Event organizers called in Johannesburg-based sound reinforcement company Complete Event Solutions (CES) to design and install the sound solution for the main stage. The team was faced with the challenge of designing a system that could ensure powerful yet precise sound for the range of performances that took to the stage over the
The first is a new standard, one that will help performers and performance venue designers; the second is a programme to extend the benefits of the TSP to other organizations in the entertainment and special events industry.
The first is the publication of a new standard, ANSI E1.55 - 2015, Standard for Theatrical Makeup Mirror Lighting, which was developed at the request of Actors' Equity Association to help their members. The standard was approved by ANSI's Board of Standards Review on 25 August and published two days later, on 27 August.
The lighting market's move away from incandescent lamps has complicated the job of providing good makeup mirror lighting. ANSI E1.55 helps clarify what good makeup mirror lighting is by describing the topo
The main mix was provided with a 48 fader Lawo mc²66 console and a secondary console, a Lawo mc²56 with 32 faders, handled sub mix duties for over 40 ambient microphones used to bring the action from the field to the broadcast centre.
In addition to the main and secondary mix consoles, Lawo provided five DALLIS Stageboxes and a Nova73 router to manage over 1900 redundant crosspoints utilized to gather and distribute audio feeds including over 496 record tracks, 256 channels of RAVENNA (AoIP) and over 880 channels of MADI audio. Fiber tie-lines were used to connect 256 audio channels between the Nova73 and each console, as
At London's Central Hall Westminster, Sennheiser's selected guests had the opportunity to experience the company's products, which have shaped the industry and received a private viewing of solutions and technologies never before shown to the public. "Sennheiser has had seven decades at the cutting edge of audio by defining the gold standard of what is possible. With Reshaping Excellence we are an
Audiopro Netherlands is one of the principal suppliers and installers of d & b audiotechnik and Clearcom systems. It brings a strong brand package that is supported by a number of experienced product specialists. TM Audio and Lightco are system integrators and suppliers of brands such as Allen & Heath, Philips Vari-Lite and DiGiCo.
Led by general manager Peter de Fouw of Ampco Flashlight Group and commercial director Rolf Dijkstra of Audiopro, Ampco Flashlight Sales' brand portfolio, technical know-how and experience will make it one of the leading sales operations in the Benelux.
"By bringing toge
Bewley has truss-mounted eighty-four MagicBlade-R fixtures behind the band in a curved wall which splits horizontally to adapt his design to fit any size of venue.
"My initial concept was to create a kind of 'fence' housing an LED framework in emulation of a brain and the neuropaths within it to emphasise the idea of The Mindsweep," says Bewley. "The LED strip needed more to bring it to life, so I supplemented it with MagicBlades which have really made it zing!"
Ayrton's MagicBlade-R aligns seven individually controllable 15W RGBW LED emitters, each with a tight 4.5° beam, and provides continuous double rotation on the pan and ti
Three card ordering options are offered: personalized cards with a company logo and custom message, card packs of 10 with a standard greeting, and electronic versions for delivery by email. All proceeds benefit the Behind the Scenes charity which provides financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals who are seriously ill or injured. View and order cards at www.behindthescenescharity.org/holidaycards.
For m
In delivering the best possible solution, the project entailed cooperation between two of China's leading specialists in professional technology. Whilst distribution heavyweight and long-running Symetrix distributor EZPro was primarily responsible for supply and system tuning, Beijing Jinqiao Times Culture Development Co served as systems integrator in charge of product purchase and system specification.
"E
The Kinesys control system was specified by the tour's rigging contractors Atlanta Rigging Systems (ARS) and is running 39 axes of movement facilitated by 38 Lodestar 1 tonne chain hoists and a custom screen element. Ten of the axes run with Kinesys variable speed Elevation 1+ controllers while 28 run with encoded fixed-speed hoists. The system also features eight pile-wind winches, which were custom-fabricated by ARS to control a gauze screen in front of the stage to be used as a projection surface at integral moments throughout the show.
Okulus were contracted for the
Move Live on Tour 2015 opened in Phoenix and played 42 dates across the country before closing in Las Vegas 8 August. The spectacle features dancing and singing by the Houghs and the Move Dance Company; they also encourage audience participation.
"A lot of shows I do are rather large in scale. This tour plays mostly theatres and small arenas so it poses a bigger challenge: working with budget and truck space limitations while still making sure you knock it out of the park,"
In Arbatax, the Phoenix does not rise from its ashes, but expresses its special relationship with the sun, which enhances this wonderful place, giving beautiful reflections to the red of its rocks and the emerald sea.
At Red Rocks, the majestic Phoenix is the extraordinary setting for the Red Valley Festival - a giant DJ set which took place over two nights, on 5 and 6 August, with the participation of Italian and international DJs and world-renowned guest stars Steve Aoki and Deorro.
When the glaring sun gave way to
Now in its fourth year, the annual Summerland tour is devised by Art Alexakis, front man of popular 90s alternative rock band, Everclear. This year's tour comprises Everclear, Toadies, Fuel, and American Hi-Fi, travelling across North America to over 30 different venues.
Alexakis gives credit to the iLive systems - comprising iLive-T112 Control Surfaces and iDR-32 MixRacks - for playing a key role in the success.
"We have used Allen & Heath for the last couple of years and the sound has just been phenomenal. I am so glad to be able to use them on every tour," says Alexakis.
