USA - Solstice: Reflections on Winter Light is a multimedia and meditative art experience celebrating the shortest, darkest day of the year, created by Masary Studios from Boston, and presented at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts. It started as a small two-day installation idea in 2020 during the pandemic and has grown rapidly and organically to become a hugely popular and accessible 10-day annual public art festival. Visitors engage with the magic and ephemeral beauty of lighting and sound and its relation to the algorithms, mystery, and energies at work in the greater universe. Masary Studio’s Sam Okerstrom-Lang initially needed “high quality and durable kit to withstand tough environmental conditions of New England in the winter”, so when their technical partner AVFX introduced them to Astera in 2020, they were delighted
Europe - UK-based rock band Marillion has built up a formidable and near cult-like following over a career spanning five decades that has spawned 20 studio albums plus a string of top 40 hits since their formation in 1979. For the last 21 years, they have staged biennial two and three-day summer convention events for fans, which include special live performances plus additional Marillion world activities. Lighting designer Yenz Nyholm’s specification for the 2023 Marillion ‘convention tour’ included nearly 100 Robe moving lights - 31 Robe Esprites, 22 LEDBeam 150s, 16 MegaPointes and 30 Spiider LED wash beams. Conventions were staged in the UK, the Netherlands (twice), Germany, Italy, and Canada. For the shows at Berlin Tempodrom, Leipzig-based rental company Konteg supplied the full Robe package. It was also a completely new lighting design for this year.
Estonia - Sixty82 B.V has announced that Progear has been appointed as its exclusive distributor for Estonia. Progear has quickly emerged as a significant player in the Estonian market. With a commitment to meet their customer's needs swiftly, Progear has built up a comprehensive stock of Sixty82 products, ready for distribution. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Progear and extend our market reach in Estonia," stated Rainier Smeding, sales director of Sixty82. "Progear mirrors our dedication to delivering top-tier products and services. Their industry knowledge, resources, and passion position them perfectly to represent our brand and fuel our growth in this region." Brand Manager for Sixty82 at Progear, Andreas Reinula, will be at the helm of this partnership. Raivo Sinijärv, managing partner at Progear shared, "It's an honour to be the exclusive dis
Australia - Tumbalong Park, a five-hectare respite of green in the centre of Darling Harbour is serving as the site of a FIFA Women’s World Cup Fan Festival this month. A vibrant celebration of all things football, and much more, the festival features giant live streams for watching FIFA Women’s World Cup games, a variety of fun football-related activities, a cornucopia of street food, and live performances by popular Australian artists like Jessica Mauboy, Jack River, Mia Wray, and Jacotene. Enhancing the festive atmosphere and providing memorable visuals at the event, which began 20 July and runs through 20 August, is a bold and colourful lighting setup by dplr that is anchored by 108 Chauvet Professional fixtures from Showtools International. Included in this collection are 16 Maverick Storm 4 units, 20 Outcast R2X Washes, eight Colorado PXL Bar 16 motorised ba
USA - Rapidly rising folk and indie star Lizzy McAlpine’s The End of the Movie tour featured a set that was designed around her actual living room space. “All the items in the room were chosen by Lizzy, and were very specific to her inspiration and interests,” said Kat Borderud, the tour’s lighting and scenic designer. “The set contained her own personal clothing, family photos, books, and other cherished items.” Borderud intensified the effect of this living room set by accentuating its various elements with light and shadows. “My role was to fulfil Lizzy’s vision and transform the stage,” she explained. “Darkness and shadow play are incorporated in this design for bringing the room to life as another character in Lizzy’s show. Shadows and light move and reflect on the walls from inside and outside the windows to move us through the set in a nar
USA - As one of the only performing arts centres of its calibre in the area, Hult Centre for the Performing Arts regularly welcomes audiences from as far away as Portland, Oregon and the California Bay Area. In the venue’s 2,447-seat main hall, viewers can enjoy shows by Hult’s resident companies, which includes the Eugene Ballet and Eugene Symphony, as well as established touring artists, Broadway musicals and comedy shows. In the second, 495-seat hall, Hult Centre provides up-and-coming acts with a space to perform, hoping to catalyse new artist growth and development. Since opening in 1982, the Hult Centre has prided itself on offering quality audio for each act that comes through its doors, no matter how large or small. To accomplish this mission, the venue entrusts general manager Jeff Weinkauf, who pulls from his years of theatre sound design experience to
Slovenia - From 23 June to 1 July, the city centre of Maribor was transformed into a large festival area for music, art and culture. Festival Lent is the largest open-air festival in Slovenia and one of the biggest city centre festivals in Europe. For the 30th anniversary, national and international artists performed on the numerous large and small stages, including this year's Eurovision Song Contest participant Joker Out as well as funk legend Fred Wesley. To stage the broad spectrum of genres, the lighting designers of the respective stages relied on an equally versatile range of moving lights, LED bars and flood lights from Cameo. On a total of five of the seven stages, including the Main Stage, Jože Skarlovnik, technical director of the festival, relied on Cameo fixtures. The focus was primarily on IP65-capable outdoor spotlights, with which those respons
