France - Modulo Pi has announced the immediate availability of a new multi-projector auto-calibration module. Available as an option for the Modulo Player and Modulo Kinetic media servers, the auto-calibration system allows to automatically align multiple video-projectors on planar, curved, and dome surfaces for a pixel-perfect projection. Working with Modulo Player, up to one server can be supportedfor example up to six WQXGA outputs, or four 4K outputs. Working with Modulo Kinetic, the auto-calibration option supports multi-server configuration, resulting in an unlimited number of outputs and resolution support. Modulo Pi’s auto-calibration system can handle independent calibration groups, as well-stacked video projectors. In addition, a versatile masking feature ensures a fine-tuned projection. Fully developed by Modulo Pi, the auto-calibration module relies on Po
Latvia - In the first quarter of 2020 a new Cultural Centre in Stopini, Latvia was built and Prolights products were used in the project. Two lighting equipment systems were installed in the centre in the town located on the outskirts of Riga - Great Hall and Small Hall systems. The purpose of the lighting systems was to provide quality lighting for concerts, theatre plays, amateur concerts, folk dance concerts, conferences alongside events. “Since the Great Hall serves as an acoustic hall, one of the requirements for stage lighting was to have projectors with housings that do not emit noise on cooling and heating, do not create flares, to have LED projectors without cooling fans or with especially quiet cooling fans” comments Ilgonis Punculs, director for Diogens audio, the company responsible for the project. “Other requirements were to find a device with
USA - Every June, the historic Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis bustles with the sights and sounds of the three-day music and arts festival named in its honour. But like so many other events that bring people together to celebrate their communities, the one at the former railroad-bridge-turned-pedestrian-way fell silent this summer in the wake of the pandemic. Ironically, the event site at the majestic bridge over the Mississippi, touched the people of Minneapolis again on the evening of 1 September, not with the rhythm of drums and clang of guitars, but by serving as a platform for a dramatic Red Alert display that reminded everyone of the toll the lockdown has taken on those who make occasions like the Stone Arch Festival possible. Seth Scott, owner of Monkey Wrench Productions, led the team responsible for the compelling display. Positioning three Chauvet Profession
USA - Most people call the 65-acre site just off the Ojai Freeway the ‘Ventura County Fairgrounds’. Officially, though, its name is “Seaside Park,” a reference to its location on the Pacific Ocean. It’s a setting that makes for magnificent views, but the winds blowing in off the beautiful sea can play havoc with anyone trying to set up a large LED video wall, or run fog for a lightshow. Victor Ortiz knows this first hand. The owner of Darvik Productions, he has been the production manager for Concerts In Your Car, a regular series of drive-in concerts at the fairgrounds since early June when he teamed up with the ongoing event’s producer CBF Productions. Contending with the occasional wind gust is only one of the challenges Ortiz, lighting designer Martin Castañon, and the rest of the Darvik Productions team, has had to deal with at the 700-car capacity sh
Canada - As part of their commitment to education, CAST Group of Companies has announced a free version of wysiwyg Design is now available to all students and teachers, enrolled on a full or part-time lighting design course at a university, college, post-secondary vocational or polytechnical school. Used in over 300 educational establishments worldwide, wysiwyg offers a 3D environment where productions can be planned, designed and programmed, risk free, offering students a safe virtual lab where ideas can be tested and experimented with. With wysiwyg Design, you can create professional lighting plots and paperwork, and clearly communicate design ideas through high quality renders and animations. Should you wish to connect to a lighting console to programme shows, you can upgrade your free wysiwyg Design to a 4 universe (2048 channel) or 8 universe (4096 channel ) vers
UK - The Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) will assist 68 emerging lighting designers through its Lumiere 20:20 mentorship scheme. The original format planned to match 20 emerging lighting designers with experienced mentors but due to the generosity of ALD members who waived their micro-bursary, 38 applicants will now benefit from the one-on-one scheme. The standard of applications was so high, says the ALD, that another programme -Team Lumière - has been initiated. It will welcome a further 22 applicants, who will work as a collective through an expanded version of the Lumière course programme. The scheme expansion means the ALD will help 68 emerging lighting designers in total. Participants from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, England, Italy, Poland, Malaysia, Australia and the US have been chosen. Many of them identify as being under-represented in
