Lighting

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29 July 2024

Europe - ETC has announced the launch of season two of its podcast series, On Headset. Offering a glimpse into the fascinating realm of theatrical lighting design, this immersive audio experience invites listeners to join real-time programming sessions with renowned lighting designers as they craft the visual magic of major productions.

In season two, also known as The Paule Project, listeners will embark on an educational journey with internationally acclaimed lighting designer Paule Constable and programmer Will Frost, as they share lightly curated recordings of headset conversations during the tech rehearsals of the National Theatre's production of The Normal Heart. This i play, depicting the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis in New York, serves as a perfect case study in theatrical lighting, providing valuable insights into the creative pr

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29 July 2024

USA - Country music singer-songwriter Alexandra Kay is out on tour with a lighting system provided by Bandit Lites. With her 2023 release All I’ve Ever Known, Kay used her lyrics and powerful vocals to weave stories fans can relate to and identify with. In addition to the album debut at #1 on the iTunes Country Charts and #1 on the iTunes All Genre Chart, Kay is featured on Jelly Roll’s Leave the Light On single from the summer’s hottest blockbuster film, Twisters.

Lighting designer Corbin Alvae drew inspiration for the lighting from All I’ve Ever Known. “When I was working on this design, I had to go into her shoes and feel the emotions she was feeling. That’s when the concept came about: something hard hitting, but visually appealing that fit her style in a way that made her fans feel even more of the emotion

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26 July 2024

South Africa - Designer Chris de Lancey from Immersive Show Technology was asked to create a stunning architectural lighting scheme for the Union Buildings in Pretoria, to help celebrate the recent South African presidential inauguration.

Chris chose to work with Robe Esprite moving lights and one of the new Robe iBOLTS, which were applied with great effect together with projection mapping of the South African flag onto the building.

Cyril Ramaphosa was inaugurated as South African president and leader of a national unity government made up of representatives from four major parties – the ANC (African National Congress), the DA (Democratic Alliance), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

The final inauguration events are organised on a tight timescale once the actual election results are confirmed and certified

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26 July 2024

USA - Close collaboration between a lighting and video team is always essential. Anyone who’s been a part of an arena show where lights and screens flow seamlessly together can appreciate that. But the fine points of this relationship take on an extra level of urgency when the sun starts setting on an outdoor broadcast production.

This point was driven home to Emmy Award winning lighting designer/director Jon Kusner on 6 June, when he lit the grand reopening of the Michigan Central Station, a 90-plus minute event that started in the early evening, and featured stars like Eminem, Diana Ross, Jack White, Big Sean and Jelly Roll, as the sky darkened.

The tallest railway station in the world when it opened in 1914, the 230ft-high Beaux-Arts building was abandoned in the 1980s; its decaying façade quickly becoming emblematic of urban decay. Today, its

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25 July 2024

Benelux - LSC Control Systems has announced the appointment of Controllux as its new exclusive distribution partner for the Benelux region (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg). The Australian manufacturer, which was acquired by Czech Republic-based Robe earlier this year, has been designing and manufacturing innovative lighting and power control solutions for more than four decades.

Controllux is a long-established and well-respected presence in the Benelux region’s entertainment market. A full-system integrator and distributor, it represents a broad range of professional lighting brands including Robe, ETC, Astera, ARRI and Prolyte. Operating across the theatre, television & film, entertainment and architectural lighting markets, the company has become a one-stop source for professional lighting expertise and systems integration solutions.

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25 July 2024

UK - Shangri-La - a festival within a festival that is entirely dedicated to creativity, arts, and underground and independent culture - has been a special area at Glastonbury for many years now. It is where the NowHere stage is located and where fans of electronic music feel like they’re in a club. For the lighting set-up, designer James R. Dickson from Elixir Lighting opted to use the Cameo OTOS H5 and ZENIT W600 SMD.

“The NowHere stage is very different from the festival’s other stages. Everything here revolves around electronic music and creativity,” acknowledges James R. Dickson, who – together with his company Elixir Lighting - is responsible for the lighting design, operation, and provision of lighting technology on the medium-sized stage. “Our job was to create a nightclub in the middle of a green field. To do this, we put the lights on t

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25 July 2024

Germany - Prolights products illuminate the Church of the Holy Spirit in Bielefeld, a modern octagonal structure with slender columns and coloured stained-glass windows, which has undergone a significant technological renovation.