UK - Production Futures, the initiative which creates opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop careers in production across the live event industry, has signed with Martin Audio, as their latest high-profile partner. “It’s wonderful that Martin Audio have seen the potential of Production Futures,” said CEO, Hannah Eakins. “We’re particularly delighted to welcome them as a British manufacturer. “They are a forward-thinking company with a diverse workforce, and we’ve seen them transform over the last 20 years.” Production Futures is also in the process of transformation, including the announcement of a new audio learning zone. Along with Martin Audio, this will debut at the 28 September event, which takes place at Production Park in Wakefield. “In that sense the timing couldn’t be better for Martin Audio as we re
Canada - OVG360, a full-service venue management and event programming company, which manages FirstOntario Centre and FirstOntario Concert Hall, recently upgraded its outdated intercom systems to enhance communication throughout the multi-purpose venues. Head of audio Michael Stewart worked in conjunction with AVL Media Group sales director Rob Poretti in selecting a precise intercom system that provides reliable communications across the spacious production venue. After an off-site coverage test with Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom 900MHz wireless intercom system and a DECT-based wireless intercom from another manufacturer in order to compare overall performance, the choice was clear. Poretti explains: “I placed the CrewCom Radio Pack on my left hip, the DECT-based radio pack on my right hip and sent both devices program audio. I then went for a long walk down the
South Korea - RealProtec is a technology company that offers innovative solutions for South Korea’s film and media industries. Its strong focus on virtual production enables production teams to streamline processes and bring their clients' creative visions to life in a fast, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Supported by a highly skilled team and leveraging cutting-edge LED technologies from Brompton Technology and INFiLED, RealProtec collaborated with CJ OliveNetworks and Jinwoo M&C to create Gwangju Content Cube (GCC) VX Studio, the country’s largest VP studio operated by a Korean government organisation, the Gwangju Information & Content Agency. GCC was created as a multifaceted space equipped with content production infrastructure for movies, games, and animations, alongside immersive content experience facilities like VR, AR, and MR. Its setup is e
USA - At 46, Floyd Mayweather still packs a punch, even five years after the former champ retired undefeated from professional boxing. This was plain to see during his recent exhibition bout against John Gotti III. But the Boxing Writers of America’s ‘Fighter of the Decade’ wasn’t the only one flashing impressive firepower at the sold-out FLA Live Arena. Also displaying its prowess was a collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue Outcast 1L Beam fixtures from The Design Oasis that were used to rev up excitement during the exhibition. “The 1L beams really created an impact throughout the arena,” said Abbas Ritscher, of The Design Oasis. “They were small, which allowed our lighting designer John Hollingshead to bunch a lot of them together, keeping the cables clean but still creating impact by directing beams of lights across the entire venue. They have a very tigh
Thailand - Following extensive renovations starting in 2019, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok reopened in late 2022 with 300,000 square metres - three times larger than the original venue layout - available for a variety of events and activities. Along with increasing space, deploying state-of-the-art technology throughout the QSNCC was a key priority. Owners of the centre hoped that doing so would not only ensure the QSNCC’s long-term success and adaptability, but also strengthen Thailand’s global position as a world-class MICE destination for both national and international events. To meet this request, Harman Professional Solutions partnered with Mahajak Development, Stonehenge Inter and Atkris Co to tailor a bespoke solution combining world-leading products from JBL, Crown, Soundcraft, dbx and BSS. The QSNCC consists of three main zones:
South Africa - d&b audiotechnik recently concluded a workshop tour in South Africa in collaboration with local distributor, Stage Audio Works. The workshops were led by Janko Ramuscak, senior application, training and support consultant at d&b audiotechnik, Germany. The event aimed to equip audio engineers and system technicians with advanced knowledge and practical skills related to the deployment and optimisation of d&b line-array systems. The workshops took place in Cape Town and Johannesburg, where attendees had the opportunity to engage with industry expert Janko Ramuscak and gain insights into the intricacies of d&b’s systems. The participants were able to enhance their understanding of electroacoustics, line-array configuration and ArrayCalc software through comprehensive theoretical sessions and valuable time spent hands-on with the products.
