LightenUp expands growing Ayrton inventory
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“We’re always looking at new equipment. We do our due diligence and have biweekly meetings with lighting designers about new gear and keeping our inventory up to date,” says lighting designer Nathan Megaw, president of LightenUp. “A lot of new equipment is always coming out, and there’s always the risk of, ‘Will you pick right? Will the gear be hot in the market? Can we cross-rent it?’ We were the second company in LA with Diablos, so we picked correctly, but there’s a lot of homework involved.”
ACT provided demo units of the Zonda 9 FX, which LightenUp quickly felt would fit well in the company’s inventory for a broad roster of projects and to serve a smaller rental market. “The Zonda 9 FX’s features are a step above any competitive wash fixtures in that weight class,” says Megaw. “The effects capabilities are a bonus and offer effects no other units have. We not only like what the Zonda 9 FX can do, but how the instrument looks with its clean and simplified shape, quality and craftsmanship.”
To the Zonda 9 FXs, which have just been delivered, LightenUp added an order for Zonda 3 FX, which is due to arrive soon. “They’re like the Zonda 9s in a smaller and lighter weight package,” Megaw notes. “We expect to continue to grow our Zonda inventory so lighting designers can put all different sizes to work while their uniformity ties them all together.”
Megaw reports that Ayrton products now comprise the dominant brand in the inventory in terms of quantity. The company’s current roster of Ayrton fixtures has been busy on a number of high-profile projects recently.
LightenUp has Perseo Profiles in a semi-permanent installation in the Dome of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. For the premiere of the film Glass Onion, Perseo Profiles played a role on the pre-screening red carpet where their IP65 rating meant “we can leave them outside for an extended period of time without worrying about the effects of weather and pollution,” Megaw says. MagicDots were used for environmental lighting in the after-party’s T Room where Diablos also lit the stage and added texture to the scene.
Earlier, LightenUp was awarded the lighting contract for the Academy Museum’s presentation of Tiffany’s multi-city About Love campaign featuring Beyonce and Jay-Z and the famed Tiffany Diamond. A large-scale projection mapping of the museum showcased the Carters’ short film for the luxury brand while LightenUp provided Tiffany blue lighting effects with Perseos inside the Dome and Diablos outside the Dome where the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra played Moon River to accompany the film’s projection.
Khamsins and MagicDots were used at the secluded Amangiri luxury resort in Canyon Point, Utah, where the stunning red rocks served as the backdrop for entertainment at a wedding celebration.
According to Megaw, ACT Entertainment has played a key role throughout LightenUp’s acquisition of Ayrton fixtures. “In a nutshell, we like working with ACT because of their efficiency, professionalism and communication skills, particularly when it comes to purchasing and shipping updates,” he reports.
ACT Entertainment's Western regional sales Eric Abad noted, “LightenUp never fails to bring their A-Game to their clients and always put their tools through the paces. And Ayrton and ACT are always up for the challenge.”
