Tahiti - At the end of November last year, thousands of people from across the Polynesian island of Tahiti gathered for the first annual Tiki Fest. Featuring an extensive line-up of performers, the event was headlined by international DJ and producer Diplo. He delivered an epic performance on an impressive stage that featured over 2m pixels of ADJ video wall and 24 of ADJ’s powerful Hydro Beam X2 IP65-rated moving heads. Tiki Fest 2019 was hosted right by the Pacific ocean at Bel Air in Punaauia. It was organised by Studio 87 Event and Production, a well-established Tahitian company with a reputation for bringing high-profile performers to the island. As one of the biggest events to take place in Tahiti last year, the production for the festival had to be world class and to achieve that Studio 87 brought in regular collaborators Visual Events. Also based on the island, Vis
USA - With the implementation of high-resolution LED video environments that have become the backbone of such award-winning production designs as Star Wars: The Mandalorian, production houses across the nation have begun to look at applying this type of technology for the benefit of their clients. Such is the case with PixelFLEX rental network partners Mountain View Staging and Elite Multimedia Productions, who have taken their live and virtual event capabilities into a new realm of possibilities using production designs with LED video. “We saw how they were using the camera-tracking technology in conjunction with LED video and an Unreal Effects Engine to film the Mandalorian series and we thought this was something we could offer to our corporate clients to make their live events even more exciting,” began Robert Johnson, vice president of operation
UK - My Light Shines On was a large-scale light art installation designed by Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes from Lightworks, commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival, to mark what would have been the opening weekend of Edinburgh’s 2020 Festival Season. Celebrating the spirit, energy, vibe and imagination of the Festival - with a multi-disciplinary programme and was cancelled for the first time in seven decades due to the coronavirus pandemic - 14 separate lighting installations around the city highlighted some of the most famous venues of Edinburgh’s festivals in August. Two hundred and seventeen Robe iPointes were selected by the artists as core components to My Light Shines On. Four signature sites - Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Bristo Square and Charlotte Square - all featured identical circular iPointe installations, with 36 fix
Mexico - Ballerina Elisa Carrillo, principal dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin and 2019 winner of ballet’s top prize, the Prix Benois de la Danse, travelled to her country of origin to present a series of ballet performances called Gala of Stars, Elisa and Friends. The special shows, which took place last year in some of the most renowned venues in Mexico, including the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, were lit by Rafael Mendoza using Elation Artiste Picasso LED profile luminaires. Gala of Stars, Elisa and Friends featured performances by renowned figures in classical and contemporary dance from some of the most important ballet companies in the world such as the American Ballet Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Berlin State Ballet, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Mendoza has served as lighting designer for the Elisa and Friends ballet gala f
USA - Accustomed to lighting and supplying production to large festivals and live music venues, John Garberson was concerned that the smaller livestream production area he put together in his company’s Phoenix warehouse after the COVID-19 outbreak would limit his creative possibilities. He has since learned otherwise. True, the 18’ by 20’ space doesn’t afford the opportunity to wow crowds with big looks, the way he has done for years at events like the Pot of Gold and West Coast Music Festivals, but lighting livestreams isn’t just about scaling down, it also involves the challenge of reorienting the focus of design. “This has been like a learning lab experience,” said Garberson, director of Creative BackStage, which produces a new LIVE From Backstage livestream series with Pro Production Services. “At first I thought this would just be limiting,
Germany - With the demand for virtual production space steeply rising, Entertainment Technology Concepts GmbH (ETC-Europe) and MMC Studios organised an informative event to update their clients on the latest available technology and hardware, involved in creating successful virtual film productions or events. The cooperation partners MMC Studios, LAVAlabs Moving Images and ETC-Europe presented their virtual production showcase on 30-31 July 30 on MMC’s soundstage 32 in Cologne. The virtual production set offers a dynamic backdrop for a variety of productions. As a full-service event provider, ETC-Europe offers tailored turn-key solutions for trade fairs, film and TV productions, concerts and stage events. MMC Studios operates the Coloneum in Cologne, Germany, one of Europe’s largest and most advanced TV and film s
