UK - Robe is sponsoring a student bursary run by London, UK based lighting designer Simon Brockwell of design practice SBLD, that will enable him to take a lighting design assistant to work alongside him for the upcoming 2013 Vivid Sydney Festival of Light Music & Ideas in Australia.

Brockwell is presenting his interactive Nocturnal Pianola lighting installation and concept.

Robe's relationship with Brockwell goes back to when he was a lighting design / programming student at Rose Bruford College in Kent. When Nocturnal Pianola was selected as one of the works to be exhibited at the festival, he approached Robe to see if they were interested in getting involved in Vivid.

"Robe has never been about pushing the product - their emphasis is definitely on relationships," comments Brockwell. "As a lighting graduate, I know the importance of students to

Italy - The Spiaggia degli Olivi lighthouse, a historic monument on Lake Garda and the symbol of the town of Riva, was turned off about 40 years ago.

The diving board tower, on top of which the historic lake lighthouse was installed, is found at the end of the pier. Thanks to restoration work in the area, commissioned by Lido di Riva, the lighthouse started sweeping the Trento waters of the lake once again with its beam in October 2012. The surprise is that, instead of the complicated original 24 volt mechanism, there is a new Clay Paky Sharpy inside the lantern room, which is not only able to reproduce the brightness of the old lighthouse, but also its movement.

Giacomo Galassi of Iiriti Noleggi explained that "owing to the originality of the installation, Clay Paky was extremely helpful and let us try the light out for over a month so that we could test it in actual use

UK - LEE Filters has announced the appointment of Richard McKitty as their new business development manager for camera and lighting filters. McKitty comes to LEE with six years of experience in the lighting industry and four years in the photographic industry working with dealers and professionals in each market. He will be covering all areas outside the US and South America with a focus on Europe and beyond.

"I am thrilled to be joining LEE Filters. It is a real honour to be promoting the famous LEE brand within two thriving industries around the world. I cannot wait to help expand the business portfolio and meet new and existing LEE customers," says McKitty.

(Jim Evans)

World - Fleetwood Mac are back on the road and a grandMA2 console has joined the iconic band on the Fleetwood Mac Live 2013 World Tour. The new tour, which began in Columbus will wrap in Australia in December, marks the first for the band since 2009's sold-out Unleashedtour. This year is also the 35th anniversary of their Rumours album, one of the most successful in recording history.

Lighting designer Paul "Arlo" Guthrie of Minneapolis-based Toss Film + Design is Fleetwood Mac's long-time lighting designer. "I have to cater to four different personalities (Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks) and bring them together as one team," he explains. "For this show we have four big soft box panels and 32 Clay Paky Sharpy Washes on curved lighting pipes, some of them on the floor, some on the rigs and some in pods that c

UK - A.C. Special Projects Ltd. (ACSP) will be showing a range of projects from their impressive architectural installation portfolio, as well as architectural lighting products at this year's ARC Show (stand P42).

ACSP will be on hand throughout the show to discuss how they can provide bespoke lighting, audio and AV installations to the architectural and retail sectors.

Acting as single supplier, the company has access to over 200 leading entertainment technology brands including Jands Vista, Yamaha, Green Hippo and Columbus McKinnon to name a few. On show at ARC will be a range of the latest innovative architectural LED lighting products from Chroma-Q, Spotlight and Griven.

From Chroma-Q, the new Inspire LED House Light is a powerful multi-purpose creative lighting tool that provides a choice of beautiful whites, soft pastels and bold saturates - all from one fixture. The

Russia - Moscow's Satirikon Theatre opened its 2012-2013 season with a production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Konstantin Raikin. Raikin, the theatre's artistic director, has not staged Shakespeare's timeless love story at the Satirikon since the mid-1990s, and the new production has been hailed by critics and theatregoers alike for its innovative, high-tech, and ultramodern approach. The impressive visual effects created by ETC Russia using Christie projection equipment meld seamlessly and naturally with the on-stage action.

As Ruslan Semenov, general director of ETC Russia, explains, "It took our team a month and a half to prepare the video content for the show. The work was done on stage under the direct supervision of Konstantin Raikin. Daily rehearsals with the theatre company enabled us to achieve unique synchronisation between the video elements and the act

China - Lighthouse Technologies has announced the promotion of Randy Green to the position of chief technology officer.

Green has more than 25 years experience in strategic planning, sales, design and implementation of technical systems for the entertainment, television, sports, digital out of home and live event markets. He also has over 15 years of experience providing technical solutions for sports stadiums, arenas, and exhibition centres of which large screen video display, video control systems and electronic signage are an integral part.

