OmniSistem Lights & Effects has been appointed the exclusive worldwide distributor of LPD laser products. The agreement adds to the company's already extensive line up of products which includes Programmi & Sistem Luce lighting & effects products, COEF intelligent lighting and moving yokes, Amabilia DJ cases and fibre optics. LPD, a pioneer in the development of laser projectors, is the name behind the Q beam laser and for the past five years it has also built components and systems for many laser show companies. Jim Hardaway, formerly national sales manager at LPD, has been recruited by OmniSistem to head its laser division.
Vari-Lite Inc has relocated its Las Vegas office recently after the operation outgrew its former 5,600sq.ft facility on McLeod Drive. The new Las Vegas office, on E Maule Avenue, has tripled the location's warehouse space.
Jimmy 'JR' Chai has been promoted to regional sales manager for High End Systems Singapore. JR will continue to be based out of the Singapore office and be in charge of all sales and marketing activities throughout Asia. He was formerly account manager at High End Systems Singapore for selected Asian regions. In related news, Adrian Oh is leaving his role as general manager of High End Systems Singapore to seek other employment opportunities outside of the lighting industry.
Mike Lowe, managing director of ETC Europe, has announced strategic changes in the management team. After nearly three years of commuting between his home in Copenhagen and ETC's European headquarters in North Acton, Tim Stokholm is returning to live permanently in Denmark. He will assume the role of manager, Northern Region, with responsibility for territories north of and including Belgium, Germany, Austria and Slovenia, while Fulvio Cotogni continues as manager, Southern Region, including South Africa and Middle East. Erik Larsen, previously sales manager for Northern Europe, becomes product manager for ETC Europe, a new role designed to provide two-way communication between ETC Europe and its customers for both existing and future products. Finally, Peter Ed now formally assumes responsibility for marketing as marketing director, ETC Europe.
The International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) has awarded seven lighting projects with Lighting Design Awards of Merit. These went to The Albert Memorial in London designed by Graham Phoenix and Michael Sampson of London-based Lighting Design Partnership; New York's Radio City Music Hall Restoration designed by Paul Marantz and Scott Hershman of New York-based Fisher Marantz Stone Inc; New York Public Library's Rose Main Reading Room, designed by Barry Citrin and Richard Renfro while based at Fisher Marantz Renfro Stone Inc. Samsung's Rodin Museum in Seoul, South Korea, by Thomas Thompson, Christine Sciulli, Jonathan Plumpton and Russ Burns of New York-based Thompson & Sears Inc; Northeastern University Multi-Faith Spiritual Centre in Boston, designed by Paul Zaferiou and Glenn Heinmiller of US-based Lam Partners Inc; Zollverein Kokerei in Essen, Germany, designed by the Lig
WWG's Peter Wynne Willson is providing some stunning liquid lighting effects for the second leg of Roger Waters' 'In the Flesh' US tour, which opens at the Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida. Wynne Willson's relationship with Waters goes back to the early days of Pink Floyd, and has now gone full circle between the 250 Watt QI projected effects of the Floyd Shows of the Sixties, with the 6kW HMI TeleProjector, from French company Chameleon that will be used for effects projection on this millennium year tour. Wynne Willson has created a 'Fried Slide' system with small bubbles and immiscible liquids to make coloured liquids 'boil' across a giant screen behind Waters during his performance. To ensure some consistency of appearance, WWG has provided a semi-automated system to enable a competent operator to manage the delivery of the images at showtime. Lighting designer for the tour is Simon Sidi
UV Light Technology's UV400 ultra violet special effects floodlight received its official launch recently. Prototypes of the UV400, developed by UV in co-operation with Temple Decor, were put through their paces at Glastonbury last year and on-location findings led to further refinements of the effect. The floodlight features a 400W lamp, uniform UVA distribution and a 90 degree beam angle. The company behind the product - UV Light Technology - is relatively new to the market, although MD Paul Jackson has over 15 years experience in ultra violet technology. To complement the floodlight, UV also offer a backdrop design and painting service, including 3D and dual image options.
Martin Professional's Florida-based US subsidiary, Martin Professional Inc, has announced plans to move into a new facility early in the year 2001. The new office will be built in the Sawgrass International Corporate Park in Sunrise, Florida, just a short drive from the existing building. It will give Martin US personnel twice as much working space with a 3,106sq.m warehouse, 200sq.m showroom, and nearly 900sq.m of office space and other facilities. Completion date for the new building is expected to be just after the start of the new year.
