Lighting

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UK - Kent-based David Fitch Services is celebrating 25 years in business this year. David Fitch took the usual route to stage lighting i.e. as an amateur, starting at the tender age of five working with his father on the school show. Later, at the age of 16, lit his first show called Asses Ears.

After leaving school he spent six years in the family engineering business with four years at college studying engineering and management, and took over the running of the business just as the 1980 recession took hold, and the company closed. Fitch was faced with the choice of unemployment or seeing if the hobby could become a business . . .

Starting with six lights and a dimmer board (laughably described as 'portable', Fitch recalls), and working from the garden shed, Fitch made inroads into the local school and amateur market. Aquiring second-hand lanterns, he build up a stock

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Sweden - Wireless Solution Sweden AB has announced that the City of Stoke's innovative Living Lights project, of which W-DMX played a major role, has been awarded first place in the lighting category of The Street Design Awards 2006, a national contest in the UK to reward innovation by local authorities.

Recognized as one of the most advanced art lighting systems in Europe, the $900,000 installation, done by Thorn Outdoor Lighting, turns Stoke's Civic Centre into a giant 300ft by 75ft canvas for colourful light shows each night, designed by students, as featured in January's issue of L&SI.To facilitate the demanding requirements of the installation, Thorn chose W-DMX IP65 units for wireless control of the entire system.

The building is illuminated by 57 groups of DMX-controlled, Thorn RGB LED strips (more than 100 fixtures in total) fixed to the building. These c

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UK - Pharos Architectural Controls will be exhibiting at PLASA 06 in Earls Court next month on stand F31. The Pharos Lighting Playback Controller (LPC) won a PLASA Innovation Award at PLASA 05, and is ideal for architectural, retail and themed entertainment environments that require sophisticated control of colour mixing, dimming, moving light and LED sources. Its advanced timeline-based lighting control, versatile triggering options and rugged solid-state construction make it the ideal all-in-one control solution for fixed installations, the company says.

At PLASA 06 Pharos will be introducing additional products to the LPC range, including the Remote Input Output (RIO) Module, and demonstrating the latest designer software, with a host of new features including Mac OS-X support.

Pharos will also preview a brand new controller which will extend the Pharos range in a new direc

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UK - This August, the longest-running hire contract ever for entertainment lighting supplier White Light will come to an end. White Light supplied the lighting rig for The Woman In Black at the Fortune Theatre in 1989; the show has been running ever since.

However, even though the hired rig will be coming back to White Light, the show is not ending. Instead, the producers and original lighting designer Kevin Sleep have decided to update the rig to give the show a fresher look; anticipating a long continuing life for the show, they have decided to purchase rather than hire the new lighting. White Light's hire team will no longer be involved with the show, but the sales team are working to provide an updated version of the rig, based largely around ETC's Source Four profile. The changeover will happen at the end of August.

"This also means that we'll be getting back

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UK - TMB will be exhibiting some new products at PLASA 06, on stand D38.

New to the DecoPAR range of fixtures are PAR 16 and track-mount models. Available in a variety of finishes, DecoPAR is more than a light source; the fixture is a scenic element itself.

The ColourPix range of LED display systems has been expanded to include high- and low-res modules comprised of interlocking panels, custom-configured for pixel pitch and size depending on the project. A touring version of ColourPix high- and low-res modules is offered for repeated transport, rapid setup and teardown.

Alpha One of Germany offers Falcon high-power, compact fixtures for architectural and portable use. Xenon and Metal Halide models are available, in static or automated versions, and IP-rated for outdoor use.

Interactive Technologies' new CueServer playback processor is a self-contained, web enabled solution

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UK - For over four decades, Neil Sedaka's timeless standards have helped change the face of popular music. With countless hit singles, and platinum and gold records, he is recognized as one of rock and pop music's legendary pioneers. On Friday, 7 April, 2006, Neil performed at London's Royal Albert Hall (RAH), which was filmed for a worldwide DVD release.

Ollie Jeffery, technical show manager at the Albert Hall explained the production, "We were originally asked by Neil Sedaka production team to provide a three colour wash and a special for the Piano. We developed from a three colour wash to a comprehensive lighting rig using a mixture of generic and moving lights."

