The transtechnik group has been commissioned by SZM Studios GmbH (Munich broadcasting centre) to install a whole new lighting system as well as Voyager automatic positioning systems in their Munich-based SZM Studio 6. This overhaul of the 350sq.m studio (a project worth EUR 1.43 million) is scheduled to be completed by August 2001.
The project involves fitting 114 monopole hoists including 2kW Fresnel lens spotlights (Arri Studio) to the studio's 19m x 14m grid ceiling. A Voyager system will control the vertical positioning of the monopoles, which will be supplied via 2.5kW channels. Due to the large number of monopoles, there will be no need for any horizontal positioning. However, since the studio ceiling is currently too low for a standard monopole installation, a special structure has had to be designed to hold the monopoles. This allows for a height gain of 1m. For lighting the studio cyclorama, a two-rail system (Helm 100) will also be provided, which uses a special lowering mechanism developed by transtechnik.
The scenery hoist system installed by transtechnik with 24 hoists (Gerriets P250JR) will also be controlled by a Voyager system. The scenery hoists will include a pipe for flying audio, video and special effects equipment. To suit the studio's Ethernet cabling, transtechnik will also supply two Focus NT lighting consoles equipped with Ethernet interfaces. Signals will be converted from Ethernet to classic DMX format in the dimmer room.
Originally, SZM Studio 6 was split into two smaller studios (6A and 6B) by means of a dividing wall. One of these was use
New York City-based City Theatrical Inc recently received a $47,700 state grant for employee training and professional development. The grant, awarded by the New York State Workforce Investment Board, is specifically for training workers in manufacturing industries. City Theatrical will use it to pay for training that will increase its manufacturing efficiency and improve its sales and marketing. The company is using the grant funds for training in every department - engineering, manufacturing, sales and financial - so it will affect all aspects of the company. The grant covers the cost of the training, books and other materials, and salaries for staff who take classes during business hours. All training will be completed in the next year. City Theatrical's application was one of 145 the New York State Department of Labor received from manufacturing companies.
At PLASA 2001, TMB will be showing a number of new products. The Cam-Lok E2000 series power connectors are high-quality, single-pole locking connectors conforming to 2002 European safety standards and specifications. Available in current ratings to 400 Amps, and cable sizes to 150mm2.
New additions to TMB’s PowerPAR daylight fixture range include a hot restrike version, a remote ballast unit for an even lighter-weight and lower profile; an HID150 unit, using a high-output 10,000 hour lamp for architectural use, and multiple colours for company identification and corporate shows. Additionally, the original best-selling version now has reduced fan noise for quiet operation in Theatre and TV applications and an improved ballast with hot restrike capability.
Other new products inlcude the ProPlex Ethernet Cable - now available with two choices of extremely durable and innovative RJ45 Connectors (RJ-Lnxx or Neutrik EtherCon); RJ Lnxx RJ45 Connectors - standard RJ45 over-moulded in a robust durable housing, with an IP67-rated connection; Neutrik EtherCon RJ45 connectors - standard RJ45 enclosed in an XLR-style die-cast shell; Dataplex cables - for applications where an economical data cable is preferred. ProCable Head to Ballast Cables - a full selection of premium-grade HMI Head to Ballast cables; available assembled with Link or Spacecraft HMI connectors. ProCan - a mains voltage Birdie, now available for use with 240V GZ16 lamp, for 240V mains-voltage applications; Sassonics 19-pin cable tester - the first multi-cable tester that really does it all and the ProXS - TM
With the development of CAD drawing packages over recent years, it’s now possible for professional lighting designers to make a living designing in the virtual world.
Using WYSIWYG by Cast Lighting of Canada or the Martin Show Designer from Denmark, designers can create artistic lighting images and present them either as stills or as an animated movie providing an accurate photo-realistic rendition of environmental and show designs. Since he’s been one if its higher profile users, we invited LD Durham Marenghi, to explain why he’s so keen on the virtual route . . .
Over the past month I’ve been commissioned to create virtual designs with WYSIWYG for a temporary exhibition and event environment and a major car launch reveal, the intention in each case to provide a graphic presentation of what will eventually become reality.
