Lighting

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USA - Clay Paky's Alpha Wash Halo is being used extensively on the new Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White which opened on November 17.

The Halo, a 1,000W (3,200 K) halogen wash light fixture, was specifically designed for use in theatre and television, and The Woman in White marks the Broadway debut of the Halo. The original London production of the musical, was lit by UK-based lighting designer, Paul Pyant. Pyant's Associate Lighting Designer for the original production, David Howe, was tasked with recreating Pyant's design in The Marquis Theatre, New York.

"We needed a bright, colour mixing, tungsten-source wash light with a great range of subtle pastel and tonal colours that was consistent across all units," remarks Howe on the decision to use the Clay Paky Alpha Wash Halo fixtures. "As the show's scenery is entire

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USA - New York City College of Technology has been named the 2005 recipient of the Martin Intelligent Lighting Technology Grant. Runners up schools were the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; and North Carolina School of Arts.

The Grant was presented on November 12 at a special ceremony at the LDI exhibition in Orlando. Martin US vice president of sales and marketing, Eric Loader, commented, "Once again this year there were a large number of applicants with very strong packages which were submitted for consideration. We are very pleased to award this year's Grant to New York City College of Technology. Their Entertainment Technology program which is cutting edge and targeted to the core of our industry will certainly benefit from the award but they will also utilise the grant in a way which will affect a large number of students in a key area of

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UK - Lightfactor Sales, exclusive distributor for Italian moving light brand SGM, has now sold leading UK rental company Siyan over 135 different SGM fixtures, which are in constant use on a huge variety of shows and events. Siyan's Bryan Leitch - himself a well known lighting designer - says: "We wanted to offer a variety of different moving lights to our clients, and SGM is one of the most popular in our current range. From a rental company perspective it has all the features, the lamps are extremely bright and it's a very cost-effective purchase. The service and support from Lightfactor as a distributor is excellent."

Siyan was recently also the first UK rental company to add the new Palco 3 Mobile moving fixtures to their hire stock. Its current and recent tours using SGM include Bloc Party (LD Craig Allnutt), Athlete (LD Dom Smith), The Ordinary Boys (LD Steven Ab

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USA - When Sony Pictures Television's Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! leave their respective studios to tape shows, PRG is there, providing substantial gear and support for both productions. During November, both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will be airing shows that took place on the road. Jeopardy! taped a college tournament at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina while Wheel of Fortune taped their shows at the New Orleans Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"Typically, when people think of a show like this coming to their town, I doubt they have any idea how much is involved. We travel with over 100 staff and crew members, and there are usually 14 to 17 trucks of equipment and set," explains FOH engineer and system designer Bill Daly from PRG Audio.

Daly takes a significant quantity of PRG's audio gear out on the road with bo

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Denmark - Prior to the LDI show in 2001, the 100,000th Martin MAC moving head rolled off the company's production line; the golden embossed luminaire is now prominently displayed at the Martin manufacturing facility in Denmark. It took Martin five years to produce and sell the first 100,000 MACs.

Now, just four years later, the 200,000th MAC, a MAC 700 profile spot, has rolled off the production line in northern Denmark. The company says it is "a testament to Martin's manufacturing facilities, production techniques, and not least, its far reaching and dedicated sales network."

"It is a proud moment for everyone at Martin to see our 200,000th MAC fixture roll off the production lines," said Christian Engsted, Martin Professional's president and CEO. "I am particularly proud to be leading Martin as we hit this major milestone for both Martin and the ente

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USA - Wybron Inc has appointed Kara O'Grady as north-eastern sales manager. O'Grady has been involved in the lighting industry for 10 years, including spells as assistant lighting designer for The Opera Company of Philadelphia, and assistant master electrician for the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. In addition, she has a wide range of freelance work as a lighting designer and electrician in industrial and corporate events in addition to theatre and television.

Her sales experience has included sales work for Rosco Laboratories and Barbizon Capitol, and most recently as a manufacturer's representative for Fogel & Associates in New Jersey. Ron Fogel of Fogel & Associates says of Kara's appointment: "I am so very proud of Kara and couldn't be happier for her. Although it is bittersweet for all of us here, we support her decision and wish her great success with

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Italy - Italian lighting manufacturer SGM has introduced Imago-Mediasynth - a new media server which the company says can handle a practically unlimited number of combinations of images, special effects, video sequences and 3D objects, all in real time.

