TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL
www.tpiawards.com
TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL
WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER 2014
ISSUE 182
LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • OCTOBER 2014 • ISSUE 182
HYPNOTIC EYE, TRANSFIXING SOUND TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS REVEAL A NEW LIVE SOUNDSCAPE
THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART....
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: K-ARRAY KH8 • BAD UNCLES • EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL • CREAMFIELDS LEROY BENNETT • V FESTIVAL • ROCK EN SEINE • ROBE TURNS 20 • RIGGING AND TRUSSING MARKET FOCUS
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PUBLISTING Total Production International, April 2014 Creative: 1100-LFC Unit:
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VOTE NOW! Visit tpiAwards.com to view the entries and selecT YOUR WInNERS FOR the 2015 TPi Awards VOTING CLOSES ON 31 OCTOBER 2014
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A FOND FAREWELL AND NEW HORIZONS It’s never easy talking about the big C, and what a most uninvited guest it is, but our industry lost a couple of very well respected and admired gentlemen to it recently. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of both Clay Paky’s Founder and entertainment lighting visionary, Pasquale Quadri and talented Sound Designer, Derrick Zieba. In the spirit of their own passionate personas, we at TPi are celebrating the impact their work had on the industry, and how their expertise was able to educate and inspire others. Obituaries can be found on P.8. Cancer charities are also, in part, a topic in this month’s Clocking Off as Music Bank’s Jimmy Mac kindly forced us (and we loved it!) to get involved with the Ice Bucket Challenge. You can even buy his 100% charity donation tee-shirts. Details are on P.88. If you pro-actively get involved with a charity then please let us know, after all, funsraising is more fun with other people, and good people are what this industry is built on. Back in the office, we’re fresh from the PRO Show at Birmingham’s NEC. The new exhibition for our industry - which took place from 13-15 September - was met with anticipation and a nod of approval from both exhibitors and visitors alike. As with any new venture, there’s a lot to be learned and a new atmosphere to soak up, but we’re delighted that so many familiar faces turned up in curious support. PRO now has the potential to become the UK’s major entertainment technology tradeshow. We would, of course, appreciate your feedback too, so please feel free to email the team. I’d also like to extend our thanks to the kind folks who came to party with us on the Sunday night. Our feet ached, our livers cried and our best game faces still hit the show floor on Monday. I’m pictured here with our new recruit, Charlotte and a much-needed sugar fix thanks to ADJ. Back to the present, and our October issue is “Our heartfelt thoughts are heaving. Our cover story details the audio set up with the families, friends and on Tom Petty’s Hypnotic Eye tour which recently colleagues of both Clay Paky’s finished in North America. FOH Engineer Robert Scovill has taken EAW’s new Anya system out on Founder and entertainment the road for its first tour, so to find out what this lighting visionary, Pasquale crew thought, turn to P.12. Quadri and talented Sound This edition also features coverage from Designer, Derrick Zieba....” several festivals such as Rock en Seine in Paris, France; and in the UK, V Festival in Chelmsford and Stafford, Creamfields in Daresbury, and the Edinburgh Fringe. We’re also happy to present you with this month’s Company Profile on Robe - just in time for its 20th anniversary. Patrick interviewed Josef Valchar about the company’s development and the reception to its latest product, the incendiary BMFL. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve got an exclusive interview with lighting legend, LeRoy Bennett, who spoke to us from Melbourne’s Entech Connect. And we also managed to pin down XL Video Project Manager, Jo Beirne. Well, just about, in between flights to Ibiza’s closing parties. (Oh Jo, if you bump into Hannah, remind her that the Manchester rain is here, waiting). Jo reassures us that when a woman is told she’s “too old” to learn, she’ll probably do it better than the fella dishing out such dire advice in the first place... P.114 awaits your reading pleasure. Kelly Murray Editor
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Editor Kelly Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk Assistant Editor Patrick McCumiskey Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7929 249169 e-mail: p.mccumiskey@mondiale.co.uk International Advertising & Sponsorship Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk Advertising Sales Charlotte Goodlass Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)788 0208 226 e-mail: c.goodlass@mondiale.co.uk Graphic Design & Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Robinson: m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk General Manager Justin Gawne
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Printed by Buxton Press Annual subscriptions (including P&P): £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW). Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions, Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK; Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580; Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456; e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk Issue 182 / October 2014 TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2014 Mondiale Publishing Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Publishing Ltd, nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited United Kingdom. The 2014 US annual subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Publishing Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.
We reflect on audio engineer Derrick Zieba’s life and career.
Tom Petty
Robert Scovill specifies EAW Anya for the Hypnotic Eye arena tour.
Nordoff Robbins
Simon Duff reports on how the music charity is working to transform lives.
Knight of Illumination 2014
...with Elation Professional’s family of Beam Fixtures
Bad Uncles
Absolute Y-Series
d&b audiotechnik is providing flexible and configurable solutions.
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Current RMS
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THE BEAM & MOVE THE CROWD!
It’s a welcome return for the German Rockers.
Edinburgh Fringe
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MASTER
TPi takes a look at this year’s nominees.
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Proving 49,497 performances of 3,193 shows in 299 venues is no easy feat. Setting the standard in the rental software market.
RAYZOR BEAM 2R
PLATINUM BEAM 5R EXTREME
The Italian Way
Litec and AMG at Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica.
ANNE
Q&A with Sound Designer Jeroen Ten Brinke on this new, powerful live performance.
PRODUCTION PROFILE
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Creamfields
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V Festival
Cover Photography Mirza Noormohamed, Wandering Eye Contributors Simon Duff
Derrick Zieba
EVENT FOCUS
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Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh www.tpimagazine.com • www.tpiawards.com
Pasquale ‘Paky’ Quadri
TPi takes a look at the lighting legend that was Clay Paky’s Pasquale ‘Paky’ Quadri.
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The world’s largest EDM festival is back for the summer. TPi takes a look at what the two-site music festival achieved in 2014.
Rock En Seine
Held on the banks of the River Seine,TPi investigates what the French scene has to offer.
INTERVIEW
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LeRoy Bennett
World-renowned Lighting Designer LeRoy Bennett lets TPi into his world.
CLOCKING OFF
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Ice Bucket Challenge
A few familiar faces take up the challenge, all for a good cause.
NEW PLATINUM BX
NEW PLATINUM SBX
PLATINUM BX/SBX
featuring the new MSD Platinum 17 RA Lamp by PHILIPS™
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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K-array’s KH8 is here
The Italian giant launches the next generation of touring line array speakers.
MARKET FOCUS
96
VISIT US!
Rigging & Trussing
All that’s new in the world of truss and rigging.
PSA
106 The PSA gets active. Will you?
MOVERS & SHAKERS
ELATION PROFESSIONAL EUROPE
108 The industry’s latest appointments.
www.elationlighting.eu info@elationlighting.eu
VITAL STATS
+31 45 546 85 66
114 Jo Beirne of XL Video takes the hot seat. 07
OBITUARY: Pasquale Quadri
PASQUALE QUADRI - THE CREATIVE SOUL OF CLAY PAKY - 1947 - 2014 Born in Seriate, Bergamo, a province of Lombardy, Italy, Pasquale ‘Paky’ Quadri was a highly successful entrepreneur and pioneer in the professional lighting industry - rarely seen, but highly respected by peers, lighting designers and competing manufacturers the world over. Lighting Designer Nick Whitehouse, commented: “Paky was one of the major founders of the lighting industry we know today. Throughout my career the products he created have always been at the forefront of technology and forever changed the landscape of the lighting industry, not just once but over and over again. “He inspired me and many other designers with his imagination and dedication to perfection, never failing to provide amazing new fixtures and features that have contributed heavily to many of my designs. Above all Paky was a gentleman both in the way he did business and during the times I have been lucky enough to meet with him.” Truly passionate about technology and the culture of innovation, the story of Paky is closely intertwined with the history of the 08
entertainment business, and is studded with great international success. He understood the great development that the technological evolution of lighting would have in the world of show business and entertainment, a world he already knew well as a youngster when, very musically inclined, he headed several groups, playing the organ, bass and drums. Making the most of his inclination for design in the field of optics and his passion for precision mechanics, Paky lay at the heart of most Clay Paky products. From the very first lighting effects, such as the Astrodisco - an icon of the disco era in the ‘70s and ‘80s, to legendary automated lights Golden Scan (which British new rave band Klaxons even wrote a song about) and Sharpy, and then more recently the B-Eye. Paky was there every step of the way, growing the company from its humble beginnings in 1976, up until very recently, overseeing the transfer of Clay Paky ownership to Osram, with the objective of securing further expansion for the company. SGM Lighting’s CEO Peter Johansen commented: “I always regarded Pasquale as one of the original inventors of modern
OBITUARY: Pasquale Quadri
Opposite: Paky at Clay Paky HQ in Bergamo; Paky in the early ‘90s; Playing the guitar in a band; Paky in the ‘80s. Below: Paky with Lighting Designer, Rick Fisher; Clay Paky’s first exhibition stand.
