Business News
Martin MAC101 LED wash lights a hit with Lux
Posted on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
Since acquiring their sixteen Martin MAC101 LED moving head wash lights, Lux Events have used them on a variety of events including the Western Force Awards at Burswood Entertainment Centre’s Ballroom 1, the Mortgage Gallery at Burswood Astral Rooms 1 and 2 and the West Coast Eagles Banquet Auction held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, all pictured.
The MAC101 is a remarkably small, super light and easy-to-use LED moving head wash light with an amazingly bright beam for such a compact luminaire. It features rapid movement and calibrated colours with a low price tag that allows for revolutionary set, stage and decorative lighting design.
“They may be small but the MAC101 LED fixtures are extremely powerful!” commented Alex Moffat, Operations Manager/Production Manager. “They are also light in weight and really very quick. They also produce great colours.”
Alex reports that his boss Dave Trapp was particularly drawn to the MAC101’s nice tight beam.
“Plus they’re a Martin unit and we generally only use Martin,” he added. “They’re great. As well as the bigger galas, they’re handy for smaller functions due to their small size and minimal weight. All of our guys love them for all the reasons already mentioned; output, tightness of beam, and ease of installation.”
Pro Shop LED Pro Tri-colour PAR64’s for WAAPA
Posted on Monday, August 1st, 2011
The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts has taken a step towards utilising new green-friendly technology with the purchase of twelve Pro Shop LED Pro Tri-colour PAR64 cans.
“For our purposes in an educational environment the Pro Shop LED ProTri-colour PAR64’s enable us to give our students the opportunity to work with this new technology and provide us with a larger palette,” remarked Jerry Reinhardt, Lighting Coordinator at WAAPA (pictured). “The primary benefit of using the RGB (Red, Green, Blue,) LED lighting fixtures is threefold. First and foremost is the flexibility and minimal power consumption. Standard theatrical luminaries require the use of 500watt to 2000watt lamp sources which are expensive and use a lot of electricity. The LED fixtures we have purchased will draw a maximum 72watts of power.
“Secondly, conventional theatre fixtures have a lamp life between 1000 and 12000 lamp hours which effectively means that they burn out and we have to replace frequently. The source of LED illumination is more cost effective as they provide between 50,000 and 75,000 lamp hours.”
Lastly, Jerry cites the third benefit of RGB LED fixtures – the ability to mix colours and reduce the expenditure on gel.
“Having said all this, I am not saying that LED fixtures are the answer to all of our theatrical requirements,” he added. “They have definite limitations on their luminosity and are not consistent with control. They do not provide a consistent white light and should really only be considered as an augmentation to a conventional system. The units we have acquired provide our students with the opportunity to use the new technology and they are cost effective for WAAPA. However, these units are merely one small addition to the resources we have. They do provide a larger palette to paint with and I am very happy that we have them.”
Reflection LEDko receives a special mention at ABTT Awards 2011
Posted on Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
On 7th June Reflection LEDko, Coemar’s LED profiler that had its world preview at the PLS of Frankfurt, received a special mention during the ABTT 2011 Awards ceremony.
This ceremony is a very popular part of the ABTT Theatre Show which, every year, awards prizes for new theatre technologies and equipment. This year, the ABTT awards were sponsored by Jelf insurance, specialised in meeting the needs of those working in the entertainment business.
Reflection LEDko (in the Soft Profile and Profile versions) is the first LED profiler able to project a shaped light with diffused edges, also offering the possibility to reproduce any tone and nuance of colour, and any shade of white. It guarantees reduced installation costs and maintenance, and cuts energy consumption by at least 70%. What’s more, it allows you to print gobos on glossy paper using a normal printer. The costs of lamp replacement, dimmer, scroller and gelatine are entirely eliminated.
Reflection LEDko is available in three models: Reflection LEDko Full Spectrum, Reflection LEDko VariWhite 3000/7000 K, and Reflection LEDko White 3200 K, with Soft Profile and Profile optics.
www.coemar.com
Australian Distributor: PRG www.prg.com
Showtime invest in Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700
Posted on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Showtime Productions in Sydney were one of the first Australian hire companies to add Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700 fixtures to their inventory. The Alpha Spot 700 is a 700W effects projector with the following highlights: linear zoom 15° – 40°, colour mixing CMY, graphic system with 14 gobos plus animation disc, and linear CTO.
“The Alpha Spot HPE 700’s are an amazing light,” commented Arian Yeganeh from Showtime Productions. “Not only are they half the weight of a MAC700, they have fantastic optics and are really fast. Most of our clients are very impressed by just how lightweight they are weighing only 22 kilos.
“The iris is incredible – you can get it down to a very small spot. The gobos are great and I particularly like the star effect.”
Alpha Spot 700 also offers some original features: a wheel with seven colours that can be easily replaced with the same number of gobos, a fixed gobo wheel with interchangeable gobos, and a new “dynamic” animation disc interchangeable with other animation or graphic discs.
Extraordinary in combining versatility with quality, with special attention to containing costs, Alpha Spot 700 is highly suitable for tours, live environments and for every sector of professional and architectural lighting.
Showtime currently own eight Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700 fixtures with plans to purchase more in the near future.
It’s Showtime with Martin MAC301 fixtures and the amazing Martin M1 console!
Posted on Monday, July 18th, 2011
Sydney’s Showtime Productions are the latest proud owners of a Martin M1 console, the most powerful and affordable full-featured lighting console on the market as well as four Martin MAC301 LED wash lights.
