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Lighting

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Gemini’s lighting division has launched a number of new fog machines. The FG-5200 is a low profile, lightweight professional fogger built around a large, internal 1.5 quart fluid tank. Boasting a high output pump providing 10,000 cubic feet per minute, the FG-5200 also has a 1200W heat exchanger for denser fog. The unit incorporates a 32 foot remote control with magnetic backing, while the remote itself features both timer and duration controls. Also new are the FG-1200 and FG-2200 fog machines. While the FG-1200 boasts a high output pump offering 3000 cubic feet per minute, the FG-2200 will pump 4000 cubic feet in the same time. For denser fog, the FG-1200 has a 700W heat exchanger, while the FG-2200 has an 800W version. Both units have a 32 foot remote control with magnetic backing and a lower heating temperature as an added safety mechanism.

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Coe-tech Ltd is now stocking the PR.com projector system - the latest product from Italian company Travel Show, for which Coe-tech is exclusive UK distributor. The PR.com is suited to a wide range of applications including retail/point-of-sale, museums, attractions, bars, restaurants and club.

The system comprises two small projectors: the PR 5.2 is an effects projector using 200W or a 250W HSD light source whilst the PR.com 3.1 utilizes a 250W 24V halogen lightsource. The PR 5.2 is a versatile multi-functional device, offering bright, sharp images up to 10 metres from the source. A variety of effects are available to fit on the front of the projectors. Two metal prongs extrude from the lightsource and support the lens system, plus a large range of motorized or fixed accessories and effects. The effects mechanism is designed specifically to offer very quick and simple access for changi

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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AC Lighting has expanded its international sales operation with the appointment of Chris Buckman. Chris is a well-known figure within the lighting industry following three years with Opti where he held the position of director of sales and marketing. He has enjoyed a distinguished career covering a wide range of industries including fibre optics, telecommunications, plastics and industrial plant. He also served as Deputy Head of the International Division of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Commenting on the appointment, Nic Tolkien, AC’s international sales director, told PLASA Media: "We continue to expand our International Sales operation and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to recruit someone with the wealth of experience in general and sales management which Chris brings to the company. His fluency in five languages will be a major asset to our in

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Strand Lighting has further strengthened its position in London with a move to a large studio office facility in Hammersmith. A result of recent expansion, the move will enable all operations and services of the UK Trading Division to be conducted under one roof.

The 100-year-old mews building, formerly recording studios, now houses the sales office, credit control and project management team, a large showroom, impressive training facilities and will also be home to the new London Service Centre. Offering a new base for the sales team and a total package for clients, sales director Ivan Myles told PLASA Media: "This is another positive step forward for Strand, which is now consolidating its position by being able to offer improved customer service with larger stock and a faster response time to customers." The move comes after six productive months in temporary offices in Ful

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The quiet town of Hay on Wye annually plays host to a world-famous literary event which regularly attracts over 60,000 visitors. The Sunday Times sponsored’ festival runs over 11 days and during that time features over 200 events across three venues. During the festival, visitors get to hear presentations from celebrities ranging from Kate Adie and Germaine Greer to Melvyn Bragg and Louis de Bernieres.

However, one of the big names this year caused quite a buzz in the town - ex-president of the USA Bill Clinton attended the festival to deliver the keynote address entitled ‘Conflict Resolution’. Paul Elkington of Theatre Vision has been the technical director for the festival for the past 14 years, and chose Zero 88’s new Fat Frog desk to control his rig of Martin Mac 250s, Par cans and theatre luminaires.

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Le Maitre has had a very busy couple of months, concentrating particularly on the rock n’ roll touring side of the business. Major contracts were awarded, taking advantage of the company’s worldwide distribution network and Prostage II range of professional pyrotechnic effects. The SlipKnot European Tour used rows of Large Flame Projectors and one-second 25ft Stage Gerbs to dramatic effect, as witnessed by a packed UK crowd at Milton Keynes Bowl. Kid Rock toured Europe in May and June, culminating in one night at Brixton Academy with an impressive pyrotechnic effects list, including half-second 25ft Gerbs, Mines and Flame Projectors.