entertainment lighting - a great engineer and a true gentleman, who deserved all the awards he received in life.” Never giving into the temptation of moving the company to countries with lower costs and taxation, Clay Paky is one of the most brilliant examples of ‘made in Italy’ in the world. The designs made under Paky are the subject of over 80 patents around the world and have won around 50 awards from the most prestigious international associations. Thanks to a strong development in demand and the subsequent growth of the company, in 1982 Clay Paky moved to a new site in Pedrengo, also in the province of Bergamo. Here, it was possible to work on an industrial scale and handle an incessant increase in sales volumes, due to the success of innovative products, characterised by a higher content of technology and a high index of quality and reliability. The factory was expanded a first time in 1986, followed the next year by a new legal status, becoming a limited company, Clay Paky srl. The further expansion of the factory in 1990 increased it to 4,500sq metres on two floors, and the subsequent creation of an additional complex for the largest mechanical work. The company took on its current legal status as a joint stock company, Clay Paky S.p.A., in 1993, when Paky gave rise to the project of a new site in Seriate, based on an industrial complex of a total of 10,000sq metres, which became fully operative in 2002. Toby Velazquez, President, ADJ Group of Companies, commented: “All of us at the ADJ Group were deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Pasquale Quadri and send our sincere condolences to the family. Pasquale was a man of integrity and great talent and he will be missed in our industry. “Although I only met him once, I’ve always respected his company and the creativity he brought to our industry. The very first time I went to Rimini in my early 20’s, seeing Clay Paky
was a true inspiration for me. The creativity coming from the Italian companies was an amazing sight to see and truly gave me a deep love for our industry. Paky was a true icon of our industry.” Eric Loader, Sales Director at Elation Professional, added: “We always enjoyed a friendly relationship with Pasquale and have always had the highest admiration for him and his company. Clay Paky inspired us all to make better lighting products and he built an amazing company as a true pioneer in our industry.” It was thanks to Paky’s intuition in anticipating the market and his ability to create revolutionary products, that over the years Clay Paky conquered exceptional success and the Sharpy is, without question, the most famous moving head in the world of entertainment. Launched in September 2010, observers immediately understood that it was a unique and unrepeatable product. With only 189W, the moving head expresses a level of brightness comparable to that of projectors nine times as powerful. Around the time of its launch, in an interview with mondo*dr (issue 21.3), Paky was quoted as saying: “Everything today is about the beam strength. The beam technology has revolutionised the whole approach to lighting design. Any stage set today is covered by light and LED screens and it is difficult to fight against, projecting gobos is no longer the point, the main issue is to have a solid beam projector and create powerful mid-air effects and laser-type flat scans. Optically, Sharpy, with its extremely short arc burner, is completely different.” On a more personal level, Paky held several positions in professional associations. He was a member of the Board of Directors for Small Industry and the Board of Directors of the Metal and Mechanical Industry of the Industrial Union Bergamo; the Board of Directors of ArtigianFidi Bergamo and he was also Auditor of the Accounts of APIAS (Association of Italian
Manufacturers of Show Equipment). He was also particularly attentive in his support for charity initiatives, for education and the world of associations and was one of the founders of Bergamo Ama, which organises sports events to raise funds for the treatment of seriously ill children, to purchase equipment for the handicapped and to contribute to the activity of charity associations. He gave constant support to the Nazionale Orchestre Italiane football team, which Clay Paky sponsored and which organises football matches throughout Italy, each with a specific charity objective. In 2006 Paky received the title of ‘Commendatore’ from the President of Italy and then in March 2014, received the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the MIPA Awards and was the first representative of the lighting sector to receive this prestigious award. Paky, 67, is survived by his wife Antonella, his daughters Alessandra and Francesca and his granddaughters Melissa and Martina. However, his contribution to the world of entertainment lives on through the countless shows and venues using his inventions as noted by Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar: “Pasquale was an inspiration to a whole generation of people now involved in the world of moving lights and stage and entertainment lighting. His energy, originality and creativity as a businessman in the 1970s, during the very embryonic world of intelligent and moving effects lighting and the success of the company and brand that he helped build and gain worldwide recognition, was something we, as a company, have always admired. “We respected his role in masterminding a competitive brand. Healthy competition keeps driving the market forward and stops everyone from becoming complacent. A very private individual, his contribution to the industry, taking it forward and pioneering new concepts and ideas has been invaluable, it’s helped make the world a richer and more colourful place and his legacy will continue long into the future.” TPi 09
OBITUARY: Derrick Zieba
DERRICK ZIEBA 20Hz-20k Live Production is mourning the loss of Audio Engineer, Derrick Zieba, who died on September 15 after a recurrent illness. The former Head of Sound at the National Theatre, and founding Director of rental house, Dimension Audio, Derrick’s credits as designer and engineer include the Brit Awards, the Classical Brit Awards, the MTV European Music Awards, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Live8, and Nelson Mandela’s 46664 charity concerts. Throughout his career, Derrick managed the difficult feat of being both exceedingly competent and persuasive technically, ensuring no compromise was brooked in the path to perfect sound. He had the ability to charm even the most demanding live performer or producer. These attributes proved invaluable to the many projects he worked on, especially when navigating the more Byzantine technical necessities of producing audio at events for live broadcast throughout the world. His nature and 10
generosity has led to heartfelt tributes from the world of production on a Facebook memorial page. This tribute from fellow engineer, Jimmy Nicholson reflects the feelings expressed by all: “In my seven years with Britannia Row I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege to work with Derrick, and his wise words and positive attitude have been an example to us all. “I can’t recall meeting anyone who couldn’t benefit from some of Derrick’s wisdom, professionally or personally. It’s a well worn cliché, but if only we could all be that good the world would genuinely be a better place. “There is generation after generation of engineers at Brit Row whom Derrick has taken under his wing and offered advice, and most importantly encouragement. He’s taken young engineers working their way up from the warehouse, and showed them that yes, you can run the RF for the UK’s most prestigious music awards show, yes you can run the stage patch for the main stage at Hyde Park, and yes
you can mix monitors for this band in front of thousands, even if you think you might be out of your depth, I think you can do it and I’m here to back you up all the way. “More than this though, we’ve lost a warm and generous friend, for whom even the loss of his father to the same disease a few years ago, a serious car accident and the recovery that took him away from the work he loved, and finally his own 18-month battle with cancer could not dent that relentlessly positive attitude. “It’s with heavy hearts that the ‘Great Gig in the Sky’ has taken our favourite Crew Chief, you’ll be much missed Derrick, RIP.” Derrick is survived by his children Emily, James and Edward and sister, Linda. Donations in Derrick’s memory can be made to The Margaret Central Special Purposes fund (SPF 8497). Cheques should be made payable to Barts Charity and mailed to Margaret Centre, Whipps Cross Hospital. Online donations can be made to www.bartscharity.org.uk/donate TPi
EVENT FOCUS: Tom Petty
HYPNOTIC EYE NORTH AMERICAN RENTAL COMPANY, SOUND IMAGE, JOINED EAW’S EXPANDING GLOBAL NETWORK OF ADAPTIVE PERFORMANCE PARTNERS THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF AN ANYA SYSTEM. AFTER PUTTING THE SYSTEM THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE EVALUATION PROCESS, AWARD WINNING FOH ENGINEER, ROBERT SCOVILL, SPECIFIED ANYA FOR TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS LATEST ARENA TOUR, HYPNOTIC EYE. TPi SPOKE TO THE AUDIO CREW FOR A TOUR EXCLUSIVE. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Hypnotic Eye arena tour - which features special guest, Steve Winwood - began in San Diego in early August. Along the way it maDe stops at the scenic Gorge and Red Rocks amphitheatres, as well as a special night at Boston’s historic Fenway Park. EAW’s Resolution software is set to become an invaluable tool, which will be used to adapt the coverage of the 54 module Anya system to perfectly match the diverse requirements of each venue on the tour. “This is a very big day for EAW,” stated Jeff Rocha, President of EAW when it was announced that EAW had been chosen to represent Petty’s live sound. “The collaboration between this specific artist, engineer and sound company is as good as it gets. Robert’s [Scovill] selection of Anya further reinforces the industry shift away from conventional line arrays in favour of the pioneering technologies of adaptive performance. And the level of excellence that Sound Image consistently 12
delivers will make those technologies available to a very wide range of artists.” Dave Shadoan, President of Sound Image added: “We analyse, watch and develop evolving technology closely and we strive to remain at the technological forefront in the touring industry. When we see a product that has the potential to cut a new path, we will certainly get involved. When Robert came to us with the concept of using Anya for Tom Petty, we knew that it was time to pay attention as we had been monitoring the Anya system as well. “Robert is a very talented engineer and we have had a strong relationship for many years. As we roll this system out for its first major tour, we’re confident that it’s in very capable hands. It will be a great opportunity for Sound Image to show the system to other engineers that are curious about Adaptive Performance technology, allowing them to see how it can be used with their clients moving forward. Jeff Rocha and the EAW team have worked very hard to provide something new and different. It
is an exciting project to say the least.” Production Manager on the tour is Chris Adamson, a veteran in the industry by all accounts, having been on the road for the last 50 years. One of his first gigs was working as an engineer with The Rats - a British Rock band - during the years of ’66 and ‘67. Adamson is warm and most enthusiastic about his day, his passion for tour life - and Petty’s music - clearly seeping out of his husky Northern English voice. Post 67, he went on to work with Fleetwood Mac, touring with them for 40 years, and Pink Floyd during tours for The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon. Adamson said: “My claim is fame is that I’m the voice on the Dark Side of the Moon track… you know the line, ‘I’ve been mad for fucking years’.” Adamson has been working with Petty for the last 15 years and made the move Stateside to Virginia eight years ago, as his work is mainly with US acts these days. He said of Petty and the touring crew: “Great band, great people. I’m actually still the new boy; most of the
EVENT FOCUS: Tom Petty
Opposite: Sound Image has created just that for this tour, thanks to the purchase of the Anya system. Below: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers have been performing for over four decades; The front man himself, Tom Petty.