Having joined Lighthouse in 2007, Green has played a key role in the company's success, using his extensive expertise to build positive relationships both internally and externally. This new position reflects both his technical and managerial talents.

"Randy is an innovative and energetic technical management professional," s

The Netherlands - Royal Philips reports that the 300th licensee signed up to its LED luminaire and retrofit bulb licensing programme, which has seen its number of licensees grow by 50% since May 2012. As a result, 300 companies have access to Philips' comprehensive portfolio of patented LED system technologies and solutions.

Arian Duijvestijn, senior vice president of Philips Intellectual Property & Standards said, "We are thrilled that the LED programme has grown by 50% in the last year. We are delighted that more and more businesses, from start-ups to larger companies sign up to the LED luminaire and retrofit bulb licensing program and recognize that working with us helps to speed up product development, lower costs and advance the industry. We warmly welcome our 300th licensee and are confident the program will continue to attract a wide variety of companies in the comin

Switzerland - Moving lights from Robe's latest Robin MMX and DL Series ranges were utilised by lighting designer Michael Grundner for the world premiere of Moses - The Ten Commandments, a new musical extravaganza by Michael Kunze and Dieter Falk being staged at the Theatre St. Gallen in Switzerland.

The creative brief for Grundner's lighting design was to mimic the style and genre of the show - 'contemporary rock and pop with gospel elements' - for which the theatre decided to purchase the new system of Robe moving lights.

The package comprised eight MMX Spots, two DLS Profile, two DLX Spots and 16 DLF Wash fixtures, all of which were specified by the theatre's head of lighting, Andreas Enzler and his deputy Andreas Volk ... on the recommendation of Grundner among others, and were delivered via Robe's Swiss distributor, Audio Tech.

They decided on Robe because they so

Australia - Concert & Corporate Productions in Western Australia supplies lighting equipment and crew to some of the most prestigious corporate clients as well as national and internationally recognised touring acts. As CCP continues to grow stronger, larger, and to increase their inventory, their equipment choices tend to be driven my market demands.

"As our industry is spec driven we have to go by what people are wanting and most of the specs we've seen in the past eighteen months have requested Vari*Lite VL3000's or higher," commented Sean McKernan, general manager at CCP. "To purchase some was just a natural progression for our path of where we wanted to go."

In February Concert & Corporate Productions took delivery of 24 VL3000 Spots and eight VL2500 Washes which have seen action on a wide variety of events from Celtic Thunder, Neil Finn & Paul Kelly t

USA - Bandit Lites had the privilege of being the first to light a concert at the University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium, where ACM award winner Jason Aldean played to more than 60,000 people. The 90-minute set, which was filmed for a DVD release, included a surprise visit from rapper Ludacris and a virtual appearance from Kelly Clarkson.

Award-winning lighting designer, Aaron Swetland faced the singular challenge of having to adapt his already massive rig for television with an additional 88 Sharpys, 20 Syncrolite fixtures, 34 3500 washes, 20 MAC Auras and 24 Bandit 5x5s. Giant artwork scrims were added above stage right and left with 30ft trusses above them, while a 60ft lighting truss was placed centre downstage from the usual downstage truss for television lighting.

For his inaugural stadium show, Swetland focused on filling the space while being mindful of the challenges

USA - More than 600 business and community leaders gathered on 3 May 2013 to celebrate the finest businesses and individuals in East Tennessee, where Bandit Lites lit the ninth annual Pinnacle Business Awards Gala. The black tie event has quickly become one of the premier social events, complete with reception, silent auction, and a martini bar carved out of a block of ice.

Lighting designer Will Twork created an elegant atmosphere utilizing MAC 2k Profiles, MAC 500 and MAC 600. Framed in the stage set, six 4x30' screen material panels were lit by GRN LED pars.

"It's not a typical stage set-up," said Bandit's general manager, JR Sander. "From the moment people enter the room, we want them to immediately feel they are in a space befitting their status as a member of Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. It's a special night for everyone, and Bandit is proud to both be a

USA - Christie Lites has purchased an additional 200-plus MA onPC command wing from A.C.T Lighting, the exclusive distributor of the MA Lighting in North America. The company's new investment brings its inventory of MA onPC command wing to over 250.

Earlier this year, Christie Lites took delivery of 50 MA onPC command wing to extend usage of the flexible and powerful grandMA2 control system to customers working on location or those who find it physically difficult to fit a grandMA2 console at their venue. With 12 locations in the US and Canada, Christie Lites supplies equipment and services to lighting designers and chief electricians across an extensive client base.

