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Blackout Triple E recently supplied two striking theatrical backdrops for the St. James’s Place Group’s one day annual company meeting held at The Royal Albert Hall. Attended by nearly 2,500 employees, the event successfully fused the annual meeting with St. James’s Place’ tenth anniversary celebrations.

Blackout Triple E’s creative team worked closely with the show producers Creating Sunshine, to realize the creative effect of the complex stage design. A stunning 16 x 6 metre fine grey gauze drape was custom designed, manufactured and hand painted at Blackout’s South London facility, to work as a semi-opaque screen in the foreground. This also provided a canvas onto which a light show, designed by Quentin Jarman, was projected from both sides. In addition Blackout supplied 30 metres of starcloth as the backdrop to achieve a galaxy-like effect.

(R

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From the opening ceremonies until the last medal is awarded, Vari-Lite Inc will play a prominent role in lighting the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. More than 1,200 Vari*Lite luminaires are being used to light events within and surrounding the Olympic Games, including the nightly concerts following the medals presentations at the medals plaza.

Rusty Brutsché, chairman and CEO of Vari-Lite, said: "Just as the athletes have spent years training for the competition, organizers have shown the same dedication in preparing for the way the games and events are presented. We were up here exactly a year ago for a trial run on the opening ceremonies, so it has been a painstaking process to make sure the proper equipment is in place and being used. Vari-Lite is extremely proud to be an integral part in the way these events are presented worldwide."

A lighting package th

Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

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Entering a high-profile competition to win a superb HK Audio Projector PA system as recently run by Music Mart magazine certainly paid off big time for one lucky reader. Trying not to look too stunned as he collected his sound reinforcement haul was Farnborough-based winner, Richard Payne. Richard, 21, who works in customer services in an energy management company, is a big fan of the south of England’s techno scene, and had been saving hard for a deposit for a decent PA system when he received the good news.

Richard collected an £8999 3.6kW self-powered active Projector system from the head office of exclusive HK Audio UK & Eire distributors, John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. Richard is already making plans for his new system, including getting it out working on the South’s techno circuit, and setting it up on a pitch at Glastonbury 2002.

(Ruth Rossington)

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PSL is the first video projection rental company in the UK and US to invest in High End Systems' new Catalyst image manipulation system, which turns ordinary video projectors into artistic tools. Winner of five technical awards in 2001-2002, Catalyst offers users a unique new tool that integrates the video and lighting industries.

At the heart of the system is the Catalyst Media Server (video processing computer and video/DMX interface). This provides an unlimited range of real-time image processing capabilities. Designers can load their own still or moving images or select from an extensive library of stock files. They can then scale, rotate, zoom, edit, morph, colour mix or overlay to create the desired effect. Images can be projected anywhere in three-dimensional space using Catalyst's unique orbital movement system. The head provides 250 degrees by 360 degrees of movement and can b

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Following the demise of Out Board Electronics Ltd, which entered into voluntary liquidation in November 2001, the ‘assets, name and goodwill’ of the company have been purchased from the liquidators by the company’s original founder and inventor of TiMax, Robin Whittaker, and former commercial director, Dave Haydon.

Whittaker and Haydon have incorporated a new company called Sheriff Technology Ltd, which will trade under the ‘Out Board’ name. The new company will focus its core business on TiMax and its applications, as well as future peripheral and related audio and media technology development and marketing. The company is establishing manufacturing and marketing joint-ventures in chain-hoist motor control, PAT testing and AC distro in order to maintain and develop market support and growth in these technology sectors.

For its core audio control produc

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Many of the top names in the lighting industry watched as the new Vari-Lite VL1000 ellipsoidal reflector spotlight was put through its paces in collaboration with the Vari-Lite Series 2000 products at a recent open day hosted by Vari-Lite. The demonstration took place on Thursday, 7 February at The Manhattan Center Studios Grand Ballroom in New York. "The VL1000 continues the Vari-Lite tradition of providing the most reliable and innovative lighting systems available on the market," Bob Schacherl, Vari-Lite vice president of sales and marketing, told those in attendance.