Showtime’s Arian Yeganeh was the first to use the Martin M1 console on a gig at Luna Park’s Big Top and he was left in awe at its performance.
“I haven’t as yet explored all about the console but from what I’ve seen it is extremely powerful,” he noted. “Yet it’s also very compact. The effects engines are great and easy to use. You can get a show up and running very quickly. There’s no messing around to get something decent out of it straightaway.
“I particularly liked the colour-matching feature which was useful for that show as I had Martin MAC301 LED wash lights as well as MAC700’s, MAC500’s and another brand of moving lights. The M1 ensured that the colours from all fixtures were well matched and that was quite handy.”
Showtime has been so impressed by the MAC301 LED washlights they are planning to purchase quite a few more.
“The good thing about the MAC301’s is that you can use them effectively on a day gig like a festival,” commented Arian. “The fact that you can see the LEDs turning on and off makes the fixtures part of the show. They’re really fast, bright and get used on pretty much everything we do. Plus all the people who hire off us know the Martin brand and consequently know they are getting a decent product.”
Staging Connections purchase Pro Shop LED Outdoor Floods for Crown
Posted on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
Staging Connections has purchased twenty-five Pro Shop LED Outdoor Flood fixtures for use in two of Crown Casino’s most prestigious venues: Studio 3 and The Palladium.
With the LED Outdoor Flood, both indoor and outdoor applications can benefit from a super bright and super wide output. The unit features 15 x 15w LED clusters which are set into small reflector units; optically it utilizes these reflectors to ensure saturated, mixed and even output resulting in an output style of a flood more than a wash.
“It was time to change over the Griven Kolorados previously used due to high component replacement cost and the sheer size that limited flexibility of use,” said Daniel Leonard, Staging Connections’ ANZPAC Purchasing Officer, Central Procurement. “The LED Outdoor Floods provided a very cost effective solution that gave the desired effect not just for the immediate requirement but gave us an easy one-person mountable product for future production requirements.
“I’m pretty impressed by the output the LED Outdoor Floods have given us, it’s a nice, solid colour wash. They deliver a great stage wash effect in the Palladium.”
Whilst the LED Outdoor Floods are currently being used indoors the fact that they are IP65 rated means that they can be easily and safely be used outdoors to light up the venue.
“It’s certainly a flexible product,” added Daniel “It can do the job it was purchased for and more, quiet with minimal power requirements – a win win situation”.
MCEC Continues To Grow to MA Lighting
Posted on Thursday, June 30th, 2011
In 2009, Melbourne became home to the largest exhibition centre in the southern hemisphere with the opening of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Since then, the venue has played home to numerous major events, functions, concerts and conferences of varying scales.
Lightmoves supplied a Philips Dynalite Lighting Control system to the venue when it was first constructed, but have been kept busy supplying technology on a continuos basis. Since the Venue’s opening, Lightmoves have supplied a total of 48 Selecon Aureol Beamshapers with track adapters, 78 White Selecon Acclaim Fresnels with track adapters and 12 Acclaim axial profiles for use in the venue’s many conference rooms, and 6 LUI Worklight Floods for the main Plenary Hall.
Recently, MCEC sought a new versatile lighting console for use in the Plenary Hall and Grand Banquet Room. Due to nature of the events catered for, they required a console with a short set-up time, was easy to configure and one which they could make changes to quickly. Lightmoves arranged demonstrations for many of the industry’s leading consoles, but it was the MA Lighting grandMA2 ultra-light that was deemed the most appropriate.
Lightmoves supplied two consoles for use across the MCEC’s many spaces, which was supported by a two day training session from Australia’s grandMA distributor Show Technology, who demonstrated some features that have already proven particularly useful. MCEC’s Technology Services Manager Paul Rumble explains, “One of the features we particularly like is the ability to control the desks via the iPad. This is useful, as it moves the lighting operator away from the console while focusing and allows them to flash through the rig with the client. They can even make programming changes remotely. A second feature we are using is the MA3D software. We have used this with clients to design shows and demonstrate the versatility of the moving light rig, which is included in the room hire for dinners.”
According to Paul, MCEC’s lighting design operators have said the grandMA2 ultra-light console has greatly improved the ability to multitask, and is more user friendly than the original grandMA console.
With the heavy usage and quick turn around of events in the venue, the grandMA’s shortened programming time and ability to store default show files for each of the different rigs in the Plenary Hall, has been much appreciated by MCEC’s in-house technicians.
Photographed are Dale Krummins and Matthew Dix
www.lightmoves.com.au
www.showtech.com.au
32 Hundred Lighting also invests in a Martin M1 console
Posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
Combining the full power of a larger desk with the agility of a smaller one, the Martin M1’s easy-to-use concept and portable package has struck a chord with lighting programmers and designers across the country and the latest hire company to give an M1 console a home in 32 Hundred Lighting in Sydney.
32 Hundred’s lighting designer Alex McCoy is delighted with the M1 console’s performance particularly its ease of use.
“I used to use a Hog1000 and I found the transition to the M1 relatively simple,” he said. “I like the execute button, faders and the lay out of the console; they encourage you to program things with more complexity than you would on a Hog1000 which results in a better looking show.”
The M1 has been designed with a single philosophy in mind – simplicity – and features a clean and easy-to-navigate surface. Its fast dual-core processor ensures a fast and responsive user interface, even if hundreds of playbacks and effects are activated simultaneously.
