UK - freelanceColony, the UK's first dedicated on-line resource for the AV industry, has officially gone live. Brainchild of industry veteran Antony Drew, the new website allows freelance members to record their specialities, daily or hourly rates and availability online. Business users can then subscribe to search for freelancers from the comprehensive members' database.

Freelancer profiles can be viewed by speciality, day rate, and ability while the site'sup-to-date availability feature allows resources to be optimised, keeping the project management process flowing freely. The web and SMS text-based service allows businesses to issue a text alert when they require support to which interested freelancers can respond direct, In return, FreelanceColony members can also use the Internet Browser or SMS text to keep their personal calendar up to date.

As freelanceColony is access

UK - Production Gear - broadcast and professional production equipmentdealer and distributor has moved into larger premises at Millennium Studios in Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

With excellent road/rail access the companies new head office benefits from a showroom which is stocked with a wide range of products including tripods, lights, audio, lens accessories and more.

Since the beginning of the year Production Gear has secured UK distributorships with Sachtler, Oconnor, Chrosziel, Panther, Cavision, Easyrig, Bebob, Zunow and ERG. Production Gear are also authorized UK resellers for many other brands.

Improved workshop facilities reflect the companies recent accreditation and commitment as a Sachtler Authorised Service Centre and are instrumental in the development of future products including the newly released range of HDV lens mount adapters.

An online shop

UK - Legendary guitarist Gary Moore will star in the charity music spectacular being held in Horam, East Sussex this summer. The ex-Thin Lizzy member, who recently accompanied BB King on the blues legend's farewell UK tour, will be headlining the 'Super Jam' session at Vibes from the Vines, at Hidden Spring Vineyard on Saturday, 12 August.

All proceeds from the one-day outdoor concert in Horam will go to Cancer Research UK. Gary, who recently released the album Old New Ballads Blues, will be joined by a host of other famous names including fellow guitarist Ray Russell, Mo Foster on bass, and drummer Gary Husband of Level 42.

The line-up for the day also includes percussionist Pete Lockett, who has played with Peter Gabriel and Robert Plant; John Helliwell, sax player from Supertramp; Leee John, lead singer of Imagination. Other guests include the Led Zeppelin tribute ba

UK - XL Video supplied lighting designer Nick Jevons and his company Electric Fly productions with over 7000 Barco Mi-Sphere elements for Radio One's largest One Big Weekend to date - in Dundee.

The event kicked off the glorious 2006 UK festival season in style with a powerful line up, including Snow Patrol, Muse, The Streets, Razorlight, Primal Scream, Bloc Party, Dirty Pretty Things and many more.

The Mi-Spheres are a customised LED product originally manufactured for U2's epic Vertigo Tour, when they were hung as giant low resolution roll drop fixtures. This is the first time they have been used in an alternative context, and XL undertook several modifications to ensure they worked with Jevons innovative design.

Jevons has produced creative lighting and video visuals for the One Big Weekend since it started. This year he titled the work "Eclectricity&qu

UK - Stage Electrics is continuing its program of safety training courses tailored to the entertainment industry with more scheduled in July.

The four safety training courses will be held at the Birmingham Hippodrome from the 3 - 6 July and will include: Basic Health and Safety, Pyrotechnics Safety Awareness, Electricity At Work - The Entertainment Environment and Working At Height Regulations/Tallescopes & Ladders.

Stage Electrics is committed to raising standards in Health & Safety across our industry and is working closely with many other agencies to establish a recognised series of training courses that will improve standards, increase safety and promote the health of all those working in the industry.

Successful completion of the Pyrotechnics Safety awareness entitles free membership to the Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians (ASP).

Courses cost from £120 + VAT

UK - Over four mad days at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Blitz installed and de-rigged four sparkling award events back to back. The four awards in chronological order were: The Publican Awards; Design Week Awards; Money Marketing Financial Services Awards and the IVCA Awards.

For the first event, The Publican Awards, Blitz was commissioned by H2 Business Communication's Anthony Chilton, to provide the technical expertise for an event which played to a capacity crowd for dinner - some 1800 seated guests. Due to the large audience the stage was just 10' x 10' and the set included four new Panasonic projectors, projecting on to a cuboid 'Boxing Ring' consisting of four 14' x 7'6"' screens suspended from truss in the centre of the room. Blitz also provided audio equipment and operating crew to complement the in-house kit. Rigging started at 4am on the day of

UK - Midlands based Hawthorn was chosen as lighting supplier for The Charlatans 2006 UK tour, which is promoting their new album Simpatico released in April. Working once again with LD Andy Liddle, Hawthorns supplied lighting, rigging, video and crew for the first leg of the UK tour which covers 18 venues in just three weeks.

