USA - All of it Now (AOIN), a virtual art department and in-camera VFX integration solutions provider, never shies away from pushing the boundaries of creativity. Coachella 2023 proved to be the perfect canvas for their latest artistic endeavour, which involved crafting augmented reality (AR) experiences to captivate one of the most demanding audiences on the festival circuit.
AOIN turned to Stage Precision’s SP software, a powerful data and control management software they had used before, but now hoped to deploy on a much grander scale.
As the sun rose on Coachella 2023,

UK - TV, broadcast and event lighting rental specialists, Version 2 Lights has announced a management realignment to support its continued growth.
Day-to-day operational responsibilities will be assumed by technical manager Sam Crook, warehouse manager Darren Gale, general manager Emma Gale and rental manager Joe Marter. This will form the Version 2 senior management team, who will take on ownership of daily operations at V2 HQ.
Crook and Marter have been well-known industry figures, and long-term trusted collaborators for nearly two decades both at Version 2 and the previ

Germany - intoPIX and Lawo have announced that .edge users can now benefit from the intoPIX TICO-XS codec to encode and decode JPEG XS-compressed streams.
As the media industry increasingly leverages the benefits of IP-based remote and distributed production workflows, the challenge it faces is pushing a relentlessly growing amount of data through a fibre optic pipe with a fixed bandwidth while preserving broadcast-grade quality.
Support for the lossless JPEG XS compression technology in HD, 3G and UHD video-format resolutions will allow users of Lawo’s .edge Hyper-Density

UK - Stage Sound Services, who offer full production and equipment services from their 50,000 sq.ft HQ in Cardiff, were recently tasked to support Freshwater UK, a marketing and events agency, with the technical realisation of this year's Unite the Union Policy Conference in Brighton.
The Policy Conference is the main decision-making body of the union, held every two years and made up of around 700 lay members from Unite's 19 sectors and 10 regions and equality structures.
One of the visual highlights of the conference was a 24m wide AV Stumpfl Vario projection screen.

Singapore - As the largest content creator and national media network in Singapore, Mediacorp operates a suite of TV channels, radio stations, and multiple digital platforms.
Year after year, Mediacorp assumes the role of the central hub for the country's biggest celebration of content and talent in the local entertainment industry. This year's event, the 28th edition of Star Awards, was themed Beyond | Celebrations, and was reimagined as a star-studded concert. It featured a line-up of Singapore's finest talents and regional superstars, joining forces for a night of glamour, exci

UK - JL-Group, technical production partner to the television, film, live events and exhibition industries, has appointed Eddie Dias in a newly created role as head of department (film & drama) to support the growth of its commercial offering to DOP’s, television, film & drama production companies, studios and beyond.
Well-known in the world of film and television drama for over 30 years, Eddie has helped shape the sector’s visual landscape with his innovative and pioneering spirit.
Dias’ influence has left an indelible mark on some of the most beloved dramas

UK - University of the Arts London (UAL) has signed the first deal to install Sony’s new Crystal LED, Verona displays, to create a state-of-the-art, research-grade virtual production stage.
In June 2023, University of the Arts London (UAL) announced the development of a specialist Virtual Production (VP) research volume - via its Fashion Textiles and Technology Institute (FTTI) - to create capacity for innovative, trans-disciplinary practice-led research in VP/XR textiles and dress.
To support this new facility, UAL went looking to outfit a space with a robust yet cutting-

UK - Green Hippo’s London-based manufacturing operation is reporting high demand for its range of Hippotizer Media Servers and is ramping up production to meet orders.
The team says the first quarter of 2023 saw a huge rise in sales across all Hippotizer models, including the flagship Tierra+ MK2 and high performance Boreal+ MK2. Most orders are coming in from the rental and staging sectors of the industry.
The recent launch of the Hippotizer v4.8 software update, which packed in a host of new and upgraded features designed to power-up real-time media manipulation, playbac

The Netherlands - Nestled in Amsterdam's Jordaan neighbourhood lies the Noorderkerk Church, a remarkable 17th-century Protestant church renowned for its architectural beauty and design. Over the past year, this church’s usually neutral atmosphere has been transformed into a mesmerising 360-degree world of colours. With the help of 38 Digital Projection projectors, it now tells the story of how Rembrandt van Rijn’s paintings inspired Vincent van Gogh’s greatest works.
Vincent meets Rembrandt: The Untold Story, which opened in 2022, will be captivating visitors until 20

Europe - Blue-i Group, known for their work on live events and theatrical productions like Disney’s Aladdin - El Musical in Madrid, Tina Turner - das Musical in Stuttgart and the Les Misérables European tour, has recently invested in five Pixera four RS media servers.
The investment follows a long-term growth strategy, that included last year’s opening of a new office and warehouse facility in Belgium to enable the Blue-i Group to expand their services in mainland Europe.
Ethan Forde, Blue-i Group’s European sales director, comments, “Our whole

The Netherlands - Solid State Logic is set to launch the Tempest Control App at IBC 2023 (stand 8.B81). Delivering full control of the System T production platform from a software application, Tempest Control App presents the next step in virtualised control solutions for live-to-air broadcast audio, says SSL.
Delivering full control of all mix, routing, monitoring, setup and automation functions, including the entire suite of next-gen immersive production tools, Solid State Logic’s new Tempest Control App (TCA) brings to the market ‘an unprecedented level of production flexib

UK - Built around the theme of ‘Frame Your Control, Bringing Immersion Into Frame’, ChamSys’ exhibit at PLASA Show 2023 engaged enthusiastic crowds of attendees with innovative products and ideas designed to help them take their creative visions to new heights.
Visitors got an up close and personal look at products like the MagicQ MQ500M Stadium, a standout console that seemed to be everywhere at Glastonbury earlier this year and is currently making waves touring with the likes of Ed Warren for Mumford & Sons, and Will Thomas on Bonobo’s Fragments Tour.
Al

