BRIDGEPORT, CT — Global Scenic Services, Inc. (GSSI), a leading provider of scenery design, automation and manufacturing services for theatrical productions, fashion shows, and special events, announced a new management structure following the passing of the CEO and owner Warren Katz. James (Jim) Malski, has been named acting president of GSSI Malski will oversee the day-to-day operations and future growth of the company.
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BRIDGEPORT, CT — Warren Katz, owner of Global Scenic Services, died Oct. 14. He was 44. The company expanded dramatically in the 10 years under Katz’s leadership, in both the size of its facility (from 6,000 to 45,000 square feet) and number of employees (from just eight to 48), supporting top-tier Broadway productions such as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hand to God, fashion events including Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and television shows including NBC’s Peter Pan Live.
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Will you work for anybody that comes calling for our industry?
Everyone is hopped up on the current presidential race, and if you’re not posting memes on Facebook, you’re talking about it at your gigs. Would you work for a campaign you didn’t like if the gig came calling? Well, how professional are you? Can you keep your mouth shut, do your job, and collect that fat paycheck for someone you don’t agree with?
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Recently, PLSN had the pleasure of catching up with the concert touring video pioneer Paul Becher for a quick talk about how he started in the industry 30-plus years ago, his long working relationship with Sir Paul McCartney, and what he enjoys about being a video director.
I’m gonna build a wall. And it’ll be the best wall you’ve ever seen. And someone else is going to pay for it. Honest. My wall is going to make everyone realize that video is king and all those other disciplines are weak. Lights, Bah. You can’t make a wall out of lights. Although I did see a spry, young group of eager kids once make a wall of Source Fours into a pixel-mapped wall-esque display and actually put pictures of Fred Foster (CEO of ETC Theatrical) up, and it wasn’t half bad. And then there’s Rammstein.
Astera has been in the wireless LED luminaire market for some time now, with their flagship AX line of lights leading the market in terms of reliability, ease of deployment and use and cost effectiveness. Today, we’re looking at the Astera AX1 Pixel Tube, a linear cylinder of LED lights.
Robe, the well-known lighting manufacturer based in the Czech Republic, continues to deliver innovative products. They certainly followed through again this time with the LED WashBeam. Yes, I said it, LED Beam fixture! Has LED finally reached the capacity to fully replace discharge lamps? Not quite, but we are getting closer.
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Automated lighting consoles are filled with a multitude of exciting and powerful features. They all help programmers to create amazing and complex light shows with relative ease. Some features will be used with every show, while others are rarely used. There is one tool, though, that is essential to the success of nearly every production. I am talking about palettes/presets. This amazing tool really becomes the basis for lighting programming construction and longevity.
Author and LD Paul Dexter made an LDI appearance to autograph Concert Lighting: The Art and Business of Entertainment Lighting 4th Edition, co-written with James Moody. Dexter says the previous editions are text books on college campuses, and this edition provides even more valuable tips that future lighting designers may need, notably diverse accounts by some of our industry’s most renowned designers.
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Will a theater degree help you to avoid a hard knocks life?
As a proud recipient of a bachelor of fine arts in theater from University of Nevada Las Vegas, I often ask myself if all of the time, money and effort spent obtaining that piece of paper was worth the hardship. Has my ability to differentiate Half C.T. Blue from 708 Cool Lavender ever been a deciding factor in my employment? My education is listed on my résumé, but has an employer or client ever thought to confirm my accreditations?
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SCOTTSDALE, AZ – At a Nov. 5 appearance at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Sarah McLachlan performed on a stage that was considerably smaller than those on her arena tours. But lighting designer John Garberson and his team at Creative Backstage supported her performance with a lightshow that was as lush and textured as her signature sound. Working with his programmer/first assistant Matthew Berg and second assistant Rita Assi, Garberson used 10 Maverick MK2 Spots and 24 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures from Chauvet Professional.
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MIDDLETON, WI – Electronic Theatre Control (ETC) is launching four new ETCP Recognized Courses that can be taken to provide points towards the continuing education requirement for ETCP renewals. Each class takes about an hour to complete and one credit will be issued per course. “We’re excited to offer a new set of resources to our growing number of customers,” says ETC class creator, David Fox.
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