China - Spanning more than 100 acres and welcoming almost 10 thousand visitors each day (with nearly 20,000 visitors on holidays), Unique Henan: Land of Drama is recognised as ‘the world's largest fantasy city’. This self-guided, multi-media and immersive live performance experience tells the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization around the Henan region. A range of dramatic, full-immersion, panoramic storytelling encompasses 21 theatres and dozens of outdoor spaces, including 56 maze-like courtyards, multiple themed restaurants and food and beverage areas, and employs more than 800 performers. The attraction’s construction took four years to complete and cost nearly $930m. The facility’s many lighting, video, and sound systems are controlled by a mix of pre-programmed, synchronised, time-code-based presentations, audio-triggered routines, as well as live p
South Africa - ArKaos, the real-time visual processing technology provider for live performance, architectural installations, LED applications and broadcast, has appointed DWR Distribution as a reseller in the South African market. In October 2020, InMusic announced the acquisition of ArKaos - a company founded in 1996 - and has continued to focus on engineering advancements, design and technology. With an emphasis on customer expectations, DWR Distribution’s appointment includes sales, service and support. After 20 years, the ArKaos development team consists of the same people. “When ArKaos changed management, it opened the doors for communication, and we are very excited to reinstate DWR as the official distributor in South Africa, said Nils de Laeter, brand manager at ArKaos. “DWR is a strong and well-respected distributor, is familiar with our products, and w
USA - Regarded as his ‘first farewell tour’, Roger Waters has embarked on a marathon four-month tour of North America, Canada and Mexico, showcasing music from across his career, with an ambitious 360 immersive production based around a CarbonLight Series LED screen from Leyard. Building on Waters’ legacy of technically renowned visual productions, the This is Not a Drill tour develops visual storytelling to create an immersive experience, staging the production for the first time in-the-round, with a lightweight 650sq.m cross-shaped Leyard screen, suspended from the roof as the centrepiece, provided by video equipment suppliers, Universal Pixels (UP). "With the screen, audio and lighting all hung from the roof, this ‘heavy’ rig required a lot of advance planning. The Leyard LED screen was chosen because it is lightweight enough to reduce the overal
UK - disguise has announced the launch of r22, a new software release that will help users scale their disguise-powered projects like never before. Developed to save hours of time on manual processes such as media distribution or spatial calibration, r22 introduces new features that will help enhance content resolution, production set-ups and media file management. New features include Intelligent Media Distribution - built to help users save time on manual media file distribution and maximize on server space by synchronizing and distributing only the media files within the video layers that are needed across each disguise server. Single Large Canvas (SLC seamlessly combines multiple video fragments into a single view output when used alongside multiple projectors. This creates a single, gigantic canvas that can be used for everything from live event projections to i
South Africa - The LED Hire Company, a Johannesburg- based rental company that specialises in the hiring of LED screen solutions, content creation and creative design and renders, has invested in 100 sq.m of Absen PL2.9 lite LED panels. The panels, supplied by DWR Distribution, form part of a large shipment containing 2 080 units all of which recently arrived in South Africa. “I’m looking forward to this,” said Walter Pretorius, general manager at The LED Hire Company. He started in the industry as a lighting technician but teases that AV chose him and has become the love of his life. “Our company offers different types of LED, but when it came to this purchase, I wanted to go with Absen as it provided the quality I was looking for.” The LED Hire Company has positioned itself in the market to help other rental companies with the supply of extra panels when n
South Africa - The live events industry in SA has invested in 2080 (520sq.m) Absen PL2.9 lite LED panels, each upgraded with a NovaStar A8s-N receiver card, shipped to the country by DWR Distribution. It started when Cape Town-based Marcel Bezuidenhout, owner of Audio Engineering, wanted to find like-minded technical suppliers who would invest in the same LED panels to enable sub-hiring when needed. Marcel previously owned Absen D2V panel and while satisfied with the product, he was an island regarding larger batches whenever he needed additional stock for larger set-ups or multiple events. More recently, he was in discussion with someone who suggested buying panels in batch which could reduce the cost of the initial investment and provide a larger hire pool. “I was after the Absen PL2.9 based on our previous D2V panels that did well for us," Marcel explains. "There
