Europe - MA Lighting has released grandMA3 software version 2.0.0.4. This software release features new functionalities and workflow improvements for many different applications.
The area of data handling and organization shows’ lots of improvements’. Sheets can be filtered and reorganised to create a personal workspace. The transfer of fixture data gets much easier with the new Clone window. Working in big sequences with a lot of data is now improved by the use of new tracking functionalities. And the new Fixture Type Presets allow the user to easily transfer predefined content from show to show.
The MA University with the grandMA3 special course v2.0 presents detailed information about the new software release - online and completely for free. Additionally there is an update to the grandMA3 User Training and a new grandMA3 Essentials Training available. Local MA distributors will help to get access to the MA E-learning platform.
MA Lighting is offering grandMA3 v2.0 public webinars in April, presented by the MA Lighting tech-support.
Germany - Robe celebrates 30 years of embracing the challenges of the entertainment and performance industry with a number of new products launched in Hall 12.1 on stand D10, the centrepiece of which will be the iBOLT - a powered searchlight type of fixture.
Other products being launched include the iESprite Fresnel, the T15 Fresnel, T15 PC, the Footsie1 and Footsie2 Slim versions, the T32 Cyc and the T32 Cyc Slim, the iProMotion Landscape + iProMotion Portrait, the Forte Fresnel / PC and the iSpiiderX.
Also launched is the iT12 Fresnel, a powerful outdoor Fresnel wash fixture which includes an ingenious new patented F2L Fresnel-lens system, comprising two lenses engineered with a smooth outer surface to eliminate the debris accumulation commonly found on outdoor Fresnel lenses. The iForte LTX LightMaster will be previewed.
Robe will present the final show in its Power of Imagination live performance trilogy which will ‘energise visitors who can enjoy some knife edge action onstage, and a high energy lightshow designed to show off the creativity and potential of the new products in their native environment’.
Power of Imagination will play several times a day, and in between an interactive timecoded presentation on the booth will highlight the best features of the new products.
The booth - Robe’s largest to date at any Prolight expo to emphasise the significance of the occasion - will feature two dedicated demonstration areas where people can see the products in depth. The Robe information flow will continue outside H
USA - Flogging Molly’s 21-city Road To Rebellion tour started 16 February at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and closed 17 March, St. Patrick’s Day, at the downtown Las Vegas Events Centre.
Keeping pace with all the hand clapping and sing-alongs is a colourful and lively Peter Therrien lightshow that features a 100-percent Chauvet Professional floor package supplied by JDI Productions.
“I do build a page for every song with Flogging, but nothing is timecoded, as it’s all about spontaneity and freshness,” said Therrien who ran his show on a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium console. “As far as my colour selection goes, it’s based on the feeling I have for the band’s music. So, for instance, when I hear ‘Drunken Lullabies’ it’s always white. I’ve tried blue and amber in the past, but it just feels wrong. The colour choice has to be in the moment.”
Helping Therrien create this party rainbow are eight Maverick MK1 Spot fixtures, eight Color Strike M motorised strobe-washes, 14 Rogue R1 BeamWash units, 12 ÉPIX Bar Tour strips and one Ovation 2805FV batten. Adding brightness, geometric forms and audience lighting to the mix are 12 Nexus Aw 7x7 panels.
This rig was positioned on four 8ft I-stand truss structures, and two 5’ wheeled trusses. Therrien hung two Color Strike M units on the face of each tower. “I like to use the plates as a wash behind the band,” he explained. “Also, love the incredible plate effects for eye candy. I’ll also use the white tubes as a powerful hit effect during various parts of the
UK - Guildhall School of Music & Drama has announced a new BA degree in performance design, starting in September 2025. The three-year, full time BA programme will equip students with the practical and imaginative skills required to create designs for stage performances and live events.
Led by stage designer Dr Susannah Henry, the BA in Performance Design is the newest course to offered by Guildhall’s Production Arts department. The Performance Design programme blends studio-based design work with hands-on experience, including collaborating on a wide range of performances using Guildhall School’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Student designers will gain an understanding of the creative, collaborative and practical elements of performance design, developing their skills through studio-based projects, before building to fully realised designs for public performance. The programme also explores the histories of art, design and theatre, incorporating self-led research to shape and inform students’ own identities and aspirations as emerging performance designers.