Europe - Sennheiser’s popular live Crew Calls continue with four members from Ed Sheeran’s live touring crew from the world record-breaking Divide Tour On 8 September at 8pm CET, Sennheiser hosts Andy Egerton and Tim Moore will welcome Chris Marsh (production manager, FOH sound), Mark Friend (tour manager), Matt Jones (lighting director) and Dave White (guitar/Chewie tech). Organisers are urging those wishing to tune in to register early for the live round table with the touring crew behind Ed Sheeran’s. During the 90-minute Crew Call, Chris Marsh and Mark Friend will discuss production and tour management and speak about the FOH sound, while Matt Jones will give insights into the tour’s lighting design. Guitar fans will be delighted to see David White on board, who designed and built Ed Sheeran’s Chewie looper pedalboard. As always, all panelli
Croatia - The city of Zadar lies on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, and is renowned for the Roman and Venetian ruins that characterise its Old Town peninsula. For all its historic architecture, the city could never be accused of living in the past, hosting a vibrant progressive culture centred around its bustling shops, cafés and nightspots. Located within a refurbished, revitalised old cinema building in the heart of the city sits Guma, a flexible 300-capacity venue that combines traditional hospitality with a lively atmosphere, and describes itself as the ‘living room’ of Zadar’s cultural community. Guma’s attractive interior design is complemented by a selection of urban music which appeals to a discerning crowd who can relax with friends in its comfortable surroundings by day, and hit its dance-floor in the evening. The Guma team recently took the decision to
Turkey - Turkuvaz Media Group (TMG) is Turkey’s largest private media group operating in television, radio broadcasting as well as news and printed media. When seeking to build a new media centre in Istanbul, TMG turned to TSL Products’ audio monitoring, advanced broadcast control and technical display solutions, across 10 studios and control rooms. Built with systems integrator Teratek, this project consolidates TMG’s distributed studios into one location to improve efficiency, future-proof its capabilities for 4K broadcasting and create a scalable system that is prepared for the group’s future growth. TSL’s TallyMan advanced control system is one of the only systems available that offers an expansive protocol library by default, allowing TMG to control many different devices without the need for expansive development or additional cost. The TallyMan s
Canada - Driving over an hour on the highway, headed northeast from Montreal, motorists find themselves at Parc Bellerive, a secluded, peaceful expanse of green on the banks of the River Richelieu. Time seems to stand still here. Being far enough away from the big city, the clear and fragrant night sky is free of light pollution. This creates an idyllic setting for star gazing. It also provides a beautiful canvas on which to project colourful and dynamic aerial effects. This attribute was not lost on Érik Nowosielski-Lamoureux when he was called upon to light a two-hour drive-in concert headlined by Québécois recording stars Les Colocs for Canada Day. “Saint-Ours is a small city about 100km from Montreal, so the sky over the riverside park was completely dark,” said Nowosielski-Lamoureux. “I used this aspect to create interesting looks in the sky. Beca
USA - Clearwing Systems Integration has provided systems design and integration for the LED lighting upgrade at Waterford Union High School’s auditorium and other venues and included Robert Juliat Roxie2 followspots as part of the new improvements. Waterford Union High School is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Clearwing’s Milwaukee office. Clearwing was charged with modernising the high school’s outdated lighting inventory from house lights to theatrical instruments as they migrate from conventional and tungsten-based fixtures to an all-LED roster. “Flexibility and performance were the biggest factors in lighting fixture selection, along with the energy and cost savings that went along with moving to LEDs,” says Mitch Van Dyke, engineering & estimation at Clearwing Systems Integration. “The school trusted us to get the best lighting we coul
France - Studio le 25, a busy livestream production space in Bièvres, has been in operation since April. A harmonious and balanced economy characterizes the venue’s versatile rig, put together by well-known lighting designer Arthur Oudin, whose impressive client list includes Patrick Bruel. LED video panels, arranged vertically along the back wall and on the facing of the DJ stand, dominate the rig. Although the large video displays are essential to creating backdrops and conveying moods for the studio’s various livestream productions, they take up much of the space allotted for the studio’s rig, restricting the amount room left for lighting projections. This spatial issue, along with the limited power supply available, made it necessary to complement the video panels with lighting units that offered compact size, energy- efficiency and intense output. Studio l