Bon Jovi appeared at 17 venues through May and June, including Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Cardiff in the UK. Being a tour of European stadiums, the design utilised some of the largest stage effects currently available, such as crossettes, mi

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Rental Management System (RMS), has become even faster and easier to use, and the new version of the software will be shown at the PLASA Show. With over 2000 users world-wide, RMS is a market leader in the supply of software for professional rental companies. The software is available in nine languages, including English, German, French and Spanish. New 'cut and paste' shortcuts allow users to easily move items from one job to another, or to convert a job into a (new) packaged item. The multi-sites option also has new features: from within a job, the user may see both the local stock-situation, as well as the situation at the available sites added together. With another mouse-click, all jobs (from the local or from a selection of sites) that hold an item in a given period, can be viewed. The crew-planner is a new module that allows for entering comprehensive labour details. Personnel may

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The Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) has defeated the UK Government at the European Court of Justice over the UK’s implementation of the Working Time Directive. The UK’s Working Time Regulations 1998, which implements the Directive, entitles workers to a minimum of 20 days paid leave each year. But employees are not entitled to the leave until they have completed a qualifying period of 13 continuous weeks with the same employer. This means that many freelance and contract workers who work for less than 13 weeks have been denied a right to take paid leave.

BECTU launched a legal challenge to the UK legislation and on 26 June 2001 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) accepted the opinion of the Advocate General of the ECJ, which stated that national governments may not exclude groups of workers from the rights that the directive gives them.

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Fred Bentham’s Memorial Service took place yesterday at the Palladium Theatre in London. Over 100 colleagues, friends and family members attended the Memorial Service, which was a celebration of the life of the man who many regard to be the founding father of the lighting industry. Roger Fox introduced a number of tributes to Fred from colleagues in the industry. Francis Reid talked about Fred’s insight into the art of theatre and its technical requirements, whilst Brian Legge and Alan Luxford of Strand recalled their time at Strand with Fred and his early involvement with the ABTT. Bob Anderson spoke of Fred’s impact on lighting at the BBC during the 1950s and his work on the Riverside Studios, whilst John Watt paid tribute to the man he felt had played a large part in designing the equipment most in the lighting industry grew up with. Richard Pilbrow reminded the audi

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The opening of Bounce at the Roundhouse Theatre, by Nick Grace Management, brings a major international production of a highly-rated dance company’s work to London.

Lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe first visited the BouncE Streetdance Company in Sweden in 2000, with the troupe’s management and producers, to guage the potential for a major international production of the highly-rated company’s work. Woodroffe recalls: "We saw that we could translate what they were doing into something even more exciting. Les Brotherston became involved as designer and came up with this wonderful set design for the Roundhouse, on the understanding that Bounce would first do production rehearsals in Ealing, then a six-week run of the show in Sweden before moving to London."

Brotherston’s set has a wide central stage and two raised ‘satellite’ side stages

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Utopium Lighting designed and provided all of the lighting for the spectacular London launch party for Hollywood’s latest blockbuster, Pearl Harbour. Utopium’s team worked 16-hour shifts through the scorching bank holiday weekend at their Bristol offices preparing equipment prior to installation on a tight time-frame at the University of London Senate House. Over 240 lights were installed in little over eight hours into six themed areas and two reception areas, under the direction of the company’s MD Colin Bodenham who designed the whole show.

The building’s façade was spectacularly lit with lighting and custom projection of the Stars & Stripes theme, whilst the skyline was pierced by two authentic Second World War searchlights. Inside, art deco silk flames in each of the alcoves hid an assortment of lights washing the room in red, white and blue, with an array

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White Light and The Moving Light Company have been selected to supply the lighting equipment to the West End transfer of Trevor Nunn's acclaimed Royal National Theatre production of the classic musical My Fair Lady. The production, which stars Martine McCutcheon and Jonathan Pryce, opened at the National's Lyttelton Theatre in March to critical acclaim. It will return to its original West End home, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in July: the original production of the show held the record as the longest-running show at that theatre until its achievement was finally beaten by Miss Saigon, which also used lighting equipment from White Light.

