Lighting

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UK GDS (Global Design Solutions) will exhibit a number of new products at this year's ABTT Theatre Show, including additions to its successful CueSystem and BluesSystem ranges.

Following its success at ProLight and Sound and PLASA Focus earlier in the year, GDS will again exhibit the newest addition to its product portfolio, the TCP-IP CueSystem an industry first, networked cue light system. With the ever-increasing trend towards completely networked show control and lighting systems, the TCP-IP CueSystem bridges the gap for stage management environments.

The TCP-IP CueSystem uses the established ergonomic control platform with standard GDS outstations. Output nodes are then used for cue light channel distribution in the field all connected to a single network. Web server configuration from an internet viewer allows for configuration and patching of cue light channels. Storage

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UK - Point Source Productions has gone from strength to strength since last year's ABTT show and has seen expansion across three main departments.

The Equipment Hire department constantly adds to its hire stock to ensure customers have a wide choice of quality equipment to facilitate their projects. "We believe our customers deserve the same high standard of equipment in theatre projects as they would expect in corporate events and we pride ourselves in prepping and delivering our equipment in excellent condition," says Point Source Productions managing director, Stephen Capel.

Launched at ABTT 2009, the Equipment Service department is staffed by technicians who have practical experience in using products in ongoing projects. "This hands-on approach ensures our team understands how each piece of equipment is used, its key features, and where those dreaded weak s

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India - Wireless Solution Sweden is bringing its Wireless DMX control, W-DMX Generation 4 to PALME India 2010at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai, next month.. Wireless Solution will be in the Modern Stage Booth. PALME is India's unique showcase for major international manufacturers, key regional suppliers, installers and integrators from the professional entertainment, events, and project installation industries.

Attendees will learn about how the new G4 product line "brings innovative new features to the award-winning W-DMX line of products, including Adaptive Frequency Hopping technology for peace of mind when using other radio products, W-DMX invisi-wire and data-safe technologies for unparalleled fidelity, and support of RDM so units can be configured remotely with no fuss or cables".

(Jim Evans)

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Europe - ETC's newest desks continue to enjoy success and impressive reviews on user forums, with Eos selling well through its sales offices, while both Ion and the new Element have been popular items via ETC's worldwide dealer and distributor network, says the company.

Eos is the largest and most powerful of the trio, with up to 16,000 DMX channel outputs or parameters against Ion's 2,048 and Element's 1,024.The first Eos installation in Switzerland was to the Grand Theatre in Geneva.

Anthony Newton, production manager at London's Bush Theatre specified the much lower spec Element because he didn't want anything so complex to operate. He comments, "We wanted something pitched at just the right level, with the most important functions immediately available and many others available to those who wanted it. We use freelance production electricians, so it was important that

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UK - With just over one week to go before the 2010 PLASA AGM & Members Lunch, the organisation is asking all its Business Members to make sure they cast their vote on the proposed merger with North American trade association, ESTA.

The PLASA AGM & Members Lunch, which takes place this year at Kings Place, London on Wednesday 2 June, is always an enjoyable event and an excellent networking opportunity for the Association's members. However, this year's meeting will mark a significant step for the organisation as Members are urged to vote in favour of the proposed merger with ESTA. ESTA's own members received ballot papers on 30 April, along with a strong recommendation to vote in favour of the merger.

There are still places left at the AGM so Members can register at the address below. Alternatively, if members are unable to attend the day itself, there is an opportunity to cast

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Live at The White House - Sir Paul McCartney will perform at the White House next week as he picks up an award from President Barack Obama. The former Beatle will play as part of a concert in his honour when he is presented with the third annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Other performers in Tuesday's concert in the East Room include the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Stevie Wonder, Emmylou Harris and Faith Hill and Elvis Costello. Paul Simon won the inaugural prize followed by Wonder last year. The award is given by the Library of Congress.

On Broadway - The musical Memphis has picked up four honours at the Drama Desk Awards in New York, voted for by journalists and theatre critics. The new musical, set in dance clubs in 1950s Memphis, won best musical, orchestration and music. Its leading lady Montego Glover tied with Catherine Zeta Jones for the outstand

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UK - For the ninth year running Hawthorns have been contracted to supply Walk the Walk's MoonWalk and SunWalk power walk challenges in aid of breast cancer charities.

