Germany - PSRIG is set to launch its new FlexScope – Telescopic Motion Stabiliser at this year's Prolight + Sound. Visitors to Stand C80, Hall 12.0 will see the new stage mechanical system in action.
Aart Gigengack, sales manager and co-owner of PSRIG says: "We are very excited to be launching this new piece of kit at Prolight + Sound and we think our customers will be very excited by it. The FlexSccope is a system which has been designed to move objects vertically in a stable and smooth fashion while preventing motion like tilting, panning or any other unwanted movement. It is suitable for a variety of creative applications – in fact anywhere you want to enhance the visual aspects of a show."
The telescopic profile consists of four sections. In the standard configuration the profile is 220cm in its home position while in the fully extended position, it measures 750cm. The total travel of the profile is 530cm. However the FlexScope is configurable with custom section length when ordering directly from PSRIG. It consists of a flexible truss bracket on top of the profile and a fixed bottom bracket where you can mount the light, video or other decorative items. An external cable guiding system to transfer power and data is available for purchase.
Aart continues: "The system came about as a result of a customer request for Martin Garrix's ADE show in the RAI Amsterdam. Show director Gabriel Fraboni reached out to Unlimited Productions in the Netherlands for a solution to make moving heads go up and down individually over the crowd. Unlimited Product
UK - On Friday, 29 March 2019, HRH, The Princess Royal, was the honoured VIP visitor to Le Mark Group, there to open its new high-tech international warehouse facility.
HRH, accompanied by HM Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Julie Spence OBE QPM, was greeted by senior Le Mark staff members and noted dignitaries from the Cambridgeshire County Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the High Sheriff’s Association.
After touring the sales office, HRH was provided with a manufacturing demonstration of the multi-award winning BlackTak light masking foil. HRH heard of the work undertaken by the company and which countries it sells to.
Linda Gibbons, joint managing director, said: “We have an amazing performance flooring department and one particular project I was proud to present to HRH was our printing and fitting of the world’s largest printed floor for the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony.”
HRH officially opened the new international warehouse by unveiling a memorial plaque.
Stuart Gibbons, joint managing director, said: “It was an honour to welcome HRH to Le Mark and we were delighted that she supports this expansion. International warehouse 3 marks an important investment for Le Mark. No matter the political climate, Europe and the rest of the world remain vital markets for our products and we will continue to drive export growth.
“The new warehouse almost doubles our storage capacity with an additional 360 Euro pallet bays. With this, Le Mark is reinforcing its commitment to, and confide
USA - The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) celebrated their upcoming ride with a raffle and live auction to benefit Behind the Scenes during the USITT Stage Expo last week in Louisville, KY.
A myriad of activities including sales of raffle tickets, a live and silent auction, challenge grants, swag sales, and sales of Neal Preston’s books, posters and prints raised over $18,000 for the charity. The LRLR 2019 ride, dubbed the Altimeter Tour, starts on 7 July in Denver Colorado. The riders cover all their own expenses so everything they raise goes to the charity. Sponsor a rider today at www.behindthescenescharity.org/lrlr.
The booth featured a display of some of The Lightpower Collection’s photographs by Neal Preston including those of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Robert Plant, Bob Marley, Ray Charles and others.
Raffle festivities led off with the traditional kazoo parade led by Bill Sapsis and Eddie Raymond (yes, they were the T-Rex’s), and many of the LRLR. Following the parade, BTS Pledge-a-Product partners ETC (irFR and aRFR application for iOS and Android devices), ACT Lighting (The dot2 Series of Lighting Control Solutions from MA Lighting) and InCord (Theatrical Safety Netting Systems) presented checks from the sales of their products pledged to BTS.
Live auction items included a hand-tooled seam ripper and serving tray created by Shan and Trish Ayers, a special pack of Amberient’s industry trading cards which included a signed Richard Pilbrow Rookie card, and a hand crafted pen and pencil set donated by Indianapolis Stage in associ
Latvia/Ukraine - In response to significant business growth across Europe, Sixty82, a manufacturer of trussing and staging systems, has announced it has entered into a strategic agreement with JSA Stage Company as its exclusive distributor for Latvia and Ukraine.
