Lighting

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USA - Longtime industry veteran Pete Heffernan has joined Christie Lites. Heffernan was president of Bandit Lites for eight years prior to joining Christie Lites and his career spans more than three decades including as promoter of an Elvis Presley concert, lighting designer, production manager and finally as corporate executive.
Heffernan said, “Christie Lites is a company that puts the client first and has a methodology that in my opinion is tops in the industry. I have always placed the client’s needs first and then provided the support to make the production a success. Christie Lites is the perfect place for me to take this approach to the next level.”
Heffernan has relocated to Nashville and will focus on customer relations and market development for Christie Lites, whose scope includes concert tours, special events, corporate/industrial presentations, the

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Belgium - AED, the Belgian AV solutions provider, recently expanded its rental product portfolio by investing in six new Wings Engine Stage media servers and two Wings Engine Pro Quad servers, as well as 10 UHD Player units.
In addition to media server and media playout hardware, AED also purchased a number of AV Stumpfl VarioClip projection screens.
VarioClip screens offer a full clean profile without studs and press snaps. The projection screen surface tension can be adjusted to ambient temperature with a great frame stability and accuracy.
AV Stumpfl CEO Tobias Stumpfl comments, "AED has been one of our closest partners in Europe for quite a few years now. It makes us particularly happy to see that both our projection screens and media server related product ranges continue to be important parts of the AED family's rental product portfolio. We know the AED te

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USA - In January, Toyota unveiled its futuristic Concept-i vehicle at the CES consumer electronics show at an award-winning booth lit using Elation Professional Platinum FLX hybrid moving heads and Colour Chorus series LED battens. Lighting and rigging was provided by TLS Productions. who also created the lighting design for the booth.
Held January 5-8 in Las Vegas, CES is the place to see what’s next in tech and has always attracted the latest in automobile technology. Toyota used the occasion to show its Concept-i car, an intelligent car of the future with built-in artificial intelligence called Yui. The futuristically designed car with an aerodynamic shape is designed to “learn from and grow with the driver” with Yui embedded into the vehicle’s architecture.
The Toyota booth at this year’s show featured two parts, explains Robert Glowacki, lighting design

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Europe - Dream Theater is once again bringing their progressive metal sound to Europe. The first leg of their Images, Words & Beyond tour closes in Helsinki this month. They will resume in April in the UK and close in Vienna in May. Keeping pace with the fiery brilliance of the band’s veteran metal shredders are eight blazing Solaris Flares.
“On this tour, we’re using the Flares for overhead wash and strobe effects,” says tour lighting designer and director, Steve Baird. “What I really like about Flares is their awesome power! They’re extremely bright and their multiple functions make them ultra-versatile. We’re using the Flares in full advanced mode and they’ve been rock solid performers. We haven’t had to replace a single unit thus far.”
Baird adds, “Jon Greaves and Andy Scott at Lite Alt recommended the Flares to us last year and we were mo

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South Africa - MGG were called upon to supply the full technical for the SAPOA Annual Convention, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary at the Sandton Convention Centre’s Pavilion Venue in Johannesburg. For this top-notch occasion, MGG asked lighting designer Francois van der Merwe from Wizardry Group to design both the conference and banquet styled show.
The South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) is the representative body and official voice of the commercial and industrial property industry in South Africa. As they wanted something extraordinary for their golden celebration, MGG incorporated the largest VuePix configuration they had ever built comprising of some 200 x Q3 3.91mm panels. The show included Clay Paky Sharpys and Mythos and control on a grandMA2 full size.
The event kicked off in the conference room where a 28m x 4.5m VuePix L6 Series 6.

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Germany - Die Fantastischen Vier - AKA iconic German rappers Fanta 4 - hit the road again on Vier und Jetzt, their biennial tour campaign for 2016-17, reaching out to an ever-loyal fan base which spans several generations and stretches across every corner of the country. Once again, the lighting, set and visual design was created by Gunther Hecker working in close collaboration with Marc Lorenz..
Gunther and Marc are a well-known FOH duo recognized for their fresh, often radical, boundary-pushing ideas and different approach. Their lighting rigs frequently contain Robe fixtures and this one followed that very trend with 60 Pointes that were integral to the epic yet raw show aesthetic developed by Gunther.
Marc, from Cue Design, took on the role of lighting director plus overall visual technology and control guru, compiling and co-ordinating the lighting and video speci

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USA - Atlanta-based design company, Visional Productions, used three custom-built media servers running Avolites Ai V9.1 software and an Avolites Quartz console to control and live edit a mix of pre-recorded content and live-streamed video at an annual three-day Christian youth conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Passion 2017 drew in audiences of 50,000 young adults from around the globe to Georgia's Atlanta Dome to discuss the Christian faith, fight modern day slavery and sponsor 7,000 children living in poverty.
The job of designing the dynamic media display system for Passion's audience of tech-savvy 18-25 year olds fell to co-founder of Visional, Kyle Means. Means has been involved with Passion Conferences since 2013 through London-based production management company Black and White Live.
Turning to the latest Ai V9.1 software, and Notch, a real-time effects gene

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UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. (AC-ET) has announced that Andy Mahaffey has re-joined the company in a key external UK sales role.
Andy brings a wealth of all-round lighting technical knowledge and experience to the position, having worked in customer-facing roles on both the sales and event production sides of the industry.
Most recently he worked at Blitz|GES (formerly known as Blitz Communications) for four years as head of lighting. Whilst in this role, Andy was responsible for building the company's Lighting department, which provides full service production for large-scale corporate and other live events. In addition, he provided lighting design and project management solutions to a wide range of events.
Andy also got first-hand experience utilising products from AC-ET's portfolio of popular and leading lighting brands - including Chroma-Q LED f

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Europe - Swiss artist DJ BoBo is celebrating his 25th anniversary on stage by touring the grand new show, Mystorial.
From April 2017 it will visit Switzerland, Austria and other parts of Europe, including 24 arenas in Germany before heading down to South America.
But it has already received its world premiere during a two-week opener at the vast Europa-Park amusement park in south-west Germany, where a new arena has been built specially to host the production.
Mystorial takes fans on a fascinating journey through time, mixing well-known hits with new songs, supported by a five-piece band, backing singers and 60 dancers.
TV and industrial lighting specialist, Thomas Gerdon of GERDON design, was responsible for the lighting in conjunction with his partner Thomas Dietze, who has worked with the artist for nearly 25 years as his touring LD. Together they chose

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USA - It was a night of heart wrenching insight, professions of love and thoughtful musings as singer-songwriter Erick Baker serenaded a sold out crowd at Knoxville’s historic Bijou Theatre with a lighting package provided by Bandit Lites.
In what could have been right out of a movie, Bandit Lites production manager Allison Burchett found herself bumping into Erick at the world-renowned Blackberry Farm resort, only then he was known as the brother of event planner Jennifer Laraia and husband of Jenn’s business associate Mandy.
“I would always hear Erick happily humming and singing as we set-up,” shared Allison. “So one day I said to him, ‘You should sing for a living!’ I was surprised when he responded with, “Well, actually I do!’ I can only imagine the look on my face, so he said, ‘My name is Erick Baker,’ and before he could say another word,

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UAE - Maestra Dubai is supplying full technical production – lighting, audio, video, staging, rigging, special FX and power distribution - to the 2016-17 series of Groove on The Grass dance events.
Now in its fifth edition, the five events for this season are produced by the Artists Network and being staged at the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, each enjoyed by around 5000 dance music fans.
A sizzling line-up for the last Groove a couple of weeks ago included a host of leading international music makers like Rӧyksopp, Agents of Time, Dewalta, Marc Houle and Steve Bug …among many more who played on two stages, and kept going despite heavy rain at some points.
“We’re excited to be part of the energy and success of this great phenomenon which is known for putting production values high on the agenda,” says Maestra Dubai’s managing partner Tom Clements, addi

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USA - Back in 1991, Jeffrey Metter was board operating the band lighting console for The Grateful Dead when he got a call inviting him to Atlantic City. Country and pop superstar Kenny Rogers needed a lighting director for an upcoming concert. It was supposed to be a weekend gig, but 26 years later the South African- born lighting designer is still with the multi-platinum singer, lighting the final Kenny Rogers tour. Travelling with them as they crisscross the US is a touring package comprised entirely of Chauvet Professional fixtures.
Made up of 14 Rogue R2 Wash and eight Rogue RH1 Hybrid fixtures, as well as an assortment of 20 COLORado par units, the rig is substantially smaller than the lighting package Metter used when he began his association with Rogers. Still, the rich warm colours and tight focus of the Chauvet Professional fixtures is helping the designer create a