others have been on tour with Tom for 30 years.” Working alongside Sound Image for this latest tour has been a highlight for Adamson. “I’ve known Dave Shadoan for many years and Sound Image is a great company, it has great crew and personnel, and great service with plenty of back-up and support. It’s an entirely professionally run company.” Prior to the tour, FOH Engineer Scovill was testing out a few systems and in the end he chose EAW’s Anya. “It’s a true line array, I’m very impressed with it. The coverage and the headroom on the system is so efficient,” said Adamson. The kit is also efficient size wise, the entire system fits into just one 45ft truck - instead of the two sound trucks Adamson is used to for Petty tours - and requires less PA crew. It’s flexible too. “We’ve been using the same system for 8,000 - 36,000 people. It shows just how technology is moving on, it’s great and I’m embracing it; it’s going to transform the sound industry.” The main PA for the tour is configured in a L-C-R formation. The left and right clusters are a singular arrays, which replaces the traditional line array methods of flying a main and side hang. If more than one column is used the
array works in 60-degree columns. The left and right hangs each comprise 24 EAW Anya boxes but the amount of boxes per column can change each day depending on the location. The most common array set-up so far has been 12 on the main, six on the middle and six on the side column. The C array cluster is optional and comprises a single column of six EAW Anya boxes. “I haven’t been this excited about a new approach to PA technology in a couple of decades now,” said Scovill. “The approach that EAW has taken with Anya is a leap forward in the quality and the way in which audio can be presented to a large audience. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be an early adopter of Anya.” Scovill first got into the audio industry more than 30 years ago and in that time has built up a sizeable reputation, but where did it all begin? “I was a budding musician, but that all changed when I got a good glimpse at what was going on at the other end of the snake, so to speak,” he said. After leaving high school in 1978, he moved to Kansas City and was lucky enough to get a job at Superior Sound. It was a company that employed some very knowledgeable
people, and so he was able to glean a lot of information from them at a very young age. “At that time there was a very active club scene in the area with a great deal of activity in live sound systems and mixing. In retrospect it was a very rich environment for learning and growth. There was an entire community of live sound engineers that grew out of that era in Kansas City.” Scovill went on to work with Kansas City band, Shooting Star, which headlined many gigs in its own right, as well as opened gigs for major touring acts such as Jefferson Starship and ZZ Top. Through touring with Shooting Star, he built his connections, contacts and reputation and as a result has been working with Petty for 20 years now. As a recognisable industry figure, it came as no surprise that EAW gave Scovill the opportunity to do some evaluation of the Anya system earlier this year at a big sound stage in Hollywood. “I brought in some multi-track material, my console and my FFT analyser and spent a very long day with it. It was apparent from the get-go that Anya is something very special in that it first and foremost sounded incredible, but was also going to be a game-
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EVENT FOCUS: Tom Petty
Below: The monitor rack; The Crown amp rack; The visual design came via LD and Set Designer, Michael Brown.
changer for our industry with regard to audio coverage for a given seating geometry,” he said. Taking a new system on the road was always going to be risky, and Scovill knew that there would be challenges along the way. “I knew I was going to be hanging my tail out over the cliff with it a bit because it hadn’t been tested in the real world as far as day-to-day touring goes. “And we all know the old saying, ‘when you choose to push the envelope, sometimes the envelope pushes back’. We just have to be dedicated and skilled enough to be able to address challenges as they arise,” he continued. Scovill is working through the obstacles with the full support of a hands-on team from Sound Image, which looks after the system on a day-to-day basis and Systems Engineer, Andrew Dowling, who he says is doing a magnificent job. Dowling is one of the newest members of the crew, having only started on the tour in July this year. It is also the first time he has worked with Scovill. “The PA has a redundant Dante scheme as the primary audio input and distribution. Currently Dante allows us to put multiple audio feeds up to the PA and choose which sources to use. Redundant Dante allows us to have a digital fail safe,” said Dowling, who is supported by SL PA Tech, Chris Houston. “The Anya system has 22 drivers all equipped with amplifiers and DSP. It solves the problem of what to do if an amplifier fails while the array is flown. The Anya will adaptively heal by reconfiguring its coverage so the surrounding drivers cover for it. The Anya doesn’t use its DSP to point boxes at areas but rather individual drivers. The EAW Resolution software and the 22 drivers allow us to avoid seams from gain shading. The gain gradient is smooth because it has 22 drivers spread over the seated area. Gone are the days where gain shading between two and three box circuits are audible.” Dowling is impressed with a number of features of the system including the software, which does a consistent job of tuning and aligning the system without 14
multiple measurements. He also likes the fact that the PA will automatically roll off top end that it can’t reproduce. For example the PA can’t throw 16KHz 350ft so it will low-pass all the high drivers that are being thrown that far. He also praises EAW for being extremely responsive when it comes to adding new features to the software. The US manufacturer has also provided thorough backup support for the tour. “EAW has been very keen to send engineers out to evaluate the daily workflows and performance of the technology as we run it through it’s paces and conversely we have been very dedicated in sending them, not only reports on how it’s doing, but actual data in the form of measured FFT magnitude plots mapped against a seating chart mic and positions so that they can evaluate the performance. They’ve reported that we’re actually surpassing the lab predictions in many cases,” continued Scovill. On the tour so far, the system has been providing consistent, high quality audio to the farthest seats in the house, there are no cheap seats any longer with this PA system. “On a personal note, I think it’s fantastic to have a company with the legacy of EAW back in the concert sound game again. This approach to a PA system design is going to make some serious waves - pun absolutely intended,” said Scovill. For FOH mixing Scovill turned to a platform that he is very familiar and very comfortable with, the Avid MediaCentral Platform. “I’ve been involved with the Venue live sound environment project since the very first days of conception, so that is where my heart lies and it is the technology with which I want to work. I’ve been deeply involved in the development of it and I think it sounds fantastic along with offering one of the easiest and more intuitive workflows for digital consoles that is available today.” The Venue line of consoles have the ability to use plug-in processing and are able to incorporate digital recording. Another huge advantage of the Avid system, according to Scovill is the virtual sound check tool. Since it’s inception - in the Avid D-Show system - in 2005, it has
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EVENT FOCUS: Tom Petty
Below: Systems Engineer Andrew Dowling, SL PA Tech, Chris Houston and Crew Chief Marcus Douglas; Greg Looper on monitors.
revolutionised the way the band set up. Since that first week of touring with the D-Show in 2005, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers haven’t had to perform a traditional sound check as the tool takes away the need for it, which in turn provides longevity and energy for a band of this stature on the road. “Above and beyond that, virtual sound check is the tool for preparing your PA system for the venue you are about to attack along with evaluating what you are doing at the mix level of the console. Because we are always using the previous nights material, it’s dynamically accurate and the most relevant source we could possibly use short of the real band to set up the tonality of the PA system or monitors and evaluate their performance,” said Scovill. “And if that was not enough, add to that the fact that, for the Petty camp the virtual sound check workflow actually morphed into the method with which they record their records now and you can see why it is so powerful and why we think so highly of it in the context of the Avid MediaCentral Platform.” Scovill and the team also deployed an extensive Madi distribution system on this tour. He took a pair of Venue stage racks - that capture all mic level signals from the stage - and connected them to a standalone Venue FOH rack outfitted with Madi cards, where the mic
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level signals are pre-amped, converted to Madi and then sent to an RME Madi router. Once there they create multiple output streams to the different console locations. A total of 128 channels of fibre go to the FOH position where it meets up with another RME Madi router, and signals are then distributed to the local Venue FOH rack and two 128-track Pro Tools systems. A further set of 128 Madi channels are distributed to another RME Madi router located at the monitor position, these are distributed to the Venue FOH rack and Pro Tools system used for monitors. A third set of both fibre and BNC outputs are generated from the stage RME Madi router to accommodate television and broadcast truck interfaces. “The streams that are delivered to the truck offer all inputs, FOH group stems, two track wet and dry mixes and all ambience allowing them to use any combination to quickly assemble mixes for the task at hand. Anyone on the network can take remote control of the main entry point pre-amp in order to make adjustments that will affect all streams, but the Venue consoles offer another +/- 20dB of fully independent gain adjustment for mix levels,” explained Scovill. “All main pre-amp settings use a Venue feature called ‘gain guess’ to facilitate making gain setting repeatable in the
event that input source levels would change. This also provides identical recording levels for all attached Pro Tools machines including any in production trucks and ensures that all tracks are completely interchangeable, securing complete redundancy in post.” In monitor world, Engineer Greg Looper (who works closely with Monitor Tech Chuck Smith) is in charge and has been working alongside Petty and Scovill since 2005, although he came across the band under different circumstances many years before. Aged nine, Looper bought his first record, Damn the Torpedoes, but little did he know he’d be working for that very artist all those years later. Monitors are taken care of by an Avid Venue D-Show, Looper described his admiration for the console: “The interface into Pro Tools is so seamless. We track everything. Every time they pick up a guitar we are recording. Robert and I did Tom’s first tour on Venue together. During my time supporting Robert I had a great opportunity to learn the console in depth. There’s no better way to learn something new than from one of the main guys who helped design it. I still learn new tricks and tips from Robert and other users, even now.” Looper gets more than enough time to practice with the desk, as the same system has been installed in the rehearsal studio. Two
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EVENT FOCUS: Tom Petty
Below: James Towler, Steve Winwood’s FOH Engineer; Bernie Broderick from EAW checking in on the system; Avid desks were chosen for FOH.
