Laser Grafix has welcomed Paul Sadler back to the fold. Sadler first began working for them in 1988, progressing to hire manager before leaving to join Stagestruck as project manager. He returns to the company as technical sales executive.
Seelite has organised a series of workshops. The first covers the fundamentals of the software programme WYSIWYG. Lars Nissen and Leif Hellberg will introduce participants to WYSIWYG demonstrating how it was used on earlier projects such as the Danish Eurovision Song Contest 2000 and the Danish Grammys 2000. The briefings will take place in Aarhus on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 October and in Copenhagen on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October. The company is also organising a rigging course, led by Martin Svane and Martin Corneliussen. Participants will become acquainted with subjects such as suspension of equipment, personal safety, choice and use of gear, and, finally, use of truss systems. The course is mainly theoretical, but includes a few practical features. This takes place on Copenhagen on Wenesday 1 November and Aarhus on Monday 2 November.
The Acclaim Axial is the latest addition to Selecon's Acclaim range of 500-650W luminaires, incorporating the superior efficiency of the latest compact filament lamps, axial configuration and custom lens designs. The result, says Selecon, is a high-performance variable Zoom luminaire a precise and even beam. As well as the standard safety features, the Axial also benefits from safe and easy adjustment of the light distribution from a centre peak to a flat field and two interchangeable beam angle choices for short or longer throw applications. The heat management system uses hot mirror technology: the lamp socket and wiring are contained in a separate compartment, isolated from the direct energy of the light source by a substantial heat sink. Air moves through the two zones dissipating the heat, maximising component life. The Astral Axial model, meanwhile, combines a high-quality projecto
When Kvaerner Masa-Yards, builders of the Costa Atlantica for Costa Cruises, were specifying equipment for both the ship's 1,170-seat main theatre and the 320-seat show lounge, they sourced the entire requirement of colour-changers from Wybron, supplied by Foki Oy of Helsinki. The main Caruso Theatre has Wybron Coloram IIs fitted on to 74 ETC Source Fours and 43 Source Four Par and Wildfire UV fixtures, while the Salone delle Feste Corallo, the smaller show lounge, has another 16 Coloram IIs. The Coloram II offers lighting designers up to 32 colours, which on the 7.5" model will scroll end to end in 2.5 seconds. The Costa Atlantica, which is now the flagship of the Costa line, will initially cruise the Mediterranean, operating weekly cruises from Venice to Greece and Turkey. In November she will transfer to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to begin seven-day cruises in the Caribbean.
High End Systems fixtures have been chosen to illuminate the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games on September 15 and October 1, respectively. Designed by LD John Rayment, the ceremonies at Olympic Stadium in Sydney's Olympic Park will be seen live by about 120,000 spectators and on television by an estimated three billion people worldwide. Rayment and lighting director Rohan Thornton are using 300 Cyberlight Turbo and 40 Cyberlight fixtures, as well as 136 Studio Beam luminaires, and 132 Studio Color 575 luminaires. To control the multi-layered system, the designers are using 14 Flying Pig Systems Wholehog II consoles. Bytecraft, the exclusive Australian distributor for High End Systems, is the event's general lighting contractor, and is working with two German companies, Procon and Sound and Light, to pull the massive lighting system together.
A new nightclub - Möndo - has opened in the town of Oban. This is the first purpose-built club in the Strathclyde town and the technical specification and installation contract for lighting and sound was won by Jools Hodgkinson and his new company Fairway Entertainments Ltd. Hodgkinson is a technical director and resident VJ at The Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh and also one of a new generation of club installers. He compiled the specification in conjunction with Lightfactor's team of Bill Jones, Dave Hartley and Peter Loosemore. This featured High End lighting fixtures for the core of the rig - six Studio Spot 250s and six Technobeams. Control for all dancefloor lighting fixtures is via a LightProcessor QCommander. Lightfactor also supplied the audio rig, consisting of Electro-Voice speakers - MTH mid tops, MTL1 subs, plus SX 300s for infills and the DJ booth; QSC PLX 1602 and 3402 amplifie
Martin Professional is expanding its touring and theatre division with the appointment of Mark Ravenhill as stage lighting manager. Ravenhill, who previously worked with Martin at the company's Danish HQ, joins them from AC Lighting where he was marketing manager. One of his first roles will be to oversee the launch of the new MAC 2000 at the forthcoming PLASA Show. The company has also strengthened its technical department with the appointment of Steve Chimarades as technical manager. Chimarades brings with him a technical background and was most recently with a telecommunications company.
OmniSistem of Wahington state, has added Rick Poole to its sales staff. Poole joins the company from Guitar Center in Tukwila, Washington, where he managed the DJ and lighting department. He has been a mobile and club DJ for 10 years, as well as a successful club systems installer/contractor. His experience with lighting products for the DJ and club level will be a great asset to bolster sales of the Programmi Sistem Luce (PSL) products, the COEF MP250 series, and La Novalight Booster and centrepieces.
