International News

LONDON – To ensure everyone could see and hear the Diamond Jubilee festivities in the streets of London, Creative Technology (CT) was asked by event organizers Innovision to provide large modular video displays in Trafalgar Square and St James Park. CT also supplied signal distribution and supporting engineering services to the various mobile screens installed in the Mall and the Palace Forecourt.

BAKU, Azerbaijan – The KLR (Kinetic Light Ring) from Parasol Advanced Systems of Vancouver, BC was at the center of attention at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The system lets designers program moving lights so that they move along a circular truss in any configuration, at up to 60 inches per second. Stopping, starting, reversing, accelerating and moving to an operator-specified position are all controllable features.

SYDNEY – The recent opera of La Traviata, performed at Sydney Harbour, featured a giant chandelier sparkling with thousands of Swarovski crystals, 3000 LED lights and 12 Vari-Lite VLX LED wash lights. The VLX were chromium plated especially for this production so that when they moved they would sparkle and glint within the chandelier.

LONDON – Among those dressed for the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee were Union Jack-sporting Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures. LD Durham Marenghi used more than 240 of the compact fixtures – 60 with the custom flag decorations – for the live and televised concert event at Buckingham Palace. Each customized Sharpy had to undergo a special heat test, and 14 days of programming put them through all sorts of weather conditions prior to the big day.

BIRMINGHAM, UK – A.C. Special Projects (ACSP) Ltd. have provided an elegant new carbon-conscious lighting installation at St Peter’s Church in Hall Green, Birmingham. The Vicar, Rev. Martin Stephenson, approached ACSP about new lighting for the octagon-shaped church, and as a result, the church’s energy bill has now been cut in half.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands – The Thornico Group’s philosophy of green initiatives called for the use of Martin LED lighting on the Thornico Building in Rotterdam. The most significant aspect of the LED lighting installation is 170 meters of vertical LED tubes mounted on the building’s 4,000 sq. meter facade. The full-color RGB LED tubes delineate the architectural form and indicate the locations of the main entrances.

BAKU, Azerbaijan – The Eurovision Song Contest recently completed its 57th year, held at The Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan. LD Jerry Appelt specified an arsenal of 2,891 lighting fixtures. Of the 1,400-plus moving heads, 667 were Clay Paky fixtures. One lighting element new to the Eurovision stage was the Parasol KLR (Kinetic Light Ring) system, hung directly over the stage, which allows moving lights to move along a fixed path on a linear or curved truss. The Eurovision system consisted of three concentric rings with circular motion, all lit with Alpha Beam 1500s, with their independent and simultaneous motion over the stage for a dynamic effect.

MONTREAL – Moment Factory created multimedia content for Madonna’s new world tour, which kicked off May 31. Every step in the production process was carried out in close collaboration with Madonna and her team, including show director Michel Laprise of Cirque du Soleil, set designer Mark Fisher, lighting designer Al Gurdon, production manager Jake Berry, video technical director Stefaan Desmedt and choreographers Rich + Tone.

LONDON – UK hip hop star Professor Green’s recent touring rig was dominated by Philips Vari-Lite VL3000 Spot luminaires. LD Pete Watts says his design concept was similar to how a ballet LD relies on bodies of the dancers to deliver impact.

GENEVA, Switzerland – LD Peter Heilig specified more than 300 Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWash and PureWhite moving lights to showcase the BMW stand at the 2012 International Geneva Motor show. The LD had not used Robe products before, so his fixture choices were selected after several shoot-outs.

AUSTIN, TX – High End Systems products play an instrumental role in Tangerine Dream’s spring/summer “Electric Mandarine Tour 2012.” LD Andreas Fink, from Austria’s Preworks, specified 2 DL.3 Digital Lights and 2 SHOWGUN 2.5 and 2 SHOWBEAM 2.5 automated luminaires, controlled with a Road Hog Full Boar.