Singapore - Under the theme Come together, Reaching out, Reaching Upmore than 26,000 spectators were present at Singapore's Marina Bay platform to celebrate the 44th National Day Parade. Over 10,000 performers took part in the show on the world's largest floating platform.

The show itself only lasted two hours, but the preparations had been ongoing for many months. Lighting director Mac Chan opted to redesign the stage layout from previous years, bringing the actual stage much closer to the audience.

To control all the lighting fixtures, lighting programmer Low Wee Cheng specified a grandMA system consisting of two grandMA full-size consoles, two grandMA2 lights for full tracking backup, eleven MA NSPs (Network Signal Processors) expanding the processing power and 32 MA 2Port Nodes which were distributed all over the stage.

"The reason I chose grandMA for Nationa

UK - Leading entertainment lighting supplier White Light is pleased to announce its appointment as a distributor for Philips Entertainment Lamps - expanding its ability to offer end-to-end solutions for entertainment lighting, supplying anything from a single light bulb or sheet of gel to a complete lighting system, including installation. At the same time, the company has announced the appointment of David Manister as business development manager, increasing White Light's expertise in this field.

White Light's appointment as a distributor gives it access to the full range of Philips' lamp technologies, including the FastFit system which enables easy lamp replacement and adjustment while also reducing overall lamp length, and P3 technology, which offers greater heat tolerance so increasing lamp life.

For entertainment lighting, these technologies are incorporated in a wide ran

UK - XL Video UK continued to supply full video production and crew to Coldplay's Viva La Vida world tour, which recently finished its final European and UK stadium phase.

The equipment included high and medium resolution LED screens, Catalyst and Hippotizer digital media servers plus control, spherical projection system, cameras and IMAG PPU and 17 crew.

XL supplied Coldplay's video equipment for the third our running and right from the start of this one in June 2008. The account was project managed by Des Fallon, who said, "It has been a pleasure to be work with Coldplay again, on all 159 shows."

The LED video elements were scaled up dramatically for the stadium shows, most noticeably with the addition of 550sq.m of XL's F30 SMD screen, which formed an elegant elongated 54m wide by 12m high arched backdrop traversing the whole of the upstage area. The Arch

Australia - Camco Vortex and Tecton amplifiers are providing an open-air soundtrack for one of Australia's most ambitious civic precincts.

In Melbourne, the long-awaited Federation Square integrates civic spaces, a transport hub, tourist and civic facilities. Buildings and open spaces include a large irregularly shaped city square (or plaza), sunny sheltered areas for al fresco dining, street theatre and music, gallery space, performance space and facilities for cafes, as well as other multimedia facilities, a function centre and offices. A galleria and indoor amphitheatre sit between the two major building complexes, and the development is topped off by a free-standing viewing tower.

At the centre of it all, in the large open-air plaza, is a giant 16:9 high-definition LED screen, which provides visual communication and entertainment as well as coverage of live sporting events

Uzbekistan - Gerriets was chosen as stage equipment provider for the new convention centre in Tashkent. Gerriets, in close cooperation with SBS Buehnentechnik, Dresden, was responsible for providing all draperies and projection screens, the main curtain and a large scissor track system.

To equip the convention center with drapes and curtains, Gerriets used more than 10.000sq.m of grey and black Clivia 600 stage velvet. The fabric is heavy-duty and has the quality that is necessary for curtains of exceptional height.

For the main hall, Gerriets provided an Opera white projection screen. Further, 700m of Vario Dance and Design floor was also provided.

For the main stage, Gerriets manufactured a 37m Fence Scissor track system, one of the largest in the world. The track system moves the two-piece main curtain (each piece is 19 x 14.30 m) in the main hall.

Gerriets installed al

UK - On a worldwide tour in support of her hit album It's Not Me, It's You, singer/composer Lily Allen has enjoyed front-of-house sound on four continents via a Soundcraft Vi6 large-format digital live sound console.

FOH engineer Shan Hira comments: "I especially like the onboard effects package. Having eight Lexicons to play with is a rare old treat."

Hira, who has also mixed for the Chemical Brothers and The Streets, has been a fan of the Vi6 for some time. "I had used it before and liked the layout, ease of use, and most importantly the sound of the desk," he says.