On August 1 Stig Poulsen took over as Martin Professional's new R&D director replacing long-time head of R&D, Finn Kaellestrup. Poulsen joins Martin from building control company Danfoss where he was technical manager. His principal role will be to develop the R&D department's flexibility and design capabilities, as well as to strengthen the company's infrastructure.
LG Corporation's new performing arts centre in South Korea is one Asia's most technically-advanced performance facilities, and features a state-of-the-art ETC dimming and control system supplied by ETC Asia, through Samhwa Yang Heng Co, ETC's Korean distributor. Much of the remaining performance lighting equipment was supplied by TMB Associates. This included a load distribution system, using over 2,000 metres of ProCable PC1214 six-circuit, 20A cable, plus 76 breakouts and break-ins, as well as various ProPlex control cables, including 1,000m of PCCCT colour-changer cable. TMB also supplied 400 ETC Source Four luminaires, 68 Wybron Coloram II colour-changers, 500 assorted City Theatrical Source Four accessories and an Aquafog 3300 CO2 fogger, two Altman 703 Blacklight fixtures, 70 ProCan Par 64 fixtures and various atmospheric effects from Le Maitre.
Australian-based lighting control systems manufacturer, LSC Lighting Systems, has appointed Fairlight BV as the official LSC Distributor for the Netherlands. LSC's marketing director Alan Graham told us: "Holland has traditionally been one of the more significant countries in Europe in terms of sales, in which LSC products can be found in some of the most prestigious venues. With Fairlight on board, we are confident that our representation will increase. This, coupled with our newly-introduced and soon-to-be-released products will make LSC one of the major lighting control brands recognised for quality and reliability in Holland."Fairlight has already taken delivery of their first stocking order, which includes the new ePAK and ePRO dimmers.
NJD has introduced the Mirage - a colour-changing downlighter and truss light, which uses red, green and blue colour-mixing (three 50W, 12V dichroic lamps) to produce 65,000 colours. Measuring 127 x 121 x 81mm, the polished aluminium Mirage unit can be fixed directly to the ceiling or, with a 'Downlight' fixing kit, fitted into a standard 140mm round hole for suspended ceilings. A power pack can power two Mirage heads, controllable via DMX, MIDI or 0-10V. The Mirage units are available in either polished aluminium, gold, black or white anodised aluminium, and can accept two different lamp types for wide (wash) or narrow (highlight) angle applications.
Two of the leading companies in the lighting industry have announced an alliance that will make them an even more powerful force in the lighting industry worldwide. CAST Lighting of Toronto, Canada, and Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) of Middleton, Wisconsin, are co-operating in an OEM deal that will see CAST's pioneering lighting visualisation software closely integrated into the range of ETC's advanced lighting control systems. Fred Foster, founder and CEO of ETC, told us: "This relationship is the opportunity to combine the best of both worlds, and it opens the door to exciting new possibilities in the future."
PLASA Publishing has learned that Robert Bell, one of the three co-founders of Canadian software specialist CAST Lighting, has left the company to move on to new projects. CAST Lighting is best-known for its highly-popular WYSIWYG lighting design softare. Bell, who is currently working with John Rayment on the lighting of the Olympic Games in Sydney, says he has no precise plans at present, but is excited about the future.
Chichester-based new product patenting and development company Patent Plan has seen an idea it protected in 1998 evolve into a product that now plays an integral role in the structure of the Millennium Dome. Kit Grundy, MD of Patent Plan was approached in 1998 by Michael Russell, MD of Arc Lighting, a lighting design and development company on the Isle of Wight, to protect the intellectual property of Arc's illuminated flooring system. Once the illuminated flooring system's patent protection was in place, Arc Lighting was approached by Dome architects who wished to use it to form the Money Zone's Investment Bridge. After the architects had seen the potential of the flooring system in greater detail, Arc was asked if the system could also be used for the exterior of the Money Zone. The company manufactured and installed 630sq.m of slim light boxes which weighed in excess of 25 tonnes and
Bandit Lites has introduced a new motor control system which fully conforms with all European directives. Bandit's design engineers spent over two years of extensive R&D working on the project and consulting with several prominent European manufacturers, including ETC and Martin Professional, while developing the system. The new motor control has full fault-detection systems integrated into the design and is currently being used on a number of Bandit Lites shows in Europe, including Feet of Flames, Lord of the Dance and Paul Weller.
Avolites Hire has supplied ART dimmers for a recent film shoot at Pinewood Studios for the new Meg Ryan movie, Proof of Life. The Avo ART 2000 and 4000 dimmers - four systems of each totalling eight racks - were supplied via Avo's Garry Lodge to main lighting contractor Lee Lighting. Lee's Mark Ackers then co-ordinated all relevant lighting equipment for the film's gaffer John Higgins. The Avo dimmers were controlling all the conventional fixtures on the shoot. This totalled over 500 DMX channels and a mixture of luminaires including practicals, 2Ks, 5Ks and softlights. It was fundamental that the dimmers were capable of allowing them to turn all the lights on full, and leave them running for 14 hours. The shoot lasted two months, during which time all the interior scenes of the house in the movie were shot. The exterior scenes and footage had previously been shot on location in Ecuador.
