Lighting

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USA - For those missing the comradery and exuberance of a live concert experience, long-time Bandit Lites client Garth Brooks offered some words of encouragement amidst a one-hour Facebook live stream that was so popular, it apparently kept crashing the social media site. Brooks was recently honoured as this year's recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
“Garth stands alone in music at this point,” said Bandit Lites founder and chair, Michael T. Strickland. “Never has anyone been so impactful, yet so giving to the world as a whole. There is never a cause or a moment that Garth does not only rise to the occasion, but he sets the bar. Garth and Trisha provided a free concert for anyone that cared to listen, an incredible move that was 100% them giving of themselves to a public in need of a moment of relief. Thank you Garth and Trisha; we ca

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Europe - As the industry is facing an unprecedented down-time as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, French lighting manufacturer Ayrton wants to help break up the monotony by offering an opportunity for creatives who are self-isolating.
“Let’s channel that creative energy into something positive and fun," says the company. "Show us what you can do by participating in the Ayrton Boredom Buster!”
To get involved, create a show to the song of your choosing using your favourite pre-visualisation software and an ‘Ayrton only’ virtual lighting rig, and submit your video, mailing address and shirt size via email to bb@ayrton.eu with the subject Ayrton Boredom Buster.
In return, you could receive swag and an opportunity to be featured on Ayrton’s social media pages.
Ayrton is also urging people to follow its social media pages for the latest

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USA - Over the next few weeks, ADJ will host a series of live video broadcasts that will provide educational content and in-depth product overviews. Each installment of Stay Connected will have a specific focus and provide an opportunity for lighting and event professionals to upskill from the safety and comfort of their own homes ready for when the covid-19 pandemic is over.
This is the season that ADJ, like many in the industry, would usually be exhibiting at trade shows around the world, demonstrating its latest products to new and prospective customers. In lieu of these industry events, which have all been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, ADJ wants to offer something of the tradeshow experience but in a way that can be accessed safely in these times of social distancing and home working.
ADJ wants to serve the industry by providing fre

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Curaçao - Reaching 56.4m above the crystal blue waters of St. Anna Bay, the Queen Juliana Bridge - the highest such structure in the Caribbean - affords spectacular views of this nation’s capital city, Willamsted and its beaches. On the evening of Sunday, 22 March, it also offered an inspiring view of the future, when it served as the centrepiece of Light The Sky in Curaçao.
Initiated on the island nation by Ian Sillie, the project, which originated in The Netherlands, was built around the theme Let’s Inspire Hope Together. With beams from a collection of Chauvet Professional Maverick and Rogue fixtures cutting through the dark sky, the display served as a reminder to all that the creative spirit that runs through Curaçao will continue to shine brightly long after the coronavirus has faded into history.
Massive Productions was contacted by Sillie

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USA - Interactive Technologies has announced the release of its latest software version for all models of its CueServer 2 platform.
CueServer version 4.0 includes over 70 new features and bug fixes and introduces the concept of CueServer plugins, designed to add a new level of customisation to every CueServer.
Additionally, CueServer now speaks Javascript, enabling users to mix and match Javascript code with the traditional CueScript language. CueServer’s multi-lingual feature gives users the ability to create more complicated logic or write a custom plugin.
“With CueServer's new capabilities, we're enabling a next-generation of lighting control projects,” says Rob Johnston, founder and president of Interactive Technologies. “These next-gen projects reach far beyond just DMX. They react to changes in the weather, integrate with multiple media types, and

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UK - A new improved version of DMX-Workshop, the free software application for lighting network management, analysis, configuration and diagnostics, is now available for download.
The latest update includes numerous improvements based on work done at February's PLASA PlugFest in Lille. 
The software offers functionality across many protocols, including Art-Net, sACN, DMX512, RDM, VLC and DALI. Key improvements include the curve editor for Artistic Licence's PLASA Gold Award-winning trailing edge dimmer, sunDial. 
Using DMX-Workshop, users can now define whether they want sunDial to generate a linear or log response. The latter results in a very smooth low end curve - a major benefit for dimmable replacement LED bulbs, which often perform poorly in this range.
In addition, Artistic Licence has put in significant R&D effort into developing custom cu