“The effects engine is fantastic – you have more individual control than on the Hog1000 which only had three channels you could play with. With some effects on the M1 you can run eight separate parameters controlling the effect and it’s really easy to dial up something like pan or tilt.
“The little execute button on the left hand side is great and means you can chain in a series of looks or colours at the tap of a button. They are all time-synchronised as well so if you tap it at rate X it will perform at rate X – when you’re doing live music that’s fantastic because you just hit the button and it’s all in time.”
Pictured is Iain Reed, managing director of 32 Hundred Lighting, and Alex McCoy.
Cliftons add more Jarags, Atomics and JEM products to their inventory
Posted on Friday, June 24th, 2011
Over the past few months Warren Maher, managing director of Clifton Productions, has been steadily increasing his quality hire gear stock with the addition of more Martin Atomic Strobes, Jarag 25 and Jem smoke machines.
“I really do like the Jarags as a fixture,” commented Warren. “And as for the Atomics, what can you say? They are just the industry standard and a nice solid light.”
Clifton’s now have an impressive arsenal of a hundred and sixty Martin Atomic strobes, twenty-four Jarags, four JEM K1 hazers, four JEM ZR44 smoke machines and four JEM AF-1 fans – all of which lighting designer Andy Mutton puts to good use.
One gig Andy used all of this gear on was the Amway China Gala Spectacular 2011 held at the Dome. Produced by Triumph Leisure Group the event was one of the biggest corporate events Sydney has ever seen. Entertaining over 9000 guests over four events and with a production budget of over $3 million, the night was filled with spectacular entertainment, light and laser shows and visuals projections across 190 metre screens.
“The Atomic strobes were situated on truss extensions shaped like lightening bolts so when the opening music reached its lightening cues all the strobes went off to resemble lightening and it looked great,” said Andy. “The Jarags were mounted quite high above the stage on four fingers of truss. Francesco Calvi mapped them all together to run black and white visuals through them and they looked really cool. The Jarags are great; a good tungsten light source. They’re really punchy and very fast.”
Innovative Spotlight Fresnels
Posted on Friday, June 24th, 2011
Innovative Production Services has been acquiring quite an arsenal of Spotlight fresnels including eighteen Combi 12 F 1.2K and twelve of the Combi 05 F 650 watt models.
“The build quality of the Spotlight fresnels is fantastic especially for a fresnel at the price point that the Spotlight gear is,” remarked Jeremy Koch, Director of Innovative Production Services. “The barn door build is exceptional which is important as if anything is going to break over time it will be the barn door. The design is simple and very classic – they’re not trying to do anything too fancy. It’s a simple aluminium box that is clever with its dissipation but doesn’t try too hard. It does what it does and does it well. There are no bells and whistles and sometimes that is just what you want in a lighting fixture.”
Innovative’s Spotlight fresnels were the only lighting fixture required to illuminate the catwalk for Australian Fashion Designer Carla Zampatti’s recent spring-summer collection. The show was held in the car park beneath her Kent Street headquarters meaning quite a few challenges for Jeremy and his crew.
“We needed to be able to design something that had minimal impact from a time frame point of view as it was still operating as a car park,” he said. “We had to ensure a comprehensive and well covered catwalk for a respectable price as Carla was presenting on her own and was not part of Fashion Week.”
The rigging system incorporated the audio so as to keep equipment off the floor and cables hidden. Held in the morning there was a certain amount of daylight seeping through. Control was via Jands Vista 1 plus a Jands HP12 dimmer.
“Whilst the catwalk was only a metre wide we had to make sure there was even coverage and good angles which is why we used two-metre poles on a single truss run down the centre of the catwalk,” commented Jeremy.
AVIAs Deadline Extended until 1st July – Enter Now
Posted on Friday, June 24th, 2011
If you have a project, design, production or product that you’re proud of, then tell the whole industry about it and get some recognition for your ingenuity and innovation. Sponsored by AV magazine and the Integrate Show, the Audio Visual Industry Awards (AVIAs) are Australia’s only independently adjudicated, industry recognised professional AV awards, with a judging panel that includes nominees from ALIA (Scott Allan and Joseph Mercurio), InfoComm and AETM.
The deadline for entries was today, June 24th, but has now been extended for a further week, until close of business on July 1st – something else to get done before the end of the financial year.
Entering a project or product for an AV Industry Award really is as easy as filling in a PDF form, and emailing it off together with a few images and the processing fee. The only condition is that your work must have been undertaken in the calendar year 2010.
There are five categories of awards, at least two of which are directly open to the entire ALIA community:
BEST AV PRODUCTION
Best staged event, whether that be a production, a commercial product launch, a made-for-TV spectacular, a one-off event, etc. The winner won’t necessarily be the most lavish production, but it will be the most elegantly conceived application of AV technologies and design.
INNOVATION AWARD
This award isn’t tied to any one event or installation. It’s recognition of a nifty “idea”; a solution to a curly problem; a unique perspective on an existing technology. In other words, anyone reading this could potentially win this award with their wit and cunning.
BEST INSTALLATION $1m+
The most innovative, best conceived and consistently excellent audiovisual installation of the year.
BEST INSTALLATION UNDER $1m
This category gives all installers and integrators the chance to show their wares. The install that best meets the unique demands of the project will win. Doesn’t need to be the most glamorous or highest profile project going around.
