Finland - Nordic Entertainment Group’s Viaplay streaming TV service has a new studio in Helsinki, complete with wraparound LED screen backdrops driven by Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers. The broadcaster’s built-for-purpose studio, designed and ordered by Viaplay and built in collaboration with NEP Finland, features a curved 2.6mm LED screen behind the presenter’s table comprising 4416 x 960 pixels and standing large at 11.5 x 2.5m. It displays live feed, pre-made and branded content as the channels air sport, film and original drama. Rigged to the right of that is a straight 2.6mm screen that is 1920 x 768 pixels or 5 x 2m and there are two further screens – a circle screen above the table is made from 2.9mm flexible LED panel that is 3612 x 172 pixels or 10.5 x 0.5m and another 98" Panasonic display. All of this is VideoMapped using the Hippotizer Boreal+
UK - Blending technology with creative direction, London-based Bild Studios specialises in visual engineering and creative design for live productions. Founded by live industry veterans Rowan Pitts and David Bajt, Bild now has a 14-strong team that has decades of experience working on some of the world’s largest video installations. After a successful pilot in summer 2020, Bild ventured into a new territory of film and TV by introducing its MARS Volume virtual production facility. Powered by Brompton Technology Tessera LED processing and featuring an AOTO LED volume, the facility is dedicated to technical precision and has been serving up the infinite creativity of VP technology to companies of all sizes and budgets with the aim to service the widest range of projects “Traditionally a live events company, Bild Studios worked mainly in media service, specifying cont
Romania - During the pandemic, like others in their business, the Marbo Trade team shifted their focus to create a digital production facility for supporting livestream and broadcast productions. However, they didn’t stop there. Rather than restrict themselves, they expanded their horizons to create a bona fide virtual production studio in Bucharest, complete with extensive Unreal Engine 3D creation capabilities. Many believe that VPX Studios Romania is the first facility of its kind in Eastern Europe. It is certainly one of the most well equipped. Drawing on the capacity of its Unreal Engine, it allows the design team to render real time 3D images on the wall from the tracked camera perspective and updates it as camera moves across studio. The team can also feed the LED volume with high-quality photorealistic images in a 10 bits HDR colour space for a real-life camera exp
USA - Celestion has appointed Josh Martin as business development executive. Martin will work together with Celestion’s sales and distribution partners in the US and Canada to expand their offerings to new markets, as well as servicing their current clientele, further strengthening the Celestion brand in North America. Josh Martin joins Celestion, having had an extensive career in the audio and MI industries. He has considerable experience in the loudspeaker industry, having previously worked in a number of technology, sales management and artist relations roles at a variety of companies such as Eminence. Martin is an owner of Green Light Consulting, which does sales and marketing consulting in the audio industry as well as Commuter Studios, where he does recording and production, mastering and performing. “We really are excited to welcome Josh to our team. He brin
Spain - At ISE, first-time exhibitor Hall Technologies will showcase 13 products in live demos and static displays, including the EMCEE200 Multiview presentation switcher and scaler; and Discovery 2, a 4K extension kit with flexible USB and HDMI capabilities. The live demos highlight USB workflows, showcasing end-to-end offerings for corporate, education, collaboration and healthcare environments. Solutions on offer include stand-alone components as well as end-to-end solutions. Two live demos focus on robust management of audio and video signals, addressing the presenting challenges common in today’s work environments. The EMCEE200 is a tool for managing the challenges inherent in video conferencing, collaboration, lecture and remote learning for education and training, and live streaming for YouTube, Facebook and OBS platforms. With Picture-in-Picture (PIP) a
USA - Vitec was presented with a 2022 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award in the Management of IP Multicast Video Distribution to Desktops and TVs in News & Media Production Facilities category for its EZ TV IPTV Platform and its significant impact on users in the television space. The 73rd annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony was held in Las Vegas in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), coinciding with the NAB 2022 media and technology convention. “Vitec’s EZ TV Platform engineering team contributions have established us as the world’s top solution provider for IPTV distribution for news and media facilities,” comments Eli Garten, Vitec’s SVP product & customer success. “Continued engineering and innovation are at the core of everything we do at Vitec, so I’m thrilled for our talented team that