Production Resource Group has restructured, combining the PRG Lighting Group and Audio Group into a single operating unit, the Lighting/Audio Group. The two divisions will continue to be branded separately in their individual markets, but will be managed by a single group of senior PRG management. Some of the key elements of the new organisational structure include the appointment of Don Knezovic as the chief operating officer of the Lighting/Audio Group, whilst Steve Terry becomes President of Lighting Systems. Nick Jackson continues as president of Light & Sound Design (LSD) with Jeff Senkovich promoted to the new position of vice-president of Lighting/Audio. Don Stern, chairman of the Lighting/Audio Group, is assuming responsibility for Production Arts' rental sales and operations.
Total Audio Solutions reports a record number of bookings for its location and mobile recording facilities. Music channel VH1's 'Storytellers' required full carry-in production talkback and timecode distribution facilities. Another project involved the digital recording of a show featuring Pete Townsend of The Who. The six-camera shoot involved a 50-user PMR system, plus Total Audio's Ambient Lockit system, which was needed to synchronise master and multitrack recorders with the digital slates and Beta reference tapes. Rick Wakeman's forthcoming double CD/DVD was tracked at Marlborough College using Total Audio Solutions' 24-track mobile, while Hugh Cornwell (ex of the Stranglers) hired the company to record his band's new live album at The Robin II R&B Club in Dudley, West Midlands. The booking followed Cornwell's 1998 live album, which was also tracked by the TAS team.
Barry Rackover has joined PRG as vice president of Lighting, Michigan, and will oversee all operations in business development, sales management, production and customer service. He brings with him over 20 years of production and sales experience, having worked with an impressive number of clients and supervised production for automobile shows and dealer announcements around the world. Prior to that, he worked extensively on live shows with such notables as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Madonna, Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead.
Ivan Myles has been appointed general manager of UK Trading at Strand Lighting. He will report to Horst Eickmann, general manager of European Trading. Myles has been with Strand for many years and his knowledge and experience will allow the company to concentrate on sales in the UK, whilst co-ordinating European service and training operations.
Newquay-based PSD Electronics has completed a sound and lighting installation as part of a £500,000 makeover at the Twilight Zone nightclub in Redruth. The new lighting rig features four of Sagitter's compact Infinity MSZ1200 (Multi Step Zoom) units, which project down onto the minimalist ground floor dance area, as well as onto the sailcloth surrounding the eight moving arms of the flown mechanism. Sagitter Digiflash Pro strobes also feature in the rig. All of the Sagitter lighting was supplied by Multifom Technology. PSD's Dave Charman said that the fittings were "incredibly bright and powerful - they look amazing in this installation."
TMB Associates has appointed Stephanie Algarin to the newly-created position of marketing administrator. Stephanie will be working with TMB's marketing director, David Downey, to further promote TMB's products and services. For the past six years, Stephanie has been manager of Decasource Inc, a studio lighting rental, manufacturing and software company based in Hollywood. She was responsible for all operational and marketing aspects of the company.
Construction work has started on Amptown Cases' Peterborough warehouse and office premises, which are being extended and refurbished along with the addition of new workshops. The existing facilities will be more than doubled in size, and the work is scheduled for completion by the end of June. An extra telephone line and switchboard has also been installed to cope with the increasing volume of business. The new number is +44
Stage Electrics is to install a new sound and lighting system at Winchester's Theatre Royal. The installation is part of a major remodelling of the theatre and will involve completely removing the roof of the building so the lighting bridge can be installed. The company has also designed enhanced FOH lighting positions in the auditorium and, in conjunction with MRP, a new counterweight flying system. The theatre is owned by The Winchester Theatre Fund, a charitable trust and funding for the project, which is due for completion in early 2001, has been raised by the charity and a grant from the Arts Council of Great Britain.
As part of Stagetec's expansion programme, the company has recently appointed Mick Cocker as Compulite product manager for the UK market and Peter Humber as sales executive. Cocker has over 18 years experience in all areas of the entertainment industry, most notably with Celco, Avolites and most recently with ADB. He will be developing new and existing markets for the full Compulite range of products and enhancing the existing UK dealer network. Humber has been involved with the music industry throughout his life both in the domestic audio market and more recently as general manager of a professional sound and lighting company based on the Isle of Wight.