Imago puts 24 layers at the user's disposal, all able to be superimposed in live mode, plus two video layers and an input layer that enables an external feed to be imported with connection to video camera. Manipulation of 3D objects is carried out in real time during shows, by means of a few easy operations, say SGM.

The system enables the creation of an extraordinary number of effects, say SGM. The on-board library includes over 4,000 different objects, all of which can be previewed, while chromakey effects are also available.

The processing of all types of images in live mode is facilitated by the MIDI control surface, whic

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Europe - GearSource Europe Ltd, the web-based company marketing used and ex-demo equipment to the entertainment industry in conjunction with USA-based GearSource Inc, has announced that its website has gone live.

The site - at www.gearsourceeurope.com - is aimed at anyone looking for a bargain or interested in turning their excess stock into cash, and more than 1,500 lighting, audio, staging, and audio-visual items already listed, say the company.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - What is very likely the performance lighting industry's first market development research has just been completed at LDI in Orlando, by US manufacturer Wybron. With a successful first phase accomplished at PLASA 2005 in London two months ago, this USA-focused research sought to add further understanding and richness to the uncovered hidden dimensions of product design requirements, product performance characteristics, and customer satisfaction.

"We desperately need a more comprehensive way of understanding our industry," says Keny Whitright, founder and president of Wybron. "Technology is impacting our business in ways that were almost unthinkable a decade ago. To some, technology provides for easier ways of doing what we could only accomplish with long, costly hours in the past. But today's and tomorrow's technologies are also providing opportunities to fur

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UK - Metropolis AV has supplied its Met3 LED lighting for an installation at the Darli Bar in Warrington to illuminate two glass walls in the newly opened art-house bar. The town centre operation is independently owned by local entrepreneur Paul Bond, who has four other Darli Bars in the area, and contacted Metropolis's David Linger to supply LED lighting.

Bond, who created the look and feel of the café/bar's contemporary interior, already knew that he wanted LED lighting. He'd wanted to do an LED design for some time, seeing the great potential of lighting and colour as a mood enhancer, but was waiting for the fixtures to become cost effective and bright enough to do it properly.

Bond had experimented with a few LED brands before Metropolis was recommended to him. Once he'd tried their Met3 LED product that was it - his mind was set on this brand because of its brightn

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Canada - Cast Software, maker of the WYSIWYG design and visualization suite, is offering registered end users the opportunity to catch-up to Release 15 plus step-up to a higher product level for half the regular price of an upgrade - for a limited period. The 'Catch-up' scheme will aow users to access WYSIWYG's new features including streaming video, transitions between lighting looks, performance enhancements in CAD views and, for the first time in WYSIWYG, very realistic people, say Cast.

At the same time, WYSIWYG Report users can upgrade to Design or Perform; Design users can upgrade to Perform, and all channels of Perform can upgrade to Perform Unlimited.

(Lee Baldock)

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Australia - In Victoria, Drama is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing subjects on the High School curriculum, particularly among VCE (year 11 and 12) students. Caulfield Grammar School recently addressed this trend by investing in two new, identical new Performing Arts Centres - one at its Caulfield Campus and one at its Wheelers Hill campus.

Architects John Gribble Pty Ltd designed a functional space with the assistance of theatre consultants Entertech and electrical engineers Adrian Newman & Associates. With 16 years' experience in the industry, Lightmoves was contracted to provide lighting and audio visual infrastructure throughout both venues. Before work commenced on site, Lightmoves created shop drawings showing cable routes and types for the electrical contractors. This included cables for DMX (consisting of three sets of two universes of input, and 20 DMX outlet

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UK - The Liverpool Culture Company's lively event to switch on the City's Festive lights was powered by new green generators sourced from locally-based Pyramid Electrics. Event manager Eddy Grant wanted to trial the 100% naturally powered new Bio-Fuel generators, with a view to using them on all their forthcoming events.