BEST APPLICATION OF AV IN EDUCATION
This award is for the best conceived and most innovative audiovisual projects and installations in the education sector.
If you have any questions about the eligibility of a project/production/product or anything specified on the entry form, contact Andy Ciddor via email or phone (03) 6229 1662 / 0419 925 730.
Empire Theatre Toowoomba now home to Clay Paky Alpha Profile 700 fixtures
Posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Located in Toowoomba, Queensland, the Empire Theatre is the largest regional theatre in Australia and is both an architectural showpiece and a vibrant home to the performing arts. With main stage seating for over 1500 and smaller venues available for more intimate performances, the Empire Theatre is a state-of-the-art facility with plays, concerts and ballets making up part of a broad programme of entertainment.
The venue’s technical staff decided it was time to replace their aging Martin MAC500 fixtures with a newer model; something that could provide more output in a small size and a certain price bracket.
“We looked at the Robe equivalent and also the MAC700, which were both impressive, but we opted for six of the Clay Paky Alpha Profile 700 predominantly because of the framing shutters provided,” remarked Tim Panitz, Acting Technical Manager and Head of Lighting at the Empire Theatre. “No other fixture in that range can offer a framing shutter – you’d have to jump up to a MAC2000 size of fixture.
“The Clay Paky Alpha Profile 700 is also a new fitting in that 700 watt range, the other models have been around a while. At an electronic level they have some nice features – put Ethernet in and they spit out DMX. Obviously being from Clay Paky they have very good optics and the units have a very impressive zoom range.”
When making the purchasing decision Tim had not paid much attention to the speed of the Alpha Profile 700 head and so when he first used them he was absolutely delighted with what he saw.
“The speed of the heads was very impressive for the size of the unit,” he noted. “The Alpha Profile 700 is quick, smooth and accurate – the three qualities you really need.”
Integrate Show Sold – Diversified Exhibitions to Run Show for 2012 & Beyond
Posted on Thursday, June 9th, 2011
Alchemedia Events and Diversified Exhibitions Australia have forged a partnership to ensure the continued growth and success of the Integrate Expo.
Alchemedia launched Integrate in 2009 and it quickly established itself as an event of real substance, attracting large numbers of high quality audiovisual, sound, lighting and ICT professionals from across the region. Its association with InfoComm International – formalised in 2010 – has given Integrate a further shot in the arm, cementing its professional audiovisual and ICT credentials. Alchemedia also publishes a number of key industry magazines. These titles include AV, AudioTechnology, Venue, DigitalSignage and the Guerrilla Guide to Recording & Production.
Diversified Exhibitions has been operating in Australia for some 30 years. Annually it runs more than 30 of the biggest industry-specific trade and consumer shows, including PALM India, DesignBuild, DesignEx, Security Exhibition, Good Food & Wine Show, and Hotel Hospitality & Design. Diversified Exhibitions Australia is itself a subsidiary of a global exhibition and events corporation and has strong ties to the pro audio, audiovisual and lighting sector worldwide.
The partnership will bear fruit in a number of ways:
ABOUT DIVERSIFIED
Diversified Exhibitions Australia, a division of Diversified Business Communications, is one of Australia’s largest and fastest-growing exhibition organising companies with a portfolio of 30 trade and consumer exhibitions and events, operating in key industry sectors such as food, security, design, building, oil & gas, fitness and retail. Diversified runs exhibitions and events throughout the country at premier venues. Diversified Business Communications, with headquarters in the US, provides information and market access through trade events, magazine publishing, and eMedia products on four continents. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, entertainment technology, commercial marine, and business management and operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, the UK and Canada.
For more information, visit: www.divbusiness.com.
Integrate Expo www.integrate-expo.com
Diversified Exhibitions Australia www.divexhibitions.com.au
Consoling Macbeth: Australian Shakespeare Company’s new ETC ION
Posted on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
The Australian Shakespeare Company were about to put on a technically difficult version of ‘That Scottish Play’ (M.A.C.B.E.T.H.) when their old lighting desk finally past on. Having a show about to debut and having your desk die when you’re about to plot is not fun for anyone, least of all the production manager, who needed to quickly find a replacement.
“Needing a console that would do the job not only for Macbeth but also for all of the other shows that we put on through the year is a must,” mentioned Production Manager Ashley Groenen. “We did five shows this past summer alone.”
What they decided they needed was an ETC ION 2k with a 2 x 20 fader wing.
“We had a look at the ION last month when it was in the Ath (Athenaeum Theatre) with Melbourne Opera and straight away thought it was a desk that we would love to have” commented Tom Webster, Athenaeum Theatre’s Operations Manager and Australian Shakespeare Company’s Technical Co-ordinator “So when our desk died we called Clearlight Shows to get a replacement, they sent out their hire Ion to get us up and running until our new desk came in the following week. Gordon Boyd from Clearlight Shows assisted with technical support to get us up and programming which helped us greatly in the transition to the ETC Ion.”
Macbeth, being performed promenade-style, has a demanding technical fit-out down in Shed 4 at Melbourne’s Docklands; 3 stages, 2 areas, actors moving in and out of the audience, 14 movers, 28 LEDs, 30 conventionals, 2 UVs and a few smoke machines. These all required a reliable and capable desk and operator, Ben Coe (pictured at the top of the BioScaff) stepped up to the plate to fill the role. “It’s a great desk. It’s powerful, simple to operate, easy to get my head around and thinks like I do.”
