UK - LED Installation shines bright after a new digital screen upgrade. Bluman Associates partnered with DOOH LED expert, Bob Kronman, to provide consultancy for the high-profile installation. In 2015, BT expressed interest in replacing the existing LED screens, which due to age, no longer represented the brand to their highest standards. Partnering with Bob Kronman of Kronman Associates, Bluman Associates were commissioned to undertake an initial feasibility study of the refurbishment. Environmental issues needed to be taken into consideration - the outdoor display is at the mercy of the UK weather at all times, facing high winds and extreme temperatures. There were several essential parameters the custom panels had to comply with - they had to be manufactured to fit within the existing rigging infrastructure, be optimised for resolution and brightness, have an IP ra
South Africa - In mid-October 2017, South African audiences enjoyed the return of the celebrated musical production of Evita – seen for the first time on South African stages since the 1980’s. After its premiere at the Montecasino Teatro in Johannesburg the production will be at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre, before embarking on an Asian tour. The creative team has striven to create a faithful recreation of the original West End production in all aspects – from the direction, choreography and musical direction to the building and creation of set, wardrobe and props. But while remaining true to the original, there is a great deal that has been updated technically, to make the current production a spectacular theatrical experience. An extensive lighting rig, and state-of-the-art PA system recreate the imagery and feel of the original, coupled with projectio
USA - Media serving and display technology company 7thSense Design delivered updated video technology for the 2017 production of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, presented by Chase. The full system technology upgrade has transformed the world’s largest proscenium theatre and has enabled video content to be displayed on all eight of the venue’s proscenium arches. 7thSense has provided video systems for Radio City since 2011. A total of 34 7thSense Infinity Media Servers output two channels each of single mode fibre 12G-SDI at 4096 x 2160 60fps 10-bit 4:2:2 resolution, into an Evertz EQX 12G fibre router and EMX multi-viewer system, offering A-B source redundancy with clean switching and monitoring before heading out to facility fibre distribution. For the first time ever, digital projections extend from the stage to all eight
UK - Engage Works, the full service creative technology agency, reports that it worked behind the scenes with Landsec, the UK’s largest listed commercial property company and owner of London’s Piccadilly Lights, to create an innovative charitable campaign, #PiccadillyOn, to mark the build up to the switching on of the famous Light’s on 26 October, following nine months of renovation work. The #PiccadillyOn campaign was devised by Engage Works for Landsec, with the intention of creating a community spirit ahead of the launch, whilst raising money and ‘bringing colour to life’ in aid of Barnardo’s – the UK’s largest children’s charity and Landsec’s national charity partner for 2017. Launched on 15 September, #PiccadillyOn invited people from around the world to sponsor a unique colour ‘chip’ for a minimum donation of £2. Th
Europe - Lighting designer James O'Neill and video designer Mark Cunniffe combined their extensive skills with the latest technology from Avolites to provide the production design for the current tour by Irish pop-rock band, Picture This. With O'Neill controlling his lighting rig with his tried-and-trusted Avolites Arena console, and the video content run through Avolites Ai media server operated by Tim Hornung, the band's European tour is showcasing the cutting edge of light and video control. O'Neill, who was responsible for both set and lighting design, created a raised performance area backed, flanked and fronted in LED screen. The production's wraparound surfaces featured a mixture of rich video content developed through a close collaboration between the band, Cunniffe and Tom Readdy of Yes Please Productions. "Looking at the stage head-on or from an angle
UK - Stage Electrics has supplied a custom-built Stage Management desk to The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. Located in the heart of the midlands, Wolverhampton’s oldest running theatre, The Grand presents a wide range of major touring productions every year. After their stage management desk of 20 years was no longer suitable for their needs, Ray Tizzard of The Grand, turned to industry experts Stage Electrics for a custom designed replacement. Stage Electrics’ Paul Lucas, liaised with The Grand to establish the requirements of their new Stage Management desk. Once specifications and drawings were signed off and an inspection of the existing infrastructure was undertaken, the Stage Electrics in-house team then went into production of the desk. The facilities of the desk are a Theatre Cue 16 channel cue light master station, 12 individually addressable cue light ou
