Estonia - The Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu, Estonia, has just premiered its own new production of the epic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Phantom of The Opera.

It is only the third occasion in over 25 years of this work that a producing house has been granted the right to produce a new version of the show adding elements of their own interpretation. It's also the first time that the worldwide hit Phantom has been produced in the Baltic states and former Eastern Europe - all of these facts an immense honour for Vanemuine.

The production is directed by Georg Malvius with a lighting design by Pallé Palme utilizing over 100 Robe moving lights.

The two - both Swedish but constantly working internationally - have collaborated on many previous projects. They enjoy a great working relationship and creative chemistry, and both also have a long history at Vanemuine, o

USA - Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Elk Rivers, the community of Elk River, Minnesota has been called the 'City of Energy', a reference to its long history of harnessing the power of its two mighty waterways. This tradition makes Elk River a fitting home for River of Life Church, a house of worship that radiates positive energy as evidenced by its many outreach programmes and dynamic worship services.

The environment inside the roughly 6,000sq.ft house of worship matches the vibrant character of its services, thanks in no small measure to a high impact lighting design created by Excel AV Group that uses the Rogue R2 Spot moving head and COLORdash Par-Quad 18 LED par-style fixture from Chauvet Professional to engage worshippers. This was the second phase of a long range project; an earlier phase also utilized Chauvet Professional variable white LED fixtures for

South Africa - Rental company Gearhouse South Africa has added 48 x Robe Robin Pointes to its inventory which went straight onto War Horse, Vodacom in the City and various other events.

"The Pointes are a market leading product in terms of innovation and flexibility," commented Stuart Andrews, lighting operations manager for Gearhouse SA, Johannesburg. "We compared many other products from a variety of manufacturers and they still won hands down. The units have been, as I thought, the star of the show."

(Jim Evans)

UK / USA - GDS (Global Design Solutions Ltd) has just signed a licensing and manufacturing agreement with US-based company ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc). Under the agreement, ETC will manufacture the GDS ArcSystem and BluesSystem product lines for distribution exclusively in North and South America.

GDS will continue to manufacture and distribute ArcSystem and BluesSystem for other worldwide markets from the company's Bristol, UK, headquarters. "We are extremely happy to have ETC handling these products in the American markets," says GDS managing director Matt Lloyd. "Their ability to manufacture and stock the products locally and provide the level of service needed is a perfect match for GDS."

ArcSystem is an award-winning range of overhead dimmable LED products designed specifically for auditoriums, commercial and retail spaces. Most recently, th

USA - Le Maitre USA will be exhibiting on Booth #2625 at LDI this year at the Las Vegas Convention Centre next month. Among the products on show will be a new hazer making its world debut.

The TBF-Pyrotec flame range is to be exclusively distributed by Le Maitre USA in North America and there will be several of the German manufacturer's machines on the booth along with video footage: 5-Master, Pyromaster & Spraymaster.

In the year of the 20th Anniversary of the G300 Le Maitre is delighted to be running an original 20 year old G300 on the stand next to a brand new one, underlining just how durable this industry leading unit really is! Other fog units on show will include the GForce 3, GForce 2 with Freezefog Pro producing atmospheric low fog and the portable Mini Mist.

HazeMaster - the most powerful hazer on the market today along with the unique oscillating MVS hazer will be

UK - Behind the Scenes - the new charity which supports entertainment technology professionals in times of need - received a kick-start to its fundraising efforts at the Knights of Illumination Awards thanks to a donation from Clay Paky.

The company's Chief Executive Officer Pio Nahum presented a cheque to lighting designer Rick Fisher for Behind the Scenes UK, explaining to the audience that one of the last things approved by the late Pasquale Quadri was this generous contribution to the new charity.

"As an industry, regardless of sector, we all come together to ensure the success of the shows we work on. We work closely together and our colleagues can't help but become our friends. This camaraderie stays with us through the good and bad times and it's only natural that, when our friends fall upon times of hardship through no fault of their own, we want to do anything an

Italy - ArKaos has announced the adoption of its Kling-Net protocol by Italian lighting manufacturer Music & Lights to be incorporated into a number of pixel-based LED lighting fixtures from its Prolights range.

