UK - XL Video is sharing in the runaway success of supergroup McBusted, an energetic fusion of two of the most popular pop-punk-rock bands from the early noughties - McFly and Busted - which is delighting generations of both original and new fans, all equally exuberant, on their latest UK arena tour.

The show's design and set concept is a non-stop, high-octane narrative set in a classic 1980s arcade games machine, which was the brainchild of artistic director Paul Caslin. He's known both bands for around 10 years and has a background in video and filmic art, so visuals and moving image were always going to be prominent in the aesthetic, which also includes snippets inspired by renowned cult movies of the 1980s and 1990s like Wayne's World, Back To The Future, The Mighty Ducks - the formative era in which they all grew up.

Production North is handling all t

USA / Belgium - Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG) has announced that it has agreed to acquire the XL Video Group, one of the largest providers of premier multi-market video services. PRG Chairman & CEO Jeremiah J. Harris and Lucas Covers, the Group CEO of XL Video jointly made the announcement.

XL Video, founded in 1995, has established itself as leading video services supplier around the world. The company is a multi-award winning provider of creative video solutions for concert touring, corporate events, exhibitions, automotive, television, sports, and theatre. Like PRG, XL Video supports creative designers and producers with full technical support in putting together cutting-edge video solutions for some of the most innovative and aesthetically daring shows in the world.

For PRG's worldwide clients, this acquisition expands their access to the wide range of creative v

UK - PEL Music & Media has opened Tech Suite, a new demonstration facility at its offices in Northolt, North West London, to showcase what customers can achieve using its specialist extensive audio visual capabilities.

Tech Suite features one of the widest selections of videowalls in action in the UK, as well as single and multi-screen ensembles from NEC, Samsung and Sharp set up in a variety of example configurations to showcase the options available to customers. Chris Wilcox, PEL's Music & Media manager said: "Tech Suite is a great place to get a real feel for the possibilities, experience this kit working in different ways and see the latest audio visual technology from leading industry manufacturers, including a wide array of screens, sound systems and the latest discussion systems.

"Tech Suite is already evolving with the pace of developments and has been desig

USA - The Hoover Dam, one of the top 10 engineering marvels of the world that sits high above the Colorado River on the border of Arizona and Nevada, was the chosen location for Freightliner to launch their new truck, the Freightliner Infinite Inspiration. Presented in front of a live audience perched high above on the Dam's observation deck, the event was also streamed to millions around the globe.

OSK Communications out of New York created "the big idea" and brought in NY production management specialists SIAM Productions to produce the overall event.. Creative Technology (CT) was consequently contracted to help deliver the spectacular reveal.

After the initial brief CT assembled a top-flight team to design the technical specs and lay out the execution strategy. The challenges were considerable - the 420,000sq.ft surface had a number of different angles of curves t

Belgium - ArKaos PRO will be hosting two hands-on courses as part of InfoComm's education programme. ArKaos sales manager & project coordinator, Benjamin Bauwens, will lead the comprehensive training sessions which will provide participants with everything required to setup, programme and run a show using MediaMaster PRO. Topics will include video mapping, edge blending, 3D mapping and advanced geometrical correction. Each half-day session provides focused, hands-on training with the new MediaMaster Pro V4.2 software and media servers range.

The course is designed for creative lighting designers and professional video operators and programmers who wish to establish a solid core of media server knowledge on one of the most powerful and economical media server solutions on the market.

Session Times: Wednesday 17 June 9:00am - 1:00pm - LT02 Arkaos Media Server Training; Thursday

UK - Over 40 representatives from universities across the UK and Ireland visited Panasonic's UK headquarters, to see the latest developments in technology for higher education.

The event at the Panasonic Solutions Centre in Bracknell (Thursday 23rd April) consisted of product demonstrations and presentations from both Panasonic and lecture capture specialists Panopto, who delivered a keynote speech on anytime, anywhere learning.

Peter Ingle from Panopto EMEA showcased how video is being used to offer on-demand learning for students, from lecture capture to flipped classroom. This was followed by a presentation from independent lecture capture consultant, John Lynch, who outlined the steps required for successful lecture capture by universities.

Peter Ingle commented, "There's been a huge trend in the education sector towards using video to support student learning. Coup

UK - Working with their client, Under The Radar, XL Video supplied outdoor LED screens and a multi-channel camera system for the naming of P&O Cruises' newest luxury ship, Britannia.