Europe - Prolight + Sound 2022 attracted 20,000 visitors from 93 countries, according to the organisers. After a break of two years, the Frankfurt event brought together companies and professionals from all segments of the industry. Wolfgang Marzin, president and chief executive officer of Messe Frankfurt, reflects: “By all pulling together, we have achieved something that, at the beginning of the year, many people thought would be impossible: the companies and associations of the event and media technology sector joined forces with us to show once again how much life and positive energy is to be found in this industry.” “We are delighted we have succeeded with Prolight + Sound in triggering this important restart and that we can once again all come together with no restrictions. Both exhibitors and visitors were hungry for spontaneous meetings,” adds Linda Res
Spain - At Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), LED processor manufacturer, Brompton Technology, will be demonstrating the rapid advancements it has made in LED processing technology since its last appearance at the show in 2019. Brompton’s newly designed stand will include an LED screen dedicated to High Dynamic Range (HDR) and accurate colour reproduction, a centrally positioned LED display demonstrating the company’s latest software developments, along with a product display area and private meeting space. With the increasing uptake of Virtual Production by multiple sectors of the industry including product launches, and corporate and live streamed events, the features in Brompton’s Tessera software, which offer an ever-increasing level of control, including a wide gamut of colour and image controls that allow users to correct and optimise the image on the screen
Germany - To enhance the visitor experience at the BMW showroom in the Nürburgring motorsports complex, system integrators C-Line Mediensysteme installed a suite of powerful Harman Professional audio-visual solutions. BMW and Harman have enjoyed a close working relationship for almost 30 years. Harman Kardon speakers deliver immersive and high-fidelity audio on the road to millions of BMW car owners. For its 480sq.m showroom at the Formula 1 motorsports complex, BMW wanted a versatile and easy-to-use audio-visual system with wireless control to ensure an unforgettable experience for every visitor. To meet these requirements, BMW and C-Line deployed a comprehensive selection of AMX, JBL Professional and Crown solutions. “We wanted to deliver a perfect sound and video system, but we had to meet a really tight deadline,” said Thomas Langenegger, project manag
UK - Peerless-AV is excited has announced the return its AV Experience showcase and networking event on 20-21 September 2022 at London’s Lord’s Cricket Ground “After our hugely successful inaugural event at Lord’s last year, we are pleased to announce it will return this September,” said Keith Dutch, managing director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “We have expanded the showcase floor space to accommodate returning exhibitors from last year as well as host of new and exciting brands. We anticipate our event in 2022 to be bigger and better, delivering an even more engaging and worthwhile experience for visitors.” Over 25 AV and Digital Signage brands will be exhibiting at the 2022 showcase. Those already signed up include Absen, BrightSign, CTOUCH, Datapath, DTEN, iiyama, Jabra, Kramer, Lenovo, LG, Lightware, Logitech, Matrox, Mersive, neat, Peerless-AV, Philips,
USA - Avnu Alliance recently hosted an international plugfest in Boston, MA. Avnu members came together and tested their respective silicon platforms and products together. Tests included new additions to the TSN ‘toolbox’ such as the recent revision to 802.1AS (IEEE 802.1AS-2020). Learnings and results are informing further development of Avnu test plans. The plugfest included four Avnu member silicon companies: Analog Devices, Intel, NXP Semiconductor, and Texas Instruments. Also present were companies with end devices using TSN, including professional AV companies Adamson Systems Engineering, L-Acoustics, and Meyer Sound, as well as test equipment supplier Keysight. Members were able to connect their platforms and devices in different configurations following a plan that was structured prior to the event to ensure optimum coverage and use of the time. The mix o
UAE - From October 2021 until March 2022, Expo 2020 in Dubai welcomed and hosted 192 participating countries to be a part of the journey. The long-awaited event was focused on ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ which was to be explored through the themes of sustainability, mobility and opportunity, with each of these themes having its own district. In 2018, Woodroffe Bassett Design was approached to work as the lighting design consultant on Expo 2020 by Tareq Ghosheh, chief events and entertainment officer - events and entertainment. Adam Bassett (founding partner) led this process which quickly drew in a wider team of specialists from within the WBD family. Simon Fraser, of Ptarmigan Integration, worked with Adam to provide technical systems design consultation. John Coman supported Adam through the design process as his associate. The initial brief