Working in close collaboration with students on Guildhall School’s other Productions Arts courses, including the School’s BA in Production Arts and BA in Digital Design & Production, Performance Design students will have the opportunity to develop design skills in areas such as costume, video and lighting, and learn about the technologies and processes needed to make a performance happen. They will also build connections with existing the School’s industry partners and a n
Germany - Power and lighting control specialist LSC Control Systems will launch a number of new products at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt.
LSC’s Unity, GEN-VI and APS product ranges already provide peace of mind in top-end performance and leisure venues, events and productions worldwide. Now, visitors to Prolight+Sound will be among the first to see the new GEN-X and APS-X products - each offering important new enhancements to the manufacturer’s power management systems. Also on show will be the latest Mantra 4.0software, and the new Nexen Portable, adding further to LSC’s family of protocol converters.
New at Prolight+Sound this year is the GEN-X. A new version of the GEN-VI (pronounced ‘GEN6’) advanced dimming and power distribution system, this introduces an Ethernet input alongside the DMX, allowing for direct control via sACN and Art-Net. GEN-X offers all the features and advantages of the GEN-VI, including LSC’s TruPower, which lets the user configure any output in any combination to be an 8-bit or 16-bit dimmer or a direct power relay channel. This enables the seamless dimming of conventional lamps, or the powering of moving lights, LED fixtures, video screens or audio power amplifiers - or any equipment needing controlled power distribution.
At the same time, bringing Ethernet functionality to the inputs of the APS (Advanced Power System), will be the APS-X. Providing an elegant solution to the challenges of powering large numbers of LED screen panels, audio amplifiers or moving lights, the APS sequentially switches the outputs a
USA - Inspired by the radiant sun, the SŌL I Blinder is the first in a new series of creative LED blinder and effects solutions from Elation that marries technology with artistic ingenuity. With a tiny form factor, IP65 rating, and sleek and modern aesthetic, SŌL I ‘seamlessly integrates into any stage or event setting, offering limitless creative potential’.
Using simple fixture interconnects, threaded adapters, mounts and yoke accessories, designers can effortlessly link SŌL I to other fixtures or devices, exponentially expanding creative options for unique shapes and arrays.
Multiple lens options, coupled with a host of accessories, enhance the fixture's potential even further. An optional Bowens mount adaptor ring allows for a number of Bowens mount accessories to be attached to the front of the fixture for even more aesthetic options and creative impact. Add to that a variety of mounting options and designers are empowered with the flexibility to craft individual visual experiences tailored to each performance or event.
The SŌL I Blinder boasts a full spectrum of colours from a 250W RGB+Lime+Amber+White LED engine with 93+ CRI for high-quality colour reproduction. The proprietary RGBLAW engine delivers exceptionally bright, high-fidelity whites while offering a full colour range that takes LED blinder colour to the next level.
Despite its compact form, the SŌL I packs a punch at over 8000 lumens. Fully variable 16-bit colour temperature adjustment from 2400K - 8500K is achievable and a dim to warm or red shift emulation function
Qatar - Qatar Vision (Qvision) utilised a wide array of Claypaky lighting for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. The fixtures illuminated pre-match ceremonies, the Fan Zone and coronation ceremony at the 18th edition of the cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation.
Although the event bore a 2023 date, it was scheduled for 12 January to 10 February 10, 2024 due to Qatar’s high summer temperatures. Twenty-four national teams participated with host Qatar the defending champion and, as it turned out, the repeat title winner. Four cities in Qatar furnished nine stadium venues for the games, including Lusail Stadium, with a capacity of nearly 89,000, hosting the opening and final matches.
Based in Doha, Qvision offers a comprehensive slate of event production, technical integration solutions, marketing, creative design, video production, information technology and large-scale branding to a roster of international clients.
For the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, Qvision played a central role in every stage of the tournament process from inception to execution. Their execution of stadium infotainment, pre-match ceremonies, the coronation ceremony, and fan zone activations delivered ‘an unforgettable experience for both spectators and participants’.
Among the tasks that Qvision was charged with were the implementation of comprehensive technical AV overlays across all nine stadiums; the development, production, and delivery of stadium infotainment for all 51 matches; leading the creation of bespoke pr
Germany - The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its Adam Hall Integrated Systems division. Christian Latzelsberger has been appointed as head of sales - Adam Hall Integrated Systems. In this capacity he is responsible for shaping the strategic direction and overseeing the sales division of Adam Hall Integrated Systems.
