USA - The Florida Panthers are best known for their exploits on the ice, but when the hockey team wanted to celebrate with some of their best fans recently, they shed their skates and headed over to the soft pine wood lanes of Strike 10 Bowling in Boca Raton. Since opening in March, Strike 10 has established itself as a hip go-to-spot for local celebrities and ordinary folk alike in South Florida, thanks to its abundance of amenities, including a 50ft bar that would be right at home in Tribeca, 30 large HD TVs, live entertainment, a sushi bar, and 11 professional bowling lanes, as well as special kids’ lanes. Tying it all together, while adding an extra dash of panache and colour to the venue is a lighting design by Jay Krause and the team at Sound and Lighting Solutions of Pompano Beach that features some 200 Chauvet Professional and Iluminarc fixtures, all of which
USA - Magmatic atmospheric effects has introduced Thermatic, a series of oil-based hazers designed to give enduring haze effects for longer-lasting atmospherics. Capable of creating a fine particulate that hangs in the air for hours, each haze generator in the Thermatic line excels at enhancing light beams and mid-air effects for higher impact, eye-catching visuals, says Magmatic. The Therma Tour is a premium oil-based haze effect generator that produces a fine, long-lasting atmospheric haze. Available in a 350W and powerful 800W version - Therma Tour 600 and Therma Tour 800 - both machines create a safe, clean and odourless haze effect that leaves no residue. The units hold 2.5 litre of fluid for over 35 hours of runtime with no warm up time required. Hang time is over three hours in an enclosed space after the unit has been turned off. Both units feature rugg
UK - City Theatrical will demo its latest technologies on stand N-C04 at PLASA Focus Leeds 2022 at the Royal Armouries Museum. Live demos will include the Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM 2.4GHz system, including PLASA Award for Innovation winner Multiverse Transmitter 2.4GHz, the Multiverse Studio Kit for film and video, RadioScan Spectrum Analyser, and DMXcat Multi Function Test Tool, as well as QolorFLEX 5-in-1 and HiQ High CRI LED Tape, QolorFLEX Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM Dimmers, and other City Theatrical unique lighting accessories. In addition to its special commendation in the 2019 PLASA Awards for Innovation, the Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM system was recognised as the winner of the Live Design Award for Best Debuting Product at the 2018 and 2019 LDI Shows in the USA, for the ability of the Multiverse Transmitter 2.4GHz to broadcast up to 10 universes of DMX data
Germany - Ayrton celebrated its 20th anniversary at Prolight + Sound with a new lightshow, created by Stéphane Migné in conjunction with French water effects company, Aquatique Show. This showcased Ayrton’s latest products, including the new Zonda 9 FX with its stunning liquid effects, and Cobra, Ayrton’s first IP65 laser sourced fixture. The imaginative visual choreography gave a taste of the creativity these new products are capable of and ensured Ayrton remained one of the busiest stands at Prolight + Sound. “It is incredible to be back at Prolight + Sound after two years,” says Ayrton CEO, Chris Ferrante. “We have been busy engineering and developing new products, such as Domino LT and Huracan LT. Now, for the first time, we are showing Zonda 9 FX and Cobra, our laser light sourced fixture. These are all clever, unique products, especially the liquid effects
Europe - Robe returned to major live exhibition shows with a new live production, Cuete & The Beast, created exclusively for the Prolight+Sound 2022 expo and presented last week in Frankfurt. Robe made a very strong statement with the show, offering a new booth design as well as launching five new products and showcasing five others seen for the first time at a major trade show. Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar comments: “Given the last two years with the pandemic, we didn’t have any specific expectations for Prolight this year, however the response has been extremely positive with a very busy booth every day that’s been a good hub for communication and generating great vibes.” He noted that Robe’s live show was crafted specifically to illustrate how the different types of fixtures can be utilised, showing the product functionality and why they h
UK - Artistic Licence has announced the reinvention of Micro-Scope, the DMX tester first launched in the 1990s and a common sight in many toolcases today. Most significantly, the new version - Micro-Scope 3c - supports RDM, hugely increasing its functionality. For all those who already own a Micro-Scope, you can buy a kit containing a replacement chip for your old device which will bring it up to the 3c specification. Artistic Licence inventor/owner, Wayne Howell brings the story up to date. “It was 1992. The Internet was a scientist’s plaything, email was a curiosity, mobile phones were the size of a bus and the fax machine was the latest must-have gadget. But DMX512 was starting to catch on. “I’d recently started Artistic Licence and I didn’t have a DMX tester. In fact, I didn’t know anyone who had a DMX tester. It seemed likely there would be a market f