USA - Three key live music venues in New York City managed by The Bowery Presents - Brooklyn Steel, Webster Hall and most recently, the 2,800-capacity Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan - all feature Robe moving lights in their house rigs. The lights have been specified by Luciano Savedra, head of lighting for The Bowery Presents which is the East Coast regional partner of AEG Live and owns and operates a diverse mix of venues across NYC and in other major metropolitan centres. At Terminal 5, where Savedra also oversees and runs the lighting day-to-day, the 12 x MegaPointes and 12 x Spiider LED wash beams have greatly added to the flexibility of the existing lighting rig. The lights were supplied via BML-Blackbird. Brooklyn Steel - on the site of a former steelworks and named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by Rolling Stone Magazine
Lityhuania - The hall of Molėtai Culture Centre is a multi-functional venue with a capacity of 330 spectators. The centre is located in a small town called Molėtai, situated around 50 km away from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. “The stage of the hall where Prolights lighting devices are installed is 10m wide 11m deep and 5m high,” said Mindaugas Indrašius, CTO for Sonus Exsertus, Prolights distributor for Lithuania. “Prolights products were selected based on the needs of the cultural centre and the genre of events. The activities of the centre are diverse so there was a need for lighting devices that were small, reliable and versatile. On a relatively small stage it was not possible to have many specialised narrow-purpose lighting devices therefore the versatile, strong light output and well-functioning Prolights lighting fixtures fully meet the lighting need
USA - The feeling never gets old for Kenrick Fischer. It’s the one that happens at the end of every project, when all the work is done, and he gets to watch clients react to his finished lighting design for the first time. In the world of theatre, where he’s devoted much of his efforts, it is one of the highlights of an opening night. “I often refer to this as ‘giving it away,’ in theatre,” said Fischer. “It’s why I do this. I love seeing the amazement on people’s faces when you transform a space into something wonderous and unexpected.” Fischer experienced this feeling earlier this year, when he showed his completed work to the team at the Seattle Revival Centre. The church had originally contacted him about upgrading its lighting system to make it more flexible, engaging, and broadcast-friendly. Drawing on his experience in theatre, Fischer
China - Suzhou is one of the fastest growing major cities in the world, situated just 100km west of Shanghai on the lower Yangtze River. It boasts many interesting historic and modern attractions, not least its latest nightclub, the 800-capacity Vela, which opened its doors in December 2019. Lighting designer, Andy Taylor of Gasoline Design, was called in to provide the dynamic lighting for the club and chose to use 174 Ayrton MiniPanel-FX for his design. He explains his choice: “I have used Ayrton products on nightclub install designs before, most notably DreamPanelTwin in Jewel, Las Vegas, and MagicPanel-R and MagicBlade-R in Omnia at Caesar’s Palace, also in Las Vegas. The fittings worked with spectacular effect in both of those designs, so when I was looking for something different to use as the workhorse of the effect lighting for Vela, the MiniPanel-FX was a
UK - Acclaimed lighting designer Paule Constable will deliver this year's Trotter Paterson Lecture, the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) has announced. Taking place on 10 September (Thursday) from 1pm, the event will for the first time be held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with free access to those registered. Constable will discuss her award-winning work, motivations, and experience as a lighting designer. Following the lecture, there will be a live Q&A session, where attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions. Constable is an honorary fellow of Goldsmith’s College, Rose Bruford College and the Central School of Speech and Drama. She also received an honorary doctorate from the Royal Scottish Academy and has been leading the freelance lobbying of the UK government, which contributed to securing the £1.57bn investment to protect Britain’
France - “Elation luminaires meet more and more the lighting criteria demanded by top directors of photography” was the assessment of Alain Lheriteau of Elation’s French distributor Best Audio & Lighting after working with director of photography Jean-Louis Rousseaux on a reworked set at France Television Stage 2. In spring 2019, the national broadcaster entrusted Rousseaux with the lighting design of Set 330, a virtual environment that spans 360° and covers almost the entire surface of the set. The first live broadcast from Stage 2’s redesigned set took place last fall and marked the first programme produced in a virtual setting on France Television. “It was necessary that we review all of the lighting for several reasons,” said Rousseaux, who reports that France Television wanted to equip the set entirely with LED lights. “The versatility of movin