The ship, which is over 300 metres long, was officially named at a traditional ceremony in Southampton.

In order to ensure the visiting dignitaries had an excellent view of proceedings, XL Video supplied a 7m x 4m Lighthouse R7 outdoor LED screen.

XL Video also supplied five Sony HXC-100 HD cameras and 2 Bradley CamBall 2 robocams situated around the port location.

The cameras covered all angles of the luxury ship, which bears a stylized Union Jack on its bow, as well as close-ups of the podium from which the traditional bottle of Wiston Estate British sparkling wine was launched to name the ship.

One of XL Video's large Grass Valley Kayak PPUs, engineered by XL's Broadcast Director, Malcolm

UK - Debuts are to the fore at this year's PLASA Focus: Leeds, with more and more exhibitors choosing it as the UK launch pad for new product releases, including Cadac's new CDC six and DiGiCo's S21 mixing consoles, Meyer Sound's Leopard loudspeaker system and Zero88's FLX lighting console.

At the entrance to New Dock Hall, Martin Professional is displaying its new VDO Sceptron indoor/outdoor LED strips, which come with a choice of diffusers, the 6mm Fenix panel video and Rush 650 and 850 smoke products. Also on show are the Quantum Wash and Quantum Profile, launched last year, as well as the Aura XB, which has 50 per cent more output than the standard Aura, plus extended colour mode.

"Out of all the shows we exhibit at, this is where you can spend proper time talking to people, so we've brought representative selection of our new and current ranges," says the compan

USA - Video equipment rental company Pete's Big TVs provided Florida's Palm Beach Opera and its scenic designer with their first LED video wall experience. It was also the world premiere for the opera's show, Enemies, A Love Story, held in February at the Kravis Centre for the Performing Arts.

Pete's Big TVs' tech Nick Faubion worked with the 259 GTek 15mm tiles, creating a 600sq.ft video wall at 37 tiles wide by seven tiles high. An MBox media server distributed the content which included scenic video clips and opera text - though the show was sung in English. Said Faubion, "It was mostly stills that they had wipe or zoom in or out for effects."

Based on the book by Isaac Bashevis Singer, the opera is described as a light-hearted but dark comedy about a Holocaust survivor in 1948 post World War II. The character presumes his wife is dead, and with his move to

Italy - Visitors to the Kazakhstan pavilion at the World Expo 2015, which opened its doors in Milan on 1 May, will be taken on a virtual journey through Kazakhstan's rich and varied landscape. Barco Audio Technologies, the Germany-based audio expert that Barco acquired in 2014, delivers the immersive sound system that helps envelope the audience in a fascinating 360-degree virtual experience.

Occupying a total area of 2,396 m2, the Kazakh pavilion aims to introduce visitors to the theme of protecting natural and agricultural resources, culture and the idea of sustainable development. The centrepiece of the pavilion is the Main Show, an immersive 3D stereo full dome theatre supplied by Munich-based dome technologies developer Sky-Skan Europe.

Under the 15m domed projection screen, visitors are whisked away on a virtual flight over Kazakhstan's vast and magnificent landscape, pa

UK - Terry Murtha and the team at S+H Technical supplied a spectacular selection of starcloth, soft goods and video products - adding plenty of sparkle and razzmatazz - to the 2015 Herald Business Awards, which celebrated the brightest and best local business achievements in a glittering event at the Plymouth Pavilion venue.

S+H was contacted by the event's organiser Kate Nesbitt, who was recommended to the Ilfracombe, Devon based company by colleagues. It was the first year that Kate had organised the Awards, started in 2011 by the Plymouth Herald newspaper.

The 650 plus guests entered through a 12m long starcloth entrance through which they entered the venue. The tunnel was fully wrapped in S+H's red velvet Pea-Light Starcloth - the same product that has featured on Strictly Come Dancing.

As they exited the tunnel into the main Pavilion auditorium, people the

UK - Showlogix, a developer of show and media control software for the entertainment market, has announced the release of its newest show and media control software, designed for multi-display shows and interactive attractions in museums, visitor centres and trade shows.

Version 1.5 is a significant step up from the previous version, offering many more features, greater flexibility, higher reliability and overall better performance.