For the recent opening of the Olympic Arts Festival in Sydney, a series of events was held throughout the day culminating in a performance on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. The main idea of the show is a ceremony called Tubowgule (the meeting of waters) where the main aboriginal clans of the area meet to welcome foreign visitors to our shores. Lighting designer for the event was Joseph Mercurio joined by the creative team of Stephen Page, David Page and Jenny Irwin. Mercurio used 12 MAC 600s on the stage area, and told us: "I like the colour mix on the MAC600s as well as the beam-shaping. With this show, they mostly went from a full beam to a frost. I use the MAC500s and 600s quite a bit - they always do the job well."Although there was a small stage, 90% of the show happened elsewhere, with the performers spreading out onto the concourse. The Tarpan wall was lit by n
Mark White, until recently a member of the team of theatre consultants at the Royal Opera House, is to join ETC Europe on October 2 as sales manager for the UK and Eire. Having been part of the theatre industry since 1985, White's career has included the development of bespoke lighting and control equipment for shows including Cats and Phantom of the Opera . He has also designed lighting and effects for major exhibitions and displays, including Eurodisney, and his extensive knowledge and experience will prove invaluable to the ETC Europe sales team. Mike Lowe, managing director of ETC Europe, told PLASA Publishing: "The addition of Mark, with all his practical experience, demonstrates the fact that ETC continues its commitment to providing the best customer service in the business."
Martin Professional A/S has reached a settlement with Vari-Lite Inc which sees the lifting of the injunction against the Martin MAC 500s, MAC 600s and MAC 300s in the US market. The two companies had been locked in a long-running legal battle over the issue of the manufacture and sale of the MAC units which also extended to the company's Case series controller when sold in conjunction with these. Only two months ago, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had reaffirmed the injunction, rejecting Martin's claim that the patent expired in July 2000, ruling instead that it did not expire until March 2001. For Martin Professional, the settlement means a return to full trading freedom in the United States, which is expected to contribute positively towards the company's future development in terms of both turnover and profitability. With the recent release of a half-year f
CAST Lighting of Toronto, Canada, has announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Electronic Theatre Controls that allows ETC exclusive territorial distribution rights for CAST's lighting design and visualisation software. This announcement comes on the back of an earlier announcement that ETC and CAST have formed an OEM alliance that would allow CAST's software to be integrated with ETC's range of advanced lighting control products. R. Bruce Freeman, CEO of CAST comments: "It made absolute sense to us, once we started discussions with ETC about the OEM relationship, to pursue the idea of having ETC distribute our mainstream software product." While the distribution agreement is effective from August 21, 2000, both companies will officially launch the alliance at PLASA.
Coemar DeSisti Australia has announced staff changes to cope with steadily increasing business. David Lee joins the company as TV and film lighting specialist. David has had 30 years' experience in the lighting industry including theatre, concert, corporate and TV lighting, spending 20 years working for BTQ7 in Brisbane. During the time at BTQ7 he was responsible for all studio and location lighting and also a number of large outside broadcast events such as Gladiators, RAQ Fashion Awards and Brisbane Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols for seven years, as well as game and children's shows such as Wipeout, Amazing, Family Feud and A Big Breakfast. He was also technical director/lighting director for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (Australian TV Coverage) and lighting director for News and Today Show at 1988 Seoul Olympics for the NBC Network USA.
Christie Lites has signed a three-year multi-million dollar deal to exclusively support the Martin line of moving lights. In a unique move for a rental company, Christie Lites will only purchase Martin automated lights for the duration of this contract. Troels Volver, CEO of Martin Professional Inc. comments, "We are very pleased that Christie Lites has chosen Martin as its vendor for automated lighting. With our extreme dedication to customer care and technical support and our professional partners in Canada and throughout the world, we are able to support a company like Christie Lites and their global business practices. The benefit to customers in the USA and abroad will be the increase of various MAC series rental units for larger productions including touring, television and corporate events. Their shops are second to none when it comes to providing quality equipment and servic
High End Systems is now making its presence felt in the Big Apple. Located just off Times Square, the company's new office has a fully-equipped demo facility and dedicated WYSIWYG room, as well as a training and seminar area and a customer meeting room. Sales, marketing and technical service representatives will be based at the office, which is headed up by director of special projects, Paul Sonnleitner. The company has also expanded its presence in London by refurbishing the original offices of its partner, Flying Pig Systems. The new office in West London offers visitors a fully equipped demo facility with a training and seminar area, technical workshops and a customer meeting room.