Australia - Smiles and high spirits abounded at the HBF Stadium in Perth, Australia at the country’s first large scale live music event since March. Unlocked, staged mid-July, was possible due to the Western Australian state lockdown entering Phase 5 on 27 June, and Zaccaria Concerts’ ‘Castaway’ and VenuesWest took the opportunity to present a sizzling array of Western Australian electronic / DnB talent including Crooked Colours, ShockOne with Reija Lee, Slumberjack and Tina Says. The venue was sold out to an enthusiastic audience of just under 3,000 people, reduced to 50% of its normal capacity and run under new safe operating procedures (SOP) regulations. Lighting and LED screens were supplied by Perth-based rental and production specialists Showscreens, headed by brothers Ryan and Bryce Varley, who dipped into their 150 plus stock of Robe moving ligh
Belgium - The Studio 100 Pop-Up Theatre in Puurs is the world’s largest temporary show venue, and regularly plays host to large scale musical spectaculars. A flexible space with mobile seating for around 2,000, the 7,000sq.m auditorium has seen blockbuster productions of the wartime-focused 40-45, and most recently an updated version of Daens, The Musica. It was this story about a Belgian priest who was a pioneer for social justice, that had just premiered when the global coronavirus pandemic halted proceedings overnight. Production specialists Studio Haifax, a customer of Coda Audio distributor Viladco, was deploying a Coda system for alternating productions of Daens and 40-45 when COVID-19 intervened. During lockdown, with no prospect of the major shows returning, Studio 100 worked with artist management and booking company House of Ente
Albania - Prosound has equipped Albania’s Posh Lounge with a Martin Audio BlacklineX loudspeaker solution. Situated in Durrës, Albania’s second city, on the Adriatic coast, the 400-capacity party venue was recommended to Martin Audio’s popular series by Prosound - like many venues before it. When refurbishing their sound system, they needed a potent, reliable and versatile solution, capable of reinforcing live bands and DJ dance music during the weekend evenings and background music during the daylight hours. Having installed the venue’s previous system, this time around Prosound recommended Martin Audio’s BlacklineX, and their audio system technician, Armand Dosti was soon at work designing a system to fit the budget. The series represents a substantial upgrade and reengineering of the original Blackline series. “Not only is this series budge
Australia - Brisbane’s Ekka show - the largest agricultural event in Queensland - was cancelled this year due to COVID-19, but in a bid to lift spirits, the fireworks show went ahead thanks to the donation of fireworks, audiovisual, lighting and programming by Skylighter Fireworks, NW Group, Chameleon Touring Systems and JLX Productions. The Fullscreen Fireworks Show, presented by 7NEWS Brisbane, was specially designed for television audiences to stay home and watch on TV for the best vantage point. Over 50 fireworks, lighting, sound and vision crew worked on the event - another example of our industry donating their time, expertise and gear to a worthy cause even though they have been hardest hit by COVID-19. NW Group’s involvement in the event came about whilst Ray Moss, general manager for NW Group in Queensland, was having a catch up with Tony Laff
Czech Republic - Conceived as a multi-purpose cultural centre combining exhibition rooms with concert halls, the Rudolfinum is one of the most architecturally remarkable buildings in Prague. It is also the home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which first performed in the Rudolfinum’s world-famous concert hall in 1896 under the baton of famous Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák. The 1,100-capacity Dvořák Hall, also one of the oldest concert halls in Europe, is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and is a sought-after venue for recording classical works. KV2 Audio recently designed and built a completely custom audio solution to address specific acoustic issues whilst meeting the strict architectural and aesthetic requirements of the listed building. The acoustics that lend the Dvorak Hall its distinctive sound is also the reason for which the venue has battled
USA - Clearwing Systems Integration has included Ayrton Diablo profile luminaires in provision of systems design and integration for the LED lighting upgrade at Waterford Union High School’s auditorium and other venues. The school is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Clearwing’s Milwaukee office. Clearwing was charged with modernising the high school’s outdated lighting inventory from house lights to theatrical instruments as they migrate from conventional and tungsten-based fixtures to an all-LED roster. “Flexibility and performance were the biggest factors in lighting fixture selection, along with the energy and cost savings that went along with moving to LEDs,” says Mitch Van Dyke, engineering & estimation at Clearwing Systems Integration. “The school trusted us to get the best lighting we could for their budget.” Clearwing chose A