Hawthorn were also involved in Walk the Walk's new challenge this year, the Celebrity SunWalk in Southampton, created to celebrate the naming and launch of the new Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship.

For the two MoonWalks involving nearly 30,000 'MoonWalkers', Hawthorns provided lighting, sound, staging, rigging, power distribution and for the first year Video which was installed into De Boer's massive 'pink palace', a 150m x 60m Galaxy structure.

Three artics of lighting, sound, rigging, power distro, video and site services made their way to Hyde Park for the main structure and ancillary marquees, including six main generators and over 10 miles of cable to supply the marquees, 300 toilets and

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UK - Vince Cable, the new UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills visited UK specialist LED lighting manufacturer i-Pix, as part of a tour organised by David Goddard, leader of Stockport Council, to illustrate the model of a successful economic regeneration project in the town of Greater Manchester.

i-Pix is one of a number of businesses in The 'Stockport Business Incubator', a project located in the Grade II listed Broadstone Mill complex in Reddish. It is a partnership between Stockport Council, the University of Manchester Incubator company and the Mill, which has transformed 40,000sq.ft of the Mill into a state-of-the-art workspace with business incubation facilities.

i-Pix was selected because of its commitment to producing low carbon lighting fixtures and solutions for the entertainment industry, and because of the company's continued success.

As i-Pix

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Australia - Prior to a much anticipated world tour, Crowded House played the West Coast and the East Coast Blues & Roots Festivals, plus a sell-out show at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. The band's longtime lighting director Dave Harding was there at the helm of a Jands Vista control system comprising of a Vista S1, S3 and a couple of M1's driven off a MAC Midi with a laptop for backup.

Harding has played an integral part in the development of the Vista from the launch of the system at PLASA in 2004 until present day. "I had been working on it for a couple of years prior as a consultant to Jands," he says. "I designed the control palettes and had quite a lot of input into the fixture selector."

"I have a Vista S1 that I carry around in my backpack," he reports. "Once in my hotel room I can just plug into my laptop and it's got encoders, playba

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UK - At the recent PLASA Focus show in Leeds, Martin Professional gave visitors the chance to win one of their popular ZR44 smoke machines. The lucky winners were the team from Barnsley College's two-year, full-time level three qualification in all aspects of backstage management, operations and theatrical production.

Course leader Lee Flint and technical instructor Michael 'Fletch' Fletcher picked up their prize which is now in residence at The Shed theatre on the Honeywell Campus of Barnsley College but soon to move to new premises at the Old Mill Lane new-build site in Barnsley Town Centre.

(Claire Beeson)

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UK - The BBC has equipped its two newest outside broadcast vehicles with Focal CMS50 active monitors. The two vehicles form part of a BBC Radio OB fleet that became fully operational this spring and will ultimately replace the oldest vehicles in the existing fleet.

The CMS50 is a two-way, bi-amped, nearfield monitor featuring a 5" mid-woofer and it is the middle size in the CMS (Compact Monitoring System) range, which also comprises the CMS65 and the new CMS40.

Garry Robson, of UK Focal distributor, SCV Electronics, said, "We presented the Focal CMS range for approval during late 2009 and were delighted when we heard that the CMS50 had been chosen over the usual suspects. One of our dealers, HHB, received the BBC order in early 2010."

(Jim Evans)

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Germany - The long-running German hip hop band Fettes Brot embarked on their latest tour of German arenas (Fettes/Brot Tour 2010) at the end of April to coincide with the release of their new dual live CD's, Fettes and Brot.

Initially the tour was planned to have taken place in smaller venues but, such was the success of the new CD that it quickly transpired that demand was much greater than expected. Many of the concerts moved to arenas with much larger capacities (ranging between 2,000-9,000) - and this leg will culminate in a performance at the vast, 20,000-capacity Lanxess Arena in Köln.

The variation in venue size had little effect on Gunnar Loose's lighting design as he had created it with sufficient versatility and scalability to be easily implemented in tour venues, whatever the size.