Historically, artistic impressions have been used to provide the client with a pictorial representation of a concept, in some cases this led to disappointment or even refusal of payment when they realised the event looked nothing like the art work originally sold. Recent technology has seen CAD draughtsmen using architectural lighting programmes to illuminate their 3D models which provide reasonably realistic lighting treatments, but no knowledge of how to physically achieve them.
It is now possible for lighting professionals to illuminate these CAD models with accurate ‘virtual’ luminaires which behave realistically in terms of photometrics, colour and shadow. Aside from the realism of images rendered using thi
David Atkinson Lighting Design has just completed an extensive design for the National Football Museum in Preston on behalf of Land Design Studio.
The museum was split into two areas, the first being ‘Finney’ - an area which covered the invention of the game, its development over the last 150 years, and what the future is likely to hold for both players and supporters.
Finney was designed with a high proportion of complex graphic panels which were either flat or multi-layered. Atkinson spec’d a light from Commercial Lighting Systems, which utilized twin 36W compact fluorescent lamps. To this he added barndoors and a filter holder to wash the various graphic panels. To add definition and depth to some of the multi-layered panels, he fitted T5 encapsulite tubes to the reverse of the panels. The exhibits were lit with low voltage profiles, floods and fibre optic sources.
The contrasting second area of the exhibition , ‘Shankley’ is much more of an interactive space. Ross Hopcraft the designer wanted to create a strong aesthetical lighting feature to the exhibition, which Atkinson achieved using the Targetti F1 system. From this, strong ambient washes of green filtered light were projected with accent lighting to the various interactive features. In addition to the F1, Atkinson also added Strand SL architectural (HID) fixtures to project gobo images of netting across the floor and graphics.
The first Broadway show to use the grandMA console from MA Lighting will be the upcoming production of Thoroughly Modern Millie which opens at the Marriott Marquis theatre early next year. Warren Flynn will be programming the grandMA for lighting designer Don Holder, who is expecting to use almost 60 moving instruments, all controlled by the grandMA. Flynn chose the grandMA console due to the variety of new and powerful features which he would normally not have access to, such as full tracking backup via a network. Flynn, who is a relative newcomer to the grandMA, was philosophical on the subject of learning a new console: "Making a transition to a new console is never easy. However, with the help of AC Lighting it has been as painless as possible."
Bob Gordon of AC Lighting considers this a landmark in the evolution of the grandMA's popularity. He comented: "It's funny, but it has taken, almost to the month, the same amount of time to get the grandMA on to a Broadway show as it took us to get the Wholehog II onto a Broadway show a few years back. I guess it says a lot about the maturity of a product and its feature set."
PLASA Media has learned that Smoke Design, the Bolsover-based manufacturer of a range of silk flame effects, haze generators, fragrance systems and smoke generators, is experiencing problems. Financial recovery and restructuring agents, Silver Altman, have written to all the companies who have conducted business with the company, informing them that a meeting of creditors will take place in Nottingham on 4 September. Those who attend will receive a statement of affairs and will be asked to nominate one or more insolvency practitioners and, if necessary, to establish a liquidation committee. The company was founded in 1996 by David and Sylvia Taylor.
Bookings are now well underway for the seminar and workshop programme planned for the PLASA Show. This year the emphasis is very much on knowledge with those signing up gaining an insight into how new technology is creating new opportunities, how individuals have pulled together highly complex projects, why integration is so important and how they can achieve more by picking up tips and techniques from others.
In a programme of seminars sponsored by Installation Europe, audio installation and integration is the theme under which issues of networking, control and the benefits of converging technologies are explored. Tuesday sees a Theme and Leisure Masterclass, presented by Leisure Management, in association with the TEA and TiLE, which focuses on how the leisure industry exploits special effects, lighting and audio technology to create unique environments to enhance the visitor experience. On Wednesday, the sessions move to consider the integration of audio and lighting into building design, the regulations facing those who install lighting, the increasing profile of new media such as LED technology, and the basics of video conferencing.
For the first time you can also attend any number of focused courses and workshops. The ISCE is running three sessions covering the issues associated with audio system design, whilst Loughborough College and the AETTI are jointly promoting a series of courses which offer those interested in theatre a chance to work towards BTEC certification.