From this point forward, JSA will serve its customers by providing a complete range of Sixty82 solutions.
“JSA’s distribution with Sixty82 is a crucial step to better serving our customers in Latvia and Ukraine,” says CEO Fokko Smeding. “With their history of representing leading manufacturers of trussing and staging equipment, they have built an excellent reputation in the industry and form an opportune extension to our already existing distribution network. In the many years that we have worked together we have established mutual trust, which is crucial in this ever-changing industry.”
Alexander Strizhak, CEO of JSA, comments: “JSA has been working in this business for more than twenty years and has always used constructions from the best manufacturers in the field. Sixty82 is a new progressive brand on the market, with a lot of experience in the manufacturing of innovative technologies.”
He continues: “In addition, Fokko Smeding, the founder of Sixty82 is an extraordinary person, who put together an amazing team of professionals. Therefore we are extremely excited to present SIXTY82’s products to our potential customers and to start this journey with the Sixty82 team. I am sure that the Sixty82 products will be a great success in the market.”
(Jim Evans)
Germany - Eilon Engineering will show the new Ron StageMaster 8000 hoist load cell. This patent-pending load cell turns any hoist into a smart hoist, allowing for greater motion control, safer handling of complex loads, advanced data acquisition, increased productivity and reduced downtime.
Hanging tons of lighting, sound and video equipment above spectators and performers involves great responsibility. With ever-increasing load weight and movement, complex lifting of expensive equipment requires a highly accurate and advanced single/multi-point load monitoring solution. The Ron StageMaster 8000 can fit any hoist and is a solution for safe and advanced motion control, industrial automation and complex lifting. It easily retrofits to existing hoists and includes a chain compensation mechanism, adjusting for hoist imbalance as the chain accumulates in the bag.
Two new load monitoring solutions are available: a donut hoist load cell with high load cell accuracy of 0.25% and zero headroom loss, and a hook hoist load cell with high load cell accuracy of 0.1% and minimal headroom loss. High load cell accuracy is crucial for early detection of overloads the moment they start to develop and allows for quick, preventive action like rebalancing the loads while minimal headroom loss is critical for indoor use.
The Ron StageMaster 8000 is not only increases load safety, it can also reduce costs by justifying lower insurance premiums. The new Ron StageMaster 8000 is compatible with wireless Ron StageMaster 6000 and wired Ron StageMaster 5000 systems.
(Jim
Germany - Global flightcase hardware manufacture and Penn Elcom highlights four new products at the Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt next week on stand C43 in Hall 4.
Penn’s new UltraFlite case panels are a 100% recyclable product that will become its next generation flightcase standard, and of interest to all sectors of the AV and staging community.
Also new is the VulcanTM Shockmount Chassis, bringing affordable military strength stabilisation to rack mounting scenarios; while a new range of Penn’s MOL automatic positioning latches and lid-stay hinges utilises WeatherSeal technology; and last but not least, also new is a striking yellow cover available for Penn’s popular CROSS 3 cable protector.
The UltraFlite case panel has been developed following two years of extensive R & D. The new and technically advanced UltraFlite material features a honeycomb structure that makes it tough, light, durable and resistant to liquids and weather.
It has been created for the needs and demands of contemporary and future flightcase builders, who can dramatically reduce average case weight by 40% by including UltraFlite in a case design.
MOL WeatherSeal automatic positioning latches, and lid-stay hinges have been developed by Penn Elcom to helps create seamless flightcase latches and hinges that help close lids even tighter, eliminating any gaps, and with the assistance of a tiny rubber membrane making the case interior dust and water resistant, keeping the contents safer from ingress when closed.
(Jim Evans)
UK - UK Rigging has switched its equipment rental software to HireHop. Due to UK Rigging’s rapid growth they needed flexible and powerful software to manage their inventory and productions, as well as assign and manage crew to various jobs in different regions all over the country.
