UK - Video solutions specialist Production AV will be on Stand I2E at the Event Production Show at London Olympia on 26 and 27 February to showcase the Agile Arc Lite PTZ camera integration solution from leading media server company disguise. Based in Cheltenham, Production AV has been at the forefront of AV innovation for 14 years. It is inviting visitors to get hands-on with the new disguise and Agile kit at the show. In February, disguise launched the latest version of its award-winning software, used to design, sequence and control live shows and experiences. Version r15.2 now includes integrations with Agile Remote Cameras’ range of PTZ cameras, enabling live video feeds from the discreet PTZ cameras to be used as part of the visuals on impressive live events. “We’re thrilled to demo just what disguise’s new Agile integration protocol can do in
USA - Atlona has appointed Craig Childs as regional sales manager, TOLA, for the residential and commercial markets. A certified technology specialist in professional AV technology, Childs will also manage relationships with regional partners that sell and install Atlona solutions. He will be based in Dallas and report to Bruce Moses, director of sales, western region. “I look forward to capitalising on the success that Atlona has had in the TOLA region by developing new residential and commercial accounts, and providing excellent customer service to established customers,” says Childs. “I will leverage my extensive commercial AV sales experience to drive my ambitious sales goals, as well as the strong relationships I have built with corporations, universities, systems integrators, consultants, and others throughout the region. The common denominator is that thes
Pakistan - KYAF Corporation recently outfitted DHA Sports Club with a new complete Harman Professional Solutions sound system to provide an immersive audio experience on the field and in the stands. Located in the heart of Karachi, DHA Sports Club is managed by renowned Pakistani cricketer Moin Khan. As part of the facility’s mission to provide a place for young Pakistani athletes to develop their talents in a supportive environment, DHA Sports Club hired KYAF Corporation to upgrade their sound system with modern audio solutions. After careful consideration, KYAF Corporation and DHA Sports Club selected a sound reinforcement system comprised of JBL Professional speakers, Crown amplifiers and AKG microphones. “DHA Sports Club asked us to provide a high-quality audio system that would complement their beautiful sports facility and provide great coverage,” says Ahme
USA - At the recent NAMM show, Westview Productions presented a cheque for $5,162.32 to Behind the Scenes as their first donation to the charity as a new Pledge-a-Service Partner. Westview is an entertainment, energy, and immersive technology solutions firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Their project process encompasses all aspects of design that integrates with all construction trades to ensure a cohesive and seamless project experience. Westview has global experience in lighting, motion control, audio and AV systems, media, and architectural systems allowing them to provide comprehensive services as a sole solutions organisation. On presentation of the cheque, Eric Bloom, president, states: “I feel so strongly about the Behind the Scenes Foundation’s efforts, that it’s a great pleasure to be able to support the foundation this way. Helping to support our c
Europe - Luminex Network Intelligence has announced that its GigaCore Ethernet Switch is now Avnu certified to support the Milan/AVB protocol. By adding this protocol, the GigaCore switch is validated against following protocols: Milan/AVB, Dante, AES67; ArtNet, sACN, MANet, and many more. “This means a user can allow AVB traffic on the switch,” the company says. “It has the same ease of use as before: no command line interface, no complicated parameter to set, no specific license to purchase to enable this feature. With one click in the web interface, the switch takes part of the clock domain of the AVB devices and will allocate the necessary bandwidth. The user can therefore be sure the audio streams will be handled the right way, in a perfectly synced manner, providing audio quality and user experience at its best.” (LSi Online)
UK - Technical production specialist, Hawthorn has announced a significant investment in its video department, having invested over £1m in new equipment over the last year. The latest kit additions focus on bolstering the company’s 4K offering and sees significant investment in infrastructure from Lightware and Barco. With a long-standing history of working with Lightware products, Hawthorn has added two MX2-16x16-HDMI2.0 Matrices to its hire shelves. The standalone product is a member of the Lightware HDMI 2.0 matrix switcher family, supporting uncompromised 4K UHD resolution at 60Hz 4:4:4. Alongside this, the company has also purchased six channels of HDMI2.0-OPTC-TX/RX220-Pro, an HDMI 2.0 compatible, HDCP 2.2 compliant extender pair for video, RS-232 and Gigabit Ethernet signals, supporting uncompressed 4K UHD resolution. Hawthorn has also upgraded its Barco Ev
France - Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting, video, rigging, special FX plus a snow-loving crew to various entertainment venues and events associated with the Varsity Trip 2018 in Val Thorens, the highest ski resort in the French Alps at 2,300 metres in the beautiful Tarentaise Valley, Savoie. The Colour Sound team of four was led by Steve Marley and working for Zero Degrees Events who designed and produced a busy series of Varsity Trip events running throughout the week. Marley and their managing director Neil Cranston have collaborated on many previous projects, and with Tom Williams from Zero Degrees running things on the ground, the mission ran like clockwork. The main music venue for the week was the Centre Sportif de Val Thorens, which featured three full-scale DJ performances – including Rudimental’s DJ set - with numerous other smaller venues hostin
The Netherlands - Building on its expertise, Christie continues to deliver end-to-end solutions for visual experiences coupled with service and support. For the first time, stand visitors will experience the new Christie MicroTiles. The Christie D4K40-RGB pure laser 3DLP projector will make its European debut at ISE. The Christie APS Series, launched in January, is being shown for the first time at a public show. The new 3LCD laser projector will be located in Zone 8. Featuring an efficient laser illumination system and patented optical light path design that uses only one motor, the APS Series provides up to 20,000 hours of reliable, maintenance-free operation at an extremely low cost of ownership. Christie has partnered with Da-Lite, which will provide the screens for the Christie stand while both the LANG AG and SDVoE stands are demonstrating interoperabilit
UK - London-based lighting and visual rental company Colour Sound Experiment supplied video, including LED screens, cameras, PPU and crew, to Madness’s most recent tour. The Sound of Madness arena tour was production managed and designed by ‘Luton’ Pete Hosier, who was also the LD, with the video elements co-ordinated by Toby Vogel, who has worked with Madness since 2010. Video has been a massive part of their live show, especially for the last three of these biennial arena tours, and the screens were in use for most of the band’s lively, up-beat set. Utilising over 175sq.m of Colour Sound’s BT-6 and BT-7 mm LED product, the main screens comprised a 10m-wide by 5m-high upstage centre surface, flanked either side by two 5 x 5m ‘return’ screens positioned diagonally upstage/downstage. As well as co-ordinating all the video hardware, Toby
UK - Universal Pixels supplied a flexible video package for British synth pop stars Years & Years’ Palo Santo live campaign, including festival dates, UK arena shows and European performances Years & Years landed back in the UK charts last summer with their critically acclaimed second album, Palo Santo, and a production befitting of the band’s standing in alternative pop culture. A number of festival dates coincided with Palo Santo’s highly anticipated release before a UK arena tour and subsequent European concert hall dates were met with sold out crowds last winter. Universal Pixels worked closely with production designers, Cassius Creative, taking on the design and supply of the video elements, as well as the indoor venue IMAG requirements. The versatile design peaked in size at the London O2 Arena, with the show featuring a 195sq.m ROE CB5 scre
The Netherlands - Audinate has announced Dante AV, an integrated audio and video-over-IP solution for manufacturers. Dante AV promises to bring all the benefits of the audio over IP solution to video, including discovery, ease-of-use and integrated control. Dante AV enables complete interoperability with more than 1600 Dante-enabled audio products already on the market. Dante AV reportedly resolves syncronisation problems of networked video and audio by utilising a single network clock for sub-microsecond accuracy. With Dante AV, audio and video signals are independently routable in a single interface using the Dante Controller software. Manufacturers can also take advantage of Dante API to customise their management user interface. Dante AV solves time alignment issues and eliminates the need for audio de-embedders in applications such as sports bars, live events and
The Netherlands - Avnu Alliance has announced new members and ecosystem tools, while manufacturer members plan to demonstrate and showcase new Milan-ready products at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2019. Milan is a standards-based, user-driven deterministic network protocol for professional media, that assures devices will work together at new levels of convenience, reliability and functionality. Created and maintained by members of the Avnu Alliance, Milan is billed as the first tangible solution for promising deterministic, reliable, and future-proof delivery of networked media. Milan combines the technical benefits of the AVB standard with pro AV market-defined device requirements at both the network and the application layer for media streams, formats, clocking and redundancy. “Members of Milan have been diligently working behind the scenes for the last six mont
