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Video and AV

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The RADLite, which combines images, vector shapes, text and video to create a range of visual effects, will get its London debut at the Brixton Academy this month when The Chemical Brothers perform two concerts there on the 18 and 19 March.

The band has already toured with the RADLite in Japan and Australia and will go on to Europe and the US after the UK leg. Lighting designer Andy Liddle first saw the RADLite at PLASA 2001: "It really lived up to my expectations. It can produce so many effects that it’s actually quite hard to decide which ones to use! The ability to insert your own video clips and images, as well as create your own shapes, means that you can really have the show you want."

The Chemicals have hired the RADLite from XL Video. The system comprises a heavy-duty rack mountable black box that holds a hi-spec PC inside, including dual processors and a dual

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The 17th National Heritage Festival at al-Janadriyah (situated just outside Riyadh in Saudi Arabia) was the most successful yet. The cream of British production and design talent ensured that the creative elements of this year’s specially commissioned opera provided an unforgettable wow factor for the 1,000 assembled VIPs from across the Middle East, as the nine scenes of the pageant blended together to form an hour-long spectacular.

Organized by the Kingdom of Saudi, this is one of the most important annual cultural festivals in the Arab calendar. The festival has become a crossroads where poetry, intellect, culture, art, theatre, heritage and history meet, and is a fitting tribute to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Abdullah.

The lynchpin this year was the partnership forged by Najdat Anzour, one of the most eminent and creative producer/directors in the Middle East

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Fifty mile an hour winds and driving rain didn’t deter the spectacular industrial light and visual show - Nightlights - that launched Imagine Belfast 2008 - the City’s bid to be the European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Nightlights ran for a week and involved projections onto Goliath, one of the two giant cranes at the Harland & Wolff shipyard that dominate the Belfast skyline. It was produced by Production Services Ireland for the Imagine Belfast 2008 organization, with projection by E//T//C UK and lighting by Searchlight Ireland.

The idea of projecting onto the crane evolved as several circumstances fell into place. Imagine Belfast 2008 did an ‘ideas’ postcard mailing to everyone in the city which received an overwhelming response. Thousands of inspirational phrases and slogans reflecting people’s hopes and aspirations for the future of Belfast appeare

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Creative Technology has furthered its equipment rental and service standards within the exhibition sector, by building on its existing BECA accreditation through gaining membership to the Association of Exhibition Organisers (aeo).

The aeo is one of the leading voices of the exhibition industry, primarily representing exhibition organizers, but also working with companies in related industries. aeo members are committed to making exhibitions work harder for both exhibitors and visitors and to maintaining the highest standards of professional service.

CT London’s exhibition sales manager Matthew Hunter said: "As a company CT has always strived to make its brand synonymous with quality for technical expertise and service. Joining the aeo sees the natural development of our strategy for working within the exhibition industry and we are delighted to have been accepted by

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Professional projection specialist, Christie Digital Systems, has introduced three new projectors in its new VIVID LX class of multimedia projectors, designed for a broad range of corporate to educational applications.

The VIVID LX35 is a high-quality multimedia projector providing a rich blend of presentation, integration and AV rental capabilities. The VIVID LX26 is the first high-quality multimedia projector that provides a great fixed installation solution and portability, whilst the VIVID LX20 is a high-quality multimedia projector delivering outstanding presentation performance in a compact and lightweight package. All three projectors are perfect for fixed installations, yet portable enough to move from room to room on a corporate or educational campus.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Yves Pepin, president and creative director of ECA2, and his team, are working on a night-time cultural visit of the archaeological site El Tajin, in the jungle of Veracruz state, eastern Mexico. Sound and light shows will be featured every night from 16 to 23 March 2002, with commentary in Spanish, English, French and Totonac. The total number of shows will be 14. El Tajin is recognised as the cultural birthplace of the Totonac people, the first American Indians encountered by the Spanish conquistador Cortés, in 1519. The site is vast and archaeologically rich, with most of its structures dating from 600-700 AD.

Spectators will be guided, over two hours, in a circular movement over the site, stopping at places to witness various aspects of Totonac culture. A notable feature of the visit will be its personal nature: according to rules set by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthro

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RCI Custom has signed a significant development and maintenance contract with software provider Stardraw.com to create a new, web-based tool for the design and production of custom control and connection panels. PanelBuilder will be hosted on the RCI Custom website and allows registered users to design, specify and purchase custom panels.

