UK - Based since 1990 in the seaside town of Scarborough, and celebrating its 50th anniversary, the National Student Drama Festival chose 'The Tides of Time' as the theme for this year's event, to coincide with 2005 being the Year of the Sea.
Amid the intense activity of the Festival week - the preparation and in some cases creation of six venues,16 productions running concurrently, the logistics of deploying a 75-strong team of student technicians, and the inevitable socializing - lies a fundamental emphasis on education. The event aims are to harness the enthusiasm of so much young talent and develop them into the technical and performance professionals of the future.
With participants from all over the country, the organizers confront a wide range of skill levels. Safety aspects are covered by a series of training forums on subjects including manual handling and rigging, building scaff towers, trussing and drapes and reading lighting plans before they even begin working in the venues.
Once the festival is in full swing a series of more than 200 workshops - both technical and performance orientated - run throughout the week. Some are largely product-based and delivered by manufacturers offering students a safe and unpressured environment to try out equipment often for the first time - a luxury rarely afforded once they become professional.
With the technical and performance aspects of a production catered for, the last few years have seen a focus on the design process with the aim of raising and maintaining the standard across the fields of lighting, sound,
USA - Greg Norgeot, Paul Sharwell and Angus Sinex of lighting design partnership Unlimited Visibility Lighting Design recently lit the Oprah Winfrey Live Your Best Life workshop tour in multiple locations across the US. Hosted by O, The Oprah Magazine, the Live Your Best Life tour was billed as "A day with friends, an afternoon with Oprah." The all-day workshop consisted of a morning of motivational entertainment and esteem-building exercises, followed by a presentation featuring Oprah Winfrey herself in the afternoon. UVLD's Greg Norgeot designed the lighting for the event; Paul Sharwell, assisted by Angus Sinex, was charged with recreating the design on each stop of the tour.
"This was quite different from most of the shows that we light," said Norgeot. "Whereas most events we design are very busy, with challenging time constraints and heavy cueing, this show had a rather simple format and relatively few moving lights." The afternoon presentation essentially consisted of a number of walk-in looks coordinated to music and video clips designed to build anticipation and introduce Oprah Winfrey's two-hour talk. Oprah's speech was followed by a lengthy question and answer session, making for a long and challenging day.
"Lighting Oprah was all about respect, showing how good she looks, and helping her to deliver her message," notes Sharwell. "There was a lot of input from the client - O, The Oprah Magazine - about colours and we also received lighting information from The Oprah Show about general light levels
Europe - The record number of exhibitor bookings and added space secured for the Integrated Systems Europe 2006 exhibition demonstrates that the market is buoyant and confident, say the organizers - a claim they say is confirmed by the record results achieved at InfoComm 2005 - the largest annual conference and exhibition for audio-visual buyers and sellers, held in Las Vegas in June. The event grew 15% over 2004, attracting over 26,000 AV professionals including a strong increase in the number of AV and IT managers.
Mike Blackman, ISE 2006 managing director explains: "The success of InfoComm 2005 demonstrates that the market is growing stronger by the year as more professionals and installers look to exhibitions as the key medium to source new products and see the latest innovations in technology."
Blackman also had this to say about the latest progress on ISE 2006: "With the majority of past exhibitors returning along with an increasing number of newcomers to the event, ISE is now the definitive European showcase for the AV systems integration market. "This demonstrates the importance of electronic AV systems integration as a hub of the home and professional Audio Visual market and emphasises how vital the Show has become for those companies looking to forge partnerships to help them compete in today's market."
The third edition of Integrated Systems Europe will be held from 1-3 February 2006 at the Brussels Expo.
(Lee Baldock)
Among the major product previews was the brand new MAC 700 from Martin Professional. Ideally suited to the theatre market, its features include an animation wheel, CMY colour mixing and a 'Quiet Mode' option - all in thesame-sized package as the MAC 550. Boasting a 700W double-ended lamp and new glass reflector technology, the unit is aimed at filling the gap between the 575W MAC 550 and the 1200W MAC 2000 Profile - although it has more features than either. A switchable power supply which allows for tool-free selection of voltage settings. Also shown was the new MAC 250 Wash, as well as the new Patrick Woodroffe Gobo Collection for the MAC 2000 Profile.
