture that has the look and feel of a moving light and the versatility of a moving projector. Users are able to take images from DVDs, videos and other types of media and display them onto a stage, wall, prop, screen or set - with complete control over image size and shape. DL1 also provides the ability to project Digital Aerials and provide uni

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UK - After the move from Waterloo Road, the Stage Electrics London team have settled into their new unit at 175 Long Lane SE1. Jayney Bell has joined the team as branch coordinator after working in the West End and being on tour for the last 12 years. Bell has an impressive resume with appointments such as chief LX for such shows as The Play What I Wrote - UK Tour, Godspell - UK Tour , deputy chief for Fosse European and Japanese tour and deputy chief, Lion King- West End. Alex has joined the London branch as hire manager after five years working in Cambridge in a similar role. Keighley felt the challenge to take the London branches hire forward was exciting and has made big differences already. Simon Baker has been promoted to assistant project manager, working closely with the production department based in Bristol. Baker has been with the London bran

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UK - A.C. Lighting, the exclusive UK distributor for MA Lighting consoles, is holding a number of free one-day grandMA product demonstration and training seminars for lighting designers and operators in the UK. The seminars are part of a programme of activities organized in conjunction with three leading rental company stockists of the grandMA - Neg Earth Lights, White Light and Stage Electrics - to highlight the range's increased rentals distribution and to demonstrate why the desks have recently been chosen by UK LDs for some of the most high-profile tours and shows in Europe.

Dave Isherwood, hire director at White Light commented: "The White Light Group whole heartedly supports the grandMA seminars. By demonstrating the contribution that technology and the grandMA can make to a show, we're facilitating the artistic endeavors of our clients."

Having already sold ov

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UK/Germany - Telectra have teamed up with S.E.A. Vertrieb & Consulting GmbH to distribute the Light*Wand range of performance products throughout Germany. This brings the number of European distributors to 10 since the launch of the range last September at PLASA.

With a pedigree of Aerospace research and development, Telectra designed the Light*Wand range of task lighting for professional sound reinforcement engineers, lighting technicians and musicians alike. The range takes the advantages offered by LEDs and with the deployment of Bead*light technologies (patents pending), provides one of the highest quality of LED task lighting commercially available.

Alan Oliver, sales and marketing director for Telectra, said: "I'm delighted to link up with S.E.A. for the sale of the Light*Wand range. Germany represents an important milestone for our distribution objectives and S.E.A

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USA - Twentieth Century Fox's epic adventure I, Robot, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Will Smith, used 42 Vari*Lite VL3000 Spot luminaires to create special effects, pushing the functionality of automated lighting in film-making into uncharted territory. Taking advantage of the fixtures' 1200W arc source lamp, Duggan generated special effects that enhance the film's action scenes and saved time and labour during filming. With assistance from gaffer Owen Taylor and automated lighting operator Tracey Ploss of Q1 Production Technologies, Duggan used the VL3000 Spot luminaires to create illusions of speed and movement in sequences ranging from car chases to building destruction.

Lisa Ploss of Q1 Production Technologies was able to make available 12 VL3000 Spot luminaires for Taylor and Duggan to show them the versatility of the strobe on the fixtures. She also made arra

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Australia / UK - Australian lighting control manufacturer, LSC Lighting Systems, has appointed Lighting Logic as UK distributor for its full range of innovative products. Kent-based Lighting Logic was recently formed by sales and installation industry stalwarts Mick Cocker and Matt Miles, both of whom are already familiar with the LSC brand, having specified it on many previous projects.

Lighting Logic will be responsible for the importation, distribution network and technical support for LSC's lighting control desks, DMX network products and the complete range of portable and installation dimming systems.

With the first stocks now in place, Lighting Logic's energies are focussing on expanding the dealer network. Part of the agreement with LSC includes the establishment of a training centre, primarily to hold regular advanced training sessions on their maXim and MINIM control

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UK - VLPS Lighting Services has announced a further addition to its expanding sales team with the arrival of Mark de Gruyter. Taking on the role of regional sales manager he will be joining Simon Roose, Colin Brooker and Philip Norfolk, and will be managing the Southern European, Middle East and African territories.

Roose, European sales manager, commented: "With such incredible growth in the sales of Vari*Lite products in Europe, I am really pleased that Mark has joined the sales team. With his industry and territory experience he is a very valued addition to the VLPS team."

