Columbia - Drive-in concerts have become popular in the wake of Covid-19 lockdowns. So too have livestream shows. Orbit Eventos combined the two formats this September, in a show that offered fans the choice of watching at home via a livestream, or enjoying the DJ and band performances from their automobiles at a simultaneous drive-in show. Collaborating with Orbit Eventos, Colombian producer, Ricardo Ruiz, who has worked with leading Latin stars like Justin Quiles, Darkiel, Victor Manuelle and Grupo Niche, created the dual-purpose show at a park south of the city of Cali. Although the two-hour event offered fans the best of both worlds, it did present some special concerns for lighting designer Milton de la Cruz, who had to balance the demands of creating looks that were bold enough to reach the spread-out drive-in audience, yet tight enough to work on a livestream.
South Africa - Rokunda Netshiluvhi of DirectorRo has managed to ride the COVID-19 wave and come out tops, using this time to learn, establish himself as a lighting designer and set up a virtual platform at Vision View Productions based in Cosmo Business Park, Johannesburg. Rokunda resigned from full-time employment at rental company Murangi Productions and started his own company as a freelancer in November 2019. “I decided to register myself as a business so that I could be accountable in everything I do,” he explains. “If freelancers pay attention, they can do what I’m doing. It starts off by thinking of yourself as a business instead of living hand-to-mouth. “Many freelancers rely on receiving a phone call and being booked for an event. They think that to get work, someone has to call, instead of thinking let me try and make something myself, let me pitch
USA - In Sioux City, Iowa, BNY Productions has been working in their production studio remotely broadcasting an average of 100 live and virtual ‘hybrid’ events per week for the past six months. As high-profile candidates travel throughout the United States for political rallies and speeches, BNY Productions has relied on Meyer Sound Bluehorn System full bandwidth studio monitors for accuracy and precision every step along the way. BNY, a Meyer Sound dealer and collaborator, is a full-service production company, delivering events that vary from phone and television interviews, video conferencing, and remote recordings. The circumstances called for an audio system that would deliver transparent and linear phase response. The Meyer Sound Bluehorn System was the optimal solution for BNY and their clients. “Bluehorn eliminates the guesswork. So if it sounds good here,
Australia - Sunstudios in Sydney, is a diverse creative hub for the photographic and motion picture / imaging industries and creatives. Owned by Canon Australia, the Sydney facility offers five studio spaces plus camera and lighting rentals, CPS service, a gallery space as well as fine art printing and other specialist services. With the video elements of the business expanding, explained sales manager Zoltan Blazer, they sought more flexible and practical options for lighting, and were hearing good reports about Astera’s wireless battery-operated LED product range from several sources. So, he and motion specialist Neale Head thought they should take a further look for themselves. Astera’s Australian distributor ULA group arranged a demo and the Titan range of LED tubes “really impressed us” stated Zoltan, “and after seeing this we knew we wanted this
USA - In mid-August, Matchroom Boxing and sports streaming service DAZN placed a boxing ring in the middle of the street in downtown Tulsa for a night of fighting action that gave a whole new meaning to street fighting. Omni Lighting in Tulsa was called on to light the event for co-producers Matchroom and DAZN and chose to support the action using an adaptable rig of Elation lights. Holden Productions promoted the event locally. There are few things more exhilarating than a good boxing match where two evenly matched opponents go toe to toe to see who’s got the most grit. Tension runs high and the excitement level is at a peak both leading up to and during a bout. That suspense is the result of a number of factors, not least the lighting environment, which can ratchet up the fervour one moment then settle to put clear focus on the task at hand once the bouts begin.