Kling-Net will be retrofitted into four existing Prolights products, Halupix, Chromapix, Halurock and Chromarock, with plans to incorporate King-Net into all new Prolights products from the outset.

The Prolights Halurock is based on a 7x7 matrix of high-lumen CREE Warm White LEDs, with a 2800K° colour temperature which recalls the classic effect of the halogen lamp in rock concerts, while the Chromarock LED moving head is based on a 5x5 matrix of high-lumen Osram Ostar RGBW/full colour LEDs, offering a limitless chromatic generation.

Halupix is a 7x7 matrix of high efficiency CREE LEDs with an on-board modular rigging system designed for arrangement into walls or

UK - High Wycombe-based lighting rental specialist Siyan has recently expanded its stock with the addition of Robe Pointes and more LEDBeam 100 moving lights, all of which were sent directly out on various jobs for the summer as soon as they were delivered by Robe UK.

The Pointes were purchased for their brightness, versatility and excellent features, and the LEDBeam 100s for their tiny size and because, "They are simply one of the most popular fixtures of the moment," states Siyan's MD Nick Valdez.

He adds that the frequency with which Pointes are appearing on riders was another fact making them realise they needed to have them in stock to augment their existing Robe inventory.

Siyan now has approaching 150 Robe moving lights in its rental inventory - a mix of MMX Spots, Pointes, LEDBeam 100s and LEDWash 600s. One of the reasons they keep buying Robe is for the br

USA - Grammy Award-winning singer Colbie Caillat toured the US through the summer beneath a highly original lighting design that featured high-power Elation Cuepix Panel LED matrix blinders fabricated into eye-catching scenic light cubes.

Out on her Gypsy Heart tour, multi-platinum selling artist Colbie Caillat is fond of the Cuepix light cubes. "The artist has told us that the cubes were the highlight of the tour, fetching the most compliments and inquiries of any other element," says Paul Hoffman, owner of full-service lighting production company Pulse Lighting, who provided the complete visual package for the tour. "In fact, she looks forward to incorporating them into her touring plans in 2015."

Built by Steelfab LLC of Denver, "who did a fantastic job" Paul says, each cube consisted of six Elation Cuepix Panels mounted in a steel frame

South Africa - Lighting designer Christopher Bolton recently used 24 x Robe Robin Pointes to provide effects for a special gala dinner and evening of entertainment staged for business systems specialists EOH at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bolton was asked to light the event by technical service providers AVL Productions who were working for producers Jam Productions.

He worked very closely with Verusca DiZio and Paul Hughes who designed the stage and set including the video elements, and also with Show Director Samantha McGraw who collated all the musical content. This featured the Mzanai Choir, the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra and platinum selling singer and musician Elvis Blue, together with a house band that backed all the various performing artists in the action-packed entertainment schedule.

A massive amount of detail went into planning this e

UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light has recently sponsored UK Theatre Awards for 2014 which took place at London's Guildhall. Produced by leading theatre membership organisation UK Theatre, the annual event recognises creative excellence and outstanding achievement on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

White Light, a major lighting supplier for theatre and live performance in the UK, continues to sponsor the event as part of its commitment to supporting the UK's thriving creative sector.

In addition to sponsoring the event, White Light also provided lighting for the celebration. This year, musical theatre star Michael Xavier served as host while guest presenters included Anita Dobson, Tamzin Outhwaite, Angela Griffin, Lesley Joseph, Wayne Sleep, and Debbie Kurup.

Notable winners included:

Best Performance in a Musical: Ja

USA - Renowned motion tracking solution BlackTrax will participate in the highly anticipated Projection Master Classes at LDI 2014 in Vegas, NV from 19-20 November 2014.

The Projection Master Classes is the event for top visual designers and leading projection professionals, as well as senior production executives. Eight intense sessions will provide a forum for discussing creative, technical and leading practical challenges involved in creating, programming and mapping cutting-edge images!

For those participants wishing to get some hands-on and expert insight, Gil Densham, president of CAST BlackTrax, will partake in panel sessions focusing on the technical achievements of Marvel Universe LIVE!. Densham will present a detailed look at realtime motion tracking at 4pm on Wednesday, 19 November 2014.

