Skip to content

Tanzhaus nrw in Dusseldorf Adds Prolight Luminaires

Located in a former Düsseldorf tram depot, tanzhaus nrw has modernized its lighting technology including 40 LED profile spotlights from Prolights. tanzhaus nrw is a center for international dance with eight dance and rehearsal studios and two stages. The venue covers an area of ​​4,000 sq. m., with both a performance space and production, as well as an academy with more than 200 stage events a year, where it hosts an entire span of contemporary dance performances.

Read More »Tanzhaus nrw in Dusseldorf Adds Prolight Luminaires

Power From the People

Coldplay’s efforts to “go green” on tour had an impact on the design team, which had to pivot in how they put together a production. In this issue, we talk to the creatives about complying with the sustainability mantra on one of the most talked about tours, “Music of the Spheres.”

Read More »

Creative Change

There are many articles this month of shows that include creative uses of video. Those, paired with some advice for lighting designers working with video from Contributing Writer and Designer, Craig Rutherford, set me thinking about how creative video for live entertainment has grown and changed over the years.

Read More »

Developing INFiLED’s Titan-X LED Panels

INFiLED’s Titan-X LED panel has an 8mm pixel pitch and a high transparency of 70% making it well suited for blow through screen applications where designers can layer lighting, effects, and even audio behind the LED screen. This newer LED panel was developed collaboratively between production and rental solutions provider, PRG and LED manufacturer, INFiLED.

Read More »

Coldplay’s Inflatable LED Spheres

The four large video spheres in Misty Buckley’s production design for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres look deceptively solid. Wonderfully round, covered in 25mm pixel pitch LED strips, they’re actually soft surfaced inflatables. Contributing a lot to the sustainability efficiencies of the tour—the spheres are lighter in weight, take up far less truck space, and require much less labor to install/dismantle. They inflate in about two minutes and deflate in about seven minutes. Each sphere hangs from one chain motor, and each has a custom dolly cart for storage and transport.Read More »Coldplay’s Inflatable LED Spheres

Coldplay’s Video and Camera Systems

Coldplay video control with the three engineers.

On Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, there are powerful video and camera systems that provide the video team the ability to take in any signal—in any flavor—and play it back where, and whenever needed on the many playback surfaces of Production Designer Misty Buckley’s massive set. Those playback surfaces include two 14m (45.93’) circular I-Mag screens—which are used constantly throughout the show; a large arched video wall—known as the Moonrise—that is approximately 44m (144.35’) wide by 6m (19.68’) at the tallest; and four large inflatable LED video spheres suspended high above the Moonrise. The I-Mag and Moonrise LED screens are made from ROE Visual Carbon Series CB8 8mm LED panels and the LED spheres are covered in PRG LED Strip with a nominal 25mm pixel pitch. [For more details on the inflatable LED spheres, go to page 24.]Read More »Coldplay’s Video and Camera Systems

Music and Fireworks: Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular Concert

The 2022 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular concert on the banks of the Charles River. Photo: Matthew Teuten Photography

The 2022 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular concert was back on the Charles River in downtown Boston for the first time since 2019, after being cancelled due to Covid in 2020 and performing at Tanglewood in 2021. The event is one of the most recognized Independence Day celebrations in the country, including its presentation of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”—with real cannons—and spectacular fireworks display over the river.Read More »Music and Fireworks: Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular Concert