studio albums and countless live releases that have been recorded through the Venue system in the studio. “When you come and see Tom and The Heartbreakers live you are seeing them in the studio. We record in the studio in exactly the same way as the band plays live. Same set up, same gear. There just isn’t 10,000 plus people in the room, maybe 10, including the band,” continued Looper. Electrotec PD-12 wedges are the stage monitors of choice. Looper controls a wedge mix for every band member, as well as three IEMs for Petty, Scott Thurston and Benmont Tench. “Scott and Benmont’s IEM mixes are just for vocals and a few other instruments. Not a full mix, as most of the mix is built in the wedge. Benmont and Scott only use the IEMs when needed, most of the time they rely on the wedge mix,” explained Looper. “For Tom, the wedge has just vocals and his acoustic guitars, but his IEMs have the rest band in the
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mix too, it’s vocal heavy with a full band mix behind. Tom’s wedge mix balances out his IEMs so he is centred when he sings. And he still has a full mix in his ear when he steps away from centre stage.” The tour inventory features an eight mix Shure 900 IEM system and in total Looper is in charge of coordinating 10 wedge mixes and seven IEM mixes, which cover the band, his cue and a possible guest. Looking after all the touring crew is Crew Chief, Marcus Douglas, he has a number of connections to this tour. Not only has he been an employee for Sound Image for many years, he also has family history with many crew members. “My day-to-day routine involves making sure all our audio crew have what they need at load in and throughout the day. I also fly the SR side of the PA and help make sure that we have the system 100% working for when Robert is ready to start doing his time aligning and tuning. Throughout
EVENT FOCUS: Tom Petty
Below: EAW’s Anya in all its flown glory.
the day I help the guys on stage and FOH if they need anything,” he said. So far the run has been great. The biggest challenge was in the beginning, when none of the crew had even seen the system before. The team soon realised it was different and it needed to be treated as such. Douglas continued: “It was a fun challenge, but now we feel very confident. We have been blown away at how good it sounds and the consistency of the coverage night after night in each of the different venues. It’s an honour to work with a legend like Tom and the great crew who have represented him for many years.” He concluded: “The reaction to the Anya PA has been nothing but positive news. Robert gets it sounding amazing every night and that helps. The comment I have heard the most from people is how great the consistency is throughout the venue. People also can’t believe we don’t have any subs with the system. We don’t require
them for our show as the system’s low-end response is great for what we need. I think as word gets out and engineers start coming out to listen to this rig we will be seeing more and more Anya on many engineer spec sheets.” By the time TPi went to print, the tour was deemed a success, and Petty’s audio crew certainly thought EAW’s new product had done this respected artist justice on the road. Scovill’s seamless audio design was in turn complemented by Hypnotic Eye’s stunning visual entity, created by Lighting and Set Designer, Michael Brown. TPi
Photos: Mirza Noormohamed (Wandering Eye) & Jesse Adamson www.tompetty.com www.sound-image.com www.eaw.com www.avid.com www.shure.com www.rme-audio.de
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EVENT FOCUS: Nordoff Robbins
MUSIC TRANSFORMING LIVES NORDOFF ROBBINS IS A NATIONAL MUSIC CHARITY DEDICATED TO TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ACROSS THE UK. WITH EXTENSIVE SUPPORT FROM LEADING INDUSTRY COMPANIES SUCH AS BRITANNIA ROW, JOHN HENRY’S, XL VIDEO AND THE AGENCY GROUP, THE CHARITY IS MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE TO THOSE SUFFERING FROM A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS INCLUDING AUTISM, DEMENTIA, MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND STROKE INJURIES, AS SIMON DUFF FOUND OUT. Eduardo was 10-years old when he first came to Nordoff Robbins for music therapy. He has Autistic Spectrum Disorder. From an early age he had difficulties playing and communicating with other children. He had problems with physical mobility and coordination. By the age of five he had no friends and was behind at school. After 18-months of frustrating and distressing assessment and tests, he was diagnosed with autism.
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“This was the beginning of a new phase in our lives,” said Eduardo’s mother. In music therapy Eduardo initially found it hard to express himself freely. Gradually he began to let go. He began to discover that it was good, safe and exciting to express and share his feelings in music. His mother continued: “Eduardo’s development and progress through music therapy has been astonishing. For him, the world is a frightening, chaotic and confusing place, but he absolutely loves music therapy.
Through singing and playing instruments he has found ways to express himself freely and communicate. He has let go of some of his defences and the trusting bond he has developed with his therapist has helped him become much more emotionally stable. His behaviour has improved and he is more able to connect and communicate with others.” Dementia has become a major focus of work for Nordoff Robbins music therapists. The number of people living with dementia,
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EVENT FOCUS: Nordoff Robbins
Previous page: The Loveable Rogues performed at the 2013 event. Below: Nordoff Robbins’ music therapy helps children with communication difficulties; Boxing promoter, Frank Warren and Chairman of the Nordoff Robbins Fundraising Committee, Neil Warnock; Neil Warnock with former boxer, John Conte.
currently estimated at 820,000 in the UK, is forecast to rise rapidly in the coming years. Demand for Nordoff Robbins’ work in dementia care homes across the UK is increasing. The benefits of music therapy in dementia care are widespread. It can motivate people with dementia to participate in a meaningful activity; it can elicit focused and meaningful communication and interaction and thereby reduce frustration and disorientation. Nordoff Robbins music therapists are skilled musicians, highly trained to use music to help people in all kinds of places. The therapists work in the Nordoff Robbins music therapy centres which are located in North London and Croydon, in schools, community centres, hospitals and care homes. They also train music therapists through the Masters Degree Programme. For 2014, once again Nordoff Robbins has teamed up with Frank Warren and BoxNation to host an evening of first class boxing on Monday 24 November. This year the event is moving to the prestigious London Hilton on Park Lane. The night includes music entertainment from classical singer, Rhydian Roberts, a three course dinner, plus championship boxing that will feature undercard matches and a highly anticipated Title Fight. As with all Nordoff Robbins boxing dinners, guests will be in the good company of boxing champions past and
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present as well as the recipient of the Nordoff Robbins Boxing Icon Award. At the 2013 event, guests enjoyed Title Fight boxing featuring John Murray (former British / European Champion), Simon Valily (Commonwealth Games and ABA Champion), Joe Selkirk and Bradley Saunders, and a performance from the Loveable Rogues, all hosted by Strictly Come Dancing star, Anton du Beke. In 2013, it raised £40,000 for Nordoff Robbins. Money is also raised on the night for The London Ex-Boxers Association. A significant amount of Nordoff Robbins’ annual £3m income is generated from events and the charity receives support from figures right across the music industry. The boxing event is organised by a committee of senior people from organisations including The Agency Group, Brittania Row and XL Video. XL Video offers its support by providing audio-visual equipment for events such as the Boxing Dinner. Lee Spencer, Managing Director at XL Video sees a real synergy between their services and what Nordoff Robbins does, and this is what sparked and has maintained their continued involvement with the charity: “We choose to support Nordoff Robbins music therapy to enable others to grow and thrive through the power of music. I’ve been lucky enough to attend not only some of their events, but also to visit the Nordoff Robbins HQ in London to see the work first
hand. It really brings home how powerful music therapy is. Music is such a fundamental part of what we do and we all recognise how big an impact it has on peoples’ lives, there’s a direct connection between that and giving therapy through music, so supporting Nordoff Robbins was an easy choice for us. Personally, I think it is important to support charities that you have a connection with. In our case, we’re involved in the production of live events and particularly music, so working with Nordoff Robbins feeds back into that. The boxing dinner for one, is so important because it enables the charity to extend outside of the world of music, to engage with sports people and their connections, exposing the charity’s work to a much wider audience. XL has been a sponsor of this event and gets involved wherever possible.” Bryan Grant at Britannia Row, said of Nordoff Robbins. “The extraordinary work they are doing helps their clients communicate and develop, in what must be an incredibly confused world. From just one visit to the music therapy centre it is clear that the music therapists are not doing this for glory or money, but are doing it to make a difference to these people’s lives. They are such kind, caring individuals, doing great work. Nordoff Robbins rely on the support of others to keep their great work going, that’s why it is so important for companies like ours to help them.” Similarly, John Henry, of specialist
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It boasts a unique ‘high agility’ control surface, accessed via 24” hi-definition touch screens with a further 6” touch screen accessing the system control and automation. The CDC eight is available in two formats: dual screen with 32 faders or single screen with 16 faders. CDC eight’s signature sound is a result of Cadac’s legendary mic pre circuitry combined with a proprietary DSP platform featuring a time-aligned, phase-coherent mix bus architecture. With a far less menu dependent operating system than other digital consoles, the CDC eight offers an unparalleled user experience with exceptional audio quality. Cadac Holdings Ltd. One New Street, Luton. Bedfordshire. LU1 5DX. England. Tel: +44 1582 404 202 www.cadac-sound.com
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EVENT FOCUS: Nordoff Robbins
Below: The Nordoff Robbins Boxing Dinner takes place on November 24 at the London Hilton (Park Lane); Pharrell Williams and U2’s Bono attended the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards in July 2014.
