USA - Weighing 225,000 gross registered tons with 16 decks and a 5,400-passenger capacity, Oasis of the Seas has been making waves since Royal Caribbean International first announced plans to build this $1.4 billion ship. Oasis boasts a long list of 'firsts' such as double-deck loft cabins, a park the size of a football field, a zip line extending nine decks above an atrium, and an AquaTheatre that's a pool by day and dazzling water-show theatre at night. Even its layout is like nothing ever seen aboard a cruise ship, comprised of 7 distinct 'neighbourhoods' with names like Central Park, Boardwalk and Entertainment Place.

A ship of this size and imagination required lighting that could accommodate its visionary design and range of attractions, while delivering the low-maintenance reliability and performance demanded by 24/7, indoor/outdoor use. Seeking this balance of features,

UK - Although still thought of by some as a supplier of theatre lighting, London-based White Light continues to demonstrate that its work now spans every area of entertainment lighting with the recent installation of a dramatic new LED-based lighting scheme for London's Natural History Museum.

Designed by Martin Valentine of AECOM's Lighting Group, the new scheme replaces 64 Philips Arena Vision metal halide floods with 32 Philips/Color Kinetics ColorReach Powercore LED fixtures. The fixtures can re-create - and actually improve on - the white light of the previous lighting scheme, bringing to life the landmark building's dramatic Romanesque architecture. However, the colour-mixing fixtures also provide many other lighting options which can be exploited by the museum's staff on a seasonal basis or for special events.

White Light undertook the installation on behalf of AECOM, A

UK - An MA Lighting grandMA2 light console and three MA NPUs (Network Processing Units) are being used to control 18 universes of DMX running all the lighting and a Catalyst media server for the 2010 Strictly Come Dancing Live UK arena tour. The tour's lighting has been designed by Mark Kenyon, who also lights the high profile BBC TV series which has constantly topped the ratings and is one of the most popular programmes in recent history.

The grandMA2 light was programmed during production and technical rehearsals in Manchester Arena by David Bishop, and is being operated on the tour by lighting director Alex Murphy, who very much pushed to go with grandMA, having used a grandMA 'series 1' on U2's seminal 360 tour in 2009. He has been a firm fan of the desk ever since.

All lighting equipment for the Strictly Live tour is being supplied by south Wales-based Sonal

Hong Kong - Built in the 1960s, the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall is the largest interior venue within the Hong Kong City Hall complex, which also houses a theatre, an exhibition hall, gallery and numerous restaurants.

Administered by the Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department, the 1434-seat Concert Hall is a multi-functional space capable of adapting to performances of symphony, chamber, recital, jazz, opera and chorus music, in addition to other forms of performing art, such as dance, drama and Chinese opera.

The Hong Kong Leisure & Cultural Services Department approached Robert Juliat dealer, Pacific Lighting, seeking to replace the venue's existing, aging lighting fixtures - a move which came about following the successful installation, in January 2008, by Pacific Lighting of 22 RJ 710SX 2K profiles into the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall.

Pacific Li

Japan - Abercrombie & Fitch, the successful American fashion retailer, opened its doors in Tokyo on 15 December, 2009 in the prestigious Ginza shopping district. It is the brand's first flagship store in Asia. Similar in design to its New York store, the Ginza branch is 820sq.m and boasts one of the largest hand painted murals in the world.

The store's façade design, featuring louver frames filling both sides of the building and leaving no space for windows, raised the need for not only a remote control system but a system monitoring solution. Martin Cyclo 02 color temperature changers equipped with dual control ballasts and two T5 28W 2700K fluorescent tubes were chosen to illuminate the louvers.

A custom made touch screen based control and monitoring system was developed. From the touch screen system it is possible to execute regular lighting scenes, run maintenance orienta

UK - Nike chose the dramatic setting of Battersea Power Station for their 2010 Innovation Summit and Stage One was chosen - as the event's scenic supplier. Brought in by experiential and event management agency, Slice Events, Stage One were asked to provide the internal fit out for The Boiler House, a temporary venue installed within the power station.

This high profile event, launching Nike's new Mercurial Vapor Superfly II boot and the new National Team jerseys, required Stage One to work very closely with Slice, Patrick Donohue, Slice Events' design co-ordinator and the Nike design team, to deliver a themed environment in keeping with Nike's iconic brand.

