Lighting

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South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa designed and supplied a full technical production package to 94.7 Highveld Stereo's 2010 Johannesburg Day event (in association with Santam), produced by Primedia and staged at Riversands Farm in the leafy Johannesburg suburb of Fourways.

Gearhouse's project manager Dave Tudor comments, "It was the first time we have worked on the show, so we wanted to bring a fresh look and approach, increase the production values, and let the client see just what can be achieved with imagination, appropriate use of equipment and a bit of lateral thinking".

One of the challenges was to create a performance environment that would work in daylight - the show started at 10am and ended after dark, catering for the sold out 18,000 audience as well as the cameras (the show was recorded for DVD for future release).

The line up featured 14 of South Af

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UK - FocusTrack, the production lighting documentation system has announced a new purchasing option designed to make FocusTrack even more accessible than before. FocusTrack's new Single Show option enables the purchase of FocusTrack for one single production for a cost of UK£245 - US$375.

This compares to the original Full FocusTrack licence at UK£400 or US$600. That licensing option is still available for those looking to use FocusTrack to document multiple productions. In addition, FocusTrack is available to students for UK£90 or US$140.

"When we first launched FocusTrack, I thought that programmers would be the ones to buy it, since it directly saves them time and effort in tidying up and documenting the shows they work to create," comments FocusTrack's Rob Halliday. "In fact, in most cases programmers have persuaded the show to purchase it.

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UK - West London based Entec Sound & Light continued its supply of lighting solutions in site specific venues for some of the most exciting shows of London Fashion Week.

Working in the former Eurostar Terminal at London's busy Waterloo Station for lighting designer Simon Tutchener was a project with many challenges.

The trains to Paris and Brussels had long left the station, but the perfect fashion runway remained in place along the concourse of Platform 4, complete with all the charisma and transitional charm of the neo-industrial setting. Tutchener and the Entec team's biggest challenges were working the light levels in the ever changing daylight conditions inside the glass roofed building, and installing lighting kit into very limited spaces. Some of this was over the old train tracks, which still contain live DC volt rails that are part of Waterloo's signalling network.

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UK - Comedian Dara O'Brian returns to our BBC2 screens to host series nine of the panel show Mock The Week!.

Richard Martin Lighting supports lighting designer Dave Davey's design. The design brief set out for Davey when he first joined the production, was to "make the set look colourful without spill onto projection screens". To achieve this Davey opted for VL1000TS' "All hanging, focussed on to backing flats".

The VL1000TS luminaire combines the functionality of one of the most popular conventional lighting tools - the ellipsoidal reflector spotlight - with the versatility of an automated luminaire.

Automated functions include CYM colour mixing, rotating gobos, variable diffusion, and a zoom lens that ranges from 19° to 36° for normal imaging and a super zoom function that ranges to 70°.

Davey comments, "The VL100TS is the righ

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UK - Cooper Controls has released software Version 2.4 of the LightFactory PC based lighting control software. In line with Cooper Controls drive to implement RDM across its entertainment product range, LightFactory now features RDM support, providing automatic patching and fixture setup.

Version 2.4 supports full tracking as an option per show file. For each show, you can now select between a hybrid tracking mode and a full tracking mode, depending on preference. Both modes support the ability to record a cue as cue only, track forward, track back, or block.

As pre-visualisation is done before getting in to a venue the patch setup in the visualiser may not always be the same as what is found on site. To accommodate this, a separate patch can now be set for visualiser output so that you can continue to do blind programming on the visualiser once you are in the venue, without h

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USA - Lighting designer Tom Kenny was the first in the world to get his hands on Martin Professional's ultra-compact MAC 101 LED moving head wash light, scattering 200 of the 2200 lumen fixtures across the sets of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

Mirroring the show's success (it was the most watched VMAs in nearly a decade), Kenny says the MAC 101s were the most talked about lighting fixture out of the 1500 moving lights on the show.

"Once we brought them on site, it had so many scenarios we could use it in," Kenny commented. "Everybody loved it. The director, some of the bands, and some of the scenic people said, 'can we use that light?' It has a million and more uses. We hid them all over the place and used them as a scenic element, putting it in places that no other light can fit in."

Hosted by Chelsea Handler and broadcast live from the

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Germany - Wolfsburg's Autostadt decided to bring some West Indian flair to town during its Caribbean Summer festivities that ran from 3 July through 29 August. tarm Showlaser provided the laser effects for the Colours of the Caribbean show that highlighted the festivities. Visitors to the Autostadt had the opportunity to experience a breathtaking display of laser effects, aquajets, and pyrotechnics every evening at 10pm.