After testing numerous other systems, UK Rigging concluded that HireHop was best suited to their needs, due to its ease of use and scalability, as well as having the added advantage of being in the cloud. They also worked alongside HireHop to help them develop a new crew scheduling resource planner, tailored to assign crew to multiple jobs in different regions quickly and easily.
HireHop’s director Keith Jacobs says: “We are pleased with the result of our collaboration with UK Rigging, and are extremely grateful for all the input they have given us, enabling us to develop such a powerful resource planner that many other users can also use. It is also an honour to have yet another well-known and respected company join the ever-growing line-up of prestigious HireHop users.”
Phil Leavers of UK Rigging says: “Our previous software was becoming a hindrance rather than a help. We needed something that was scalable, cloud based & powerful, yet easy to use for everyone across the company with minimal training.
“With our ever-expanding hire inventory and increased demand for our crew bookings department, HireHop ticked all the boxes and their customer support has been outstanding. Thanks to the work flow within HireHop it has allowed us to streamline our oper
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds has announced its line-up of seminars and speakers for this year’s event, taking place on 14-15 May at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.
Alongside the sold-out show floor with brands from across audio, lighting, AV, and staging, the seminars and training sessions provide opportunities to pick up essential technical know-how and gain insights into notable industry developments.
A programme highlight looks to the Royal Albert Hall, which recently received a multi-million-pound audio system upgrade. Ollie Jeffery, head of production and technical at the Royal Albert Hall, and Steve Jones from d&b audiotechnik will discuss their technical process and reveal how the new system is already impacting the audience experience.
Renowned audio consultant Roland Hemming is presenting a series of seminars, kicking off with an introduction to voice alarm systems in which he unpacks the design and installation of emergency audio systems. He will then explain the position of BSI concerning standardisation of voice alarm systems and how Brexit may affect matters. Finally, Hemming will present an overview of digital audio networking, through its history to modern day standards.
Continuing on a theme, Dante return with a Level 2 training session, ideal for those already familiar with Dante. The training will cover redundancy, clocking, latency and multicast, giving attendees the skills to create more advanced systems.
Chartered engineering consultant James Eade will present two seminars on electrics. One which de
Germany - The new Doughty Fifty Clamp will make its Prolight + Sound debut next month. The bigger brother of Doughty's best-selling Twenty Clamp, the Fifty Clamp will be on display in hall 12.0, stand D84.
Mark Chorley, design engineer at Doughty comments: "We are really excited to hear what people visiting the show have to say about this new clamp. Early indication is that it's a bit of a game changer. Some of our customers have already told us that the extra 30kg is going to make a big difference."
The Fifty Clamp has TUV approval, a SWL of 50kg and has been designed to fit tube diameter 38mm - 51mm. It is made from pressure die cast aluminium which prevents damage to thin wall truss. It is captive with M10 or M12 bolts and comes supplied with an M10 fixing kit. "It's already available to order," says Mark, “so we are looking forward to gathering additional feedback as uptake increases”
Doughty will also show its new Scaff Boom Arm and Heavy Duty Boom Arm at the show. The Scaff Boom Arm has been designed in response to customer demand and is very much a 'get out of jail' item, set to become an essential part of any took-kit. Mark continued "It will allow the user to make their own boom arms out of materials that they have to hand, in the event that they find themselves on site and suddenly needing a boom arm of a certain length."
The Scaff Boom Arm will take 48mm aluminium barrel or scaff tube which can be cut to size depending on the requirements of the particular project.
The Heavy Duty Boom arm is capable of taking the weight o
Germany - BroadWeigh, a leading brand from Mantracourt Electronics, is exhibiting on four of its product partners' stands. The BroadWeigh TwistLink is set to take centre stage, along with the BroadWeigh Wind Speed Sensor, both of which will be set up in demonstrations on the stands of Hof Alutec (Hall 12.0, E49), PSRig (Hall 12.0, C80), Sonoss and Louis Reyners who are exhibiting together (Hall 12.0, C94). And with representatives from BroadWeigh on hand too it's an opportunity for anyone who needs some expert advice on how and why they should monitor their loads.