De Gruyter commented: "I am excited about the prospect of being involved with the dedicated group of professionals at VLPS and representing a company and array of products including the full Vari*Lite automated luminaire range. In addition, the timing could not be better with the imminent r

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UK - Projected Image Digital supplied one of its new D-TEK Industries D-Mix Pro video mixing products to lighting rental house Lite Alternative. This went straight out on tour - the first for the product - with LD Rob Sinclair on The Hollies, allowing him to integrate both video and lighting medias to run off his Avolites Pearl lighting console.

The Hollies, one of the most successful 'UK invasion' bands of the 1960s, are still regularly touring the theatre circuit. Two members of the original line-up are in the band, and unlike many other still-active acts of the era, they always carry their own full production, including sound and visuals.

For 2004, the Hollies management wanted a new look for the show. After discussions with Sinclair, all decided video was the way to go. However, a degree of lateral thinking was required by both Sinclair and lighting suppliers Lite Alternat

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Belgium - In downtown Brussels, designer Marc Largent has temporarily turned the top eight floors of an office tower into a spectacular, new-product announcement, visible throughout the entire city. The concept was born last October, when Marc visited LDI and saw the prototype ColourPix V-LED system on the TMB booth. Largent immediately foresaw the unlimited possibilities - somewhere between lighting and video - of this brand new technology. Since then he has been anxiously awaiting the release of the finished product.

The massive LED array, showing custom video content created by Largent's company, Magic Monkey, is now being used to announce the launch of Toyota's hybrid-car, Prius, in Europe. The system runs nightly from 7pm to 7am CET until 12 April, and can be seen via the Internet on a web-cam at Toyota's official webpage (address below).

Belgian production rental compan

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UK - The Rainbow range of colour changers - now more than 15 years old - is still going strong, reports London-based White Light Sales, the exclusive UK distributor for the Rainbow range. From the products' first London appearance in Andy Philips' lighting design for Madam Butterfly in 1989, followed quickly by Miss Saigon - a show on which 41 Rainbow scrollers gave more than a decade's worth of reliable service - the Rainbow scroller has become the colour changer of choice for many lighting designers, and a standard on many shows in London, and on tour around the world.

Now through White Light Sales, regular Rainbow users are expanding their stocks to include the latest products, while smaller theatres are discovering the advantages that Rainbow scrollers can offer to visiting lighting designers. At the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the RSC's P

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UK - Sound and lighting wholesaler Batmink has announced a deal with Neo-Neon Holdings for the distribution of its range of LED fixtures. M,anaging director David Churches commented: We are very pleased to be the distributors for Neo-Neon, who are one of the largest manufacturers of lighting in the world. Their products slot neatly into our portfolio, and customers can be assured of quality, reliability and value for money."

The Neo-Neon range includes colour-changing Motion Tubes and Motion Panels, as well as the Path Light uplighters designed for exterior use.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK / USA - London-based Artistic Licence and Super Vision International of Orlando, Florida, USA, have announced the signing of a joint development agreement to develop LED control systems. Artistic Licence is one of the early pioneers of software development and electronic control systems in the lighting industry. Their systems are installed in lighting venues and entertainment complexes worldwide. Super Vision is a world-leading manufacturer of LED and fiber optic lighting systems. The partnership will develop the industry standard for regulating and controlling LED lighting systems that will be made available for open and widespread use throughout the industry.

Wayne Howell, managing director of Artistic Licence stated: "Both Artistic Licence and Super Vision are leaders in their field and respected pioneers of innovative technology. This new technology sharing agreemen

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UK - The Finsbury Avenue Square project at Broadgate in London's financial district, won Best Exterior Lighting Project at the recent Lighting Design Awards 2004. Artistic Licence's Wayne Howell told us: "Artistic Licence is extremely proud to have been involved in the project, from concept phase through design, manufacture and installation. We would like to congratulate both Maurice Brill Lighting Design and Mark Ridler for their exceptional design."

The Broadgate project was a major architectural installation in the City of London, involving the installation of 550 colour change fixtures in a new public plaza in Finsbury Avenue Square. The project, which is probably the largest of its type in the world, presented numerous technical hurdles and required some ingenious application of technology. The entire system was custom designed, manufactured and installed by Arti

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Sweden - Capture Sweden has announced the arrival of a new DMX input option for its lighting design and visualization software, Capture 3.0. The new 'Capture DMX Box' is a USB box with dual DMX universe inputs with configurable termination. The device is fully plug and play with Capture 3.0 and works with any laptop or desktop workstation running Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

  1. Strong takes on Canto distribution
  2. ELC introduces dmXLAN Node 1
  3. Nautilus with the new Queen of the Seas
  4. Stardraw.com launches A/V Lite
  5. Soundweb in control in China
  6. Stagecraft debuts Zero's touchscreen control
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