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14 May 2024

South Africa – Hit TV series The Masked Singer kicked off its second season in South Africa in April with 16 celebrities battling it out in flamboyant costumes to hide their identities. The production team ramped up the staging, lighting, and visuals for the 2024 contest using tvONE’s Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers alongside a grandMA3 console to create epic projections and LED screen animations.

On stage, a 11m x 4m 2.9 pixel pitch Absen LED main wall backed each performer, displaying custom-made content designed in collaboration with The Masked Singer South Africa creative director Barry Pretorius, and set designer Michael Gill. In addition, there were two 2m x 4m LED walls for Unreal Engine 3D effects rigged behind two stage left and right mask-shaped surfaces, which were projection mapped using the Boreal+ MK2 via

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14 May 2024

UK - The Backlot Cinema in Blackpool aims to ‘offer a cinematic wonderland, blending local stories with global narratives offering a diverse selection of films’.

The Backlot is also a community hub, committed to bringing people together through the power of entertainment media. Beyond the big screen, The Backlot actively engages with the Blackpool community through local partnerships, community events, and educational outreach programs.

Lancashire based AV integrator, AV2events was appointed to design and install the audio system for this venue.

Lee Wilson, managing director of AV2events, remarks, "With its complex structure and multiple zones, we needed equipment that was not only reliable but also capable of mass flexibility, to meet the customer’s needs. We turned to Audiologic for their guidance, support, and in-depth knowledge, to

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14 May 2024

South Africa - Stage Audio Works was recently enlisted to reinvent the video infrastructure inside South Africa’s Moreleta Church. Known for housing one of the largest auditoriums in the country – with over 7,000 seats for the congregation - Moreleta welcomes both in-person and online worshippers every weekend.  

“We had been talking to the client for several months about upgrading their current video system,” says Stage Audio Works’ Lee Thomson. “They were considering an overall video upgrade for centre, left and right screens, so the first phase of the project included two new side screens, two cameras and a new video-switching solution.”  

Moreleta Church opens its doors twice every Sunday – at 9am and at 5pm. Additionally, the church also hosts dozens of external events across the calendar year, so having a video system that w

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13 May 2024

USA - The Coachella Festival’s Do LaB electronic music stage beat stronger than ever this year, thanks to a new open-air stage design featuring a Meyer Sound Panther large-format linear line array loudspeaker system.

Since 2005, Do LaB, created by brothers Dede, Jesse, and Josh Flemming, has brought elements of underground culture, spontaneity, and community-driven experiences to Coachella, drawing on its founders’ roots in Southern California’s festival and art scene to provide a prime destination for festivalgoers and headlining artists alike.

At this year’s festival, which took over Indio, CA’s Empire Polo Club on the weekends of 11-13 and 19–21April, Do LaB hosted nonstop performances from the likes of Chase & Status, Alesso, Anna Lunoe, and DJ Tennis, plus surprise appearances including back-to-back sets by Kaskade and Alison Won

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13 May 2024

The Netherlands - Tilburg University campus which specialises in artificial intelligence, social and behavioural sciences, recently upgraded its DAF Technology Lab to revolutionise the way its students learn and collaborate.

Expanding the possibilities of immersive education and innovative research, two CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) systems with VR opportunities and 360º sound from Genelec now call Tilburg home. In a project that aims to positively impact education and training, Genelec’s Smart IP series of networked loudspeakers brought real-life audio to a notably complex installation. 

Max Louwerse, professor of cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence at Tilburg University – and founder and scientific director of the DAF Technology Lab – has been a big advocate of this new type of immersive learning. In several publica

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13 May 2024

USA - Working with lighting designer Roger Gant, Montreal-based visual design company Lüz studio oversaw the lighting design, creative design and video content for Billy Strings’ ongoing US tour and festival dates, which feature Ayrton fixtures, grandMA3 consoles and MDG theONE atmospheric generators provided by Bandit Lites in Nashville.  ACT Entertainment exclusively distributes all three product brands in North America.

The singer, songwriter and bluegrass star’s current tour commenced in Asheville, North Carolina in February. Dates are booked nationwide through April and May, there’s a break in June and July for a trio of festival performances, then the tour resumes for a summer leg that wraps at LA’s Kia Forum. Billy Strings’ 2024 tour is in support of his Grammy-nominated collaborative album with his father, ME/AND/DAD.