Loose has been working for several years with Fettes Brot, co

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UK - While preparing for their annual Asian cultural show, private school Merchant Taylors' of London was faced with a problem.

"We had a pre-order of eight MAC 250 Wash fixtures to help light an average-sized stage with an audience of over 400 people per night," states lighting designer Ben Yager. "Two weeks before show date, as we visited the hall for the second time, we suddenly realised there was insufficient power for the discharge moving heads we had pre-ordered from Stage Electrics. We immediately made a decision on what to do next."

Yager, who describes himself as a "Martin fanatic," insisted on using Martin products and remembered back to the PLASA '09 exhibition where the new MAC 301 Wash LED fixture was displayed. He was thoroughly impressed and fortunately Stage Electrics had recently invested in the new LED light.

"The low powe

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USA - Lighting designer David Pedemonti specified a Jands Vista S3 console to provide lighting control for a regional production of the hit US Off Broadway show, Altar Boyz. The musical comedy tells the story of a religious boy band trying to save the world one soul at a time.

Some of the original Off Broadway show's creators help bring to life this version produced by and at the Bristol Riverside Theatre, Bristol PA, with stage direction and choreography by Christopher Gattelli, and musical direction by Gary Adler. Lighting design was by David Pedemonti of APA Music & Pictures Inc., with programming by Nick Wyant.

Pedemonti was particularly impressed with the Vista's ability to combine big bold looks with the show's precise comic timing, and how quick and easy the show was to programme using the console's unique visually based lighting plot. He commented:

"When

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UK - Cooper Controls has announced the appointment of Sarah Burridge as customer service manager for Cooper Controls. In this newly created role, Burridge will be responsible for all customer service activities including quotations, order processing, and customer returns functions for the iLight architectural and Zero 88 entertainment brands.

Burridge has a background of over 20 years of professional experience in high service, customer focused environments as diverse as retail and contract delivery in the construction industry.

"I am really excited about this new role" said Burridge. "Cooper Controls is a well respected company with an excellent portfolio of loyal customers and a good service record. As and our customers grow we also have to look to drive our support services to the next level in customer satisfaction. My key priorities for the future will incl

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Australia - Sydney Theatre comprises an impressive 896-seat auditorium with outstanding technical capabilities as well as a sprung-floor rehearsal studio, spacious function room and stylish, sweeping foyer spaces.

Throughout the year, Sydney Theatre plays host to productions from the Sydney Theatre Company as well as dance and drama productions from companies such as the Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Ballet.

Since many recent productions have been specifying next generation lighting consoles such as ETC Eos, head of lighting Andrew Tompkins decided it was time to upgrade. After testing various consoles the undisputed winner was the ETC Eos range.

"EOS gives us a very powerful set of lighting tools to meet the expectations of today's designers, while providing a familiar syntax for operators moving up from our old Strand consoles,&quo

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Germany - Over 1000 visitors from more than 30 countries attended the recent Lightpower Open Days, hosted by the German distributor of professional stage lighting and show technology.

This international business symposium proved to be a major meeting place for the lighting and visuals industry. In addition to lectures by like Patrick Woodroffe, Rick Fisher, Manfred Olma, and Jürgen Schmidt-André, scores of guests from theatres, TV, concert touring and live events came to Paderborn to share the Open Days experience which took place in the Heinz Nixdorf Museums Forum.

As well as interesting lectures and informative seminars, all guests were able to get an insight into the latest developments in the fields of control, video, dimming, networking, moving lights, spot lights, follow spots, LED sources, trussing, clamps, custom-made products, power supplies, gel strings and n

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UK - Robert Juliat, will be exhibiting at ABTT 2010 in London on the White Light Stand where the new RJ Aledin LED profile will make its first London appearance.

Also on the stand will be Robert Juliat's Victor 1800W HMI followspot, 1000W Lutin spotlight and the White Light/Robert Juliat 350LFX effects projector.

(Jim Evans)

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India - Robe lighting has appointed Mumbai-based Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES) as its new Indian distributor.

The deal was concluded by Robe's sales director Harry von den Stemmen and IES's Rasesh Parekh at PALME Dubai, and IES will offer the full range of Robe products and comprehensive technical support across India.