As a multi-display control and presentation system, Showlogix Manager communicates with multiple display computers for control and synchronization. Each of these computers drives up to eight screens, creating a network of numerous displays with frame-accurate playback.

New to this version is the Display Map. Images may be mapped on any display arrangement, with any size, resolution and shape.

For further flexibility, Showlogix enables advanced

UK - Illuminate Design has announced that from 15 May they have become dealers for the GaffGun range of products.

The GaffGun, launched in October 2014 has seen massive sales throughout the USA. Now with GaffTech the company behind it looking to branch out into overseas markets, Illuminate Design has been chosen to help this development.

The GaffGun (patent pending) is billed as "a great advancement in floor tape since gaffer tape was invented". Saving over 90% of the time to lay tape over cables or rope, The GaffGun simplifies your job while saving time, money, and your back. Cables don't even have to be straight-the GaffGun uses a funnelling system to straighten and centre your cables and then lay tape over them.

GaffTech developed the patent-pending CoreLok tape to work in unison with the GaffGun, ensuring a consistent result with every tape run. GaffGun CoreLok

UK - Following the success of last year's annual conference, accounting specialists Tax Assist again turned to Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) to deliver full technical production and design - sound, lighting, video, rigging and staging - for their 2015 event, which had the added resonance of also being their 20th anniversary.

The format of the show in the Caernarfon Suite at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, south Wales, was a conference and presentation during the day, with the room transformed in a rapid 60 minute turnaround between 6 and 7pm to a gala dinner and party.

Entertainment featured magic from Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee and live music Bjorn Again.

The CPL team was led by Lee Gruszeckyj, who created a stylish design based around the exceptionally tight timescale involved - an intense 24 hours of activity.

"Central to the design was it being achievable in

UK - Creative Technology (CT) has expanded its inventory of Riedel Communications' pioneering real-time video, audio, data and communications solutions. Engineered to provide exceptional performance and flexibility even in the most demanding environments, the Riedel systems contribute to CT's ability to meet the communications and signal transport requirements of any sports, corporate, exhibition, or entertainment event.

"Our success as a staging services provider is a direct result of our innovative application of the latest technology alongside the very best technical and operational personnel," said Dave Crump, CT CEO for Europe and the Middle East. "We have been using Riedel equipment in the US for some time. This new investment underlines the confidence we have in Riedel equipment and the critical role it plays, in enabling our teams worldwide to provide high

UK - Panasonic has launched a new B2B Partner Portal, to cover more products and make it easier for distributors and resellers to access customer facing information and register new business.

The new web-based service is open to clients across the company's Visual Systems and Communications divisions Europe wide, and will be expanded to other business divisions later this year. Professionals who sign up for the scheme have access to the latest product information, sales news and business incentives, with rewards scaled according to the level of partnership.

The Partner Portal categorises clients between three different partner levels - Registered, Expert or Solutions - depending on the client's level of training and sales volume. This level tailors the content which partners can see, with more exclusive benefits for 'Expert' and 'Solutions' partners.

The Partner Portal featu

UK - West London rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting and video for the latest leg of Glasgow alt rockers Twin Atlantic's ongoing Great Divide album tour, working with lighting and visuals designer Paul McAdams who has evolved an edgy and vibrant show to match the band's massive energy.

This latest run of gigs - which included London's Brixton Academy and their largest headline show to date at hometown Glasgow's Hydro Arena - saw Paul build on the design he had created for the autumn 2014 tour - also supplied by Colour Sound.

The concept evolved around a core floor 'touring' package which was scaled up for the larger venues on the itinerary, which have increased in line with the growing profile of the band, complete with a local-promoter supplied 'top' rig. At Brixton this was also provided by Colour Sound.

The starting point for the touring des

Hungary - Digital signal processing specialist Symetrix has announced a further strengthening of its presence in the Eastern European market with the appointment of Budapest's Audmax to serve as its distributor for Hungary.

Established 10 years ago, Audmax has maintained a solid focus on pairing a strong and evolving distribution roster with comprehensive technical expertise. Today, the firm represents many of the leading pro-audio and MI brands in the industry - including Allen & Heath, Audio-Technica, Avid, Genelec, Korg, Tascam and Vox - as well as participating in high-profile audio integration projects at venues such as Budapest's Palace of Arts and the Hungarian Parliament Building.