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USA/Europe - Elation Professional has several new lighting products launching this spring. The weatherproof Proteus range welcomes the Proteus Lucius, a compact and powerful LED profile with IP65 rating that features a 580W hotspot LED engine and over 30,000 delivered lumens to cut through in any environment.
Feature-packed and outfitted with framing shutters, 20 gobos on 3 wheels, animation and CMY + variable CTO colour mixing, Proteus Lucius offers outstanding projection qualities and is the latest step in Elation’s quest to provide “the widest range of IP65 moving heads on the market”.
Elation is introducing two additions to its multi-award-winning Artiste LED moving head series, the Artiste Rembrandt and Artiste Mondrian. The Rembrandt and Mondrian partner alongside the Artiste Monet and feature the same seven-flag SpectraColor colour mixing system (CMYRGB+CT

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UK - Following his India Idol win, the Mewat-born Salman Ali went on to record songs for popular TV programmes and Bollywood films, in addition to cutting his own records. On 15 February, just weeks before the prohibition of live events took effect, he reached another milestone, appearing for his first solo concert in the UK before a sold-out crowd at SSE Arena Wembley.
Providing big bold looks that matched the budding star’s soaring performance, which was produced by Rock On Music, was a sweeping Roosevelt Dsouza lighting design that featured 42 Chauvet Professional moving LED fixtures supplied by Pro System Services.
Filling the air with vividly coloured crossing beam patterns, and accentuating his client’s performance with bursts of white audience lighting, Dsouza endowed the venerable arena with a sense of energy that captured the moment. Balancing the

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Switzerland - Stagelight, one of Switzerland’s leading production rental houses, recently provided a Green-GO event comms solution as part of the full technical production package for a high-profile professional wrestling show at Zurich’s multi-purpose Hallenstadion.
The event was another success for Green-GO’s digital intercom over Ethernet technology, which has become a firm favourite in the events industry.
With the show production built around the central wrestling ring, Stagelight’s team designed a 360° sound system on a completely flown rig, with no ground support to block the all-important sightlines. With four followspot positions located high in the stands surrounding the ring, the intercom solution had to be distributed to the furthest reaches of the venue, via both wired and wireless beltpacks.
The system fielded by Stagelight was part of a re

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South Africa - With the country in lockdown due to coronavirus, DWR Distribution’s staff remain available during office hours, while the company is offering a range of online learning opportunities.
“We have entered into completely uncharted territory as individuals as a country and as citizens of a global community,” says the latest update from DWR.
“The South African government has taken up the call to become a part the most ambitious and courageous global effort to stop the spread of the novel Coronavirus that is causing Covid-19, placing the lives of its citizens before commerce and profit. We at DWR Distribution stand behind our government and our world leaders and pledge our support to stem the threat posed Covid-19 by staying at home.
“However, staying in our homes does not mean that we have closed our doors. We have simply installed a virtual

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UK - Ollie Searle has joined Stage Electrics as a service engineer working within their busy service department. As part of a team of five service engineers, Ollie will be responsible for visiting customers across the UK, maintaining and repairing a wide range of production lighting audio and video equipment.
Stage Electrics are authorised service centres for ETC, Chauvet, ChamSys, Zero 88, Avolites, Martin Professional, Vari*Lite, Strand, Yamaha, DiGiCo RCF, TecPro, Altair and Swisson brands.
“It is something I have always wanted to do. My degree was in music production and I enjoy fixing things. Both of these go hand in hand with this role,” said Ollie.
Rob Ley, service manager, comments: “Ollie brings with him experience of setting up and operating audio systems in a live sound environment, as well as diagnostic/fault-finding and workshop repair skill

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USA - Pigeons Playing Ping Pong thrives on contact with their large, loyal base of hardcore fans. Feeding off the energy of the crowd powers the psychedelic funk jam band through a relentless touring schedule that includes about 200 shows a year. But a wildly cheering audience was nowhere to be seen when the irrepressible quartet took to a temporary stage set up at Showtime Sound’s warehouse in Baltimore on 14 March for a live streamed concert on nugs.tv.
Nevertheless, ‘the flock’, as the quartet’s aficionados are affectionately called, got a healthy dosage of Pigeons magic thanks to 90 minutes of free-flowing music, accompanied by a lively Manny Newman designed light show that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures.
Covering the stage with bold vibrant colours, Newman evoked the band’s unabashedly modern-hip image on stage while still keeping his looks mana