They felt that the best light to give good images on the backdrop would be the new Mac 700 Profiles which were supplied to them by White Light. Its variety of gobos and animation wheel was a big advantage

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UK - Hawthorns have released a unique new facility on their website to assist hire customers quickly build a specification and get an idea of budget costs. "The new online Hire shop is a fully automated system which allows customers to view each item from the thumbnail picture gallery, select individual products from our extensive hire stock, check the pricing and build up a quote," said Simon Wood, general manager of Hawthorn's. "It will make getting a budgetary quote so much easier for customers as they can do it at anytime, 24/7, 365 days a year and the system even remembers to add in the essential auxiliary components."

The system produced quotes may be saved and sent to the Hire team experts at Hawthorn's for confirmation of specification, formalisation of pricing and confirmation of equipment availability. "We are already receiving excellent feedba

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UK - As part of their 25th Anniversary celebration, Vari-Lite will take PLASA attendees on a walk down memory lane this year. On display in the PLASA café will be a complete historical retrospective of the Vari-Lite product line from the prototype VL0 to the VL2416. The newest additions to the Vari-Lite range, including the VL500 80V automated luminaire, will be on the PRG Europe stand (J38) alongside this extraordinary retrospective, say the company.

All the fixtures, excluding the VL0, will be operational, allowing show patrons to once again see the VL1 automated luminaire - the famed luminaire that began the automated lighting revolution in 1981 - back in action. Vari-Lite invites visitors to take a moment to stop by and remember when you first used the VL2 or when you first saw the VL6.

Also on hand during portions of the show will be Jim Bornhorst and Rusty Brutsch

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USA - With the introduction of the new SQ-CP1 Mobile Crank-Up System, Global Truss America has made it possible for lighting users to keep their feet on the floor as they assemble overhead rigs of hanging effects and fixtures.

The SQ-CP1 Mobile Crank-Up System is a cost-saving, all-in-one package that includes two square pieces of truss, the necessary support bars and two crank stands - everything you need to erect a fully loaded, stable rig without having to climb a ladder.

"You can stand there and hang your lights at eye level, then crank 'er up," said Ken Kahn, general manager of Global Truss America. "That's why crank stands make it so much easier to rig your lighting, especially if you're a solo act. Plus, the SQ-CP1 Mobile Crank-Up System's strong lightweight aluminium trussing is simple to assemble - no tools are required, and all the connector pins you n

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USA - Four new projects were started at ESTA's Technical Standards Program's working group meetings held by ESTA recently in Fort Worth, Texas. Anyone interested in joining a working group to work on these projects is invited to join. Information about joining a working group can be found at http://www.esta.org/tsp/working_groups/index.html. Anyone objecting to one of these projects because it is unnecessary or conflicts with an existing standard is invited to send his or her objections to the e-mail address given below.

BSR E1.33-200x, Extensions to E1.31 (DMX512 Streaming Protocol) for Transport of ANSI E1.20 (RDM) is a project to develop a set of extensions to E1.31 to support ANSI E1.20 functionality. The basic E1.31 protocol can be described as 'DMX512 over Ethernet'. It is intended to be suitable for implementation in hardware with very limited resources. The E1.33

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Hong Kong / Thailand - Artistic Licence Hong Kong has announced its latest dealer appointment: Vichai Trading has been appointed as main dealer for Thailand. Vichai Trading is one of the leading AV and lighting integrators in Thailand. With 23 years' experience, they are well placed to launch the Artistic Licence product range into Thailand, say Artistic.

Vichai's project credits speak for themselves, including such prestigious installations as Bangkok University and the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. The extensive range of control and data distribution products available from Artistic Licence is a perfect match with the range and complexity of projects regularly undertaken by Vichai Trading.

Patiyuth Gludnim, Vichai Trading sales manager comments: "It is an honour to be appointed as an Artistic Licence dealer for Thailand. We look forward to offering the extensive range of Ar

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Austria - On 29 July, Vienna welcomed one of the world's leading trance DJs, DJ Tiësto, to the Heineken Green Room. Debuting at the event was Martin Professional's new laser, the RGB Laser 1.6. The Martin RGB Laser 1.6 is a Class 4 cool white light laser capable of generating deep saturated colours. It features simple plug-and-play operation, hundreds of pre-installed effects, and a cooling system that eliminates the need for expensive and bulky water cooling, say Martin Pro.