This project aimed to improve and expand the media usage possibilities within the church, with a particular focus on the lighting setup. The new lighting, designed by the Schröder & Partner design studio under the guidance of project manager Jan Wöhning, introduced a versatile and innovative lighting system that enhances the architectural beauty and liturgical symbolism of the church.

“The church mainly had obsolete lighting technology, which we replaced with more modern LED technology, promoting energy efficiency. The church also asked us to emphasise the colours of the liturgical year (green, red, purple) through c

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24 July 2024

UK - Currently running at the Ambassadors Theatre in London’s West End, Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder! is an award-winning musical comedy which follows Kathy & Stella - hosts of Hull’s least successful true crime podcast. However, when their favourite author is killed, the pair find themselves thrust into a thrilling whodunnit of their own.

The show features a lighting design by Peter Small who approached White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, to supply his rig, having previously done so for the show’s Bristol and Manchester run. For the London production, an addition to the rig included the Macula remote follow-spot System - distributed in the UK by Sound Technology - making the show the first in West End history to use this new technology.

Kathy & Stella arrives in London following its previous sell-out r

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24 July 2024

USA - In late 2016, Intelligent Lighting Creations (ILC) of Arlington Heights, Illinois, made a pivotal investment in Elation's first-generation Proteus series of IP-rated lighting. The acquisition of the IP65 Proteus Beam marked the beginning of a transformative journey.

Scott Falbe, who founded ILC over 30 years ago, recalls the early days when outdoor lighting meant wrapping indoor fixtures in rain gear. “Initially, it was all about covering indoor fixtures in domes or plastic so we could use them outdoors,” he says. “Eventually we invested in some of the early IP-rated fixtures like the Elation Level Q7IP PAR light. Then, when Proteus hit the market, it fundamentally changed the way we do outdoor shows.”

ILC became a shop known for its outdoor accoutrement and was the first to embrace the Proteus line, debuting it on the Lightswitch proje

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24 July 2024

UK - People arrived at the Bethel Convention Centre in Birmingham early for Zimbabwe-born gospel worshipper Eleana Makombe’s Grateful Concert in June.  Coming from across the UK, they waited outside in line for over two hours. For them, patience was a virtue, something that would make the time pass easier.

Blessing Bero, production and lighting designer for the African star’s widely anticipated show, was still sourcing gear just two days before load-in due to circumstances beyond his control.

Bero, who is a Zimbabwean based lighting designer with Events Evolution, responded to this pressure-packed situation with calm. Working his industry contacts, he was hooked up with SJ Grevett of DMX Productions.

“DMX Productions did an amazing job under pressure,” said Bero. “Their people were extremely helpful, as was the crew at the conventi

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23 July 2024

UK - Ben Stephen has joined the Lamp & Pencil team as head of projects & engagement.  Ben will oversee the upcoming expansion of the projects team as well as leading the customer facing aspects of the other facets of the business including training, sales & hire. 

Ben reinforces the existing team's wide range of skills, knowledge and experience and will expand Lamp & Pencil's existing work as an industry supporter through participation in many committees and other activities.

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23 July 2024

UAE - Dubai-based Spectrum Entertainment Services LLC has been an advocate of Ayrton lighting fixtures since its first investment in 2022 when it started building its stock with 100 Ayrton Cobra, 50 MagicBlade FX and 24 Zonda 9 FX units.

“The Cobra was an absolute must, especially for our outdoor events, in areas like AlUla in Saudi Arabia,” says Spectrum Entertainment Services LLC lighting designer, Andre Westraad. “The harsh outdoor conditions can be very tough on fixtures and we needed a solution that can handle all of the elements, plus being very bright and versatile at the same time.

“This year we began a search for a replacement for our workhorse profile fixtures. We also needed an upgrade in our LED Wash area as well. We had to keep in mind we need a product that is not just IP rated, but can take the punch when installed outside for

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23 July 2024

Ukraine - Popular rock band Karta Svitu launched their new album The Space of Important Things with a high-profile, hi-energy showcase gig at the Bel Etage venue in Kyiv, which was recorded for subsequent broadcast.