"This project evolved greatly during the design and build process and we worked closely with the design team to accommodate any changes and offer practical construction solutions - demonstrating our can-do attitude an

UK - The AC-ET stand at this year's British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) show features the latest conventional film lighting products from leading brands Manfrotto / Avenger, QuartzColor and Balcar alongside new LED film lighting innovations from City Theatrical, Dynacore and Chroma-Q.

As a UK distributor for the Manfrotto / Avenger range of film & TV, broadcast and entertainment lighting supports, AC-ET will showcase products from their comprehensive range of stands, arms and brackets.

As a UK reseller for Groupe FOKIA, AC-ET will display a selection of products from the French group's portfolio. The QuartzColor line up includes the Redhead and Blonde portable focusing floodlights plus the Bambino location Fresnel range. The Balcar range includes the new Roundy fluorescent lighting interview kit. Other Groupe FOKIA brands available from AC-ET include LTM, IFF and Cokin.<

Hong Kong - Traxon Technologies has launched String and Dot XL, lighting solutions that allow the replay of effects, lighting patterns, video content, and live streams. They also offer all of the sustainable advantages of LED lighting, including energy efficiency, reduced maintenance and electricity costs, less heat emission without UV radiation, durability, and long source life, says the company.

Featuring dynamic control via DMX and DVI capabilities, the String and Dot XL offer flexible multipurpose lighting solutions designed to accomplish and enhance challenging installations. Architectural, hospitality, and entertainment industries can benefit from precise colour effects using over 16.7 million colours. Both are also available in sophisticated Cold White and Warm White options, suitable for showcasing merchandise in eye-catching store and retail applications.

"Due to

Hungary - GE Lighting is introducing new "turn and lock" (TAL) installation technology for its HID Showbiz lamp lines.

The Showbiz CSR 300 lamp and the Showbiz CSR700, and CSR1500 HID lamps now offer a rear-load lamp base system, which allows for fast, easy installation of replacement of lamps in compact spaces such as stage productions, concerts, architectural lighting and any venue using moving-lights and intelligent lighting fixtures. The CSR TAL "turn and lock" product lines are mainly used in event lighting and are 100% compatible with fixtures that accept FastFit and Lok-it! products.

The Showbiz CSR300 TAL, CSR700/SA/TAL and CSR1500/SA/TAL are single-ended metal halide lamps especially useful for moving-light applications that call for high colour temperatures and brighter light sources.

The "turn and lock" technology provides easy instal

USA / Germany - US-based manufacturer Morpheus Lights will exhibit its new PacificFader at Prolight&Sound in Frankfurt, Germany (24-27 March). PacificFader is a dichroic CYM colour mixing, optical dimming and colour correction accessory that "slots in" to the optical system of the modular Selecon Pacific luminaire to deliver a wide gamut of colours - deep saturates as well as an extraordinary range of pastels suited to the theatrical palette.

Three models are available: PacificFader3 provides CYM colour mixing for use with tungsten sources; PacificFader4 provides CYM plus a smooth optical dimmer for use with energy efficient CDM, CST or MSR arc sources; and PacificFader5 offers CYM plus optical dimmer plus Morpheus' exclusive variable 2x CTO for colour correction of daylight arcs.

"PacificFader offers the ability to combine CMY colour mixing with the superior op

UK - Osram says that the main advantages of its new PrevaLED Core Light Engines are flexibility, freedom of design and high efficiency. The PrevaLED range is designed using a modular principle and, thanks to fixed interfaces, it reduces both development effort and time to market for luminaire developments. The system, consisting of light engine and electronics control gear, is small, easy to use and extremely powerful, the company says.

According to Osram, the PrevaLED Core product family provides a wide range of lumen output options from 800lm to 3.000lm at a system efficiency of up to 75lm/W and is available in the colour temperatures 3,000K and 4,000K. A special feature of this system is its outstanding light quality with a colour rendering index (CRI) >90, without compromises in system efficiency. Thanks to the system design, currently available lumen packages will be availa

USA - When Claudia Winkleman presented the Oscars Show on Sky Movies, lighting designer Malcolm Reed opted for Chroma Flood TCs and Alpha Beam 300s, provided by Richard Martin Lighting, to help create a late night ambiance to the chic retro set. Assisting the chosen specification were Pixeline 1044 which Reed had previously purchased from the company, giving him the opportunity to play with a painted sky line 'back drop' mixing up colours to get the desired look.