(Jim Evans)

UK - AV company QED Productions found they were able to set several technical milestones when the 2009 Entrepreneurs Bootcamp came to London's O2 Arena.

The brief from event producers, Smyle Creative, was to provide the biggest projection display ever seen at the 15,000-capacity venue, and AV specialists QED duly obliged, filling the massive 34.5m wide by 11.9m high Harkness Hall projection canvas by deploying six Christie Roadster HD18K projectors - flown off a 25m high truss, high above the audience, via their own fast-fit custom-designed rigging system.

This tour de force enabled a host of motivational speakers (including Bootcamp founder Andrew Reynolds) to address aspiring entrepreneurs in an event held annually by the millionaire. Previously Wembley Conference Centre, The Bournemouth International Centre and The Brighton Centre have hosted Bootcamp b

UK - A new grandMA2 light console has been installed at Jersey Opera House, specified by technical manager Simon Francklin. Francklin has been at the venue for two and a half years, and has been an MA user and advocate for at least the last eight years, since grandMA Series 1 was released in the UK.

When he accepted the post in Jersey, a technical modernisation programme was already in the offing, and naturally, he wanted something modern and cool on the control front - to replace the existing system that had been in place since 2000.

"My ethos for the entire technical upgrade - encompassing sound, lighting and stage - was to get a future-proof system in place - something with a lifespan of at least 10 years" he confirms.

The console was supplied by Stage Electrics. Francklin had been keen to wait for the grandMA2 to come online before making the final purchasing d

China - Barco played a major role in providing total visual solutions for the opening ceremony of the 11th National Games of the People's Republic of China. The Games - often referred to as the "All China Games" - got underway last Friday night at Jinan Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Shandong's capital city of Jinan.

The event was highlighted by a spectacular 'Super Bowl' video display show in the centre of the stadium that provided a magical experience for those in attendance. In addition to Barco's role in the opening ceremony, Barco products are being deployed by both Color Lighting and Creative Technology throughout the Games.

The Friday opening ceremony of the Games was presided by People's Republic of China President Hu Jintao and attended by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge. The All China Games will feature 33 sports and 360 discipline

France - PR Lighting's French distributors, CSI France report that a high volume of the company's LED and conventional automated spots from PR Lighting have been in use at shows and spectaculars throughout France during the summer and early Autumn.

Particularly popular has been the company's new lightweight XLED-590. Using Osram's Diamond Dragon LED, each head contains 90 high power 5W LED's (30 x Red, 30 x Green, 30 x Blue).

One company that used multiples to great effect was Peronnas-based Concept Son at the Jean Luc Habel dance school's end of term gala in Bourg en Bresse - which they have been servicing for more than 10 years.

The new XLED 590's helped to bring to life 500 dancers from different countries, including African, Indian, flamenco and rock 'n'roll. Concept Son manager, David Reydellet comments: "The XLED 590 is a very flexible, general purpose light which

UK - Control Lighting provides innovative and artistic lighting for town performance space. At the heart of Workington town centre's shopping malls and hovering in mid-air like a space ship, is The Workington Hub. The Hub is an overhead dome-shaped canopy with futuristic lighting and state of the art 3D sound technology.

The Hub is suspended by wires so it appears to float between the surrounding buildings. Allerdale Borough Council commissioned this work to create a special art piece for the performance of live and recorded sound shows. The canopy was designed by Base Structures and, working with soundscapes from Illustrious Company and SoundWave, the art work's 3D sound system delivers an immersive performance that is dramatically enhanced by the creative use of lighting.

The canopy inner dome is made of a translucent and inflated material that makes an ideal canvas for clev

China - French loudspeaker manufacturer APG has announced the opening of a new showroom in China. Situated at the Shengzhen branch of APG's Chinese distributor, BVCAM, the 80sq.m facility is dedicated exclusively to APG products.

Featuring products from the Micro, Micro Axial and Dispersion ranges along with a number of compatible subs, the new DMS26 processor and the SMX15 multipurpose monitor speaker, the showroom has already hosted demos for some 50 clients including dealers, consultants, sound engineers, plus TV and rental companies.

