Germany - In late 2020, the city of Munich wanted to create a projection mapping show on New Year's Eve, but with coronavirus restrictions, a new solution was created. A semi-permanent installation would enable as many people as possible to see the attraction whilst maintaining a suitable social distance. The chosen location was The Kunstareal which is a museum quarter in the city centre of Munich, where numerous cultural institutions, universities and museums are located. We Are Video is an agency for visual art which is run by three artists: Betty Mü, Raphael Kurig and Christian Gasteiger. Betty Mü participated in a tender together with her colleagues and won with the concept The Kunstareal Connects. With years of experience in the field of AV and the experience economy, the company combine art and the latest technology to create experiences that engage, mesmerize
UAE - KISS said goodbye to 2020 in spectacular fashion = with a live New Year’s Eve pay-per-view concert from Atlantis the Palm in Dubai. The 22-song set from the band’s End of the Road show was performed on a 250ft stage with the live audience at the Atlantis resort watching from their balconies and fans worldwide live streaming the concert on FITE. A large complement of Claypaky Mythos 2 and Scenius Unico fixtures from technical supplier PRG helped to illuminate the expansive venue. The concert was designed by Sean Hackett (aka Motley) from the KISS production team. PRG was tasked with providing the A and B rigs to fill the stage and create the architectural lighting for Atlantis The Palm that highlighted building features and set the scene for the mammoth show to come. Lighting designer Marcell Wahl of HOD Lighting lit the hotel’s grand arch and eight t
USA - Michael Cannon, co-founder and former CEO of 4Wall Entertainment, has acquired Main Light Industries, Inc (MLI), a dry hire provider of entertainment equipment. MLI will remain headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and retain all of its employees but its founder, Aidas Gimbutas, will be stepping away from the company. Gimbutas comments: “Deciding to sell your business is never easy. Of course, a business owner is looking to capitalize monetarily, but I did not seek a new owner based on this alone. I could not have found a better person than Michael Cannon to accept ownership of Main Light. Michael is investing in what is obviously, a tough time for the industry. He is continuing full-time employment for our dedicated and loyal staff; he respects our customer service approach, and he is here to not only continue but will strengthen Main Light’s ability to provide our
France - Robe Lighting France delivered its first Robe Awards event, a lighting design and programming competition that saw 10 finalists battle it out by utilising a full Robe lighting rig. The competition, which attracted more than 160 entrants, was initiated after Sebastien Dendele, president of rental company MursDeLeds (MDL), and well-known TV lighting operator Yannick Duc discussed the idea of organising a lighting competition after MursDeLeds had installed some Robe fixtures in a Paris club. Robe France account handler Jean Philippe Fouilleul was then approached, who in turn involved his colleagues Bruno Garros, Elie Battah and Vincent Bouquet who floated the idea of engaging lighting designers and operators. The competition kicked off in December 2020 and was open to anyone in France familiar with professional lighting consoles and visualisation software
Germany - London-based Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts entered its production season with support from GLP’s UK office and some inventive programming of the company’s bespoke theatre fixtures from one GLP enthusiast and freelance designer, Adam Kingnow. When the academy relocated to its new building in Peckham from its former Wood Green base, where King had graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Technical Theatre specialising in Lighting, it had the benefit of a new reconfigurable theatre. This featured a purpose designed lighting grid on which the LDs could hang and focus their lighting, including a large number of GLP fixtures, to achieve maximum creativity. King had been fortunate enough to work alongside top theatre LD Neil Austin, which is when he first discovered the special TH theatre-specific versions of GLP’s impression X4 and X4 Bar fixtures, with the y
USA - Al Gurdon used 65 Chauvet Professional Nexus Aw 7x7 panels supplied by PRG to bridge two distinct facets of The Weeknd’s Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Arranged in a tower-like configuration that was revealed when the stands holding The Weeknd’s supporting cast parted into equal sections on either side of them, the Nexus units created a column of intense warm white light that silhouetted the star as he made his first appearance. In addition to creating a dramatic entrance, the brilliant display of light acted as a bridge between the performance stage that was setup on the North End concourse of the stadium and the backstage hall of mirrors dubbed ‘The Infinity Room’ by the show’s creative team. “I wanted something that would be powerful enough to create an immediate impact, whilst also offering