entertainment suppliers John Henry’s also saw a connection between his business services and Nordoff Robbins. He said: “I was asked to help out by committee members Robbie Wilson and Neil Warnock on the production side of the very first boxing event, and have been totally involved ever since; we all need to help out as much as we can to support anyone that is in need and music therapy is a great way to help. Events like the boxing dinner brings awareness to everyone that attends, and spreads the word.” For events such as the boxing dinner, John Henry’s has supplied production and stage management, audio and lighting, technicians and crew, as well as helping to source auction and raffle prizes such as signed guitars and boxing gloves from some of its esteemed clients. Neil Warnock, Founder and Worldwide President of The Agency Group has been a supporter of Nordoff Robbins for over 40 years. He became
the Fundraising Chairman in September 2013. He said: “I have supported Nordoff Robbins for nearly 40 years, and in September of last year I had the honour of becoming their Fundraising Chairman which I am delighted about. I feel that as a music industry, we owe it to Nordoff Robbins and the thousands of people it has helped with music therapy to continue supporting the incredible work and to help them use music to give something back.” He concluded: “For the people Nordoff Robbins work with, music is their lifeline, and their medicine, and as a music industry it is up to us to support their work.” Tickets for the Frank Warren BoxNation on November 24 at London Hilton Park Lane can be purchased through Rachel Hayes: rachel.hayes@nordoff-robbins.org.uk TPi Photos: Paul Meyler, Dean Fardell, John Marshall www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk @nordoffrobbins1
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EVENT FOCUS: KOI 2014
KOI 2014 IS ON TRACK FOR A SPARKLING CELEBRATION OF LIGHTING AND VIDEO DESIGN THE 7TH KNIGHT OF ILLUMINATION AWARDS HAS ONCE MORE SEEN RECORD SUBMISSIONS FOR THE TITLE OF OUTSTANDING LIGHTING AND VIDEO DESIGN IN THE SECTORS OF TV, THEATRE AND CONCERT TOURING AND EVENTS. COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT INDUSTRY SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR THE EVENT IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH, IT’S CLEAR THAT THE KOI 2014 WILL BE THE MOST COVETED INVITE OF THE AUTUMN SEASON. The KOI Awards, organised by Clay Paky alongside the Society of Television Lighting Designers (STLD), the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) and Ambersphere Solutions, will be held following the first day of the PLASA Show on the evening of Sunday 5 October at London’s fabulous Art Deco Troxy Theatre. Submissions for each sector are now closed and the shortlist of nominations for each of the sector categories have been agreed by the judging panels as follows: THEATRE NOMINATIONS DANCE Natasha Katz - The Winter’s Tale, Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House Paul Keogan - No Man’s Land, English National Ballet at The Barbican Ed Yetton - The Little Match Girl, Arthur Pita at DanceEast, Ipswich MUSICALS Jon Clark - American Psycho, The Almeida Paule Constable - The Light Princess, Lyttelton, National Theatre Adam Silverman - Urinetown, St. James Theatre 26
OPERA Joachim Klein - Bluebeard’s Castle, Oper Frankfurt at Edinburgh Festival Theatre Ian Scott - Owen Wingrave, Snape Maltings Mimi Jordan Sherin - Rodelinda, English National Opera at the Coliseum PLAYS Lucy Carter - Emil and the Detectives, Olivier, National Theatre Tim Lutkin - The Crucible, The Old Vic Andy Purves - The Believers, The Drum at Theatre Royal Plymouth and touring
DRAMA David Higgs - The Escape Artist Martin Kempton - Not Going Out Chris Ramage - Emmerdale The Flood EVENTS Ben Cracknell - The Olivier Awards Nigel Catmur - Children In Need Rock Al Gurdon - Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony SMALL STUDIO Dave Evans - The One Show New Studio Hugh French - Channel 4 News Lee Allen -Blue Peter
VIDEO David Haneke - The Fall of the House of Usher, Welsh National Opera Tim Reid - 1984, Nottingham Playhouse and touring Ethan Wang - Rice, Cloud Gate Theatre Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Sadler’s Wells
GRAPHICS Sam Murphy/Dave Gibson - BT Sport Ruben Garcia - Children In Need Rock Luke Halls - Don Giovanni
TV NOMINATIONS ENTERTAINMENT Oli Richards - Jonathan Ross Tom Sutherland - Britain’s Got Talent Auditions Chris Rigby - Alan Carr Chatty Man
CONCERT TOURING NOMINATIONS ARENA Andy Hurst - Prodigy Cate Carter - Elbow Chris Bushell - Arcade Fire
EVENT FOCUS: KOI 2014
Opposite: Last year’s event took place at London’s ExCeL. Below: This year’s event will take place at The Troxy; Clay Paky organise the awards; Pio Nahum, Chief Commercial Officer for Clay Paky; The Concert Toruing & Events Award was highly anticipated last year; The event room just before opening.
STAGE Jonathan ‘Leggy’ Armstrong - Basement Jaxx Rob Sinclair - Goldfrapp Will Potts - Disclosure EVENTS Jonny Milmer - Jaguar Luc Peumans - Peter Pan Matt Button - Castrol VIDEO GRAPHIC DISPLAY Cate Carter, Paul ‘Pablo’ Beckett, and Blue Leach Elbow Chris ‘Squib’ Swain, Anna Ginsberg and Adam Young - Bombay Bicycle Club Gabriel Coutu-Dumont - Justin Timberlake John Kricfalusi - Miley Cyrus In addition, the lighting indsutry’s support for the Knight of Illumination event has flourished with 2014 seeing the welcome addition of table sponsors from every part of the industry including A.C. Entertainment Technologies, Avolites, Chauvet Professional, Creative Technology, d3 Technologies, ETC, Fix8 Group, Gallowglass, Gearsource, Green Hippo, HSL, Martin Professional, Philips Entertainment, Pharos, PLASA, PRG, Rosco, Stage Electrics,
TMB, TSL and Wireless Solution alongside the main sponsors - Hawthorn, MA Lighting, Osram, Robert Juliat and XL Video. This increased level of sponsorship is further testament, if it were necessary, to the popularity and independence of the Knight of Illumination Awards: “Every year for seven years we have looked forward to welcoming lighting professionals from all sectors of the entertainment lighting world to join
will be presented to an individual whom the KOI committee feels has made an outstanding impact on the industry. Previous winners include Lighting Designer Richard Pilbrow in 2011, Bryan Leitch in 2012 and Ian Dow in 2013. The category is named in recognition of former Clay Paky Commercial Director, Enrico Caironi (1947 - 2011), whose inspiration and enthusiasm created and subsequently shaped the Knight of Illumination Awards.
“This increased level of sponsorship is further testament, if it were necessary, to the popularity and independence of the Knight of Illumination Awards” us in recognising the outstanding creative achievements of lighting, and now video, designers on productions in the UK,” said Pio Nahum, Chief Commercial Officer for Clay Paky. “With such an extraordinarily high standard of submissions we’re expecting to showcase the highest level of talent this year.” As is tradition, in addition to the TV, Theatre and Concert Touring and Events Awards the Enrico Caironi Award for Lifetime Recognition
Attendance at the ceremony is by invite only. The Knight of Illumination is proudly supported by The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT); ET Now, Total Production International, Lighting and Sound America, Lighting and Sound International, PLASA and The Theatres Trust. TPi www.knight-of-illumination.com 27
EVENT FOCUS: Bad Uncles
BAD UNCLES REUNITE AT HOCKENHEIMRING FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST LIVE CONCERTS IN THE WORLD GRITTY, NOSTALGIC AND EVOCATIVE ARE JUST SOME OF THE WORDS USED TO DESCRIBE ONE OF THE LARGEST LIVE CONCERTS STAGED THIS CENTURY, TPi CHECKED OUT WHAT MADE THE BAD UNCLES ROCK IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY OF GERMANY. This summer saw one of the world’s most prestigious Formula One racing courses, the Hockenheimring, play host to an event unlike any other it had seen before. Spanning two nights, 200,000 fans gathered to witness German rock group Böhse Onkelz (or Bad Uncles) command the largest stage ever built in Europe for their first live set in nine years. Crowds were whipped into a frenzy by a colossal melting pot of lighting and video that included 1,500 lghting fixtures and hundreds of square metres of LED screens, making this one of the biggest reunions of recent years. LIGHTING AND SET DESIGN At the helm, when it came to the show’s vast architectural lighting concept, was wellrespected German Show and Lighting Designer Jerry Appelt. “Nine years ago the Uncles performed two other huge sold out concerts at the Euro Speedway Lausitz, with a typical 28
open air set up,” Appelt explained. “For this new show they wanted a completely different look and feel and we gave it to them.” That different look turned out to be Appelt’s dramatic vision of the Frankfurt city skyline replete with high rise towers. The set is sculpted from four vast towers positioned downstage, upstage and in the side wings. Supplied and built by Stageco it is further embellished by a catwalk and B-stage, which acted as a jetty into the vast sea of fans. “The sheer size of the venue made it important to bring the band closer to the audience. It also helped add to the 3D experience of the set. It was totally new for the band as they had never played on a B-stage before, but they used it to perform the acoustic portion of the show and it worked really well.” Lighting and video equipment was supplied by PRG. The floor package on the B-stage mainly comprised GLP Impression 90s, X4s
EVENT FOCUS: Bad Uncles
Opposite: 200,000 fans gathered to witness Bad Uncles’ first live set in nine years; An MA Lighting grandMA console was at FOH. Below: Lighting Designer, Jerry Appelt created the set featuring the Frankfurt city skyline replete with high rise towers; Lighting and video equipment was supplied by PRG.
and X4 XLs, which lit the edge of the catwalk alongside Clay Paky A.leda B-Eye K20 fixtures. “The floor of the B-stage was covered by B-Eyes,” said Appelt. “It was my first time using them for an outdoor event and I was really impressed. I used some of the B-Eye effects as eye candy, but I’m also really impressed that, effects aside, it works so well as a basic lighting tool.” More Clay Paky fixtures made up the floor package on the main stage, with Appelt
deploying the “really great output” of 80 Sharpys for set lighting, integrating them with the visual content. Working in combination with these were PRG’s Best Boys, which were rigged on the front edge of the towers. Ninety-eight PRG Bad Boys, of which Appelt is a big fan, also featured: “PRG Bad Boys are great workhorses, they’re really powerful and I like their colour temperature because it’s not too cold. They’re great for outdoor events.”