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Europe - Elation Professional’s European website has received a thorough makeover with a redesigned look that makes for a more engaging visual experience with more intuitive interaction. The website’s improved functionality and cleaner, uncluttered design makes it easier for visitors to find the information they need in a more visually appealing interface.
The new website, still found at www.elationlighting.eu, is more reflective of the professional development and increased market presence the company has experienced over the past few years.
Elation Europe’s new-look website is easier to navigate and features an enlarged format with enhanced visual content. Compatible across multiple platforms/browsers with an adaptive screen size and design for phones and tablets, the new webs

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The Netherlands - Throughout the Netherlands bundles of light were visible in the sky on Sunday 22 March evening from 20:00 to 20:30. The light and sound industry joined the #LightTheSky #StayAtHome initiative. Organiser Highlite reports, “This showed once again that the power of entertainment is in all of us, no matter the situation.
“From Highlite, we want to thank all those people who are working so hard for all of us to stay safe while we are being affected by the Covid-19. We would like to thank all the industry colleagues who made it possible and projected a light of hope in the sky. We especially like to thank not only the proud owners of our brands but everybody who shared with us and sent us pictures.
“Participants included THE LIGHTS.nl, CREATE amazing things, Paco support, the Light Package and Highlite Rent, who used Infinity Intelligent Light and Sh

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South Africa - The technical production industry is known worldwide for its resourcefulness and determination, and the coronavirus pandemic is energising some intrepid ideas to help keep businesses rolling and communities safe and functional during the crisis.
With all conferences and live entertainment work cancelled or postponed, South African rental company MGG based in Johannesburg was looking at their 32 idle vehicles - ranging from 45ft artics to small run-around vans - when owner and MD Mark Gaylard came up with the idea of offering the fleet for moving essential medical and other supplies during the crisis.
Mark composed a quick Facebook post about the transport fleet which went on his own personal page and before long it had nearly 400 shares and people started talking and calling.
The initial inquiries have started to become a steady trickle of work,

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Europe - LED lighting manufacturer Astera has launched Astera Academy, an online resource of free webinars dedicated to the company’s hardware and software offerings.
Available at www.astera-led.com/academy, the new venture enables interested parties – lighting and visual designers, DOPs, directors, gaffers, grips, engineers and techs - to utilise and maximise their time in self-isolation to learn.
The Astera Academy is doing its bit to help make the best out of the worldwide situation and assist the creative and resourceful entertainment technology industry to be ready to hit the ground running when life and business return to normal!
The Astera Academy offers free webinars allowing people to learn more about the AsteraApp and various Astera lighting fixtures.
Topics will include subjects like Getting Started with the AsteraApp to discover its

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USA - Last October, Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia debuted a high-tech scoreboard and arena lighting system that has enriched the fan experience and set a new standard for arena scoreboard displays. Full-service production company Light Action Productions of Delaware played a leading role in specifying, designing and supplying the lighting and included a range of Elation lighting products in the system.
Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers fans know all about the massive configurable display that is described as the most technologically advanced arena scoreboard in the world. The world’s first 4K kinetic centre-hung entertainment system, the new scoreboard has become a huge part of the fan experience.
The new scoreboard is the latest step in Wells Fargo Centre's extensive renovation plan, a $250m multi-year transformation of the arena that began in 2017. Completed in c

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UK - One of the biggest stars of the immensely popular Irish country music scene, Nathan Carter and his band recently finished a 13-date tour of England backed by an ADJ-led lighting and effects rig. From beams to stage washes, smoke effects to dry ice, Nathan’s long-time lighting designer, Derek Reilly, relies on ADJ equipment to create the backdrop for his jubilant performances.
Born and raised in Liverpool by a family that originated from the city of Newry in County Down, music has always been a part of Nathan Carter’s life. After spending his youth traveling to Ireland to compete in the Fleadh Ceoil singing competitions as well as playing accordion and piano in a Liverpool-based Ceili band, he moved across the Irish sea at the age of 18 to pursue a fulltime career in music.
Over the following decade, Nathan has honed a distinctive sound that draws together coun