UK - Powered access hire company Nationwide Access supplied four telescopic access platforms to support floodlights illuminating the NatWest Series one-day international cricket match at Trent Bridge last month. Each of the four truck-mounted Bronto Skylift machines were fitted with special brackets carrying 15 lamps rated at 6kW each. The Brontos' 44m maximum lift height enabled lighting contractor Musco Lighting, specialists in permanent lighting installations for sports facilities, to obtain the optimum floodlight coverage over the Trent Bridge ground.
Allan Burgess, manager of Musco's mobile services division, says Nationwide Access regularly supplies the company's access hire requirement. The four boom lifts used at Trent Bridge supplemented four lighting towers which are owned and operated by Musco. "We have four cranes but eight sets of lamps and we used all eight sets at Trent Bridge," said Burgess, "that meant we had to hire in the Nationwide Access platforms."
"Nationwide Access now supplies 90 per cent of our mobile access requirement," says Burgess. "We work all over the UK and we need to have a supplier who we know can satisfy our requirements wherever we're working. Nationwide Access is really the only company with this sort of coverage."
(Lee Baldock)
UK - An Avolites Diamond 4 Elite console was in action as the lighting controller at Somerset House, London, for their summer season concerts. It was chosen by Somerset House's head of lighting Nick Read and was supplied, along with the rest of the lighting gear, by rental company Siyan.
With headliners like The Doves, Super Furry Animals, Sigur Ros and Bloc Party, Nick Read designed a generic lighting rig for the venue's first series of summer concerts promoted by Somerset House themselves, and staged in the charismatic courtyard in central London. These will be followed by another series run by top UK promoters, Metropolis. Most band LDs used the D4, reports Read: "Because it's a great festival desk and this is essentially a festival-style set-up. It's highly 'buskable' and perfect for the job."
The main D4 programmer on Read's team was Dom Smith, himself a keen D4 advocate and currently using one for his work on Athlete. All Diamond 4s are supplied with an Avolites Visualiser simulation programmer, which Read comments was very useful during programming sessions. The D4 was controlling a wide selection of lights. The moving lights were 16 SGM Giotto 400 CYMs, 10 in the air and 6 on the floor and 18 Martin MAC 600s, 12 in the air and 6 on the floor. These were joined by 10 Atomic Strobes, four in the roof and 6 on the floor, ETC Source Four profiles, ACLs and bars of six Pars.
Read's main objective was to design a rig that was dynamic and flexible enough to satisfy the great diversity of LDs and bands, all with radically different lighting styles and
France / Australia - Robert Juliat and SA Australia have announced a joint venture - SA Europe - which will build on the existing capabilities of both companies, in the entertainment and architectural lighting sector. SA Europe will focus on the sales and support of SA's extensive range of dimming, control and network products within the European market. "This is an exciting initiative for SA - it makes us a local player and represents a very significant undertaking in Europe," said Chris Bishop, owner of SA. "We are very excited about the opportunities this venture creates. The joint venture will have access to Robert Juliat's valuable distribution network throughout Europe and company reputation, plus SA's technology capabilities and skills as a global leader in entertainment and architectural dimming development."
"Robert Juliat has strong relationship with many key players," said John Drummond Montgomery, CEO at SA. Robert Juliat also has invaluable local market knowledge and excellent product quality and reputation. Through this joint venture we will be very well placed to provide dimming and network products and services to the local industry alongside RJ luminaires."
Jean-Charles Juliat, chairman of Robert Juliat, said: "This joint venture will create tremendous synergies for both companies. Our successful existing range of dimmers and luminaires in addition to SA cutting-edge dimming and network products will enable us to offer the best combination on the market."