South Africa - DWR Distribution has welcomed Darren Durbach, a well-known name in live events and AV, to the sales team. “When I left school, I ended up studying electrical engineering,” Darren recalls. “But I had a passion for sound, and I was blessed that my brother was friends with Joe Copan’s middle son and that’s how I got in as a junior.” Darren completed his 18-month internship at Wild and Marr, a professional audio distributor, then for a very short stint worked at a computer-based company before being given a permanent position at Wild and Marr in February 1995. He stayed at the company for the next 27 years. “I was mentored and guided by a subline human who regrettably is no longer with us,” Darren recalls of Joe who passed away in 2019. “Darren has a commitment and passion for the industry which stands out,” says DWR’s Duncan Ril
UK - London’s Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane was the setting for a pre-fight press conference by British boxer Anthony Joshua and his Ukrainian opponent, Oleksandr Usyk, with a stunning LED screen backdrop driven by a Hippotizer Nevis+ Media Server. The heavyweight champions were giving interviews to the global sports press, prior to their match in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the end of August. The questioning centred on the importance of winning; the real attraction of the press meet-up was purely visual, focusing on the plush surroundings, the famous photo-op face-off, and the video content that ramped up the spectacle. Reading-based video production company Digital Insanity was commissioned to operate the visuals for the high-profile occasion by events company VME. “We were hired for the playback job as we have a reputation for delivering shows as per the clien
USA - Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Clint Hoffman as vice president of business development for the Americas. Hoffman will establish and build customer relationships and support business development with global enterprise partners. Hoffman has more than 35 years of success in sales, marketing, operations, and product development in the professional AV industry. Hoffman has worked with leading manufacturers, including Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and Kramer Electronics. Most recently, Hoffman served as the president and country manager for Kramer North America. Hoffman brings a background in promoting and championing the professional AV industry through his leadership at AVIXA International. Hoffman is currently an adjunct faculty member of AVIXA International “I am delighted to welcome Clint to our team at Lightware Visual Engineering,” said Ja
The Netherlands - Audinate has announced Dante AV-H, a new software solution designed to allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the ability to incorporate Dante control into existing H.264-based IP video product designs. Part of the Dante AV product family, the company also announced 10 partners who will build products with Dante AV-H, including AVer, Avonic, Bolin, BZB Gear, HuddleCam, Lumens, Minnray, Telycam, Televic, and ValueHD. H.26x remains one of the most widely used compression standards today and is available on products that use H.26x codecs available on most Systems on a Chip (SoC). The software-based Dante AV-H lets OEMs develop fully manageable video products that fit into the Dante ecosystem. Dante AV-H provides IT-level management to cost-effective IP video products such as PTZ cameras and encoders/decoders using Dante Domain Manager. Dante AV-H integ
Germany - Conferencing specialist GreenIT24 has created a unified communications solution for companies using MS Teams and Zoom rooms, with a tvONE CORIOview multi-window processor at its core. The Osnabrück-based company, which specialises in video comms and IT for organizations looking to optimise internal communications, collaborated with German AV technologist and supplier Exertis Pro AV to create a system that would aid remote, multi-site video meetings between team members. “Due to COVID, we have had an increasing demand for this type of solution, in terms of implementing hybrid classrooms and workspaces with different sorts of content sources and multiple cameras,” explains GreenIT24 Product Manager, Tobias Blaser. “Usually, the client requires two to four input sources with variable resolutions - 1080P or 4K - which need to be displayed in different, fl
The Netherlands - Xytech will be showcasing its Media Operations Platform at Stand 1.C21 during the upcoming IBC Show from 9-12 September at RAI Amsterdam. Xytech creates intuitive solutions allowing media, broadcast and production teams to create and deliver content; orchestrate crews, resources and facilities; and schedule logistics - on time and on budget. Xytech delivers operations expertise to more than 400-plus global customers, including CBS, FOX and Sony which all run their business on the Xytech Media Operations Platform. "We are very excited to be attending the 2022 IBC Show," said Greg Dolan, Xytech's COO. "Over the past few months, Xytech has undergone strategic changes that continue to position it as the leader in media operations, including announcing its new leadership team and a new CEO, Keith Buckley. We are excited to be able to show IBC attendees f
Europe - Ed Sheeran kicked off his Mathematics (+–=÷x) tour, his largest to date, on 23 April in Croke Park Stadium, Dublin. Since then, the singer-songwriter has been playing stadiums across the UK and Ireland, with further dates planned across Central Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, Australia, Latin America and North America as part of his mammoth 2022 / 2023 world tour. Continuing its long-term relationship with the artist, Colonel Tom Touring (CTT) is once again supporting the production, supplying over 1100sq.m of a variety of ROE Visual LED panels, all powered by Brompton Technology LED processing. The spectacular 360-degree stage design incorporates a giant circular ‘halo’ video screen, comprising 462m2 ROE Vanish V8T high transparency outdoor LED panels, fixed over a 90m2 revolving LED stage built from ROE BM5 panels. The stage is surrounded by six 30-m