Supplying the laser effects for the show was Solaris Media. "The Martin RGB Laser 1.6 is a very positive surprise," commented Heimo Hanserl, owner of Solaris Media. "Besides the RGB Laser 1.6 we used two green 5W and one 10W lasers which were controlled by an external DSP, therefore we had to take data lines which was very time-consuming. The Martin RGB Laser in contrast was ready to play wi

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UK - Leisuretec Distribution will be exhibiting the Blues System, manufactured by Global Design Solutions, at the PLASA Show this year. The Blues System comprises LED fittings and control systems designed for use in front and back-of-house technical areas. Ideal for theatres or performance spaces of all types, the Blues System represents a modern, affordable solution to performance blues, cue-lighting and emergency lighting installations.

The BlueBeam (spot) and BlueDome (flood) LED fittings produce very little heat, and use an integral 0-10V onboard dimmer allowing each fitting to be dimmed to suit the environment. Both products fit onto a standard electrical conduit box, or can be mounted directly onto a conduit back-box for easy integration with existing building infrastructures. BlueBeam and BlueDome can be used for interior and exterior applications and are designed as a lo

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USA - The new Opti Profile from Elation Professional is designed for the serious stage lighting market. The Opti Profile projects up to 30-40 feet, enough to be effective in even large theatrical venues.

An ellipsoidal style fixture, the Opti Profile gives lighting users the ability to shape the beam and manipulate it in several ways. It offers a wide variety of precision tools and accessories for highlighting performers and setting moods on stage.

"With all of its amazing capabilities, the Opti Profile represents an incredible value for a high-quality cETL approved fixture," said Eric Loader, director of sales for Elation Professional. "This is a truly professional stage light fixture ideal for permanent installations or rental inventories."

Lighting users can purchase a basic Opti Profile fixture and expand its versatility with a number of available acc

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UK - Rosco has launched a new custom gobo manufacturing facility for the European market. Rosco has a long history of producing custom metal and glass gobos. The addition of DHA Lighting, one of the UK's leading custom gobo supplier, to the company last year, has achieved a level of knowledge that is unique.

"Both Rosco and DHA's colour custom gobos have traditionally been produced overseas," says Steve Connolly who has been brought in as head of gobo business development for the new venture. "The service is already excellent, but actually being able to manufacture such gobos on site at our facility in London means that much of the margin for error that is inevitable when you employ the services of outside contractors, such as shipping services, is more or less eliminated."

Connolly's involvement to the industry dates back to 1975 when he started working fo

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UK - Industry innovators Global Design Solutions (GDS), whose Blues System will be on show at PLASA 06 next month (10-13 September, Earls Court, London), have been recognised for their inspirational business ideas and approach, having been selected as winners of the South West Angel and Investor Network (SWAIN) unique business investor opportunity competition.

GDS provides forward-thinking new technical product design and business consultancy services to the entertainment, leisure and associated industries. The company also specialises in bespoke design and installation of high-end integrated control systems, ranging from residential to marine, offering both third party development and working for end clients.

Having impressed the judges and been crowned winners of the competition, GDS were given the opportunity to discuss their business plan over a private lunch to SWAIN dire

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USA - ANSI E1.20-2006 Remote Device Management (RDM) for DMX512 has recently been published and is available for immediate purchase as a PDF or hard copy, ESTA has announced. The PDF and hard copy are available from ANSI's Electronic Standards Store or The ESTA Foundation . The list price is $40; member and quantity discounts are available. Members of the new ESTA Technical Standards Program Subscription Service automatically receive this new standard as well as copies of all published documents as part of their subscription.

ANSI E1.20 (RDM) is an extension to DMX512 that allows for bi-directional communication on the primary pair of a DMX512 link. This allows for a controller or piece of test equipment to intelligently discover other RDM-enabled devices on the link such as moving l

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Europe - Since the acquisition by the Genlyte Group of Strand Lighting Inc, and the closure of Strand Lighting UK Ltd last month, Strand Lighting Inc reports that it has been working on interim arrangements to provide "the best possible levels of support for our valued European dealers and end users".

For the present, Strand says its products will be supplied to European customers from Strand's US and Hong Kong warehouses, with customer service being carried out in the Strand Lighting Inc facility in Cypress, California. Technical Support is once again available in Europe for all Strand products, and will be provided by field service technicians under contract to Strand Lighting Inc (see contact details below). Further support for project planning and commissioning will, for the time being, be provided by Strand Lighting Inc application engineers and field service tech

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Germany - tarm Showlaser GmbH has reported the best first half in the company's history. Among numerous other first half highlights were the opening festivities of the 2006 Paralympics in Turin; The Night of the Astronauts for the European Space Agency in Barcelona; the presentation of telephone-company ETISALAT's new logo in Dubai; the presentation of Porsche's new GT3 at the Porsche Sports Cup races at the Hockenheim-Ring; Vodafone's kick-off in Bucharest; and the opening ceremonies of the FIFA World Soccer Championship's Fan Festival in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on 7 June.