As the show was such a momentous occasion in German music history, the entire three hour set was filmed for DVD and BluRay, directed by Michi Mayer. Appelt used 216 powerful Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash luminaires to illuminate the audience for the allimportant crowd reaction footage. The show was programmed and run from a MA Lighting grandMA console. Appelt worked alongside Lighting Director and Programmer Marc Brunkhardt, Searchlight Operator
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EVENT FOCUS: Bad Uncles
Below: 302sq metres of PRG 18mm Pixelpitch LED screens and 282sq metres of PRG 30mm Pixelpitch LED screens provided the visual backdrop; The concert’s production team; The gig took place at the prestigious Formula One racing course, the Hockenheimring.
Sebastian Huwig and Audience Light Operator Sascha Matthes: “The grandMA was my choice, but really it’s the unanimous choice of our team,” said Appelt. “We work exclusively on it, as it’s so important in terms of networking.” During the eight-day pre-programming and rehearsal stages, Appelt was also able to use the grandMA desk, alongside the Avolites Media Ai S8 Media server, to give the band a very-real idea of what the impending show would look like: “We created a 3D set-up of the lighting fixtures on the grandMA and a 3D set up of the LED video screens on the Ai S8 media server, and combined both into a common picture so the band could see the full show, video and lighting, in a virtual environment. That was definitely a big advantage prior to the whole set up.” VISUALS Working alongside Appelt was Roland Greil, of maverick design consultants Einstein and Sons and the show’s Ai media server supplier and operator. Alongside his colleague Thomas Döhring, Greil agrees that the pre-visualisation was a huge benefit in the process: “It was fantastic being able to have all the LED surfaces and screens in the right position in the virtual 30
world, so the band could see what it would look like in reality.” For Appelt and Greil it was also important to create a cohesive look for each element of the show and so it was crucial to seeing the bigger picture. “This is the reason we controlled the Ai media servers with the grandMA console,” said Greil. “Video cues can be linked to the lighting cues and vice versa. Jerry also had a fader wing at his position so he could instantly have some influence on the feeds to the LED walls.” When the day of the show came, three of Avolites Media’s S8 HD Media servers were ready for action. Arran Rothwell-Eyre from Avolites worked with Greil during the first week of pre-production and for six days on site for pre-show set up. Greil commented that everything went off without a hitch: “The Ai worked fluidly, it’s a fantastic tool.” As the band swaggered on stage to the excited roar of the audience, the Ai media servers brought the LED video screens to life with content designed by Markus HollmanLoges from edgy German design studio Blitzen. Since the early days, the Blitzen team have been designing the band’s graphics and album artwork and so, unsurprisingly, delivered nostalgic and evocative visuals that reflected the
band perfectly. These were also tinged with the gritty, moody feel of the graphic novel ‘Sin City’, in keeping with the remarkable skyline set and Appelt’s vision. “Ai media server number one was the main workhorse and had two active outputs,” explained Greil. “The first was the feed for the four big downstage towers, whose screens displayed the live feed as well as the graphics. The second was for all the other LED towers, including the upstage towers and towers on either side of the stage.” The video on the four main downstage towers comprised 302sq metres of PRG 18mm Pixelpitch LED screens, whilst the upstage and sidewing towers were made up of 282 sq metres of PRG 30mm Pixelpitch LED screens. The second Ai media server functioned as an IMAG feed, allowing Volker Scherz to choose which footage to display on the seven hi-res LED IMAG screens; whether it be the footage passed on by the feed or live video from the multiple camera-operators lined up, front-of-stage. Between the two primary servers, they “handled quite a number of layers of content in total: on three outputs we had six layers of graphic content”, said Greil. As a lot of the show’s visuals relied heavily on
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EVENT FOCUS: Bad Uncles
Below: The Avolites Media Ai Media Servers at FOH.
live camera feeds, the Ai media servers’ latency needed to be up to scratch. “I think we had about 1.5-2 frames latency with the Ai servers, which was excellent,” he said. On top of everything else, the second server also pixel mapped the show’s 323 SGM LED baton lighting fixtures, routing all six packs from the lighting system into the content to generate one big look over everything. Greil and Döhring also used the servers to alienate the live feeds from 26 cameras and add texture or other colours to get creative views of the camera feeds. “It was great to have this node-based system, because Thomas was able to develop his own effects. On top of the Ai Media servers’ incredible power and ability to handle a show of this size with no malfunctions whatsoever, the versatility in customisation they offered was fantastic.” So, after such a colossal reunion show, what’s next for the Bad Uncles? “Now we start planning for next year - the band wants to come back with something spectacular,” said Appelt, as if the Hockenheimring was just a warm-up. If that’s the case, we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. TPi www.onkelz.de www.einsteinandsons.com www.stageco.com www.prg.com, www.claypaky.it www.malighting.com www.avolites.com http://sgmlight.com www.vari-lite.com
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www.dbaudio.com
From.
Spanning from performing arts to conferences, religious events and live shows, a Series which can do everything because it’s a complete and coherent package: embracing loudspeakers, subwoofers, mounting and rigging accessories, amplifiers, cases, carts and racks. From. To. In the very best sense: the d&b Y-Series.
To.
EVENT FOCUS: d&b audiotechnik
NOT JUST ANY OLD WORKHORSE: THE ABSOLUTE Y-SERIES FROM D&B THE NEW Y-SERIES FROM D&B AUDIOTECHNIK PROVIDES FLEXIBLE AND CONFIGURABLE SOLUTIONS FOR ANY SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED SOUND REINFORCEMENT REQUIREMENT, WHATEVER THE APPLICATION STYLE. While the Y7P and Y10P loudspeakers cover point source duties, the B6-SUB provides extended frequency response, and two line source loudspeakers and a matched cardioid subwoofer, the Y8, Y12 and Y-SUB tackle line array tasks. Echoing the d&b audiotechnik V-Series and utilising patented three point rigging, the Y-Series is all new, yet strangely familiar. The Y7P and Y10P loudspeakers share the same dipolar eight-inch driver arrangement centred on a 1.4-inch compression driver fitted to a rotatable CD horn, facilitating deployment horizontally or vertically. With dispersion characteristics of 75° by 40° and 110° by 40° (h x v) respectively, the Y7P and Y10P offer a multitude of deployment options, individually as a full range system or in combination with 34
other elements from the Y-Series, either ground stacked or flown. An advanced port design delivers extended LF performance down to 59 Hz. The B6-SUB complements the Y7P and Y10P, with a single 18-inch driver built into a bass-reflex design, extending the frequency response down to 37Hz. The Y8 and Y12 loudspeakers are compact, configurable and easily recognisable as the latest members of the d&b audiotechnik line array family. Utilising the same rigging design as their bigger brothers from the J-Series and V-Series, the Y8 and Y12 also share the same 80° and 120° horizontal dispersion characteristics. The Y8 and Y12 can be suspended in columns of up to 24 loudspeakers with splay angles from 0º to 14º with a 1º resolution. The Y-SUB houses a
forward facing 18-inch driver and a 12-inch driver radiating towards the rear, producing a cardioid dispersion pattern. Driven by a single amplifier channel, the compact Y-SUB can be groundstacked or flown at the top of a Y8 / Y12 array. Both the point source and line source loudspeakers feature two 8-inch drivers with neodymium magnets mounted in a dipolar arrangement around a 1.4-inch compression driver. This driver configuration enables the Y8 and Y12 to offer a horizontal dispersion pattern controlled down to 500Hz. An extensive range of transport solutions and loudspeaker accessories facilitates ease of setup and mobility. Whilst the Y loudspeakers are designed to provide flexible, mobile solutions, on the other hand the Yi installation specific versions
EVENT FOCUS: d&b audiotechnik
Opposite: The Y-Series in all its glory. Below: Product Manager, Werner ‘Vier’ Bayer.
