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Opera Lighting: Broad Strokes, Big Drama

In the dramatic last moments of Dialogues of the Carmelites at Eastman Opera, Blanche makes her way to the guillotine bathed in the light of the cross. Photo by Nic Minetor

Opera Lighting: Broad Strokes, Big Drama

When the production staff at San Diego Opera opened the containers from the rental house — the ones that were supposed to contain the Michael Yeargan-designed set for their production of Aida — they could hardly believe what they saw. They saw nothing. The containers were empty. Their one-week production schedule did not allow for setbacks, nor could they replicate the set in their own scene shop. The automated, winch-driven scenery with its steeply raked floor had to exist somewhere, but finding it could take hours, or even days.

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George Clooney and Jimmy Kimmel on the set. Photo courtesy ABC

Light Night Conversations: Christian Hibbard Lights ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

“Light Night Conversations” is a new recurring series of PLSN interviews with the lighting designers of the various late-night talk shows on television. These designers face many interesting design challenges that go beyond simply lighting a desk and an interview area, which, for the record, is not as simple as it may appear. Late-night LDs need to light musical guests, often both inside and outside the studio, design sketch comedy setups, audience interactions, man-on-the-street exchanges and full show location remotes. We start on the West Coast with Jimmy Kimmel Live’s LD Christian Hibbard. –ed.

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Joe Paradise has handled the band's impressive visuals for a decade.

311 Returns to New Orleans for 3-11 Day Celebration

The highly diversified band 311 once again took the stage at the Smoothie King Center (formerly New Orleans Arena) on March 11 to celebrate the unofficial holiday they created back in 2000. The biannual celebration happens on March 11 (on even years), in a numeric parallel with the band’s name. Once again, there were just too many songs on the set list to fit in any one performance, so 311 Day 2016 included a concert on March 12 as well.

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Martin Atomic 3000 LED Strobe

Martin Atomic 3000 LED Strobe

Martin Professional has a very long history in the entertainment lighting and effects industry, starting way back in 1978 when founder Peter Johansen created a smoke machine from a coffee maker. Since then, the company has conceptualized and brought to market a huge number of effects, including the wildly popular Atomic 3000 DMX strobe, which has for many years dominated the market for strobe effects in concerts, special installations and live events. With the evolution of the market away from arc-based sources and toward LED, however, the creative minds at Martin decided it was time for a significant update to their flagship strobe.

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Robe BMFL WashBeam

Robe BMFL WashBeam

I have always been critical of hybrid lights. That’s because, for several years, I have heard boasts from several manufacturers that they have come up with the ultimate Swiss Army Knife of a fixture. Yet every time I drive a new one on a gig, I find something missing, or a trade off in certain features, that leaves me disappointed. I find lights where the lumens disappear when I pop out the tight narrow lens or a color system that is not up to snuff with what I desire. So I’m putting the BMFL WashBeam through the wringer to see if everything’s as great as what I’m hearing on the web.

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GoVision to Unleash ‘Colossus’ on Bristol Motor Speedway

ARGYLE, TX – This is big. No seriously…this is HUGE! Bristol Motor Speedway will soon be home to the world’s largest outdoor, permanent, center-hung digital display. Fittingly named “Colossus,” the screen – comprised of 8,694 square-feet of state-of-the-art digiLED Toura 6mm LED panels – will give race fans an unprecedented audio-visual experience when it debuts later this month.

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Prolyte Verto Truss

Prolyte Verto Truss

LONDON — Prolyte launched its Verto truss at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt and invited attendees to take the Verto Speed Challenge. The Verto truss is based on a new principle of truss connection, where the sections are joined by a rotating coupler system.

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Cory Froke

Cory Froke joins Green Hippo as Hippotizer Product Specialist

CAMARILLO, CA – Green Hippo added Cory Froke to the Green Hippo U.S. team Froke, based in Burbank, CA, will work as Product Specialist for Green Hippo. Froke brings experience in both lighting and AV to Green Hippo, having previously worked at PRG Nocturne / PRG Concert Touring, Chaos Visual Productions, DWP Live and Entertainment Lighting Services (ELS).

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PRG used Laserworld Group lasers at Prolight+Sound

PRG Used Laserworld Group Lasers for Festhalle Displays at Prolight+Sound

FRANKFURT, Germany – PRG’s impressive Highlight Show in the Festhalle at Prolight+Sound has become an annual tradition of sorts. For 2016, first show coincided with the LEA Awards on April 4, before the PL+S show floor opened. A laser display accompanied a performance by the group, Glasperlenspiel. In the days that followed (April 5-8), the highlight show appeared every half hour while the show floor was open. All laser systems on the PRG Stage were manufactured by the Laserworld Group

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