UK - Manchester-based Sterling Event Group has opened the doors to the newly-created Sterling Studio. As the events and AV industries face increasing uncertainty as to when ‘business as usual’ will resume and live events can take place again, Sterling Event Group has announced the launch of the Sterling Studio Space. This comes at an instrumental time for the industry as Sterling works to reassure their clients that there are a multitude of alternatives to the traditional live event, says the company. “At this current time whilst live events are on hold, we wanted to offer our clients a solution to continue communicating, engaging, educating and entertaining. The studio allows clients to present their virtual events at the same high standard and production values they would expect from a live event.” comments Richard Bowden, founder and MD. As a company
Australia - Despite the restrictions that were in place, the team at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne wanted to make this year’s Mother’s Day special and called on lighting specialist Resolution X for help. The brief was to illuminate the façade of the hospital with colour and messages of love and support for all mothers. As part of the display, images of new and expecting mothers were projected onto the building in a rotating 10-minute light show. However, projecting the images onto the building turned out to be no small feat. The best vantage point for the setup was on the rooftop of a building diagonally opposite the Royal Women’s façade; a horizontal throw from the projection location approached 90m with an angle of more than 50 degrees. Further, challenging the team, wireless DMX was being beamed across the road and seven stories down to control a
UK - Sitting atop a hill 1,000ft above the floor of the Dee Valley in Wales, Dinas Brân exerts a powerful pull over the hearts of townspeople below. For nine centuries, the medieval castle built by a prince of Powys Fadog, has inspired myths, songs, and love stories. More recently, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the castle, which now stands in ruins, and its adjacent hills, have inspired hope and gratitude in the form of a lighting display created by ASG Entertainments, with the support of the Denbighshire County Council, North Wales Police, Eastwood Media, and Xperience Productions. On two successive nights in May, the all-volunteer group illuminated the hills and castle in vivid colours as a sign of appreciation for the NHS staff and key essential workers. Providing the display were 24 Chauvet Professional battery-operated WELL Fit fixtures taken from ASG’s
USA - Elation national sales manager John Dunn and global product manager Matthias Hinrichs will feature on the Elation Hour on 27 May, discussing tradeshow, corporate and special event design with John Featherstone, Chris Medvitz and Ignacio Rosenberg of lighting design group LightSwitch. (10:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time). Lightswitch is a consortium of lighting, media and visual designers that has been creating experiences for over 25 years. They design award-winning environments for a diverse network of clients across concert, event, experiential environment, and architectural, operating from studios across the globe. To register for the session, visit this webpage.
Germany - In Eberswalde, a valley town located a short drive from Berlin, the world’s first radio concert was broadcast from an experimental tower near the city centre in January 1923. Today, almost a century later, a local music label, Lukins, is breaking through a new and different kind of barrier by organising Save Your Culture, a series of livestream events that highlight Eberswalde artists and venues that have been impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown. On 21 and 23 April, these broadcasts, which are livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, emanated from the city’s popular (and temporarily closed) indoor climbing centre Bloc48. Accentuating the distinctive climbing walls and innovative obstacles of the facility, while supporting the online show’s DJ performers, was a collection of Chauvet Professional STRIKE and COLORado fixtures supplied by KINGSIZE.events.