USA - By any measure, summer 2023 in the U.S. has been extreme with intense heat, severe rainfall and unrelenting smoke. So when a number of outdoor festivals and events are on the program, the challenge for any production company is immense. “This is a very current issue,” states Ryan Knutson, president of Brown Note Productions in Colorado. “We've seen some really intense changing weather patterns and IP fixtures have become critical in outdoor applications.” Knutson credits Danny Wimmer Presents for initiating their move to weather-resistant lighting solutions, a client they have worked with since 2014. “DWP was really the first client we worked with who stressed that the dynamics of weather and shows had changed and therefore a change was needed in how we approached these events. Specifically, we needed to stop the behaviour of plastic bagging fixtures wheneve
Germany - The Adam Hall Group’s innovative competence has been officially confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. With the award of the BSFZ seal by the Certification Body for Research Grants, the Adam Hall Group is now recognised as a researching and developing company. By awarding the BSFZ seal under the Research Grants Act, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research recognises, among other things, the development of the LD Systems MAILA (Modular All-Round Intelligent Line-Array) sound reinforcement system as well as a digital mixer platform that will be used for the first time in the upcoming MAUI G3 MIX column systems. The BSFZ seal certifies the innovative competence of companies in the areas of research and development. After a positive review of the submitted R&D (research and development) projects, companies also receive funding t
France - International light artist Christien Methot enabled Parisians to see the River Seine in a new light when he created the first Light:Bridge with Ayrton Cobra phosphor laser source luminaires. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. For one July night, Methot, the principal lighting designer at New York City-based Design One Lighting Design, added a new bridge across the Seine using 10 powerful parallel beams of light to project a ‘bridge’ across the water near the Passerelle Leopold-Sedar-Senghor footbridge, which links the Left Bank’s Musee d’Orsay with the Right Bank’s Jardin des Tuileries. From far away, the light beams appeared to be a sturdy, physical crossing. But as people approached it, the ethereal nature of a bridge built of light was revealed. Only light could achieve that dichotomy linking the tw
Backstage Upgrade - The National Theatre has submitted a planning application to bring some of its backstage departments - which have been largely unaltered since the 1970s - up-to-date and ensure they meet current health and safety requirements. Submitted to Lambeth Council by architects and designers Tom Wilson Studio, the plans outline refurbishments to support the modernisation of the NT’s back-of-house facilities, including its textiles studio, costume and prop workshop, wig, hair and make-up department and laundry room, located on the building’s fifth floor. According to the planning application, the fifth-floor production facilities have been "largely untouched since the 1970s and no longer support the working requirements and practices expected of a modern theatre, and in some cases are non-compliant with current health and safety executive guidelines for
Poland - Putting on a high-calibre philharmonic open air concert comes with a number of challenges. The sound of the orchestra needs to be amplified for the large audience in the most natural way possible. One of the key elements in doing this is to choose the microphones that are best suited to each instrument, and mics that are designed to perform well in a loud, concert environment. Radek Barczak, the music director for this particular concert, summed up the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra concert: "This was probably the largest sound capture with Austrian Audio microphones in the world. Producing a large symphony orchestra concert is quite an equipment challenge. “Prior to the Poznań Philharmonic concert, our agency, ViolinArt, already owned an arsenal of Austrian Audio microphones: we had 16 CC8s, 4 OC818s, 4 OC18s, an OC16 and an OD5, but we couldn’t put on