The Australian Shakespeare Company was founded in 1987 by Glenn Elston, Artistic Director and Producer, and operates from above the Athenaeum Theatre in Collins Street Melbourne. It has played to over a million people throughout the country with, amongst others, the successful and critically acclaimed annual seasons of Shakespeare Under the Stars and The Wind in the Willows featuring some of Australia’s finest professional performers and creative artists.
Australian Shakespeare Company produce several entertaining shows throughout the year for all ages. Check their website for more details http://www.australianshakespearecompany.com.au/
Martin M1 console and SCX700 scanners for Esplanade Hotel Fremantle
Posted on Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
For several years, Perth-based AV Partners has been tending to all audio visual requirements of the popular Esplanade Hotel Fremantle.
The Hotel’s Southern Cross Gala Ballroom is an impressive 800 sqm pillarless venue with a 6m high ceiling and as AV Partner’s ongoing commitment to their client the ballroom has recently been equipped with seventy Martin SCX700 scanners. The SCX700 features crisp rotating gobos, a broad selection of colours and a fast strobe effect making it ideal for the wide variety of events held in this venue.
“I know that Martin always produce a good product,” said Kris Licari of AV Partners. “We’re also the in-house AV provider at the Perth Convention Centre where we’ve been using Martin MX10 scanners and we’ve been very happy with them. I asked Show Technology to recommend the ideal pin spot product for the venue and they suggested the Martin SCX700 scanner.”
The seventy SCX700 scanners are spread out evenly across the Ballroom’s ceiling from where they can impressively pin spot tables for a full ballroom dinner set up of up to fifty-five tables. The remaining SCX700 scanners would be used for dance floor effects or for lighting a band.
To control the Ballroom’s lighting Kris decided upon the Martin M1 console whose full-feature, all-in-one capability yet simple platform and small footprint, not to mention low price tag, has made it a popular new option in Australia.
“My guys have been very impressed by the Martin M1 console,” commented Kris. “I was a bit concerned initially as a lot of our guys are only used to operating Hogs or a grandMA’s however I soon discovered that if you can operate those consoles, then the M1 is no problem. In fact it’s very easy to operate.”
New Robins for Spot-light Systems
Posted on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Auckland based production company Spot-light Systems has recently invested in the new technology, taking delivery of 16 new Robin 600 LEDWash fixtures from Robe. This is their first investment in Robe fixtures, which Spot-Light immediately specified for their upcoming productions to demonstrate their performance, quality and reliability.
Director Ben Cooper says, “We have been waiting for a LED Wash that really has all the features we need – especially a real white colors and smooth zoom. We are very excited to have the new Robin 600 LEDWash’s on board. I’m sure these Robins will quickly become a standard light for touring projects and we are looking forward to getting these to our TV clients also.”
Spot-light Systems is the largest specialist lighting rental company in New Zealand, and key provider to leading touring artists from around the world, as well as television productions, corporate events, and a wide range of events and presentations.
The ROBIN 600 LEDWash has a super-slim construction and 37 individually controllable 10 Watt RGBW multichip LEDs which are arranged in 3 concentric rings – great for eye-candy effects as well as for smooth and even lighting of performance areas, scenery and all sorts of objects and spaces. This unique wash light was awarded multiple times for being the “Best Intelligent Lighting Fixture” of the year in several international lighting exhibitions.
There has been a phenomenal demand for the Robin 600 LEDWashes since its launch. Over 3000 LEDWash 600s have been manufactured and delivered all around the world to clients across all the sectors in last few months and the factory has upped its capacity, ensuring everyone’s orders can be met promptly and efficiently.
Pictured is Ben Cooper – Director of Spot-Light Systems
www.ulagroup.com
Philips Selecon LED fixtures at Herkes
Posted on Friday, May 27th, 2011
Herkes have stocks of PL-1, PL-3 and the Wing range of LED wall washers in their showroom. All units are available for demonstration at their place or yours.
Also on show at the Waterloo showroom are the PLTR high output LED wash lights in RGBAW and AW, and the Strand range of control desks including Sixer, 100+, 200+ and Pallette. Strand dimmer solutions including the OZES21 Lighting bar with a choice of on board dimming, LED drivers, Relay module and/or DMX facilities. Strand 6 and 12 channel rack and wall mount dimmers and patching. Single channel unit dimmers, remote location DMX dimmers and the Strand DimFix DMX test and RDM tool. Not to mention the leading edge Selecon SPX, Rama, Pacific and Acclaim range of conventional fixtures.
Showroom is at 890 Bourke St. Waterloo NSW. Give the guys in Prolighting and Audio a call before dropping in, so they can make room amongst all the stock!
Introducing Event Services
Posted on Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Whilst ‘Event Services’ is one of Australia’s newest event production and technical support companies, they have an impressive and diverse 35-year professional live production pedigree spanning industrial theatre, corporate functions, cultural celebrations, event spectaculars, conferences and many entertainment milestones.
Event Services confidently promise to deliver every discerning event manager, creative producer and PCO with seamless creative, audiovisual and staging for your clients and audiences at every live presentation, from small business seminars through to major public events.
“Having been a part of this fascinating and inspirational industry for over 3 decades” Colin Baldwin explains “I have seen how creativity constantly drives technical innovation. As a result of this, integrating new technologies can challenge event producers and PCO’s who are striving to maximize their production values. This is as true today as it was the day I secured my first lighting gig and has remained fundamental throughout the period we built the Showcorp Group into one of Australia’s premier specialist production companies”.
