UK - Robe UK worked with a number of companies, organisations, venues and individuals to light 10 significant buildings and landmarks in and around its hometown of Northampton for the #LightItInRed lighting action campaign on Monday 6 July. Robe UK’s head of marketing Theresa Gibson coordinated all the permissions required to light these key Northampton sites as well as dealing with logistics and sourcing fixtures for which Robe UK partnered with rental and production company Clearsound Production from Shipston-on-Stour. MLE Pyrotechnics lit the town’s famous National Lift Tower, a 127.5m former test tower for Express Lifts which is the tallest building in the town and is now grade II heritage listed. The front façade of the magnificent stately home of Althorp House - home to the Spencer family for the last 500 years - was illuminated in striking scarlet wit
UK - Trending in Twitter’s top 3 on the night, the #LightItInRed campaign saw over 670 buildings, monuments, landmarks and structures all over the UK illuminated in ‘Emergency Red’ on 6 July (Monday) to highlight the vast challenges facing the live events, music and performing arts sectors. The action was organised by Steven Haynes from Clearsound Productions and Phillip Berryman from The Backstage Theatre Jobs Forum. It energised theatres, arts centres, live music venues, technical production and rental companies and associated individuals and freelancers everywhere, who were able to enjoy the camaraderie of working together once again on a massive national event with real purpose, after many months of the industry being closed and shuttered. On the eve of the event (Sunday) the government announced a £1.57bn financial assistance package for arts and culture in
UAE - AO Drones, specialist provider of drone light shows, recently played a key role in an unforgettable event to thank Dubai’s frontline workers for their heroic service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conceived and produced by AO Drones’ producer, Marco Niedermeier, the event combined a stunning aerial display from AO Drones’ sophisticated drone fleet, plus a special message from emergency services vehicles arranged to spell ‘Thank You’, in both English and Arabic. The whole event was captured in a short film, shot in the style of a dramatic action movie, and shared widely on social media. To realise the event, Niedermeier called on the help of friends from Dubai’s event production network, including Done Events, GTV Film Productions and Brand Dubai. Together they secured support from Government of Dubai and authorities including the Dubai Police Force, th
UK - The interactive installation, Scream the House Down by artist Marcus Lyall is going down well with the public around the world: London, New York, Hong Kong, Russia and beyond - so due to demand it has been extended it by a week, to 11 July (Saturday). With social distancing still in place and tensions continuing to rise, London-based artist Marcus Lyall and not-for-profit arts organisation Illuminate Productions, have transformed a soon-to-be-demolished office block in London Bridge into an interactive public artwork. In this new site-specific work, Lyall invites you to join a Zoom call where you can scream or otherwise vocalise your feelings. A monumental light installation instantly illuminates the building in response to your voice. The louder and longer your outburst, the bigger the response from the building. The building interprets every voice a
USA - Bandit Lites returned to the picturesque countryside of Blackberry Farm for Boards and Boats, where guests of the resort could spend a weekend partaking of wakeboard, wakesurfing and boating. In addition to tips and demonstrations from MasterCraft, the weekend concluded with a dinner and a concert featuring Americana artists Chatham Rabbits. Bandit Lites supplied a lighting package comprised of Chauvet Freedom Pars, GLP X4 Atoms, and Gantom lights as well as the event’s staging complete with Edison bulbs, conjuring a mood of rural elegance. “The Chauvet Freedom Pars were used to control the colour of the room environment itself by placing them along the walls of Bramble Hall,” explained Bandit Lites Nick Brown. “The GLP X4 Atoms were used as our front light, and the Gantoms served as a low backlight.” Even with the fickle Tennessee weather of t
Germany - Düsseldorf’s 240m high Rheinturm tower was the setting for a sky-high laser projection and light show in June to promote Deutsche Telekom’s extended 5G network. The telecommunications company worked with German event management agency DO IT! to realise the show, and they in turn commissioned AO Creative to help conceptualise, design, supply the fixtures and technology, and execute the display. Overseen by AO Creative’s Marco Niedermeier in collaboration with JALD Jerry Appelt Licht Design and Beacon, the project brought together AO’s team of design and technical specialists based in Germany. The team included lighting designer Jerry Appelt, who created a detailed scheme to light the concrete Rheinturm in a beautiful wash of magenta - Deutsche Telekom’s brand colour. Alongside, Laserfabrik facilitated laser-projected branding on the ‘trunk’ of the to