Brazil - Already recognised for its high-profile appearance at Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival, Martin Audio’s MLA multicellular loudspeaker array also provided main stage artists at the annual Festival Coolritiba in Curitiba, nearly 500 miles further south, with quality sound. Headliners included Marisa Monte, Sandy, Mano Brown and the legendary Gilberto Gil - but it was the influence of Marisa Monte’s sound engineer, Daniel Carvalho, that brought about the change from the originally specified festival system. He had been piloting the mix on the famous singer’s Portas tour through an MLA, provided by predominant rental company Gabisom (who also service Rock in Rio). Coolritiba was part of their 100-show tour schedule where Marisa Monte was top of the bill. Daniel Carvalho reports: “The festival had requested [another brand], but since we were headliners,
Italy - MSC Cruises’ new Virtuosa has taken to the seas equipped with multiple theatres, live music spaces and entertainment rooms, with an AV crew communicating via a Green-GO digital communication system. Virtuosa is taking cruisers around the Mediterranean, Middle East and across the Atlantic, with guests treated to Broadway-style theatres with West End and New York City performers on board. Biggest of all is Le Grand Théâtre, a 945-seat structure offering various shows every evening. Italian technical consultants CM srl Multimedia Entertainment Engineering Design developed systems to support all the shows that will be staged in the ship's theatres, specifying a Green-GO package sourced from Audiosales Entertainment Solutions. Alessandro Bertulessi, project manager at CM srl, comments: “Choosing to switch to a digital intercom system like Green-GO has a
Canada - Vancouver BC’s Simon Fraser University (SFU) has chosen two TiMax spatial processors as the central immersive audio processing and control platform for its new Core Facility research lab, focussed on immersive communications. TiMax will play a vital role in handling the broad scope of research projects destined for the lab. The term “immersive communications” in this context refers to 3D multimedia, including surround video and spatial acoustic systems. TiMax, in conjunction with Advanced Audio, Direct Out, Renkus-Heinz and Innosonix technologies, forms the core of the spatial acoustic processing aspect of the facility. On the walls and ceiling are flat acoustic absorbers and an evenly distributed matrix of 128 x Renkus-Heinz CFX41 speakers and 128 x Advanced Audio microphones. These are all hooked up via a Dante network to a specialised beamforming syst
Austria - With the goal of achieving a more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and sustainable lighting rig, the Schauspielhaus Graz in Graz has upgraded its main stage with an array of Claypaky fixtures. Vienna-based distributor LB-electronics provided 15 Claypaky Sinfonya Profile, 15 Arolla Profile MP and eight Arolla Profile HP fixtures. The lights were selected and installed by Thomas Trummer, head of the lighting & video department at the Schauspielhaus Graz since 2009. The historic Schauspielhaus Graz opened in 1776 and is the biggest theatre in the Austrian province of Styria. It presents classical drama and comedy productions as well as a wide range of contemporary drama. The Arolla HP and MP fixtures, which replaced ageing discharge lamps, were chosen for their quality white light. With a 1,200 W white LED engine and an output of 52,000 lume
USA - The Backseat Lovers are on the road with an innovative and interesting production and lighting design created by Meagan Metcalf, who has been working with the indie rockers from Utah since 2022, with 22 x Robe Esprites and 24 Tetra2 moving lights at the heart of the lighting rig. Meagan was offered an initial short tour with the band in early 2022 after her work with Caamp, who share the same management. While everything was quite low key then, Meagan loved being imaginative with a small lighting rig, enjoyed the music and knew that the band were ones-to-watch, a roller-coaster that gained serious velocity following the release of their debut label album, Waiting to Spill, at the end of last year. The Backseat Lovers are now on a much larger full production tour playing 3,000-5,000-capacity rock clubs and theatres, selling out every time and amplifying the
UK - At this year’s PLASA Show (3-5 September, London Olympia), LSi magazine’s popular column Classic Gear will be brought to life on the show floor via a new attraction called Classic Gear Live. In association with CH Vintage Audio, the display will enable visitors to experience for themselves a range of defining products from the last 50-plus years and meet some of the people who made and used them. Throughout its 38-year history, PLASA’s LSi magazine has looked forward, covering the never-ending stream of innovations in the live production industry, and the shows and people that create and use those innovations on spectacular new shows, events and installations. For 17 years of that history, LSi has also looked back, with Rob Halliday’s popular Classic Gear column taking a light-hearted, nostalgic look at the products that have shaped our indu