UK - Veteran broadcaster Johnnie Walker has chosen the RØDE RØDECaster Pro all-in-one podcast production studio to professionally record his weekly BBC Radio 2 show Sounds of the 70s, from his home in Dorset. Hosted by Walker since 2009, Sounds of the 70s shares a portion of the over 14m weekly listeners to BBC Radio 2 on FM, DAB and the BBC Sounds app. Responding to a need to record the programme remotely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Walker sought a solution from retailer Solid State Sound based in Warminster, Wiltshire, who recommended the RØDECaster Pro. Walker co-presents with wife Tiggy Walker in their home, creating an ad-hoc studio environment to record the programme. The RØDECaster Pro allows for up to four in-studio guests to record professional, Aphex DSP-enhanced sound at the touch of a button, with remote guests - via bluetooth on
Japan - The Kaho Theatre in Iizuka City, Fukuoka, has survived many difficulties since the original building appeared in1922 and along the way this playhouse has been designated a Japanese ‘national registered tangible cultural property’. The predecessor of the current Kaho Theatre, Nakaza, was originally opened as an entertainment place for people working in coal mines in the Chikuho region. Mainly traditional drama, Kabuki, standup comedy, juggling and silent films were performed during that era. In recent years, it has been used as a multi-purpose event venue, and at full capacity can host audiences of 1,200. In addition to traditional performing arts, various events such as music plays, lectures, talk shows and concerts have all been staged there. Because of Covid-19, the theatre was recently forced to close, but in collaboration with rental company, Toy
UAE - ETC lighting solutions have been selected for the new TV studios of news channel Al Arabiya. ETC dealer, Oasis Enterprises supplied the equipment including a Sensor3 Power Control system, a Gio @5 Eos-family control console, Response Mk2 DMX Gateways and DataTrack Backbone system. The TV studios, located in Dubai, had the full ETC lighting equipment installed in just three weeks with the help of Oasis Enterprises who have worked in collaboration with Al Arabiya for almost twelve years. Lighting manager at Al Arabiya, Safwan Harcouss commented on the installation: “The news programme is a 24-hour show and requires the best and most reliable equipment. Having worked successfully with ETC products in the past, we are confident that the new additions will perform well.” Last year, the Al Arabiya news station added an Eos Ti console desk to its production st
USA - Chris ‘Thumper’ Hathaway made the backdrop created for Blackberry Smoke’s Leave A Scar LP an integral part of his design for their performance at the Starlight Drive-in outside Pittsburgh. Aside from that, the colourful backdrop also helped him create a compelling look for the show, despite the small size of the drive-in stage, especially when it was enlivened by the eight Chauvet Professional Maverick Strom 1 Wash fixtures in his rig. “I have always been a big fan of backdrops, especially for Blackberry Smoke, given the nature of the band’s sound,” said Hathaway. “This one was designed by the band’s drummer, Brit Turner, as album cover art. It’s a blow-through and has become our go-to piece for outdoor shows, including this one, even though it’s supporting a new album. “A thing I really like about this backdrop is that it lights up v
India - Sighapandi Electronics recently equipped Royal China with a JBL Professional networked audio system to deliver the audio in the restaurant and nightclub areas. Royal China is a fine dining restaurant in Kolkata, serving authentic Cantonese cuisine in a chic and upscale environment. Located in the Forum Courtyard Mall, Royal China also features a small nightclub. During the design phase, the owners of Royal China recognised that the restaurant needed a flexible loudspeaker system that offered a clear, high quality sound. However, due to the low ceilings in the venue, they required a compact solution that would not detract from the décor. The owners of Royal China worked with Sighapandi Electronics to install a JBL Professional network audio system featuring JBL loudspeakers, JBL and Crown amplifiers and a BSS signal processor. “The ceiling height of ni
Germany - The 10th anniversary edition of the iHeartRadio Music Festival took place recently in Los Angeles. Among the cast was Usher, broadcasting from a red-lit stage. Both his 20-minute set, and the generic lighting rig at the iHeartRadio Theatre LA, were studded with GLP fixtures - supplied by locally based Volt Lites and put to work by LD Matt Ardine and programmer Mark Butts. While the generic rig itself contained a ceiling of 36 GLP X4 atoms - described by Ardine as “an inexpensive way of making the lighting rig look large” - along with 77 discreet GLP FR1’s, Usher’s set featured GLP FR10 bars, at the request of the artist’s design team, Eric Gorleski and John McGuire from TrasK House creative agency. “We wanted Usher’s set to feel different than the other performances at the theatre, with a more intimate, but still 6ft socially distanced feel that