USA - Thriving and growing Daystar Family Church in Western Alabama hadn’t improved their video and lighting system since moving into their current facility well over a decade ago. That changed this year when AVL integrator Narrow Road Pro supplied and installed a complete new system. This included a large video wall, constructed from ADJ AV6X LED panels, along with a comprehensive lighting setup of LED-powered fixtures from ADJ as well as sister company Elation Professional. Founded by Bishop Patrick M. Schatzline and Lady Deborah Schatzline, with a congregation of just 50 people, today Daystar Family Church in Tuscaloosa, AL, has a congregation of over 1,300. Now pastored by Patrick and Deborah’s son Scott and his wife Kristi, it is multi-cultural, multi-generational, non-denominational church with praise and worship that is energetic and passionate. However, thi
USA - The 30 July Under The Skin livestream by the Grammy-nominated band Code Orange combined music from the band’s March 2020 LP Underneath with early songs presented during the Mudbangers Ball pre-show. Moving in step with this temporal tapestry was a harmoniously balanced Sam Jimenez lighting design that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Star Design Event Services. “From a lighting standpoint, this show was really a blend of the old and the new,” said Jimenez. “We tried to blend the surreal with reality in a way that flowed naturally. This show was something the band has been leading up to. It’s the product of three months of back and forth with different creative ideas, budgeting, and designing. We ended up doing this at the Trafford Theatre Factory, in Trafford, PA. My friend Chris Robin, who worked as a tech on the
UK - As event professionals took to the streets of every major city across the UK on 11 August, in support of the PLASA-led #WeMakeEvents campaign, TechLED once again bathed Production Park, including the Studio and Rockwell cafe in the companion #LightItInRed campaign’s signature colour, emergency red. TechLED’s MD, Gordon Addison, once again turned to the power of Prolight’s LEDJ Spectra QX40 Pixel exterior fixtures to illuminate the buildings. While the Production Park team attended the protest demonstration in Leeds, the team at TechLED kept alive the signal of allegiance, with many other theatres and cultural institutions across the country affected by the continued inability to open during the coronavirus pandemic. Addison comments: “We would like to say a massive thank you to all our customers and everyone who came together on the eve of Tuesday 11 August,
Germany - An Allen & Heath dLive system recently mixed a special performance by around 50 musicians from the Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra, livestreamed against the backdrop of the Königssaal (Royal Hall), within the walls of the historic Heidelberg Palace. The performance was the centrepiece of a cultural evening on 10 July, staged by Heidelberg Theatre and Orchestra in partnership with the town’s municipal authority and livestreamed to Facebook and YouTube audiences. Full-service AV rental company, Konferenztechnik Kiel supplied the complete audio, video, lighting and streaming solution for the event. Freelance audio engineer, Eric Siemens headed up the sound team, ably supported by mic tech, Florian Montabaur, and by Martin Hildebrand, who directed the sound and video via intercom. Eric mixed the performance himself, choosing a dLive C3500 Surface, teamed w
Canada - Despite the current pandemic hitting the AV industry particularly hard, some organisations are making the most of the mandatory downtime by carrying out system upgrades that would have otherwise been challenging during regular event scheduling. This was certainly the case for The Selwyn Outreach Centre in Peterborough, ON, which recently pushed forward with some much-needed audio system upgrades. A DiGiCo S31 console, plus a KLANG:fabrik immersive in-ear system and KLANG:quelle headphone amps, purchased through DiGiCo’s Canadian distributor GerrAudio, are central to the solution. The organisation engaged Jason Reynolds, lead installation advisor at AV integrator, Production Service Industries, to design and supply a very capable, yet cost-effective front-end package for the upgrade. Anchoring the system is a DiGiCo S31 at front-of-house that is equippe
France - Over 160 Anolis LED luminaires have been used to illuminate public and connecting areas of the Les Bassins de Lumières, an imposing former World War II U-boat bunker in Bordeaux. Originally known as ‘Betasom’, four of the 11 vast submarine basin areas have been reimagined by private organisation Culturspaces for use as a sanctuary for immersive digital arts and mixed media installations. Nicolas Valette from lighting design practice 4eleven was asked to create a lighting scheme that highlighted the internal architecture of these impressive 115m long water-filled bays which have a draft of between 9 and 11.40m – with a tidal allowance of 1.5m. Each of these is separated by a 6m-thick concrete wall. In their former incarnation, each of the four giant basins could accommodate two submarines. Nicolas found a stark and raw beauty in the functional, br