UK - In step with the welcome return of the British summer, PLASA Show made a triumphant return to the Grand Hall of Olympia London from 3-5 September, spanning a third more floor space with a striking 28% increase in visitors.
Lee House, operations director for Ambersphere Solutions, says: “I was struck by a sense of nostalgia and excitement - PLASA Show has made a triumphant return! The hall was bustling with a diverse array of exhibitors and, most importantly, visitors who were eager to engage in meaningful conversations about their technological needs for the present and fut

Germany - Stage Precision has announced the latest release of its flagship software, SP version 1.1.0. This update introduces a variety of powerful features and integrations designed to streamline workflows and enhance user control.
One of the key features of SP version 1.1.0 is its revamped Camera Calibration. Recently trialled on a project for the Gamers 8 event in Saudi Arabia, the new workflow redefines the calibration experience and is ideal for all virtual production setups, including green screens, LED walls and augmented reality.
"We've made it much simpler and faste

USA - ARRI has opened a compact, multipurpose studio facility. Located at ARRI’s premises in New York City in the heart of the East Coast studio landscape, ARRI Studio New York provides cost-effective production infrastructure with access to ARRI’s camera and lighting systems. The turnkey studio configuration with space for live audience is designed as a production environment for corporate videos, interview-style setups, town-hall presentations, educational and training clips, fashion shoots, and music videos.
Built around a curved LED wall with image-based lighting design, A

Slovakia - The Leyard VDS Series is Leyard Europe's latest LED technology using Chip on Board (COB) technology. COB LED technology is becoming increasingly popular and Leyard Europe has developed the VDS Series to provide a state-of-the-art visualisation solution.
Using this technology allows the display to achieve extremely wide viewing angles and high contrast ratios while maintaining a very high power / efficiency ratio. The VDS Series also comes packed with the latest 5G technology for easy installation and cabling.
Available in 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8mm pixel pitch model

The Netherlands - This year's International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) will see Brompton Technology demonstrating an array of pioneering LED video processing solutions as well as offering product demos, panel sessions, and technology masterclasses throughout the show.
Focused on driving future innovation, Brompton will showcase its latest TrueLight technology, along with other industry firsts, Frame Remapping and ShutterSync. All of this will be available at the Brompton Technology booth 3.B23, which the company will be sharing with one of UK’s leading suppliers of video tech

Australia - The first Australian feature film to be entirely shot using Virtual Production premieres internationally this month. Mercy Road is an unrelentingly tense psychological thriller from Tracks director John Curran.
Teaming up with Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas’ (The Crow, Dark City) Arclight Films and virtual film production company, Heretic Foundation filmed the in-car and select outdoor scenes for the 85-min drama using the LED Volume stage at the purpose-built TDC Studios in Sydney, Australia.
Working from a script by Chris Pelletier and

Saudi Arabia - Fully established as a legal entity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, global crewing specialist Showforce, a division of the Spendlove Group, has announced ambitious plans for expansion in the country. The company has opened an office in Riyadh with business development manager Zachariah Smith relocating to spearhead the operation.
Initially accompanied by experienced members of the Middle East operations team, Smith will lead the charge in bolstering local crew numbers, growing its talent pool and securing new clients.
The office will deal with all enquiries a

UK - The winners of this year’s PLASA Awards for Innovation were announced last night at PLASA Show at Olympia London. The awards, run in association with LSi magazine, are respected industry-wide for celebrating future-focussed technology that improves safety, efficiency and performance through new methods and materials.
40 products were entered this year, with the judges ultimately awarding eight products, including one highly coveted Gold Award. This year’s judging team comprised 12 independent technical specialists from a wide array of backg

UK/USA - For the last 15 years the JL-Group’s (JLL) DNA has been synonymous with a commitment to client service, strong values and pushing boundaries in the ever-evolving world of technical production across the television and event industries.
Phil McMichael, JLL commercial director says; “As our clients business needs evolve, we evolve and so following the delivery of multiple successful Stateside projects in partnership with our Agency, Corporate and Television clients we are delighted to announce our full-time expansion into USA.”
JLL’s first US office will be a

USA - Sphere Entertainment Co has announced that internationally renowned media artist Refik Anadol is the first artist to utilise the Exosphere, the fully programmable LED exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas, as an immersive canvas, debuting an AI Data Sculpture created exclusively for Sphere called Machine Hallucinations: Sphere.
Refik Anadol is a media artist, director, and ‘pioneer in the aesthetics of machine intelligence’. He uses large collections of public data and machine learning algorithms to create immersive art installations. Anadol is the founder of Refik Anad

Canada - Christie reports that its RGB pure laser projectors are illuminating a new immersive venue in Toronto. Illuminarium Experiences, in partnership with Toronto-based Secret Location, has opened its first Canadian location in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District. The 13,500sq.ft space includes almost 30 Christie RGB pure laser projectors and maintenance and support from Christie Professional Services.
Illuminarium at The Distillery District places guests in the story and allows them to see, hear, feel, and affect the space around them. The new experience opens with two im

Portugal - The highlight of the 37th World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, saw Pope Francis give the address at the Vigil, when an estimated 1.5m people gathered at the city’s Parque Tejo.
Situated between Parque das Nações (Nations Park) and the mouth of the River Trancão, this beautiful setting was perfect for the pilgrims to receive the 86-year-old Pontiff’s core messages of hope and joy.
Broadcast for the event was handled by Optocore partner Auditiv, who were responsible for capturing, amplifying and distributing sound on the Parque Tejo stage, and delivering all signa

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