Bob Bonniol of Mode Studios serves as creative consultant for the Proj

Latin America - ARRI Inc has appointed Wilson Zeferino as its new director of sales, Latin American markets. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English, Zeferino will further develop business and strategy in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. He will also oversee sales efforts and customer service in these territories to strengthen ARRI's presence across the region, the company says.

Zeferino previously worked at Fujifilm in the Optical Devices Division as sales and marketing manager for North America, Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Says ARRI Inc CEO Glenn Kennel: "ARRI continues to grow our business in Latin America's thriving market. I am happy to welcome Wilson to the team."

"ARRI is one of the most highly regarded brands in the world. I'm excited to join such a pioneering technology company and intensify further support in Latin Ameri

UK - The promise of reduced maintenance costs for outdoor theme park cabling systems is offered by the Han-Eco(R) Outdoor connector from Harting.

The new connector is based on a robust high-performance lightweight plastic material which, when mated through its FPM (Fluor Polymer Rubber) flange seal, provides IP65, UV, ozone and acid-rain resistant protection.

Insert options allow simple field installations using screw-terminal monoblock assemblies with 10, 14, 20 and 28 ways at 16 A. Alternatively, mixed audio, video, communications, data and power signals can be handled in a range of four different sized housings.

This modular integrated cabling approach makes Han-Eco(R) suitable for exposed conditions in theme park audio-visual/multimedia installations, and reduces costs by enabling extended maintenance intervals through its ability to withstand adverse outdoor environment

UK - Hawthorn took away the award for Best Lighting at the inaugural Festival Supplier Awards on Wednesday 22 October at the Showman's Show, Newbury Showground. The award was given to Hawthorn based on a case study of the literary Hay Festival.

Hawthorn was tasked with providing the full technical production of the Hay Festival. A major part of the technical provision was a significant lighting remit. The remit included artistic stage lighting, architectural lighting and general site and work area lighting. Hawthorn also provided the power requirements for the whole site, and included the power for all lighting.

The provision included the lighting for nine stages, used for reading sessions, panel discussions and literary performances in the daytime, and musical performances on the larger stages in the evenings. Hawthorn provided Clay Paky Alpha 800 spots, GLP Impression X4 mov

UK - Black Veil Brides brought their loud flourishing and highly visual neo-glam metal rock to the UK on the first leg of their The Black Mass world tour 2014-15 including a touring specials rig of 14 x Robe Pointes, which in the UK was supplied by rental company Siyan.

The tour's lighting is designed by California-based lighting designer Chris Reade, and being looked after on the road by Jimmy Duke as the band's new lighting director.

Reade's creative starting point was to make the band look larger than life onstage - a goal to which their extravagant theatrical makeup and distinctive black outfits that utilize a number of styles and textures like leather, rubber and PVC - naturally enhance. As the design process evolved, video also became intertwined with the addition of two 4 x 8 ft 6mm LED screens aligned with the set.

"The band is very powerful visually and

Sweden - Sweden is the country of Volvo, and at Gothenburg's Volvo Museum, visitors can take a trip through Volvo's history and heritage, all the way from its foundation in Gothenburg in 1927.

Over the years, the museum has expanded to an area of 8,000sq.m, becoming one of the city's main attractions for more than 100,000 tourists from all over the world. With the target of sustaining the beauty of the works on display in the new 2000sq.m pavilion 'Life at the Extreme' dedicated to the Volvo ocean race and golf tournament, particular attention was given to the quality of the light and aesthetic of the products.

The lighting project was commissioned to Mediatec, one of Europe's largest corporations specialising in delivering AVL integrated solutions, with the specific aim to integrate the lighting system in the existing building architecture. Bellalite, exclusive distributor of

UK - Event technical services and solutions provider Blueprint continues its commitment to Gloucestershire UK manufacturer Core Lighting's innovative battery powered wireless LED lighting products, a relationship which dates back six years to when Core launched its first products - the Point 30 Series.

These are still in active use on Blueprint's various projects today, together with their stock of around 100 Core fixtures which include Point20s and Flood30s, all of which have proved a sound investment.