Liddle specified a ground based rigging system specifically to offer maximum flexibility to cope with the differing sizes and heights of the 18 venues. The modular system specified is quick to install and very easy adapt to make the most of the tight get in times.

Lighting included the Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1200 along with Alpha Spot wash lights and Thomas LED fixtures.

Liddle's video clips were projected onto two of Hawthorn's stretch Impact Screens, offering a variation from the traditional rectangular projection screens, and more importantly, g

UK - The first Stage Electrics Tradeshow held at RADA on Tuesday 16 May was a success, the company reports, with a wide range of products on show from industry leading manufacturers.

Stage Electrics worked with Matt Prentice and colleagues at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to present the tradeshow in the Vanbrugh Theatre.The event attracted a 60% increase in visitor numbers compared to the company's open day at its branch in Long Lane in May 2005.

Stage Electrics' major suppliers were on hand to demonstrate their latest products. Exhibiting at the show were Martin, Rosco, Zero88, Strand, ETC, Selecon, Mackie, Sennheiser, Le Maitre & Pulsar. The new Limelight XS-2000 Xenonspot together with Prolyte, Teclumen and Apollo products were presented by Stage Electrics business development managers Andy Elsegood and Ed Gamble.

Matt Prentice Head of Lighting Design at RADA says:&qu

UK - Entertainment lighting supplier White Light have announced its support of the 2006 Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference, to be held in London on June 11-13, immediately prior to the 2006 ABTT Trade Show at which White Light will be exhibiting.

Last held in 2002, the Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference brings together the many practitioners involved in creating successful performance spaces, from initial brief and financial planning right through to completion of the facility and opening it on time. Over two days, the conference will hold discussions on everything from designing a proscenium arch zone that will satisfy lighting designers, sound designers, directors, performers and the audience to the changes in culture that new arts buildings can bring.

White Light's involvement with the Conference reflects its continuing expansi

UK - PLASA, the Professional Lighting and Sound Association, has announced that the next meeting of its Manufacturers Forum will take place on Tuesday 18 July at the DTI Conference Centre in central London. The Forum, which was established in 2005 to allow PLASA to better understand the issues faced by its manufacturing members, is open to any member company who wishes to attend.

One of the dominant themes of the first few Forums has been that of manufacturers feeling the squeeze with legislation getting ever more complex and price competition intensifying. The twin directives of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Regulations) - two new Environmental Regulations about to be implemented into UK law - are likely to have a major impact on manufacturers.

As part of its strategy for the next 12 months, PLASA is

Germany/ U.A.E. - Klotz Digital AG, the inventor of audio and control networking solutions for the audio and media Industry, announced today that it has joined forces with CG Group Dubai, a well known distributor of integrated high-tech solutions in the Middle East. CG Group Dubai will with immediate effect offer service and support and sell Klotz Digital complete product range, including Varizone - the digital Public Address and Voice Evacuation System as well as Klotz Digital's wide range of mixing consoles and audio routers for the broadcast industry in GCC countries, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

"This strategic alliance provides tremendous opportunities for both companies. It will facilitate us to expand and ensure our market presence in this region, while CG Group seized the chance to round off its product range for the security market and breaks into the promising

UK / France - On 2 June 2006 at around 4.00pm, approximately 25 cyclists will depart from Leatherhead in Surrey with a target of reaching Le Mans in 24 hours - a distance of about 170 miles. One of the cyclists will be Jonathan Cooper, managing director of Barco Limited, and he is still seeking sponsorship support for the challenge.

The ride is organised by SeeAbility, an Epsom-based charity which provides accommodation, training and support for the visually impaired (www.seeability.org). In agreement with SeeAbility, Jonathan has also committed to raising sponsorship for Vision - a charity which provides support to visually-impaired children and also work with SeeAbility on some projects. Vision is well supported by organisations operating in the Broadcast, Media and Audio-Visual markets (www.visioncharity.co.uk).

Jonathan says: "This is a challenging event, especially a

UK - PAI and sister company Lighting Technology Projects (LTP) have completed the design, specification and commissioning of an integrated sound and AV solution and specification of interior and exterior architectural lighting at the Opera House Casino, Scarborough.