Following the sale of Showcorp to The Videoplus Group in 2008, Colin became increasingly disenchanted with the group’s direction. Fiona Baldwin’s encouragement motivated his decision to regain his independence and start a new venture. The Baldwin’s have returned to what they enjoy most.
“Event Services’ has been structured to liberate those within the industry whose creative and production values have been stifled by the widespread commodity based approach of many existing audiovisual suppliers” stressed Colin Baldwin“. We have sourced and invested in a select range of professional audiovisual and staging elements that compliment one another and equip our hand picked team with AV and production solutions that ensure they can always perform and achieve their best.”
During 2010 Colin accepted a variety of high profile international commissions, most notably the Marina Bay Sands Casino opening spectacular in Singapore for Laservision. Unable to take on local projects at home due to contractual obligations, Colin travelled extensively to further his passion for emerging sound, staging and lighting technologies. An invaluable process to seek out the ‘latest and greatest’ technical innovations the entertainment world had on offer.
“From the outset we have applied a prudent selective process that we believe every new venture should undertake”, Colin continues, “ This was achieved by identifying two key success criteria. Firstly, that Event Services must be equipped with the very latest in technology to ensure the creative production needs of the most adventurous and discerning event producers can be met. Secondly, ensure that all our assets are meticulously maintained to enhance outcomes rather than prejudice them because of outdated and inappropriate equipment or technology.
Colin understands event professionals pursuit of the illusive “wow-factor’ and of their necessity to maximise the ‘bang for your buck’ element. Event Services’ comprehensive inventory and technical expertise will ensure your production achieves that indefinable production edge that is often so elusive.
Professionally managed events demand good teamwork that seamlessly merges the creative with strong technical skills. Event Services employ tried and tested strategies honed and perfected over 35 years in live production that leave nothing to chance. Whilst industry dry hire requirements are accommodated, Event Services can offer additional benefits by involving their professional consultants and crew. Employing an experienced and specialised team of technicians familiar with one another and fully trained on the actual technical production kit you intend to use, will provide you with peace of mind and also contribute greatly to the success of your event.
The names and faces in Event Services’ crews will be well known to discerning production management, event producers and PCO’s across Australia. They represent the cream of the industry and optimize the same highly selective process that Event Services employed when choosing the AV equipment they incorporate into their productions.
Event Services will be a valuable resource during your critical pre-production and planning stages by providing you with practical assistance for your event’s design, venue logistics, scheduling, critical path and even entertainment. This sets Event Services apart from conventional commodity only AV suppliers.
Mueller College decides on Martin MACIII Profiles
Posted on Friday, May 20th, 2011
Mueller College, established in 1990, is an energetic, modern co-educational Christian school located on the beautiful bay side peninsula of Redcliffe, Brisbane.
In 2009 the College opened their new auditorium which has the capacity to seat 1500 students and equipping the venue has been a work in progress.
The latest addition to the facility are two Martin MACIII Profile fixtures which offers a superior package of innovative features that includes greater output than other profiles in its class, improved colour vibrancy, exceptional gobo and animation effects, a wide zoom range and low noise cooling, as well as advances in control, handling, service and more.
“The auditorium is a stage development and it was always planned to get some movers in there,” commented Don Heazlewood, project manager at Mueller College. “I saw some trials of the Martin MACIII and was very impressed by them. We can place them on the rear gantry and from there cover the entire auditorium with colour and light, and that was a big advantage.”
Whilst the MACIII’s are semi-permanently housed on the rear gantry they can be moved around onto the stage or outside if required.
As well as being able to flood the room, from the gantry the MACIII beams can be zoomed real tight onto a particular spot on the stage making them a flexible option for the venue.
“The MACIII’s have been a great addition to the conventional fixtures, par cans and Pro Shop LED strips the venue currently has,” added Dan Wolter, Head of Lighting at the college. “They have been used on front of the stage, the highest and last gantry on back wall of auditorium (still providing a great punch) and recently placed on the sixth floor of the auditorium pointing down onto the campus floor. From there they washed out the whole floor! Although it wasn’t called for, we wondered how far the MACIII would throw and were blown away when they hit the goal posts around 300m away. What a great effect!”
Daniel reports that from the far back gantry one MACIII zoomed right out fills the stage allowing him to use one for colour washing and use the other for effects.
“No other mover we have used has that power,” he remarked. “We have used the animation wheel extensively particularly for water and fire effect in drama and theatre.
“As we are attached to the school and church, we (MPAC) perform a great amount of training. We provide a Cert 3 through the national technical training college and so the MACIII’s provide a great asset for students to learn on.”
The Martin MACIII Profiles were supplied to Mueller College by Brisbane Sound Group and Dan particularly wants to thank Chris Haines for support and help.
Photo: Daniel Wolter, Head of Lighting, and Jonathan Heazlewood, Head of Sound.
All photos taken by Belinda Heazlewood.
Blue Bottle Supply ETC To Footscray Community Arts Centre
Posted on Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Established in 1974, Footscray Community Arts Centre is widely acknowledged as Australia’s leading centre for contemporary arts and community engagement. October last year saw the opening of a new 250-seat performance space plus a new gallery, computer lab, and other multi-use spaces for meeting, seeing, creating and talking about art.