Managing director of Stardraw, David Snipp, explained the background to the deal: "RCI had long been aware of the capabilities of applications like Stardraw Audio, but it was a trade show conversation that made them realise Stardraw.com could develop an affordable custom solution. PanelBuilder is based on proven techniques seen in Stardraw applications for years, but it exploits leading-edge software and internet technology."

PanelBuilder is resident on the web server and works from within a browser, so there’s nothing to download or

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S Club 7 have recently completed a UK arena tour. Considering it’s only a matter of months since their last outing, it’s to the band’s credit that they decided to create a whole new image for this tour. The impressive set, designed by Hattie Spice (no relation to the Girls) and co-ordinated by Charlie Kail, included not only a series of lifts and moving elements, but a massive over-audience catwalk. To rig the show, rigging contractors Summit Steel used 220m of James Thomas trussing, along with 55 CM Lodestar hoists. These were used to provide backdrop, side screen, tracking screen and catwalk support trussing, as well as cable bridges and hoists used during daily fit-up for the scenic elements.

Total Fabrications Ltd were called in to manufacture the catwalk deck and handrail to fit the truss structure supplied by Summit Steel. "The catwalk was suspended using 2

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As part of a recently completed refurbishment of its flagship Oxford Street Megastore, Virgin has commissioned an unusual giant video screen system on the store’s ground floor that is all but invisible until in operation. In the centre of the main stairwell, flat 'blades' rotate and lock into position like an enormous Venetian blind to reveal the five metre wide screen. Flanking the screen are a pair of Mackie Fussion 3000 active speakers and two pairs of 1800SA/1800S active sub bass combos.

PAI and AV designer Vincent Rice carried out the design and installation, as PAI’s managing director Paul Adams explains: "Following a referral from PPM (Perspective Project Management), who we’ve worked with previously, we were approached by Richard Greenleaf of the design company Red Jacket, and Vince Rice and I had a meeting with him to discuss the project." Adams con

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CT London has utilized an extensive selection of its equipment and resources to provide the entire AV and IT element for Imagination at a Ford Dealer Training Event in Marbella, Spain. The event, which began in early February and runs for six weeks, will be attended by over 17,000 Ford Dealers from across Europe.

The event, masterminded by Imagination, will launch Ford’s new range of small cars including Ford Fiesta and Ford Fusion to dealers. It features a 400-seat auditorium acting as the central business meeting location, plus five interactive workshops on the consumer benefits of the new range, along with training on Five Fiesta Facts. CT London supplied, installed and maintained the equipment, with a full team of support engineers and technicians. The company provided a wide array of desktop and laptop PCs running Powerpoint with Mpeg playback and various displays including

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It’s been water, water everywhere recently for D J Willrich Ltd (DJW), as the Hampshire-based AV and multi-media specialists have recently completed work on the saltwater Bournemouth Oceanarium in Dorset and the freshwater Lakeside Aquarium at Newby Bridge on the shores of Lake Windermere.

Working within a deadline of just three weeks, DJW installed in the Bournemouth Oceanarium three Sony plasma displays, three touch screen quiz-based interactives and, with the help of strobe lighting and Bose speakers, the sound of a rainforest thunderstorm that automatically comes to life every 20 minutes.

Visitors to the Lake District are obviously used to it raining more frequently there since DJW’s thunderstorm sound simulation at the Lakeside Aquarium proved to be so popular that it now runs every three minutes! In addition to this, DJW has also installed two Sony plasma displays,

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Blink TV, the big screen entertainment specialists, go into the spring touring period with the three biggest UK tours - Pop Idol, Westlife and Kylie - on their roster. Each of the tours is a heavy user of video with sophisticated combinations of digital cameras, LED screens and projection systems, and, in each case, Blink is responsible for co-ordinating the supply of the video hardware and producing the programming to run on the screens pre-show.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Late February, Summit Steel abandoned the typically dull, British weather and took off for Cannes in the South of France. The company was called in by Adam Proto, producer for Turquoise Blue, to rig a party at the Radisson SAS Montfleury Hotel, for Lucent Technologies’ guests, as part of the 3GSM World Congress. Summit’s principal task was to rig large, white, gauze sails between the palm trees around the pool which were to be used as projection screens.