Supporting him in the DACH region is Uli Golka, who serves as technical support engineer integrated systems. Product management is handled by senior product manager, Gabriel Alonso Calvillo while Jens Werner assumes the role of junior product manager. The rapidly-growing AV business segment of the Adam Hall Group will be led by Christine Gerhardt as its marketing manager.
Christian Latzelsberger brings over 30 years of experience in the AV, broadcast and pro audio industry, most recently serving as global intercom senior product manager for Bosch Security and Safety Systems. His focus will be on prioritising the expansion of the AV integrator network and fostering extended cooperation with technology partners with the aim of gradually expanding into the hospitality, leisure, corporate, retail and event venue sectors. Christian Latzelsberger will report to Markus Jahnel, managing director/COO of the Adam Hall Group.
Before joining the Adam Hall Integrated Systems division Uli Golka, worked for the Adam Hall Group for more than 10 years as sales representative for Northern Germany.
Gabriel Alonso Calvillo is also taking on a new position within the Adam Hall Group. As senior product manager, integrated systems, Gabriel leads th
UK - The desert planet Arrakis came to life in London’s Leicester Square for the world premiere of Dune: Part Two on Thursday 15 February, with nearly 30 tons of sand shipped to the site for the gala created by Limited Edition Event Design. But the rainy weather during the build-up days leading to the star-studded red carpet affair was anything but desert-like. No matter though, the IP65 rated 3.9mm pitch panels were more than up to the task of handling rain.
“For the actual red carpet part of the event when the stars were there, it was just a little chilly and dark, but clear,” said Tom Warden of Milton Keynes-based IPS, which supplied, installed, and ran the gear for the widely publicised premiere. “However, the weather during the build days certainly tested the IP rating of the REM 3IP, as it rained most of the time. The screens passed with flying colours!”
When the weather cleared, and stars like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Hans Zimmer & Souheila Yacoub graced the red carpet, the event, with its impressive sand dunes, flaming torches and other dramatic scenic elements, dazzled fans and media alike.
Shining brightly during the festivities and defining the atmosphere were the video displays on the over 200sq.m screen that was artfully made from the REM 3IP panels.
“We ran the panels as a single screen, creating a huge seamless backdrop wall,” said Warden. “The dimensions of the screen itself were 42m wide by 5m high. The final output
USA - Scott Chmielewski of DMDS7UDIOS is employing a large rig of Dartz 360 narrow-beam luminaires from Elation to support the mesmerising performances of renowned magician Mat Franco at The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Chmielewski addressed an initial refresh of the show in 2021 before undertaking a complete redesign of the entire show, stage and theatre in early 2023, collaborating with director Brian Burke, art director Joe Oneill and Mat Franco himself.
Since headlining at The LINQ in 2015, Mat Franco's Magic Reinvented Nightly has garnered accolades and captivated audiences. Performing to 600 guests for 90 minutes, the show features Franco’s signature tricks, yet leaves enough room for improvisation, making each night a different experience.
Although a magician could choose to rely on lighting as an important aid in a magic show, Chmielewski says that Franco was more concerned with using lighting to raise the overall aesthetic of the show. “Mat is an amazing magician and doesn’t rely very heavily on lighting effects to hide or create the magic. His goal and intention was to have a very theatrical show and utilize the latest lighting and video technologies to bring his show up to and past the calibre of a Las Vegas residency.”
According to Scott, Franco is deeply involved in every step of the process but also trusts his team and believes in the art of organic creation. Once a final design concept was decided upon, the magician let the creative team run with the ideas. “He of course had some creative opinions through t
Italy - Russell Crowe is known for his acting talents, but on the third night of The Sanremo Music Festival he took to the stage as a crooner and sang Let Your Light Shine. Another American, actor, John Travolta, also tried his hand at singing a couple of nights earlier. Such is the musical pull of this five-day event, which celebrated its 74th year this February.
Capturing the flavour of the festival up close was Radio Italia's popular Fuori Sanremo, a programme that featured all of the artists from the festival with interviews and live performances recorded in a studio specially set up in this Mediterranean costal city’s Grand Hotel Londra.