"The popularity of the MA onPC command wing with our customers prompted us to invest in a substantial inventory of units," says Christie Lites CEO Huntly Christie at the company's Orlando headquarters. &

Australia - The new Clarity LX series consoles have proved invaluable for Sydney broadcast lighting director Grant 'Doc' Watson and his operation Strauss Productions.

Up until the final series of 2011, Watson was lighting the Australian productions of The Biggest Loser and My Kitchen Rules on a series of LSC maXim consoles. With the shows growing in size, The Biggest Loser saw the largest maXim XXLP console loaded to its limits with moving lights and dimmers.

With the need for a platform upgrade in mind, Watson was able to assess Clarity software on his Mac notebook and realised just how easy it was to use in the 'live' environment most of his productions demand. Rarely are the shows shot in a broadcast studio with some being produced in disused military buildings and naval dock yards, agricultural sheds, community centres and bare walls studios.

The key

Australia - Sir Cliff Richard OBE returned to Australia earlier this year with his hit-packed Still Reelin' and A-Rockin' tour and with him was his long-time lighting designer Derek Jones who was touring an impressive rig that held close to 90 moving lights.

Jones has been a champion of Jands Vista consoles for many years and so it was no surprise to see him travel here with his own Vista S3 and Vista M1, part of a larger family of Vista consoles that he owns.

"The Vista consoles are easy to operate and easy to programme," he notes. "I also like the support that you get from Jands as they will actually listen to your ideas and feedback, coming up with real solutions to help achieve what you need."

Jones also favours the 'mix and match' ability offered by owning a few Vista consoles as well as their portability.

"The surface is flexible, smal

Kazakhstan - An impressive range of Clay Paky fixtures, including the Alpha Spot QWO 800s, Sharpys, A.Leda Wash K10 and K20s, and Alpha Profile 800 STs are lighting up the X Factor as it debuts in Kazakhstan.

Lighting designer Andrey Kuznetsov is utlising 16 Alpha Spot QWO 800s, 32 Sharpys, eight A.Leda K10s, eight A.Leda K20s, 16 Alpha Profile 800s and two Shadow QS-LTs to create a winning combination for the launch of Kazakh X Factor, which follows a similar format to the UK show.

"I was impressed by Alpha Profile 800 - the Profile System is unbelievable, it made it very easy to make designs and to highlight the set and the performers," says Kuznetsov. "To have so many functions and capabilities in a single compact fixture is truly amazing. A.Leda impressed me with the wide range of fantastic colours it can deliver. They are fast, super bright l

Sweden - Robe Robin LEDWash series fixtures continue to prove a popular choice for theatre installations in Sweden.

The 503 seat Skövde Stadsteater is another venue that has invested in LEDWashes, taking delivery of eight Robin 600 LEDWashes that were supplied by Swedish distributor Bellalite via locally based rental company, Sound Star.

The decision to purchase the latest fixtures for the theatre - an integral part of the first purpose built Cultural Centre (Kulturhus) in Sweden in 1964 - was made by head of lighting Fredrik Ekström. He sought an LED moving light and looked at the various options.

He specifically wanted one with a bright output, a smooth homogenised lightsource, silent running and a good zoom range. The LEDWash 600 ticked all the right boxes and he describes them as, the "perfect" fixtures for the venue.

He also remarks that the variety of

Portugal - ETC has proved that Source Four fixtures aren't just for theatres - by supplying Source Four HID luminaires to Museu da Eletricidade (Museuem of Electricity) in Lisbon.

"We first worked with the museum's managers about two years ago," says Vitor Paiva, commercial director at ETC dealer Luzeiro, "when they bought tungsten ETC Source Four luminaires. They were impressed, and asked to look at other models in the Source Four range. Key to their specification was that they need low maintenance and high light output."

So at the end of last year, the museum supplemented its exhibition lighting with 24 ETC Source Four HID fixtures, which were immediately put to use on a display by Portuguese painter Vitor Pomar.

These were deemed such a success that the managers ordered a further 34 to light the World Press Photo exhibition, which runs throughout May.<

UK - Only Men Aloud came to prominence back in 2008 when they won the BBC's Last Choir Standing competition. Formed by conductor and musical director Tim Rhys-Evans, the 15-strong choir have re-invented the old Welsh Male Voice Choir tradition, by adding choreography, showmanship and humour to what was traditionally a very static art form.

In 2012, Rhys-Evans became equally as successful with Only Boys Aloud, comprising of over 180 boys on ITV1's Britain's Got Talent winning a respectable 3rd place on the talent, and off the back of the success of the show went on to sign a record deal with Sony Music. Recently they have added Only Kids Aloud to the family.