Liverpool City Council's Executive Member for Culture, Councillor Warren Bradley, took the opportunity to launch the 'Love Liverpool' recycling campaign to the live audience of 15,000 who packed the plateau in front of the newly refurbished St George's Hall.

Regular LCC supplier, Manchester-based Audile, provided sound and lighting for the show. The lighting brief included the architectural illumination of the front of the Hall, which was achieved by using 12 High End PC beams to shoot up the columns, and eight Studio Due City Colors to wash the wall behind.

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Italy - RockPolitik, written and directed by Adriano Celentano and broadcast on the RAI channel recently. The ICEF television studios in Brugherio (MI) which hosted the transmission, were transformed into an enormous arena, filled with numerous three-dimensional stage settings made of fibreglass: the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline, a Chinatown Pagoda and the remains of ancient temples were placed side-by-side, suggesting and East-meets-West theme.

In lighting this striking set, a number of very important choices had to be made, according to director of photography Franco Ferrari. The first choice was to construct the scenery in black and white, and relying on the lighting system for colour. The second choice, linked to the first, was to use the backdrops as a 'chromatic union' for the various scenic elements. The backdrop is installed all along the arena's perimeter, and

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USA - Color Kinetics has announced some changes to its board of directors. William O'Brien, executive chairman of Enterasys Networks, has been elected to the company's board and audit committee, while director Elisabeth Allison has been named 'lead independent director'. At the same time, CK has announced that company co-founder George Mueller will step down as chairman, but remain a member of the company's board, with effect from 1 January 2007.

Mueller co-founded Color Kinetics in 1997 and served as chairman and CEO for eight years. He passed the CEO role to Bill Sims, now president and CEO, in 2005. Mueller comments: "I will remain active as chairman throughout 2006, and as a director thereafter. I am confident that the company's growth and future direction lie in exceptionally qualified hands. My role as an industry evangelist will continue, as LED technology progresses

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UK - Ridgeway Electronics Manufacturing Ltd has acquired the whole of the issued share capital of Andolite Limited, the UK manufacturer of standard and custom products for the installation of lighting and sound systems in entertainment venues.

Alan Good, an engineer at Ridgeway Electronics, will be the managing director of Andolite. His intention is to continue the emphasis on customer service, product quality and on-time delivery. Tony Swayne will stay on for the time being to ensure a smooth transition, say the company.

(Lee Baldock)

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Italy - By Christmas, the old town centre of Turin, Italy, will have a new illumination system for the Winter Olympics, which GE say will make it possible to save over 235,000kW/h of energy a year. The operation, carried out in a collaboration between General Electric and Aem Torino, will concern 1,400 lights in Piazza Castello, where the medals ceremonies will take place - Piazzetta Reale, Piazza San Carlo, Piazza Carlo Felice, Via Roma and Via Po.

General Electric will supply Aem Torino, which has managed the city's public lighting system since 1986, with 1,100 light bulbs of between 100 and 250W free of charge - CMH Constant colour and ceramic burner, currently considered the best technological solutions on the market, according to GE. It will also provide 300 'electronic reactors' that will make it possible to reduce energy consumption in a major way. "The collaboration

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USA - High End Systems and ESP Vision are joining forces to host two Open House events in December to demonstrate new and debuting products in an intimate atmosphere. As an added bonus, HES says it is is offering free ESP Vision visualization software with all new Wholehog 3 console purchases made between now and 31 December 2005.

The first Open House is Dec. 7-8, from 11am-6pm at the HES Los Angeles office at 8200 Haskell Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91406, and the second event takes place at ESP Vision's studio on Dec. 15 (1-6pm) and Dec. 16 (11 am-4pm) at 365 Pilot Rd., Suite C, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

Attendees will be able to see High End Systems' Studio Command, Catalyst v4, DL2, DL1 and Hog iPC. ESP Vision will show its lighting simulation through direct integration with the Wholehog 3 line of products as well as real-time integration to Catalyst. ESP Vision provides real-time lig

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UK - In October 2005, the Theatre Royal Bath opened the 'egg' - an innovative and unique theatre facility for children, young people and their families that has at its heart a 120-seat egg-shaped auditorium. The opening night was packed with local dignitaries. Supporters of the egg also include James Dyson, Midge Ure, Peter Gabriel and Bel Mooney.