Bertrand Dauphant, formally an international
UK - As the creative design applications for the ChromaRange continue to expand and diversify, Pulsar has announced that the ChromaStrip2 is now available in custom colour LED configurations including the option of white.
With the Single Population option, a single LED colour is provided at the same intensity as when using a single channel of the standard RGB ChromaStrip2. This option is highly cost-effective when single-colour applications are required at light levels produced by the existing strip. Power and single-channel dimmable control is provided by the ChromaZone, up to 3.6m can be driven from each ChromaZone output.
With the Triple Population option, a single LED colour is provided at three times the intensity of using a single channel of the standard RGB ChromaStrip2. This option is cost-effective where single colour applications are required at three times the light levels produced by the existing strip, say Pulsar. Power and single-channel dimmable control is provided by the ChromaZone, up to 1.2m can be driven from each ChromaZone output.
(Lee Baldock)
LTM showed the Equipchaine electromechanical chain-lifting device, specifically designed for theatrical applications. Installed in over 130 theatres and multi-purpose spaces, it fits easily into existing structures. This, say LTM, allows service spaces and backstage areas to be freed up from large lifting machinery. Also on show, for more demanding applications, was Ibex's Programmable Hoist Controller Plus, with enhanced control panel and integrated Ethernet port. Up to 10 controllers can be linked together, enabling control of up to 240 hoists; PCs can also be connected for status display and remote control functions.
Summit Steel was at ABTT for the first time, intending to raise its profile within the theatre industry. In addition to its range of truss, hoists, ground supports and rigging hardware, Summit highlighted its Kinesys Vari-speed System which provides accurate, highly controllable movement combined with high capacity lifting. Further features include its Vector control software for the Elevation 1+ controller which allows variable speed running and full positional control.
France - Puccini's Turandot was staged at the Stade de France in Paris in May, before an audience of 38,000. The production involved 60 dancers from China's National Dance Ensemble, 80 musicians from the Philharmonic Orchestra of Budapest, 120 chorus singers from the Budapest's National Opera Choir and nine opera soloists.
The set, made in China, replicates Beijing's Forbidden City: 175m wide, 70m deep and 35m high, it features six Chinese pavilions, 700sq.m of stairs and 4,000sq.m of space for the artists, on several levels of stage. The stage set also includes 3,750sq.m of suspended panels, five screens for sub-titles and close-ups and 1,850 lighting fixtures. Making its debut at the venue, L-Acoustics' German V-Dosc partner Westfalen Sound supplied the sound equipment, with certified V-Dosc engineer Mattias Funke at the head of the crew.
The scale of the production made this a complex job, and following spectacular productions of Aida (2001), Verdi's Requiem (2002) and Carmen (2003), expectations were high. Renowned audio consultant Alain Français, a veteran of many large scale and high profile productions, became involved in the project, and helped the Westfalen sound crew to meet the heightened expectations.
Sound design for Turandot was a real challenge. Based on past experience with Aida and Verdi's Requiem at the Stade de France, it was clear that for an in-the-round stage configuration, a distributed, field-level, ground-stacked design gives the best result in terms of audience coverage and image localization. However, for Turandot, the stage was loca
UK - When Avril Lavigne skated into London's Hammersmith Carling Apollo last month she did so with significantly less production than on earlier dates and tours. Lavigne came to London as part of the European leg of her extensive Bonez Tour, which included two sell-out shows at the Apollo.
This production was pared down in almost every aspect - lighting, sound and set - but for different reasons in each area. The show originally included a large video projection, centre stage, along with several scenic elements, but ultimately Lavigne thought it all too much: "Avril just wanted to get back to simple stuff . . . she decided that the scrollers had too many colours on them - she didn't want to see anything in the amber range at all," explained lighting designer, AJ Pen. The cuts have effectively created a harder edged, crunchier rock and roll feel; obviously the production values are still there, yet the show, Lavigne and Pen both feel, is much more 'in your face'.