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are designed for permanent applications, differing only in cabinet construction and mounting hardware. Special colour and weather resistant options provide further visual integration and positioning possibilities. The Y-Series assimilates into the d&b audiotechnik workflow comprising the ArrayCalc simulation software, the R1 Remote control software and d&b audiotechnik amplifiers; a process ensuring consistent and efficient results whenever and wherever required. A multitude of line and point source loudspeakers can be combined within ArrayCalc, providing a graphical representation detailing the coverage, level drop and safety aspects of a system setup in a given space. The R1 export function transfers all configurations and settings from this simulation into an R1 Remote control project
file, taking into account any system specific functions. The R1 workplace presents an intuitive format for operating systems via the d&b audiotechnik Remote network, either through CANBus to access the D6 and D12 amplifiers, as well as the D80, which can also be controlled through Ethernet using OCA protocols. “Since the Y-Series combines both line and point source technologies, the application possibilities are endless, ranging from performing arts to conferences, religious events and live shows,” said Product Manager Werner ‘Vier’ Bayer. “This has been an exciting and illuminating project; we see this series becoming the workhorse of our industry, on every end of the spectrum. From point source to line source, Y-not?” TPi www.dbaudio.com
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11.09.2014 15:37:47
EVENT FOCUS: Edinburgh Fringe
EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL THE EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE ANNUALLY EVERY AUGUST FOR THREE WEEKS IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND. IN 2014 THERE WERE 49,497 PERFORMANCES OF 3,193 SHOWS IN 299 VENUES, ATTRACTING MORE SPECTATORS THAN EVER SINCE ITS INCEPTION 67 YEARS AGO. INCLUDED IN THE SPECTRUM OF PERFORMANCES ARE THEATRE, COMEDY, DANCE, CABARET, CHILDREN’S SHOWS, MUSICALS, LIVE MUSIC, SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITIONS. TPi WENT TO THE FRINGE AND SAMPLED A MERE FRACTION OF THE ACTION ON OFFER BACKSTAGE. The Fringe has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1947, when eight theatre groups broke off from the newly established Edinburgh International Festival - an initiative created to celebrate and enrich European cultural life in the immediate years after the Second World War. These groups on the ‘Fringe of the Festival’ set an example that others have built upon since. Due to the sheer mass of venues and performances on offer at the Fringe, it simply isn’t possible to cover everything from a production perspective. Alas, we managed to see a selection of production offerings from several key companies involved with the 2014 Fringe. EAT TO THE BEAT Eat to the Beat was in Edinburgh for the month of August providing the BBC’s coverage team with meals to keep them fed over the duration of the festival. 36
With a three-man team on a kitchen truck, lunch and dinner were served to a total of over 1,700 covers. Olivia Morris, Eat to The Beat representative, commented: “In such a beautiful city, it was worlds away from the usual settings of arenas and grassy fields - the crew had a great time!” Lunch and dinner served every day included freshly made soup, a choice of three hot meals served with salads and dessert. “It’s the first year that Eat To The Beat has worked on the Fringe festival and hopefully it’s the start of an on-going relationship. I received a phone call from the BBC and it went from there - we are delighted to have been asked!” ETC ETC’s recently introduced Nomad Puck - a tiny self contained computer which takes the place of either an Eos family or Cobalt family lighting desks - made a name for itself at the Pleasance Theatre at this years’ Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The Pleasance originally used a SmartFade ETC’s simplest and smallest console - in one of their spaces. But when Calder Sibbald at ETC’s Edinburgh-based dealer Black Light, offered a Nomad Puck for use instead, they were keen to give it a try, especially given the extra power it would bring. Over at the Forth Children’s Theatre, lighting designer Grant Anderson, who had programmed the lighting for two Edinburgh shows on an ETC Ion, was delighted when he could upload his show file to a Nomad Puck, while the other could remain on the Ion. “I already had the Eos show files for Les Misérables,” he commented. “So it was a great relief when I was able to replot using just a touchscreen, keyboard and mouse plugged into the side of the Puck, which was hidden out of view to save space. “We were using 12 moving lights, as well as 30 ETC Source Four LED Lustr+ fixtures, which the Puck handled really well. As a designer,
EVENT FOCUS: Edinburgh Fringe
Opposite: Casino Scene from Lou Stein’s production of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at the Pleasance Theatre. Below: Hawthorn supplied the Universal Arts theatre company.
the new Eos software made it really simple to program with, even during the dress rehearsal.” For users who have their own computer, Nomad Puck’s sibling, simply called Nomad, is even lower in cost and plugs into a spare USB port on the PC or Mac, and performs exactly the same functionality as Puck.
HAWTHORN Universal Arts chose Hawthorn as its technical supplier to deliver everything that the Edinburgh-based producers needed across its venues to ensure award-winning performances at the New Town Theatre and Hill Street Solo Theatre and, this year, the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The fit out included 500-metres of Prolyte truss (S36R And X30V), Prolyte Litedeck staging and over two miles of socapex and cable. The lighting elements were just as impressive with Hawthorn supplying over 300 lighting fixtures including Clay Paky Alpha Spot 700s and over 200 dimming channels - Avolites Art2000 48way / Avolites power cube and 14 DPA4099s. The audio equipment chosen to ensure the clarity of performances included Martin Audio XD12 loudspeakers; Wavefront 2 loudspeakers; and S2A subwoofers, d&b audiotechnik E3 loudspeakers and Yamaha LS9 mixing consoles. Stephen Reed, Hire Manager at Hawthorn commented: “supplying Universal Arts was an exciting project to be involved with. From the outset we wanted to supply the best service and value. This was mostly achieved by giving Universal Arts a dedicated point of contact. Having someone at the end of the phone proved very important. Hawthorn was able to offer a high level of support that was extremely well received by our client, Universal Arts. Through three months of planning that included talking through all the different international shows, production details and equipment needs, we ensured a smooth, professional and cost-efficient installation process. Everything we supplied worked for Universal Arts and its
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EVENT FOCUS: Edinburgh Fringe
Below: The Polo Lounge scene, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. XL Video supplied a selection of Panasonic projectors and Dataton media servers to create projected scenery in several scenes.
theatre, dance and music artists. The planning process has already started for 2015.” Neil Foulis, Technical Manager at Universal Arts’ New Town Theatre, stated: “Hawthorn has been an excellent resource for Universal Arts, and instrumental in helping us push the boundaries of quality and scale of performances at the Fringe Festival, from theatre and dance to circus performance. I look forward to building on the excellent working relationship created with Hawthorns, and further explore the possibilities of what we can do in our venues.” WHITE LIGHT White Light supplied lighting hire and production support for The Gilded Balloon venue at the festival. The complete package included lighting and effects equipment, power distribution and control and staging and rigging equipment totaling just over
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15-tonnes as well as advice and on-site training for the venue’s technicians. Planning for the 2014 Fringe began months in advance with White Light Business Development Manager Craig Bennett working closely with Gilded Balloon’s Production Manager Stephen Arnold and Head of Lighting Martin McLachlan to confirm requirements and plan logistics. Established in 1986, The Gilded Balloon has grown from a one-studio theatre into one of the festival’s largest venues. With nine performance spaces, the venue hosted up to 100 performances a day during the 2014 festival. While more space is an advantage for both producers and performers, the venue was also keen to reduce environmental impacts. This year, through equipment supplied by White Light, the venue was able to switch some of its performance spaces to LED lighting which draws
less power and creates significantly less heat than conventional alternatives. LED products in the venue included profiles, washes, and battens from lighting manufacturers Altman, Chroma-Q, Coemar, ETC, and i-Pix. While it is known mostly for comedy acts, The Gilded Balloon also hosts a wide range of performances from children’s shows to physical theatre. Several award winning performances came from the venue during the 2014 festival including The Collector which won the Scotsman Fringe First Award. In addition to supplying The Gilded Balloon venue, White Light also provided support to productions at the festival in the form of individual hire contracts and consumable sales items (colour, tape, gobos, and accessories). Also supplied were a selection of Martin Professional MAC 101s, 700s and Auras;
numerous ETC SourceFour profiles (19, 36, 50, 70) and SourceFour Junior profiles, in addition to a Robert Juliat Followspot. An Avolites Pearl Titan lighting console was also supplied for the venue. StageDex decking, legs and railings were custom sized for the venue. Furthermore, Lodestar Chain Hoists and Controllers were employed, in addition to a ProLyte pre-egged truss system (300 eggs). Craig Bennett commented: “White Light has always supported theatre and theatre makers with the production tools and advice they need - wherever they go. We were thrilled to be involved this year in Edinburgh on both large and small scales. The festival represents the thriving creativity and originality of our growing entertainment sector and we were happy to be a part of it.” XL VIDEO XL Video was involved with 53 companies across nine sites and 30 venues at this year’s festival. One of the main venues at this year’s Fringe that XL Video was involved with was The Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh’s east end, a venue with 23 different performance spaces. The cultural platter on offer at The Pleasance was impressive enough for a festival in itself. This year was an extra special year for the Pleasance Theatre, which celebrated its 30th anniversary. “We’ve been up there for five years as a sponsor for The Pleasance Theatre and the last two years we sponsored C Venues too. Before that we supplied many of our regular clients so extending our involvement to help the
EVENT FOCUS: Edinburgh Fringe
Below: ETC’s Nomad Puck lighting controller made a name for itself at the Pleasance Theatre at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Pleasance Theatre group and reach out to other companies seemed an good idea,” said Ed Cooper, project manager at XL Video. “XL Video supplied a whole rafts worth of video equipment, including Panasonic DZ6710, DX100, DS100, DZ1200 and DS20K Projectors. Panasonic are the smallest, most lightweight and quietest for theatre, and we rely on their range extensively.” Computing and relaying the mass of visual content for the hundreds of different plays were equally varied and included Catalyst Media Servers, Q-Lab systems and for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Watchout media servers from Dataton. “XL Video are on site for six weeks altogether. One week prior to set up we have to ensure all the projectors, media servers and all video elements are in place. Of all the individual set ups which we do, they each present their own logistical and technical challenges.” There are certain shows, which were running prior to appearing at the Fringe - Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas had been running in London, for example, and we were working on the show there. “In the past, visiting companies wanted to bring their own gear from home however more and more companies are starting to approach us as they realise that the benefit of onsite 24 hour technical support with a fully equipped stock of spare pro grade equipment gives them the safety net that video is one less thing for them to worry about.” Owen Evans, XL’s key Fringe technician , commented: “I started off in lighting and as lots of us end up doing, I moved over to video. The boundaries are very much blurred. Video used to be its own separate entity - it used to be farmed out by the lighting guys to some non-present third party video guys. But now with everything becoming bigger and more intertwined, it becomes very difficult to try and separate them, so it does merge into one department. On many shows it becomes impossible to separate the two.” With several of the performances which XL is involved with at the Fringe, video projection is employed not only as a source of light but as a key component 40
of the mise en scene. This use of video was no more apparent than in Lou Stein’s production of Hunter S Thompson’s classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Continued Evans: “The set of Fear and Loathing is very minimal. The way the projection is used is to create environment and to suggest environment. If you’ve seen the film or read the book, then you can get a better idea of what Ralph Steadman (Set Designer) is trying to achieve. The environments portrayed are not realistic; the video gives a surreal feel to the set and this contributes to the drugged effect that permeates throughout the play.” There are five different shapes which make up the back wall of the stage, onto which various images are projection mapped, thus creating a very fragmented feel to the whole experience rather than a big solid set. There are very few physical scenic elements. “It would be a very different show without the video - certainly much harder to visualise these things. Using video content to provide scenic backdrop is the perfect solution to the high turnaround of plays on at the fringe.” There is, according to Evans, another reason for the recent surge in using video in shows: “Audiences are starting to expect video now. People want to see video in the show. What does video mean to the general public going to see a show? A couple of years ago, the average Joe would have thought you were on about VCR if you’d have mentioned video on stage and would have been flummoxed. Whereas now, the average Joe is talking about the projection and video and commenting. “In the pleasance courtyard, there’s a big wall we project onto, the archway where you walk in. We have a content designer called Theo Davies who has worked with us for the last few years and has put together various pleasance loops and logs and rolled in with production photographs.” Evans concluded: “In general, it’s very easy to think about it being not as big as it is. It is easy to look at the job and go, ok, there are lots of small venues, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. But then you get up here
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EVENT FOCUS: Edinburgh Fringe
Below: Zoe Lyons appeared in the Seabright production of Outings at the Gilded Balloon venue at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. White Light supplied a plethora of fixtures for the venue, including lighting and effects equipment, power distribution and control, staging and rigging equipment.