Martin Professional has contributed to the worthy cause by supplying the latest fixtures free of charge, including MAC250s and MAC300s, DMX cabliing and a controller, while Stage Electrics will be supplying full technical support.

David Caulfield, managing director of Martin Professional attended the opening night. David commented: "Martin's are delighted to be linked with the egg. We provide equipment for some of the biggest theatres and concert venues in Europe but when we heard about the egg we wanted to give young people the

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UK - The UK's National Theatre is using the new IES Matrix II dimming system from ETC for its nationwide tour of Alan Bennett's The History Boys, prior to the play's planned world-wide showing. The order was placed by Michael Atkinson, the National Theatre's senior project manager, ahead of the official launch at London's PLASA Show in September.

Michael Atkinson had already planned a new touring dimmer system for the forthcoming tour of the National Theatre's production of The History Boys with Matrix being one option, as it is at the core of the dimming installations in both the National's Cottesloe and Lyttelton theatres. Atkinson's response to a preview of the latest Matrix II version - scheduled to enter full production in 2006 - was an immediate order, providing that the dimmers could be manufactured and delivered in time for the tour at the beginning of Octo

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Australia / Philippines - Forerunner Technologies Inc has been appointed the exclusive distributor for Australian lighting control manufacturer LSC Lighting Systems in the Philippines. Forerunner Technologies will be responsible for the importation, distribution network and technical support of LSC's lighting control desks, DMX network products and the complete range of portable and installation dimming systems.

Based in Manila, Forerunner Technologies has significant experience in lighting sales, installation and production. CEO Mario Benipayo has been looking to represent a supplier of lighting control systems that covered not only desks, but dimmers and associated control items. In LSC he saw a reliable supplier of 25 years.

"We chose LSC mainly because of the company's business philosophy," explained Mario. "When I met Ian Pope at the PALA 2005 Expo he remin

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UK - PixelPars, supplied by Manchester-based Flashlight, have been installed in the prestigious ITN building in London. Designed by Sir Norman Foster and completed in 1990, the impressive building is known to millions as the main broadcasting facility for ITN - the UK's largest independent news producer.

Nine luminaires have been installed, replacing the existing 100W narrow spot par 36 fixtures. Mounted under the floor and at the foot of each column around the atrium - they both highlight and emphasize the depth of the atrium which is in shot behind the Channel 4 news presenters. The PixelPars offer a creative and energy efficient solution providing alternative looks for the news broadcasts on the different channels.

ITN's Hugh French explains: "Our new More4 News show needed a different look which involved a colour change with more light output but without generating ex

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UK - Stage Electrics reports a few remaining places on its popular Pyrotechnics Safety Awareness Course which will be held at the New Theatre in Cardiff on 7 December. Presented in partnership with Just FX, the course provides formal instruction on the principles and practices for safe use and handling of pyrotechnics and includes a practical assessment. On successfully completing the course candidates will be eligible for free membership of the ASP (Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians).

The company aim to raise standards in Health & Safety across our industry and have worked closely with many other agencies to establish a recognised series of training courses, suitable for technicians and managers alike held at partner venues across the UK.

On 8 December a Safe and Practical Rigging course is also being held at the New Theatre, places are very limited and more courses are cu

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Denmark - The latest Mania series light from Martin Professional, the Mania SCX600, is the second scanner in the Mania series, featuring a powerful (and easy to access) 250W halogen source with state-of-the-art optics. The "ultra-fast" SCX600 features separate colour and gobo wheels to provide a range of effects: these include two interchangeable rotating glass gobos and five interchangeable rotating metal gobos, along with nine interchangeable colours and a split-colour feature. Also included is a separate shutter for fast strobe effects. "The SCX600 powers out shows like larger scanners but with all the convenience and savings of its class," say Martin Professional.

Easily portable, the SCX600 is DMX controllable, with the added options of sound activation or stand-alone operation. Compact, lightweight and rugged, the fixture comes in a durable and stylish

  1. Program updates from Stardraw.com
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  3. Imagination gets into the Festive Mood
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  5. LTP and the City
  6. Martin Architectural illuminates in Hungary
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