Italy - Prolights has released its latest EclDisplay series of LED spotlights designed for use in galleries, retail, hotels, exhibitions and other installations. The fixtures in the range feature multiple control options, sources, colours, lenses and accessories, with over 7,000 possible fixture configurations, using the same core technology while meeting different aesthetic or technical requirements. The EclDisplay units are available in three control configurations: DAT, UN and CC. The DAT version comes with a built-in PSU, with manual knob-dimming, RDM, DMX and DALI control on-board. The UN version includes all the above and adds phase-cut dimming for retrofitting in existing systems. The CC (Constant Current) version works with external drivers, allowing installers to complete the light fittings with any track mounted, rack or boxed drivers, accepting any wired o
UK - Anolis Divine 160 LED lighting fixtures are providing mood and house lighting for two of London’s leading multifunctional venues, Magazine London in Greenwich and Exhibition London in White City, both initiated and operated by Broadwick Live and Venue Lab. The Anolis fixtures were specified by consultant and technical production director Simon Jones of SJ-TPM, who co-ordinated the technical design, specification, procurement, installation, and commissioning of production equipment for the two high profile venues. “I wanted a fixture that could do more than just provide functional white house lighting,” explained Simon, “Ideally an LED source for cost-efficiency and sustainability, plus a unit that produced a great range of colours and a quality, bright output, so the same fixtures could also be part of the atmospheric lighting or theming for a wide range o
Germany - Die Glocke in Bremen is a well-respected concert venue. The meticulously detailed space inside the Walter Görig-designed building reflects sound with such clarity and purity that leading artists have sought it out for their performances. Herbert von Karajan singled out Die Glocke as one of the three finest concert halls in all of Europe. Given this reputation, Christoph Brunkow, project supervisor at Glocke and his team had clear goals in mind when they were upgrading the facility’s lighting system. In addition to seeking fixtures that produced bright even fields of light, they were looking for ones that were quiet and could be installed with minimal disruption to the building’s interior. “We wanted to change as little as possible about the building,” said Brunkow. “Our goal was to keep the existing rigging while installing new fixtures that delive
Denmark - Rental operation Live Company made a major investment in Robe Esprite and LEDWash 300X moving lights, together with a RoboSpot remote follow spot system, in March 2020 just before the pandemic hit effectively closing the live concert and event industry worldwide. “We felt it was a bit like some ironic sort of April Fool’s joke,” commented Live Company’s Peter Clausen, one of the owners together with Mikkel Bedsted and two other business partners. However, they are pleased with their kit, and the Esprites have been busy despite a challenging year working at a fraction of the normal pace as Live Company is lucky enough to have had a steady flow of work throughout the pandemic. Live Company purchased the 22 x Esprites for Cirkusrevyen, Denmark’s premier revue show which is staged at a big top venue in Dyrehavsbakken, a northern suburb of Copenha
Russia - Rock band Kino celebrated its reunion with an online concert, which wowed the Russian rock community and teased Kino’s major stadium tour planned for this spring. The online performance was the first show to use Claypaky’s new Tambora Batten fixtures, which were selected by lighting designer Marina Larikova. The online concert reunited members of the band who had not appeared together since the death of Kino’s lead singer, Victor Tsoi, in 1990. The performance featured two bass players who had played at different times with the original band, Kino’s original guitarist, a synthesizer player and a rhythm guitarist. Victor Tsoi’s presence was felt in the show when his multitrack recordings were digitised, enhanced and incorporated into the concert. Tsoi’s son Alexander was one of the show producers. Claypaky’s Tambora, a high-power batten made its d
Germany - Building on the success of the Streamer, GLP’s new LED light for video conferencing, live streaming and home office work, the company has announced a new packaging variant for those wanting multiple sources, called the Streamer Duo Kit. Simultaneously, the free-to-download app has been updated, offering significant expansion of the remote-control capabilities of all Streamer units. The Streamer Duo Kit packages two of the GLP Streamer units together with a pair of extendable tripods, USB-C cables and USB-A to USB-C adapters for both units. This comprehensive accessory set also comes with a pair of soft drawstring bags to protect the units whilst in transit. The packaging insert has been cleverly designed to be placed directly into standard portable hard cases, reducing the products’ environmental impact. The Duo package has been designed for applications