Kelly Voysey, sales & marketing manager at Mantracourt commented: "Prolight + Sound is a very important event for us in that it puts our brand in front of a truly international audience. We have been supplying load monitoring equipment for years, but it's only relatively recently that entertainment riggers have started to embrace the concept.
“With the necessity to prove due diligence on all projects, riggers now are really interested in knowing the weight distribution of video walls, and complex lighting rigs and to understand how the elements can impact on outdoor events to the point that the readings change from minute to minute.
“So as well as being at Prolight + Sound to exhibit our new products, we're also looking forward to engaging with potential new customers and providing any information they feel they need about the importance of monitoring their loads, but also to hearing their opinions and learning from them.
"Behind Broadweigh is a team of talented engineers wh
Germany - UK-based automation manufacturer Kinesys will show its latest technologies in this specialist entertainment field on stand C98 in hall 12.0 at Prolight+Sound.
Products highlighted will include Kinesys’ powerful new Vector control console, the innovative Apex hoist system and LibraCELL/LibraNODE load monitoring - an invaluable tool to ensure that all static and dynamic loads are constantly and precisely monitored in real-time.
The popular DigiHoist fixed speed chain motor controllers and Kinesys’ industry standard Elevation range of vari-speed hoist drives will also be prominent on the stand.
Visitors will be invited to try out the new Vector console - to control a dual hoist Apex system flying a large screen above the stand.
Apex and Elevation hoists will also be available to control - via the console - for a side by side comparison of their performance and features.
Kinesys’ Vector control console provides a comprehensive control solution with a dedicated inbuilt PC running its well-established Vector software.
Users can programme, edit and run automation cues via dedicated console buttons plus all the advantages of having a 15.6-inch backlit LCD display with capacitive touch screen, rate-wheels, joystick and dedicated and illuminated stop/start buttons.
A dimmable backlit keyboard makes working in low light more practical and there is a trackpad for direct access to Vector’s core features.
The hardware provides functionality including RFID login, integrated Estop and DMH/Enable bar, a dedicated medi
Europe - Global Truss has appointed Austrian Truss Constructions (ATC) as a sales partner in Austria, effective 1 January. The two companies have also forged a strategic relationship for heavy duty systems, stage roofs and special constructions, particularly the development of the iM- and iL-Type system by CAMCO.
Florian Schaaf from the Global Truss, comments: “Now we are able to rely on the long-time experience of ATC in the field of professional solutions and special constructions. The first results of this partnership are already visible with the Multi-Tower-Basement, the new stage roofs as well as our innovative F.O.H. We are looking forward to the cooperation with ATC on the technical and on the sales side. A win-win for the companies and the customers.”
Thomas Wagner of ATC adds: “We are looking forward to the cooperation with Global Truss where both companies’ abilities are merged. Global Truss is already really strong in the retail market and will be too in the professional market with our cooperation. The customer will profit from this cooperation and will receive a lot of innovative products in the near future.”
Global Truss and A.T.C. will be exhibiting at Prolight+Sound 2019 (2-5 April) in Frankfurt.
(Jim Evans)
UK - Pearce Hire has claimed the Best Power Supplier Award at the recent Event Production Awards (EPAs), held at Novotel London West on 19 March.
The company provides production services and dry hire to over 2,000 events each year and is set to work on projects including Lovebox, Forest Live series, Classic Ibiza, Detonate Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and Equifest in 2019.
“It is a huge accolade to have even been shortlisted for an Event Production Award, as we have also been a finalist for a TPI Award and a Festival Supplier Award this season. But to actually win the EPA for Best Power Supplier was really the icing on the cake,” says Shaun Pearce, managing director, Pearce Hire.