Finland - Rock star Lauri Tähkä is on a tour of his home county’s biggest venues with a set design featuring visuals driven by Hippotizer Montane+ Media Servers. The chart-topping musician is wowing crowds at venues including Helsinki’s Bolt Arena, Seinäjoki OmaSp Stadium and the Nokia Arena in the city of Tampere. Finnish design studio Visual45 was challenged with creating a standout show for Lauri Tähkä’s tour, based on the concept of a spiritual, temple experience. The company’s Mikko Linnavuori and Eero Helle have worked on visual design for Lauri Tähkä before, and understand his requirements for audience-pleasing visual production values to match his dynamic performance. “Due to the style of the show, and the fact that the order of the songs can change as the artist sees fit, we needed a media server solution that would offer the ability to
Europe - Pixotope Technologies AS has acquired TrackMen, a provider of turnkey solutions and products in the field of 3D camera and object tracking. Over the next several months, TrackMen solutions will be rebranded to become Pixotope Tracking whilst the whole TrackMen team will be integrated into the global Pixotope organisation, with Thorsten Mika and Hendrik Fehlis leading the team in Cologne where the acquired company is based. “We are incredibly proud to announce the integration of TrackMen solutions into the Pixotope product portfolio,” says Marcus Brodersen, Pixotope CEO. “Camera tracking is reported as one of the major barriers to the adoption of virtual production. The native integration of TrackMen's powerful tracking into Pixotope's end-to-end VP solution will make Virtual Production accessible to more users by leveraging the technical expertise of Tra
UK - disguise has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation for its excellence in extended reality (xR) and virtual production innovation. disguise xR provided technology that allowed its user and partner community to continue delivering spectacular productions in a virtual setting. First established in 1965, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK. The awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services. The award comes two years after disguise xR’s first major application by disguise partner and xR pioneers XR Studios, for Katy Perry’s memorable performance at the American Idol 2020 finale. Since then, the demand and potential of xR has ‘skyrocketed’, in response disguise have accelerated their business towa
Germany - ArKaos will launch its new VS1 media server in Frankfurt. The VS1 is billed as ‘the first in a next gen of creative visual control products from ArKaos, and is a feature-packed, intuitive, fun to use and cost-efficient solution’. VS1 runs 4K video sources - with 2x HDMI and USB-C outs on the back of the device - giving vibrant results in a flexible and user-friendly control package. Its compact dimensions of 143.2mm x 195mm x 43mm and triple unit in a 1U footprint means that several VS1 devices can be rigged in the same rack housing if desired, and the light weight of just 1.2kg plus its robust, quality-engineering make it suitable for touring lighting operators, VJs and DJs. It is a low noise product, designed for potentially acoustically sensitive environments like churches, museums and heritage sites and visitor centres and concert halls as well
Spain - Barcelona’s fringe theatre Teatre Akadèmia has recently completed a multimedia upgrade to enhance the venue’s technical production capabilities. Alongside new video and lighting systems, a comprehensive Amate Audio sound installation - comprising loudspeakers, power amplifiers and digital audio processors from the company - has provided the venue with both a new FOH PA and surround sound EFX capabilities. Award winning theatre sound designer Roc Mateu and Amate Audio’s industrial designer Guiu Llusá worked together to address the theatre’s specific sound design challenges; in particular with respect to the design of the venue, incorporating a ‘thrust stage’ with raked seating on three sides. “The sound design objectives were those required to provide a room with the distinct layout of the Teatre Akadèmia,” says Llusá, “With sound equipmen
Germany - AV Stumpfl will present its new projection screen system, AnyShape, and the new Pixera four media server at Prolight+Sound 2022 in Frankfurt. AnyShape allows for the custom production of mobile projection screens with non-standard frame shapes such as circles, rounded edges and semi-circles. AV Stumpfl’s global business development manager for screens, Jan Walter, explains, “Until now, if one wanted to only use a particular part of a rectangular projection screen’s surface, some kind of masking approach was needed to create the shape one had in mind. AnyShape now offers an ingenious way of ordering a custom-built projection screen with a great variety of different frame shapes, straight from the factory.” Pixera four, the latest addition to the Pixera product portfolio, will be officially launched on 26 April. The new Pixera four is a powe