White Light Sales has provided The Castle Theatre in Wellingborough, Northampton with a new Strand 520i lighting control console. The Service Company completed the installation. "Last summer, The Service Company lent them a Strand 520 for an outdoor gig they were holding to celebrate the Millennium," recalls The Service Company’s Roger Hennigan. "They were so impressed that they wanted one!"
The theatre is a 500-seat theatre that can be used in proscenium format or converted to a flat floor space, and which hosts a wide range of productions and events during the course of a year. They were using a Galaxy Nova console, but chief electrician Lesley Gash felt that it was time to move to a newer console with more flexible control over DMX devices such as scrollers and moving lights. The 520i seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Hennigan says: "Following discussions with the crew, we upgraded their Strand PALS data distribution to create a full DMX system, adding XTBA DMX Network ports to give 11 opto-isolated and buffered DMX outlets around the theatre."
"We then replaced the existing Galaxy Nova with a 250-channel Strand 520i, ETC Reflection DMX backup, Strand R120 radio remote and R120 wired remote, all supplied by White Light Sales. We also created a custom desktop panel to control the theatre’s existing independent circuits, replacing a panel that had been part of the Galaxy. To complete the handover, Strand’s Bill Richards came up for a day’s training."
In choosing a 500-series console, The Castle follows t
The Rubber Box Co is launching two new products at PLASA - a stage box designed for mounting on trussing and a 16A Y-Cord splitter. The stage box is fitted with 19-pin male and female connectors and six 16A sockets. By using two lightweight half couplers, the box can be quickly and securely clamped to trussing in seconds. The Y-Cord splitter removes the problem of trying to connect two cables into a plug. Manufactured from 2.5 sq.mm HO7RNF rubber cable, it can be supplied as a cable or fitted with plug and couplers.
Rubber Box can be found on Stand E13.
Color Kinetics Inc has been named a ‘Rising Star’ as part of the New England Technology Fast 50 Program, an annual ranking of the fastest-growing technology companies in the area presented by Deloitte & Touche and Hale and Dorr LLP. Rising Star rankings are based on the percentage of growth in revenues over a three-year period (1998-2000) and Color Kinetics has experienced exceptional growth since its inception in late 1997. Ten companies are named annually as Rising Stars on their way to becoming New England Technology Fast 50 companies in the future. To qualify, companies must have had operating revenues of at least $50,000 in 1998 and $1,000,000 in 2000 and must produce technology, manufacture a technology product or devote a high percentage of effort to research and development of technology. Winners of the 22 regional Fast 50 programs and Rising Star categories in the United States and Canada are automatically entered in the Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500 program, ranking North America’s top 500 fastest growing technology companies. Rankings for these and Rising Star winners will be announced on September 11.
Visitors to PLASA 2001 will witness the debut of the ‘brand new’ as well as the ‘relatively new’ in the High End Systems and Flying Pig Systems product family. Shown only at a sneak preview at Lightfair this year, High End is introducing C-16, the first in its Atmospheres series of interior architectural luminaires. C-16 is a compact, affordable, colour-changing spotlight that lets you change your environment, space, atmosphere or mood with utter simplicity. An MR16 lamp gives the fixture long life. It weighs in at a lightweight six pounds but packs a powerful colour punch, offering pastel highlights to deep saturates.
The modular construction of the x.Spot automated luminaire allows for new feature modules to be introduced as they become available. Debuting at PLASA are two new modules: Lithomotion wheels and the framing shutter system. The Lithomotion wheels offer oversized, rotating images which bring a lively, ever-changing look to a set. Mike Wood, vice-president of engineering, commented: "This allows us to go back to a more organic effect. With the Lithomotion feature, you're getting motion in two or three different directions at the same time, so you can't tell where the motion is coming from. The whole thing is very alive, very 3D. It's a look that we've not managed to achieve on any other product before." The LithoMotion feature should be shipping between September and November.
The framing shutter system caters to lighting designers' requests for accuracy and reliability in framing. "The system features eight motors - tw
A new specialist sound, lighting and video design and installation company, Live Business International, has opened its doors in London. The company is headed by technical director Roland Hemming, the former head of sound at the Millennium Dome, and is backed by Live Business, the UK’s largest provider of live entertainment. Live Business International specializes in design, installation and maintenance of sound, video and lighting systems in entertainment venues, including cruise ships, hotels, theatres, clubs, stadia and conference venues.
