Chauvet student event creates learning experience
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In 2005, it was renamed The Montalbán and has served as an incubator of budding theatrical talent by hosting the Chauvet Professional Student Lighting Showcase.
Now in its fifth year, the annual interactive educational event, which was sponsored by 4Wall Entertainment, provides lighting students from Los Angeles-area college theatre programmes an opportunity to collaborate on design projects and have their work evaluated by noted lighting designers. This year’s group of designers included Jeff Ravitz, Matt Ford, James Schipper, Rachel Miller, Mark Devlin and Aron Altmark.
Aside from having the opportunity to receive feedback from leading professionals in the lighting industry, students got to work with some of the most advanced lighting equipment like the Ovation E-930VW ellipsoidal and Maverick MK2 Profile as they completed their designs. They also got to run their designs on ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium consoles.
Once completed, the students’ designs were evaluated by a panel of judges.
This year’s winner was professor Anne Militello’s Cal Arts team for its Conga design. The school was awarded a ChamSys MQ80, and the students - Caleb Wildman, Benjamin Wilson, Pei-Yu Lai and Ryan Wichterich - each received a ChamSys PC Wing. Other winners included:
Second place - UCLA: Stephanie Laing and Vanessa Arciga, students; Neil Peter Jampolis, professor
Third place - Cal State Long Beach: David Zahacewski, Nathan Hawkins, Szu Wang, students; David Jacques, professor
Fourth place - University of Southern California: Edward Hansen, Derek Christiansen, Milner Sommers, Rudy O'Brien, students; Jeff Flowers and Elizabeth Harper, professors
In addition to the educational opportunity to collaborate on designs, the event gives students the chance to mingle with lighting designers as well team members from Chauvet and ChamSys during a relaxed reception.
DeAnna Padgett, national sales manager at Chauvet Professional, comments: “Those of us from Chauvet and ChamSys who participate in the Student Lighting Showcase enjoy it every bit as much as the students do. Interacting with students and learning about their concerns makes us all better at our jobs. Plus, it’s reassuring to us to see the enthusiasm and ability displayed by people who are the future of our industry.”
Padgett also expressed gratitude to Gil Smith and the crew at The Montalbán for their support. Their collective effort has provided yet another example of how the building at 1615 Vine continues to be fertile ground for advances in theatre.
(Jim Evans)