With the new venue came some new gear including four 53 cm ETC Selador Vivid-R LED fixtures and an ETC Element console.
“The Seladors perform really well, deliver strong saturated colours and have great optics,” remarked Darren Gee, Venue & Operations Manager. “We don’t have a lot of power in the building so the more LED fixtures we can put in the roof, the better. It also means we don’t have to get up and down all the time to change colour as that can now be done from the console.
“I looked at some of the other LED fixtures available but none of them had enough grunt. The Seladors were by far the brightest. I use the dispersion panels on them which are remarkable. You put the dispersion lenses in and you get amazing width and depth from them – I was quite surprised!”
To obtain this wide range of hue, saturation, and brightness, the Selador fixtures contain seven different colour LEDs instead of the typical red, green and blue LEDs used in other LED fixtures. As each individual LED colour can provide only a narrow spectrum of light, three-colour LED fixtures are limited in both the range of colours that can be obtained, as well as the fixtures’ ability to render the more natural colour of an object. Selador’s x7 seven-colour LED design enables a much greater range of colour, as well as more natural skin tones, when projecting white light.
The venue required a cost-effective lighting console that could run intelligent light fixtures and the ETC Element was the perfect solution. Based on ETC’s award-winning Eos® control system but with a simplified feature set in a stand-alone console, Element was designed expressly for modest rigs and maximum hands-on fader control. Affordable and easy to use, Element packs in the fundamentals of lighting control.
With most of his staff having been trained on similar operating platforms, Darren reports the switch to the Element console has been smooth and simple.
“It’s a very easy operating platform to learn,” he reiterated. “Element seemed like the perfect desk for a venue such as ours. It has the software of the successful Eos and Ion range with simplified features to ease user control, making the basic functions easier to navigate with greater hands on fader control. It’s quick to program, easy to operate and reliable.”
Footscray Community Arts Centre’s ETC Element Console and ETC Selador LED fixtures were supplied by Melbourne dealer Blue Bottle.
ULA Group presenting latest Media Management technology from ArKaos
Posted on Friday, April 8th, 2011
ULA Group team has just completed another successful roadshow visiting major Australian cities, this time presenting the latest Media Management technology from ArKaos.
ULA Group has been appointed as the new Australian and New Zealand distributor for the ArKaos early in March this year and the team was very excited to introduce the new range of show and lighting media server products to the customers.
ArKaos is the world-leading provider of technology for live visual performances and the ArKaos’ product line offers software and hardware combinations that allow those working on shows of all scales and budgets to incorporate video, projection or LED control into their productions and integrate them with the show’s lighting.
The latest ArKaos media technology was presented by one of Europe’s leading lighting designers Renaat Van Hee. The interactive seminars were a mixture of latest technology and industry news, a detailed look into the latest ArKaos products and software including the opportunity for attendees to experience these great products first hand and discuss their needs with industry leading professionals.
Managing Director Cuono Biviano comments, “ArKaos software is a world leading standard of media management technology and complements our VuePix LED screen range. The brand is well established and has a great reputation throughout Australia with its media server technology being utilized for many high-end productions and projects. Once again the roadshow proved to be a great opportunity to meet the real users of our products and to be involved in their future goals.”
Chameleon’s GLP Impression RZ’s zoom into the market
Posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
Late last year Chameleon Touring Systems acquired sixty of the new GLP Impression 120 RZ LED moving lights which build on the fabulous reputation that the Impression brand has attained around the world, by bringing an automated zoom function to designers fingertips, combined with a new LED source.
Chameleon’s Impression RZ’s made their debut on Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure live Shows at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt proving to be the ideal fixture for a show broadcast in daylight. Sean Post (Lighting Director for Harpo Inc) chose to use sixty Impression RZ fixtures which where very impressive as all the effects used stood out on camera extremely well even though it was a sunny day.
Since their impressive debut, the Impression RZ’s have been used on many productions including SOH Soap x 18, Australia Live Canberra x 12, Mia at the Big Day Out x 8, Faithless at Good Vibrations x 28, and Playground Weekend Dance Tent x 12.
Andrew Veitch of the Nine Network used fifteen GLP Impressions RZ fixtures on the Today Show’s Cindy Lauper Special describing them as ‘a very bright LED fixture with the benefit of requiring low power and awesome for an outdoor television broadcast’.
Paul Collison also used twenty-four of the fixtures on the recent Hillsong Colour Your World Conference (pictured) using them as the main wash light over the audience.
“They were amazing!” he declared. “I only had 24 to cover the Sydney Entertainment Centre and they did a stellar job. I loved the range of colour we had and the punch. Given we were lighting for the camera I had to be wary of getting some decent light level on the audience, whilst also getting some decent colour and movement. The RZ’s certainly gave us that. I don’t think I’d look at a discharge lamp again to light an audience in this way.”
Lighting designer Anthony Bazz Barrett used GLP Impression RZ’s for lighting Looking through a Glass Onion.
“I found them incredibly bright in fact having morphed them from another lamp type I had to limit the output at 30% for my theatre show!” he said. “The zoom worked well and the colour blend looked very nice. Overall I’d say welcome to the future of wash lights.”
“The Impressions RZ’s are fast, reliable and are a perfect replacement for a three-colour wash,” added Ian Anderson who used twelve of the fixtures on the X-Factor Grand Final. “They’re small but bright and usually we have to turn them down for camera! They’re an easy fixture to fit into the tight spaces you have to deal with in a studio.”