Hemming’s background spans 15 years in the entertainment technology business, beginning at the sound department of Theatre Projects where he pioneered MIDI-based show control in the late 1980s, going on to work as a sound engineer, event production manager, audio consultant and installation designer. In recent years Hemming has been responsible for numerous major cruise ship installations for many European cruise lines.
Prior to forming Live Business International, he managed the design, installation and running of the 57 sound systems at Millennium Dome, the largest sound installation in the world, running a team of 42 engineers. He was also one of the last people to leave the Dome, spending three months this year as production manager in charge of decommissioning every sound, lighting, video and broadcast system with a crew of 192 and 30,000 items of equipment to dismantle.
Hemming told PLASA Media: "Having successfully carried out various high profile installations in recent years, we want to build on that succ
Martin Professional, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of automated lighting, will head to this year’s PLASA Show with a number of new products and product upgrades. These include the MAC 2000 Forma - a new version of Martin’s successful 1200W MAC 2000 profile spot which features an internal framing device for precise stage lighting and new sub-gobo rotation wheel, useful for theatrical fire and water effects. Also launched is MAC 600 NT - a new version of the popular MAC 600 featuring improved colour mixing, a CTC system and noiseless operation, perfect for noise-sensitive markets such as theatre and TV.
Also new is Wizard - a one-of-a-kind DMX-controllable ‘full-house’ effects light featuring what Martin claim is an extraordinary, magical effect never before seen in the effects lighting industry. The Wizard, which uses a high-output 250W discharge source, has two independent color/gobo wheels offering seven colours, plus two white and six gobo patterns, as well as a separate shutter for fast strobing. The Wizard delivers more than 80 agile light beams, each beam chasing the other while continuously changing colour and gobo pattern. Instant ‘show time’ is now possible with Martin MC Showtime - a user-friendly, plug and play show controller for the Martin MX series of scanners. MC Showtime is a pre-programmed ‘ready to go’ controller offering 30 ever-changing light shows.
On stand from Jem is the new Heavy Fog. Incorporating the latest in refrigeration technology, Jem’s newest heavy fogger is a more com
Internationally recognized lighting designer Jeff Ravitz, principal of Visual Terrain Inc, has received a Prime Time Emmy Award nomination for his lighting design on the recent Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band special on HBO. Marking the first time Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have been presented in concert on television, the special was shot last summer in high-definition format during Springsteen's record-setting, 10-show sell-out at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The concert was the finale of their 1999-2000 world tour. Ravitz had designed the show lighting for the tour and was called in to adapt the design for the needs of television. To that end, he added a subtle amount of audience lighting to enhance that already used in the live show. The live performance uses colour liberally for the artists’ key lighting to reflect emotion and enhance the live show contrast. In discussions between Ravitz, Springsteen and director Chris Hilson, it was agreed that this would render close-ups, which comprised the bulk of the show's final shots, unflattering. To address this issue, colour was adjusted for the camera. Keylight was balanced to 3200°K to allow the many shades of blue Ravitz uses, to read accurately. In addition, intensities for the main performance lighting were reset to balance the contrast ratios for the camera. This is Ravitz's second Emmy nomination, having previously been named for his design for Cher Live at the Mirage on CBS.
At PLASA 2001, Clay Paky is presenting a series of new product lines, as well as expanding existing ones. This wide range includes the ‘Silent Version’ (SV) models, designed to guarantee maximum operating silence and the ‘Golden’ models, which ensure high performances at a low expense.
With Stage Profile 1200 SV, Stage Color 1200 SV and Stage Zoom 1200 SV, Clay Paky have developed three projectors that are over 50% quieter than normal. This is due to an innovative cooling system designed by Clay Paky’s R&D department. The Stage Profile 1200 SV combines the quality of a professional beam shaper with the versatility of a moving body projector. This innovative and creative tool - ideal for use in theatre, television and concert applications - allows beam-shaping evenly in quadrilaterals and triangles of any shape or size. The effect utilizes four beam-shaping blades operating on four focal planes, easily programmed and controlled from the desk. The whole system can rotate 90° in either direction at variable speed.