The show's theme, scenario, and music changed every week, starting off with Into the Blue, which was followed by Magic Green and Red Passion, and concluded by Colourful Cultures.

For this year's event, tarm Showlaser installed a total of 11 laser systems whose radiant atmospheric effects immersed the Autostadt in a sea of colours.

A pair of high-powered laser systems scanned the night sky from the roofs of the AutoTo

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UK - Global Design Solutions was the successful recipient of the first Theatres Trust People's Choice Award for its Blues System Dimmable controlable performance working light at PLASA2010.

Presented at a ceremony on The Theatres Trust's Ecovenue stand at PLASA2010 in London, Global Design Solutions was voted for by visitors of this leading international trade show for event, installation and entertainment technology.

Products were nominated by participating PLASA2010 manufacturers if they could demonstrate improvements in sustainable theatre technology. They were used to illuminate a special stand featuring the work of The Theatres Trust's Ecovenue project.

Announcing that the Award will run again during PLASA2011, Director of The Theatres Trust, Mhora Samuel said: "We were delighted with the all the support we received from PLASA Events, our stand's sponsors, and the

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Belgium - Barco has announced the expansion of its RLM product line with the RLM-W8 projector. It is an 8,000 lumens, three-chip DLPTM projector with a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution. In addition to offering low power consumption and decreased noise levels, it features geometry correction and edge blending capabilities. Barco's RLM-W8 is suited for the rental and staging markets, and uses an optional Barco stacking frame.

Early 2010, Barco launched the RLM-W6 as its first Barco Elements three-chip DLPTM projector in a single-chip DLPTM price range. It offers a top-end image quality along with an environmentally conscious profile, by being ten times more silent and 33% less energy-consuming than competing products. As an extension of the RLM family, the RLM-W8 continues these themes, while adding more features that suit rental and staging environments.

"The market responded

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UK - At PLASA 2010 the Coemar LED Reflection projector won the coveted prize for innovation, presenting a line of projectors which exploit, for the first time with a LED, the physical properties of reflection of the light.

In the Reflection projectors, the LEDs project the light onto a mirror surface which reflects it to the outside guaranteeing perfect colours and extreme purity throughout the white light range, says the company. It was this concept and the lighting that generated it that impressed the PLASA judges.

Reflection, which will be commercially available from the beginning of November of this year, will therefore represent a new turning point in the event lighting world, yet another of the technological and commercial developments contributing to the success story of Coemar, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - At PLASA 2010, organisers of the First Night Riders (FNR), Brenda Edelstein and Triple E managing director, David Edelstein, announced the 2011 route for its second charity motorbike ride.

Surrounded by stars of the stage, screen, and television including: James Fleet, Cyril Nri, Trevor Peacock, Peter Benson, and Phyllida Law, David Edelstein explained the FNR's mission to raise money for The Theatrical Guild (TTG). TTG is a charity that supports active and former backstage and front of house employees that have hit hardship or require support.

The 2011 event follows hot on the wheels of the successful 2010 inaugural First Night Ride. Last June an international posse of entertainment and backstage professionals raised £10,000 by motor-biking around some of the UK's most historic and interesting theatres.

In just eight days they travelled from London's National The

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UK - Watford- based Cooper Controls has secured exclusive European distribution of amBX technology through its Cogent XC LED Lighting Controller. amBX is an innovative technology offering an alternative method for the control of colour changing LEDs.

Says Cooper Controls' Peter Coles, "This is an inventive and different solution for a number of applications from bars, restaurants, hotels, sports and health clubs, designer retail, to home entertainment and high-end AV systems. The technology perfectly complements Cogent's extensive LED product portfolio."

Jo Cooke from amBX comments, "Our widely patented amBX technology has been developed over a number of years so we wanted a company with a good reputation and understanding of LEDs in both entertainment and architectural lighting markets to maximise the potential of this product which is driven by amBX technology

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UK - This year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe saw Edinburgh sound and lighting company, Northern Light, and venue producers C venues collaborate to reduce the direct and associated energy consumption of performance lighting at C aquila - the latest addition to C venues' stable of performance spaces.