Lighting designer Ivan Lavezzoli created an elegantly engaging atmosphere for Fuori Sanremo with a setup that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures imported by Zalight.
“We organised the setup to best manage, with a single stage, two distinct moments: the afternoon interviews, and immediately after the evening live show,” explained Lavezzoli. “Therefore, I chose very versatile products, to have the possibility of setting up a mini live set in just over an hour.”
To accomplish this, Lavezzoli positioned seven COLORado PXL12 Curve motorised LED bars on the ground along two sides of the stage and interspersed them with seven Rogue Outcast BeamWash moving heads. He also placed four WELL STXZX 360 tubes in the centre of the stage, to create a dimensional relationship between the singers, the surrounding space, and the background LED Wall. For the USA acts he added 10 COLORdash A
Germany - Astera will showcase a full range of its powerful and flexible wireless LED lighting solutions on stand B30 in Hall 12.1 at the PL+S next week, including the award-winning PlutoFresnel and LeoFresnel fixtures and the new ProjectionLens for PlutoFresnel.
The contemporary stand design will enable sales director Sebastian Buckle and the team to welcome visitors and highlight numerous current Astera innovations like the HydraPanel, PixelBrick, AX9 PowerPAR and AX2 PixelBar, the smart and neat NYX Bulb and, naturally, the flagship TitanTube family – Titan, Helios, and Hyperion – which are popular and ubiquitous in show and event lighting worldwide.
It is important for Astera to have a significant presence at PL+S which is always a busy and productive show and a crucial platform for engaging with industry professionals from many sectors on multiple levels.
As well as for networking, it’s also seen as a key forum for staying abreast of trends and general innovations in the worlds of professional lighting and visual technology.
Targeted product demonstrations will highlight the versatility, performance, and invention for which the brand is known, and the show is also an opportunity to gather valuable industry feedback from experts and end-users that can be fed into ongoing product development and planning.
The Astera booth will feature eye-catching 4-sided LED screens at the top. The space has subtly been expanded with more room for products, while the overall style is consistent with other Astera booth designs. The HydraPanel
USA - ETC has announced the release of Hog 4 version 4.0 software. Enhancements include significant improvements to colour handling and Hog 4’s Color Picker, a new Record Defaults function, and Fixture Builder upgrades.
Senior product manager Sarah Clausen comments, “Ultimately, the new colour system relieves programmers and designers from the challenges in controlling rigs with multiple colour engines. By providing multiple colour input languages through the colour pickers, virtual colour functions and the gels library, and full ‘physical’ function controls linked to the virtual controls at all times, colour control becomes seamless.”
For colour handling, v4.0. represents a major overhaul of the colour mixing system used in Hog 4 OS. Substantial changes have been made to the fixture library, colour picker, gels, palettes, effects, plots, pixel mapping, and the playback of colour. All colour mixing systems including native HS, xyY, CMY, and all additive colour engines are now fully integrated and supported by the colour system.
Additionally, Hog 4 OS v4.0 features a new Colour Picker window with a tabbed interface that features a wide variety of controls for quickly and seamlessly mixing colour across all fixture types. A new Colour Mix preview column has been added to the output window and editor windows, indicating the colour being output by colour mixing fixtures.
Version 4.0 is compatible with all generations of Hog 4 hardware. This major release introduces significant improvements to the OS, resulting in a show file compatib
Germany - Light artist Christopher Bauder has chosen MDG ATMe haze generators and Me2 fog machines as the foundation of his latest installation, Vektor, a personal piece loosely based on his life experiences.
Vektor, Memories in Light & Sound is Bauder’s third installation at Berlin’s Kraftwerk, an old power plant-turned-art gallery in Berlin that Bauder refers to as an ‘industrial cathedral’. The abstract work is a personal ‘memory chest’ using small audio snippets of memories from Bauder’s childhood through to present day: the sound of the sea from his childhood living on an island in the North Sea, church bells on a Sunday, laughter of loved ones, as well as samples recorded from the Kraftwerk building itself.
The recordings can be precisely targeted throughout the building, transforming the building itself into a living, breathing work through sound and illumination. “The audience doesn’t need to understand the thoughts behind it, or be aware of the massive amount of technology behind it, but I hope they will catch glimpses of the references here and there,” says Bauder.