UK - TSL Lighting joined the Light It In Red campaign on 6 July (Monday), bathing its Gatwick and Basingstoke premises with light as part of the ‘red alert’ initiative lobbying the government to ramp up support for the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Light It In Red galvanised the entertainment technology industry to come together to warn that without financial aid, the supply chain for live entertainment and events is threatened. The initiative took place as the government announced a financial aid package worth £1.57bn for the arts after months of pressure. “It’s vital that we show solidarity with industry and raise awareness of the dire situation,” comments TSL’s Loz Wilcox. “The supply chain does so much for theatre, TV and events and it
Russia - Croatian-born DJ Solomun has been a regular visitor to Russia since early on in his career. Synonymous with contemporary electronic music, and attracting vast throngs of fans, his most recent performances have been at the popular Adrenaline Stadium in Moscow, where SETUP Studio developed and implemented a hi-tech lighting rig, with GLP fixtures as the centrepiece. SETUP Studio is constantly searching for new creative concepts connecting sound and light. The team has been collaborating with Solomun for several years and has implemented many different setups for the DJ. The last two performances at the Adrenaline Stadium were not only notable in the scenic and lighting design worlds, but also became undisputed favourites of the studio itself. Back in 2018, they had the idea of implementing kinetic winches, but because of the high cost and sophisticated design, t
USA - ADJ has announced the immediate availability of the latest addition to its Focus series of LED-powered moving head luminaires. The Focus Spot 6Z has become the new flagship of the range. It is desigmed for event production, rental and touring applications as well as installation in churches, concert venues and large nightclubs. The Focus Spot 6Z features a potent 300W cool white LED engine that offers a 50,000-hour operational life. This is paired with a precision-engineered, high-quality optical system to deliver punchy output, allowing for sharp aerial effects and crisp GOBO projections. Offering 50% more LED power than the 200W Focus Spot 4Z and 5Z models, the 6Z has an output of 10,500+ lumens, which represents a significant step up for the Focus Series. In addition to the brightness, the Focus Spot 6Z is also the most feature-packed model in the range. It of
USA - Whether it was at a stop on one of their many appearances on The Warped Tour, or a festival appearance, The Word Alive have always managed to forge a direct laser-like connection with crowds. Waves of fans invariably push up against the barricades at the band’s shows - and the metalcore band send the magnetic force right back at them. It is impossible to replicate this connectivity completely in all of its power in a livestream show, but Chris Brodman, Cody Lisle and their creative team came close when the band performed a pay-for-view show at LIT Live on 20 June. Helping them accomplish this feat was a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures that included the Maverick MK 2 Spot, Rogue R2 Wash, Rogue R1 Wash, and STRIKE P38, as well as the Vesuvio II fogger. “We had no physical crowd in the room, so our big challenge was to recreate the sense of intimacy
UK - Having cancelled their live London Executive Summit due to COVID-19, coaching organisation Vistage sought an innovative and fully digital solution enabling them to deliver this flagship event. To help bring the new digital format to life, technical solutions specialist White Light (WL) utilised its SmartStage studio in Wimbledon. Formed over 60 years ago and comprising of 24,000 members from SMEs around the globe, Vistage annually connects more than 200 CEOs, MDs and senior business leaders for their live summit. Following cancellation of the London event, Vistage required an advanced technological solution to deliver a series of expert-led coaching workshops to their audience, conducted safely online via a professional platform. Hiring WL’s SmartStage facility enabled the live presenters to access a safely isolated location and work together from a social dista
Germany - The Arberger Mühle foundation village is located in the middle of the old town of Arbergens near Bremen. It was built in 1803 and is a Dutch mill set in impressive grounds. It is the oldest preserved mill in Germany, and has been a heritage listed building since 1973. As part of the extensive renovation of the mill, Illumination Physics were asked by the owner whether to participate in the development and implementation of a lighting concept for the outer facade of the mill. The owner's aim was to integrate the mill into the cityscape as an outstanding building, but, as the premises are also used for events, to be able to change the colour of the lower part of the façade on special occasions. This, however had to be achieved with the lowest possible energy consumption. What looked simple at first soon proved otherwise. The ground plan and the ar