Two lighting rigs - one for each space in the C aquila venue - were specified and designed in a collaboration between head of hire and events for Northern Light Nick Read, production manager for C venues Richard Williamson, artistic director of C venues (and international lighting designer) Hartley T A Kemp, and industry journalist Sarah Rushton-Read, The aim: To substantially reduce energy consumption during the month-long festival, without compromising visiting lighting designers' creative output.

Space technician - and ETC ion programmer - at C aquila's main theatre, Kariss Leigh A

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USA - Carrie Underwood, continues her dominance of the industry in 2010. She has won a staggering 70 plus awards in a brief seven-year stint including five Grammy's, 10 ACM Awards, and five CMA Awards.

Bandit Lites has been with Underwood since the beginning. Ann Edelblute and the team at 19 Management have worked with Bandit for every tour, even rehearsing in Venue One, the Bandit rehearsal facility in Nashville. Tour manager Geoff Donkin, production manager Chris Coffie and stage manager Lenny Rogers are all familiar with one another from many years of working together. Veteran lighting designer Bud Horowitz worked with Bandit VP Michael Golden on the Play On Tour 2010.

Lighting director Brian Jenkins runs the Grand MA console to control the Star Wars like lighting universe overhead. Included in the inventory are VL 3000 Spots, VL 3500 Spots, VL 3500 Washes, MAC 3 Spo

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UK - PLASA Media, publisher of Lighting&Sound International magazine, has announced that the videos of the PLASA Award for Innovation product presentations from this year's PLASA Show are now available to view at the LSIOnline YouTube channel.

The Awards for Innovation, for the first time, were judged 'live' at the Innovation Gallery by an independent panel of 16 expert judges, in front of show visitors and a camera team on Sunday 12 September. Show visitors are able to watch the judging process replayed on large screens in the interactive Innovation Gallery for the rest of the show.

Seven Awards for Innovation and one Gold Award were presented by PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths.

The winners of the 2010 PLASA Awards for Innovation were . . .

Clay Paky Sharpy, a newly developed beamlight t

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USA - The Polynesian Cultural Centre (PCC) in Laie, Hawaii has purchased a complement of six Robert Juliat DMX Cyrano followspots which the Centre immediately tapped for its Ha: Breath of Life show. 4 Wall Entertainment in Las Vegas made the sale of the 2500W HMI followspots that feature a high-performance quartz condenser optical system and DMX-controlled dimmer.

The Polynesian Cultural Centre is one of Hawaii's top attractions. Set on 42 acres on the North Shore of Oahu, the PCC offers a chance to explore many of the Polynesian cultures in the South Pacific. Billed as Hawaii's newest ancient story with a cast of more than 100, Ha: Breath of Life is an evening spectacle featuring singers, dancers, fire-knife performers and drummers staged in the dramatic 2,800-seat Pacific Theatre.

Brent Pritchett, project manager at 4 Wall, specified the Cyranos for the PCC and

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UK - The Knight of Illumination Awards, organized by ALD, STLD and Clay Paky, have now become an unmissable event for the whole show lighting business. They are the only awards, entirely devoted to lighting designers, to provide public recognition of the best works in the theatre, touring and TV sectors.

The final act of the event takes place during the PLASA Show, and gathers together a large number of lighting designers, trade associations, production companies, rental companies, dealers and the press, in other words the leading players in the entertainment sector. It is a special occasion for a precious mutual exchange of professional expertise, as well as a time for celebration for lighting designers.

Once again the evening was held in the Enterprise Suite, Hotel Ibis, Earls Court, London, on 12 September 2010. The organisers set up a scenic rig for the event, mainl

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Italy - Moresco is a medieval hamlet only few kilometers from the Adriatic Coast, in the Marche Region, and a 25m high heptagonal tower dating back to the 12th century is its symbol. On 26 June 2010 the municipality celebrated 100 years since its autonomy and Proel took care of the permanent Lighting system commissioned for the event for the ancient tower; the technical installation has been directly managed by the municipality.

In detail, the installation included seven Proel Nightwave PLAT150CNBKs - a DMX-controlled architectural colour changer with a 150 W discharge lamp and CMY colour mixing system - positioned at the base of the tower, in the corners. These will provide programmed colour changes or fixed colours, as Mayor Amato Mercuri himself explained at the Grand Opening, according to each type of event taking place during the year.

"At this point Lighting no long

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UK - Since 2003, when Rosco introduced #313 Light Relief Yellow to its Supergel range, the company has contributed thousands of dollars to the UK charity Light Relief, and at PLASA 2010 charity trustees, Matthew Griffiths and Rick Fisher, accepted a cheque for over $3,179 (approximately £2,027).

