International News

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – Black Coffee were awarded technical supplier for the Fourth SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards, held at the Durban International Convention Centre. LD Michael Broderick was nervous and excited about his first time to venture into television lighting – but no need to worry, as the grandMA2 light ran flawlessly.

MACAU, China – LD Matt Levesque chose 95 Iluminarc wash lights to enhance the MGM Macau’s domed courtyard, the Grand Praca. Color-changing Ilumipanel 180 IP wash lights are used to downlight and sidelight the plaza’s manicured landscape, pathways and the building facades surrounding it. They are also put into use during special live performances and events.

LONDON – LD Tom Kinane used Robe LEDWash 600 moving lights to highlight the set of the BBC’s popular quiz show “Pointless.” A crucial factor in Kinane’s choice of LEDWash 600 was that the LED lightsource was flicker-free for the cameras.

PERTH, Australia – Perth’s Concert & Corporate Productions (CCP)  has had a busy summer, but General Manager Sean McKernan, CCP had geared up for the season by purchasing eight Jands HPC12 dimmers. “Basically we run them as 48-way racks so you can tell them to be dimmer or distro,” said McKernan. “Now we can just send out one rack and any channel can be anything we require…It makes life so much easier and quicker for our crew.”

WEST SUSSEX, UK – Creative Technology (CT) set the scene for the backdrop to The Voice, which premiered March 24 on the BBC. Alongside production designer Julian Healy,  CT had a three day time frame to rig the LED screens as backdrops and floor covering. The main set screen was comprised of 30 sq. meters of Chromatek Black Faced 6mm LED screen. Beneath the artists’ feet is another 30 sq. meters of Flyer 12mm display to provide graphics and media content to further intensity the set design.

GLADSTONE, Queensland – Gladstone Entertainment Centre has installed six VARI-LITE VL3500 Spot luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite to keep their existing VL500 Washes company. Supplied by Rockhampton’s Stage & Audio, the fixtures are permanently rigged on the FOH lighting bar.

FRANKFURT, Germany — PRG (Production Resource Group), the leading provider of event technology for live events and TV productions around the world, got the opportunity to showcase its products and services at Prolight + Sound’s Festhalle from March 21-24, 2012. The Festhalle was also the venue for the official opening night PRG Live Entertainment Award (PRG LEA) on March 20.

Abu Dhabi, UAE —A new theatre recently opened on the Abu Dhabi campus of Zayed University, incorporating J.R. Clancy’s motorized rigging and controls. J.R. Clancy partnered with J & C Joel, Ltd. to provide 20 counterweight rigging sets and 24 PowerLift motorized rigging sets. This system allows plenty of flexibility for raising and lowering scenery, lights, curtains and an orchestra shell.

LONDON – LD Richard Larkum has worked with the The Kaiser Chiefs for the last seven years, and is using Robe’s ROBIN 600 LEDWash fixtures for the first time. With no video production or elaborate set, Larkum counted on the fixtures to do all the work on the 21-date tour.

LONDON – Entertainment lighting specialist White Light has spent the winter helping lighting designer Phil Supple bring light to the dark winter nights at forests around the UK as part of Culture Creative’s Electric Forest project. This saw lighting transform the Bedgebury Pinetum & Forest in Kent during October, High Lodge at Thetford Forest in Suffolk during December and the Moors Valley Country Park & Forest in Dorset this February.

FRANKFURT, Germany — The live entertainment industry spotlight turned to Frankfurt from March 21-24 for this year’s Prolight + Sound and Musikmesse trade events. Along with the latest technology, the industry’s proclivity to mix business with pleasure at industry confabs was on full display. Here are a few highlights.