The venue is one of the most successful independently owned casinos in the country, and is a complete new build on the footprint of the former old Royal Opera House Theatre, which had a colourful history dating back to the 19th century.

After many years of dereliction, the old building was demolished in 2004 and replaced with a new construction designed by architects Frame International. Frame also created the interior design and asked PAI onboard to work closely alongside them on the specification of a complete technical infrastructure.

PAI's Paul Adams, LTP's Terry Reeves and Frame International collaborated to

Budapest - ACF Budapest will open its doors in a few months' time. This Audio Visual Creative Fair is a first in the Central Europe region and takes place from 21 to 23 November 2006 at the Europa Congress Centre.

The number of exhibitors is growing each day. At present over 30 exhibitors have already reserved their spaces including American DJ/American Audio, ADB TTV, Chromatica, Sonoss, Verbiest, Show Solutions, Meyer Sound, Laser System Europe, ADC, Barco, ZAJ/Discotechnika, Balogh Studiolighting, Mikropo Systemhouse LTD, Panasonic Madyarorszag, Rexfilm, R-Digital, Whirlwind Digital Europe, Ampco - Flashlight, Luminis, Highlite International, Doremi, Audmax, etc.

The fully renovated Hunguest Europa Congress Centre site will host exhibitors and visitors on several floors and in different halls. The Congress centre is less than half an hour from Budapest international airport

USA / Europe - XL Video continues to supply video production and equipment to the incredibly popular Il Divo tour, which kicked off the in the US and is now enjoying record audiences throughout Europe.

Video forms a simple but high impact visual component of the show, and was integrated into the overall live stage look by lighting designer Mark Cuniffe, who also shot some of the footage. The initial video aesthetics were devised by artistic director and choreographer Luca Tomassini, working closely with tour director Steve Martin and Cuniffe.

XL's crew for all sections of the tour are Richy Parkin and Mark Davies. Unusually, the four Barco R12 Plus video projectors are mounted in portrait format (i.e. on their sides) attached to specially made brackets fabricated at XL Video UK and attached to four Genie 25 Superlifts, positioned at the rear of the stage.

The lifts are wound

UK - Christie, a leading provider of visual solutions for business, entertainment and industry, introduces the world's first 3-Chip DLP High Definition projectors with native 1920x1080 resolution, the Christie HD12K, Christie HD8K, Christie HD8Kc, Christie HD5K and Christie HD5Kc. With the highest resolution in their class, the Christie HD series offers the same powerful 10-bit image processing that is at the heart of Christie digital projectors.

With brightness levels ranging from 5,000 to 12,000 ANSI lumens and 1,500-2,000:1 full field contrast ratio, the Christie HD series packs a wide range of power, flexibility and features. The new HD series models are also available with colour-corrected optics, known as the "Kc" models. Designed for the rigors of rental/staging, post-production, broadcasting and houses of worship, all five models feature built-in edge-blending,

Dubai - Xische Digital, Dubai Media City and New York-based digital studio together with MultiSell Technology announced its latest digital experience last week. In May, Harvey Nichols unveiled its latest in a series of eclectic window displays at the Mall of the Emirates, featuring a life-size puma strolling across the 6-metre window amidst cages and ruffled feathers.

"The experience of using the entire shop front as a canvas creates an extraordinary retail experience for an unassuming passerby," says Danish Farhan, chief executive of Xische Digital. "In line with Harvey Nichols' global initiative to showcase some of the most eclectic window dressing in the world, this is a first in many respects, merging the digital domain with the real world."

Designed by the award-winning team at Xische, and deployed together with Multisell Technology and AWEBCO, the ret

UK - PLASA's AGM and Members Lunch is fast approaching but, if you haven't already done so, there's still time for members to reserve a place. With nearly 200 confirmed attendees, it promises to be a really good networking event as well as the ideal opportunity to find out more about the work PLASA has been doing over the last year and its plans for the future.

Guest speaker, Alasdair Jeffrey, has some strong views about business and anyone that has seen him in action in the BBC's The Ferocious Mr Fixit will know that he delivers as a business trouble-shooter.

If you would like to join us at the Hurlingham Club on Tuesday 6 June, get in touch with PLASA today on 01323 410335 or via the e-mail address below.