Invented in Gaithersburg, Maryland, by Byron, Melody and Enoch Swetland, Tekno Bubbles is a striking new effect which combines the age-old bubble with blacklight technology. Manufactured in Germany, Tekno Bubbles are safe, patented non-toxic blowing bubbles that look and act like normal bubbles under normal light, but have a striking coloured glow under UV (black light) lighted conditions. The company's world-wide sales team is headed up by Harald Röhm and the company reports that distributors are currently signing up on an almost weekly basis.
The Vision LP Half Coupler and 'Big Ben' Coupler, distributed exclusively by AC Lighting, have been given full TÜV approval by the renowned German Institute. The TÜV mark is recognised globally, and shows that a product has fulfilled all of the necessary German and European Union accreditation requirements. This means that a product not only meets the essential health and safety requirements of the machinery directive, but that it is backed by an independent third party testing organisation. The TÜV mark is awarded only after extensive testing.
Continuing its expansion, Leicestershire-based Hawthorn Theatrical Ltd recently added over 220m of Prolyte S36R truss to its hire stock. The addition coincided with Hawthorn Theatrical becoming Prolyte dealers. To complement the truss, Hawthorn also added 16 Verlinde Stage Maker Compact 1T winches to its stock. Almost all Hawthorn's truss stock was used at the Pro Retail exhibition at the Telford International Centre in May. The brief was to turn a 3000m2 hall into a versatile venue for lunches and evening functions seating 1200 people. The company's solution involved runs of truss down the room with white ceiling panels spanning the full width and length. Room and ceiling lighting was achieved using Par cans whilst the stage lighting incorporated both generics and moving lights from Clay Paky and Martin Professional. Hawthorn also provided the sound system from its extensive Martin Audi
Recognising the importance of this region as being the largest entertainment community in the world, Martin has opened an office in Las Vegas. As the first manufacturer of intelligent lighting with an office in the city, Martin intend to offer technical and sales support, technical design and project support for the designers, dealers and customers in the region. The company has appointed Tim Brennan as the sales manager of the new office. Brennan, a well-known figure in the theatrical and entertainment Lighting community, will work with support from Martin's West Coast office team to develop a stronger presence for Martin in the Las Vegas market.
Selecon has demonstrated its commitment to the UK and European markets, with three appointments in the sales and marketing division of its UK operation. Following 11 years with Hawthorn Theatrical, Nick Gale has joined the company as sales manager for Selecon UK, where he will be responsible for dealer liaison, training and managing the client base. Selecon UK marketing consultant, Michael Goldberg, has seen his role broadened to sales and marketing director for Europe. Overseeing the general policy for Europe, the move also allows Michael to continue to act as a freelance consultant to other companies within the industry. A third member of staff, Lorna Parsons joins the Selecon team from Theatre Vision. Working for Zero88, (which provides Selecon UK logistics out of Wales), she will serve the Selecon customer base from the Wales office.
If you've read or heard about Wybron's revolutionary CXI Colour Fusion scrollers, but still don't understand how just two gel strings can give you any colour under the sun, help is at hand. Wybron has designed a simple, easy to understand colour wheel which demonstrates perfectly the technology behind the CXIs. Made up of two concentric wheels, which represent the front and rear gelstrings, the user simply selects a colour by rotating the front wheel relative to the rear wheel. The channel values needed to achieve the colour are shown next to each window, allowing users to recreate the desired colour effect on the CXI itself, with ease.
To celebrate the launch of the new Strand 300-series lighting desk, and to introduce it to the London theatrical community, White Light and Strand Lighting collaborated on a successful open day at the Soho Theatre in London at the end of May. The star attraction of the event was Strand's new 'baby' lighting console, the 300-series. Based around the same GeniusPro operating system as the popular 500-series lighting consoles, the 300 console is of an attractive, compact, versatile design that allows a system to be built to suit the particular needs of smaller venues. The 300 was demonstrated in action by Strand's Bill Richards, using the Soho Theatre's White Light supplied and recently installed new rig of conventional lanterns driven from Strand LD90 dimmers and automated lanterns including Strand Pirouette PCs and City Theatrical AutoYokes. Soho will become one of the first venues in the