The new artwork consists of 50 lasers mounted on 10 evenly spaced, heavy-lift winches specifically developed by Kinetic Lights which synchronise movement of all the lasers. These enable Bauder to create a sculpture in mid-air that fills the whole volume of the enormous exhibition space.
“It’s important for me to start from symmetry that allows me to break from symmetry later,” explains Bauder. “By starting with a very symmet
Slovenia - Popular vocal group Perpetuum Jazzile celebrated their 40th anniversary with a series of high-profile shows at Ljubljana’s Cankarjev Dom, the country’s biggest theatre venue, asking Crt Birsa from design studio Blackout to create lighting suitable for the occasion.
With the assistance of substantial quantities of Robe moving lights, Crt created an impressive visual showcase, working closely with Mark Pirc, brought in as video content creator and co-show director with Aljaz Bastic for these special performances.
Crt has lit the group several times over the last 10 years, and specifically more regularly in the last two after as Blackout has become their permanent lighting design provider. In fact, Crt’s first proper arena design was 10 years ago with Perpetuum Jazzile for their 30th anniversary.
For this show, the basic elements of his programming from the last two years were taken as the starting point. Initial ideas for the 40th included a stage at 45% to the audience with a shallow thrust protruding in an arrow shape, and above that they wanted a circular truss, which Crt morphed into a triangular shape that more harmoniously mimics the shape of the deck below.
He then filled the 8m equilateral triangular truss above the performance space with lights rigged on sub trusses, creating a slightly Floydesque ‘monumental chandelier’ effect that provided multiple layers of lighting that could be stripped right back or fattened out, depending on the vibe of the song.
The concept dovetailed with the other visual aspects
USA - The diversity which endows fashion with the power to build bridges across cultures was celebrated during New York Fashion Week at Runway 7, one of the renowned event’s premier attractions.
Held at the Sony Hall, Runway 7 was organised around a ‘Made In’ theme that featured designs endemic to different regions of the world. The work of a record 117 designers from 10 different nations were highlighted during the event’s four-day run.
From Anjali Phougat’s blend of Indian and western styles, to Microteje’s Chilean streetwear, Runway 7 showcased a global array of stylings. Accenting the artistry of these creations was a Myles Mangino lighting design that featured 20 Ovation E-260WW warm white ellipsoidals.
Supplied by ATD AV, the ellipsoidals were positioned primarily on each side of the runway. A smaller number of Ovation E-260WWs, generally between five and seven units, depending on the show, were arranged at the end of the runway.
Drawing on the smooth even field of light produced by the 230-watt fixture (it has the output of a 750W tungsten), and its smooth dimming curve, Mangino created a supportive lighting environment for the show. The fixtures’ selectable Pulse Width Modulation helped ensure that his looks were camera friendly for the much videoed and photographed show.
“I prefer single chip COB warm white fixtures like this for runway shows,” said Mangino. “I like their high CRI and how they more closely emulate tungsten for warm natural skin tones, as well as the correct colour rendering on the clothing.
Germany - Follow-Me, manufacturer of remote follow-spot and performer tracking solutions will be to exhibiting at Hall 12.1 D40 during Prolight & Sound this month. The stand is focused on demonstrating the full feature set of the manual system, Follow-Me 3D and Follow-Me Track-iT auto-tracking solution for lighting, audio & video.
Showing for the first time at PLS will be the newly released feature, Proximity that allows Follow-Me to take control of conventional lights based on the position of the performer. Users can customise the radius within which conventional lights should be turned on and off, creating dynamic and responsive lighting that moves with the performers, elevating your production to new heights.
The Follow-Me product range allows for growth within the scope of manual tracking right through to full auto-tracking. Follow-Me is fixture independent: it can control any manufacturers type of moving light or conventional fixture via Art-Net, sACN and includes OSC & PSN to integrate with audio, video and motion control. A manual Follow-Me 3D System is completely scalable to also include the additional Follow-Me Track-iT System for auto-tracking.
Follow-Me enables multiple performers, unlimited fixtures per performer, sizeable performance area (from small theatre to a large stadium) and also the requirements of both manual and auto-tracking all from within the one scalable system.
“For the German market we are proud to be partnering for the sixth year with the German distribution company LMP Lichttechnik, we look forwa
Germany - ChamSys is supporting the collection of MagicQ and GeNetix products it will be showcasing at Hall 12.1, booth E21 in Messe Frankfurt with a robust schedule of educational and training sessions in both German and English, including a keynote talk by Christian (‘Rocketchris’) Glatthor, whose work has included tours by longtime client Rea Garvey, Evanescence, Snow Patrol, and others.