(Chris Henry)

UK - Matthew Delaney has been appointed as the new sales manager at PSCo, helping to lead the team in driving forward their sales and business development activities. PSCo, a specialist in AV rental and advanced product sales, is the UK distributor of the 'nfinite plasma, 84" plasma and award winning Fogscreen. Matthew Delaney joins the team as sales manager to look after both field and office-based staff.

Matthew's extensive AV background includes working with Reflex and Steljes alike, where he gained extensive distributor and reseller experience. With a huge knowledge of system integration and technical detail at both distributor and user level, he will be a great asset to PSCo's team, say the company.

Delaney explained: "I am looking forward to working with the PSCo team as they are a company focussed on new technologies and advancing the industry with fresh ideas

UK - XL Video was commissioned by Jeff Allen at Sensible Music to supply video projection to Joan Collins' first UK theatre tour - An Evening with Joan Collins. Video designer Oliver Sones, in collaboration with the show's director Percy Gibson, was asked to produce original content for the 75-minute show, which features video and stills running throughout.

In an intimate monologue performance, Collins recalls autobiographical elements and details of her legendary career, which spans five decades as actress, author, entrepreneur and accomplished producer. XL supplied two Barco SLM G8 projectors, and a 16 x 12ft rear projection screen, hung in portrait 4:3 aspect ratio. The projectors and screen were set up each day by tour manager Claude Taylor who remarks that it was a very quick, easy and reliable system to deal with, and proved perfectly adaptable for even the smaller

USA - High End Systems has launched ArenaView, a complete turnkey multimedia presentation package for large-scale events. HES recently demonstrated the system at the American Airlines Center to open the first round of the NBA playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks and the NHL playoffs for the Dallas Stars.

HES executive vice-president Bill Morris says: "ArenaView allows venues to not only use the entire venue as a creative palette, but as a source of creative revenue for sporting events, concerts, corporate events - any event that needs a large venue to hold it."

The ArenaView package, says HES, transforms an arena or any other large space into a visual showcase by incorporating a high-output, high-resolution (12,000, 16,000, or 20,000 ANSI lumens) Christie projector with the HES mirror-based moving Orbital Head; an HES Catalyst Media Server, pre-loaded with digital conte

Belgium - Barco has announced the launch of a new addition to its OLite family of LED products.Launched at Infocomm 2006, the OLite 612 marks another leap forward in LED technology through its ultra bright light output and vastly improved contrast levels.

The new OLite 612, has a pixel pitch of 12mm and has an ultra bright light output of 6000NITs. It also features a radical new shader design which results in much darker black levels especially in broad daylight. When combined with the high brightness light output, the OLite 612 delivers vastly improved contrast levels, critical in outdoor events such as live concerts.

Built specifically for the demanding rental and staging market, the OLite 612 is designed for creative applications as well as the classic Image Magnification (IMAG) applications. Each tile can be easily split up into 48 small, square individual modules enabling

UK - Compulite Vector control systems and Hippotizer media servers, all supplied via Stagetec Distribution, provided all the intelligent lighting and media control on the latest production of X Factor - Battle of the Stars on ITV, shot at Fountain TV Studios in Wembley.

A Compulite Vector Blue operated by Russell Grubiak controls the three Hippotizer Stage media servers, all running in dual output mode and a Vector Green operated by Bill Peachment controls the intelligent lighting rig consisting of 34 Vari*Lite VL3000 spots, 32 Vari*Lite VL3000 washes, 30 VL5s, 34 VL6Cs, 10 VL1000TSFrm, four High End Cyberlights, 20 James Thomas Pixel Par 90s, 46 Pixel Line 1044s and 36 Pulsar Chroma Strips - all run on eight streams of DMX transmitted via Ethernet from the Vector.

The Vector control systems were used for the previous series of X Factor, but the Hippotizer media servers

UK - Leading staging company Stagecraft Theatre Services recently completed the design and installation of a new theatre system at the award-winning Mossbourne Academy in London. Mossbourne, which recently won the RIBA Award for Design Excellence, is one of the new flag-ship community academy schools in London, opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2005.

"Working with the team at Mossbourne, we have created a lighting and sound system which is equal to that of many professional theatres. The lighting is rigged onto a flown truss to give the school complete flexibility and we have installed a variety of lanterns to ensure that every angle of the stage is covered. Likewise, the sound system includes sound desks which give direct access and control of the CD/DVD players, the mics and radio mics, to allow students to move around the theatre without losing sound quality,"

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