Attendees, which included some of the top lighting professionals on Broadway, were treated to an exhibition showcasing the VL1000 ERS. Also on display, were the VL2202 spot luminaire, the VL2402 wash luminaire and the VL2416 wash luminaire.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Northamptonshire County Council is the first Council in Britain to have a Virtual Audio Network. The system, CDS-VAN, has come from Brähler ICS UK Ltd, as has a microphone and voting system, CDS-200. The latter was chosen to improve both the overall management of meetings and the audibility of the proceedings. The Council Chamber is now equipped with 74 councillors’ units. Each of these has removable directional microphones with in-built speakers to enhance audio reproduction. And the chairman’s unit has a priority button which gives it an override facility.

The system, supplied through Willow Communications of Northampton, was selected after an extensive evaluation process that involved other manufacturers, its unobtrusiveness and user friendly operation securing it the contract. The CDS-200 includes an integrated digital voting system. To signal a vote, delegates simply

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The film and TV equipment hire business of VFG Plc has been bought from administrative receivers KPMG by a management team backed by HBoS and ING Barings. In a deal worth £15million, the new company - VFG Hire Ltd - comprises the operational business of VFG Plc, together with its principal assets and liabilities.

VFG Plc went into administrative receivership on 20 December 2001, having found itself over invested in new equipment. The new operation will operate as a private company, and is headed by executive chairman Bill Gore who has been advising the company for some time on the restructuring process. By mutual agreement Richard Dunkley steps down as managing director. Bob Sutcliffe will be joining the board as a non-executive director and Keith Long will be its new finance director. Graham Hawkins and Bill Summers remain as heads of the camera and lighting operations respectively.

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Cologne-based audio rental company, Toneheads, has bought a pair of Allen & Heath ML4000 mixing consoles for use on the hit comedy television show TV Total. The programme is produced by Brainpool for the ProsiebenSat.1 network and stars cult German TV personality and former Eurovision contestant, Stefan Raab. A 48-channel ML4000 console provides the house mix and broadcast feed, whilst a 32-channel version fulfills monitoring duties.

Their experience of using the consoles for TV Total has given Toneheads the confidence to invest in another two ML4000s. These additional mixers will be used in the production of two more successful ProsiebenSat.1 programmes, Wochenshow and Elton TV. The consoles were supplied by Expotus, the exclusive Allen & Heath distributor in Germany. ML4000 is a 23-buss live sound console with eight VCA groups, eight audio groups, 12 aux sends and an 11 x 4 matrix.

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The international conference on Theatre Engineering and Architecture 2002 will take place between 16th and 18th June 2002, in London.

Focusing on stage technology in its widest sense, and covering all types of performance venue, this is the first international conference structured to attract theatre technicians, architects, consultants, designers, engineers and acousticians, as well as administrators, building owners and project managers. The conference includes discussion on the current trends in stage machinery and other stage technologies, alongside debate about the types of, and need for, new buildings. The implications of new and existing regulations are to be examined, as well as the process of designing and constructing one of the most complex types of building. The conference, which is being presented by the Association of British Theatre Technicians in conjunction with its In

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MA Lighting’s grandMA control system made a big impact with lighting designer Chris Jaeger at the PLASA Show last September. Jaeger, a lighting designer with 20 years’ experience, was impressed enough by what he saw to follow up the demo with a more extensive evaluation of the desk at UK distributor AC Lighting Ltd’s new demonstration suite in High Wycombe.

From there, AC offered to loan a desk to Jaeger for a forthcoming production of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Queens Theatre in Hornchurch, Essex. The production, directed by Matt Devitt, with set design by Dinah England, was set to run through seven weeks in December and January. Jaeger, along with the Queens Theatre’s house technician Dave Starmer, who handled the programming of the show, were full of praise for the system, with particular emphasis on the system’s programming facilities. "It&rsqu

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The news that some of the biggest names in the UK theatre industry are to launch a new venture which, if successful, will do much to boost the UK theatre market, can only be welcome news to those working in the sector.

Theatreshare will operate as a theatrical investment and production company, its main remit to develop and produce a range of new productions for London’s West End. To fund the venture, the company has gone for the rare approach, in West End terms at least, of inviting large numbers of small investors to buy in to the venture for a minimum stake of £2,500. The target is £2million.

The high-profile hook is the promise of a share in potential profits from ticket sales, theatre transfers and film and TV adaptations. The less appetising downside is made clear in smallprint on the company’s website - "this carries a high degree of risk and may result in t

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The Arcimboldi Theatre - temporary home to the La Scala Opera company whilst its famous home is being renovated - has found itself in the news again just weeks after opening.