ChamSys’ learning sessions will take place in the Jade Room, located near Hall 12.1. All those who attend a training session will be entered into a draw to win a MagicQ Compact Connect, the versatile, lightweight control surface that connects to a PC or Mac and is capable of sending up to 64 universes of ArtNet and sACN directly from its onboard port with no need for external devices.
In addition to the Rocketchris session the learning schedule will include: MagicQ MQ250M Stadium Console, on the go show control; Introduction to Quick Q (German and English); MagicQ MQ70, creativity on the fly, and GeNetix, a guide to the series of nodes, gateways, switches, and PoE devices that work on the wall or in the rack.
A complete schedule and registration form can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/prolight-sound-2024-chamsys-training-2967279
Complementing these learning experiences will be a collection of ChamSys products including the MagicQ MQ500M Stadium. Visitors to the booth will also be able to get a first ever look at
Germany - At the 2024 edition of the Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, ETC will be showcasing new products and a series of presentations on stand C39 in Hall 12.0.
Throughout the week, visitors to ETC’s stand will have the chance to explore the latest technologies in lighting, control, stage machinery and more. Attendees will get a first look at a new entertainment lighting fixture, new Hog software and a preview of Eos lighting control software with expansion processing on stand C39.
ETC product specialists will also host a series of mini presentations during the four-day tradeshow on the stand. These sessions will delve into whole system solutions and integration, exploring how to make workflows more efficient, and taking a closer look at some of ETC's advanced technologies.
Attendees will also get a chance to see the latest in stage machinery including a Prodigy P2 hoist system, in action on the stand. New automated fixtures including the recently launched Ministar and best-in-class Halcyon fixtures will be on the stand. Visitors can also see ETC’s X8 colour array with the latest in LED lighting - Source Four LED Series 3, fos/4 Fresnel 10” and 5”, Desire Fresnel and more.
ETC market manager Rory Fraser-Mackenzie comments: “Prolight + Sound is always a great opportunity for us to meet users and customers in person, share ideas and have hands-on experiences with our latest offerings. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stands at the show.”
USA - This year’s Time For Music concert supporting the 37th annual Camp HASC for Jewish youth was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Centre in Newark. Supporting the artists on stage and engaging the audience was an evocative lighting design by Ofir Ben-Haim that featured 34 Chauvet Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 motorized battens supplied by Dynamic Vision.
Ben-Haim positioned fully pixel mappable RGBW fixtures around the main video screen. His goal was to “create a dynamic and immersive experience” for the audience by illuminating the artists and the stage from different angles and flanking them with bold displays to accentuate the mood and tone of their performance.
“I was inspired by the fixture’s pixel mapping, as well as its ability to create seamless symmetry and intense volumetric looks,” he explained. “I saw the fixture in videos promoting it on social media, and I had no doubt that it would be the perfect choice for the show. It was very exciting to see the fixtures for the first time in the show.”
The actual experience of using the fixtures lived up to Ben-Haim’s expectations. “I believe they contributed significantly to the overall success of the performance,” he said of the PXL Curve 12. “I used the fixture's bright and concentrated beam to create a stunning 3D effect on stage. By dividing the stage into segments, I was able to create a unique and immersive experience for the audience.”
Working with technical producers from Dynamic Vision and video content made from Visualive (Shmulik Ben Harush
Denmark - For production and rental company Soundwise, choosing to carry Elation lighting products in a market with more traditional preferences is a strategic move aimed at providing special offerings.
“Denmark has traditionally been quite conservative when it comes to entertainment lighting equipment,” shares Lars Thorsager, founder and sales director at Soundwise. He says however that the trend is beginning to turn, albeit slowly. “As the market here begins to realise that there are other innovative products out there that can set them apart, it’s getting a bit easier to specify other gear.”
Lars founded Soundwise in 2001 in Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, and first invested in Elation lighting in 2014. “Elation offered something unique that other companies didn’t have,” he said, “something that looked different, and that’s still the case with products that make for some very creative designs.”