UK - A.C. Special Projects (AC-SP) has supplied a bespoke performance LED lighting and AV solution to dance-circus company Motionhouse for its creation and rehearsal space in Royal Leamington Spa. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Motionhouse creates and tours a wide range of inspiring and powerful productions to theatres and festivals in the UK and across the globe. Earlier this year, Motionhouse moved into its inspirational new rehearsal space in the new home of British furniture manufacturer Vitsœ in Leamington Spa. The co-habitation was conceived by Vitsœ and Motionhouse to create a vibrant and like-minded working community, and Motionhouse’s move to Vitsœ received capital funding from Arts Council England. AC-SP needed to adhere to a strict technical specification in order for the installation to blend in with the building. The origina
South Africa - The South African Roadies Association (SARA) has invested in an Absen D3V indoor/outdoor LED screen consisting of 150 panels and a Green Hippo Karst+ Media Server from local distributor DWR Distribution. SARA - a non-profit training organisation based in Newtown, Johannesburg – acts to provide students with skills across lighting, audio, staging, power, rigging, AV and production specialties through a hands-on training and tutoring programme. Freddie Nyathela is the heart behind SARA and he has fought to get the programme off the ground. Students with limited resources are given the opportunity to join the entertainment industry and many reputable technicians have passed through his establishment. The investment of a new Absen D3V screen and Green Hippo Karst+ was funded by the National Lotteries Commission (the NLC). Nyathela explains:
Australia - Playing bars and clubs in their native Des Moines, Iowa in the 1990s, Stone Sour got their name from a popular drink that mixed one-part whiskey with one-part orange juice and a splash of sour mix. In the years that followed, the Grammy-nominated multi-platinum band has attracted a global fan base with its own cocktail mix of metal and alternate rock sounds. The band’s performance revolves around a simple concept: rock hard, rock loud and be ferocious. This nonstop intensity led Scott Warner to feature the high-output Nexus Aw 7x7 in the first lightshow he designed for Stone Sour in 2017. This December, he went back to the same fiery well again, using the warm white LED panels for his client’s co-headline appearance with The Offspring at Australia’s Good Things Festival. “I really liked the way these panels worked on my last tour with Stone Sour,
Australia - Pro AV Solutions Queensland and avt installed AMX SVSI Networked Media Solution at The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) to create flexible teaching spaces leveraging the university’s standard network infrastructure. With campuses in Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich, USQ offers courses in law, health, engineering, business, education, arts and the sciences. USQ recently deployed a series of POD-based learning and teaching techniques to facilitate interconnectivity both within and between campuses. USQ turned Pro AV Solutions Queensland and avt to design an affordable and easy-to-use AV solution. Pro AV Solutions Queensland suggested the AMX SVSI networked media solution, capable of delivering high-definition audio and video with minimal latency across a variety of end-points on multiple campuses. "We realised that we couldn’t approach this proje
UK - Lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting and LED screens for the recent tour by UK rockers You Me At Six, which promoted their latest album VI. The tour also celebrated 10 years since their first album Take Off Your Colours catapulted them to the top of the charts. Haydn Cruickshank (H) and the team at Colour Sound worked with Jamie Thompson from MIRRAD who co-designed set, lighting and video together with Dave Cohen, with Cohen directing lighting and visuals on the road. Thompson explains that the design brief was to create “something big, epic, memorable . . . and cost effective”. Additionally, the band wanted to play two completely different sets - one comprising music from the first album, and the second featuring songs from the latest one and the other four in between. So, the idea was that the show wo
The Netherlands - Marking its 10th year as a major LED exhibitor at ISE, Absen will celebrate its 10th straight year as ta leading Chinese export brand for LED displays. In Amsterdam, ISE attendees will experience Absen’s largest ever stand, covering an impressive 264sqm. This year, Absen will focus on the Fine Pixel Generation - the company’s new line of narrow pixel pitch displays. During ISE, Absen will launch a number of indoor and outdoor LED solutions that are sure to satisfy all manners of fixed installation, rental & staging, control room and corporate applications. The company will also showcase its latest LED solutions for retail, live events and entertainment, as well as OOH and sports venues. This inventory will include the successful Polaris and N-Plus ranges; ensuring that the company’s regional partners and global BUs are up-to-date on Absen