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Canada - Lighting designer Normand Chasse of Montreal-based Wysart selected Robert Juliat Dalis 864 LED asymmetric footlights for the recording of Mix Sonore, a new English-French music variety programme, which will air on Canada’s TV5Unis starting in May.
Mix Sonore is a live music series which features Martha Wainwright hosting a line-up of English and French-speaking artists at Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Marquee Ballroom. Performers on the 13 shows include Rose Cousins, Classified, Matt Andersen, Basia Bulat, Jason Collett, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Sam Roberts, Etienne Fletcher and Yann Perreau. It was produced by Connections Productions Inc. of Halifax.
Normand Chasse says he was “excited to see” the Dalis 864 fixtures at last year’s LDI and has been kept up to date on the fixtures by ACT Canada’s Alex Monat. The Dalis 864 is a new, 150W colour v

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USA - At 7pm on Saturday 21 March, the four members of Feed the Dog found themselves someplace they never thought they’d be a few weeks earlier: standing before microphones ready to perform their high energy blend of rock and bluegrass music.
There was no audience present, but the jam banders, who have played at clubs across the US and festivals like SXSW, didn’t care, it was a chance to perform live music - plus it was all for a good cause.
The Feed the Dog show was the first of what promises to be a series of livestreamed concerts at the warehouse, turned studio, of JEM Productions in Wausau, WI.
Joe Ellis, the owner of the production house, came up with the concept of doing the Saturday livestreams, which are lit by his company’s collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue, STRIKE and COLORado fixtures. A guitarist himself, Ellis wanted to do the shows, f

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Germany - Ever since 1963, the Philharmonie Berlin has been the capital's musical heart - at the opening when it was still located at the periphery of West Berlin, and even more so when it became part of the new urban centre after the reunification of Germany.
Today, the Philharmonie designed by Hans Scharoun belongs to the Kulturforum Berlin along with the Chamber Music Hall, the museum of musical instruments and a series of other buildings, and is just steps away from the Potsdamer Platz. Its exceptional design reminiscent of the shape of a tent and the conspicuous yellow colour visible from afar have made it one of the city's landmarks. While initially the unusual and innovative character of its architecture and concert hall design provoked controversy, the Berliner Philharmonie has since inspired architects of concert houses everywhere in the world.
The Chamber Mu

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USA - On 10 March, the Black Rock Church planning team met with the pastoral staff in Fairfield, CT to discuss the upcoming weekend’s services, as well as the church’s 63rd Missions Conference, which was slated to begin five days later. Like many plans in every corner of the world, the ideas the team was drawing up were interrupted by growing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Reports about COVID-19 infections increasing were obviously very worrisome,” said Christopher Palazini, lighting and associate technical director at the 171-year old church. “The chance of some 2,400 Sunday morning worshippers - and many hundreds more attending the planned conference - being exposed to the virus was not something we wanted to risk. So, after consulting with local health and town officials, the church leadership chose to suspend on-site services, most likely through the en

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Germany - Lighting control specialist Madrix has scheduled a free live streaming programme to start next week.
“To stay connected with our industry and lighting community, we would like to invite everyone to join us live on YouTube from the Madrix headquarters,” says marketing manager Martin Fritzsche. “We will be offering an update on what we are working on to stay connected. Among those is the world premiere of a brand-new hardware product.”
The programme includes:
Madrix: 2020 March Update - an overview over the latest updates regarding the company’s range of LED lighting control solutions made in Germany; Madrix Radar - Unleash the full potential Of RDM - Learn how to unlock unprecedented RDM functionality with this brand-independent tool with fully automatic 24/7 device monitoring and automatic e-mail notifications; the world premie

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USA - The Knoxville Museum of Art held the 17th annual L’Amour du Vin, its primary fundraising event that features a wine dinner and auction. The soiree took place on 7 March, and Bandit Lites donated a lighting system for the event, lighting spaces ranging from the façade of the museum to multiple interior spaces and the tents into the gardens.
“For these locations, we chose the Chauvet Freedom Par Quad-4 IP,” said Bandit Lites general manager Giff Swart, noting that most of the spaces had limited power available. “Another advantage of the Freedom Par is that they can be controlled wirelessly, and this keeps cables from cluttering the floor and creating trip-hazards.”
“As an event planner and designer, I can attest that few other event elements have the same impact as lighting,” said event designer Carla May Paré. “It has the power to transform an e
  1. Encore SFX adds MDG for The Greatest Dancer
  2. Club Beehive creates a buzz with Ayrton
  3. ADJ and Elation operate reduced schedule
  4. ChamSys unveils online lighting contest
  5. Rental companies light the sky for heroes
  6. Highlite expresses support
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