Skip to content

News

grandMA3 Software Provides Control for Carrie Underwood’s Residency at Resorts World Las Vegas

Multi-Grammy Award-winner Carrie Underwood debuted her first Las Vegas residency, Reflection, in December at the new Resorts World Theatre where lead Lighting Designer and Creative Producer Nick Whitehouse and joint Lighting Designer Brian Vaughan used the grandMA3 software to control the lighting. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of MA Lighting products in North America.Read More »grandMA3 Software Provides Control for Carrie Underwood’s Residency at Resorts World Las Vegas

Blizzard Lighting IRiS® GT™ Series LED Video Wall Products

Precision. Speed. Endurance. Blizzard Lighting’s new IRiS® GT™ Series LED Video Products are engineered for peak touring performance, stage after stage, and mile after mile. IRiS GT’s launch panels are available with either rotomolded flight cases or 6m2 tour carts, featuring 3.9mm pixel pitch IP65-rated designs, and can be combined within the same wall for exceptional flexibility:

IRiS® GT3™ (500x500mm, HDR-capable, 128x128mm resolution, 4,500cd/m2)
IRiS® GT3™ XL (500×1,000mm, HDR-capable, 128x256mm resolution, 4,500cd/m2)Read More »Blizzard Lighting IRiS® GT™ Series LED Video Wall Products

Chauvet Professional Helps Invoke Entertainment Accent Red Carpet Event for HBO’s Insecure

It isn’t listed in the credits, but the beautiful city of Los Angeles skyline with the San Gabriel Mountains in the background played a key supporting role in the widely acclaimed HBO Original Series Insecure. Many of the most memorable scenes in the multiple Primetime Emmy Award winning show, took place against this iconic backdrop. Given the skyline’s association with Insecure, it was only fitting that Los Angeles’ Kenneth Hahn State Park, which affords 360˚ views of the city, was chosen as the site for the red carpet event celebrating the groundbreaking comedy’s final season premiere. Read More »Chauvet Professional Helps Invoke Entertainment Accent Red Carpet Event for HBO’s Insecure

Paper Mill Playhouse Receives Landmark Gift to Upgrade Stage Technology

Immediately following last night’s opening performance of Clue, Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee and Managing Director Michael Stotts made a surprise announcement from the stage that Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ has received a significant contribution to upgrade stage technology by bringing its lighting and automation from analog to the digital age.Read More »Paper Mill Playhouse Receives Landmark Gift to Upgrade Stage Technology

David “Gig” Butzler Honored for 30 Years with Bandit Lites

David “Gig” Butzler was recently honored at Bandit Lites’ Annual General Meeting in Nashville for 30 years with the company. Over the course of Butzler’s career trajectory, he has expanded from working as a pipe fitter in St. Louis and doing lighting as a side hustle, to serving as the lighting designer for the best-selling solo artist of all time, Garth Brooks.

Read More »

NovaStar VMP Software (Vision Management Platform)

The NovaStar VMP software (Vision Management Platform) is a new generation of configuration software to be released by NovaStar. Adhering to the design concept of “keep the complexity to ourselves and bring the simplicity to everyone,” VMP software eliminates the most difficult configuration process of receiving card files directly in the implementation of LED system construction process. The connection process of the display screen is more intuitive and simpler through real-time interactive mapping of the hardware LED panel. The final display represents to the customer is mainly about the adjustment of the full screen display effect, and all display adjustment function modules have the effect of one key restore, improve the tolerance of mis-operation. This software is designed around NovaStar’s new 5G COEX system.Read More »NovaStar VMP Software (Vision Management Platform)

S*P*A*Minar Video Replay: Proper Prop Presenting | Portfolio Reviews and Tips

 

Recently, the Society of Properties Artisan Managers (S*P*A*M) held another of its informative online S*P*A*Minars, this one called Proper Prop Presenting that covered Portfolio Reviews and Tips. They brought together three prop professionals to review two early career prop portfolios and gave suggestions and guidance to the artisans. Following that they shared some general pointers and tips as well as answered questions about resumes and portfolios from the attendees. Here is a video replay of that S*P*A*Minar:

Read More »S*P*A*Minar Video Replay: Proper Prop Presenting | Portfolio Reviews and Tips

USITT Announces its 2022 Young Designers, Managers, & Technicians Award Winners

The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) has announce the winners of the 2022 Young Designers, Managers, & Technicians Awards. The YDMT Awards bring recognition and support to young designers, managers, and technicians at the beginning of their careers. These awards are made possible by generous gifts to USITT from its sponsors. The YDMT Award winners will be honored at USITT22 in Baltimore, March 2-5.

Everyone at Stage Directions in PLSN join the Institute in adding our congratulations to the 2022 YDMT Award winners. Read More »USITT Announces its 2022 Young Designers, Managers, & Technicians Award Winners

Metallica 40 Shows Center on Robe BMFL Moving Lights

Metallica marked 40 years with mid-December concerts for fans at San Francisco’s Chase Center arena. LD Rob Koenig and Production Designer Dan Braun relied on Robe BMFL WashBeams and RoboSpot systems to light the in-the-round shows, which also featured 45 large multi-layered and overlapping video surfaces.

Read More »

Gaffer Mike Bauman Discusses Lighting Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth

Joel Coen wanted to do Macbeth. But not just any Macbeth, a black and white version inspired both by comic books and German Expressionism. The stars on screen for The Tragedy of Macbeth are Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington—but the stars in the lighting rig were ETC and High End Systems fixtures. The lighting team that put them there and used them to great effect was led by Gaffer Michael Bauman and Lighting Programmer David Kane. Here is a video on the making of The Tragedy of Macbeth. You can go to 3:01 in the video to hear from Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and Production Designer, Stefan Dechant on shooting the black and white film:

Read More »Gaffer Mike Bauman Discusses Lighting Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth