Doodsons has traditionally supported freelance riggers and rigging companies as part of its commitment to the entertainment industry. The company was brought to the attention of PLASA by members of the Rigging community as a major player in providing insurance for freelance technicians. With a shared vision and commitment to a safer industry they have worked together to find a way to advantage riggers who have achieved the National Rigging Ce
The event will run Wednesday 22nd, Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th April 2015, in the UK, at Gatwick Manor, London Road at Lowfield Heath, just south of Gatwick Airport.
The Developers Conference provides a European forum for manufacturers, designers, consultants and prospective users to discuss and learn about the various control protocol standards emanating from the PLASA Technical Standards program, and aims to ensure that the adoption of these new standards achieves desired levels of interoperability and reliability.
Conference sessions will cover the use and implementation of the published RDM, sACN and ACN standards, together with other projects in the current PLASA Technical Standards Program such as "E1.33 : RDMnet".
The "Plugfest" is a hands-on o
HMA assemblies, benefiting from Stratos expanded beam technology, are available on the Van Damme Tourlight 50/125 OM3 multimode in two or four port form. They utilise a hermaphroditic interconnection meaning they connect freely with each other and alignment is no longer such a crucial factor. Designed for use in the field including military applications, The HMA connectors are ruggedly designed and quickly field repairable should the need arise.
VDC Trading CEO Niall Holden explained, "We have been delighted with our progress in the field of fibre optic cable. Our Van Damme Tourlight range has been a huge success, we beat our first y
Designed to reflect the company's capabilities and reveal what goes on behind the scenes, the new website will showcase some of Stage One's most recent projects and the new direction of its creative construction and manufacturing services.
Working with designers, artists and architects, Stage One has evolved into a multi-faceted fabrication operation. The company manages the whole creative and creation process, from the brief to the big idea, on projects such as Olympic ceremonies, live events, sculptures, installations and specialist build projects such as the annual Serpentine Gallery pavilions.
Stage One sales and marketing director, Tim Leigh exp
New to the series are the retrofittable push-to-lift mechanism, the cable management tray for the Sysdesk09 & SysframeE50 desk connection panels plus the all new, cost-efficient Sysframe45 connection panels for the integration of Syswall45 clip-in modules, which contain all common connections of media engineering with an optimum spacing.
The push-to-lift mechanism can be retrofitted on all Ssydesk models delivered since 2012 and allows a very comfortable opening of the Sysdesk swivel unit. A simple push on the housing unlocks the interior part which will come up - without any assistance by electric components. For closing just push the same spot on the
The Star Events team worked to a brief from production company Lodestar. It required a complex rigging element throughout the venue and over 1,100sq.m of multi-level terracing, ramps and stairways to form the stage, an auditorium for 1,000 people, VIP and technical areas.
The whole set up was constructed on a sub-floor, laid not only to protect the Olympic standard sports surface, but to spread the significant loads generated by the event production, which included a small crane, squeezed into the venue to assist with the build.
Gavin Scott, Star Events' project manager, said, "Establish
A Basic One Day Training course takes place on 9 March. Subjects include Basic Fundamentals, Layouts, Pallets, Basic Tools, Classts & Layers.
The Intermediate Two Day Training will be hosted on 10-11 March. Topics include Preferences, Workspace, Basic Spotlight, Basic Renderworks and Intermediate Tools. The cost is R1 500.00 incl. VAT.
The Advanced Two Day Training will be held on 12-13 March. Subjects include Working Planes, Advanced Modelling and Advanced Renderworks.
Alternatively, delegates may prefer attending all of the above-mentioned dates for Full Vectorworks Training Week held from 9-13 March.
(Jim Evans)
The show, directed by Guy Caron and Michael Curry, combines ice skating, aerial arts, puppetry and film, offering a new story based on the first Ice Age film.
WIcreations has a long standing working relationship with Amsterdam based Stage Entertainment, and has been involved with various specialist rigging aspects of the Ice Age Live project from the start.