Key to this look is Pen's use of a collection of Syncrolite SX3K-Q 3kW intelligent fixtures that blast light onto the stage: "They are my favourite fixtures on the planet right now," he said. The power and flexibility of the fixtures gives the show a unique feel in addition to the fact that they are huge, dwarfing the other lanterns and probably making them feel a little inadequate. Pen's enthusiasm for these fixtures is reinforced by his delight in their reliability: "I can't get enough of them," he adds.
With all this back and side light there was a noticeable lack of pre
Digidesign chose the ABTT Show to announce the appointment of two exhibitors - Orbital and Marquee Audio - as joint exclusive UK distributors for its Venue live mixing platform.
Designed for live sound reinforcement and broadcast applications, the Venue is a modular live sound mixing and production environment comprising the D-Show mixing console, front-of-house mix engine, Stage Rack I/O unit with recallable, remote-controlled preamps, and a multi-channel digital snake.
As a modular base system, it is infinitely configurable, say the company, supporting up to 96 mic inputs and 27 busses. The powerful mix engine provides EQ and dynamic processing on every input channel along with assignable graphic EQ's and full support for Pro Tools plug-ins.
Digidesign's European live sound sales manager Mike Case said: "Both Marquee and Orbital possess as much digital technology experience that is possible in the Live sound arena. This expertise coupled with their unparalleled level of commitment to customer support, made them the obvious choice as UK partners."
High End Systems was showing the Wholehog 3 lighting control system, which now offers direct Ethernet connectivity to the ESP Vison lighting design visualizer, developed by ESP Studios in Las Vegas. Among its features, the software emulates some very effective moving smoke effects, and can cope with up to 16 universes of DMX. Optimized for the Hog 3, this version of ESP Vision includes exclusive features such as direct access to raw DMX data, remote focus, autopatching and blind preview - which allows the allows the user to look ahead to the next cue. Also on show was Hog iPC - a mid-range controller which uses the Hog 3 OS, but is also backwards compatible with the Hog 2 OS for maximum flexibility. The iPC includes an integrated PC motherboard running Windows XP Embedded.
DiGiCo's dedicated theatre console, the D5T, formed a major part of LSI Projects' stand. As a supplier and system integrator of sound, lighting, audio-visual and suspension equipment for a diverse range of markets, LSI Projects has recognized the need for a high-end digital mixing console for the theatre market, and believes that DiGiCo's D5T has provided an ideal solution for them.
British Harlequin highlighted recent projects including the new Copenhagen Opera House, the French National Dance Centre (CND) in Paris and Jazz at the Lincoln Center in New York. Harlequin manufactures a range of floorings for the performing arts from portable, rollout floors to cushioned, heavy duty permanent floors, plus permanent and touring sprung floor systems.
XL Video was promoting its increasingly active role in scenic projection for theatre, including recent productions such as The Woman In White (see L&SI November 2004). Malcolm Mellows drew attention to the company's involvement with the forthcoming stage adaptation of Lord of the Rings. The US$22m musical production will preview in February 2006 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre; the London debut is set for autumn 2006. Thomas Gray and Yuri Tanaka of the Gray Circle, whose previous work includes His Dark Materials at the National Theatre (see L&SI February 2004), will design and direct the moving imagery. Music is by Bombay Dreams composer, A.R. Rahman.
Ever present at ABTT, Avolites showed a variety of products including its most popular performance and live entertainment consoles. It also demo'd the ART 2000i installation dimmer and its eDMX wireless control system, plus the Azure Shadow 2000 console - a variation on the Azure 2000 which, for theatre users, incorporates a new suite of theatrical programming and playback functions.
Malaysia - The first Midas Siena console in Malaysia has been purchased by the Hemijaya Group, and is proving to be a flexible and hard-working addition to its growing Midas inventory, the company says. The console was supplied to the Kuala-Lumpur-based PA rental company by local distributor EVI Audio Malaysia.