Making the presentation, Mark Engel, president of Rosco, said, "This is the largest cheque we have presented to Light Relief since the programme began, with total contributions now in excess of $21,207, funded totally by purchases of #313 Supergel."

"Throughout Rosco's 100 year history, we have had the pleasure of developing innovative solutions with designers and other creative craftspeople. Supergel 313 Light Relief Yellow, the result of just such collaboration with Rick Fisher, provides a unique way for us to show how much we value our relationship. We continue

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UK - GLP and G-LEC used their imposing stand, located right inside the main entrance at London's Earls Court, to whet the appetite of visitors to PLASA 2010. The two companies revealed a new benchmark in LED lighting - both in video pixel walls and the developed optical paths of high-output production spots and washes.

Pride of place went to the new member of the Phantom range. The Phantom 15 (15mm pixel pitch) is 100% integratable with the Phantom 30 large format, high brightness LED display (with 30mm pixel pitch) and the Phantom 60, as all share the same software platform. Billed as the most transparent LED video systems available, the frames can be easily connected together regardless of resolution using the famous patented quick lock system.

Also sharing the same operating platform (to ensure total integration), was the Solaris+. This is a hanging LED video curtain - comp

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UK - GDS has reported its busiest PLASA to date. GDS experienced particular interest from industry professionals in its new CueSystem NET and LiteWare HO high output wireless battery uplighter. GDS also exhibited the multi-award winning BluesSystem and MainsSystem working lights, MotorControl, The Stage Managers Console and MOBAL, the award winning multi-functional Socapex fault diagnosis and correction tool.

Matthew Lloyd, managing director at GDS commented, "PLASA is always a good show for us, but this year it surpassed all expectations. It was extremely busy and we met with many new and existing customers. During the show we successfully added to our global distribution network. The icing on the cake for us was winning the Theatres Trust Peoples Choice Award for BluesSystem, we are thrilled to receive recognition from the industry professionals that voted for us.&

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Belarus - Built in 2001, the Palace of Republic in Minsk is the main concert hall of the Republic of Belarus. The building consists of the Big Hall (2,500 seats) and the Small Hall (500 seats), and many of the most prestigious performances in the country are staged here.

During the recent complex renovation of the Big Hall, a grandMA2 system consisting of two grandMA2 full-sizes, one grandMA2 light, one grandMA2 ultra-light, two MA NPUs (Network Processing Units), nine MA 2Port Nodes as well as a Digital Dimming dimMA compact system, was installed.

Sergey Kabyka lighting designer and programmer reports, "We chose the grandMA2 because we wanted to have a high redundancy, high technology lighting control system which is future proof for the upcoming years. Furthermore it was important for us that the console can handle a theatre environment the same way as it can handle a c

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Denmark - On Friday, 3 September the 100th Martin Professional M1 lighting console rolled off the production line at the Martin factory in Frederikshavn - no small feat for a new generation lighting desk that launched only a few short months ago.

"We're extremely happy. It's proving very popular and has already found its way onto events and tours such as the Black Crowes," says Paul Pelletier, Martin's commercial product manager for controllers.

"Sales are actually well above the 100 mark and at the moment we're shipping them as fast as we can produce them in order to fill all the back orders. The combination of a full-featured desk with the versatility, size and price tag of a smaller one is what lighting professionals are looking for in a tough economy."

The result of over a decade of console development at Martin, the M1 follows the philosophy and simp

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Russia / Denmark - Martin Professional has opened a representative office in Moscow. The new organisation will promote the Martin brand and handle non-commercial activities in Russia and the CIS.

Martin lighting solutions have been available on the Russian market for more than 20 years, most of that time through exclusive distributor, A&T Trade. Thanks to the strong efforts of Martin's Russian partner, the Martin brand has taken up a leading position in the Russian rental market and is a significant player in the installation market. Today's challenging economy and Martin's global strategy, however, demands a higher level of development and progress, the company says.

"We are grateful to A&T Trade for their contribution to our mutual success," stated Bruno Garros, VP of distributor sales for Martin Professional A/S. "In the future we will see A&T among our relia

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  2. A.C. Special Projects on board with Brittany Ferries
  3. Gary Ellegood joins TLS Nashville
  4. Katz and Stickland honoured in Tennessee
  5. The 2010 Behind the Scenes Boutique at LDI
  6. White Light supplies PIGI to Edinburgh Tattoo
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