International News

LONDON – Philips Vari-Lite is backing up the introduction of its VL4000 Spot fixtures with fixture-specific training sessions. One of these recent workshops took place at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) led by Coral Cooper, a veteran Vari-Lite trainer for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) customers. There, the VL4000 Spot luminaires were disassembled to the sub-assembly level to demonstrate ideal maintenance techniques. Cooper also explained the VL4000 Spot luminaire’s broad range of features, informing the end users and potential customers at the session on how to use them to their advantage.

MELBOURNE, Australia – Mint Lighting Design and ENTTEC transformed the forecourt and main terminal façade at Melbourne Airport with a dynamic lighting installation. The project has 12 individual sites programmed as one to create an intricate, synchronized light show with more than 40,000 pixel requiring 57 universes of control. The projected involved more than 2,140 individual components.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – After four years, the largest world exhibition of performance design is set to flood the center of Prague. The event spans 11 days and will feature 64 national expositions and more than 500 live events at more than 100 locations in the center of Prague, drawing an expected 50,000 visitors.

AMSTERDAM – In Dec. 2013, Stage Technologies’ sister company Delstar Engineering was commissioned to provide a huge scenic structure for the set of Anne, a new play about the life of Anne Frank. Produced by Imagine Nation, with set design by Bernhard Hammer and directed by Theu Boermans, the play is performed at the new Theater Amsterdam, a purpose built venue in the Westerlijke Houthavens district of Amsterdam.

BERLIN, Germany – A celebration at Brandenburg Gate commemorating the dismantling of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago included a light show designed by Bjorn Hermann that included GLP fixtures. Some 8,000 helium balloons were released. Hermann, commissioned by show director, Sven Sören Beyer of phase7, used GLP’s X4 impression LED fixtures to help light up the night sky. Mediapool Event Services GmbH supplied the fixtures, complementing the gear supplied by PRG for the main event.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Herbalife’s “Extravaganza” convention drew a total audience of close to 54,000 people to the O2 Arena in Prague this year. A design team that included technical manager Alessandro Giangi, LDs Luca Casadei and Claudio Tappi and set designers Emilia Covotta and Raffaele Persico wowed the crowd with a lighting rig that included D.T.S.’ Wonder moving lights. Planet Service played a key role organizing the event.

LONDON — With just 24 hours notice, The Projection Studio delivered a full projection design to enable a giant image of the BandAid30 music video to appear on the facade of the Houses of Parliament on Sunday, Dec. 7. It was the first time a full motion video has been projected onto this landmark building. The song is helping to raise funds and awareness in BandAid30’s ongoing fight against Ebola.

GOTHENBURG, Sweden — The Göteborg Opera first purchased SGM P-5 lighting fixtures a year and a half ago, and now has 34 P-5 wash lights. They have become the opera’s go-to fixture for more of its productions, including this year’s production of Mozart’s Le Nozze de Figaro.

MOSCOW, Russia — For the World Circus Festival “IDOL 2014,” which took place at The Great Moscow Circus from Sept. 10-14, the lighting rig included a variety of Martin lighting fixtures: 64 MAC 101s, 20 MAC Viper Profiles, 24 MAC Auras, 12 MAC III Washes, six MAC III Performances and 10 MAC III AirFXs. Also supporting the looks: 12 Atomic 3000 DMXs with Atomic Colors, two Glaciator X-Streams, a Jem Hydra with 12 heads, and six Jem K1 Hazers with six AF-1 fans.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Christmas has come early for Oceania Productions in New Zealand this year with the arrival of New Zealand’s first batch of Robe’s BMFL units – 32 in all. Robe CEO Josef Valchar along with Cuono Biviano and Tony Lukeman from the ULA Group, Robe’s New Zealand distributor, flew over to present the units to Oceania Productions’ crew.