Soundwise supplies audio, lighting, AV and staging to a diverse range of projects, including corporate events and touring shows (currently for Danish artist Pil, among others), plus a myriad of cultural events such as the Northside and SPOT festivals, as well as local live venues like Voxhall and Train. Large or small, the company specialises in delivering complete, custom solutions using the latest gear.
Notably, they recently added to their stock of Elation DARTZ 360 fixtures in time for four kick-off events for fast food chain McDonald’s. The events, one large event for McDonald’s Denmark and the Nordic region
Denmark - Lighting designer Mikael Kratt was among the first visiting creatives to use the Royal Danish Opera’s new Robe Forte moving lights in a recent production at the Copenhagen Opera House.
This was for Som I Himlen (As It Is in Heaven) a lively and heartwarming musical adaptation directed by Edward af Sillén of a 2004 Swedish movie telling the story of a famous conductor who returns to his small Swedish hometown in the North of the country to retire and is asked to help with mentoring the school choir.
It was Mikael’s first time using Fortes, 80 of which arrived at the Copenhagen Opera House in summer via Robe’s Danish distributor Light Partner. The package features 32 x Forte Profiles, 34 x Forte Fresnels, four Forte FSs (follow spots) and 10 x iFortes, all part of a technical upgrade that was installed just in time for the restart of the high-profile venue’s winter programme.
Som I Himlen is a co-production with Malmo Opera and was first produced there in 2021. Mikael has worked with the director Edward before and was asked to collaborate on this production by him.
There were no Robe moving lights involved in that production as Mikael utilised Malmo Opera’s repertory rig. The entire creative team from the popular Malmo show helped to deliver the production in Copenhagen.
With many intimate moments in the show, the set, designed by Kim Witzel, was pushed as far downstage and as close to the audience possible, where there were fewer rigging points for lights, and the orchestra - who figures promin
Canada/Europe - Long standing North America distributors (and fibre network specialists) Optocore NA have been accoladed by the German parent company, who have presented them with this year’s Best Distributor Award.
The presentation to Bill and Brandon Coons was made by Optocore founder, Marc Brunke, during the ISE2024 expo in Barcelona recently.
Optocore sales manager, RadhaMohan Rajani, said: “From their base in Canada, Bill and Brandon have been our longest serving partners, educating and serving the whole of North America. And having enjoyed a record year, they are showing that they are still introducing new customers to the Optocore family.”
Bill Coons started to represent Optocore as far back as 2007 under his Contact Distribution business model before incorporating Optocore North America the following year.
Among the high-profile projects that adopted Optocore solutions in 2023 were Toronto’s Massey Hall and Scotiabank Arena as well as Rogers Arena in Vancouver while in the USA, Optocore networks were adopted by The San Diego Symphony (at the Rady Shell, Jacobs Park), and Crypto Arena, Los Angeles.
“2023 represented our highest grossing year of sales,” reflected sales & product specialist, Brandon Coons. “Our customer base continues to grow as new users and integrators are finally adopting fibre. Shows aren’t really getting bigger, they are getting more complex and the only way to keep all the digital products/platforms working together is on an asynchronous network … which is Optocore’s ‘value propositio
UK - Hosted for the first time by David Tennant, the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards took place on Sunday 18 February at London's Royal Festival Hall, and was broadcast internationally on BBC One, iPlayer and BritBox International. With cinema enjoying a strong post-pandemic resurgence, partly thanks to the Barbie/Oppenheimer effect, the BAFTA Film Awards has lost none of its prestige.
Attended by the President of BAFTA, HRH the Prince of Wales, 25 Awards were presented - voted for by over 7,500 BAFTA creatives and film industry practitioners - for categories that included Best Director, Cinematography, Documentary and Film Not in the English Language.
TV, broadcast and event lighting specialists, Version 2, traditionally known for its involvement in television lighting was, for the first time, the official lighting supplier for the occasion. Version 2 supplied lighting and manpower for the live Awards ceremony, artists performances and the traditional obituary tribute, as well as the audience lighting and the live event broadcast.
Also involved in designing for the Awards for the first time were veteran lighting director, Tim Routledge, of Tim Routledge Lighting Design and set designer, Julio Himede from Yellow Studio New York, in a partnership first formed for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
"It's a tricky show as you are only in the venue for a short time with a very short load in and load out," explains Routledge. "The live show starts at 6pm and is broadcast as live on television around 8pm, so there is a super-quick turnaround to