For this phase of the tour, the WIcreations team - project managed by Hans Willems - redesigned a ground support and 42m tracking system for the large upstage
To refine the lighting rig to the practicalities of touring, budgets and equipment availability, lighting designer Kenneth Posner and associate lighting designer John Viesta made some changes to the New York design for the road, switching the side ladder moving lights from Martin MAC 2000s to Vari-Lite VL3500s and replacing the overhead VL2500 Wash lights with LED par cans.
As ever with changes like this, the lighting data in the console show file no longer produced the correct lighting on stage, since each fixture type responds differently to the same DMX data. In this situation what is needed is clear, precise, accurate information about what the lights did in each preset focus and in each cue in the origi
Jean Paul Gaspard of Audio Concept, Prolyte distributor in Latin America, put PROmontaje in contact with Prolyte. "I knew Prolyte was the only truss manufacturer I could trust to deliver a structure of the size and capacity my customer was looking for," comments Jean Paul Gaspard, "PROmontaje already owns an ARC roof and barriers from Prolyte, and they are very happy with the quality of those products and the ease of use".
The structure PROmontaje was looking for needed to have enough loading capacity, paired with a large
The conference took 700 attendees through the history of the Citroën and DS brands, and unveiled a new dual brand strategy for the two ranges. Blackout continued its long standing relationship with Crown and production manager Steve Webb having worked together for over 20 years. The show featured automated tracking LED screens, and vehicles that drove onto the stage.
The audience entered into the main exhibition area, where both new and old DS cars were displayed. Blackout's drapes were utilised to cover the retracted seating to make space for this area. Additional drape walls were added by the venue, which were lined with Blackout's aesthetically attractive wh
Previously operations manager with Cemex Materials UK, Lizzie was responsible for managing the daily operations of up to 17 Readymix plants, contractor engagement and management, planning of plant maintenance, management of independent haulage contractors and quality compliance of the product produced and delivered.
Speaking of her role at Unusual, Lizzie explained, "My background is in theatre, having worked for nearly a decade as a scenic artist both freelance and at the Watford Palace Theatre. The opportunity to re-join an industry that I'm passionate
The two-day event kicks off Tuesday at 9:00am with Richard Pilbrow's educational seminar titled Light and Theatre? 50 Years of Change. Additional seminars follow and the exhibition hall opens at 10:00am-5:00pm with over 60 regional and national companies exhibiting the latest in entertainment technology. On Wednesday, the exhibition hall and seminar programme runs from 10:00am-4:00pm.
"We are thrilled with the incredibly high pre-registration numbers that we've seen so far, and can't wait for an extremely successful PLASA Focus event," said Laura Hoepker, PLASA Events sales executive. "Between the show floor and educational seminars, we are providing access to the best in the industry to everyone who attends."
Free registration to both the sh
Celebrating 150 Years of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Clifton suspension bridge, its spirit and impact as a landmark of Victorian engineering from conception to completion, the narrative also recalled how the bridge integrated into the community and industrial history of the region. The show was a collaboration between Bristol's Show of Strength Theatre Company and circus / physical theatre performance company, Circomedia.
The show's designer James Helps contacted Fineline on the recommendation of several others - to provide the solutions needed to stage the show
With the technical and sales support of Botany based The Rigging Shop, Mantracourt have sold a number of BroadWeigh systems that are now being used for concert halls, touring companies and stage shows. The BroadWeigh system provides essential measurements of force and thereby helps operatives avoid overload of design parameters.
The Rigging Shop sells many products aimed at the entertainment rigging industry and also supplies similar equipment to other industrial and commercial industries. The Rigging Shop was appointed as BroadWeigh's Australian technical partner early in 2014 and has experienced a lot of interest in this product range.
"We are delighted with the sales and support effort provided by the team at
The documentary explains how Mojo Barriers' patented stage barrier system is made, and the important role it plays at some of the world's largest and most well known events.
Jasper Caldenhoven Mojo Barriers' project manager supported the filming production process with WAG TV, ensuring that the film crew captured the exclusive content, from the manufacturing of barriers, to their installation and use at the Netherlands' oldest festival Pinkpop.