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13 May 2024

Canada - For Winnipeg’s large French-speaking community, the Franco-Manitobain Cultural Centre (CCFM) serves as an important cultural gathering spot for events and celebrations. CCFM recently marked its 50th Anniversary in grand fashion with a dazzling show featuring a production design by Red Rover Entertainment and illuminated by Elation lighting.

With two large-scale shows as well as several smaller events on the schedule, the venue’s year-long anniversary celebration commemorates the rich cultural heritage of Winnipeg’s francophone community across five decades. For a special anniversary show that took place 19 April, several francophone artists who have graced the CCFM stage over the past 50 years, old and young talent alike, were invited to perform backed by a house band.

Jon Stanners, who has operated Red Rover Entertainment in Winnipeg

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10 May 2024

USA - Don’s Seafood is an institution around Ascension Parish, famous for its Zydeco Shrimp, Fried Allegator, and other Cajun delicacies. But it’s been a long time since Don’s did the kind of business it did on 5-6 April. According to its owner, the 90-year-old restaurant saw more than $20,000 in additional sales that weekend.

The story at Don’s was repeated throughout Gonzales, a Louisiana town of roughly 13,000 people, as every place from the local hotel to the service station and cowboy boots store did more business. That’s exactly just what the folks at 46 Entertainment and Peach Tree Entertainment were hoping for when they put together Rock The Country, a series of two-day festivals intended to give an economic boost to seven hard-hit small towns across the South.

Appearing at the series inaugural event, which took place just a few mil

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10 May 2024

Italy - After participating in Sanremo 2024, Roman singer-songwriter Gazzelle, exponent of Italian indie pop, left for the Inside X always tour, with a total of 12 dates throughout Italy.

Lighting designer Andrea Arlotti chose to use the innovative and powerful Ayrton Rivale Profile, the most versatile fixture in the Ayrton range, equipped with continuous rotation of the pan and tilt movement.

“I chose Ayrton because it is top of the range equipment, and supplied by Mister X,” he says. “I positioned the Rivale Profile in the hanging trusses and use them mainly for effect lighting during the songs. They have high definition and excellent beam brightness.

“The concept echoes that of Rome’s 2023 Olympic stadium repurposed as a sports hall. A simple but very direct concept, with large screens and linear trusses, to directly convey the e

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10 May 2024

UK - ETC dealer Stage Electrics has supplied ColorSource Spot Jr fixtures to upgrade the lighting in London’s Park Theatre.

Park Theatre is a local venue in north London which houses two performance and rehearsal spaces that showcase a diverse mix of new and emerging productions. The team at the theatre were looking to upgrade the existing lighting rig to LED as part of an initiative to reduce tungsten and also make a more sustainable investment for the future. ETC’s affordable ColorSource Spot Jr was the preferred choice – with 14 of the fixtures being selected for the theatre.

The compact yet powerful nature of ColorSource Spot Jr was just one of the reasons that made it a good solution for the venue as the theatre space features a thrust stage whereby many of the fixtures hang in close proximity to the audience. The fixture’s built-in zoom

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10 May 2024

New Zealand - Lighting designer Jo Kilgour created the lighting design for Hatupatu / Kurungaituku: a forbidden love, a new aerial dance work produced by Aotearoa’s kaupapa Māori theatre company, Taki Rua Productions. The work, written by creative director Tānemahuta Gray and Kapa Haka by Wētini Mītai-Ngātai, premiered at the Tãwhiri Warehouse in Wellington as part of the 2024 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.

Eighteen Robe T1 PCs and 10 x LEDWash 600 wash beams made up an integral part of Jo’s lighting rig, which was supplied to this production by Wellington-based rental company, Grouse Lighting, and project managed by Cameron Nicholls with the assistance of Riley Gibson.

The immersive storytelling was presented in traverse, with the audience standing either side of a central 1.5m-high runway stage, relating the tale of w

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10 May 2024

The Netherlands - When Easter is approaching, many people are busy trying to decide how they want to spend their long weekend off, but for the employees at Stagelight, they are already busy working on one of first major music festivals in the Dutch calendar. Paaspop is a three-day festival that takes place in Schijndel on Easter weekend each year, but the build-up starts much earlier.

Each stage at the festival not only has to be built from scratch, but also equipped with sound and lighting equipment worthy of some of the biggest national and international acts. This year’s event saw names like Anouk, Editors and Tiësto among the headliners.