Estonia - Tallinn-based technical production and rental company Strikken has been doing its bit to support the nation’s fight against coronavirus by voluntarily assisting the Synlab Eesti OU laboratory in collecting and transporting COVID-19 test samples gathered from all around the country. This is tied into research being conducted by the University of Tartu, including a three-month study on the prevalence of coronavirus among both symptomatic and asymptomatic people. At least 16,000 residents - based on a random statistical sample - will be interviewed and invited to be tested for coronavirus. The transportation programme to help collect the samples was initiated by Strikken’s long-time partner Rally Estonia, to get the materials quickly and safely to Synlab which is the main testing laboratory in Tallinn. Speedy test results and data from the study will assist
UK - The ALD has today announced that its ALD Awards for Excellence 2020 are open for submissions. Aimed at all students and recent graduates studying in the UK, the awards are a celebration of imaginative and creative lighting and video production and represent a chance for young designers to showcase their talents and to bring their work to the attention of experienced lighting and video designers. Johanna Town, chair of the ALD, comments: “The ALD’s Awards for Excellence are so important to a designer’s future. To be able to sell your ideas and passions for a design or methodology to other industry leaders is an important skill.” The awards are now open for submissions from students studying in the UK, recent graduates from 2018 onwards, or corresponding affiliate members of the ALD, in the following categories: The Michael Northen Award in L
UK - Philip French of UK technical production company Peachy Productions has just relocated to Wiltshire after being based in Guildford, Surrey for eight years. But during the coronavirus crisis, he is making the journey back twice a week to volunteer for the Surrey Drive Campaign. This is a locally-based crowd-funded initiative that delivers around 2,500 cooked meals - with locally sourced ingredients - each week for hardworking staff at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust hospital. The Surrey Drive Campaign includes some of Surrey’s live event experts. After seeing heart-breaking stories of exhausted NHS workers finishing their arduous frontline shifts and being unable to buy food at this critical time, Steve Page and Hannah Sheppard thought it was time to step up. Having furloughed all his staff while the UK continues in a largely restricted lockdown
Vietnam - MiQ, a New York-based global market research firm, retained designers Martin Dudley and Chris Davey through UK-based event technology specialists Great Expectations, to provide professional lighting design services for a series of events the company was holding around the world for local clients and other interested parties. Dudley of Martin’s Lights Ltd. and Davey of Stagelighting Tech (both of the UK), knew they would need a powerful, yet flexible, controller that would allow them to accommodate a wide variety of rigs. They also wanted a control solution that they could they could carry on international flights. These considerations led them to pack two ChamSys PC Wings for their globe-trotting MiQ Ignite tour, which concluded shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown. “We are both long-time ChamSys users,” explains Davey. “This made us confident
USA - Obsidian Control Systems will present an Onyx at Your Service webinar on 28 May at 10am PST, focused on lighting control and programming for houses of worship. Onyx is Obsidian’s scalable lighting control platform that is a popular choice for many houses of worship around the world. It is promoted as easy to learn for volunteers, while having the feature set and power to drive large gatherings. In this webinar, Obsidian Control Systems product manager Matthias Hinrichs will lead a two-hour discussion with experienced Onyx programmers and lighting designers Chris Eguizabal of Riverside, California, and Joseph Wolff of Calgary, Alberta. The programme will include insight into their workflow and programming styles and the components needed to put together small and large Onyx systems for churches and other venues. You can register for the event
USA - Architectural specifiers and installers are discovering the advantages of products derived from TMB’s road-proven technology. Concert touring is among the most technically challenging environments and touring technology has a long history of being the vanguard for design innovations in other industries. “There is no question rock & roll technology drives innovation in other industries; first theatre, then film and TV, then corporate events and theme parks, and now architecture,” comments Colin Waters, ex-roadie and TMB’s CEO and founder. “To this end, TMB now has regional reps throughout America, to liaise with specifiers, contractors, and designers who place our innovative products into a broad spectrum of high-profile installations, including Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas, O’Hare airport in Chicago, the Moxy Hotel in New York, the Schuster Center
USA - Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon is a little over six miles from the Imperial Cars automotive mall. Lately, a lot of seniors from the 654-student enrolment school have been making that drive to the dealership. They aren’t necessarily looking to buy a new car; they’re coming to see a special graduation tribute that the popular dealer has sponsored for them. With the regional high school’s usual live graduation ceremony cancelled because of the COVID-19 lockdown, Imperial Cars contacted Image Production Services of Worcester, MA to put together a virtual alternative for Nipmuc students. Having worked with Imperial Cars on many projects in the past, Darren Lussier and his team at Image Production Services including media specialist Tovia ‘Ben’ Shapiro, put together an impressive video display to honour graduates. They used 80 Chauvet Professional PVP