Poland - A multi-functional building combining office and cultural spaces, Poland’s newly-constructed Cavatina Hall opened its doors at the start of this year. It is the only privately owned and funded concert hall in the country and its owners’ uncompromising approach to design demonstrates their ambition for the venue to become a landmark on Europe’s cultural map. The six-storey multifunctional building counts over 9,000sq.m of A-class office space, a chamber music hall, and a recording studio. But the crown jewel of the building is the 1,000-capacity concert hall which boasts a stage with AV technology integrated into an extensive digital and analogue network, and L-Acoustics’ progressive L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal sound technology, delivered by Warsaw-based L-Acoustics certified provider distributor, Audio Plus. The venue was created by Cavatina Holding, of
The Netherlands - Just prior to lockdown, lighting designer Erwin Van Lokeren was beginning work on an upcoming tour by his long-time client, Dutch rock stars Racoon. With the world of touring turned away from him, Van Lokeren had time to think about design and what he sees as one of its core meanings, how to reflect his clients’ music. It was, he now says, a time to allow “creativity to run free and build up”. This April, the result of this creative incubation was revealed during Racoon’s arena show at Rotterdam Ahoy, as Van Lokeren and his co-designer/systems tech Bert Ploegh transformed the stage with an evocative, mesmerising lightshow created with the help of Chauvet Professional Maverick, STRIKE and Epix fixtures supplied by Splendit. “For this show because of the Covid, we had a lot of time to create and try new things,” says Van Lokeren. “There
Europe - Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer returns to the concert stage with an innovative and dynamic production design created by Derek McLane, Peter Nigrini, and Lightswitch. Produced and promoted by RCI Global and Semmel Concerts, Hans Zimmer Live is a major arena entertainment spectacular. More than just a concert, the show features Zimmer, a band, an orchestra made of acclaimed musicians from around the world, and a troupe of dancers and singers - all performing works from Zimmer’s multi-award winning catalogue. The performance features arrangements from many major motion pictures, including the Academy Award winning films Dune, No Time to Die, and The Lion King, as well as fan favourites The Last Samurai and Interstellar. With 10 musicians from the Odessa National Opera Orchestra, the show is also a poignant an
Austria - Vienna’s Theater im Park, a new open-air stage nestled in the gardens of the Palais Schwarzenberg in the heart of the city, is an idyllic setting to take in a summer show. The new stage, which debuted in 2020, has been outfitted with Elation Professional Proteus Lucius IP65-rated LED moving heads specified and installed by event services company six by nine of Linz. The opulent palace and magnificent gardens attracts a steady stream of visitors in its own right, but now a summer series of shows from theatre, cabaret and comedy, to classic and pop music events, has made the area even more popular. Six by nine was called on to light the new stage, a role that included the entire technical installation including engineering and other technical elements, as well as show execution and maintenance. A flexible lighting system was required that could cover a varie
Europe - Prolight + Sound 2022 attracted 20,000 visitors from 93 countries, according to the organisers. After a break of two years, the Frankfurt event brought together companies and professionals from all segments of the industry. Wolfgang Marzin, president and chief executive officer of Messe Frankfurt, reflects: “By all pulling together, we have achieved something that, at the beginning of the year, many people thought would be impossible: the companies and associations of the event and media technology sector joined forces with us to show once again how much life and positive energy is to be found in this industry.” “We are delighted we have succeeded with Prolight + Sound in triggering this important restart and that we can once again all come together with no restrictions. Both exhibitors and visitors were hungry for spontaneous meetings,” adds Linda Res
USA - When he set about designing a light show, for regional Mexican trio Marca MP’s recent California tour, SoCal-based LD Gus Martinez began envisioning how his favourite colour combinations would play off against the band’s blend of banda, mariachi, and ranchera music. He also pictured in his mind, a scene for the artists’ entrance on the stage. The way Martinez envisioned it, the band would emerge from an elevator, flanked by runaway lights, while a variety of spots and washes illuminated the crowd, creating instant contact with their famously loyal fans. Happily, that’s precisely as it played out at large venues like Ontario’s Toyota Arena, filling Martinez with an indescribable feeling. “One of my favourite looks was the entrance,” said Martinez. “I imagined this moment throughout the entire time I was designing the show. Seeing it come to l