Equipped with 16+3 control channels, the Stage Profile 1200 SV has a zoom lens unit with a 16° to 24° beam angle controlled from the desk for both electronic focusing and zoom linear movement. It also comes with an iris, colour temperature conversion from 6000 to 3200K, an interchangeable seven-colour disc, dimmers, stop and strobe, lamp control from the control desk and the option of fixed gobos. Another feature of Stage Profile 1200 SV is the possibility of interchanging the moving head with that of the Stage Zoom 1200 SV
Birmingham-based Central Theatre Supplies has just completed its third Performing Arts School installation in nine months. All three venues feature Zero 88 Dimming, and control along with Selecon lanterns. Two of the venues are using a Sirius desk for control, whilst the third has opted for the recently launched Fat Frog. CTS specified these particular desks as they will largely be operated by students, enabling them to learn about lighting on manual pre-set controls before moving into advanced environments.
Fat Frog was recommended for the one particular school as they are developing out of hours activities for community use. Andy Fidgeon, Electrical Supervisor at Birmingham Rep said "I was pleased Fat Frog was chosen for this venue as I light shows for a number of amateur companies and it will give me quick and easy control over moving lights."
Selecon Profiles were specified throughout for all three venues including the new Axial Profile and Pacific. Each venue was also fitted with full sound systems, video projection, hall perimeter tracks with full stage drapes and the latest included recording studio facilities with inductive loop systems as standard. The latest project included a comprehensive recording studio facility. Users at the school expressed total confidence in the product range supplied and a liking for its ease of use in their environment. CTS Director, David Harwood said: "We have had a very hectic 12 months in both hire and installation. I am convinced that our package of support and on site training was a major factor in being awarded
Darren DeVerna has joined PRG’s management team in the role of vice president, Production Resource Group, and will be supported by the resources of Fourth Phase New Jersey, ProMix Electrotec Mt. Vernon and Scenic Technologies New York. DeVerna, formerly the President of Four Star Lighting, has been involved with countless theatrical successes such as Annie Get Your Gun, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, Contact, Kiss Me Kate, Rent, Music Man and many more. Originally employed as an IATSE Local 1 stage hand, his credits also include work with prominent charities, such as the Laurie Beechman Memorial Golf Outing, of which he is co-founder and co-chairman, and the Clearview School for Autistic Children.
In his new role, DeVerna will provide a high level of service and support to the extremely demanding Broadway and theatrical touring markets. In addition to the ongoing support of several existing clients, DeVerna will concentrate on cultivating new relationships with clients that have not previously worked with PRG. He will be based out of PRG's Mount Vernon, New York office and will report to Bill Groener, Northeast Regional Vice-President.
Vari-Lite Inc is providing the lighting for the 2001 summer tour of British, post-rock band, Radiohead. The band began the North American leg of the tour in Houston on June 18 and have been playing to sold-out arenas and amphitheaters where fans are ‘Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box’ - the new album’s first song. Lighting designer Andi Watson, who has worked on previous Radiohead tours, is lighting the show with 69 Vari*Lite luminaires, often washing the band in deeply saturated blues and reds, highlighting the moving and experimental songs from the band’s newest albums Kid A and Amnesiac and accentuating hits from previous albums. Watson’s rig includes 14 VL2416 wash luminaires, 26 VL2402 wash luminaires and 29 VL6C spot luminaires.
Recently hailed by many rock critics as the ‘saviors of music’, the band hasn’t toured widely since 1997 after the release of its groundbreaking album, OK Computer. Following the North American portion of the tour, which finishes in Los Angeles on Aug. 20, Radiohead travels to Europe and Japan, playing a handful of shows through the beginning of October.
Par Opti is introducing yet another original product to the already extensive catalogue of fibre optic lighting components manufactured by the company. The PP8 prism changes the light emission by 90 degrees, creating new uses for fibre optics employed in confined spaces, for example behind narrow skirting in bars and other displays. A bezelled version suitable for ceilings and walls creates a dramatic effect in the minimum space.