Hemijaya was set up five years ago to provide staging, truss and lighting systems, and more recently it launched a sister company, Clef Sound and Light Sdn Bhd, to handle PA and lighting rentals. The company already owns three Midas Venice consoles as well as a large inventory of Electro-Voice speaker systems. "We chose Siena in particular because it has the flexibility to be used as a front of house or a monitor desk," says David Tham from the Hemijaya Group. "We've already been using it across a range of concerts and shows which we¹ve worked on for Malaysia-based satellite broadcaster ASTRO."
(Lee Baldock)
On the show floor, A.C. Lighting showed the latest additions to the Jands Vista and Chroma-Q Color Block product ranges. Color Block accessories now include new Pixel Cap and 30-way power supply - making the flexible LED fixture suitable for an even wider range of effects lighting applications, say A.C. Designed for Color Block applications under studio lighting conditions, where lens flare can appear on the TV camera image, Pixel Cap will fit over individual RGB LED cells on the front of Color Block units to eliminate camera lens flare. The new 30-way PSU offers a more cost-effective solution for controlling large Color Block systems - providing power and effects for up to six times as many units as the standard PSU. With built-in programming features, it's also ideal as a stand-alone unit. It comes with nine pre-programmed looks and users can store up to 42 custom looks on board. 64 time triggers also make it easy to program real-time effects.
A.C.'s Audio Division had its own dedicated stand at ABTT, showing key audio products from the company's range of audio brands. Highlights included Funktion One's Resolution 1 loudspeaker, Mackie's TT24 digital console, Soundcraft's GB4 console and the DP428 audio signal processor from XTA.
The Netherlands - E/T/C UK used eight PIGI 6kW projectors and scrollers to project onto a dramatic shrinking perspective stage set for the Dutch Musical Awards Gala. The images from each machine were soft-edged together to create a single, high-impact picture. The company believes it to be a world-first for this many images to be combined using the 'feathering' technique in large format projection.
The event, staged at the New Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam, honoured the best of Dutch Musical Theatre. Technical production was coordinated by De Meern-based Sightline Productions, and production managed by Erwin Rintjema for producer The Musical Awards Foundation and Eyeworks.
Complex site measurements were needed to calculate the required perspective correction. E/T/C UK's Ross Ashton says: "These were the most complicated line-up grids we have ever had to produce." Each projected image had to be corrected differently and on three dimensions to fit onto the four differently aligned elements - floor, walls, ceiling and proscenium portal - of the set.
Projectors were hung in the ceiling pointing downwards, on the sides shooting across stage and out front, shooting across each other onto the massive false proscenium portal - which itself comprised three different planes of distortion. They utilized an assortment of lenses: the two PIGIs covering the ceiling used the ultra-wide angle Barco 0.9s, the two for walls used Barco 1.2s and the two for the proscenium used Reichmann 40cm lenses. The two doing the side panels were tipped at 70° and mounted on special si
Maltbury was promoting the recent sales of its Metrodeck staging systems to 'physical theatre' group DV8, and to Lancing College in Sussex. The company offers a wide range of portable, modular staging systems, as well as seating, trussing and crowd control barriers.
AVW Controls was highlighting the latest software upgrade for its Impressario stage automation control system, currently in use with Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre and The Far Pavilions at the Shaftesbury Theatre. The latest version of the Impressario offers control of up to 255 pieces of scenery and rigging simultaneously.
Having recently opened its own WYSIWYG design studio, Hawthorn took exhibition space for the first time this year to raise awareness of its Hire, Sales and Installation teams and to give staff the opportunity to meet the people they talk to on the phone. Hawthorn was started nearly 20 years ago by MD Martin Hawthorn, hiring equipment out of his garage, and has now grown into an international company with over 85,000sq.ft of warehouse space in Old Dalby, near to Melton Mowbray.The company has also announced further Hawthorn@Home open day dates - including on 2 September Generic Lighting, featuring product representation from Selecon, ETC, Thomas, ADB and Strand, and on 7 October Flash, Bang and Feedback - a demonstration of pyro by Le Maitre plus radio mics from Sennheiser, Sony and Trantec. More details from the website.