Audmax managing director Krisztian Varga explains that many members of the team have had good previous experiences of working with Symetrix products, but that recognising the "current ex

Denmark - dnp is launching a range of optical flat screens for use in meeting rooms and smaller classrooms. With a highly attractive size-cost-quality profile, the new screens represent an important step in the evolution of this category, says the company. They meet the users' demands for larger display sizes (100") while remaining affordable for companies, educational institutions and homeowners.

"If the market is clear about one thing, it's that big is truly beautiful when it comes to display technology," states S°ren Kraemmergaard, VP global sales and marketing at dnp. "The problem is that when you take ordinary flat screens over 80" in size, there is a disproportionate price increase."

With its latest offer, dnp is changing this paradigm. Its new optical flat screens are based on optical screen technology, and powered by a laser projector

UK - XL Video recently supplied key video technology to support the BBC Worm's verdict show produced by BBC News for the live Leaders Debates. XL supplied PPU/mixers, control systems, lighting, audio and comms for two temporary studio setups, one in Media City, Salford, and one in New Broadcasting House, London.

Working with BBC News senior producer, Bernadette Kitterick and Cameraman, Julius Peacock, XL Video's broadcast director, Malcolm Whittall project managed the creation of the 'mini-studios' which were both located in common areas of the BBC buildings.

The initial studio set-up took place at BBC Media City, Salford for the debate with all seven party leaders, and the second, with five party leaders, took place at the BBC's New Broadcasting House in London.

For the coverage of both leader debates, the studio was used to create pre-recorded segments with presenter Reeta

UK - Showmagic has confirmed PCM Distribution Ltd as a new distributor for its ShowMagic Control Software. Peter Maddison from PCM Distribution comments: "This product will make a great addition to the ever growing portfolio of products we distribute".

ShowMagic is an integrated lighting, audio, video, digital signage and device controller, with built-in scheduling and triggering features. It gives users complete control of their lighting and AV, controlling, combining and synchronising all the elements of a live show or fixed installation, the company says.

Its power and flexibility make it the ideal solution for a wide range of applications. From spectacular light shows to subtle mood lighting, immersive spaces to corporate presentations, ShowMagic is used worldwide across a range of industries.

UK / India - Lighting and video control specialist Avolites has appointed Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES) as its sole distributor for the Indian market. The announcement comes ahead of the two companies combining their efforts to exhibit the latest from Avolites at the PALM Expo at the end of May.

IES is an 18-year-old distribution & trading company based in Mumbai, pioneering in the fields of intelligent lighting, pro-sound & control systems. Their expertise stretches beyond distribution to encompass solutions from entertainment-related venues such as nightclubs to architectural installations.

Avolites' story in India stems back over 20 years, and directors Steve Warren and Koy Neminathan conducted the first workshop there in 2002. Regular training opportunities continued, and so grew the relationships with the local LDs and rental companies.

As the sole distributo

USA - Barco is establishing a national footprint for its factory certified training programmes, collaborating with AV partners to provide a course for the E2 4K screen management system in select locations throughout the United States.

Barco is launching the expanded training programme with its E2 courses, with plans to add additional classes at authorized training centres in Orlando, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; and, Las Vegas, Nevada. Orlando is an especially advantageous location because of its popularity as a business meeting destination and live show venue.

"With the immensely growing popularity of the new E2 screen management system, we want to ensure that our customers can quickly get up to speed on the product at a place and time that is convenient for them," comments Scott Nipper, technical training manager for Barco. "Based on our excelle

UK - Marquee AV has announced the appointment of Ed Allday as project manager. An experienced engineer and project manager, Allday's previous career includes positions with SLR, AT&C and, most recently, Twisted Pear Consultancy.

"This is an additional position that expands our capacity for managing our increasing portfolio of projects", said Mark Brown, MD of Marquee AV. "Ed has a lot of experience and works to the standard of quality we expect, and he has the enthusiasm and sense of humour to fit in well. We're pleased to welcome him to the team."

"I'm very excited to be joining Marquee AV", adds Allday. "It's a company I've always respected, with a great ethic and atmosphere. The projects they handle are varied and substantial, giving me the opportunity to be involved in a key role and make a valuable contribution to the continued success a

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