The show was directed by Mari Pogrebynska and Pavlo Zakrevskyi and included eye-catching lighting designed by Anton Semeniuk who utilised 32 x Robe Spikie moving lights, six ColorWash 575s and a BMFL Follow Spot controlled via a RoboSpot system among other lights, all supplied by lighting rental company, Alight.

Like everything in Ukraine, the show, production and entertainment industry has adapted to the realities of wartime, and while Alight has moved much of its equipment inventory to Poland for the moment – for obvious reasons – Anton explained that he was still very keen to use whatever Robe kit was available at the time

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22 July 2024

Spain - Estopa is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a tour that is making a mark in every city they visit. One of the highlights of the duo’s celebration is the impressive stage production, featuring lighting designed by Juanjo Beloqui and a team supplied by Fluge Audiovisuales. Stonex, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for Spain, is also represented during the tour through the presence of Ayrton Eurus and Perseo fixtures.

Having toured the United States and Latin America, they are currently visiting Spanish cities including Valencia, Seville, Madrid, and Bilbao, filling stadiums and creating an unforgettable show with lighting tailored to each of the venues. From Civitas Metropolitano to Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, this 25th-anniversary tour has reached new heights.

Included in the tour’s lighting fixture selection are 60

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19 July 2024

Europe - AC/DC kicked off their Power Up tour on 17 May in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Patrick Woodroffe and Terry Cook of Woodroffe Bassett Design worked on the production design for this widely anticipated tour.

“We wanted the stage lighting and video to work together and feel as one,” said Cook, who is the lighting designer for the tour, whilst Woodroffe serves as its creative director. “We knew from the start that we would have screens that opened to allow the look of the show to grow. The show concept was to start with a video intro, something the AC/DC fans love and want. We want to make it feel personal to them, so we localize the video at each venue.

“When the show starts, our first camera shots are of the fans, as this tour is all about the music and the fans. As the show continues, we want the stage to grow, which why the video

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19 July 2024

USA - AJR - Adam, Jack & Ryan Met’s current Maybe Man campaign which started at the end of 2023 and continues throughout this year. For the tour, Ezra Donellan of Moon Bolt Designs specified over 200 Robe moving lights, including 83 x Fortes, 88 x Tetra2s, 44 x Tetra1s and 32 x Spiiders, all delivered by Gateway Studios & Production Services (GSPS).

AJR comes with a fully realised visual concept and production design created by Mitchell Schellinger of Station Six, which is a combination of his and the band’s ideas. “It’s a very invigorating way to work,” comments Ezra on the collaborative nature of the design process. “There are challenges, and we all enjoy dealing with these and finding the best solutions.”

On tour, there’s a prominent curved video screen upstage, and a downstage ‘vanish’ screen divided into six sections,

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18 July 2024

South Africa - 2024 was the second year that South African lighting designer Renaldo van den Berg has lit the prestigious Metro FM Awards, which is a leading celebration of African musical talent and creativity.

Renaldo specified over 200 Robe moving lights to ensure that the high-energy-high-profile live broadcast on SABC was enjoyed by a massive TV audience as well as several thousand excited music fans catching the action in Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

This year, 19 awards were presented, with the lifetime achievement award going to Oskido, and multiple live performances followed the awards, with a full-on festival-style concert offering another glittering line up of Africa’s finest.

Johannesburg-based MGG Productions supplied a full technical, structural and set solution and Renaldo collaborated closely with MGG’s technical stylist

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18 July 2024

Spain - The open-air festival series I Love Reggaeton was held in Valencia and Madrid from the end of May to the beginning of June. Acts including Maldy, Nacho, and many more played in front of nearly 30,000 spectators on the impressive main stage, which provided the platform for an equally spectacular lighting design thanks to its sharp, pyramid-shaped truss structures. The star of the lighting rig was the Cameo PIXBAR 400 IP G2 LED bar.

Two hundred and thirty-six PIXBAR 400 IP G2s were required to trace the contours of the stage measuring approximately 50m in width and up to 20m in height.

“The purpose of the festival is to offer a comprehensive audiovisual experience,” explains Efrain Andrade from Spanish rental service provider Fluge Audiovisuales. “This meant the lighting design had to be an absolute eye-catcher. With the PIXBAR 4

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18 July 2024

USA - The unveiling of the new Mercedes G-Class all electric wagon – produced by Team X - at Franklin Canyon Park in Beverly Hills featured a performance by Travis Scott. The Grammy-winning, platinum artist was driven out in the new Mercedes on a platform that appeared to be floating in the lake.

