What sparked your interest in the events sector? “I have always had an interest in the technical side of live entertainment – the school disco lighting rig had my attention more than the cheesy music being played. Having had to ‘act’ in school for drama class, I realised quickly my preference was being on the other end of the multicore or backstage. After working for a few local school theatre productions, I discovered a creative outlet in lighting design, programming and operation – I recall spending many hours programming a Zero88 FatFrog.” How did you get your start in the…
Author: Jacob Waite
Each year Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest (SXSW) welcomes musicians from across the globe, with many up-and-coming artists getting their big break at the event. However, this year, the famed cultural melting pot became one of the first among the long list of cancelled tours, festivals and events due to COVID-19. https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpiapr20_digitallr/18 Photos: Tynesight Photography, Thomas Jackson. www.thebritishmusicembassy.com www.productionpark.co.uk/studios/the-mill www.subfrantic.com www.wildstagstudio.com www.mqa.co.uk
Like many of you, the entire TPi team has been confined to our makeshift home offices and, from our collective kitchen tables, beds, apartment floors and bathrooms [it’s the only place where I have phone reception], we have been coming to terms with the current state of the world. As well as going through the usual motions of putting our beloved rag together, we have spent our time speaking to people about how they are dealing with the pandemic. https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpiapr20_digitallr/10 Photo by Silviu Beniamin Tofan on Unsplash www.productionfutures.co.uk/opportunities
Montreal-based visual design practice Luz Studio, headed by Matthieu Larivée, created the eye-catching production design at the core of French-Canadian singer and impressionist Véronic DiCaire’s current “Showgirl” tour, which had a very successful launch in Canada in December 2019, then toured arenas in Europe … before the Coronavirus pandemic took hold and curtailed all live events until the curve is flattened. The Showgirl concept saw the artist delivering material written / performed by around 50 iconic female vocalists – from Dua Lipa to Celine Dion – in their style and voices, backed by six dancers and four musicians. Matthieu proposed…
Karif-LT is equipped with a 168mm frontal lens offering a zoom ratio of 15:1 and an incredible 3°-45° zoom range, the narrowness of which is unprecedented and unmatched in an LED fixture. A new high-efficiency, low-etendue, compact LED module delivers an ultra-intense beam which, calibrated at 8500K, can generate powerful metallic white and deep, vivid colours. Karif-LT has an overall output of 13,000 lumens and a centre-beam luminous intensity of 3,500,000 candelas. Feature-rich, Karif-LT includes a CMY colour mixing system, a wheel of 13 complementary colours for infinite pastel hues and saturated colours, a wheel with 9 interchangeable rotating HD…
Delivering a massive 50,000 lumens from its 1000W LED source, Domino is a brilliantly versatile fixture that combines the output of Huracan with the feature set of Khamsin, in an IP65-rated body. Ayrton has included all the weatherproofing features of Perseo and given it the same minimalist design, a reduced visual footprint and, for maximum effectiveness, a liquid cooling system fitted with six submersible fans outside its weatherproof enclosure. Fitted with a 178 mm frontal lens, Domino’s proprietary optical system uses 13 lenses, producing a 10:1 zoom ratio and a zoom range of 6° to 60°. Designed to operate in…
Elation Professional’s European website has received a thorough makeover with a redesigned look that makes for a more engaging visual experience with more intuitive interaction. The website’s improved functionality and cleaner, uncluttered design makes it easier for visitors to find the information they need in a more visually appealing interface. Another important step in Elation Europe’s continued rise in the European lighting market, the new website, still found at www.elationlighting.eu, is more reflective of the professional development and increased market presence the company has experienced over the past few years. Elation Europe’s new-look website is easier to navigate and features…
With more than three decades as a touring engineer and heading up his sound company, Pyramid Audio, Ian “Fleece” Elliott is well versed in the value of both vintage and contemporary technology. A typical Pyramid Audio sound system combines classic Martin Audio loudspeakers with state-of-the-art Linea Research power amplifiers. “I’ve got Martin Audio products that go back to the 1980s and 1990s,” he reported. “We plug them into new Linea Research 44M or 48M or 88C power amplifiers and they sound amazing The clarity is phenomenal. Everybody’s blown away by it every single time.” Although Elliott has long favored Martin…
Clair Global is refocusing efforts to help communities and government officials by providing IT, networking and communications services for temporary disaster relief structures made necessary by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Responding to high-pressure situations is built into Clair’s DNA. With more than 50 years in the live event industry, Clair already works alongside emergency service agencies to provide network connectivity and emergency communications for the events they support. The company is now partnering with Mountain Productions, Inc. to integrate Clair’s turnkey solutions and custom designs into Mountain’s large-scale temporary hospitals and disaster relief centers. “When we launched the MTN Emergency…
