SAN FRANCISCO – Pollstar named Bandit Lites Lighting Company of the Year. The award was presented to Bandit Lites founder Michael Strickland at the 27th Annual Pollstar Industry Awards. Actor and comedian Gary Owen hosted the event which occurred February 12 in San Francisco at the Marriott Marquis and celebrated all aspects of the entertainment industry, from venues to festivals and touring artists.
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The director of an event held annually in Las Vegas on New Years Eve asked for help mapping video onto some costumes that would be onstage for about 30 minutes during the opening walk-in numbers. After assessing projection angles and maximum effectiveness for stage lighting, I convinced him to position a performer on the top center platform of the stage so that I could project in 360° onto the performer’s dress, something visually exciting and unique for the guests.
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Automated lighting programmers depend on many longstanding processes and procedures, but one of the most important concepts that must be mastered is called tracking. This concept is essential for programming multi-parameter fixtures and is also very useful for the most basic dimmer or desk channels. Without a good understanding of how tracking works, how it affects playback and how to maximize the usage, a programmer will have a tough time with automated lighting fixtures. I often describe tracking as the most difficult concept to understand, but also the most important to understand. Luckily, with some knowledge and practice, most any programmer can master tracking and make use of its benefits during every programming session.
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Is Flying Drone Tech the new crew position in production? LD Chris Medvitz of Lightswitch would agree. He has four cities of auto shows on his agenda. But it was his involvement in the Infiniti exhibit and press events at the Los Angeles Auto Show that pointed toward the future.
Q: What’s the difference between a Lighting Designer and a Lighting Director?
A: About $20,000…
As a touring lighting director, I get asked this a lot — and the reality is few people outside the industry really understand it. The roles are similar, but the responsibilities are vastly different. The lighting designer is responsible for pitching, selling, and securing their visual concept for the show to their client. The lighting director is responsible for implementing the design and making sure its vision remains intact for the duration of the tour.
Read More »Why do we say, “Break a leg!” to wish someone else good luck? The popular explanation is that the “leg” being referred to is not… Read More »Why Do We Say ‘Break a Leg?’
Read More »NEW YORK — The Long Reach Long Riders and Behind the Scenes will host their annual fundraising raffle at the USITT Conference in Salt Lake City March 17-19. This year’s raffle will celebrate the 13th Anniversary of the Long Reach Long Riders annual charity motorcycle ride. The Riders have raised over half a million dollars for charity in their years of touring some of the country’s most beautiful areas.
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STOCKHOLM, Sweden — On Feb. 13, three months after the terrorist attack at the Bataclan in Paris, the Eagles of Death Metal resumed their European tour. The Feb. 13 performance in Stockholm will be followed by a Feb. 16 concert in Paris, but not at the Bataclan. Owners of that venue have vowed to reopen, but not until later this year. Instead, the Eagles of Death Metal will perform at Paris’ Olympia music hall.
Read More »MINNEAPOLIS – Staging Concepts, an industry leader in custom staging solutions, named JWerkz as its sales agent for the Singapore market.
Read More »MUMBAI, India — A fire blamed on errant sparklers or pyro effects engulfed the stage during Maharashtra Night at Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty beach area, part of the week-long “Make in India Week” festivities sponsored by the local government. The event drew a crowd of 7,000, and all were safely evacuated from the blaze. The smoke and flames emerged at about 8:20 p.m. on Feb. 14 as costumed dancers were performing on stage. The police and firefighters were credited for taking quick action, halting the performance and overseeing the evacuation. With some firefighting equipment at the ready and more on the way, the massive blaze was doused within a reported 38 minutes.
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GERMANTOWN, PA – The Miraculous Medal Shrine, first completed in 1927, features a white statue of the Virgin Mary within a domed gold leafed alcove flanked by marble columns and mosaic murals. Tyler Hoffman, the owner and principal designer of Spire AVL got the chance to put the shrine in a new light and opted to include COLORado 1-Quad Tour pars, an Ovation C-640FC cyc light and Ovation E-190WW LED ellipsoidals from Chauvet Professional.
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