UK - Sister companies Shooting Partners and Anna Valley have merged under the Anna Valley brand, which has been redesigned to represent a broader service offering and modern style. A new, responsive website has also been created to support the new brand. The two companies were subsidiaries of the Shooting Partners Group, which launched in 1989 as a camera-hire business and expanded to include AV technology, with the acquisition of Anna Valley in 2000. This announcement comes three years after the Shooting Partners Group underwent a management buyout and follows considerable business growth in existing and new markets. As well as establishing a new AV integration business unit and significantly increasing their rental business year-on-year, in 2017 the group also purchased live event specialists, Matrix UK Solutions which remains unaffected by this re-brand. The decis
USA - Panduit Corp has acquired global AV manufacturer Atlona. As part of the acquisition, the Atlona team will join Panduit’s Enterprise business group. Atlona will continue to serve its customers from its global headquarters in San Jose, California for all sales, customer support, and training related inquiries. “Atlona has been at the forefront in developing cutting-edge AV technology that embraces the full potential of the convergence of AV and network infrastructure,” explains Dennis Renaud, president and CEO of Panduit. “Their industry-leading solutions complement Panduit’s extensive physical infrastructure portfolio, which will allow us to offer customers a quality end-to-end solution as they move to increasingly complex network infrastructure systems.” Ilya Khayn, Atlona CEO adds, “There are strong synergies between our companies including
UK - Billed as the glorious finale to the Flat Season, QIPCO British Champions Day brings together leading jockeys, horses, trainers and owners from Europe and beyond for one of the most prestigious fixtures in the UK sporting calendar. As a grand finale to the proceedings, the 2018 event closed with a suitably grand after party for over 5000 guests. The event was staged within a giant Igloo domed roof structure provided by Fews Marquees which was built on the lawn directly adjacent to the main grandstand at Ascot Racecourse. The party featured performances from House of Angels, Ella Eyre and culminated in an epic DJ set from Jax Jones. Working on behalf of clients Generate Events, Light Fantastic provided full technical support to the show, including lighting, audio, video, staging and rigging along with design and fabrication of a host of bespoke scenic elements.
Ireland - Thousands of people witnessed Dublin’s New Year Festival with a light show that illuminated the landmark Custom House and River Liffey. Lighting designer Matthew Kilmurry, of Kilmurry Design, controlled the spectacular effects using two Avolites Tiger Touch II consoles. More than 40,000 people enjoyed the New Year’s celebrations in Dublin, with millions watching live TV coverage of the ‘Midnight Moment’. This was billed as a ‘dazzling lighting spectacle’ featuring a ‘thrilling choreography of lasers and aqua beams’. “My brief for the event was to light up the sky and surrounding areas of Custom House Quay in Dublin city centre. The lighting needed to be dynamic, original and totally in-sync with the six-minute music piece that played at midnight,” says Kilmurry. “I pre-programmed to timecode, using Capture and a Tiger Touch II at home
UAE - Protec was called upon by Envie Events to provide full AV support for Bao: The Final Frontier EDM festival at Meydan Racecourse, Dubai. Bao attracted large crowds to the theatrical display and line-up of world class DJs. Artistes included the top 2 DJs of the DJ Mag top 100 Martin Garrix, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike as well as heavyweights Afrojack, Don Diablo, Nervo, R3hab and more. Mel Deighton, Protec’s project manager, worked closely with other suppliers to make sure the show was delivered beyond expectation and on time. Faced with considerable challenges along the way, he credits his team on delivering under pressure. “Due to the complexity of the production we were on-site 11 days for set-up, two days for the show and we were fully loaded out two days later. It was a challenging build which required cooperation with the staging company. Ou
USA - ARRI Rental has announced two additions to the team at its Atlanta facility. Peter Fodero, who has joined as operations manager, will oversee day-to-day management of the rental operation, while new client contact Kyle Baggett will focus on excellence in customer service. Fodero began his career as a production freelancer before joining another equipment rental house in 2011 where he held many roles, most recently as general manager. “I’m delighted to welcome Peter and Kyle to the team,” says Peter Crithary, President ARRI Rental US Camera. “Their extensive knowledge and close connections within the creative community are a tremendous asset.” Regional marketing executive Kelli Bingham will continue to focus on managing the company’s relationships with production and crew in Atlanta, as well as seeking new business opportunities. Working alongs