USA - Criss Angel’s Mindfreak Live! at the Luxor Resort & Casino in Las Vegas upends people’s views of magic and awes spectators with a goth-horror vibe mixed with rock ‘n’ roll spectacle. The production has the largest number of moving lights on the Strip, and combines movers, lasers, video and more into one over-the-top vision. The large number of fixtures and media demands would tax the average console – but not ETC’s Eos Ti. ETC’s latest video follows lighting programmer Josh Selander and gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how he pulled together one of the flashiest, most technically demanding shows on the Strip and demonstrates why the Eos Ti, in the hands of a master programmer, delivers the magic. Some of the features of Ti that Selander calls out in the video include syncing the console
UK - Sound Technology has been acquired by Midwich Group, becoming the latest wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group. The pro audio and lighting distributor will continue to operate as an independent company from its Letchworth Garden City base, with no changes to its board members, workforce or market approach. Sound Technology chairman, Robert Wilson MBE, comments: “After close to 40 years, Sound Technology has grown into a company operating on a large-scale in multiple market sectors. We continue to see exciting growth opportunities within all these markets, and the time is right for the company to enter its next phase in order to facilitate further expansion and success.” Stephen Fenby, Midwich’s Managing Director, says: “We have watched the success of Sound Technology over recent years and are delighted to have persuaded Bob, David and the
Europe - Panasonic’s AV training academy has been accredited by AVIXA, allowing professional AV dealers and rental companies to gain renewal units inside the Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) programme. AVIXA, formerly known as InfoComm International, has administered the CTS programme for more than 30 years, with more than 11,000 CTS holders – 500 of which are in the UK. CTS holders are recognised as technology specialists within the industry, with part of the programme being a requirement for continuous learning. As a result, CTS holders must regularly attend training courses to maintain their accreditation. From November 2017, attending Panasonic visual training courses will allow them to gain credits inside the programme. “It’s a pleasure to welcome Panasonic as an RU Provider in Europe,” says Pamela Taggart, senior director of development
USA - Atlona has named Denver-based Momentum Group as its manufacturer’s representative for much of the western US. Momentum Group will represent Atlona north to south through Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and western Texas, working closely with Bruce Moses, Atlona’s national sales manager, Western region. “We play very strongly in the corporate AV vertical, and Atlona’s traditional range of switchers and extenders are among the most versatile and visible options on the market today to serve the needs of board rooms, huddle rooms and other meeting spaces,” said Dan Keller, director of commercial sales, Momentum Group. “What excites us more is Atlona’s aggressive move into AV over IP, which is quickly becoming an important need across all commercial AV verticals we serve including corporate, education and government. The OmniStream range is made for
The Netherlandds - NEC Display Solutions Europe will showcase its latest display technologies at ISE 2018, with a particular focus on solutions for retail signage, large venues and corporate conferencing. The ISE show runs on 6-9 February at RAI Amsterdam, where NEC will unveil its new campaign theme, Create Endless Impressions, which highlights how its range of display technologies enables users to create experiences which engage, connect and impress audiences. The stand highlights will include: NEC’s Direct View LED displays for both indoor and outdoor applications; Large sizes (up to 98”) of its V and P Series of Raspberry Pi-compatible displays, which enable new applications for sensor-based and context-aware signage; NEC’s new professional C Series large format displays for seamless integration (up to 98”); NEC InfinityBoard, the company’s all-in-
Israel - Israeli singer Rita Yahan-Farouz is back on the road with a new album Transparent Miracles and a new lighting and visual design by Ronen Najar featuring Robe Spiiders and BMFL Spot moving lights. The tour started at the Yakum Kibbutz Hall just outside Tel Aviv, where Ronen was engaged in five intense days of pre-programing before revealing the magic and mystery creating a stunning looking show for Rita and her 12-piece band. Ronen, who has worked with Rita for around 16 years, discussed the show concept with the signer who came up with the basic live concept in terms of the music, rhythm and pace of the set. From this, he produced the essence of the design with the idea for a curved structure upstage of the band. Visiting a wide variety of venues, from 500 – 3,000 seaters, the rig had to be scalable and the structure capable of being flown, grou