“I am extremely proud of the hard work and commitment our dedicated staff and crew put into our projects throughout the year, and a big thank you goes to every one of them. As well, of course, as our loyal customer base who have really put us in the position to win this award.”
The team has now returned to their HQ in Peterborough where they are busy preparing for what they anticipate will be their busiest spring and summer season to date.
The Pearce Hire team will be available to meet on stand RA-05 at the upcoming PLASA Focus Leeds trade show, taking place at the Royal Armouries on 14-15 May.
(Jim Evans)
Belgium - Fisheye, Painting with Light, PRG Belgium and WIcreations - four of the technical partners involved in the 40-45 Spektakel Musical production - have been featured in a behind-the-scenes film.
40-45 Spektakel Musical is being staged at the Pop-Up Theatre in Puurs by Studio 100.
The short film, available for free on YouTube, was shot during the set up and first weeks of the production and features clips from the show as well as exclusive interviews with director Frank van Laecke, technical director Bart Caels from B-Art Production Design, creative lighting expert and video designer Luc Peumans, innovative entertainment engineering specialist Hans Willems, Fisheye director Stijn Slabbinck - in charge of several scenic masterpieces - and Tom van Hemelryck from PRG, who provided lighting and rigging equipment.
It gives viewers a technical and creative insight into the meticulous planning and challenges of producing this ambitious show set during World War II, the vision and foresight of Studio 100 and the strong teamwork, standards of excellence and innovative solutions that are making it happen.
A team from Painting with Light led by Luc Peumans crafted the lighting design and undertook the programming and operating. They also produced the bespoke video content and designed the video control system complete with its programming and ope
Europe - The new Litec Flyintower 10-1,600, provides safety, stability and rigidity for flying up to 1,600kg of audio equipment at heights up to 10m. Designed to bridge the gap in the Litec Flyintower range, which includes solutions with load capacities from 300 to 2000kg, the Flyintower 10-1,600 features a 15° inclined mast.
The Litec Flyintower 10-1,600 uses standard truss in its construction, instead of custom-made truss, making potential replacement of truss sections quick and convenient. The main vertical tower is constructed with QL40A truss, while QH30SA truss is used for the stabilizing legs. Sturdy fork connectors ensure all truss connection points are strong and rigid.
An electric chain hoist or manual winch can be used to lift a line array speaker system. Dedicated accessories are also available, while custom versions are possible on request.
(Jim Evans)
UK - Lighting and video rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting equipment, rigging and crew to the latest UK and European leg of Good Charlotte’s Generation Rx tour, working with lighting designer Paul McAdams who is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and started designing for the band last year.
The tour, which culminated in a show at London’s Alexandra Palace - was project-managed for Colour Sound by Alex Ryan. Colour Sound’s Hadyn Williams was the touring tech, whom Paul has requested several times to be his main person on the road, due to his experience and willingness to 'go above and beyond' each day to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
Encapsulating the gritty lyrics and reflections of Generation Rx, an album inspired by the current opioid crisis in North America and dealing with inner and outer pain, Paul’s design for the tour was based around lighting and special effects, including CO2 jets.
He had the creative freedom to design the stage and place fixtures as he liked, however there was a lot of input from the band about how they wanted the album artwork presented. Following these discussions, it was decided to use their five separate faces on five upstage banners, each flanked by six vertical lighting towers.
The six towers comprised 10ft sections of pre-rigged truss, each rigged with three Robe MegaPointes and two GLP Impression X4 Bar 20 moving LED battens (upped to three per tower for Alexandra Palace).
These were joined by four smaller scaff towers on floor ba
UK - Rope Assemblies has supplied a range of Doughty kit to the Royal Albert Hall to help improve safety in the performance space. As a duty of care to performers on stage and to ensure that any falls from height are prevented, Doughty designed and fabricated some bespoke handrail braces to make the space as safe as possible.