UK - Last year, Astera Titan Tubes were at the heart of a lighting scheme designed by Ben Donoghue, now of Flare Lighting, for Beyond the Road, an immersive exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery. Featuring the music of Unkle, the experience merged the worlds of visual arts, music and film, offering visitors a chance to lose themselves in a multi-sensory world led by sound. Together with music pioneer James Lavelle (Unkle), the overall work was curated by creative producer Colin Nightingale, and sound designer/creative director Stephen Dobbie (both of the Punchdrunk theatre company). Lighting designer Ben Donoghue - who has recently joined Ben Cash, David Amos and the team at Flare Lighting from global creative agency Imagination - has worked regularly with Nightingale and Dobbie and was asked to collaborate on the project to create a lighting design for the e
USA - The city of Nashville was already well-known as a centre for artists and artisans, but due to a 2009 fire that robbed the community of its music centre (known affectionately as the Little Opry) county officials sought to build a venue that would draw top touring artists. In an effort to craft a lighting system that would match the talent they sought, Brown County commissioned Bandit Lites, trusting the sales and integration team to make the space usable for touring acts. From rigging to backstage layout and ultimately the lighting controls, Bandit’s team elevated the lighting to match the vision of the centre. “We wanted the stage to be a first class, state of the art lighting package,” explains project manager Doug Harden of Miller Architects. “Bandit delivered exactly that.” Bandit Lites provided all the fixtures for the building, including th
Canada - Every day when health care professionals enter Chicoutimi Hospital, Saguenay, Quebec, they get ready to face the realities involved in caring for patients afflicted with COVID-19. Now, they are also greeted with a rainbow of colours intended as an expression of gratitude from the Fondation de ma Vie (Foundation of my Life) and LSM Ambiocréateurs. Spearheaded by project leader Ricky Ricken of LSM, working closely with the Fondation de ma Vie, the display covers the entire width of the hospital’s entrance side in brilliant blues, oranges, yellows and purples from a collection of over 70 Chauvet Professional COLORado 1 Tri Tour IP fixtures from LSM’s own inventory. Placed at the base of the building and on ledges at various heights, the RGB fixtures cast their glow to the top of the hospital’s two the six-story wings. Light from the COLORado units also sh
USA -The Production Equipment Rental Group (PERG) has released a draft of its return-to-work guidance for the safe resumption of camera and lighting rental services. The PERG Safe Return to Work Guidelines provides recommendations for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and was created by a task group who took into account recommendations from the CDC, OSHA and public health officials and applied them to rental operations, equipment and facilities. The draft will undergo a public review process from 19 May through 9 June, providing an opportunity for materially-affected parties to participate in the development of these industry guidelines, ensuring that they reflect an industry consensus. Feedback is welcome from all stakeholders, and instructions for providing feedback are included with the download. Comments will be reviewed by the task group for r
Spain/Italy - Prolights has announced the appointment of Seesound as its new distributor in Spain with immediate effect. Nacho Alberdi, CEO of SeeSound, comments: “To me, working in this kind of industry means to carry on my family legacy, as in 1880 my grandfather started manufacturing pipes for church organs. That’s why we aim to continue doing what we do with passion and in the most professional way, taking care of the quality of the work done by our team. This should allow us to offer the best solutions to our customers and partners. “When I first approached Prolights, I was fascinated by the ambition and dedication I could see throughout the headquarters, from the R&D department, production, logistics right to the sales and managements departments. Prolights boasts a broad portfolio and a one-of-a-kind product design, which will grant us to provide innov
UK - Knight of Illumination Award winning live video director Ben Farrey (previously Miles) sadly passed away last week. Sharing the news, Coldplay – just one of many high-profile bands and artists Ben worked with throughout his career – paid tribute to a ‘beloved’ member of their crew in an emotional post shared across their social media platforms on Thursday 14th May. The message, signed by all members of the band, reads: “We're sad to report that we lost one of our most beloved and talented crew members last night. Ben Farrey was our live visuals director. He was in charge of everything that you saw on the screens at our live shows. If you ever made it to a show, you’ll know that he was ridiculously good at his job. He was also one of the kindest and most generous-spirited people you could ever meet. We love you, Ben.” The message was accompanied by
UK - The charismatic singer/song writer Mika’s Revelation tour in support of his fifth studio album, My Name is Michael Holbrook, may have been postponed midway through due to the current coronavirus crisis, but it wowed audiences from autumn through to this spring. Lighting designer for the tour was Vince Foster who, with an impressive CV which spans well over thirty years, requires little introduction. Foster’s design for Mika’s ‘Revelation’ was clean and uncomplicated: plenty of floor lighting, significant numbers of side fixtures and trusses in the most effective of locations. His choice of fixtures was similarly unambiguous: just four different fixtures and overwhelmingly from Ayrton. Alongside around thirty Ayrton Magic Blade-FX fixtures were approximately one hundred and twenty of one of Ayrton’s newest moving heads, Khamsin-S.