UK - Free registration for this year’s PLASA Show will end at midnight tomorrow (31 August). Taking place in Olympia London’s Grand Hall on 4-6 September, the leading entertainment technology trade show promises to deliver some of the latest technology, brand showcases and product demos. Alongside ample networking opportunities, visitors will also be able to take advantage of the show’s free-to-attend seminar programme of over 60 sessions, taking place across four show floor theatres. Meanwhile, the winners of the 2022 PLASA Awards for Innovation and the Gottelier Award will be announced at the show on Monday 5 September. Don’t miss out – register for your free ticket by midnight tomorrow: https://registration.gesevent.com/survey/1ibtbcj5j6f10?actioncode=WB14
UK - Brompton Technology will be joining leading specialist display and trade-only rental company, PSCo, at the PLASA Show at Olympia London (stand G21). Brompton’s LED processing will be showcased as part of PSCo’s new virtual production offering for the live events industry, alongside other solutions from Absen, Aluvision, Barco, disguise, and Epson. This year’s PLASA Show for entertainment technology will bring technological advancements from the worlds of audio, AV, lighting, rigging and staging, attracting some 3,000 rental companies and event professionals and 200+ international brands. Representing the company’s largest presence at the show to date, PSCo will occupy 56sqm of floor space, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the live event and entertainment market. The star attraction of the stand will be a live xR stage to demonstrate the possibiliti
UK - Central London venue Somerset House is inviting suppliers to apply to become an accredited supplier. The venue hosts hundreds of events each year for a range of clients and is keen to ‘ensure its suppliers and their services are equally inclusive and sustainable in practice’. Rebecca Moore, senior event manager, said, “Somerset House is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community reflecting the diversity of our society. Our newly accredited suppliers will reflect this and actively engage with it. There’s a lot of new, forward-thinking talent in our industry, and we welcome businesses both big and small that identify with our beliefs and working practices.” The accredited list is being reviewed for the first time in over three years. Somerset House is expecting significant interest given the opportunity to work with high profile brands, busin
UK - Digital Insanity teamed up with house powerhouse Defected and disco-house connoisseurs Glitterbox in August to deliver visuals for London’s We are FSTVL, choosing up a Hippotizer Nevis+ Media Server to pump out extra VJ prowess. Reading-based video production company Digital Insanity – which has created visuals for dance festivals including Snowbombing, Lovebox and Global Gathering – was at the helm of the Glitterbox/Defected stage over two days of fast-paced performances. Eight huge 512x1280 portrait, 3mm LED screens were rigged in a four stage-left, four stage-right formation, displaying branded punk style disco graphics, slogans, geometric beauty and live feed footage. A further two screens were positioned as a DJ riser and behind the booth, at the upstage position. The full canvas size was 7680 x 1440 pixels, and all of the screens were supplied by UK Events G
UK - Leading specialist display and trade-only rental company, PSCo, will return to PLASA Show at Olympia London on 4-6 September (stand G21) to present its virtual production offering for the live events industry, supported by new ecosystem partners disguise and Brompton Technology as well as new solutions from Absen, Barco, Aluvision and Epson. PLASA Show is the leading tradeshow for live entertainment technology attracting some 3,000 rental companies and event professionals and 200+ international brands. PSCo will occupy 56 sq.m of floor space, representing the company’s largest presence at the show to reinforce its commitment to supporting the live event and entertainment market. The star attraction will be a live xR stage to demonstrate the possibilities of extended reality for virtual production; powered by a disguise media server, Absen LED and Brompton LED p
UK - Scandinavian flat-pack super chain IKEA’s flagship store in Wembley, North London, is immersing potential buyers into an interactive, projection mapped environment this summer, thanks to an inspired project by Motion Mapping using Hippotizer Karst+ Media Servers. The popular furniture and houseware brand’s team approached Ipswich-based Motion Mapping, which specialises in video mapping, to realise the project. The initial brief focused on a furniture section of the IKEA store, constructed from an L-shaped wall with large desk, hung cabinets and a series of 12 differing-sized empty photo frames, each one video mapped to synchronise with the back wall projections across all of the cabinets, hung in a portrait and landscape formation to create a wide display canvas. The team wanted to turn this into the immersive environment, using projections and interactive elements.