USA - Elation Professional is expanding its Key Light (KL) series of LED Fresnel luminaires with the full-colour-spectrum KL Fresnel 8 FC. Designed for TV and film, theatre, tradeshows or any general AV application requiring high output soft light with precise colour reproduction and adjustable colour temperature, the KL Fresnel 8 FC produces ‘the soft field light that designers desire in order to masterfully highlight performers or scenery on stage’. Offering a wide array of rich saturated colours, subtle pastels and dynamic white light, it is designed for use in situations requiring outstanding performance and colour quality. The KL Fresnel 8 FC houses a 500W RGBMA LED engine calibrated at 6500 Kelvin and emits a diffused wash of light. It produces over 18,000 field lumens with a motorized zoom range of 10° to 50° for easy adjustment of beam size. For illuminat
USA - Over 1,700 miles separate Image Productions Services from Ryman Auditorium, but that didn’t matter much on Saturday 23 January when Annie Brobst and The Jake Ash Band took the stage at the improvised livestream studio in the company’s warehouse in Shrewsbury, MA. Brobst, the New England Country Music Awards Artist of the Year, and Ash’s band, which was formed by four firefighters from nearby Brockton, projected a down-home vibe that would have fit right in on Nashville’s Second Avenue. Contributing to the welcoming atmosphere of the pay-per-view show was a warm and immersive lighting and video design by Darren Lussier and his team at Image Production Services that featured 44 Chauvet Professional fixtures and a collection of PVPX3 LED video panels. Seeking to evoke an intimate music club image on their relatively small stage, Lussier had it bathed i
UK - Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed the four steps England is set to take towards “cautious yet irreversible” easing of lockdown restrictions over the coming months. The roadmap indicates that theatres, cinemas and other indoor entertainment attractions could reopen with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place as part of step three, provisionally set to take place from 17 May. Johnson specifically said that as part of step three “theatres and concert halls can reopen their doors”, with pilots of larger events set to take place using enhanced testing. If coronavirus rates continue to fall as predicted, step four could see all restrictions lifted in England from 21 June. This will mean all sectors should be able to reopen. The #WeMakeEvents campaign has issued the following statement in response to the announcement: “We welcome
Sweden - Harman Professional Solutions recently partnered with LiteNordic and Light Bureau to update the Øresund Bridge with a revitalised architectural lighting design to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Originally constructed in 1999 and opened in 2000, the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe, with a total length of more than five miles. The bridge - an instantly recognisable landmark to worldwide viewers of the hit Nordic drama series The Bridge is financed and operated by a joint-stock company owned by the Danish and Swedish governments. In 2020, the bridge’s operating company hired European architectural lighting consultants Light Bureau to update its aging lighting solution with a more robust and vibrant lighting design in celebration of the bridge’s 20th anniversary. Light Bureau appoi
USA - So Midwest, Inc. provided turnkey creative and technical services for Self Destructor, the new music video for rock band Chevelle. Executive producer and production designer, Robb Jibson, selected Ayrton Perseo fixtures for the video, which So Midwest concepted, designed, directed, produced and edited. Focusing on science deniers and written before the coronavirus pandemic, Self Destructor is the lead single from the band’s upcoming, space-themed ninth studio album, Niratis (an acronym for Nothing is Real And This Is a Simulation). “Coming up with a theme of a visitor from space carrying a glowing energy orb that would ultimately suck the band inside its energy, we back-tracked the story to come up with the script and the shot list,” says Jibson of the concept, which combines performance footage with clips of Chevelle on a night hunt f
Italy - Claudio Mazzucchelli created Papa Watch My Fly, a livestreamed multi-media operatic work performed at the historic Teatro Coccia in Novara. Featuring over 70 socially distanced performers, representing a wide range of musical genres from classical and jazz, to pop and rock, as well as aerial dancers and a “live” painting by Giuseppe Ravizzotti, Papa Watch Me Fly portrays the evolving relationship between Mazzucchelli and his father over a 54-year period, from 1962 to 2016. Reflecting the passions and nuanced emotions of this story, was a Nicolò Damiani lighting designed that featured 26 Maverick MK2 Wash and 18 Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures. Audiosales Entertainment Solutions, which managed the production, rented the Chauvet Professional fixtures from Fumasoli Audio & Lights. Led by sales manager Marco Alterini and product specialist G
