Midwich has acquired a majority stake in Cooper Projects, the parent company UK-based distributor of video security products, DVS. Based in Cardiff, DVS was founded in 2003 as a specialist distributor of CCTV and associated video recording technologies, in which it has developed a strong market reputation working primarily with leading global brand HikVision. In recent years, DVS has begun to diversify its portfolio to include complementary technologies, such as access control, intercom, and intruder detection. DVS provides solutions for trade customers throughout the UK, across key verticals including the corporate, retail and residential markets amongst many others. An extensive…
Author: Jacob Waite
CLF has introduced its latest addition to the Poseidon series – Wash XL. The new fixture boasts hybrid, beam and IP65 capabilities. Poseidon Wash XL is a powerful and versatile IP65 rated wash fixture, reportedly offering smooth projection, intense beams and unique eye-candy effects. Powered by 19, individually controllable RGBW LEDs, the fixture comes with a wide zoom, ranging from 4.5° to 60°. Protected against moisture and dirt, Poseidon Wash XL creators consider the unit a ‘must-have fixture’ with ‘good value for money’ for any indoor or outdoor application. A rotatable front lens provides kaleidoscopic effects and an extra RGB…
Highlite Showgear has introduced its new Rain Domes for moving heads. Showgear Rain Domes allow you to safely deploy your indoor fixture in wet conditions. Two platform sizes and three transparent sleeves are available to accommodate many different moving heads and fixtures. Showgear Rain Domes are designed to withstand copious amounts of rain and keep your fixtures safe. Two types of platforms and three types of sleeves, which are available separately, accommodate all but the biggest moving heads. The smaller 40cm platform can be combined with a sleeve 40cm by 52cm. For the bigger 60-cm platform, there are two types…
Meyer Sound has announced the promotion of Andy Davies to the position of Senior Product Manager and the appointment of Gautam Sharma to the newly created position of Product Manager. In his new post, Davies will assume responsibility for managing the entire Meyer Sound product portfolio, including overseeing new product development, defining product features, and supervising product launches as well as coordinating the product management efforts related to engineering, training, and product support teams. With Meyer Sound since early 2016, Davies previously served as a senior technical support specialist in the United Kingdom. Prior to Meyer Sound, from 2007 to…
Fresh off the back of their Unstable LP release, Los Angeles-based quartet, Tetrarch joined Atreyu’s 29-date Baptize tour as the support act. With their regular lighting designer, Killian ‘Redbeard’ Holt busy on another tour, Ryan Pervola assumed LD duties for 11 shows. “I was happy to light Tetrarch,” said Pervola. “They really give you a chance to stretch your wings as a LD. You get to turn up the intensity, which makes everything more fun. Their blend of ’90s nu-metal mixed with modern metal core and insanely melodic and catchy hooks make for some incredible music.” Things got even better…
American rock band, Widespread Panic made their first MEMPHO appearance at the 2021 edition of the show where versatile Ayrton Domino IP65-rated LED profiles took the stage with the popular festival headliners. A mix of touring national acts and local favourites, MEMPHO 2021 was held on 1 to 3 October at the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Radians Amphitheater. Widespread Panic, which has been together for more than three decades, played two nights of the music festival. Known as true road warriors, the band has broken attendance records across the country and headlined most of the major US festivals. Paul Hoffman, one…
disguise and Moment Factory have joined forces to combine their expertise in extended reality (xR) experiences and enable new storytelling possibilities in the music, live entertainment and broadcast industries. As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual production across the world, it created new opportunities with new technologies connecting virtual and real worlds. These technologies are influencing many types of experiences and are even enhancing the live shows that have returned post-pandemic. Moment Factory and disguise’s mission for this collaboration is to create and deliver a multitude of immersive experiences for musicians and artists in broadcasts, live streams, concerts…
Claypaky has introduced Sharpy X Frame – a multifunction luminaire. Adding to its family of award-winning Sharpy fixtures, the unit takes the best features of the Sharpy line and integrates a four-focal plane shutter system in a lightweight, compact fixture. Sharpy X Frame’s source is a 550W arc lamp that makes this fixture bright and reportedly produces deep and vivid uniform colours. As a completely hybrid, multifunction fixture, the Sharpy X Frame not limited as to beam effects, it can also be a spot, profile, or wash unit. In addition to the four-focal plane shutter system, the unit offers a…
Pixipixel has taken another shipment of Chroma-Q Space Force octo LED soft lights. With nearly two decades supplying film, television and commercial productions, Pixipixel are committed to offering the latest and most innovative kit, and as such have been stocking the Space Force octo fixtures since they arrived to the market back in 2016. Pixipixel Director of Lighting, Johnny Colley commented: “The Space Force lights are always a great choice for cinematographers and gaffers. The lightweight, fast and easy set-up, low power consumption and low heat emission make the Space Force octo fixtures a perfect fit on sustainable productions. We…