Seth Bernstein, who led the lighting team, used 68 Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes supplied by Volt Lites. He described what went into making this memorable experience a reality: “This was an impressive accomplishment. Scuba divers built an elevated stage in the park’s decommissioned reservoir. This presented immense challenges, as we didn’t want to distract from the beauty of the environment with excessively visible fixtures or positions. 

“Also, the audience walked in during the last hour of daylight, so we wanted to

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18 July 2024

Canada - CAST Group, creators of Wysiwyg design software, has announced all training resources available through the CAST Academy are now free for all, effective immediately.

"We believe that the key to innovation and progress lies in education," said David Ferraz, international business development manager. By making our Academy training resources free, we are ensuring that everyone can master their skills and excel in lighting design. Our goal is to support the design community in reaching their highest potential."

The CAST Academy offers a comprehensive library of training videos designed to cater to users of all skill levels as well as webinars from professional lighting designers such as Tim Routledge, Durham Marenghi, and John Rayment.

"We are always listening to our users and striving to enhance their experience with our software," Dav

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18 July 2024

Spain - One of Spain’s most prominent lighting designers, Xavier Costas, a member of the Asociación de Autores de Iluminación (AAI), has been a cornerstone in the AV industry for many years. With a career spanning television, corporate events, architectural, theatre, and musical events, Xavier has made a significant mark both in Spain and internationally and turns to Obsidian’s Onyx lighting control platform to bring his visionary designs to life.

Xavier’s journey with Onyx began over two decades ago and over the years, he has witnessed its evolution. “Onyx has changed over time and has adapted to new technologies and the demands of programmers,” he reflects. “Right now, I really like the intuitive aspect of the desk, how easily you can patch the products or fixtures you use in your designs.

“I also like the labelling and symbols, whi

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17 July 2024

UK - The Arcadia stage at Glastonbury Festival, presented annually by a collective of creatives, engineers, programmers and technicians, is one of the most recognised festival stages in the world.

This year, in place of its celebrated flame-throwing, laser-packed Spider, engineered from recycled heavy machinery, Arcadia unveiled The Dragonfly. The sculpture, which was built from a retired military helicopter and scrapped excavators, saw artists including Fat Boy Slim and Eric Prydz perform from its dazzling head. This, in turn, featured a pair of glittering compound eyes moulded from a tangram of video screens.

Video Illusions, as one of the Arcadia team’s long-term collaborators, was invited to design and manufacture a bespoke LED panel featuring a near-invisible structural framework and control. The brief further demanded that the screens be low-

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17 July 2024

Germany - NicLen continues to rely on Cameo in 2024, with its latest investment being the new ORON H2 phosphor laser moving head which is now available in large quantities to all NicLen customers.

The Cameo ORON H2 is based on a 260-watt phosphor laser engine, which acts as an energy-efficient and long-lasting replacement for discharge lamps in the 480-watt class. With its combination of beam, spot and wash, and an unrivalled zoom range of 0.6° to 32° for laser moving heads, the IP65-capable ORON H2 is suitable for flexible use on medium and large stages – both indoors and outdoors. It features19 fixed and 12 rotating gobos as well as two combinable effect wheels with six prisms, beam ovalisers and frost filters.

“In recent years, Cameo has continuously expanded its portfolio and closed individual gaps in a targeted manner,” explains NicLen m

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16 July 2024

Germany - Cologne-based motion design and show development studio, visualprime, is used to doing things on a large scale, and Hannover’s Fairground Festival of electronic music is no exception. The second iteration of this relatively new festival – already classed as Germany’s third-largest indoor festival - took place in the cavernous spaces of the Hannover exhibition halls hosting 40,000 party-goers over two remarkable days.

A line up of top international EDM acts included headliners Paul Kalkbrenner, Ben Böhmer, Jan Blomqvist, Stephan Bodzin, ArtBat, Camelphat and Charlotte de Witt.

visualprime lighting designer, Tobias Reinartz, employed over 100 Ayrton fixtures to inject dynamism, colour and striking linear arrays across the stage and dance floor, choosing 84 laser-sourced Cobra fixtures rigged overhead throughout the hall for dramatic be