A glass panel, one of 100 designed to improve acoustics at the venue, fell onto seating during a recent performance of the ballet Excelsior. Fortunately, the seats beneath were empty, cleared because technicians felt uneasy about cracks that had started to appear in some of the panels. Inevitably, this has led commentators to speculate on the safety of the theatre, which was constructed in just over two years in order to be ready for the start of the 2002 season. The theatre is currently closed whilst further investigations takes place.

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White Light and E//T//C UK helped launch the British Tourist Authority’s (BTA) new UKOK initiative in spectacular style by illuminating and projecting onto the Tower of London for a VIP press conference. The international marketing campaign is aimed at encouraging tourists and holidaymakers back to Britain in 2002.

The Tower has seen a succession of celebrity inmates throughout its chequered history, but this time the VIPs attending the breakfast press conference were free to leave. They included the Rt Hon. Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, David Quarmby, Chairman of the British Tourist Authority, Dr Kim Howells MP, Minister for Tourism and Lord Marshall, Chairman of BA.

White Light’s Mike Crossman project-managed the event. His brief came from the BTA, who wanted to architecturally light the Tower in a show-lighting style, and also feature t

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Ra’alloy was formed in 1995 in a small workshop in Fordhouses, Wolverhampton, to fabricate aluminium products. One of its early successes was a special anti-slip aluminium ramp system for trucking and disabled use, which has since earned worldwide acclaim. The £350,000 facility, part-funded by a Government Enterprise grant, will allow the company to develop its business further.

Part of that objective will be met by Ra’alloy’s new modular aluminium stage system - Rapi-Stage - which incorporates integral truss supports eliminating ground support, and allowing virtually any shape platform to be erected. Designed in conjunction with a temporary staging structural engineer, and within the guidelines set by The Institute of Structural Engineers, the system complies with all loadings and maintains lateral stability. Rapi-Stage can be used as an extension to an existing st

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Familiar faces from all aspects of the lighting industry visited White Light’s new base during a successful open day in January. The new facility in Wimbledon, London, SW19, has 35,000sq.ft of equipment storage and preparation space and 10,000sq.ft of office space, allowing all the Group members to be brought together under one roof for the first time.

"We had close to one hundred visitors," notes White Light’s general manager Bryan Raven, "many of whom hadn’t had the chance to visit our new building since we moved here last October. I think they were quite surprised at the difference between our old base in Fulham and where we are now - but were relieved to discover that all of the familiar White Light faces they know are still here. Albeit all with a little more room to work in!"

Amongst those at the open day were theatre lighting designers Si

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Trouble continues to rumble on in the West End: BECTU members - including lighting, audio and backstage staff -have voted to take industrial action over low pay.

The move comes after lengthy negotiations with the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) - the association which represents the producers, theatre owners and managers of 50 theatres in central London. Even an eight- hour session at ACAS couldn’t help the two sides resolve their differences.

In the latest round of talks SOLT increased its original offer from 1.6% to 3.25%, but withdrew its undertaking to backdate the award to 18 November 2001. This would increase the average wage to £6.54 an hour, but, according to the union, would still leave seven of the West End theatres’ 10 pay grades below the Council of Europe's £7.39 decency threshold - and five below the Low Pay Unit’s threshold of £6.82.

BECTU sa

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With the intention of strengthening its position in the Middle East region, Martin Professional A/S has entered into an agreement with Nour Assafiri, to establish a joint venture - Martin Professional Middle East.

Nour, owner of Martin’s long-time Middle East agent AMAC, heads the new venture, which handles distribution and service of Martin, Jem and Mach products. The new joint company, already operational, is based in Lebanon from where it will co-ordinate activities throughout the region. As a decisive first step, Martin Professional Middle East has established a branch office in Dubai, UAE, to support and further develop the relationship with Martin’s customers in the region. The official opening is expected to take place sometime in May.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Sarner and ESP have combined resources to provide a creative solution for Liverpool’s new multi-million pound International Astronomy and Space Centre (IASC).