Sold out smash hits aren't that common in the West End. Shows that have to add extra performances to cope with demand even less so! But an exception returns to London for three weeks from this Friday: The Service Company's popular Strand 500-series training courses. First held earlier in January this year, the half day courses covered a variety of levels of Strand's popular range of lighting consoles, which are found in an ever-increasing number of theatres in the West End and round the country. Demand for the courses was so great that they are to return for three Fridays from this week, 10 August - and are to be repeated in the morning and afternoon of each Friday, allowing twice as many people to participate.
Two courses are being run. The first, on 10 August and 17 August, covers the use of the console for controlling conventional lighting and colour scrollers from the basic level, including console set-up, patching, channel control, recording cues, making changes and as well as examining the use of macros and effects. The second, on 24 August, looks at the use of the consoles for controlling moving lights, including the use reference groups, macros and automod for setting up shows. This course will also introduce the new features being introduced in soon-to-be-released GeniusPro version 2.5.
The courses are being led for The Service Company by programmer Rob Halliday, who has been using the 500-series consoles for around seven years on shows including the current productions of My Fair Lady and The Witches of Eastwick in London. As before, the courses are being held
The skyline of the city of Dublin recently witnessed the arrival of a unique feature when AC Lighting, working on behalf of London-based architects Hunt McGarry, commissioned a unique lighting scheme on a telecommunications mast in the city centre. The revolutionary 30m high mast, known as the Esat Digifone Telecommunications Millennium Landmark Structure is located next to an M50 motorway interchange in Tallaght, Dublin. The mast has the shape of a slender inverted cone and is constructed using laser-cut perforated stainless steel.
Under the direction of AC’s project manager Peter Keiderling, various options were considered from neon to side-emitting fibre optics. Neon was determined to be the most effective and a scheme was devised utilizing custom-manufactured segments of green neon to form double rings round the mast at 17 levels. Over 200 lengths of neon were produced in a variety of radii to complete the project. The neon is connected through special IP66/67-rated converters to enable dimming/switching via an 18-channel Pulsar Datapak lighting power pack. This is controlled from a Pulsar Masterpiece Replay Unit 216 programmed to perform a variety of chase sequences up and down the tower. The project was selected by the RIAI (Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland) for a Regional Award at a ceremony in Dublin on 2 July 2001.
Pani is introducing the BP 2.5 ECO - a new development on the PANI ‘T’ (Turbo) generation platform. Economy and effectiveness were the prime aims for the company in the achievement of unprecedented value-for-money in a projector in this category. The BP 2.5 ECO is specially designed for short and medium distances. As a high-quality member of the PANI projection system, it is fully compatible with the complete accessory range including all objectives as well as the new Compact Scroller CS 70.
Another inovation from Pani, the Economic Slide System (ESS), gives users the opportunity to produce their own slides. They only need a PC or Mac. The ESS is a one-stop solution consisting of a state-of-the-art inkjet photoprinter, printer software with template for the output medium, 50 PANI special foils and 15 aluminium slide frames.
Pani can be found on stand R30.
Forget three-phase power supplies, water-cooling, unreliable performance and costly maintenance, plug and play lasers are definitely the way ahead according to laser firm VIVID. By plugging into a standard 13amp socket crisp, pin-sharp graphics and animated images can be thrown from the lightweight laser with the bonus of high speed digital blanking. With each image as a separate entity the permutations for all manner of presentations is endless, says Mike Lister, managing director of Vivid.
Lister has teamed up with Clive Davies, the technical mind behind Laser Electronics, to form Vivid, which is based in brand new 12,000sq.ft high-tech headquarters in Wakefield. Vivid manufactures a rotor moulded, stylish lightweight case which can be colour-matched to any interior. Each unit weighs less than 15 kilos and can be daisy-chained like any intelligent lighting rig. Vivid claims it's the only company in the UK to have designed its own electronic hardware and software, including the actual laser diode, which enables technical specifications to be written around the specific requirements of the entertainment industry. Together with the laser head, the company has produced its own PC-based control system, which makes the usual daunting task of laser programming child’s play. Each highly portable unit can be remotely programmed over the internet for punching out advertising messages. Free software upgrades will be available with each PC-based control system as and when new features come on line.
The company is already hinting that it may launch a 3D version and multiple