Stagelight has been providing Paaspop with lighting equipment for a long time and this year was no exception. In total, project manager Hermen Klerks selected a grand total of 1,310 light fixtures from Infinit

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09 May 2024

South Africa - Cape Town’s nightscape has been enriched with the recent addition of Halo; a premium nightclub experience that combines opulent design with cutting edge technology, including a Funktion-One sound system from the loudspeaker manufacturer’s distributor for South Africa, Phuture Sound.

Completed at the end of 2023 and opened shortly after, Halo is Cape Town’s newly envisioned nightclub that combines world-class sound, custom acoustic treatment (by Supersonic), and opulent interior design (by Conduit Interior). Stepping into the space offers partygoers sensory immersion and removal from the everyday, with leading domestic and international DJs providing the soundtrack.

“There is typically a tug-of-war in setting up a new venue between what sounds good and what looks good,” says Phuture Sound’s Anton Sinovich. “But Halo is pro

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09 May 2024

Kenya - Located near the centre of the city, the new five-star Kwetu Nairobi is a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel. Opened this spring, the hotel offers wide-ranging facilities which cater for guests and businesses alike. Kwetu boasts more 100 guest rooms and 10 meeting rooms, complemented by a fitness centre, bars, restaurants, and entertainment spaces.

To fully meet the demands of its broad range of users, an investment in high-quality technology was essential. The audio element covered an extensive remit, and was entirely supplied by UK-based specialist Audio Feed, who worked closely with integrators Frontier Audio Africa to deliver the systems.

The project deployed a range of MC² Delta amplification, with and without DSP, throughout.

Oz Jefferies of Audio Feed comments: “We have a longstanding relationship with MC² Audio and have used

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09 May 2024

UK - When Belfast Distillery Company set out to preserve the legacy of McConnell’s Irish Whisky - a brand that dates back to 1776 - they decided to take over the A-Wing of Crumlin Road Gaol, and convert it into a visitor attraction to run alongside its production activities.

Built in 1845, the Gaol was renowned for housing a number of key figures during The Troubles, but this listed building has now been carefully restored and converted, with a modern AV installation - including end-to-end Martin Audio loudspeakers, designed and specified by the manufacturer’s partner for over 40 years, Rea Sound.

Martin Audio had in fact been requested by the clients themselves - notably their master distiller & head of supply & operations, Graeme Millar. According to Rea Sound director, Roger McMullan, as a gigging musician, Millar had fallen in love wi

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08 May 2024

Europe - Berlin-based Kontra K, the rapper who tops the German hip-hop scene, has toured arenas across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg throughout February and March.

Lighting designer, Marcus Herzog, specified 112 Ayrton Eurus Profile fixtures for his lighting design on a stage designed by Kriss Hinrichsen for this tour. The Eurus Profiles were provided by the tour’s lighting supplier, BBM Clair.

Herzog explain why they chose the Eurus Profile for his very unusual design which involved a number of automated overhead lighting pods and video walls, as well as more conventional lighting positions: “We decided on the Eurus because of the exceptionally high light output and the flexibility of the lamp,” he explains.

“The majority of the fixtures are installed in six pods, which are arranged in a semi-circular arch above the st

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08 May 2024

USA - Three lighting design students from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) recently had the opportunity to work with Elation Proteus Lucius and Fuze Wash Z350 moving head luminaires on Winter Works, a dance production featuring three original works by three professional choreographers from the UCSD dance faculty.

Produced yearly by the school’s Theatre & Dance Department, Winter Works specialises in dance repertory production. This year, Taylor Olson, Elba Emicente, and Vida Huang collaborated with choreographers Kara Mack, Ana María Álvarez, and Dr. Grace Shinhae Jun, respectively, on the performances. The productions, which involved a large cast of student performers, were showcased from 15-17 March at the 400-seat Mandell Weiss Forum on the UCSD campus.

Taylor Olson, an MFA lighting designer at UCSD, who lit

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08 May 2024

USA - A Void Acoustics audio system has been installed by i.e. Smart Systems at Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s new Texas headquarters. Constructed over the span of two years, the new campus spans two five-story buildings and boasts a sprawling 440,000sq.ft rentable space.

Designed and constructed during COVID, HPE wanted an empowering space that enables its people to do their best work. Located in Spring, Texas, HPE’s new campus has become a high-tech haven for visitors and over 2,200 HPE team members. i.e. Smart Systems was tasked with crafting an interactive and immersive space, spotlighting HPE’s industry-leading capabilities while delivering a memorable experience.

i.e. Smart Systems recommended Void to HPE. The seamless installation of Void's speakers by Smart Systems' installation team resulted in a vibrant audio landscape that has exceeded

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08 May 2024

Canada - The Big Air Show ski/snowboarding event at the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ontario, featured a fast moving and colourful lighting design created with Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Production Service Industries (PSI).