Cult icons of progressive metal, Tool, have just completed the southern-hemisphere leg of their extensive and technically ambitious arena touring schedule, supporting the launch of the long-awaited album, Fear Inoculum. As they headed to Australia and New Zealand, it was confirmed that the tour’s one-of-a-kind, TiMax SoundHub-driven 3D surround sound system – that started out as something of an experiment – would continue for the rest of the tour as it had ‘become part of the show’. The system design – a distributed d&b arrangement of main left and right, plus overheads focused vertically down forward and back, rear surround…
Buckinghamshire Music Trust (BMT’s) Battle of the Bands (BOTB) contest for young aspiring musicians was this year blessed by having two of the world’s leading pro audio manufacturers provide a top tier concert touring spec. By being able to broadcast their sound through a premier touring PA, on a Dante backbone, will have taken the 12 bands competing in the final into new territory. The two High Wycombe-based manufacturers concerned were Martin Audio, and Focusrite Pro, both now under the umbrella of parent company, Focusrite plc. It was Stephen Button, Focusrite’s EMEA Channel Marketing Executive, who established the relationship with…
ACT Lighting’s online learning platform, ACT Academy, is offering free courses until 1 June for MA Lighting’s new grandMA3 console as well as legacy courses for the grandMA2 desk. More than 12,000 people registered for instruction during the first week of sign up. “We’re overwhelmed by the response of our new ACT Academy promotion,” says Doug Mekanik, Southeast Regional Sales for ACT Lighting, Inc. “Two pillars of our company have always been support and training. Once we saw the reduction in production, especially among freelancers, due to the COVID-19 pandemic we asked ourselves how can we help educate people while…
LED spotlight with seven or twelve LEDs with colour mixing in QCL or SCL and compact dimensions: The new IP PAR series by Eurolite. The integrated LEDs include the colours RGBW and RGBACW/WW + UV. The IP PAR spotlights offer absolute flexibility in colour design – and all this in a space-saving design: ideal for outdoor use as well as for stages and discotheques. The spotlights differ in the number of LEDs – either 7 or 12 LEDs – and the colour mixture. You can choose between a colour mixture of four colours (red, green, blue and white) or seven…
As many theatres, live events, and productions across the world faced closings and unclear futures, ETC and High End Systems recognized that times were tough for valued users and friends in the industry. To contribute in a productive way, both companies turned their focus to educational development. Earlier this month, the companies announced that all the online classes on their LearningStage platform (courses.etcconnect.com) would be free until 15 May 2020. Last week, the new educational website Study Hall (etcconnect.com/Study-Hall) was launched. Located via users’ MyETC account, the new page includes both curated and new content, including tailored articles and videos…
The month of April brings a very special deal for musicians and music lovers: Starting today, they can get up to 50% off the IE 400 PRO and the IE 500 PRO in-ears. Visit www.sennheiser.com/special-deals to find a local dealer participating in the promotion. The IE 400 PRO and IE 500 PRO deliver precise and natural sound – with their ergonomically shaped, low-profile ear mould, they are the next best thing to custom moulds. The IE 400 PRO and IE 500 PRO deliver precise and natural sound – with their ergonomically shaped, low-profile ear mould, they are the next best thing…
On 22 March in an act of solidarity with all the heroes fighting the COVID-19 global pandemic, AV rental companies across the Benelux region, including on Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles, lit up the nighttime sky in an initiative called #LightTheSky. Countless companies, venues and individuals took part Sunday evening from 20:00 to 20:30 by either pointing light beams skyward or illuminating architecture such as hospitals and parks. Reaction to the initiative was overwhelmingly positive as the events industry showed its support for all the medical staff and other front line service workers fighting to keep us all safe. As…
LED manufacturer Astera’s first concern during the Coronavirus pandemic is that everyone stays safe, well and healthy. Astera Academy is a new venture enabling interested parties – lighting and visual designers, DOPs, directors, gaffers, grips, engineers and techs of all types and from all sectors who are into creative and practical lighting – so they can utilize and maximize their time in self-isolation to learn cool new things! The Astera Academy is doing its bit to help make the best out of the worldwide situation and assist the wonderfully creative and resourceful entertainment technology industry … to be ready to…
Seamless in the round coverage, reduced tuning time, consistent results and quick load out each night pleases crowds and helps production operate more efficiently. When Christian hip-hop recording artist and seven-time GRAMMY winner TobyMac hit the road for his Hits Deep Tour, the production team knew that growing audiences and varying coverage demands would provide a challenge few loudspeaker systems could meet. Eastern Acoustic Works’ (EAW) worked directly with BlackHawk Audio in implementing its ADAPTive System for the tour, as it extends coverage and provides even front to back response in a physically compact system. “The tour is a large…