Since there was no flying equipment from roof trusses on this job, this proved to be open air rigging with a difference. "It made a change from climbing roof beams," explained Summit’s Jon Bray. "We actually used the pool-side Palm trees to rig the sails, fixing guy wires and using diverters in the palms to ensure we did not cause any damage. The end result looked great. The sails created an outside aud

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Our pictures shows Borrowed Time - the latest work by David Cotterell, an artist shortlisted for Beck’s Futures 2002, the UK’s largest arts prize. His nominated entry features a film of a train emerging from a tunnel.

As it draws near, the gallery fills with a cloud of smoke onto which an image of the steam train is projected to create a ghostly apparition. Reminiscent of the Lumière brothers, the train rushes towards the viewer before fading to black. The smoke effects are being produced using Cirrus Low-smoke machines supplied by The Effects Company.

The smoke is unusual in that it is a mixture of Liquid CO2 and a standard glycol-based smoke fluid. Synchronizing and controlling all the elements of the installation is a Pulsar Masterpiece 108 control system, specially adapted for the purpose by the company’s Andy Graves, who also built a custom interface to work

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I-Vision supplied and co-ordinated the equipment for an eye-catching exterior architectural lighting scheme for the re-opening of the Walker Arts Gallery in Liverpool. The show was designed and produced by Liverpool City Council’s Cultural Events Officer and lighting designer Lee Forde.

The Gallery re-opened after a £4.3 million refurbishment, part of National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside’s (NMGM) first major capital project for the 21st century. The Victorian building façade which features central steps and an extruded section, is flanked by Grecian-style columns, and flat sections either side. The columns and two statues either side of the steps, were lit using 300W profile fixtures, and the flat, end sections of the building’s fascia were bathed in blue light from powerful Coemar Panorama 1800W cyc fixtures. Tight 4-way finger-beam fans of ‘Aircraft La

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A group of exhibition design final year students from the Reinwardt Academie in Amsterdam recently enjoyed an informative visit to the London office of Sarner, audio visual, visitor attraction and design specialists. Frank van Oosterhout, faculty lecturer from the Academie (an institute which specializes in Museum Communication, Management, Registration and Conservation) was so impressed when he visited Sarner’s Lands End tourist centre installation in 1996 that he brought the students to the UK to meet the company behind the project.

Marije Kruize, one of the visiting students, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She commented: "We’ve all been inspired by Sarner’s individual approach to each project and would love to work for a company like that. The visit has helped us all get an insight into a company that delivers innovation and technology with bags full of pa

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Online Learning 2002 Europe - an event addressing the issues of online learning - was held recently at London’s ExCel. CT London was commissioned by GMA Events, the exhibition and conference organizers for Online Learning, to provide a total of seven bespoke areas split by their respective technology and conference requirements. CT had also been asked to service the needs of those who were to exhibit during the event, which covered visitors and delegates from some 38 different countries.

CT provided audio visual hardware including projection, lighting and audio, with feeds for use with translation booths for international delegates attending the numerous Q & A sessions. The company also covered two separate break-out rooms in the ExCel conference centre and one area in the main exhibition hall, again utilizing vast stocks of projection, audio, VT and data hardware. CT also provid

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A new distribution agreement between Le Mark Group and Link srl or Rome was finalized during the recent SIB Exhibition in Rimini. As a result of the agreement, Link will distribute Le Mark's Magtape range of gaffer tape, as well as its award-winning Slipway cable cover tape.

Link is internationally recognized for its range of high quality products, which includes its own Eurocable and LK Connector ranges, both extensively used within the audio, video and lighting sectors. "We are all extremely pleased with the new agreement," said Le Mark's Stuart Gibbons. "Both companies have excellent reputations and have shown sustained growth within the industry."

(Ruth Rossington)

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Sarner is working on a unique multi-million pound travelling exhibition of Russian Yachts, which is set to open in Hamburg at the end of this year. ‘Treasures from the Tsars Imperial Yachts’, depicts the evolution of the Imperial Navy from 1703, when Peter The Great launched his first ship, through to 1918 and the era of Nicholas II - it includes more than 400 original artefacts, jewellery and ships from the palace of Peterhos and the Central Naval Palace in St Petersburg.