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Israel - I Am Jerusalem is a new multimedia interactive experience designed to welcome visitors to one of the most famous cities in the world, offering a fast-moving history and snapshots explaining how cultural diversity is fundamental to the dynamics and development of life in this vibrant gateway to the Middle East.
Robe Pointes moving lights were specified by the installation division of Danor Theatre & Studio Systems as part of the entertainment lighting scheme in the movie theatre which features 270 degree wrap-around HD video and a video ceiling. The venue is located in the basement of Jerusalem’s central retail environment - Mamilla Boulevard.
During the 25-minute show, the city’s rich and colourful history is unfolded to an intimate audience of 200 complete with pitching and moving seats to ensure a roller coaster ride!
Orphan Group Creati

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UK - Outback Rigging has announced that Ed Pagett, formerly MD of Panalux Broadcast & Events has been appointment commercial director from 1February 2017.
Ed commented, “My role at Outback is to help diversify their product/service offering as well as increase market share and profile of the established core business – which traditionally has been rigging services to the events, exhibition and corporate presentation markets throughout the UK.”
He continued, “I initially took a six-month sabbatical after 11 years at Panalux to step back and evaluate where new, fresh and exciting opportunities lay. It wasn’t a complete break however because I remained (and continue to remain) heavily involved with the PLASA Board in my capacity as chairman. I have known Mark Surtees – MD of Outback Rigging for several years through PLASA and after an initial discussion, i

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USA – Lighting designer Bob Barnhart, who has lent his talents to 19 Super Bowl Halftime Shows, chose Claypaky Mythos and Sharpy fixtures to help illuminate Lady Gaga in her solo turn at Super Bowl LI at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Lady Gaga began the Halftime Show with a tribute to America singing God Bless America and This Land is Your Land on the roof of the stadium. She performed some dizzying flying effects, crooned a medley of her hits, led high-energy dance routines and closed with a rendition of Bad Romance in an action-packed, 12-minute show.
Barnhart first used Claypaky Mythos fixtures on a Super Bowl Halftime Show two years ago with Katy Perry. This year he employed 56 Mythos on field truss set against the upstage wall below the first row of seats. The lights were positioned on 2.5-foot spacings from the centre of the field out to the 20

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France – Leading entertainment lighting manufacturer Ayrton has announced the tragic death of its export manager, Valère Huart-Gyors. The company’s statement said:
“It is with a heavy heart that we report the heart of Valère stopped beating last Sunday. He was 37 years old.
“Valère Huart-Gyors, our collaborator and dear colleague, was responsible for exporting Ayrton throughout the world. Since 2011, from Las Vegas to Sydney, he has spread our values with a rare commitment because Valère was an authentic fan of Ayrton.
“Methodical, organised and precise, he advanced quickly and well, exercising a detailed knowledge of his market. Societies and their politics, people and their past, excited him in addition to his many interests such as history, politics, music . . . Valère was both brilliant and cultivated. His humour, sharp and often caustic, made

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USA - TMB has issued the following tribute to its first employee Tommy Stephenson who sadly passed away this week . . .
“TMB fondly remembers our first employee, Tommy Stephenson, the loudest man in show business.
“After a record breaking stint as PA for Greg Lake (of ELP fame) Tommy joined TMB around 1984 (who kept track in those days?). He transformed the fledgling organization from Two Men in a Bedroom to Three Men and a Dog. Tommy’s primary role then was, and always remained, Confusion Analyst, but his early duties also included cable coiler, driver, shipping/receiving expert, and ace booth builder (specializing in the afternoon shift). Later, in the spare time between his ongoing confusion analysis, he grew to become TMB’s Sales Manager. His heavy focus on confusion was the origin of TMB’s famous Rule Three: “Do Not Believe A Word Tommy Tells You.” I

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UK - PRG XL Video, the UK operation of Production Resource Group (PRG), has moved to a new, larger, London location. Continuing its strategy for growth, the company has relocated within Central London.
The office, in the very heart of London’s theatreland, houses sales and support teams from four major market sectors – concert touring, theatre, television and film, and corporate and events. The location at 77 St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden includes space for PRG XL permanent staff, hot desking space for clients and creatives to visit, and multiple meeting rooms, which are not only used by PRG XL’s own teams, but are utilised by industry organisations for their regular board meetings.
PRG XL Video’s director of human resources, Alistair Todd comments: “The space has been designed not only to house our growing team, but also as a hub of creativity for client