Says von den Stemmen, "We took our time and researched carefully to find the right partner in India. It is a country with massive potential, and it was important to find a company that shares our visions and ideals for the future and has a real dedication to providing the superlative long-term customer service and support for which Robe is renowned."

Rasesh Parekh adds, "We are delighted to become part of the Robe Family. The quality of the brand and the commitment of the Robe team towards their products, future technologies and custo

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UK - Comprised of dedicated specialists and project managers, the recently formed Rosco Architectural group will provide designers, contractors and suppliers with product consultation, detailed specification information and customised support from idea conception through final turn on, assisting at each level of the project.

Though experienced in the broad range of Rosco products, the Rosco Architectural group's primary directive is to support Rosco products used in the creation, colouration and control of light in themed environments, new construction, corporate locales, retail and interior designs, and hospitality - namely Rosco LitePad products, X24 effects projectors, dichroics lenses and accessories, and control solutions for fluorescent and LED luminaires.

Ame Strong has taken up the position of director of Rosco Architectural. Since 2003, Ame has been Rosco's worldwide

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USA - Nestled in the foothills of the Sierras and best known for olives and orange groves, Lindsay, CA has become known for some very innovative municipal programmes promoted by its forward-thinking Mayor Ed Murray , along with city manager Scot Townsend, head of city services Mike Camarena, and associate engineer Neyba Amezcua.

When the city recently undertook an extensive downtown makeover that included new roads, sidewalks, street lights and trees, Mayor Murray and his team wanted to do something that would really put the town on the map and make it stand out.

Anyone who visits Lindsay will see they succeeded. Hundreds of ornamental Chinese pistache and palm trees that line a six-block area in the city's downtown district are now aglow in brilliant colour - pinks, purples, blues, oranges, and a whole spectrum of dramatic hues. The trees are lit up with inground colour-chang

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Norway - Lighting designer Al Gurdon specified nearly 1,900 Chroma-Q LED fixtures to provide a stunning lighting and video effects wall forming the centrepiece of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, Europe's largest non-sport television production.

Oslo, hosted the 56th Eurovision event at the Telenor Arena. The three live shows, consisting of two semi-finals and Saturday's final, were watched on television and online by an estimated audience of over 120m people in 45 countries. In addition, over 80,000 people attended the live shows and various dress rehearsals.

The event was televised by host broadcaster, NRK and featured a core production team working under the leadership of executive producer, Jon Ola Sand and TV producer, Hasse Lindmo. Production management design was by Ola Melzig, with lighting design by Al Gurdon. Stage design was by Kirsten Weltzin, Bonsak Schieldrop, T

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Australia - The new $58m winter sports facility Icehouse, located at Melbourne's Waterfront City precinct in the Docklands, is one of the more impressive pieces of infrastructure built in this city for a long time.

Billed as the largest winter sport facility in the southern hemisphere, the Icehouse features two full-sized ice rinks suitable for ice hockey, curling, short-track speed skating, figure skating, and recreational skating.

The Bradbury Rink is designed as a family friendly entertainment rink, with 'general skating' already proving to be very popular. The rink features a striking audio visual design by Massteknik, including a JBL sound system and a light show that would not look out of place at a major city nightclub. Both rinks also have massive LED screens at the end of them, with the Rink 1 screen being used as a scoreboard for ice-Hockey, while the 8m wide screen

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Eurovision Update - The teenager who represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest has said he is "still smiling" despite coming last in the competition. Josh Dubovie, 19, from Basildon in Essex, scored just 10 points with a song penned by Pete Waterman. Dubovie said it had been "a privilege to represent the UK" and one of the best experiences of his life.

Acts from 25 countries took part in the event. It was won by Germany, whose entrant Lena scored 246 points. Turkey's MaNga came in second place, with Romania third and Denmark fourth. This is the third time the UK has finished in the bottom spot in the past eight years, following on from Jemini in 2003 and Andy Abraham in 2008.

Dubovie, who was chosen to represent the UK after securing the most public votes on Your Country Needs You! on BBC One in March, said, "This has been one of the bes

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