UK - Last night (6 July), some of the UK’s most iconic venues and landmarks were lit up in ‘emergency red’ as part of the #LightItInRed campaign to draw attention to the critical condition of the live events and entertainment industry. A glimpse of hope was given to Britain’s arts industry on Sunday evening (5 July), as £1.57bn was pledged by the government – yet the supply chain behind the production of live events and festivals, including many freelancers, is still awaiting clarification as to what support they will be offered. Unlike other industries, live theatre, outdoor events, concerts, festivals and performances have been unable to safely resume due to social distancing guidance and other restrictions. Many predict these events may not resume until 2021. The #LightItInRed campaign aims to draw attention to the
UAE - The Afterlife series of worldwide electronic music festivals arrived in Dubai for the first time in February at the Hangar 4 industrial warehouse event space. Lighting designer Pascal Bach of VEM Visionemotion GmbH utilized 100 Claypaky Sharpy fixtures to deliver the evening’s signature Afterlife look within the monumental space. Italian DJ duo Tale of Us were the hosts of the show, which featured performances by Âme, Mind Against, Fideles, Kas:st and Innellea. Pascal Bach created the lighting design and handled the operation of lights and lasers during the show. “The main part of the design was a 60m truss in the centre of the 100m hangar. The truss was filled with 50 Sharpys and additional wash lights,” says Bach. “The idea was to create a massive array of light beams that behaved as one single object in an organic way. In general, the Afterlife sho
Iceland - At 75m high, Hallgrimskirkja Church in the centre of Reykjavik is the largest church in Iceland and one of the tallest buildings in the country. Its sweeping frontage and steeple dominate the skyline of the city both with its height and its dramatic architecture. The design is the work of state architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, who was inspired by the crystalline structures of the basalt rock that is so prevalent in this volcanic country. First commissioned in 1937, the edifice took 41 years to build with the spire completed in 1974. On 16 January 2020, Hallgrimskirkja formed the stunning backdrop for the celebrations marking the centenary of the Icelandic Midwives Community. Icelandic full-service sales and rental company, Exton, was called upon to illuminate the huge façade of the church for the evening with a brilliant white light that would symbolise the
USA - Chicago -based Charles Ford and his business partner Brandon Clark from Creative Live Control have been busy using creativity and lateral thinking during the coronavirus pandemic to help maintain positive energies. First off, the two have been helping light up different areas around Chicago embracing the Unite at Night initiative, with Robe moving lights from their rental partner, JRLX. This nightly sing-along, make-some-noise and DIY lightshow - interpreted as bring what you can fairy-lights, glitter-balls, LED battens, etc. - started spontaneously in and around the city to bring communities together in uncertain times and celebrate the efforts of all heroes on the frontlines helping to keep everyone safe. Immediately when Charles and Brandon saw what was happening they thought . . . “let’s do this and get some real lights out and about!
UK - PLASA has responded to the UK government’s pledge of £1.57bn funding for the arts with the following statement from its MD, Peter Heath: “While PLASA is pleased to see the government deliver a generous rescue package to arts institutions across the UK, they have only addressed the tip of the iceberg. We hope that the government will announce further support for all the manufacturers, suppliers and freelancers who help make the UK a global leader in events. “Theatres and venues are absolutely essential to the cultural fabric of the UK, however, they only represent the public face of a vast industry. Each arena concert, musical show, arts installation, or corporate event relies on a complex supply chain, often involving hundreds of professionals. To put on a single arena show requires an average of
USA - To complement its growing line of special effects machines, Magmatic atmospheric effects is offering ‘a complete line of high-quality fluid’ called Atmosity. Atmosity universal fluid has been specially formulated for use in Magmatic’s Magma and Thermatic haze and fog machines, Polar snow machines, Rocket CO2 cryogenic simulation effects, and other specialty effects products. Atmosity is a professional fluid series formulated for use with all types of effect machines. Rigorously tested for consistency, Atmosity fluid is treated, filtered and then quality checked for purity, colour, density and acidity. The result corresponds to a purity level equivalent to water used by medical laboratories specialising in the production of vaccines. Magmatic atmospheric effects are designed, engineered and exclusively distributed by Elation Professional.