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UAE - Christie Pandoras Box is synchronizing more than 100m pixels of Float4 content at Meraas City Walk in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. City Walk was conceived as a destination par-excellence for both locals and tourists complete with upscale shopping, dining and living with a park-like ambience by Meraas, a Dubai-based holding company with extensive assets in real estate, retail, hospitality and entertainment.
Meraas approached Float4, an award-winning studio that designs and produces site-specific interactive multimedia installations, to create a digital feature for City Walk. The scope grew to encompass an outdoor digital experience that includes more than 30 LED installations, nearly 30 projectors, and a water fountain show that uses water screens. In total, there are over 100m pixels that cover a space the size of 12 football fields.
“Meraas wanted to differen

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Mexico - Justin Bieber kicked off year two of his comeback tour with a sold-out concert at Monterrey, Mexico’s Estadio BBVA Bancomer arena. Accenting the star’s performance and lending an aura of timelessness to the evening was a powerful and evocative Corey FitzGerald lightshow that featured 88 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Wash fixtures, supplied by Serpro Producciones of Monterrey.
“We were very honoured to have provided lights for this concert,” said Renato Betancourt, CEO of Serpro Producciones. “Recently, we made an investment in the Maverick MK2 Wash because we wanted a fixture that could deliver the output and colours that would be needed for major productions – and at the same time would be flexible enough to work well for a range of musical styles.”
With 12 40W Osram RGBW LEDs, the Maverick MK2 Wash met Betancourt’s criteria for output and

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USA - December saw the opening of Rumba Room Live, an upscale Latin-themed nightclub and concert venue in Anaheim, California. Located at the Anaheim GardenWalk and built new from the ground up, the club, which features state-of-the-art Elation entertainment lighting and video systems, has energised the nightclub scene in Anaheim. The 10,000sq.ft venue has the flexibility to host 1,000 people and hold a variety of events yet maintains a chic, intimate feel.
Working with the club’s architect and ownership to develop the design and look of the venue was Michael Betancourt, general manager at Southern California-based Props AV, the production company that designed, supplied and installed the Elation lighting and video package. “When the Rumba Room Live project first came to the table the feel that they wanted to go for was a Latin-themed nightclub and live venue with a sex

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USA - This summer marks the fourth CUE professional development conference hosted by ETC. This year, the biennial event will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, 21-23 July.
The CUE conference is designed for ETC end-users of all skill levels to gain knowledge that can be used in their careers. It also gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the technology they’ll use when they enter the workforce.
This year’s theme reflects back to a time when many youngsters were shipped off for a week or two to summer camp. The Camp CUE programme features high-quality keynote speakers, three days of classes, and networking opportunities with industry peers and the ETC professionals behind the company’s award-winning products.
Classes include day-long tracks geared toward console programmers, lighting designers, educators, and technicians. For participan

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Europe - Laserworld's Purelight Series with 6W, 10W and 20W offers high power for a low price with a good white balance. This makes the units suitable for high power applications in bigger venues.
Laserworld’s Purelight systems are powerful white light RGB laser systems with a power range between 6 and 20W. The three offered RGB systems have a good white balance with homogeneous beam profile and analogue colour modulation.
Lasers in the new Purelight Series have a compact housing, thus they easily integrate with existing lighting setups and established room concepts. Due to the rugged mounting bracket, the Purelight laser systems can be mounted in standing and hanging position, thus it is possible to hang the units from a truss or mount them on top of a stand. Laserworld Purelight systems are especially suitable for beam shows with longer beam distances such as festi

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USA - The latest in a succession of lighting professionals to adopt GLP’s award-winning X4 Bar 20 platform has been designer and programmer, Brian Jenkins. Part of an experienced team based on America’s West Coast, along with people like Roy Bennett, his verdict was unequivocal. “In the moving LED batten market, GLP has hit it out of the park.”
Jenkins is no stranger to the German company’s products, having originally been introduced to the Volkslicht by Seth Jackson when he was designing the Selena Gomez tour. This kick-started an enduring relationship with GLP and its staff. Now in his fourth year with Maroon 5, the LD says, “When we first fired-up in 2015, Roy Bennett designed the production and lighting, with Jason Baeri and myself handling programming and associate design duties. We’ve found a workflow that we both enjoy.
“Outside the main tour, wh
  1. Elation concept for Cologne’s Bootshaus
  2. Justin Bieber flies with Q-7s at Fontainebleau
  3. Gem and Jam Festival stage glows with Chauvet
  4. Claypaky Supersharpy lights up Super Bowl sky
  5. PR launches XPar 150 for extreme outdoor use
  6. Market Theatre invests in Robin DL4S
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