The lighting for the new production of My Fair Lady is designed by David Hersey, making his return to musical theatre lighting after his 18-month sojourn sailing around the world. For the Drury Lane production, Hersey, his associate Jenny Kagan and pr

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For the first time, a comprehensive study of the effects of theatrical smoke has set absolute limits on the amount of smoke that can be used safely on stages.

The report, jointly commissioned by Actors’ Equity Association and the League of American Theatres and Producers, concluded that Actors are at risk when exposed to "elevated or peak levels of glycol smoke and mineral oil." However, it also noted that if exposure levels are kept below the limits established in the study, actors should "not suffer adverse impacts to their health or their vocal abilities."

Further details of the report will appear in the July issue of Lighting&Sound International, being mailed on July 15. If you would like to receive a copy of the magazine, e-mail news@plasa.org

Further information on the study can be found at

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Vari-Lite is lighting the way for rock-n-roll greats, Aerosmith, during the band's Just Push Play tour. Earlier this month, the band performed at the first of 50 US cities it will visit over a three-month period this summer before touring the rest of the world later this year and into 2002. The shows feature the use of the Virtuoso console. Lighting designer Jim Chapman is using 84 Vari*Lite luminaires combined with the control of the Virtuoso console, operated by lighting operator and programmer Benny Kirkham, to light the famous band. Chapman's rig includes 16 VL2416 wash luminaires, 14 VL2402 wash luminaires, 26 VL5Arc wash luminaires and 28 VL6C spot luminaires. "I like using a mixture of the old school type of lighting and the more current type of computer lighting," said Chapman. "Vari-Lite has always been the front-runner with computerized lights, and the VL2402 is

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Due to be launched at PLASA 2001, the innovative ChromaRange is a new state-of-the-art family of LED technology lighting fixtures designed and manufactured by Pulsar Light of Cambridge. Each fixture houses 80 powerful, high efficiency LEDs. These comprise of a mixture of Red, Green and Blue types to allow endless RGB colour mixing - making 16.7 million colours possible. The LEDs have a rated life of 25,000 hours at full power white, but this is greatly increased if the fixture is dimmed or producing coloured light as in normal use. The units can crossfade slowly from any colour to another or strobe if required, as they feature fast-response electronics. Alternative clip-in diffusers will be available for different beam angles and shapes allowing various effects to be achieved. The LED units boast a high light output, and the infinite colour palette ranging from pastels to deep intense hu

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The Moving Light Company has added Vari*Lites to its extensive hire stock. The latest additions are the VL2202 spot luminaire and VL2402 wash luminaire. Both based around the same case design, familiar from Vari*Lite's popular VL6B luminaire, the VL2202 and VL2402 both use a 700W short arc lamp to provide high light output. The VL2202 spotlight offers a wide zoom range, fixed and indexing/rotating gobos wheels and an interchangeable colour wheel, while the VL2402 washlight, one of the most talked about products at last year's LDI trade show, offers CMY colour mixing coupled with a highly controllable variable beam.

Both units have already been specified for the forthcoming UK tour of Miss Saigon by lighting designer David Hersey, where they will replace the VL2C spot luminaire and VL4 wash luminaire used on the original London production. The Moving Light Company will be supplying Miss

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This week Show Technology’s managing director Emmanuel Ziino made a major commitment to the rapidly growing area of architectural lighting by appointing Jonathan Ciddor as architectural products manager. Ciddor has been involved in the lighting business for over 30 years, the last 15 specializing in taking entertainment lighting to architectural and theming applications to create interesting lighting solutions. This wealth of knowledge will now be used to develop Show Technology’s position as one of the leaders in innovative architectural lighting in Australia.

Jonathan’s own experience on large scale architectural and theming projects is vast and he has worked on a wide range of projects. He is currently working on the permanent location of the Olympic Cauldron at Homebush Bay involving over 20 Clay Paky Goldenscans. The installation of this project is by Beyond Audi

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Thommy Hall who has joined California-based Mobolazer to manage the sales department. Hall is well known throughout the lighting industry and was previously in New York City as northeast region sales manager for High End Systems. He also spent two years in Hawaii as sales manager for Hawaii Stage and Lighting and was also lighting director of the highly acclaimed production of Ulalena at the Maui Myth and Magic Theater.

