Production Nightmare

DELFT, HOLLAND — High End Systems Inc. and Dutch dealer Improve recently held a Digital Lighting University in Holland. Forty lighting and video designers and technicians hosted the two-day program Oct. 8-9. The intimate, hands-on curriculum taught the intricacies of products such as DL.1 and DL.2, along with the Axon media server and other digital products.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC — The new Stageline SAM 550 XH, which features the covered wings system, made its official debut, July 1, in Montréal, for a series of outdoor summer concerts.

NEW YORK — When the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was preparing for its latest world tour, Lighting Director Al Crawford used the ETC Eos to replace the dance company’s older Obsession II console, also from ETC.

L’ASSOMPTION, QC, CANADA — Work is progressing on Stageline Group’s new plant in L’Assomption, Quebec. With an investment of $5 million, this expansion project features the latest environmental technologies that can be applied to industrial plants.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — They’re mixing more than drinks these days at 32 Degrees, a European-style bottle-service lounge in The Quarter shopping-entertainment complex at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino. Since undergoing a renovation in Summer 2007, the popular club can mix and change the colors of its lighting at the touch of a button to modify its atmosphere with new color-mixing LEDs from Elation Professional.

Interactive Technologies Inc., manufacturer of entertainment and architectural lighting controls, has released four new CueServer models to its web-based lighting control processor family.

AARHUS, DENMARK — Martin Professional A/S has announced the appointment of Mats Karlsson as Technology Manager for the company’s Visual Solutions business unit. Mats has more than 25 years of industry experience in lighting — more recently in video — and joins Martin from Barco, where he served as product manager for the company’s line of creative LED products. 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Over 100 Robe moving lights were in action at the 2007 Melbourne Parklife event — one of Australia’s highest profile and most popular dance parties, produced by Future Entertainment. Andy Mutton designed the lighting, which supplied by Clifton Productions.

LOS ANGELES — PixelArt will be making its television debut on The Championship Gaming Series, a competitive computer game battle that will result in the UK champion challenging the reigning U.S. champion. Lighting Designer Will Charles specified the PixelArt chandelier after seeing the structure at PLASA. He explains: “The chandelier was the perfect centerpiece to the set. The PixelArts look great on camera and I will definitely be incorporating them into my future designs.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Some may call 2007 the comeback year for a number of bands. This year alone, Pyrotek Special Effects and sister company Laser Design Productions have worked with the likes of Motley Crue, Meatloaf and Spice Girls to name a few. More recently, the tour that some anticipated would never occur has flourished. Just as fans were ready to forget, Van Halen has returned.

LONDON — Projection specialists ETC UK supplied Christie video projection and an OnlyView multi-screen control system onto a 24-meter curved screen for the BT Digital Music Awards, a Ballistic Events project staged at London’s Roundhouse.The event honored the best in the fast-moving world of music-related digital innovation and communications.