Lighting designer Andrew Dawson and production manager/co-designer Matt Chambers lined each side of the 200ft landing with five towers, separated by about 50ft. Each tower had three Color STRIKE M motorized wash-strobes and a single Rogue Outcast 2X Wash on top.

Drawing on the intense output and colour rendering prowess of these fixtures, the designers created a series of distinct and colourful looks for the 20-to-30 skier and snowboarder jumpers who participated every night.

“We broke our colour combinations down into a few segments,” said Dawson. “This year's show featured a ‘competition mo

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08 May 2024

Germany - The Hannover State Opera selected Prolights Astra Hybrid330 to light up the 2024 Opera Ball, held under the theme Let the Sunshine In. The event drew over 3,330 guests and showcased a range of musical performances, from classical to modern, necessitating a flexible and adaptable lighting system.

The Astra Hybrid330 proved to be up to the challenge with their hybrid design, which includes both beam and spot capabilities, a wide zoom range, and CMY colour mixing, enabling seamless transitions between different styles of performance.

Positioned 12m above the main stage, these spotlights provided an exceptional performance under the direction of lighting designer Fabian Grohmann who shared his enthusiasm for the Astra Hybrid330: "I was truly amazed by their capability. Despite their compact size, the Astra Hybrid330 spotlights are incr

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07 May 2024

Australia - Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius at The Lume Melbourne, located in the Melbourne Convention Centre, is an immersive exhibition created and produced by Grande Experiences with Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the custodians of Leonardo’s original manuscripts, the Codex Atlanticus, housed in Milan. The gateway to Leonardo's life and legacy is a colossal 3,000 sqm/ four-story high multisensory gallery that envelops visitors in an immersive journey, engaging all the senses with sights, sounds, scents, touch and taste that recreate the ambiance of the Renaissance.

Craig Smith, Grande Experiences' head of production, operations & technology comments, “Several years ago, when looking for a spatial audio solution for The Lume Melbourne, aFX Global and Encircled were among the first companies we spoke to. IOSONO quickly became the

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07 May 2024

USA - Rat Sound Systems continues its tradition of delivering quality audio experiences at Coachella and Stagecoach festivals. With the Outline Newton FPGA-based processing platform powering the festival’s audio systems for another successful year, Rat Sound Systems reaffirms its commitment maintaining standards in live sound reinforcement.

Since its debut at Coachella in 2019, the Outline Newton processor has been a cornerstone of Rat Sound Systems’ audio setup. Dave Rat, sound system designer, sound engineer and president of Rat Sound Systems, highlights the critical role of the Newton processor in their audio distribution: “We use Newton in our master distribution racks. I do believe all of our stages have it as we use the Newton to tie into the event security override system with the GPIO.

“The racks they’re in are our master drive rack

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07 May 2024

Italy – The Laugh-Out-Loud funny LOL Talent Show returned this spring with audiences entertained by comedians who performed in theatres in Milan, Naples, and Rome. On stage, an eight-metre-high backdrop displayed pixel dot imagery, with LED strip ‘LOL’ lettering all driven by a Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 V4 from tvONE.

The upstage screen in designer Francesco Mari’s colourful set was created entirely from RGB programmable light chains - pixel dots - with a 20cm pitch, which was customized by E-Kube Srl with help of Modena-based real-time LED expert DigiLight. This created a ‘curtain’ that acted as a background ‘matrix’ screen. The three wooden LOL letters were rigged with Philips iColorFlex LEDs, covered with opal plastic cabochons. The outline of the letters was illuminated by a programmable RGBW LED strip, while the letter

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07 May 2024

USA - Light Action of Wilmington, Delaware, acknowledges that they have one of the best gigs in the industry. Each year for more than a decade, they’ve provided full-service production for a string of legacy acts on Rock Legends Cruise, a floating rock festival with a cause that sails the Caribbean every February. For years they have relied on Elation lighting to illuminate multiple stages and this year turned to newly acquired Proteus Lucius LED profile fixtures to raise the production even further.

“Gigs don’t get much better than this one,” stated Brian Market, COO at Light Action. “We have a great client in the Native American Heritage Association, it’s a great cause, and there is literally a boatload of rock talent on board. People love it so much they come year after year, and we help keep it exciting for them with top level production on t