USA - Country star Jimmie Allen kicked off his Down Home Tour 2022, his first headlining tour, with a lighting system provided by Bandit Lites. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the entire Jimmie Allen team,” said Bandit Lites vice president Mike Golden. “Tour manager David Schultz and I began working together when he first graduated from Belmont. As time moved forward, he involved production manager Parker Anderson who David met while attending school. They in turn hired Lane Hymel who had also worked with Bandit in the past. This group is a highly motivated team that has taken Jimmie’s production to a new level, and we are very proud to be working this team.” “We wanted a rig that could give us the biggest impact and fit into our budget,” explained lighting designer Lane Hymel. “Choosing fixtures like Chauvet’s EPIX Bar Tour allow us to offer
USA - In a partnership that spans 16 years, Christie and Lightstorm Entertainment, filmmaker James Cameron’s production company, collaborated to bring enhancements to theatrical display capabilities for 3D, HFR digital cinema for Avatar and the much-anticipated Avatar 2. Cameron used Christie cinema projectors as a key part of realising his vision. The partnership began in 2006 with an agreement to share know-how and technological innovations that would help to propel the future of immersive, cinematic experiences, which has included providing Lightstorm Entertainment with Christie’s newest projection systems as well as support. “Over the years, we’ve worked closely with the team at Lightstorm,” explains Brian Claypool, executive vice president, Cinema, Christie. “With our range of Xenon and RGB laser projectors with Real|Laser technology, Li
The Netherlands - Dutch architect Jo Coenen’s buildings don’t merely blend into an environment, they become part of it. This is evident in Schouwburg Concertzaal Tilburg, an impressive modernistic edifice in the cultural heart of the city with large glass walls and recessed surfaces that erase all barriers between the building and the urban landscape outside. When this cultural landmark celebrated its 25th anniversary recently, the community wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. With this in mind, the venue contacted designer Max de Kam of Maximal Lighting to create a display on the building’s curved rooftop façade. Building on the theme of a popular multi-colour light art piece inside the building, the design team decided to feature a rainbow display on the rooftop. This design, with its panoramic hues, was also especially fitting, given the dive
Europe - Genesis reunited for The Last Domino? world tour, their first since 2007. Longtime creative director for the band, Patrick Woodroffe, worked with Roland Greil to design the set and lighting for the tour. Genesis core members Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks kicked off the COVID-delayed tour last September in Birmingham, England then played a US leg in November and December. The open-ended tour continued in Europe through March. The lighting design called for 148 versatile Claypaky Scenius Unico spot, wash and beam lights which were supplied by Neg Earth. “As Genesis has a rich history of pushing the envelope in terms of show design, it was important to keep that momentum going for their return to the stage,” says Roland Greil. “For Patrick and myself it was key to create a very versatile and theatrical design, which allows for all kind
USA - The band played mostly Cheap Trick songs during its hour-long set, but this was no ordinary tribute show. In fact, it wasn’t an ordinary concert of any kind, taking place as it did in a private airport hangar with no live audience. Once the music started, both of those things were quickly forgotten, as the mood took on the look and feel of one of those wall-rattling performances that made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band famous a generation ago. The authenticity of the music was easy to explain. The band on stage, The Neilson Trust, is made up of Rick Nielson, an original member of Cheap Trick, along with his sons Drax Nielson (who also played with the group), and Miles Nielson, as well as Miles’ wife Kelly Stewart. For the looks on stage, credit must go to lighting designer Sean Denny and programmer Garrett VanderVeen of Luxe Productions, who used a
USA - Pixotope Technologies has announced the appointment of Brian Olson as the new vice president of sales, covering North America. Olson joins Pixotope following an extensive background in media and broadcast production and is highly skilled in strategic business development, technical execution, and troubleshooting for an international client base. In his new role, Olson will focus on driving brand awareness and nurturing existing customer relationships on a global scale, helping to bring the next generation of visual storytelling tools to media professionals. Olson comments, “I had the opportunity to work with Pixotope as a technology partner in the past and was blown away by what they were able to accomplish with Unreal Engine in virtual production 7-8 years ago. This solid foundation in both software and experience has led to the creation of a truly grea