Israel - Quiz show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire has been a TV favourite - and sometimes talking point - for years. For the 2020 Israeli edition, broadcast on Channel 12, lighting designer Ofer Jacobi was asked by producers July August Production to light the show again, 20 years after the last time he’d done so, which was the first roll out in Israel. Ofer was delighted to be working again after the coronavirus pandemic has all but shut down the entertainment and production industry worldwide. This time, he specified a Robe moving light rig and worked closely with set designer Oren Hanan and show director Amir Ukrainitz at Mizmor Petah Tikva Studios about 10km east of Tel Aviv. They studied the UK’s latest Who Wants To Be A Millionaire format (where the show originated, first broadcast in 1998) and followed some of this style book with a few
USA - For the millions of professionals working on the technical side of the entertainment industry in the US, 1 September’s #WeMakeEvents #RedAlertRESTART #ExtendPUA night of illumination was a collective shout for help, imploring the US Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S.3814) and PUA extension as quickly as possible. Elation was part of this momentous initiative with partners coast to coast lighting buildings, venues and structures in red to focus awareness on the plight of the live events industry and the need for immediate financial support. “Thank you to all who participated in any way to tonight’s amazing success. I am so proud,” comments Elation sales & marketing director Eric Loader at the conclusion of the evening. “Today reaffirmed for me what I knew already in my heart, that I am so fortunate to work in the most amazing industry with some in
USA - Amber Solutions has announced the availability of a white paper on solid-state electrification, the digital control of electricity and the many market opportunities these breakthroughs create. The paper is titled The Second Electrical Revolution. In March, Amber Solutions introduced the world to the possibility of embedding the digital control of electricity in solid state architecture in every device, appliance, power cord and electrical end point in buildings globally with the immediate commercial availability of its newly-patented Amber AC/DC Enabler and Amber AC Switch. “Thomas Edison would be proud of what we have achieved,” comments Amber Solutions founder, president and CEO Thar Casey. “The publication of this white paper is the logical and necessary next step in educating the world on the future opportunities our breakthrough creates for, ma
Germany - Headquartered in Hamburg, Fielmann AG is an ophthalmic optics specialist, with 780 branches spread throughout Germany and Europe. In July this year, the company invited its shareholders to attend its annual general meeting. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this took place virtually, without the physical presence of the shareholders. The stage was set up at the Cinegate Studios in Hamburg - and optimised for live streaming online. As a technical service provider, PRG Streaming Solutions was responsible for the entire technical infrastructure - including the stage and décor - as well as supplying the entire lighting, sound, video, and transmission technology. Lighting designer Jerry Appelt was responsible for the scenography, and overall look of the event. The centrepiece of the stage design was a high-resolution 17m x 5m LED wall, onto which all came
USA - At the last big event in Las Vegas before the lockdown, Bobby Grey of Notan Creative used 60 Claypaky Mythos 2 fixtures to deliver a variety of looks for the 102 songs that rock band 311 performed in three marathon shows at the Park MGM’s Park Theatre. Felix Lighting in Los Angeles was the lighting vendor for the concerts. Grey did the full production design for the series of concerts, 11-13 March, and created and curated the shows’ video content. The band annually celebrates ‘311 Day’ on 11 March, staging marathon live concerts in even-numbered years and playing a cruise for fans in odd-numbered years. Formed in 1988, 311 has released 13 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, four EPs and four DVDs. “Mythos 2 is my go-to for a beam and utility light,” says Grey. “A lot of lights claim to do a lot, but typically they do only one th
UK - Initially launched by PLASA in response to calls from its membership, the #WeMakeEvents campaign aims to raise awareness around the current plight of the live events sector and how it urgently needs financial support in order to survive the COVID-19 crisis. The initial response resulted in a collective Day of Action on 11 August, with creative expressions across the country, including over 700 buildings lit up in red and other activities that culminated with 4,000 socially distanced event professionals lining bridges and the bankside of the Thames, expressing their need for support with the red alert theme. (Read extensive coverage of the Red Alert day of action in LSi September – out now!) In order to r