Ian Redding, technical supervisor at the Royal Albert Hall explained: "While there were no incidents that triggered the need for these rails, our technical team are always striving to ensure that no stone is left unturned when it comes to the safety of our performers, crew and audiences. The challenge was to design and create something that could work for our stage, but at the same time, not to look too intrusive.
“It also had to be strong enough to withstand the weight of an average person. We had a round, scaffold size connection on the off stage edge but we were using square handrails, produced by Steeldeck on the stage extension pieces. These handrails don't always fit back in perfectly every time so it was clear that we needed the length of these braces to be adjustable. We discussed this in one of our team weekly meetings and someone mentioned that we should look into getting some Doughty kit. We already have a supply of Doughty arms that will get used to rig lighting and this was something a bit similar."
Ian got in touch with Rope Assemblies, one of Doughty's UK distributors who suggested browsing the catalogue of items online, where Ian found something similar to what he needed (an adjustable pipe coupler). Ann McCo
UK - Callum Wachowski has joined Fiend Productions to provide a primary point of contact for rental enquires. Callum, who is also principal at Rugby-based dry hire and event production company Genius Bros, will bring his knowledge of lighting, rigging and video equipment and projects to the Fiend Productions team.
Jess Mathews, Fiend’s MD comments: “Callum has joined us at a time of investment and growth for the business. We are building on our stock of MA and Avolites control equipment, wide range of intelligent lighting fixtures and LED screen this year and Callum’s arrival will help us provide a knowledgeable and consistent contact for our customers.”
(Jim Evans)
Poland - Intel Extreme Masters - one of the largest e-sports events in the world - features a multimedia stage that has become synonymous with the event.
The structure of the stage with its distinctive scaffolding was originally introduced in 2015, and the look has since become a signature feature of IEM Katowice.
For the 2019 edition, the design features large automated LED screens on the central part of main stage, from which pro gamers enter the stage. The catwalk where the IEM trophy is located, has been completely reworked and combined with the rest of the stage.
Despite set changes the lighting design has been completely renewed, featuring new lighting fixtures and LED bar frames built around the screens behind the teams. Almost 400sq.m of LED screens were used and 650 lighting units.
“Every year we are trying to introduce something new to the stage look, so the audience both online and at the venue will be amazed and will have a great experience while watching. We put a high bar at the year before already but we hear both from our client ESL and while reading assessments I believe we managed to meet expectations. No doubts, that having a major rank of the event these were set very high,” comments Michal Mrzyglocki, COO and set designer from Aram.
This year, 2km of trussing, almost 1,800 lighting fixtures and more than 100 motors, were utilised, whilst 20 trucks and 160 crew members were also involved.
“We started our cooperation with ESL on Intel Extreme Masters Katowice back in the days in 2014. So much has changed fr
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has launched a new website to showcase its portfolio of technologies.
Created to deliver a better overall user experience, www.ac-et.com features a cleaner design, improved menu functionality with faster navigation, and is now fully responsive, adapting to the best layout for viewing on mobile, tablet and desktop.
The website also reflects AC-ET's position as a one-stop supplier of lighting, rigging, video, audio and related technologies.
AC-ET's UK sales and purchasing director, Jonathan Walters comments: "We are delighted to share our new website with you. The team have been working tirelessly to create a high-quality website, which reflects our (AC-ET’s) world-class products and services. We are confident that the smarter, slicker design will enable easier and quicker browsing to ensure you find the right products and information, even with the huge number of brands available."
(Jim Evans)
UK - Stage Electrics has been appointed as the UK distributor for Admiral Staging Products.
Based in the Netherlands, Admiral has been offering staging essentials globally since 1986. Its product range includes stage and rigging accessories, truss transportation devices, clamps and couplers, along with cables and connectors.
The Stage Electrics sales teams have undergone product training from Admiral, enabling them to offer the best solutions to meet the clients’ needs.
