International News

DUSSELDORF, Germany — Lighting designers Andreas Ellmerer and Thomas Brügge used nearly 180 Robe ColorSpot 1200E ATs for “TV Total Stock Car Crash Challenge,” a show staged at the LTU Arena that featured the car-racing skills — and aggression — of celebrities from the music, TV and sporting worlds.

SPLIT, Croatia — The first newly-built arena to open since Croatia was formed in 1991 opened in late December after 430 days of construction. The arena’s 28,500-square-meter hall, with a seating capacity of 12,000, has been equipped with a chain-hoist system using hoists and a controller made by ChainMaster.

BEDFORD, U.K. — Bandit Lites, Ltd. moved their European operations into a new, larger facility. The 50,000 square foot facility includes 6,500 square feet of office space, with the remaining space divided between the Technical Services Department, the LED and Special Effects Department and the Generic and Rigging Departments. The facility also houses a virtual programming suite, storage space and enough space for Bandit to prep several lighting systems simultaneously.

BIRMINGHAM, U.K. — LD Kevin “Stick” Bye and Tim Routledge of grandPA, a new support company focusing on MA Lighting consoles, sped through a short prep period at Lite Structures’ facility in Wakefield to program the updated looks for the recent U.K. leg of Elton John’s Red Piano tour.

ROSARIO, Argentina — The Argentine Magazine Awards, held recently at the Salon de Convenciones Metropolitano, was lit by PR Lighting fixtures chosen by Pablo and Néstor Deligio, who run the company responsible for production, Deligio Iluminaciòn.

PARIS — French singer Raphael recently played several gigs across France beneath an Andi Watson-designed MAC rig that included Martin Professional’s new 1500 watt MAC III Profile. Arpège Son Lumière, which purchased 14 of the new generation MAC fixtures via Martin France, supplied the fresh-from-the-factory gear for the tour.

SERIATE, Italy — Clay Paky named Pio Nahum, a 20-year veteran in the show lighting business, as its  new commercial and marketing director. The appointment also represents a homecoming of sorts for Nahum, who got his first industry job at Clay Paky. Nahum is pictured here on the left, with Pasquale Quadri, Clay Paky president, on the right.

GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa — Johannesburg-based Sound Stylists supplied Robe moving lights for LD Andre Rossouw from SABC’s Air Time for his design at the Highway Africa Digital Journalism Awards. The 2008 event was staged at the Guy Butler Theatre on the campus of Rhodes University, and was also broadcast live on SABC International.

BEIJING — A series of 11 large circular screens displaying rear-projected imagery and one 30-by-6 meter Element Labs Stealth LED screen were used to introduce the new Montblanc watch collection at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, with content synchronized by eight Hippotizer HD V3s.

LONDON — LD Mark Kenyon wanted some new effects for the final installment of the BBC’s latest Strictly Come Dancing series, and thought it fitting to try Robe DigitalSpot 7000DTs. They made the cut, and Kenyon went on to use the new gear for the Christmas Special edition as well, shown here.