UK - Operated by Kirklees Council, the Town Halls of Huddersfield and Dewsbury in West Yorkshire boast stunning Grade II-listed Victorian architecture and interior design, and are used for a wide variety of entertainment events, conferencing and presentations. The Council recently sought to make enhancements to visual provision at the Halls, with a view to future-proofing and improving the overall quality for screenings at meetings, conferences and general events. Andrew Wrixon, technical manager for Kirklees Town Halls, explains: “At Huddersfield Town Hall, we were motivated to buy a new projector as our existing one was 10-15 years old and failing in terms of light output. We host Council conference events using visual presentations that could be difficult to see with full stage and house lights on. Also we’ve increased the range of activity in the hall to include the
Canada - The Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre at Sheridan College is one of Canada’s leading Technology Access Centres (TAC), dedicated to research, applied learning, and innovation in the screen industries. Located at Pinewood Toronto Studios in the heart of the city’s entertainment district, SIRT is a premier destination for film, television, and gaming professionals to test and validate emerging technologies and new workflows. One of SIRT’s main roles in the industry is to explore emerging trends to encourage innovation and technological advancement. For the past several years, SIRT has been prioritizing virtual production for film and television, working with some of the country’s top studios including Pixomondo and Spin VFX on research and validation. A key area of focus is on in-camera visual effects for productions filmed in LED volumes.
France - A pioneering series of immersive concerts by French electronics maestro Jean-Michel Jarre was hosted recently by Radio France. It took place during their Hyper Weekend Festival in Paris, and was staged at their La Maison de la Radio HQ. Planned as a homage to pioneering electronic musician, Pierre Henry, who had bequeathed a series of sounds to Jean-Michel Jarre during his lifetime, Oxymore a brand new musical creation by Jarre, was performed twice daily across three days. It was broadcast and live VR streamed to tens of thousands of viewers, while audiences of 250, immersed in the 360° space, witnessed it live. The event followed his successful Welcome to the Other Side Notre Dame Cathedral VR experience, which took place last New Year’s Eve during lockdown. The Radio France live performances were broadcast via radio and streamed in 6DoF binaur
Germany - LED specialists, Absen has appointed Jaswinder Guleria as industry development director for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Bringing two decades of experience within the AV industry, Guleria will expand and strengthen the company’s business alliances throughout the MEA region, to bolster Absen’s global network. Reporting to Ruben Rengel, senior vice president, global business development at Absen, Guleria’s primary objectives will be identifying and introducing Absen to potential clients, consultants, and distributors in the region, to forge new business associates and partners in Absen’s global network. Guleria - whose industry experience includes more than 19+ years in the visual display market - joins the global LED display manufacturer, having previously worked alongside brands such as Philips, Samsung, LG, and Epson. Ruben Rengel
UK - Television lighting specialist Version 2 has appointed Kelly Cornfield to the position of sales director at their Reading operation. Graduating with a degree in Live Event Technology, Cornfield began her career at the Vari-Lite warehouse in 2002 (later VLPS). After a year out travelling in New Zealand, she returned to the warehouse, since acquired by PRG, and moved to an office role, working under project manager Mick Healey on major events including the Robbie Williams’ 2006 World Tour to the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. Cornfield went on to focus on the TV market covering numerous shows including the Brit & MTV Music Awards, X Factor, Britain’s got Talent and more recently The Masked Singer. Over the last 20 years she worked her way up the ranks to become head of T
India - Christie laser projectors have been deployed for a spectacular projection mapping show at the historic Red Fort in Old Delhi, a 17th century monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence. Titled Matrubhumi or Motherland in Hindi, the 30-minute visual spectacle made its debut on 25 March as one of the major highlights of the Red Fort Festival, which showcases India’s rich history and a kaleidoscopic diversity in art, heritage and culture. For this performance, the Lahori Gate and its surrounding walls are illuminated by 19 Christie D20WU-HS 1DLP laser projectors installed and commissioned by Christie’s longstanding partner, MSS World, known for numerous high-profile, large-scale projects across India. The show’s mesmerizing contents were designed by Knownsense Studios, which specializes in conten