"We know that simply having fantastic products is not enough," says BVCAM sales director Kelvin Kung. "You can't sell a professional loudspeaker system on the brochure alone - you have to be able to show the product to the customer, and more importantly, you have to let him hear it. I believe that APG products are truly exceptio

Jazz News - The Bull's Head in Barnes, one of the UK's most established and respected live Jazz venues, will mark 50 years of promoting jazz and blues this November with an extraordinary programme of events to celebrate the landmark.Owner Dan Fleming has devised a month-long festival programme that will take place in The Yamaha Jazz Room. A launch party will kick off festivities on 12 November and the celebrations continue until 12 December.

The launch, to be hosted by virtuoso trumpeter and bandleader Paul Eshelby, will remarkably feature octogenarian Vic Ash, who was the headline act for the first gig and opening night of the club back in 1959. On the same bill, and with a nod to the future will be Yolanda Brown, Kit Downes and Elisa Caleb.

Throughout the Festival, an array of artists will assist Fleming to mark the occasion, including Don Weller, Peter King, Art Themen, Guy

USA - Opened a year ago as a multipurpose worship and performance centre for young people at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA, The Refinery is an all-Lab.gruppen installation, with multiple C Series amplifiers being used to power a number of sound systems.

"It's a great result," stated Greg Baker, Saddleback Church's technical director. "Our new gymnasium and auditorium within The Refinery are very well served by our Lab.gruppen amplifiers, which have been totally reliable since we added them in June of last year. We are very pleased with the new addition."

The new facility derives its distinctive name from the church's avowed aim to "Refine young children into adulthood." Reported budget for the recently-added audio, video and lighting system was close $2 million.

Working with a comprehensive AVL system design from Acoustic Dimensions, The

UK - i-Pix BB4s and BB7s LED luminaires were right in the front line along with the glamour and clamour of the latest London Fashion Week (LFW), where they played an integral part in Nick Gray's lighting design for the British Fashion Council (BFC) Tent at Somerset House. This was the BFC's official show venue for the September 09 event and hosted up to eight shows a day.

Gray's design company Renegade was asked to light several venues, adding an injection of fresh new style in the visuals department to celebrate the 25th anniversary of LFW. At the BFC tent they were working for production company, Bacchus.

The tent was lower than it has been previously, and black throughout for the first time, creating a more intimate and very slick tailored vibe. Gray's rig was designed to dovetail and blend incongruously in with the venue. The 'spine' truss above the 45m long white runway w

UK - Belfast-based lighting rental company Production Services Ireland (PSI) supplied all lighting and crew to the White Sapphire Ball, a high profile gala charity event in aid of the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, staged at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

Asked onboard by event organiser, actress and local celebrity Séainín Brennan, PSI was challenged with a brief of creating something special for the occasion, which featured entertainment from the cast of Riverdance and other leading theatrical productions for the 400 VIP audience.

PSI's Sean Pagel presented a production design, which included the wrapping of the end of the Europa's Grand Ballroom in a combination of high and low resolution ColorWeb LED surface.

This provided a highly dynamic backdrop, making a dramatic visual impression whilst offering the practical facility of being able to run text, sp

UK - Kave Theatre Services of West Sussex, England recently supplied all lighting, sound, AV, set and crew requirements on a large-scale production for a dance school client. The show was choreographed around some of the most famous movie soundtracks in history with a set design brief to deliver something "unusual and exciting."

Kave project manager Dave Singleton created a dynamic lighting design utilising the company's staging products including 34 Martin MAC 600 and 16 MAC 700 moving heads along with assorted generic lamps. He then placed a mixture of MAC III Profiles, MAC 2000 Profiles, Atomic 3000 strobes fitted with Atomic Colors scrollers, generic lamps, and other assorted moving and LED fixtures around the set and stage floor, plus a mix of Martin MAC 575 Kryptons and MAC 250 Washes at front-of-house. The visible set frontage was covered with Martin LC Series L

UK - Stage Electrics is currently supplying all lighting equipment for the colourful new production of Disney's High School Musical 2, Live on Stage!. The story follows the Wildcats as they celebrate their last summer before starting their Senior Year. This all new stage version is based on the Disney Channel's original film, and is produced by Stage Entertainment UK who produced the London production of Hairspray the musical and Sister Act the musical.

Technical equipment includes a large number of moving lights, predominantly a mix of Martin MAC 700 Profiles and Varilite VL2000 Wash fixtures, over 50 Rainbow 6" Pro scrollers, two Ivanhoe follow spots, almost 200 generic lanterns and two 'Big Shots' compressed air confetti canons.