Jasper comments, "The documentary gives a great insight into our world: it follows every step of Mojo Barriers' procedures including the manufacturing process, which saw us filming at four different factories. We then filmed the rigorous testing systems back
The tour is produced by TS3, also responsible for the acclaimed Mylène Farmer Timeless tour, for which WI designed and supplied bespoke automation. Based on this success, they returned to WI to deliver more imaginative, reliable and tourable engineering solutions.
Calogero's avant-garde lighting scheme designed by Dimitri Vassiliu is based less around traditional lighting instruments and is more about using the direct and ambient light - and darkness - created by LED screens with content flowing through them. For this ambitious idea to work, they required a series of six LED panels to move around the performance space, so they can act as light sources.
The six screens nee
The amalgamation adds crowd control barriers, fencing, mobile grandstand seating and ground protection to Star Events' product range. Existing Beaver 84 contracts, with the BBC, Festival Republic and V Festivals among them, transfer too, along with Beaver's events team.
Steve Tysoe, managing director at Beaver 84 and Star Events, comments: "It makes perfect sense to put the portfolio together. It's a more focused approach for the client, with Star capable of providing the core equipment for any type of outdoor event."
(Jim Evans)
The company offers a comprehensive one-stop inventory of equipment solutions for film, television, and studio or location broadcast applications. This service covers products through to complete lighting and video systems, from supply through to installation.
The award-winning Chroma-Q Studio Force premium performance soft light range provides a soft, even light source in a choice of daylight, tungsten and variable white LED models which are comparable to traditional lighting technologies - and produce a massive output for their size.
The Mole-Richardson lighting rang
With a background in the hospitality industry, having managed hotels and venues both locally and internationally, Myburgh can relate to the events and entertainment market. When a new door opened for him to join Gravity Training, he received extensive training on rope access, rigging, climbing with a harness and safety.
The aim is to train technicians, riggers and all those who work on elevated platforms with the tools required to conduct a possible rescue. Subjects covered include falls and fall factors, shock absorbing lanyards, connectors, helmets, anchors, slings and wire strops, work positioning lanyards, rescue and practical training.
The three day course,
J&C Joel, one of the world's leading manufacturers of flame retardant fabrics and flooring for the entertainment and event industries, will also be celebrating its rich textile heritage at the Frankfurt show.
The British company has achieved global reach through an international network of offices and has been providing bespoke theatre curtains, drapes, canvasses, backdrops and stage engineering services for stage shows, events and exhibitions for more than 35 years.
As well as showcasing a number of new products and fabrics, which have been kept a closely guarded secret, the J&C Joel team will be launching its latest catalogue alongside a fresh new look for its website which will feature a number of technical enhancements to help custo
The new building is billed as a concert hall with 'perfectly-designed acoustics'. In addition to smaller spaces and an atrium, at the heart of the building is the 1800-seat Great Concert Hall, which is shaped in a hybrid form mixing classic 'shoe-box' and more recent 'vineyard' designs.
The 12 Chaintrack systems, which were supplied with Spiral storage areas, are installed on the three balcony levels within the Great Concert Hall, with four systems on each level.There are two systems on each balcony side, which share a common stacking area, and the tracks layouts are mirrored on each level and on each side. The installation required over
For the Super Bowl XLIX Pepsi Halftime featuring Katy Perry, the special effects portion of the production was remarkably flexible. "We change the show up until the day of- in fact, we made changes on Super Bowl Sunday, because of the camera shots. We try to maximize the best shot that the director, Hamish Hamilton, is
David knew that with the varied kit used on each job, any solution would have to be adaptable and so sat down with Doughty's Dan Phillips to come up with a modular trolley system that could be easily adapted.
David explained, "I have always known Doughty to be an effective engineering grip company, so contacted Dan to see if it would be possible to figure something out between us. We drew up a few sketches which he then developed into technical drawings. It became apparent straight away that Doughty had more knowl