LSi launches Video Hub
Posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
The latest addition to the LSi Online website – home of PLASA Media’s daily news service, LSi magazine archives and other resources – is the LSi Online Video Hub.
A database-driven resource for videos from across the industry, the LSi Video Hub aims to become a one-stop location for LSi Online’s 20,000+ global audience to source and view industry-related video content. Visitors to the site can search by category, tag and keyword to refine their searches.
Beginning with almost 100 videos, the site will grow as more companies put their video content directly in front of LSi’s regular online audience. With more than 20,000 regular users making an average of 240,000 page requests at LSi Online each month, and a wide-ranging global appeal, LSi Online is ideally placed to present video resources for product training, demonstrations, seminars, conferences, interviews, testimonials and more to an audience of industry professionals in more than 160 countries worldwide.
We would like to invite all companies in possession of useful video content to take advantage of this opportunity with PLASA Media and get their videos in front of our audience. Contact us today to find out more.
ALIA EXCLUSIVE: Aussie LDs visiting Swiss Clinic to save their Careers
Posted on Friday, April 1st, 2011
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS AN APRIL FOOL’S DAY JOKE AND THAT ALL DESIGNER’S MENTIONED HAVE PERFECT SIGHT!
Now that a cure has become finally become available, ALIA can reveal the truth about Reduced Resolution Retinopathy the debilitating visual affliction that has nearly cost the careers of several of Australasia’s most prominent lighting professionals. Despite the problem being quite widespread, many of these designers have been working on in the hope that a cure for RRR would be found before it brought their careers to an end.
While not unknown in the general populace, Reduced Resolution Retinopathy has recently become very prevalent in the lighting industry due to the increasing use of low resolution video on LED systems in recent years. Prolonged viewing of the low-resolution, low-refresh rate LED matrices that are currently part of many productions, produces a reduction of sensitivity in retinal rod cells which results in what had – until recently – been considered a permanent reduction in visual resolution.
Above is a view of a production seen with normal vision
Above is a simulation of the view of the same production as would be seen with vision impaired by Reduced Resolution Retinopathy
A research group working on snow blindness at the University or Fribourg in Switzerland discovered in late 2009 that the simultaneous application of very low level coherent light at two separate wavelengths promoted the recovery of retinol production in affected rod cells. Since late 2010 this cure has been available at two private medical clinics in Switzerland, for those who can afford the two-week course of treatment. Several of Australia’s wealthier lighting professionals have been treated at these clinics recently on the pretext of attending European trade shows or going on “invited factory tours”. ALIA have unconfirmed reports that at least one European lighting equipment manufacturer has been offering to pay for the treatments for “loyal users of their products”.
When challenged about his recent “holiday and factory visits” in Europe, the globe-trotting LD Paul Collison reluctantly admitted that he had been treated and was once again in possession of full resolution vision. Collison was unwilling to discuss the source of the funds for his treatment or his business relationship with an un-named Shenzen LED manufacturer.
Pictured above are RRR affected lighting designers Paul Collison (actually pictured leaving the clinic), Trudy Dalgleish, Richard Neville and Dave Jackson.
After her stint on Hairspray it was rumoured that Trudy Dalgleish may finally have succumbed to RRR and a recent siting of her on the NSW Central Coast, wearing the heavy sunglasses required during recuperation from the treatment, lends credibility to the story.
Mandylights LD Richard Neville was surprised to be confronted by ALIA on this issue yesterday as he was arriving at Kingsford-Smith airport on his way to ProLight + Sound, a two full weeks before the event. He reluctantly admitted that he was booked in to a clinic for a course of treatment before the show.
We’ve also heard that LD Dave Jackson, who made extensive and intense use of Martin’s LC panels on several summer tours, has been talking about visiting the Martin factory in Denmark to “discuss improvements on their design”. However, Phaseshift crews have been querying Jackson’s use of his son’s low-res Nintendo DS for sending his emails, as this behaviour is often an early indicator of RRR.
When asked by ALIA if he had ever suffered from this problem Tony Award-Winning lighting designer Nigel Levings revealed that he was born in an era when low resolution vision was quite normal and that it had never had an impact on his career.
More information on RRR and its treatment is available from this page at the University of Fribourg.
Innovative Production Services expand with Martin MAC TW1 wash lights
Posted on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
Innovative Production Services has added eight Martin MAC TW1 powerful, silent tungsten wash lights to their extensive hire stock.
“With the huge popularity in LED fixtures, stages are all too often lit with just LED’s,” began Brendan Sadgrove, Innovative Production Services’ director. “However, the TW1’s warm colour temperature and even wash are by far the best way to light people on stage. The warm colours that only tungsten lights can produce are great for skin tones and that is why they are so popular for TV and theatre.”
The MAC TW1 features a clean and even soft-edged beam, motorized zoom, rich CMY colour mixing and can be run from either a built-in dimmer or external dimmer.
“The fixture’s ability to stabilize the colour temperature by means of the mechanical dimmer is a great benefit as well,” added Brendan. “Using the internal dimmer, it is also good to know that the lamp is not cooking the insides of the light all day as with discharge lamps which need to be struck and left on. I would presume that there are also big power saving and lamp life advantages.”
Innovative Production Services has also added more Martin MAC700’s, MAC250 Entours and MAC301’s into their lighting inventory, along with coolux Media Servers and manager.