USA - The new ADJ Vizi Beam 12RX joins ADJ’s popular Vizi Series of professional moving head luminaires as its new flagship beam model. The fixture is designed ‘to generate piercing mid-air effects for concert stages, dance events and large-scale nightclubs’. Beam fixtures based on the popular Philips Platinum 5R lamp, such as ADJ’s Vizi Beam 5RX, have been staples of most concert, festival and superclub lighting rigs for the past decade. Now, the ADJ Vizi Beam 12RX ups the ante with a fixture that is not only noticeably brighter (while still maintaining a relatively low power draw) but also packs in an enhanced feature set to give lighting designers unprecedented creative potential, says the company. The Vizi Beam 12RX harneses the power of a 260W Philips Platinum 12R LL lamp, which features an innovative reflector design to generate an extremely high-intensit
China - The award-winning Christie Pandoras Box is delivering visual experiences to visitors at a newly completed five-sided 3D immersive visualisation chamber in Qingdao, a major sub-provincial city in China’s Shandong province. Powered by two Pandoras Box Quad Servers and a Pandoras Box Dual Server installed by Christie’s partner Marvel Vision, this visualisation showcase - known as The Light and Shadow Cube - is an initiative by the Qingdao Municipal Government to spur the growth of 5G high-definition video applications. The Pandoras Box servers are used for the demonstration of spectacular DCI-8K video displayed on LED walls, achieving a total resolution of 8192 x 4320 pixels. This high-tech installation also features a number of technologies such as an active 3D system, a scent-generating system, a 7.1 multi-channel surround sound system, as well as 8K@
Croatia - For centuries, Trg Rijecke Rezolucije has stood as the town square and cultural hub of this bustling port city, hosting events, concerts and rallies. But with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the ensuing ban on public gatherings, the picturesque plaza fell silent. All that changed recently, when it hosted All For Our Kids, an annual charity concert that raises money for the medical care of children. The crowd was small, and people sat 1.5m apart in observance of social distancing rules, but music rang out, followed by cheering, laughter and applause at the historic venue for the first time in months. Supporting the on-stage performances with a rich mix of hues and soft glows that played off against the lemon meringue masonry background of the Municipal Palace, a former Augustinian monastery, was a supple a varied Mateo Kustić MattGarret design powered by
UK - Entertainment and architectural lighting control manufacturers Zero 88 and iLight have consolidated and streamlined the production facilities and processes at their shared factory in Cwmbran, Wales. This is to generally boost efficiency and ensure full compliance with the new post COVID-19 health and safety at work directives related to social distancing and general hygiene. Products from both brands - Zero 88 for entertainment and iLight for architectural / built environments - are fully designed and manufactured in the UK. With both brands now operating under the Cooper Lighting Solutions umbrella, this recent reorganisation offers complimentary ranges of lighting control solutions for a diversity of projects, scenarios and applications. Having the fully integrated workspace in Cwmbran means Zero 88 and iLight product volumes can quickly and easily b
UK - The UK skyline turned into a beacon of blue as venues across the country were illuminated on 4 July (Saturday), the eve of the NHS anniversary. Among the hundreds of buildings to light blue were the Royal Albert Hall, the O2 Arena, Harrogate Convention Centre, Bai360 in Brighton and Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Participating sporting and mass entertainment venues included Twickenham Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wembley and Lords Cricket Ground. The #LightItBlue illuminations paid tribute not only NHS staff but to those that have helped the organisation during its most challenging period since its 1948 inception. #LightItBlue was created by the events and entertainment industry to show a united display of gratitude for those risking their own health to look after Britons who are ill with COVID-19. The initiative began on Thursday 26 March when
USA - With the travel, gathering and distancing restrictions that come with the COVID-19 pandemic, Elation Professional’s sales team and product specialists are demoing some of Elation’s newest lighting products from the comfort and safety of their own homes in a video series called Virtual at Home Demo. Published each week on Elation’s YouTube channel, each video provides an overview of the key features and benefits of some of Elation’s newest lighting products, a demonstration that gives lighting pros an opportunity to assess if a luminaire is right for their needs. Products showcased in the series include the Fuze Spot, Fuze Pendant, Fuze Profile, Fuze SFX, Smarty Max, Artiste Van Gogh, Artiste Monet, Dartz 360, CW Profile HP and WW Profile HP ellipsoidals,