Finland Media server specialist Picturall has appointed Markku Myllymäki as senior software developer. Myllymäki has over two decades’ experience in software development in a variety of roles for multinational corporations including Nokia Networks and Elektrobit. Samuli Valo, Picturall CEO and head of R&D, comments: “Markku has solid experience in just about every area we required including project management and product management as well as his considerable technical software development skills. We are all looking forward to working with him on our next generation of media server and playback products.” Myllymäki adds: “As a computer graphics enthusiast, I am very interested in several of the technologies currently used in Picturall products. It gives me great insight into a very exciting business sector that I’m not very familiar with, so I’m real
UK - The expression ‘negative space’ might sound a contradiction terms when used in the context of lighting and video, but then when haven’t Tears for Fears challenged commonplace assumptions? Certainly not for their recent concert at show designer Alex Reardon and production manager JB Blot successfully transplanted a full-scale US arena production into this most enigmatic of venues. “It was an unusual day,” began Reardon. “Normally when you do one-offs it’s the tiny things that get missed and then they snowball into chaos. But not this day. Neg Earth were great, Video Design were great. The band were happy. Their management were happy and the show went very well. In fact, it looks like we will be coming back to the UK for an Arena tour in May.” Reardon chose the term ‘negative space’ to encapsulate his premise for applying LED video technology in
India - Multinational flight case hardware and 19-inch racking manufacturer Penn Elcom has launched a new distribution centre in Mumbai, India. It will be based in the Vasai area and headed by Rodney D’Monte. Penn Elcom chairman Roger Willems says: “Mumbai is a major commercial and cultural hub and a great strategic location with a very positive future and we enjoy its vibrancy and energy. That’s exactly where we want to be.” The opening of this distribution hub follows other recent major investments in Penn Elcom’s global manufacturing and sales network in Canada, the UK and China. The Indian operation will first focus on the racking and hardware elements of Penn’s business, and will also manufacture and distribute products utilising brands such as Amphenol cables and Neutrik connectors. It will also source its basic hardware from the Ch
UK - Technical production specialist Central Presentations (CPL) and producers Constructive Communications delivered full technical production for Construction’s Got Talent, a team-building / gala dinner conference event with a difference for leading independent construction and property services company Wilmot Dixon. This was staged in the Noble Suite at the Pullman Hotel on Euston Road, London, with tailor made format partly inspired by TV talent show competitions on a quest to discover the company’s own undiscovered talent, which was interspersed with presentations and speeches. Lee Gruszeckyj led the CPL team who worked with Constructive Communications’ project manager Ken D’Souza. A 10 metre-wide stage with free-standing printed graphic wrap set / backdrop including the event’s own Got Talent logo was installed, complete with small thrust fo
UK - Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s annual Collars & Coats Gala Ball returned for its ninth year earlier this month, with Hawthorn on hand - or should that be paw - to deliver full technical production for the star-studded occasion. Taking place at Battersea Evolution, a Smart venue, the creative technical production expert provided lighting, sound, video and staging for the charity’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Even with a guest list packed with some of biggest names of stage, screen and sport, it was Battersea’s four-legged friends that stole the spotlight at the Gala Ball. Battersea’s legendary Guard of Honour, a red carpet lined with the home’s dogs and their handlers, kicked off proceedings before guests settled down to a dinner by Smart Hospitality. Guests of the two-legged variety were kept well entertained throughout the eveni
USA - On Tuesday, 14 November, the Atlona On Tour road show rolled into Boston for a special two-day Visual Systems Show in Marlborough, MA, where more than 75 dealers, distributors and systems integrators took in live presentations focused on Atlona’s Velocity networked control solution, OmniStream R-Type AV over IP platform, and a variety of HDR products. Seth Powell, Atlona’s resident AV over IP training expert, led most of the presentations. Sponsored by the D.L. Henderson Company, a regional manufacturer’s representative, the event also included a three-hour Atlona Certification Course on how to configure, deploy and maintain OmniStream and Velocity systems. More than 20 attendees were certified. Atlona offers these trainings free of charge, and has been granted CTS certification for them due to providing a thorough and complete curriculum. The road show con