USA - ETC has officially released the Eos v3.0 software, bringing powerful three-dimensional programming and augmented-reality control to the Eos platform. This update marks the official integration of the much-anticipated Augment3d toolkit into Eos. With Augment3d, users can programme moving fixtures with unprecedented speed and ease, visualize their cues in an imported model of their space, and even position lights with a flick of an augmented-reality smartphone “focus wand”. Over 5,000 beta users tested the software in recent months, and their feedback has helped to build one of the most exciting new Eos feature sets yet. The new software runs natively on all the latest Eos Family hardware and can be used with the ETCnomad software on Mac and PC. Educators, students, and those wishing to learn the software can download the latest ETCnomad software for free and m
Belgium - Lighting is often asked to perform a variety of functions, such as when it is called upon to illuminate a speaker, but also furnish a colorful background for the camera. Or, when it is relied on to accent the architectural features of a room, as well as highlight the event going on inside. Seldom, though, does lighting fill roles that are as diverse as those that Blue Moon assigned to it at Zoo Antwerpen. The well-known production and system integrator company was asked to provide a system that could create ambient light for the zoo’s alligator enclosure, add dramatic effects to its thunder and lightning show, and (most importantly) provide nourishing lumens to the animals and live plants inside. Visitors to the zoo can’t say how well the lighting system is doing in filling the latter role (the excellent health of the enclosure’s inhabitants attests to
China - Located in Hong Kong, the 1,031-seat Ko Shan Theatre hosts traditional opera, dance, music, school functions or community gatherings. Already equipped with an advanced sound and staging system, the theatre also wanted to incorporate the latest in lighting technology as well. Looking to bring in a new LED theatrical luminaire to provide elegant colour-changing with a smooth, even wash, they worked with Pacific Lighting who installed a rig of AP-150 PAR LED luminaires from Altman Lighting. “The Ko Shan Theatre has been a long-time client of ours and we have worked on many supply projects for them,” began Hugh Chinnick, Pacific lighting director. “When we were approached about this particular upgrade, they were looking for an LED colour-changing Fresnel or PAR to replace their existing two-colour Tungsten Fresnel downlights. After Nick Champion conducted a demo of
USA - The music of the Grateful Dead has a way of bringing people closer together, even when they have to stay socially distant. This was evident when tribute band Scarlet Begonias performed the group’s classic hits at the Columbia County Amphitheatre in Evans. The concert’s organisers set up tables 10ft apart from one another, allowing only fans who came together to occupy each restricted zone. Distancing did not seem to bother the mask-wearing fans, as they enjoyed the music together at this drive-in-show-minus-the cars. “We had a much smaller crowd than you’d typically find at this kind of concert because of social distancing, but the energy was all there,” said John Berret, of Quest Sound & Productions, who lit the show with an all Chauvet Professional rig that featured 20 Rogue and COLORado fixtures. Berret did his part to convey the “spirit
Europe - Elation offers a comprehensive range of professional white light LED luminaires. In the 3 September Elation Coffee Break, The company’s Elation’s Alistair Smyth and Frederik Afif will take a close look at Elation’s KL Fresnel series, WW and CW Profile HP ellipsoidal spots, TVL series of softlights, and new KL Panel, white light LED luminaires optimized for the equirements of broadcast, film, tradeshows and theatre. The Elation Coffee Break with a focus on white light will air live on Thursday, 3 September at 11:00 a.m. CEST on Elation Europe’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ELATION.Pro.Europe/live/. No registration is required. The Elation Coffee Break is an online presentation series from Elation’s European office in Kerkrade, the Netherlands
Australia - In May 2020, The Voice Australia returned for Season Nine with coaches Delta Goodrem, Kelly Rowland, Guy Sebastian and Boy George going head to head to find Australia's best-unsigned singing talent. This year it was more of a massive undertaking than usual as the show moved out of Fox Studios (which was fully occupied with the production of a Marvel movie) to a new temporary 13,000sqm warehouse location in Moorebank consisting of three studio spaces. Large super grids had to be installed, container walls used to separate areas, temporary buildings, art workshops, power, plumbing and air conditioning systems added to make the location TV friendly. The base lighting inventory for the Playoff, Showdowns and Finals shows was entirely LED-based except for the Claypaky Sharpys and Robert Juliat followspots. This was a first for lighting designer Ian Ander