Lighting control for the tour comes courtesy of two MA Lighting GrandMA Lite consoles, with a further full-size GrandMA u

UK - Lisburn-based Zest Audio has recently completed the installation of a high power Community sound system for the demonstration facilities of Lightstep Technologies at their Belfast headquarters. Lightstep produces innovative products to help people escape from life threatening situations.

Following many well publicised disasters in recent years, involving major loss of life in high rise buildings, nightclubs, underground stations and at sea, Lightstep has developed systems that represent a significant step forward in life safety systems.

Much has been done to improve and coordinate the response and ability of the fire, ambulance, police and other emergency services but, until now, little progress has been made in developing integrated visual systems to increase the chances of escape from burning buildings, gas leaks, underground black outs, explosions on land or at sea, ca

UK - School performing arts installer School Stage, based in Wembley North London, have installed the first batch of Showtec Indigo 250 LED moving heads into their prestigious install in the new multi-purpose lecture theatre at Gladesmore Community School, Tottenham, North London.

The installation contained mainly Showtec 3W RGB tri-coloured PAR 64 led PAR cans, Showtec 3W tri-coloured LED Studio beams and the 4 Showtec indigo 250 LED moving heads.

Chris Newton, MD of School Stage said: "I heard all of the excitement about the new Showtec LED moving lights at the recent PLASA Show 2009, but I was unable to attend the show. I wanted to try something different on this install, rather than install the usual industry movers on this project.

"The system was 90% LED anyway, to fit in with the building's design. The lighting rig had to be relatively high. I had future acc

UK - Following two years of planning, the Palladium in London's West End has installed and commissioned new ETC Sensor dimmer racks - some 670 ways - and a Unison system for the house and worklights as well as the 'independent' circuits.

"We knew we needed to replace our previous dimmers, which were installed in 1964 and were definitely at the end of their working life," says the Really Useful Group (RUG)'s operations and technical manager, Julian Rees."When we looked around for alternatives, ETC's dimmers were the clear winner. They've been proven to be reliable, with a lot of installations in the London area. We also felt that we were going to get good support and backup when we needed it. I have no doubt we made the right decision."

As the theatre was in use at the time, Rees and his colleague, Palladium chief electrician David Draude, needed to find a s

UK - Northern Light has installed a customised lighting system in three Glasgow tower blocks which are poised to bring a splash of colour to the city - and predict the weather at the same time.

The Castlemilk Lighting Project, part funded by Glasgow Housing Association (GHA), will see LED lighting technology installed in the northerly stairwell windows of each of the three, 20 storey, Dougrie Place high rises.

As well as creating a colourful landmark which will be visible right across the city, the lighting system utilises up-to-the-minute internet technology to enable residents to check the current weather conditions - and view the weather outlook for the next day.

The Castlemilk Tenants Housing Association came up with the original concept for the project after taking part in workshops with GHA and Collective Architecture and. In addition to funding from GHA's Wider Action

UK - A.C. Rigging, a division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies, has recently been appointed as a distributor for CM Entertainment Lodestars. As a supplier of CM equipment to this market for many years, the new agreement extends A.C's stockholding to include the full range of Columbus McKinnon Lodestar and Prostar hoists, winches and associated products.

From its offices in High Wycombe and Leeds, A.C. can provide UK and international delivery of CM products. The company's large stockholding currently includes over 200 CM chain hoist bodies, four kilometres of genuine CM Star grade chain and thousands of CM hoist spares.

This choice of CM products is backed up with a full range of related services, including a comprehensive range of spares, post sales technical support, system integration and product training. In addition, the company has a department dedicated to the assembl

USA - ZFX Flying Effects recently announced a strategic alliance with Stage Technologies, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, to offer automated solutions for productions that require more complex flying sequences. ZFX will add award-winning products from Stage Technologies, including hoists and control systems, to its roster of complete flying services.

The news coincides with the appointment of Joe Champelli as ZFX's new general manager. An automation and machinery design expert, Champelli will spearhead the development and implementation of automated technology and products, the company says.

"Automation provides greater precision and versatility to the artistic flying effects for which ZFX is already known," says Champelli. "The blend of our artistic experience and Stage Tech's reputation and reliability in motion controlled flying equipment makes an ideal union.&qu

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