The Netherlands - The Power Of Entertainment, Highlite International’s latest campaign, is well on its way. The campaign contains several product introductions and continues with the presentation of the latest additions to the well-known Performer-series. Showtec adds seven new Performer models to the already successful Performer range. It starts with a house-light, the Performer Pendant Q6. This offers a six-colour RGB ALC LED engine with which a very broad colour spectrum can be achieved, resulting in a very high CRI level of over 90. It is very well equipped to be used in theatres, auditoriums and more. The new models continue with three Performer 1500 units, available as Q6, Tungsten and Daylight luminaires. The Daylight version has a colour temperature range between 4000K and 6500K while the Tungsten version starts at 2700K until 4500K. Controlling each unit c
Europe - As the COVID-19 crisis continues to hit the live music and event industry particularly hard, The Lightpower Collection is determined to continue to donate to organisations dedicated to preserving jobs within the live event industry - organisations that include Crew Nation, Behind the Scenes and Backup. The Lightpower Collection has therefore teamed up with photographer Neal Preston to release a set of more than 25 previously unseen music photographs. Each of these images is being made available in a limited edition run of just 20 per image. The Lightpower Collection is proud to exclusively offer these signed and numbered fine art prints for purchase at the special price of only 950 Euros. The new collection can be viewed at www.lightpower-
USA - Michael Longfellow from NBC TV’s Bring The Funny show at the Drive-In Comedy Night represented the first step in bringing live entertainment back to Phoenix, USA’s fifth largest city. Lighting the stage in the car parking lot where Longfellow and fellow comics Joe Carden and Mike B Dapper performed was a collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue and WELL Fit fixtures supplied by Creative BackStage. John Garberson, who served as the LD for the show, relied on the fixtures to help enliven the stage and create a comedy club feel with deeply saturated colours and a few well-chosen ‘ballyhoo moments’. At the same time, the lighting also ensured that attention was focused on branding material from the evening’s sponsors, Rick Bronson's House of Comedy and the High Street Association. “This was a first, a very different experience,” said
USA - Mars Music Hall in Huntsville is changing the landscape of the music scene in northern Alabama. The latest success in an ongoing expansion project at the multi-purpose Von Braun Centre (VBC), Mars Music Hall debuted its Elation Professional lighting rig in early January, an occasion that set an upbeat tone for the next eight weeks of shows before the venue went into COVID-19 hibernation. The inaugural show, a 3 January sold-out performance featuring Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, highlighted the intimate character of the venue’s broad design with its wrapping balcony overlooking a 50ft wide stage. A variety of events ranging from concerts to comedy acts and everything in between play the new venue. Justin Young, production supervisor at VBC, designed the lighting system for the new space and worked with Freed Sales to secure an Elation lighting package. Having
Germany - Lux Partum (Emission of Light) was a sculpted interactive lighting installation and live stream staged at the Motorwerk event space in Berlin, created by lighting and show designer Chris Moylan and his team. This comprised Lars Musasch, Andreas Schindler, and Matthias Schöffmann together with DJ and music producer Paul van Dyk who composed a special soundtrack and played a three-hour live concert during the first weekend. The work utilised 54 x Robe moving lights including MegaPointes, Pointes plus Tetra2 moving LED battens which were installed in the venue with LED screen elements, and all rigged, programmed and set up to be accessed by the public via the https://lighting.stream website and ‘played’ in real-time. By the end of the 10-day run, over 43,000 visitors from 94 countries had engaged with the art work in 6.355 registered se
