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Tragedy Strikes Again

Tragedy Strikes Again

It happened again. This time, it was in Brazil, where 238 people were killed when fire raged through a nightclub in late January. It will take time to sort out all of the factors that led to the fire and to the carnage, including locked or inaccessible fire exits and clueless venue staff, but initial reports point yet again to a sadly familiar scenario: live pyrotechnics used in an enclosed space, with less-than-ideal supervision and apparently little in the way of planning for potentially disastrous outcomes.

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Smooth Moves

Automated lighting fixtures are extremely sophisticated, to the point that some people even refer to them as “intelligent.” While the fixtures are packed full of very smart features, they actually require a human with a bit of knowledge to operate them properly. This is very true when it comes to controlling the movement of pan/tilt or other features. Fixtures and consoles provide a multitude of methods to ensure that these movements are either perfectly smooth or extremely quick. A thorough understanding of the various options is imperative for any automated lighting programmer.

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LD Dale Doucette with Heart sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson

Designing with Heart; ESA Needs You; TV Lighting Interns Sought; Quick Cues

Production/lighting designer Dale Doucette describes Heart’s touring schedule as “Two week tourettes.”

 “During March to November, we do ‘tourettes’ — two weeks of shows in a particular section of the country in casinos and small 3,000-5,000 venues, then we go home. Every day is a different gig. I carry a file of shows and a handful of songs I keep consistent.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Sub-Renting

This month, I continue on my quest to figure out which gear has the best return for a lighting company investment. Is it as easy as following the old “Supply and Demand” way of thinking? I always assumed that a lighting company chose what fixtures they would purchase based on what the customer’s latest needs were. But what if you did many shows each year with various LD types, and they all want different fixtures? Do the lighting buyers choose to base their decisions on the latest, coolest moving heads in the business? Or do they buy from certain manufacturers because they have good, lasting relationships with them and their salespeople?

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Seth McFarlane's After-Oscar Party

Visions Lighting Supplies Oscar Host’s After-Party

LOS ANGELES – Just 10 days before the 85th Annual Academy Awards, Visions’ President, Todd Roberts, received a call from the producers of Seth MacFarlane’s Oscar After-Party. Roberts was asked to come up with a stage design that could support a huge orchestra and be worthy of Oscar night.

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LD Makoto Shimizu

Hog 4 Debuts in Japan

TOKYO – High End Systems’ new Hog 4 console debuted in February with Japan’s Kome Kome Club’s arena concert tour.  Touring LD Makoto Shimizu from Lighting Big1 saw the console at LDI 2012 and was eager to specify it for the band’s 2013 tour.

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Kinetic Lighting Hosts Fifth Annual Open House

GLENDALE, CA – Kinetic Lighting will be hosting its 5th annual open house at its facilities here March 28, from noon to 7 p.m. Learning opportunities include side-by-side product comparisons, new product showcases and grandMA console sessions. Free tickets are available to industry members.

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GlowUp

Mohegun Sun Bets on Clay Paky GlowUps

UNCASVILLE, CT – The Mohegan Sun casino and entertainment resort has purchased a number of Clay Paky GlowUp portable, battery-powered luminaires. “We chose Clay Paky GlowUps because we do a lot of events on the fly in various locations,” says Brian Horne, lead lighting technician. We were looking for a wireless LED that we could connect to a console.  One challenge is that since we’re a casino, WiFi can interfere with some of our equipment. The GlowUps…work within our system.”

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Sapsis Rigging Manages New York’s Fashion Week

NEW YORK – For New York’s Fashion Week, Sapsis Rigging, Inc. (SRI) is the technical management company of choice for designers including Mark Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole. For the designers’ shows, production manager Michael Sapsis assembled a crew of more than 35 riggers who worked steadily for two weeks, installing 225 chain hoists, 3,000 ft of assorted truss, and one 4,000-pound sodium-vapor lighting effect, contained in a circular truss rig and lifted by a mother grid.

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From left, Kevin Auses and Michael Braico

J.R. Clancy Adds Kevin Auses, Michael Braico to Project Management Staff

SYRACUSE, NY—J. R. Clancy has expanded its U.S. staff by adding two dealer project managers. Kevin Auses, pictured left, previously worked as an associate with theatre design firm Auerbach Pollock Friedlander in San Francisco. Michael Braico, pictured right, was previously a technician for Production Resource Group (PRG). J. R. Clancy also named Philip Lunas as the company’s financial manager.

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In Memoriam: Bea Oliver

In Memoriam: Barbara “Bea” Oliver

SONOMA, CA — Barbara “Bea” Oliver, a production and touring veteran with Oakland, CA IATSE Local 107, died March 4 following complications from liver failure. She died at home with family and friends at her side. Oliver was no stranger to touring and production. Her years with FM Productions, The Jacksons, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and the list goes on and on, placed her as one of the pioneers in the set, scenic and rigging trades.

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