Europe - XL Video is supplying robotic cameras and Christie FOH projectors to Arcade Fire's current European tour for Richard Stembridge's innovative video design.

XL's project managers Jo Beirne and Phil Mercer have been involved with supplying the band's video needs throughout 2007, and the latest leg of their hugely successful Neon Bible tour is the largest yet in terms of production.

"Working with Richard is always interesting and brings visually stunning results as the show is constantly evolving and growing" says Jo Beirne.

Stembridge was brought into the equation by lighting designer Paul Normandale, who was looking for a specific style and approach to facilitate what he anticipated would become a video-driven show. Normandale is well known for his offbeat designs and imaginative daring. He wanted someone with a fresh and non standard approach to vide

UK - Guerrilla projection specialists from PSL surprised Londoners by delivering one of the world's greatest-ever rock bands straight into the heart of the city. Heralded by the iconic image of lead singer Robert Plant, videos of Led Zeppelin were played out on some of London's most famous buildings, including the Science Museum and the National Gallery, to mark the release of the band's DVD Mothership.

PSL's Pod Bluman and his team ran a five-night campaign, across seven different locations - Trafalgar Square, the Haymarket, Chinatown, Covent Garden, Brick Lane and the Science Museum in Kensington. Each night, they premiered a different song from the new album release, playing it just once before packing up and moving onto a new location.

Performances of Black Dog, Whole Lotta Love and Kashmir were prefaced with a five-minute countdown, the project

UK - The South African superstars Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who first came to international prominence performing with Paul Simon over 20 years ago, called on the specialist branding and stage fabric experts Sunbaba to provide them with a series of colourful backdrop images for their 35 date tour of the UK.

Lighting designer Tim Speechley was responsible for the visual element of the performance by the nine-strong vocal group and he hit upon the idea of using the band's LP covers as an image. He ordered a number of coated polyester backdrops, emblazoned with images of the group's LP covers, which themselves told the story of Ladysmith's illustrious heritage at the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle.

"When I was planning the look, I realised that they had released about 40 LPs during their career and some of the covers were very impressive," he explains. "There

UK - Blitz has been commissioned to work alongside the production team of the award winning children's show, Lazy Town. Blitz is joining Lazy Town in its UK tour to motivate children nationwide to be more active.

Blitz is providing a full range of services for the show, supplying AV equipment including video control systems as well as a complete sound solution. The show began its journey in Hackney and is set to tour around the UK in 2008.

Blitz provided a d&b speaker system, Sennheiser radio mics and a Yamaha M7CL mixer. This technical setup was pioneered by sound designer Ian Horrocks-Taylor for the Lazy Town production, and Blitz worked alongside him to ensure consistency in the quality.

Ian Horrocks-Taylor explains: "Lazy Town carries an important message which is portrayed to the audience in a fun and highly entertaining manner so our te

USA - At the 41st Annual CMA Awards Show, broadcast in 5.1 surround sound on ABC Television from the Sommet Center in Nashville, XM Productions/Effanel Music implemented Genelec 8200 Series DSP Monitoring Systems. Genelec DSP systems comprised of 8250 and 8240 monitors along with the 7260 subwoofer were used in XM Productions/Effanel Music's L7 and OBU mobile recording trucks for the music mix.

The HDTV/5.1 broadcast was mixed and monitored by a team of top-tier professionals, all relying on Genelec to provide them an accurate monitoring environment. The audio portion of the broadcast was supervised by award-winning Audio Producer Tom Davis; the audio coordinator was Michael Abbott; the music mixers included John Harris and Jay Vicari.

John Harris, XM Productions/Effanel Music's lead music mixer, stated: "We had such success the first time we used the Genelec DSP system a

USA - FogScreen and American Exhibition Services, LLC (AES) have announced an exclusive reselling and rental agreement for the exhibition industry.

The agreement enables AES to sell or rent the FogScreen projection screen to all areas outside exhibitor booth spaces within convention centres and other facilities that are used for trade shows, conferences and organizer-sponsored events related to tradeshows. The turnkey services offered by AES will enable FogScreen to reach a greater breadth of consumers while providing AES's show managers a truly innovative way to "wow" their audiences, say the companies.

