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Nashville Cats: LDs in Music City

Brett Eldridge at CMT, lit by Trevor Ahlstrand, photo by Kenny Williams

Nashville Cats: LDs in Music City

In 1966, The Lovin’ Spoonful released their third album. On it was a track called “Nashville Cats,” a tune penned by John Sebastian. The song, written after a stop on their tour in Nashville, pays homage to the musicians in Music City. A local 19-year-old musician named Danny Gatton had opened for the band and pretty much blew Sebastian’s mind and his band off the stage. Fifty years later, the lyrics might well apply to the wealth of talented lighting designers based in the city today. On the pages that follow, PLSN profiles six lighting designers at the top of their form who hail from Nashville. Innovative and fully in command of the art of craft, they all knew early on, what their path would be. From country superstars to heavy metal legends, they can light it all. Please meet the 21st century’s new Nashville Cats.

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Stephen Gudis illustration by Andy Au

Stephen Gudis

Stephen Gudis is one of those select people in Nashville that you can truly call a “Man about Town.” There’s nobody that’s been in the live event biz around Nashville for any length of time who hasn’t crossed paths with this guy. While the same can be said about most seasoned touring veterans on the music scene, one thing that sets “Gudis,” as he’s affectionately referred to, apart is that he’s worn just about all the hats…

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Photo by George Hodan

Shelter from the Storm: Lightning Preparedness for Live Events

Orlando, Florida is a town built on crowds, a sea of humanity in juxtaposition with what would otherwise be a lush Jurassic world. Considered the “theme park capital of the world,” the area is home to such family-friendly attractions as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. It’s also home to the mammoth campus of the University of Central Florida and is an outpost of the ever-expanding Electric Daisy Carnival empire. The area also has the less-inviting distinction of being the “lightning capital of the United States,” with an astounding 1.4 million lightning strikes resulting in an average of 10 deaths and 30 injuries annually.

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TNDV team members outside the company’s headquarters in Nashville

TNDV: Live from Nashville

Production truck company TNDV is making television happen in Music City and beyond.

When people think of Nashville, they think of star-studded country music entertainment, like the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Awards, ABC’s Nashville and the Americana Music Awards. But many are unaware that behind these glitzy events — and other awards shows, Red Carpets, TV shows, concerts and sporting events — is TNDV: Television, a Nashville-based mobile video production company. With its penchant for pushing the envelope, TNDV has become an industry go-to for live, mobile, multi-camera HDTV production.

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Elation eMotion

Elation eMotion

So-called digital lights have long tantalized both gear manufacturers and designers alike. The allure of being able to project any image, media clip, text, or anything else designers dream up is a powerful one, as it represents a design tool of immense potential. The technology has proved stubbornly elusive to get right however, with efforts hampered by expense and thermal management issues. With the new eMotion, Elation Professional takes on these hurdles in a compact and efficient moving head package aimed at the corporate AV, exhibition, theatrical, house of worship and club market.

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Tomcat / James Thomas Engineering Latin America Targets Central/South America; Miami-Based Entity Led by Jose Luis Roche

KNOXVILLE, TN and MIAMI – Tomcat, a leading provider of structural aluminum systems for the entertainment industry, is expanding its presence into the Central and South American markets with Tomcat / James Thomas Engineering Latin America. This endeavor will be headed by Jose Luis Roche and based in Miami, FL. Roche, who has been in the entertainment industry for 27 years, is also the President / Owner of Roc-Off Productions, an entertainment company which has been in business for 18 years.

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Large Format Projections on Canada’s Parliament Hill to Return This Summer

Large Format Projections on Canada’s Parliament Hill to Return This Summer

KITCHENER, Ontario – The “Northern Lights” will be visible on Canada’s Parliament buildings again this summer thanks to a striking new projection mapping show delivered by 17 Christie 3DLP projectors with content provided by id3. The half hour “Northern Lights” show celebrates Canadian history, achievements, the majesty of its vast landscape and the diversity of its people. The 2016 show runs from July 9 to September 10.

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Movie Park Germany

Movie Park Germany Installs Elation Platinum SBX Fixtures for Hollywood Street Set Attraction

[caption id="attachment_267752" align="alignnone" width="410"]Movie Park Germany[/caption]

KIRCHELLEN, Germany – For the Hollywood Street Set, one of the key focal points at Movie Park Germany, Elation partner sld mediatec provided Elation Platinum SBX fixtures. They add an an extra layer of excitement to a 4-D cinema experience based on the animated movie “Ice Age: No Time for Nuts.”

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