Saudi Arabia - The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, referred to colloquially as KAUST, is a science and technology. It takes its name from the former King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who decreed its foundation, intending it to “serve the people of the Kingdom and benefit all the peoples of the world The Museum of Science & Technology in Islam (MOSTI) was created later, on campus. MOSTI seeks to highlight the plethora of contributions made by Muslim scholars to science and technology during the first Golden Age of Islam (650-1650) and demonstrate how these contributions shaped the world as we know it, laying the groundwork for modern civilisation. Interactive technology leads people through the exhibits, forming an immersive exploration of the various artefacts and relics. formula D_, an experienced design company that specialises i
Germany - As one of Europe’s leading wholesalers of visual presentation technology, Lang is renowned for its passion for innovation and willingness to invest in long-term partnerships that ensure an ample supply of state-of-the-art technology of the highest calibre. The company has invested in Brompton Technology Tessera LED video processors which complement Lang’s stock of Venus and Jupiter LED panels for high-quality and high resolution applications. “Our goal with Venus and Jupiter has always been to set a benchmark in the LED market,” explains Manuel Müller, director rental at Lang. “With this in mind, two of the things next to resolution that were most important to us were usability and brightness, with Brompton’s leading Tessera LED processors serving a perfect match for those key requirements.” Thanks to Brompton’s Dynamic Calibration technology
UK - First announced in 2019 and opening its doors fully later this year, Sky Studios Elstree is a joint project between Sky and NBCUniversal. The 27.5-acre, complex located just north of London houses 13 sound stages, with media operations provider Xytech Systems offering total operational and financial control by streamlining the new film and TV studio’s internal processes across quoting, resource scheduling, cost management and reporting. “Not long after Sky Studios Elstree was given the go-ahead in 2019, we started searching for a media operations solution that would meet the strict demands of our cutting-edge studios catering for high-end TV shows and films,” said Tom Avison, director of operations at Sky Studios Elstree. “Sky already had an excellent, long-standing relationship with Xytech Systems through its Transmission solutions installed at the Sky facilit
UK - Absen’s versatile Polaris series of rental LED displays supplied visual flair for the recent NWG Innovation Festival, which returned to Newcastle Racecourse (UK) after a two-year hiatus. Organised by Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), the 2022 NWG Innovation Festival featured live music, comedy, tech demos and wellbeing events, as well as design sprints, hacks, workshops and activities aimed at solving difficult problems around topics such as climate change, cyber-security and water scarcity. The theme for this year’s festival, which took place from 12 to 15 July, was ‘Untapped Potential’ and focused on bringing together untapped talent from different sectors, backgrounds and locations. For NWG Innovation Festival 2022, Sam Gordon, director of Big Purple Group (Big Purple Productions/Big Purple Events), specified the Polaris LED panels in two configurations:
UAE - Creative Technology has appointed Jemma Joy as head of operations. Over 20 years, Jemma has been involved in many projects including EXPO2020 Dubai, Qasr Al Hosn, Laureus World Sports Awards, Dubai World Cup, and Volvo Ocean Race. Jemma comments, “I have worked alongside CT on some of the region’s biggest and technically advanced shows in the past and I am delighted to now be part of the CTME team.” The company has also appointed two new project managers, Croft Clinton and Bhans Sheomangal. Croft has worked alongside top event and production companies in the UAE as well as having a strong passion to deliver high quality events that exceed a client’s expectation. Bhans has over 14 years of experience throughout the Middle East and Africa. He has extensive knowledge in production and is responsible for providing AV technical management across