USA - Drone show technology specialist Verge Aero recently provided its expertise in drone swarm technology to a US television show, the History Channel’s Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigations. The show follows Luis ‘Lue’ Elizondo - former director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Programme (AATIP), the secretive Pentagon unit that studied UFOs - as he investigates reports of unexplained aerial phenomena. Last December, sightings of large drone formations flying over Eastern Colorado and Nebraska sparked considerable press attention. However, extensive investigations by state and federal authorities including the FAA, DOD, and FBI failed to find an explanation for the presence of the machines. Elizondo met Verge Aero’s experts to find out more about its proprietary drone ‘swarm’ technology, and consider whether this
Poland - Bedoes is one of the most popular rappers in Poland and boasts many collaborations with popular Polish singers. On 18 September, he held an open-air gig in Warsaw, the last date on the Opowieści z doliny smoków (Tales from the land of dragons) tour. “The tour started in January 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic we were forced to postpone the last two shows until the end of summer” said Szymon Płotkowski, lighting designer who oversaw the project. “While designing a lighting plot for this tour, I wanted to reflect the dark atmosphere of the album (medieval, fantasy references), adding some glamour when needed. That's why I used Prolights SunBlasts 3000FC in the basic plot. These fixtures gave me the opportunity to have ‘dirty’ wash sidelight, fancy pixel effects and powerful strobes. A huge range of amazing effects all from one fi
USA - To bring the energy and excitement of a typical basketball experience to an NBA season that was anything but typical, Firehouse Productions deployed two complete Harman Professional Solutions audio systems featuring JBL Professional loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers. Due to restrictions on large gatherings related to COVID-19, the NBA decided to proceed with the 2019/20 season without fans present. To safely accommodate players, staff and support crews, the NBA set up a strict isolation ‘bubble’ at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. Teams began playing 30 July at the 8,000-seat AdventHealth Arena and 5,000-seat HP Field House venues with audiences of just a few hundred essential personnel. To ensure uncompromised, high-impact sound for the dramatically reduced crowds, NBA officials turned to Firehouse Productions, who have been provi
UK - Scottish lighting trail Wondrous Woods has secured a corporate sponsor for their relaxed performance evening in October. The lighting trail, being organised by Edinburgh event company 21CC Group opens its gates at Hopetoun House on 21 October promising “2km of beautifully-lit woodland trails and a magical safe night out for families”. Organiser, Geoff Crow of 21CC Group says: “We understand that the multi-sensory nature of the environment may cause sensory overload in those with Autism or other sensory processing disorders, so on Tuesday 27 October we are reducing capacity, decreasing the sound levels, and increasing the lighting levels to ensure the best possible experience for our guests. All of this is only possible with the support we have secured from Walter Scott; we are delighted that they are on board with us, allowing us to bring this event to those who m
UK - Having worked on the show’s previous series, White Light recently supplied the technical system to run all the visual content on the latest socially distanced series of The Russell Howard Hour. The company also helped create the technical set-up of the show’s newly built lockdown studio, Your Questions Room. WL has worked on The Russell Howard Hour for the past two years, having initially being approached by the show’s production company Avalon. The company’s role is to provide a system to run all of the content being sent to the screens throughout the studio. This includes those positioned behind Russell Howard which act as his backdrop and a point of reference for most segments. WL’s key account manager for broadcast Ian Charlampowicz explains: "The content used is based on a main run of the show but changes every week depending on what
USA - When they invested in Martin Audio’s large format Wavefront Precision Longbow (WPL) early last year, Virginia-based Southard Audio became the first of two co-operative live event production companies in the US to acquire the line array. Servicing a wide range of events in the mid-Atlantic region, Southard found much of their workload in the surrounding East Coast states cut off after COVID-19 struck … and even in the academic sector - a market segment in which they are usually particularly active - the normally busy Orientation Events week was virtually wiped out. One that did go ahead, albeit under heavily moderated conditions, was Bridgewater College. The presence of COVID-19 meant an enlarged role for Southard at this Liberal Arts institution, as the students were divided into pods and the classrooms were moved outside onto two large grassy spaces providin
UK - As the outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe saw the entire UK go into lockdown late March 2020, the last six months has forced both a sudden hiatus and transformation of the live events industry. In response, Creative Technology (CT) has moved virtual event technology to the centre of its offering. CT has expanded its in-house facilities which includes a XR studio powered by the Unreal engine, a fully fitted remote production gallery, two additional remote production suites and two COVID-secure socially distanced performance spaces - all based at its offices in London, Gatwick. Says the company, “The ability to record, edit, and live stream content all in one location has allowed us to create some extraordinary events, reaching thousands across the globe. From demanding and complex streaming events such as a virtual event for international blue chip compa
