News

NYC – ASTC and USITT are pleased to announce the fifth collaborative project between university students and ASTC member theatre consultants.  Projects will be presented at the USITT 2019 Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky – March 20-23, 2019.  By working together with a professional theatre consultant as a mentor, students will learn more about how venues are designed or renovated. Additionally, students will see performance spaces differently and therefore will be exposed to other available career paths within the entertainment industry.

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ANAHEIM, CA – Earlier this year, Sound Image’s president and member of the Parnelli Board, Dave Shadoan, sat down with NAMM’s oral historian, Dan Del Fiorentino, for an extensive interview. Here’s a clip from that where Dave shares his insight into the decision for the Parnelli Awards to move to NAMM and be part of the new NAMM Live!

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LAS VEGAS – This is it – the last chance to vote for the 17th annual Parnelli Awards. Voting from readers of PLSN and FRONT of HOUSE magazines will continue until Friday, Dec. 22, 2017 at 12 noon (PST). After that, the votes will be tallied and envelopes and awards prepared for the 17th annual gala, to take place Jan. 26 at the Anaheim Hilton in Anaheim, CA. The event, which begins at 7 p.m. after a cocktail reception kicks things off at 6 p.m. is hosted by Tony Levin and honors Bobby “Boomer” Thrasher, Jonathan Smeeton and John Stadius with this year’s Lifetime Achievement, Visionary and Audio Innovator awards.

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[caption id="attachment_281559" align="alignnone" width="800"]Xmas Jam photo by Carol Sp ags[/caption]

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – While the weather may have been frightful, fans and artists still turned out to give back at Warren Haynes Annual Christmas Jam. Bandit Lites was honored to donate a lighting package for the sold-out benefit for Habitat for Humanity where the lineup included Trey Anastasio and Classic Tab, The Avett Brothers, Blackberry Smoke, and Gov’t Mule with a special appearance by Ann Wilson of Heart. Lighting designer Preston Hoffman, excited to return to the helm of the evening after two years of scheduling conflicts, looked to craft a big rig that would be more immersive.

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[caption id="attachment_281556" align="alignnone" width="800"]Little Dragon utilizes the Pyxis[/caption]

LONDON, UK – The Swedish electro four-piece band Little Dragon has been on a quite a roll in 2017, as their heavy ethereal beats and synth-driven hooks have garnered them a following on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as slots at the Coachella and Bestival festivals. Reflective of the band’s stratospheric surge in popularity is the new power-packed lighting rig on its current sold-out UK tour. LD Tim Smith, who recently began collaborating with the band, specified Maverick MK Pyxis fixtures, as well as COLORdash Par-Hex 12 units, from CHAUVET Professional for their current touring rig.

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[caption id="attachment_281553" align="alignnone" width="800"]Luminex Switches in Use in Quebec[/caption]

MONTREAL –  Place Bell, the new multi-purpose sports facility in suburban Montreal, has opened with an IP-centric infrastructure, which features a large complement of LUMINEX GigaCore switches.  All the live audio, video, broadcasting and lighting in the venue runs over IP network, without compromise, using LUMINEX switches.  It’s what the LUMINEX mantra, AV networking made easy, is all about.

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[caption id="attachment_281550" align="alignnone" width="800"]TOMCAT and JTE at LDI[/caption]

LAS VEGAS – TOMCAT and JTE racked up another successful show at LDI that not only featured their current line of innovative products, but also the products they had each manufactured over the years that allowed them to experience the success they both enjoy today.  The walk through time was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of TOMCAT and the 40th anniversary of James Thomas Engineering in truss manufacturing, but the main thrust of the show was to highlight their current line of truss products and new innovations.

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New Platform Delivers Expert Training to grandMA2 console Users

LOS ANGELES  – ACT Lighting has launched ACT Academy, a brand new online platform featuring classes for MA Lighting’s grandMA2 console.  Classes are led by expert instructors through video tutorials and lesson quizzes, which can be accessed at any time and at the individual user’s own pace.  ACT Academy can be found at http://academy.actlighting.com. The online learning system was built from the ground up by ACT’s education team to meet the increased demand of requests for training.  The launch will significantly broaden the scope and usage of the grandMA2 and deliver expert training to anyone who requires it.

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[caption id="attachment_281540" align="alignnone" width="800"]Ozzfest utilizes the power of Flares[/caption]

SAN BERNARDINO – Metal music, black tees, devil horns, and . . . VIP lounge packages?  We’ve come a long way since Woodstock.  Last month’s Ozzfest meets Knotfest mega-metal festival in San Bernardino, CA featured dozens of metal bands, including Ozzy Osbourne, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, and Prophets of Rage.  Four stages supported non-stop metal shredding with lighting and video provided by 4Wall Entertainment.  Brighter than even the pyro were the 30 Solaris Flares in the lighting rig.

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 NEW YORK, NY –The Barbizon Lighting Company announced today that it will sponsor multiple scholarships for students attending Stage Lighting Super Saturday held at the NYU Tisch’s Abe Burrows Theatre, January 13th, 2018. For 13 years stage lighting enthusiasts have attended this intensive all-day seminar led by leading theatre lighting professionals. This year’s special guest is Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Jennifer Tipton in a panel discussion that includes Natasha Katz, Ken Billington, and Brian MacDevitt – also all winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design.

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LAS VEGAS – Since the Timeless/Parnelli PLSN/FOH Scholarship program was established in late 2006, more than 21 students in the Entertainment Engineering and Design program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) have benefitted. Four female students and one male student were awarded the scholarship this academic year. The program is yet another reason to attend and support the Parnelli Awards, which will take place Jan. 26 at the Anaheim Hilton during NAMM 2018.

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