CS PROD has added to its growing Digital Projection fleet with seven additional M-Vision Lasers taking their total inventory up to a total of 20. The company focuses on large format projections and technological lighting in historical sites such as the Cité de Carcassonne, where they have produced ten creations in the Grand Théâtre. CS PROD Artistic Director, Christian Salès chose additional M-Vision Lasers so they can be easily networked, adjusted remotely and so each member of the team would understand how to use them. “The technique is as important as the content,” he said. “By owning projectors, you know…
There is something poetic about an arena coming together to engage in nostalgic revelry after almost two years of hardship. Setting out on a five week run, Steps’ What the Future Holds Tour was set to be one of the longer UK arena campaigns of 2021. Regrettably, the run wasn’t impervious to COVID-19, with a number of band members having to miss some parts of the tour and the two final dates cancelled. That said, the group and the wider touring family still managed to get their ambitious show out to fans up and down the country. Having worked with…
When a customer approaches you with a big idea, such as having a piano and Freddie Mercury impersonator fly above an audience of 18,000, you’d be forgiven for approaching the task with a certain degree of hesitation. However, not one to dismiss a challenge – having shared his desire to make the process deploying automation for live events as easy as lighting, audio and video by crafting products with flexibility and sustainability in mind [see TPi #263] – Kosma Szostak of Polish family stage automation outfit, Showstak, approached the task with vigour and vitality associated with seasoned professionals. Tribute act…
I must admit it was so nice to roll into 2022 and get rid of pesky 2021. I’m sure that I am not the only one from our industry that is glad to see the back of such a loathsome year. As we move into 2022, I believe our industry will get back on track and hopefully return to some level of normalcy as the year progresses. We will face tough times ahead, as we have before, but I truly believe 2022 will be better than the past two years for our industry. As we are all aware of, Omicron…
Last year, Panasonic announced the KAIROS Training Academy Network Panasonic to train operators to get the best from its live production platform. KAIROS offers an open software architecture system for video switching. The academies have been created in partnership with partners across Europe and the UK including Creative Technology (London and Sweden), AED (Belgium), VMB (Spain),KST Moschkau and Lang (Germany) with a number still in the pipeline. “We believe those trained in our products and solutions are more likely to use them,” began Panasonic Connect Product Marketing Manager, Anna Arkatova. “We regularly host in-person and virtual training sessions with partners…
Aside from her daily duties as Head of Production for AEG Presents, Alice James lectures in Event Management at BIMM Institute London, teaching students a range of touring and live events focussed modules such as event sustainability, crowd psychology and management, event logistics and operations, and event concept and design, among other subjects. “As a student I wanted to learn from someone actively working in the industry, as opposed to those who worked in the industry a decade ago,” James began, citing her decision to reinvest in the education sector. “What BIMM does is refreshing. The majority of module leaders…
There is no doubt that ‘word of mouth’ is still held in very high regard within the live events industry when it comes to recruiting crew members for a project. That being said, like many industries, there has been a shift in the use of online platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook helping connect crew and freelancers with prospective employers. As we move into 2022 with the ever-growing concern of the lack of crew following the pandemic, there have been a number of platforms, bespoke to the industries needs, offering new methods for freelancers to find work. One of the…
2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) thrust Scotland onto the world’s stage. All eyes were on us as a country as we set out to deliver one of the highest-profile, environmentally conscious events to date. Black Light was selected by project managers, Identity, to run full production for the pre-conference reception which was held at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It was at this event, hosted by UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and attended by HRH Prince of Wales, HRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with a video address from HRH The Queen, that 120 invited heads…
When was Cameo formed and what were its initial goals? “Cameo was launched by Adam Hall Group in 2011. From the beginning, we wanted to develop products and solutions that are user-oriented and help lighting designers and operators to express their full creativity. Our in-house R&D department plays a central role here: we have always placed great emphasis on creating lighting solutions that reflect our passion for light – whether as a straightforward LED PAR fixture for everyday use in a wide variety of settings, through high-performance moving heads for large stage environments, to specialised theatrical or architectural spotlights. This…