Having spotted a gap at the very start of the now-popular trend for wireless up-lighting of buildings, rooms, gardens, trees and foliage, monuments and just about any other space and object that might require illumination for a special moment or event, Blueprint's Chris Morgan comments, "In the last two years - and especially as the products have become even lighter and br

Puerto Rico - Miley Cyrus knows how to attract attention: put on a glitzy show, and belt out a variety of songs from the sultry to the sensitive with aplomb, style, musicality and undeniable charisma. All of this was on display recently, along with dazzling wardrobe changes and dance routines, during the recording star's 22-song concert at San Juan's Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, the largest indoor entertainment venue in Puerto Rico.

Lighting designer Sean Burke illuminated the performance on stage with a dynamic lightshow that include 44 Q-Wash 560Z-LED moving washes and 48 COLORado Batten 72 Tour LED linear wash fixtures.

The Puerto Rican concert was part of Cyrus' global Bangerz tour in support of her fourth studio album. Maintaining a consistent look and energy level for a lightshow can be a challenge when gear lists often change from stop to st

UK - Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout helped Lord's Cricket Club celebrate its 200th year in style, transforming a temporary marquee installed in the iconic grounds with an LED starcloth ceiling, 8-19 October 2014.

The marquee allowed guests to make the famous walk through the Long Room, down the steps of the Pavilion, through the players' gate and into the stunningly- decorated venue which played host to banquets, invitation-only events for local residents and a two-night run of live music from Roxy Music star Bryan Ferry.

Blackout's team supplied one of its first LED starcloths of the winter season; a huge 30m x 20m installation into the marquee's roof, adding a magical and festive feel.

Blackout's project manager Tom Lambert said, LED starcloth is the ideal solution for a temporary venue like the one installed at Lord's; it helps to create a more permanent feel and

UK - ETC's Selador Classic LED fixtures have been used in two productions for people recovering from addictions and young people with special educational needs at London's Young Vic theatre.

For every production that the Young Vic programmes in its main space, the Taking Part department creates another in response; exploring some of the ideas in the main production and in which the local community can take part. Production manager Anthony Newton worked with Taking Part technician Nick Slater on Base Camp and The Sound of Yellow, which were based on The Valley of Astonishment, a play which focuses on the phenomenon of synaesthesia: where people can experience things - words, thoughts or even music - as sensory stimulations or as colours.

Nick Slater explains, "For Base Camp, which was with the special educational needs young people, we used an e

Australia - Illumination Physics specialises in high technology lighting products for the architectural market. As both designer and manufacturer, the company is able to provide services across every stage of a major project, from concept to commissioning. The result is a high degree of customisation on a project-by-project basis, leading to improved function and value.

An example of such custom design is illumination Physics' 6W Modular Dot. This product is a custom-designed modular light fixture based on the IP Dot. The benefit is that you can attach as many modules to the dot as required in order to achieve the desired projection of direct and indirect light - vertical, horizontal or both directions simultaneously. This makes it both a practical and cost-effective product.

The particular application this fixture was designed for required a great deal of flexibility. Firstly

USA - Elation Professional has launched the Platinum Profile LED, billed as the market's first entry-level LED moving head profile with framing shutters.

Using a high-performance 180W LED engine that gives a level of power comparable to a 575W discharge lamp, the fixture's flexible four-blade rotating framing system allows the beam to be shaped and angled as required for precise highlighting of set pieces and performers, or can be used to create outstanding projection or mid-air effects.

Individual control of each blade position and angle allows for a highly controlled field of light with less light spill while rotation of the complete framing module permits projection at any angle. Pre-programmed blade macros are included that offer a series of shape and movement effects.

The fixture's economical 180W LED engine (6,500K, >85CRI, 20,000 hours) emits 9,000 total lumens of fli

Denmark - Martin Professional has introduced the latest software update for its P3 System Controller family of LED video processors. Version 3.1.0 includes an improved preset system, placement tools for creative projects, and a host of additional new features for improved functionality and ease-of-use.

"Since its introduction in 2008, Martin's P3 System Controller has become the industry standard for integrating video and lighting," commented Wouter Verlinden, product manager - LED Video, Martin Professional. "Setting up LED video systems can be a lengthy process. However, the P3's real time control capabilities paired with the new Version 3.1.0 software allows lighting designers to more easily integrate screen processing as part of the creative process and set up an entire system with a few mouse clicks. "

The new software's updated preset system allows fi

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