The company already has a substantial backlog for the second half, which, according to managing director Ralf Lottig, demonstrates that technical know-how, uncompromising devotion to quality, and creativity pay off.

tarm Showlaser GmbH will be exhibiting at PLASA 06 on stand - P54.

(Chri

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Germany - Protonic Software, developer of the Easyjob rental management system, has introduced what it calls "an easier way to make informed business decisions" - The Easyjob Business Information Center (BIC). This new tool critically analyzes data from an existing Easyjob database and displays key figures on one easy-to-read screen. Users can quickly and easily determine the profitability of projects, the return on investment for purchases, the cost-effectiveness of employees and freelancers, plus much more. Full-colour reports and statistics can be saved and distributed in a variety of formats such as PDF and Microsoft Excel files.

Protonic Software representatives will conduct live demonstrations of the new Easyjob BIC at the 2006 PLASA Show (10-13 September, Earl's Court, London). Protonic software GmbH/Corporation is the leading manufacturer of software solutions

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UK / Italy - A.C. Lighting has been appointed as the sole UK distributor for D.T.S. show products and will launch final production models of the innovative new Delta LED IP rated moving light range at the PLASA show.

Until recently, D.T.S. has been known as a high volume manufacturer of branded and OEM lighting products combining excellent build quality, performance and reliability at an affordable price. However, as a result of long-term investment in state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing facilities in Italy, the company has developed a new generation of advanced products aimed at the professional end of the entertainment market.

The new distribution deal will exploit A.C. Lighting's position as a leading one-stop supplier of cutting-edge entertainment technologies to the most demanding users in all areas of professional and architectural lighting applications. The deal cove

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Worldwide - LaserNet's summer began with a bang when it was selected to join the 20th Anniversary tour of the legendary rock band, Poison. The rigorous tour schedule, 55 cities in 65 days, proved to be no problem for the rugged Verde projector, and LaserNet's 20W Verde Beam Raider - an air-cooled, green-only laser system - made its tour debut. Poison's tour manager Mark Hogue says: "We were very pleased with the reliability of the LaserNet system, it never missed a beat. Plus, never having to mess with water hoses made it a dream come true."

LD Mark Miller added: "The laser projector is very well built and we have worked it hard with no problems. I can see more rock and roll in its future and even corporate gigs."

LaserNet's president, Tom Harman noted: "The Beam Raider system has been very successful in clubs, but getting it on the road was the acid t

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UK - Top of the Pops the long-running BBC TV music show, has been broadcast for the last time in its 42-year history. The one-hour finale, shown on BBC Two on Sunday 16 July 2006, looked back over the show's four decades and featured a number of memorable archive clips.

Roger Williams has been the lighting designer for Top of the Pops for two years now and has learnt where the camera gets the most out of the lights. As this was the final music show he filled the studio grid with as much as he could using various lamps and manufacturers, but not trying to, "make it too much like a trade show!".

The lighting design is usually left to Williams once the positioning of the set pieces has been decided on in the Monday meeting. Williams has two preferred rigs, Martin MAC 500 and MAC 600s beams and washes alternately to provide strong vibrant colours and sharp

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UK - Lightfactor Sales is showing a variety of its core theatre and performance orientated products available from Italian manufacturers SGM, LDR and Novalight, VXCO from Switzerland and LightProcessor from the UK.

SGM's new Pilot 3000 is a value-added DMX controller ideal for use with small rigs, with all functionality of larger consoles. This includes 1024 DMX Channels, two DMX outs and four in; touch screen for quick access to all functions. There's six programmable scene control faders and four encoder wheels for attribute control during programming, and effects control during playback. A 'Joy Ball' gives intuitive Pan/Tilt control.

The Genio Mobile is a reliable, compact, stylish LED colour-changing fixture with incredible brightness. Producing a wash light effect generated by 16 high-powered Luxeon LEDs (1,800 lumens). Lamplife is at least 100,000 hours at maximum power.

  1. Robe Odyssey at Sundial Theatre
  2. Wybron strengthens management team
  3. PRG Europe lights Vibes from the Vines
  4. PLASA exhibitors raise the Bar!
  5. PRG's Virtuoso with Pearl Jam
  6. PixelRange for Mary J Blige
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