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A documentary team are planning to do a report on what they believe is Europe’s oldest working lightbulb. The star subject has reportedly been working perfectly well in the garage of a family based in Cetinje, Yugoslavia, since it was first installed in 1910.

However, the Yugoslavian bulb has some way to go before it catches up with a feisty old lightbulb still serving duty in a fire station in the US city of Livermore. The 4W bulb recently celebrated its centenary.

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During our time at the recent TiLE show at the Business Design Centre in Islington, we took time out to call in on Lighting Technology’s newly established office on the second levelof the Design Centre.

Dave Cartwright and Richard Reed, both on temporary secondment from the Group’s Park Royal HQ, were more than happy to show us round. The new base, which features both a sales office and showroom area, is championing the promotion of Lighting Technology Projects’ specialist architectural lighting products portfolio, which incorporates product lines from manufacturers around the world, including Color Kinetics, ETC Irideon, TIR LightPipe, Astralux, Derksen and Phoenix - as well as numerous other architectural lighting and control products. Graham White, recently recruited from Absolute Action, heads up the new office with Clive Tallent and Sarah Davis joining him from P

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PLASA 2001 sees Avolites also launch the Art2000-US 20 Amp digital dimmer, specifically designed for America.

The Full Mains Patching, virtually silent operation and 100% duty cycle, 20 Amp channels will satisfy America’s sharply growing demand for portable, high density touring dimming systems.The Avolites Art-2000 dimmer is an established and proven design, and the American system utilises the flexible Dimming or Mains Distribution modular design that has made the Avolites Art dimmer popular around the world.

The system features a Mains Patch with four sockets per dimmer channel (total 192) to 162 Patch Cords connected to 25 Socapex and 12 Stagepin outlets. All patch cords are numbered, colour coded and utilise the 32 Amp rated ‘Multi-lam’ contacts. Mains connection is via 5 wire Camloc inputs complete with Camloc loop outlets. The Rack system is supplied with Vol

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Just two years ago the PRG group of lighting companies added Midnight Design and the Spot Co to their UK operation. At the time PRG's stated aim was consolidation of the two companies with the recently-established UK branch of Production Arts, and at the same time to forge a working relationship with LSD in Birmingham. Indeed, well known lighting industry executive Alan Thomson was appointed specifically for that task, "and", he was happy to announce last week, "it's a task we've just completed. The final shipment of equipment from the inventory of Production Arts has already been unloaded into our facility here in Croydon."

The integration of these three well-regarded companies into one cohesive unit has produced many changes besides the amalgamation of resources and inventory. The combination of experience and know-how has allowed expansion into new markets, not l

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The heart of downtown Montreal is racing with excitement since the May 2001 opening of NewTown, a spectacular four-storey complex which includes a bar, restaurant, lounge, and terrace, and is owned by Quebec-born F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve and associates. NewTown is dream project which has taken several years to plan and build. From a huge demolition process to an outstanding rebirth, NewTown has become a modern structure while preserving its rich historical and architectural roots. The club on the bottom floor is where much of the action takes place, beneath 24 Titanium MiniMac profiles from Martin Professional, supplied by Canadian dealer Solotech. Lighting designer for the venue was Francois Roupignant, product specialist was Paul Pelletier

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The 2001-2 Learning On Screen Annual Production Awards were again a huge success, with a record 165 people attending the presentation dinner, promoted by the charity, The Society for Screen-Based Learning. Strand Lighting sponsored the Best Lighting Award - which this year went to Supernova for their training video, e.asywriter. The video is set inside a PC, and Supernova’s Vincent Thompson describes e.asywriter as encouraging the effective use of e-mail. According to Thompson: "Everyone needs to know how to use e-mail properly - just as they need telephone and business writing skills. We wanted to create a fun story that would make practical points about using email effectively. We came up with the idea of inventing an email control room - a mix of high-tech and old-fashioned post room, using Chromakey to show the user ‘looking in’. The lighting was instrumental i
  1. DHA Lighting Appoints Clearlight
  2. American DJ Expands Into Florida
  3. Stagetec Wins Major Contracts
  4. LDPS Expands and Moves
  5. Bob Schacherl Joins Vari-Lite Inc
  6. Stage Electrics Increases Selecon Stock
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