"This relationship with FogScreen allows us to offer trade show organizers a very compelling product that can truly differentiate their shows, while ensuring their messages reach their target audiences," said Bliss Beasley, executive vice president at AES.

UK - As a result of expanding market shares in the audio-visual and custom install sector, Dynalite Europe has appointed Phil Hardy as UK sales engineer to provide technical and sales support to dealers and distributors.

Hardy has been working for Dynalite in a technical support and engineering role for the last eight months and his promotion to this role will enable Dynalite to continue providing first class technical sales support to the custom installer and AV dealer whilst also managing the planned expansion of sales, says the company.

In his new post, Hardy will be "actively seeking out custom installers looking to distinguish themselves from their peers in an increasingly competitive marketplace".

(Jim Evans)

UK - DTS Digital Cinema today has announced the availability of its XD10 Media Player for digital signage and commercial A/V applications. The product combines an HD-capable A/V server and control package, suitable for a variety of applications from hotels to airports, theme parks to museums.

Drawing upon DTS' extensive experience in the cinema and image processing markets, the XD10 also provides highly flexible networking and configuration capabilities, along with the solid, reliable performance that DTS has been famous for delivering to 'the big screen' for over 14 years, says the company. The XD10 delivers video in a variety of formats over a broad range of bit rates. In addition to HD video, the XD10 also offers up to eight channels of audio. This flexible performance makes the XD10 an adaptable solution for A/V applications and leads to ease of installation for system integ

UK - Digital solutions specialists Projected Image Digital (PID) has specified, supplied and installed an innovative LED light work in the foyer/entrance of Tate Liverpool, located on the City's historic Albert Dock.

Tate Liverpool is one of the highest profile modern art galleries in the North West and also one of the busiest, attracting up to 600,000 visitors a year. Initially, PID were contacted by Manchester-based architects ARCA, this was following a phone call from lighting designer Paul Normandale and a demonstration by PID at Tate Liverpool in October 2006.

ARCA's Emma Corbett wanted to create a 'lightgate' concept, designed to refresh and revitalise the foyer and entrance areas, to help make the space work and flow better and be more versatile for the myriad of different functions and events hosted at the Gallery - from corporates to Northern Soul evenings.

The 'lig

UK - High-power projection specialist, ETC London became the first company to project video onto the 351ft high Shell Centre on London's South Bank, in an event marking the reopening of the Science Museum's Launchpad gallery - which is sponsored by Shell UK.

The eye-catching large format projection was a combination of video and PIGI projection, with live sessions of Launchball, a popular multi-level online game available from the Science Museum's website. This was played on a PC set up in the projection area and projected into a giant 40m by 30m mask on the building.

The mask was created by the PIGI projectors, and the game - via video projection - was beamed into this space. The PIGI projectors were also used to create a series of scrolling texts with information about the Launchpad gallery.

ETC's project manager Paul Highfield comments: "Obviously it was a gre

UK - Giant video display screens utilising digital signage solutions from 3M, together with technology from WindowGain, are transforming shop windows in the UK, including branches of Savills estate agents and retail centres owned by The Westfield Group.

WindowGain, a US-based out-of-home media company with a recently opened office in UK, has just installed its first two giant UK screens in Nottingham city centre. Using Vikuiti Rear Projection Film from 3M, WindowGain is able to transform entire store fronts into ultra large format high definition video screens able to present commercial advertising messages, public information messages and entertainment to passing shoppers.

Among WindowGain's first UK customers is The Westfield Group, the world's largest retail property group with assets valued at more than US$50bn, who will be using WindowGain's screens in its retail centres

UK - A study from the University of Salford has found that women in audio-video engineering are being held back by the industry's working practices, and more work is needed to open up careers in the sector.

University researchers asked students, workers, managers and academics of both sexes for their views on the career prospects of women in audio-video engineering. They found that the unsociable working hours, poor work-life balance and job insecurity are putting women off a career in the discipline.

The team behind the Women in Audio Visual Engineering (WAVE) project will present their findings and develop recommendations at an event at the BBC studios in Manchester on 5 December 2007 where the keynote speaker is BBC's head of technology delivery, Ela Jastrzebska.