Intellectual property management company, Eagle Crown Productions, who have the rights to this stunning collection, first met with Sarner to discuss the venture almost three years ago. As a result, Sarner have been responsible for every element of the exhibition design and concept; visitors enter by walking onto an imposing aft deck of an imperial yacht; once inside there are displays of panoramic archive

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DIVAS is a new company, specializing in the design, project management and installation of visual and audio systems to all areas of the professional entertainment business. The DIVAS team consists of four individuals - Tony Day, Damian Brunetti, Darrin South and Steve Nicholls - who have all worked together on various projects in the past.

The company will design, specify and install lighting sound and AV schemes, either working directly with end users or working under the umbrella of large sound, lighting and AV companies. DIVAS has already been working in a miscellany of environments including clubs, bars, shops, cinemas, ice arenas, leisure centres, stadiums, hotels, churches, museums, ballrooms and live music venues. One recently completed project was the sound and lighting systems spec and installation at Flicks club in Sleaford, Lincs. The club is housed in a former cinema retai

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PSL has appointed David March as business development manager of its Concert Touring division. Marking his return to the live entertainment industry after a spell in the architectural lighting sector, March was previously European operations manager at High End Systems, prior to which he was general manager at Vari-Lite Europe.

March will be working closely with the PSL Concert Touring team of Stephanie Jefcoate and Scott Russell, who are currently providing video and projection services for the Supertramp European Tour, the UK tours of Godspell and Sunset Boulevard, Lord of the Dance and the upcoming Gabrielle UK Tour. PSL managing director Gary Davies commented: "PSL Concert Touring has been one of the key players in the industry for many years. With David March joining our team we will now be able to offer our ever increasing range of specialist services to an even wider range

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XL Video - specialists in touring and live event video production - supplied a full digital touring package to the successful Pop Idol tour - one of the fasting selling tours in the history of UK popular performance!

Video director and XL crew chief was Ruary MacPhie and the medium of video played an important role in the show’s look, a creative collusion between Peter Barnes’ lighting and set design and Kim Gavin’s overall artistic direction. XL supplied four Sony D35 cameras for live camera playback - two in the pit on a track-and-dolly system, one at FOH and the fourth, hand-held onstage. Realtime show action captured by these was primarily beamed onto two soft screens either side of stage. The main onstage screen consisted of 40sq.m of Unitek 25mm pixel pitch LED, located upstage centre, supplied direct to the production by GL UK. It split to form an entrance/exit

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Specialist AV company, Blitz Communications has secured two theatrical firsts for the new Queen musical We Will Rock You, opening in London's West End on 14 May. The show marks the first time that Blitz's new HRS high-resolution videographics system will be used which will be linked to the biggest video screen ever installed in a theatre.

The HRS system will allow graphics, pre-recorded video sequences, live action shots and scenic backdrops for the show to be displayed on a giant LED screen measuring 10.2m x 4.8m. Blitz brokered the deal for production company Lighthouse to obtain the LED screen, which cost £1million and was shipped over from Hong Kong. It is made of LVP1010C Quarter Bin LED panels and divides into eight separate smaller screens. Four of these operate at floor level on individually powered, steerable trucks. Another four are flown using an automated motionsyst

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Dream Theater is an interesting mixture of ‘prog’ rock, metal and mayhem; they have a cult following and are enjoying great success with their latest album ‘Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’. We’ve not yet figured out quite why it is six degrees, but there must be a reason.

Led by drummer and impresario Mike Portnoy, DT have just completed the European leg of their current world tour, before heading to Mexico and North America. It’s a high energy show, and this is mirrored by lighting designer Benoit Richard. The lighting for the whole tour is supplied by Bandit Lites, handled for the European section by their UK office.

The front, back and two staggered middle trusses, are scattered with a mix of fixtures - from Martin MACs to High End Cyberlights and ETC Source Fours with scrollers. There’s also a copious contingent of floor-based fixtures.

  1. Expansion at Crestron
  2. PLASA Show 2002 is looking "positively buoyant"
  3. Boat Race is Screenco’s - by a canvas
  4. Storm at Mandalay Bay
  5. Paradigm in News at Ten
  6. Screenco makes an impact on the Pepsi Chart Show
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