USA - The recently-launched Hippotizer + range has already broken Green Hippo sales records and produced “an unprecedented number of sales enquiries”, the company claims. The Hippotizer + Media Server range - comprising the Amba+, Boreal+, Karst+, Montane+, and Taiga+ - has yielded over 100 orders, all of which landed before the official product launch at LDI in Las Vegas on the 17 November. James Roth, head of sales & marketing at Green Hippo commented: “I am delighted that pre-orders from our ROW territories have already passed the 100 units mark and this is before the official launch at LDI. With many major territories waiting until LDI, this will be by far and away the most successful Green Hippo product launch ever and we’re delighted at the response from the international markets.” Green Hippo has logged sales enquiries from across the globe an
USA - Clair Brothers has appointed two new distibutors - Rocketerias in Mexico and VTècnics in Spain - to its growing international distribution network. Rocketerias and VTècnics will sell and distribute all Clair Brothers products across the two markets. Rocketerias owner Alejandro Barbosa Calderon comments: “Clair Brothers is a great brand, everybody knows it, and the sky’s the limit. So, joining with them is a powerful complement to our mission to deliver on the promise of offering the kinds of products our customers can be proud to own.” “Clair Brothers has been a good friend to VTècnics, referring us many times to new customers,” states VTècnics production manager Josep Maria Serra. “When the timing and opportunity for real professional growth in the industry presented itself, we recognised the immediate need to be more competitive in the mar
USA - Global manufacturer of video and signal distribution technology ZeeVee has launched a new website and logo as it marks 10 years in business. Bob Michaels, CEO for ZeeVee, says: “2017 marks an important milestone for our company. ZeeVee has long been a trusted brand and a symbol of quality and ease of use. Today, those attributes continue to be the driving force in our innovation and engineering best practices. Throughout this past decade we have been working to lead the industry and develop new distribution platforms that leverage standards-based technology. “From being the first to introduce an RF encoder/modulator approved for use by DIRECTV, Dish and other cable and satellite providers, to launching the first uncompressed 4K AV over IP distribution solution, we are committed to providing customers innovative and easy to use solutions. “The AV lands
Czech Republic - Perhaps one of the most unusual cultural buildings in Europe, the airship at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague appears to float above the surrounding buildings. For those that venture inside it, a Yamaha audio system proves that the sound. Named after fictional traveller Gulliver, the 42m long, 120-capacity steel and wood airship features a zeppelin-shaped structure on top and is a permanent space for lectures, exhibitions, screening and other cultural events. The venue features an AV system specified and installed by Martin Vondrášek of the Prague-based AVT Group. The audio system comprises four Yamaha VXS5W speakers arrayed along each side of the ‘body’, powered by an XMV8140 multi-channel amplifier, with signal distribution and processing by an Yamaha MTX5-D matrix processor. Audio inputs come from wireless microphones, a
Sweden - Harman Professional Solutions has announced that Septon Electronic is taking over the distribution of AMX solutions in Sweden. The agreement applies to the full range of AMX product categories, with Septon Electronic set to focus on local sales and support of video control solutions while Harman Professional will concentrate on creating synergies between the audio, video and lighting segments of the business. “We are pleased about this agreement,” said Fredrik Barnö, channel manager, Harman Professional Solutions. “Septon Electronic has been the Swedish distributor of Harman Professional’s audio portfolio for many years, and with their extensive market reach and thorough industry know-how, we have a strong partner on our side.” "AMX is established in the absolute premium segment, whereas Septon Electronic as a distributor is known for our broa
Spain - Green Hippo has appointed Earpro as its distributor in Portugal and Spain. With offices in Barcelona and Madrid, Earpro is a specialist audio and visual distributor with experience in pro markets. The company was acquired by Midwich Group and has financial backing valued at over £400m. Commenting on the new partnership James Roth, head of sales and marketing at Green Hippo, said: “This alliance is great news for visual creatives across Portugal and Spain. Earpro knows these markets inside and out, and our line of real-time video technology continues to grow in not just model choices, but also in its ease-of-use and technological talents.” Miguel Mezquita, managing director of Earpro, commented: “We are delighted to team with Green Hippo. We are already very familiar with, and admirers of, its impressive product line and we can’t wait to play our