For the Aloud brand's Aloud at Christmas tour lighting director was Steffan Jones, brought on-board directly by Rhys-Evans to work on a show that would aim to fit a choir of up to 400 men, boys and chil

USA - KIIS FM's annual Wango Tango concert in Los Angeles always draws a galaxy of stars. This year's concert, held at the 27,000-seat Home Depot Centre, was no exception, with the likes of Maroon 5, Afrojack, FloRida, Fall Out Boy, Miguel, Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Icona Pap, Will.i.am, Bruno Mars and Avril Lavigne performing on stage.

Such a superstar line-up deserves a superstar lightshow, and that's exactly what LD Todd Roberts (Visions Lighting, Brea, CA) delivered. The spectacular non-stop exciting lightshow was anchored by 52 Platinum Beam 5Rs, the extreme ACL Beam aerial moving head effect from Elation Professional. Powered by Philips' MSD Platinum 5R lamp and utilizing Elation's advanced optics system, the 189W Platinum Beam 5R has an output comparable to a 575W discharge fixture.

Another Elation Professional product that contributed to the Wango Tango lightshow was

Europe - Eros Ramazzotti is always on the crest of the wave and is taking his NOI Tour 2013 throughout the continent. After 14 dates in Italy, the tour has come alive in the rest of Europe, where the shows are recording an excellent turnout even in this difficult economic period. This confirms continued interest in this musician, who has trod the boards of music venues for 30 years.

The set, video and lighting were designed and built entirely by lighting and video designer Jvan Morandi and his company Placing Shadow. "The set itself consists of large hanging parallelepipeds, which are fitted with high resolution LED panels and large areas for video projections," said Morandi. "The entire 18-tonne assembly is equipped with a vertical automation system attached to the corners of the 3D structures (four triangles, a diamond and a cube), which can be moved to g

USA - PLASA Focus: Orlando, the latest addition to the North American regional event series is hailed a great success, impressing local visitors with the newest and most innovative products and a show stopping line-up of seminars.

Nearly 700 attendees saw a number of new products make their regional debut, including the first fixtures of Martin Professional's new range - RUSH; four new fixtures from Robe Lighting's multi award-winning Robin product line; Elation's EZ6 LED Video Panel, Rayzor 7 and Platinum Beam 5R Extreme; DiGiCo's latest theatrical software updates for the SD9, showcased on the Group One booth; GLP German Lighting Products Impression X4S; Truss Aluminium Factory's TOWER 05; and iWeiss's ViaTraveler and BannerHoist.

The PLASA Professional Development Programme proved a massive hit once again, packing out rooms to see names such as Matt Conover, vice president

UK - Martin Professional heads to the ABTT show (Stand 125) with a full stable of new lighting, video, control and smoke products.

Join the Martin UK team June 12-13 at the Old Truman Brewery in East London and be some of the first to see the newest members of the award-winning MAC Viper Family of moving heads.

From the MAC Viper Wash with superior colour mixing to the MAC Viper Wash DX and MAC Viper Performance, both with internal framing, theatre professionals will want to check out the complete MAC Viper Family, says the company.

Martin's 1500 W MAC III Wash will also feature as will the latest in Martin's VC Series of creative LED video products, the VC Strip.

ABTT will also see new launches from Martin smoke including a nearly silent C02 hazer, the Jem Ready 365, the Jem AF-1 Mkll, an upgrade of Martin's industry-standard compact fan, and Pro Clean Supreme, a high-per

South Africa - Lighting designer François van der Merwe of Wizardry Group chose Robe moving lights to be the central fixtures of his classy lighting scheme for the 2013 Metro FM Music Awards event, staged at the Durban International Conference Centre Arena in South Africa.

François was working for Dream Sets, commissioned to deliver the technical elements of the event for producers, Blue Moon Corporate Communications.

Dream Sets' Robert, Sean Hoey and Eben Peltz were technical directors and worked closely with leading SA rental company Gearhouse South Africa, whose Durban facility supplied most of the equipment used on the show.

Seventy Six Robe fixtures were used in total - 24 x Robe Robin LEDWash 600s, 24 x LEDBeam 100s, 12 x ColorSpot 2500E ATs and 16 ColorSpot 700E ATs - together with generic and LED lights, all programmed and operated by François using a grandMA2 ful

Latest Issue. . .

Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline
Advertisement
If you accept, the ads on the page will be adapted to your preferences.
Google Ad
Accept
Decline