Reed reports: "The Oscars set replicates an apartment overlooking LA from the Hollywood Hills, so my main reason for using the Alpha Beam 300 was that I needed an exceptionally bright and narrow beam animated light source to imitate Oscars night sky dancing lights with a little bit of atmospheric 'haze' The cameras would see very powerful beams of light dancing across the Sky Line giving the impression that

Germany - Robe lighting has scheduled 11 new product launches for Prolight&Sound Frankfurt 2010. These include:

The Robin Series of moving lights is expanded to include a powerful and versatile 600 range and a Classic 300 range of fully-featured value-conscious units.

The ColorBeam 2500E AT is added to Robe's AT Series, taking the concept of concentrated high powered lightsources into a new dimension, and Light4ce is a new robust and very bright range of indoor and outdoor LED fixtures.

The Profile version of Robe's flagship ColorSpot 1200E AT series drew a lot of interest from theatre and TV market after its preview at the last PLASA show. On top of many the features and functions of the ColorSpot 1200E AT it has inbuilt modular framing shutters that enable the fixture to be used like any standard profile discharge lightsource, when very precise framing and pin-pointing of

Germany - The AC-ET stand at Prolight & Sound 2010 will feature new LED lighting, video and control systems from Chroma-Q, InnovaLED and Jands.

Previewing at the show for the first time is the Chroma-Q Color Force 72 / 48 range of 6ft / 1.8m, 12,000 lumens output and 4ft / 1.2m, 8,000 lumens output LED battens. With super bright light output, the range provides a smooth, uniform coverage for washing areas up to 26ft / 8m high.

Also previewing is the Chroma-Q Color Charge, a 600 lumens, rechargeable battery powered, ultra portable LED light source which combines wireless control with an environmentally friendly NiMH battery and interchangeable head design.

The new generation of Chroma-Q LED models, which includes the Color Block 2 multi-purpose fixture, feature advanced RGBA colour mixing and control management technologies. Together these provide an increased colour palette,

UK - With over 40 years of innovation, design and manufacturing experience in the UK, backed by the support of a worldwide network of distributors, Pulsar has a long standing reputation for creating products that stand the test of time and are proven to be solid long term investments for our global customers.

In line with its commitment to the highest levels of customer support, Pulsar has extended its product guarantee to three years with immediate effect.

All Pulsar product ranges are now automatically covered by the Pulsar Three Year Product Guarantee. This serves to endorse Pulsar's investment in quality, design and manufacturing processes for its ChromaRange LED fixtures and lighting control system products alike.

(Jim Evans)

UK - City Theatrical has announced that Alex Cowan has joined the City Theatrical London office in the role of European sales manager.

Cowan comes to City Theatrical from Pixelrange where he was the international sales manager, covering Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and South Africa. Prior to that, he was with HSL in Blackburn in the role of new business executive.

Alex's role at City Theatrical will be building the City Theatrical distribution network in Europe, and helping customers to get the lighting accessories they need from City Theatrical's broad range of award winning products.

(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - Highlite International BV announced that it joined Philips' LED luminaires and retrofit bulbs license program. Highlite produces and distributes worldwide a range of show equipment including professional audio products and lighting equipment for rental companies, production companies, retail chains and large scale amusement facilities dealers.

Huub De la Haije, president and founder of Highlite International BV, says: "As a licensee under the license program we get access to a large portfolio of Philips' patented LED control technology. This allows us to offer our customers LED luminaires with state-of-the-art technology at an attractive price. Both our lighting brands Showtec for special light equipment for events, live acts and stage installations and Artecta for architectural lighting products will benefit from the agreement with Philips."

Frank

Germany - Martin Professional will exhibiting its growing range of creative visual solution products at ProLight+Sound in Frankfurt this week.

On display will be all new LED moving heads including a hard edge LED luminaire. Other top innovations include a new generation indoor/outdoor LED screen, a high-output profile moving head with continuous rotation framing, a powerful beam fixture in the MAC family, new LED lights for indoor and outdoor use, as well as a new Exterior range of outdoor luminaires.

Several new user-friendly control and media server solutions will also feature including a powerful, all-in-one lighting console. A full complement of Jem and Magnum smoke machines will also be on display.

The MAC 350 Entour LED profile fixture features proprietary LED technology. It is billed as the market's first real alternative to traditional HID-based profile fixtures. In

Germany - Robert Juliat is exhibiting at Prolight&Sound this week and bringing its latest products to the European market.