Germany - Decisions often involve a trade-off, as taking steps to address one challenge may complicate another. Philipp Reister, the event technician at the famed Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, understands this issue first hand. Reister values the flexibility of moving fixtures, especially since changing lights on the Z Bridge at the school’s performance hall is a time-consuming process involving a mobile crane. On the other hand, the moving fixtures that had previously been installed at the school, while providing the desired flexibility, raised the issue of noise. In the past Reister and the team at Hochschule für Musik Freiburg have worked diligently to balance these issues. This summer they enlisted the help of a new “partner” to their cause: the Chauvet Professional Maverick Silens 2 Profile. “We needed to improve our flexibility because our hall
USA - The iHeartRadio Music Festival marked its tenth anniversary virtually this year recording its headline artists live, with no audiences, in Los Angeles and Nashville. Lighting designer Matthew Ardine handled the LA portion of the show, which hosted Miley Cyrus, Migos, Alicia Keys, Swae Lee, Khalid and Usher at the iHeartRadio Theatre. He utilised an array of Claypaky fixtures, which are part of the theatre’s rep plot. The two-day mega-concert was live streamed on 18-19 September and viewable on The CW app; it was broadcast on The CW and iHeartRadio stations nationwide. Ardine has been one of the iHeartRadio Theatre’s lighting designers for about six years. He designed the base rig for the 2020 festival then worked with each individual artist’s team to create a look for the performer’s brand. “For the main iHeartRadio Festival design, two of my goal
USA - To coincide with major investment in its infrastructure, the vibrant Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas has upgraded its TiMax SoundHub immersive audio processor to include the all-new HARDCore FPGA audio processing platform. The upgrade provides extended delay-matrix crosspoint memory of up to one second, plus new ultra-smooth holistic delay-panning algorithms across the street’s vast and unusual 52.4 channel audio system. With 26 pairs of loudspeakers distributed down the five-city-block space, the powerful new TiMax platform updates extend the necessary resources needed to deliver fully immersive dynamic effects spatialisation for the huge scale of the street’s stunning show content. TiMax also handles basic routing and housekeeping for all audio aspects of Fremont Street’s daily activities. The browser-based TiMax Portal bespoke touch-scre
Canada - North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) returned to play without live audiences but with massive enthusiasm, determination and impressive TV and online followings - for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoff series which had been suspended in April during the coronavirus pandemic. Lighting equipment was supplied by Solotech and included over 200 Robe moving lights - a mix of Pointes, Spiiders and Tarrantulas used by lighting designer Tom Kenny. The 24-team playoff format (comprising Eastern and Western Conferences) was staged in two Canadian hub cities - Edmonton and Toronto - over two months, running as two complete Covid-secure ‘bubbles’ for production teams, players, coaches and other associated personnel. Tom was asked to design lighting for the two arenas - Scotiabank in Toronto and Rogers Place in Edmonton - working closely with production design
USA - When explaining how he designed Price Tower in Bartlesville, OK, Frank Lloyd Wright described it as a “tree-like mast” supported by a central trunk of four elevators shafts anchored by a deep central foundation. The arrangement made it possible for the building’s 19 concrete floors to extend outward like cantilevered branches of a tree reaching over 220ft to the sky. Today, 64 years after its completion, the only skyscraper designed by Wright inspires as powerfully as ever, reflecting its creator’s belief that “all fine architectural values are human values”. This spirit was celebrated in September when the noted building glowed in vivid colours in honour of Pride Month with help from a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by GW Illumination. “This project was initiated by the Bartlesville Chapter of Oklahomans for Equality for Pride
Poland - Brzeg Cultural Centre is a local institution which offers a number of artistic and interdisciplinary activities, such as dance, theatre, music and sculpture classes, as well as a lot of cultural events. At the end of August 2020, it was fully equipped with a spread of Prolights products. Kuba Czarnik, production manager for Show Design, Prolights distributor for Poland said: “Brzeg Cultural Centre is, like any other community centre, very important for the district, where it is located. It is here, where social awareness and sensitivity to art and culture are built. We are glad that we were able to help in the development of this institution with Prolights. “So, we decided to make use of a lot of Prolights solutions to light up the hall. In particular, we installed eight Luma 1500SH with animation module as front lights and above the stage, four Diamond 19
