News

BROOKINGS, SD — Daktronics announced an expansion of the testing facility at its corporate headquarters, which is intended to help provide customers with more reliable products and also to bring new product designs to market more quickly.

LOUISVILLE, KY — Samuel Ryder may have died in 1936, but that didn’t keep his projected 3D likeness from serving as emcee for the recently held Ryder Cup Gala. Using the Musion Eyeliner hologram from Digital Illusions LLC, Ryder was able to walk, talk, and play golf like he did nearly 100 years ago.

DENVER — The crew for Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour is hitting the road once again with lighting control by grandMA. It’s “our board of choice,” said lighting programmer Troy Eckerman. Also used on Madonna’s tour last year, the console is being used to control some additions to the touring rig, including Martin’s Stagebar 54 LED luminaires.

HOUSTON — Elation Professional presented the winners of the 2008 Elation Educational Experience (E3) contest with their awards at the 2008 WFx Show. Pictured here are, from left, Elation’s Scott Davies, winners Frank Meyer, Yoshihito Takahashi and Josh Johnston, and Elation’s Eric Loader.

TORRANCE, CA — Citing increasing demand for LED products from the entertainment and hospitality industries, LEDtronics, Inc. named Greg Krymer as product sales manager for architectural lighting.  Krymer had been the company’s southern California district sales manager.

WEXFORD, Ireland — The new Wexford Opera House is on the same site as its predecessor, the Theatre Royal, but at 83,420 square feet, it is 4.5 times larger, and now offers almost twice the seating capacity and a 130 percent increase in stage area.

ATLANTA — Lasers, moving lights and imagery from Brian Eno’s 77 Million Paintings archive aren’t the only elements adding visual interest to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida tour. (See “Wide Angle,” PLSN, Oct. 2008). A collaboration between LD Paul Normandale, XL Video and Pufferfish and others has resulted in internally projected spheres looming above the performers.

UNCASVILLE, CT — Staind is using new gear including Martin’s 1,500-watt MAC III Profile for the band’s tour of the U.S. and Europe in support of their latest release, The Illusion of Progress. Michael Cooper, lighting designer and programmer, had used Martin gear previously and was willing to give the new profile spots a try.

EL PASO, TX — The Abundant Living Faith Center (ALFC) is a nondenominational, multicultural church with over 15,000 active members and a mix of ministries and activities. After a major expansion and renovation project, the church features a new 3,600-seat main auditorium where 36 PixelPar 90s light up the backdrop in a variety of colors.