On show will be the motorised versions of its 1800W HMI Victor, Flo and 4000W HTI Lancelot followspots. The Victor and Flo can be operated locally or by DMX via the sophisticated RJ Net control network which gives precise control over the motorised shutters, while the same RJ Net system controls the shutters, 'Noria' gobo-changing wheel and Chromix colour mixing system within the Lancelot.

Also on show will be the RJ 714SX Silence - a fan-cooled, silent 2000W profile ideally suited to large theatres and opera houses, with a comprehensive zoom range that covers all angles and applications.

Shown for the first time at Prolight & Sound 2009, the RJ 326 LFV Cin'k, has gone from strength to strength proving an appropriate choice for a variety of venues includ

Germany - Cooper Controls is showcasing its latest lighting control products including exclusive previews of the ZerOS iPhone remote and Version 5.4 ZerOS software, plus the State Automation advanced phase control and sinewave high density dimming solutions at ProLight+Sound this week.

Following the announcement of a new structure and strategy for the performance entertainment marketplace earlier this year Cooper Controls will introduce the first of its new suite of control products - the ZerOS iPhone Remote App. This application allows users to remotely control the ZerOS consoles using a standard wireless network.

State Automation's Solution Optical Fibre Dimmer Racks are the first fixed installation racks with an integrated optical fibre Ethernet connection.96, 72 & 48 channel versions of the Solution Optical Fibre series are available with options for 1.2kW, 2.5kW, 3kW, 5kW

UK - Hawthorn has supplied over 70 linear metres of its new LED video cloth, Media Surge, to the BBC for its Eurovision: Your Country Needs You 2010 heats; working with set designer Alex Craig and LD Mark Kenyon on yet another TV production.

Six acts competed for the honour of representing the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo in May, singing a song written by Pete Waterman.

Your Country Needs You featured a stunning set with a backdrop of 72 linear metres of Hawthorn's LED video cloth, 4m high. The programming was supplied by the show's production team and Hawthorn's engineers operated the Media Surge.

Alex Craig, commented, "I was delighted to find an LED cloth product that gave me the large scale coverage that I needed at a price I could afford, and with a soft pixillation that looked fabulous on close up shots."

(Jim Evans)

Frankfurt 2010 - The lighting and sound industries head for Frankfurt this week for what promises to be an interesting and well attended ProLight&Sound. Judging by the number of press releases and product launch invitations received, the LSI team will be kept busy.

On The Left - Musician Billy Bragg is to curate his own stage at this summer's Glastonbury Festival, organisers have announced. Bragg will book the bill for the Leftfield tent, which returns this year after being axed in 2009. Bragg said his role would be "a bit of everything - curator, MC, performer, guitar roadie [and] juggler." The stage will aim to bring a political dimension to the event, described as "the original activist festival" by the Barking-born veteran. Glastonbury, said Bragg, "has always had that political edge since its rebirth in the 1980s as a gathering for dissidents

Trinidad - When Beyoncé performed a spectacular concert in Trinidad recently, her lighting team, headed by LD, Pat Brannon, used over 60 truss-mounted moving heads from PR Lighting to dominate the lavish stage production.

Attended by around 40,000 people, the concert featured a total of 30 x XL 1200 Spot, 12 x Pilot 1200 Wash, 10 x Pilot 575 Wash and 10 x Pilot 575 Spot.

Programmed into the grand MA lighting desk by Brannon, the moving heads were supplied by PR Lighting distributors, All Events Lighting Systems.

The event took place in the Queen's Park Savannah, in the island's capital of Port of Spain. Four truss rigs were set at various points from front to back of the stage in descending size (the front being the highest). Suspended from this were 12 Pilot 1200 Wash and six XL 1200 Spot lights, along with ten 8-light Molefays. The second rig included eight XL 1200

UK - The Society of London Theatres announced the winners of the 34th Laurence Olivier Awards last Sunday, at a star-studded ceremony broadcast on BBC Radio 2, streamed live on the internet, and featuring performances from many of the nominated musicals. White Light would like to congratulate the winners and all of the nominees in this thrilling year of theatre.

The first award presented at the ceremony was for Best Lighting Design, the category won by Mark Henderson for Burnt By The Sun at the National's Lyttelton Theatre. Henderson received a second nomination for Enron; this is the fifth time he has received this award. He also won a Tony Award in 2006 for The History Boys in New York. His fellow nominees in the category were Kevin Adams for Spring Awakening and Jon Clark for Three Days of Rain.

The other design awards went to Ultz for his

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