"We carry two Allen & Heath iLive T-112 surfaces
The piano was made by Swedish musical instrument designer Georg Bolin for the US jazz pianist Bill Evans. It was bought by Stockholm's Metronome Studios in 1967 and appeared on nearly all of ABBA's recordings between 1973 and 1977.The group's pianist Benny Andersson said, "The Bolin Grand is one of a kind and was a great source of inspiration while working in the recordin
This isn't your medieval ancestors' staging of Everyman. Carol Ann Duffy's adaptation recasts the play as a critique of the prodigal present, as a modern Everyman (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is forced to confront his solipsism, materialism and wasteful ways in the face of imminent death. The National's production, directed by Rufus Norris with lighting design by Paul Anderson, set design by Ian MacNeil, video design by Tal Rosner and sound design by Paul Arditti, uses a synthesis of up to the moment technology to present its new interpretation.
At the beginning of the play, God - who takes the form of a cleaning woman - becomes fed up with the self cent
Production designer Declan Randall united all visual elements - lighting, video and set - in a colourful collage of finesse and visual imagineering to match the pace and vibrancy of the show. With a cast featuring some of the best South African musical theatre talent, directed by award winning Janice Honeyman and produced by Bernard Jay, it received rave reviews and sold-out audiences.
Declan - a South African now living in the UK - lit Starlight Express a couple of years ago at the same venue for the same production team, who loved his work and asked him back to add his magic to Sister Act.
He began working on ideas seven months before the show opened, ba
"First of all we begin by working around various set design ideas. Then everyone says which one they prefer. This year, the choice was unanimous: a large covered stage, modelled on the keel of a ship. This is when you start processing the ideas yourself, while the activity of discussing and sharing the project goes on as it develops over six months. It takes a long time, but that is what it needs for a set of this size.
"You have to realize you are in a stadium, with an audience of 60 or 70,
Bonfante's group, Reservoir Dogs, is a Pink tribute band that has been wowing audiences with a dynamic lighting rig consisting of 32 Rogues and a variety of other Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Th
Now in its second year, the Brave festival is held in Amsterdam's Tuinen van West, a managed 'green space' that provides a range of recreational facilities away from the city's built-up area.
Held on 15 August and headlined by US indie rockers Augustines, this year's festival featured three stages of live music and a 'food village' featuring cuisine from many different cultures. The festival's production company, K
With over 11m YouTube views, Reload Sessions is the premiere channel for unsigned musicians. Priding themselves on creating high-quality content, the videos are recorded in HD and only the best audio equipment used. As such, Owner Peppe Fazzolari has added numerous Mogami 'Cable for Life' cables to his arsenal of equipment.
Peppe comments, "The Reload Sessions have travelled to many sites to record, but we are now mainly based in a studio in Central London. We have found that Mogami cables are the best sounding and most durable cables available for any application. We have used numerous other cables over the years, but Mogami is the only one durable enough to withstand the heavy use we require."
Mogami 'Cable for Life' p
Comer tackled the project with production designer Dennis Scrimo and chose a design that would be flexible enough for a 2000 seat theatre and a 10000 seat amphitheatre in addition to being cost effective, efficient on space, and load in and out times.
"I have smaller profile fixtures so they can mostly fit inside Bandit's Go-Go Truss, which has cut down time considerably in hanging fixtures or needed to have cases of fixtures in a truck or on a stage," explained Comer. "Once we decided on an idea we liked, I got with Dizzy Gosnell and we talked about how to streamline some things to make it work. The design has gone through a couple of modificatio
The company was launched in 1997 by MD Ian Coull as an AV equipment rental company - initially supplying small projectors, screens and PowerPoint presentation kits.
It's now grown into a highly successful full high-end technical production supplier offering the latest audio, lighting and video hardware and technology, plus a comprehensive range of associated services including complete show and event design, video content creation, graphics, artwork and set design / building. In short, everything to cover all aspects of any types of live event or brand activation, together with a full logistics department and transport fleet.
"Live - and larger scale - producti
Lauded by the New York Times as a lesson on how to connect the eye to heart and mind, the Guerin Pavilion combines exceptional versatility and high aesthetics and features a state-of-the art AV system in which Tannoy's Dual Concentric loudspeakers are integral components.
"The Dual Concentric design originally comes from our studio monitors from back in the day," says Dudley McLaughlin, consultant manager, install and tour, North America, for TC Gr
"The prestigious annual festival at Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna, Austria brought together the smartest start-ups, corporate, media and investors in one place, eager to support the next big thing," says Andreas Göltl, managing director at Media Apparat. "The event happens every year and our task was to make Pioneers Festival a stunning event experience to remember. It's the type of event that gets a lot of business interest and press internationally and is broadcast live to an international audience of 100,000."
At Pioneers Festival, video content covered the entire main stage a
Supported by key industry experts, this new initiative launches the first apprenticeship as a Live Events Rigger, the development of which has been facilitated by NRAG (National Rigging Advisory Group).
Representatives from leading industry employers formed the NRAG working group. In April 2015 the standard was agreed by the Government Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to be put forward to lead the rigging apprenticeship initiative, assisting other companies to do the same through the provision of structured opportunities to young individuals interested in a career in rigging.
Key rigging industry leaders already committed to supporting the Trailblazer initia