The project was led by Dr Haifa Takruri-Rizk of the University's School of Computing, Science & Engineering. S

Germany - 3LCD Technology reports that BenQ, a leading lifestyle device provider, has joined the growing list of manufacturers who utilise 3LCD projection technology to offer their customers the highest quality home theatre projector solutions. BenQ ranked third in worldwide projector shipments in 2006, according to DTC, a leading market research company.

"We are excited that BenQ has joined the growing number of manufacturers that are utilising 3LCD technology for its projectors," said Tim Anderson, senior marketing manager, 3LCD Technology. "BenQ has been a leader in the projection market, and by adding 3LCD to their line up, they are joining a list of companies who are dedicated to delivering the best projection products on the market."

(Jim Evans)

Finland - FogScreen has announced its AV Rental Partner Programme. "Our partners have greatly benefited from having the FogScreen projection screen available to them," said Mika Koivula, CEO of FogScreen. "We have expanded our reach worldwide by working closely with our AV rental partners. With the added benefits that come from our gold and platinum levels of service, we feel that our partners have chosen the perfect time to team up with FogScreen."

Both platinum and gold-level members are currently taking advantage of incentive-filled packages. FogScreen is working with all its resellers and dealers to provide added benefits, including Website positioning, product access and technical support for the one-meter and two-meter projection devices.

"We chose FogScreen projection screen because it fits our image of marvelous and never-before-seen acts and e

UK - Christie has introduced the Christie HD405 - the first native HD model in the company's single-chip DLP portfolio. The new projector combines DLP image quality with full 1080p resolution, making it a solution for small-to-medium sized conference rooms, boardrooms, training rooms, home theatre and 24/7 applications where single chip DLP reliability is paramount, says the company.

The HD405 presents dynamic, high definition images with 4100 ANSI lumens brightness and a 1000-7500:1 contrast ratio. "The Christie HD405 is the first 1080p single-chip DLP projector in the Christie line, and the first to market with on-board 10-bit image processing and the capability to deliver 4100 lumens," notes Neil Wittering, director of product management, business products, Christie. "The combination of brightness, high resolution and advanced image processing single this out a

UK - With two highly successful 'Digital Video Workshops' staged by Projected Image Digital this year - presenting the power and versatility of the Catalyst V4 digital media server in a hands-on situation - the system is proving more popular and dynamic than ever, says the company.

Leading UK rental company Lite Alternative has now invested in three Catalyst v4 systems (run on Mac Pro G5 machines). Lite Alt's Catalyst systems have been on many live shows and concert tours throughout the year, from Radio One's Big Weekend to Arcade Fire's Neon Bible world tour, featuring lighting and set design by Paul Normandale with visual design and video direction by Richard Stembridge.

Others include Maximo Park (LD Stevie Marr), Interpol (LD Lucas Cotterham), and Paul McCartney and Kings of Leon (LD for both, Paul Normandale). Normandale also used PixelMAD - the pixel-mappin

UK - The R&B Group utilised their latest investments to stage the BBC Sports Awards North East. Continued success for The R&B Group has seen them double their turnover in less than four years.

The company recently invested in two Panasonic PT10000 HD ready projectors, a 12-channel Shure UHFR radio microphone system and additional Martin MAC 700 profile and wash fixtures.

All of these new additions were put to good use in producing a bold, striking new look for the Sports Awards. Project manager Richard Goodaire said, "Having the latest technology is great, it allows us to keep a competitive edge in the market, whilst always adding extra value and added wow factor for our clients."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Pufferfish, a specialist in 360° spherical display systems, has announced a new partnership with Green Hippo, creator of the Hippotizer media server. Until now, content for the PufferSphere had to be pre-rendered in AfterFX in order to appear geometrically correct on the display. The Hippotizer essentially operates like a realtime version of AfterFX, with an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) and "plenty of clever extras thrown in for good measure". By developing a free 'Pufferizer' plug-in, Green Hippo has opened up a second route to spherical content production, allowing for realtime 'spherising' of any type of content, in addition to our existing pre-rendering option, says the company.