Sarner, which has recently been bought-out by two of its directors, Michael Bennett and Ross Magri, will be responsible for the design and production of special effects for the new visitor attraction, while ESP will project-manage the fit-out of the centre, bringing life to the dramatic designs - from the spectacular hanging celestial sphere, through to the ‘Journey To The Stars’ space-time machine.

IASC, which is part of the continued regeneration of Liverpool’s Wirral district, is scheduled for completion in Easter 2003.

Visitors will be taken on an interactive journey through time and space using multi-sensory technology, simulated time travel, projection and special effects.

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Barco Projection, a division of Barco n.v., Belgium, and High End Systems Inc of Austin, Texas, have announced a strategic alliance that will enable the two companies to cooperate in the marketing of their products to the entertainment and events markets.

Barco Events specializes in providing tailor-made visualization and show-control solutions and manufactures amongst others a range of professional large-event projectors, ranging in brightness from 5,000 to 17,000 ANSI lumens. High End Systems, a manufacturer of automated lighting products, has introduced Catalyst, a cross-cultural system that converts video projectors into automated lights. The Catalyst system (developed in conjunction with WWG), which incorporates a Media Server, can also be used in conjunction with Barco's range of Ilite and Dlite LED displays to create an extensive range of effects and imagery.

The newly formed

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Coe-tech has provided all lighting and sound equipment for Aqua - a new independent club concept, the first of which has recently opened in Grays, Essex. The equipment was supplied through IFC and the installation company DIVAS. Owned by Lee Darcy, Aqua is water themed, fusing the oceanic sights, sounds and atmospheres of bubbles, mermaids, fish and fun.

The dancefloor lighting scheme - devised by Coe-tech’s design team headed by Nathan Wan - was crucial to the venue’s visual identity. The walls and columns are painted a pastel blue, complete with stencilled bubbles - and are ideal for gobos and projection effects. The lighting brief was to produce a liquid and flowing feel for the room, and low ceiling height also played a role in the choice of fixtures.

Wan chose 24 Coemar I-Spot 150s (which were launched at PLASA 2001), one of the Italian manufacturer’s new stabl

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The New England Patriots recently won their first Super Bowl over the St. Louis Rams at the Louisiana Superdome. As usual, a star-studded list of headlining acts was featured, including a half-time performance by Irish rockers, U2. The band delivered a moving tribute to the victims of the 11 September terrorist attacks, the names of which were scrolled on a 120' high x 60' wide soft screen, which was positioned behind the band as they played.

Fourth Phase Image Systems Group, the team that specializes in large-format projection, provided 12 7kW Xenon PIGI film projectors to execute the spectacular commemorative backdrop. This technology was used to project the names over the audience as well. Fourth Phase is the exclusive US distributor for these projectors, which are manufactured in Paris by E/T/C Audiovisuel. Other recent events utilizing the technology include the 2002 Winter Olympi

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Metool Products Ltd, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of flexible cable handling systems, has purchased the Cable Reeling Division of Sturge Industries Ltd of Dudley, West Midlands.

Sturge winders and reels are designed for a wide range of critical electrical and power applications, including inflammable and other dangerous environments where EX certified products are mandatory. Typical applications include electrical hoists, overhead cranes and mobile control systems, inspection lighting and portable power tools. Sturge slip-ring cable reels are specified for low-current/standard cable requirements in non-hazardous environments and where space is limited or the payout length is shorter.

Malcolm Dade, managing director of Metool commented: "This is an important addition to our range of reeling technologies in the electrical engineering market and a further step in ou

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Federal Signal has appointed Profitek as its new distributor for Norway. Bergen-based Profitek AS, which has offices in Stavangar and Oslo, employs 50 people and specializes in supplying and installing industrial communication systems to the Norwegian offshore and processing industries. Customers include ABB, Siemens, StatOil, ARCO and Norske Hydro.

Federal Signal will be using Profitek’s experience to develop regional sales of its GL loudspeakers, which can provide remote interrogation and tapping facilities. The move provides a platform to build sales of the company’s life safety communication systems, notably the Echo digital intercom and party paging system and the Aucams duplicated PA/GA system, used wherever oil and drilling companies have a need to comply with the principle of dual redundancy.

(Ruth Rossington)

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  4. All New at TMB: ‘Associates’ Lost
  5. Kelsey helps to bridge the gap
  6. White Light North and friends talk arts at Yorkshire Television
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