Germany – Signify entertainment lighting brands Strand and Zero 88 have announced that they are previewing a new version of the popular ZerOS console software at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. The update adds integration with Strand Vision.Net, Color Kinetics KiNet, and Philips Hue, making it easier for small to mid-sized theatres, houses of worship and schools to connect to other lighting systems in the facility with minimal infrastructure impact. “Most theatrical spaces have multiple systems to control the various luminaires inside and outside their facility, and because these systems don’t talk to each other, there is typically no way to initiate a single lighting cue for an event, such as a show start, across all the systems at once,” explains Jon Hole, global product manager, Strand and Zero 88 Controls and Systems. “Instead, lighting adjustments need to
UK - London’s Playhouse Theatre has been transformed into the Kit Kat Club for an immersive production of Cabaret, where lighting designer Isabella Byrd has taken the opportunity to incorporate the new Martin MAC Ultra into her Olivier Award nominated design (see LSi March 2022 for a full production report). “The MAC Ultras are the literal punchy centre of the in-the-round Cabaret light plot.” explains Isabella. “They are often playing solo in cues, and work in tandem with the Zactrack spotting system. Their clean colour mixing and speedy response enabled the design to gracefully tip the colour story - from a welcoming warmth, and later smash in with a j
Germany - Vari-Lite will be joined by Strand and, for the first time, Zero 88, on-stand D95, Hall 12.0 at Prolight+Sound this year, to showcase fixture, control and dimming solutions from all three brands. Vari-Lite will be debuting a new theatrical profile luminaire at the show - the VL1600 Profile. This is a precision key light moving head designed for high end theatre productions and includes a variety of exclusive features that already have top lighting designers buzzing. A premium profile luminaire, it’s launching with the tagline, ‘Naturally Beautiful, The Only Light for Your Encore’. “The VL1600 Profile is a true Vari-Lite-quality fixture that has been explicitly made for theatre,” explains Martin Palmer, senior product manager, Vari-Lite and Strand Luminaires at Signify. “Designers still express a lot of underlying frustrations when using LED movin
Europe - Following LumenRadio’s acquisition of Wireless Solution in 2020, the two major technologies of Wireless DMX, CRMX from LumenRadio and W-DMX from Wireless Solution, were brought together under one company. As the third step in creating one common standard for Wireless DMX, LumenRadio now announces that CRMX and W-DMX have been combined into one solution for Wireless DMX. First out, the BlackBox G6 from Wireless Solution got optional CRMX support. Secondly, The Next Generation and MoonLite from LumenRadio got W-DMX support. Now as the third step, all Wireless DMX OEM modules support both CRMX and W-DMX. As of now, all Wireless DMX modules in the combined OEM offer supports both the CRMX and the W-DMX protocol, thereby alleviating some, if not all, of the issues related to previously limited compatibility between the two different protocols. This means that all
USA - Harman Professional Solutions has introduced the Martin ERA 150 Wash moving-head and Martin ELP PAR static LED wash. These fixtures produce ‘class-leading lumen output with high-intensity zoom’, full-gamut colour calibration and smart rigging and control functions, making them versatile workhorse lighting solutions for rentals, installs and touring. The Martin ERA 150 Wash, the successor to the Martin RUSH MH 6 moving-head LED, delivers 3,900 lumens - twice the brightness of its predecessor - thanks to its newly engineered 7 x 40W RGBW light engine and optical system. It’s suitable for covering larger stages that require long throw distances. The ELP PAR, a successor to the RUSH PAR 2 static LED outputs 3,500 lumens, twice the output of the previous model, thanks to the same powerful new light engine and optical system. The ERA 150 Wash and E
USA - Carrie Underwood’s ongoing Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas kicked off in December 2021, and Carrie wanted this residency to be strong on creativity and innovation. BlackTrax, used back in 2016 on her Storyteller Tour and in 2019 on her Cry Pretty Tour 360, came with her to Vegas for Reflection. At the Resorts World Theatre, Carrie Underwood performs a 90-minute, 18-song show which incorporates pyro, set-changes, skilled aerialists and dancers, lasers, mirrored surfaces, and a water wall. These combined put the innovation, skill, and creativity of her production crew, and BlackTrax, to the test. Nate Cromwell, lighting director, and BlackTrax programmer for Underwood comments, “It’s like launching space shuttles and you get what you put into it. BlackTrax can go as far and deep and as complex as I want it to, or it c