“We have decided to stock Admiral as their equipment fits into our inventory perfectly” comments Anna Western, sales director of Stage Electrics. “Admiral’s wide range of clever solutions is now available to our customers. With over £30,000 of stock on the shelf, and having received fantastic responses from our client base, we are looking forward to working alongside Admiral and building a fruitful relationship together.”
(Jim Evans)
UK - Unusual Rigging has worked its own magic on Magic Mike Live! (an in-depth production report is coming soon in a future edition of LSi).
When TAIT UK was tasked with a seemingly impossible feat, operations director Alex Hitchcock turned to Unusual.
"We were initially approached by Magic Mike Live! with an enquiry for an automation and engineering package at the theatre at the Hippodrome Casino on Leicester Square", explains Hitchcock. "Some overhead rigging and staging, steel work structure, diversions and winches. We were already familiar with the venue having once done another show there. But at that time, installing a single winch was a nightmare - Magic Mike required about 18!"
The Hippodrome Casino is not a big venue - certainly not designed with the intention of staging elaborate productions like Magic Mike Live!. "The venue had no rigging structure - no grid at all,” continues Hitchcock. “It was beyond our normal remit to achieve the rigging elements of this brief, so we went straight to Unusual for advice."
He worked closely with Unusual's Emily Egleton, who adds: "The first thing we had to do was a survey of the roof – some very old architectural drawings of the venue existed but none gave away any information about the roof and its weight loading capabilities. Once we had some idea of this, we worked with Alex to design and supply a full package of diversions and fixings and supplied all the trusses too."
Even with some designs and a plan in place, the difficulties of the job continued: "
UK - Absolute Motion Control has returned to The Bridge Theatre for the fourth time to provide the automation for Alys Always. The show started previews on 25 February, and has its press night on 5 March 2019.
The show is designed by Bob Crowley, whose set incorporates a large stage lift, a sliding floor palette and a cloth roller. As The Bridge doesn’t have a fly tower, any full height cloths need to run on a roller. In this production a roller is used as a ‘blinder’ to hide scene changes inside a large gauze box.
For the floor palette, Absolute has rented the production a zero-fleet winch. The compact zero-fleet design allows the winch to be used in a variety of situations. All Scene All Props, the production’s scenery contractor, built two custom decks that incorporated the pulleys required. These custom sections were then simply dropped into place, replacing two sections of The Bridge’s existing modular floor.
The stage lift, owned by The Bridge, is of a flexible design allowing it to be adapted in size for future productions. Absolute have provided two motors which move in synchronicity to raise and lower the lift. The lift is also protected by a safe edge and a safety enabling switch (sometimes colloquially known as a “deadman’s handle).
Absolute have provided a four-way control rack along with a three playback desk to run the production. Each motor or winch has its own IO Box, which connects to the rack using a single cable that carries both data and power. The IO Box can be placed in a convenient location. This me
UK - Doughty Engineering is bringing its new Fifty Clamp to BVE in London. The clamp will make its show debut on stand E30.
Mark Chorley, design engineer at Doughty, comments: "We hope our customers in the broadcast industry will see the Fifty Clamp as a welcome addition to our existing range. Our Twenty Clamp is one of our best sellers and we realised that a clamp that could take an additional 30kg would be a bit of a game changer.”
The Fifty Clamp which is available to order has TUV approval, a SWL of 50kg and has been designed to fit tube diameter 38mm - 51mm. It is made from pressure die cast aluminium which prevents damage to thin wall truss. It is captive with M10 or M12 bolts and comes supplied with an M10 fixing kit.
Doughty will also bring its Lightweight Lighting stand to the show. This piece of kit which made its debut at BVE 2018 takes all the principles of a Tank Trap but packages them into a neater, more aesthetically pleasing model. It comprises a flat, round plate and slim tube, slotted at each end to allow cables to run unseen inside it.
Also making a return appearance is Doughty's popular Pole Operated Yoke. "When we launched the Pole Operated Yoke at BVE two years ago, little did we know that it would go on to become such a sought-after piece of kit,", says Julian Chiverton, sales director at Doughty.
(Jim Evans)