The Pufferizer plug-in completes Pufferfish's content offering, providing total flexibility in the development and integration of all types of media. With this in mind,

UK - Kramer Electronics has announced the availability of the VP-26 presentation switcher. The VP-26 offers four independent routing switchers as well as a master audio switcher all in one box, and is capable of passing computer graphics video, s-Video, component, composite or SDI signals at high bandwidth. Its multi-functionality, full feature set, and compact size make the VP-26 ideal in robust presentation and multimedia environments, says the company.

The VP-26 is a high performance switcher that includes three independent 4x2 audio/video matrix switchers and one independent 2x2 audio/video matrix switcher, all in a compact two rack unit frame for a standard 19" professional rack enclosure. It combines the functions of a 4x2 matrix switcher for computer graphics signals with audio, composite video and audio, and s-Video and audio, as well as a 2x2 matrix switcher for co

France - ETC France enjoyed an exceptionally busy Heavent 2007 show in Paris, launching two innovative new products - OnlyView 3D and the Focal Triple.

The stand was the result of a collaboration with three other international companies - UK-based Stage One, specialists in automation systems, stage machinery and set creations; Anglo-French draping and material specialists Blackout and lighting, LED screen and sound rental house, Lumière et Son Paris.

The stand and the live show presentation on it were designed by Fabien Martineau of Scenographism, who was also integrally involved in the R&D of the new OnlyView 3D product launched by ETC at the show.

The show centrepiece was a revolving cube, projected onto with video controlled by OnlyView 3D. This was Martineau's brainchild for demonstrating the versatility and scope of the system, on which he collaborated with ETC France'

UK - Show organiser PLASA Events reports that interest in PLASA08 is running high, with over two thirds of exhibitors having already rebooked their stand space and further applications arriving at the PLASA Events' offices daily.

On the back of the success of PLASA07, many companies have increased their stand size and several have doubled their space, setting PLASA08 on course to be the major industry event of next year. The success of the 2007 show has also been a catalyst for drawing back former exhibitors and generating strong levels of interest from new exhibitors, impressed with the professionalism and energy of the event.

The show management team has identified a range of new initiatives to develop and strengthen visitor attendance and is also focusing on a number of key areas for further development.

"One of the key messages that came across very powerfully from

UK - Aquagraphics, a company managed by effects specialist MTFX, has introduced the Aquagraphics programmable water screen.

The screen uses hundreds of individually controllable jets of water to form precisely-controllable falls of water droplets, to create text, graphics or logos and various effects for branding and messaging applications.

Aquagraphics is a 2.4m-long linear bank water jets, illuminated by LEDs. The units can be truss mounted, stand alone, framed or un-framed, the company says.

(Lee Baldock)

Singapore - Broadcast Solutions selected Allen & Heath's iLive digital system - comprising an iDR10 mix rack with iLive-176 control surface - to manage audio requirements at the recent Barclays Open golf championship, held at the Sentosa luxury island resort last month.

Australian freelance sound engineer, Rob Hornbuckle, was appointed by the event's AV organisers, World Sport Group, to engineer the broadcast audio for the tournament, which was broadcast live on ESPNStar Sport.

"Rob was already comfortably configuring and mixing with iLive before the arrival of our engineers who were supposed to be there to help in the set up," says Bock Thye from Sindo Exports, Allen & Heath's distributor in Singapore and Malaysia, who, along with representatives from their associate company, PT Santika from Allen & Heath's Indonesian distributor, were on hand to provide technical s

UK - XL Video is supplying over 200sq.m of Stealth screen, six cameras, 70 lens, a Kayak HD PPU, eight new Barco FLM18 HD projectors, three Hippotizer digital media servers, a 3m diameter Mi Pix globe, plus crew for Take That's Beautiful World tour.

Video is a core aesthetic element of the show which is production designed by Ray Winkler of Stufish, who worked closely with the show's artistic director Kim Gavin.

The tour is being project managed for XL by Des Fallon who comments: "It's great to be involved in one of the most ambitious tours on the road this autumn, and with Chris Vaughan and his team once again on my seventh Take That tour. The multi-layered video looks stunning and results from an innovative fusion of creative and technical ideas."

The 1237 tiles of Stealth are hung in seven columns and primarily receive time-coded playback footage output f

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