Germany - The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is one of Germany’s foremost producing houses. In the last year, the venue has added 20 x Robe T1 Profiles which are available across its stages, a move specified and overseen by head of lighting Robert Grauel and his team including Linus Zahn who is the lighting systems tech and person in charge of new technologies. The main stage was originally built in 1850 and the building now consists of two adjoining stages – the 600-capacity main stage and the 280-seat Kammerspiele established by the legendary Max Reinhardt in 1906 for modern drama – sharing a common, classical façade. The Box is a black box studio space located in the Kammerspiele foyer with seating for 80 people, and there are extensive rehearsal rooms, workshops, and storage facilities in a new building behind. The Robe T1 Profiles were selected from a s
UK - SES Entertainment Services has been working with JLLighting on their most recent batch of 72ways, HDPE distro and cables. “We got a call from Jack (managing director) at JLLighting looking to purchase some of our SES 72ways as they wanted to move away from their previous supplier,” says SES group director Gordon Cooper. “The quote started off as three of these units however quickly turned into HDPE distro, moulded rubber K9’s, soca splitters, custom fan outs and Powerlock linking sets as well. Quotes and drawings were supplied quickly as there was a tight deadline to stick to. “We worked closely with JL on the specs and branding to ensure they received exactly what they were after and only the best quality branded components were used on all the builds.” The 72ways are 27u 19” racks are made from Zintec steel and have a black powder coat on the
USA - Gerry Dintelman designed a show for sludge band Fister’s 90-minute Video Death livestream at the Arch City Audio Visual Services studio in St Louis. Working with a rig that featured over 50 Chauvet Professional fixtures, plus 104 PVP S5 LED video panels, he took viewers on a visual journey that wove its way seamlessly through his client’s heavy, often abrasive rhythms. “We wanted the rig to look as aggressive as Fister’s sound is, so the whole design revolved around the idea of sharp angles, tons of back light, and intense visuals,” said Dintelman. “I definitely needed all the firepower I could get to convey the spirit of the music.” Central to Dintelman’s design was a V-shaped truss configuration that converged on the drum stand. Made with four sticks of 8ft truss slanted at a 45-degree angle, each holding 11 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures and 10
Finland - Harman Professional Solutions recently partnered with Studiotec Oy and Turku Energia to illuminate the recently renovated Piispantorni building’s façade and its new whale mural with Martin Exterior Projection 1000 fixtures. Originally constructed in 1973, Piispantorni is the tallest building in the Finnish city of Kaarina and offers a dazzling view of the nearby Gulf of Finland from its upper floors. Formerly owned and utilised by Finnish brewing company Hartwall, the building’s new owner recently renovated the building to offer commercial office rentals to professionals in the Turku region of Finland. As part of the renovation, the building received a completely new steel façade featuring a stunning, 82-foot-long mural of a life-size blue whale titled Big Blue by artist Mauri Kosonen. In order to enhance the effect of the mural, Piispantorni
USA - This January, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu passed up a long list of other possible sites, and delivered his inaugural address at Studio Lab, a production facility created by Events United. The address marked a milestone for Events United, which formed Studio Lab before the pandemic, but began pouring renewed energy into the space once the lockdown brought live events to a halt. “For us it was a matter of trying to stay busy,” recalled Messina. “But Studio Lab tapped into a strong demand for professional livestream studios and surpassed everyone’s expectations.” Outfitted with a lighting rig anchored by Chauvet Professional Maverick fixtures and featuring a massive 52’ wide by 14’ high curved video wall made with F2 LED panels, the production space has produced a steady flow of livestreams during 2020. Among these events was a Greater Manchest
Australia - Lighting designer Trudy Dalgleish appreciated the quietness and other features of Robe T1 Profiles and T1 Fresnels that are part of the new house rig at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide, which reopened in June 2020 after a major two-year redevelopment. The State Opera of South Australia’s production of Australian drama Summer of the 17th Doll was the first show to utilise the new facilities in the 1467-seat main auditorium – which includes the 24 new Robe moving lights, 12 of each type. The Summer of the 17th Doll action is set in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton in 1953, focussing on the lives of six central characters. Director Joseph Mitchell already had some very clear ideas for how he wanted the production to look and feel, so Trudy and set designer Simone Romaniuk worked closely to evoke the ambience and period feel of the pi