and you think, wow, we’ve only got three days to rig 17-plus venues in addition to external stuff aswell.” YAMAHA Also involved at the Pleasance Theatre this year was Yamaha with its QL Series of digital consoles. The combination of a small footprint, exceptional processing power, Dante networking and local I/O makes Yamaha’s QL series digital consoles ideal for the Festival Fringe. This year, six QLs enjoyed a month of exceptionally hard work throughout August with The Pleasance. Supplied by Orbital Sound, Pleasance is a long-term user of Yamaha mixing consoles. This year, QL1s were installed in the Queen Dome, Ace Dome, Pleasance Forth and the Cabaret Bar, QL5s in Pleasance Two and Pleasance Beyond, as well as a Yamaha CL5 in Pleasance Grand and some LS9s and 01Vs in smaller venues. “At Pleasance we strive to provide the highest quality equipment, even in the smallest venues, which is why we put Yamaha digital consoles in all the spaces we can,” said Matthew Ferrie, Head of Sound at The Pleasance. “The mix position in some of the venues is tiny or awkward to get to, so the footprint of the console is really important. There are a lot of funny-shaped rooms where we can’t just do proscenium left / right and a couple of delays. There will be maybe a L / R of some sort, then a fill here and a fill there, some delays there, other delays over there. “Even for things like stand up comedy, where all they need is an offstage microphone, 42
an onstage microphone and a few channels of playback, the sound reinforcement is quite complex. So the fact that we can do all the time alignment and EQ within a package as small as a QL console is fantastic.” As The Pleasance stages a broad spectrum of shows, ranging from complex theatre productions to live bands, the versatility of the QL consoles really comes into its own. Continued Ferrie: “We are using Dante and R-series I/O units with three of the QL consoles and the CL5; the rest of the QLs are using the desks’ local i / o. But even on those shows, the fact that I can add more I/O channels via MY series interface cards means we can have a complex show running on a very small console. We have a live band in Ace Dome at 1am, for which we have to move a load of loudspeakers around every night, but it’s all mixed on the QL1. “To be honest I hadn’t seen one before they arrived,” conceded Ferrie. “But the user interface was very familiar and I literally learned the consoles as we put them into each venue, set them up and trained the crews in the four days between them arriving and the first shows. The QL is very undemanding to get to grips with. “Working here is a real baptism of fire for the crews. But once it’s over, they’ve learned a whole load of new skills and used them in the real world; they’ve worked in a team and done very long hours, all of which are part of working in theatre. At first it takes them a while to solve problems, but within a couple of days they’ll be doing it in seconds, almost without thinking about it. Having consoles that they can learn
very quickly is a key part of that. “Because of the quick turnaround between shows, we teach them to keep things simple patch it all 1:1, everything to the stereo buss and then use the matrixes to do delays and so on. Within days they’ve invariably taught themselves complex stuff with DCAs, mute groups, custom faders, the Premium Rack and so on. We’ve had to pull them back and remind them that, if they go sick, someone else won’t know how they’ve set the desk up. But it demonstrates how the QLs are also an excellent teaching tool.” Despite the constant use in harsh environments - whether that be dust or the relentless heat and humidity of continually-used small venues in summer - Yamaha QL consoles have proved an unqualified success at the 2014 Fringe. “Reliability is obviously key and we’ve had zero problems. We switched the QLs on, on the first day and, despite being used so heavily, we haven’t had a problem with any of them. Not one single issue, which I think is a real testament to a new console,” concluded Ferrie. “Everybody has been really happy with them. They’re really intuitive, easy to work and simple for the crew to understand. We couldn’t ask for anything more.” TPi Photos: Lou Stein, Hawthorns, ETC, White Light, Steve Ullathorne. www.edfringe.com www.eattothebeat.com www.etcconnect.com www.hawthorns.uk.com www.whitelight.ltd.uk www.xlvideo.com www.orbitalsound.com www.yamahaproaudio.com
EVENT FOCUS: Current RMS
CURRENT RMS: EQUIPMENT RENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE CLOUD CURRENT RMS WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ON SEPTEMBER 1 AND IS ALREADY SETTING HIGH STANDARDS IN THE RENTAL SOFTWARE MARKET. BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE AV, PRODUCTION AND LIGHTING SECTOR BY CEO, CHRIS BRANSON, TOGETHER WITH A SMALL TEAM AROUND THE PRODUCT, EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INTO CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES AND INDUSTRY REQUIREMENTS WERE IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. TPi LEARNS ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE THINKING BEHIND THIS NEW PRODUCT. “We acknowledged a gap in the market - the industry needed an online, intuitive, simple equipment rental management system,” said Branson. “A system that would readily maximise operational efficiencies and asset utilisation, removing accessibility issues that are present with Windows-based systems and allowing all users to work on the move from any device.” After years of research and development, the team decided to run an Early Adopter program, really putting the system to test. From December 2013, 25 businesses in the AV and production sector were invited onto the program to work with the team, testing Current RMS, using the system to manage their rental business. Over the course of these nine months, invaluable feedback was provided and relationships formed, ensuring the system was entirely ready to be launched. 44
Its incredibly modern user interface is now setting standards in the rental software market, using icons, colour, images and graphs to help illustrate information in a simple, easy to understand way - for any level of user. Feedback already received is that there is no other system on the market that looks as fresh and modern as Current RMS and because of this, people enjoy using it. Within one centralised system, companies can manage all rental operations and processes from any device and location at any given time. “Creating job opportunities from enquiry through to quotation stage, managing equipment availability, scheduling activities for your staff, order logistics and invoicing - Current RMS effortlessly covers it all. At the heart of the system is a powerful CRM Solution, connecting people, products and events, helping you keep in touch with all suppliers, customers and users,
at all times,” continued Branson. All web pages are fully responsive, making the system easy to use on any portable device and the system is extremely flexible and adaptable. “We appreciate how hectic this industry can be and are proud to deliver a solution that efficiently deals with any last minute changes and complex rental processes. Users can easily customise their own documents and incorporate internal and external contacts to any job or discussion,” he said. From a technology point of view, Current RMS believes the production and AV industry is moving even further towards a fully automated online environment. Embracing cloud technologies, understanding the comprehensive security measures actually placed around data in the cloud and that cloud software helps keep businesses streamlined, updated and scalable.
EVENT FOCUS: Current RMS
Previous page: The Current RMS software was launched on September 1. Below: Current RMS CEO, Chris Branson.
By implementing cloud rental management software, businesses no longer have to think about set-up costs or software installation, system upgrades or data backups - Current automatically covers it all, allowing you to focus on the job at hand. Providing rental businesses with the power and flexibility that instant access on the move presents, will in turn improve customer response rates leading to happier, long-standing customers. Time spent on administrative tasks and costs on IT infrastructure will reduce, whilst asset utilisation will dramatically increase. Current RMS easily helps maximise the capability and utilisation of equipment, highlighting any shortages from quotation and order stage through product availability screens, ensuring as many jobs as possible can be fulfilled, avoiding equipment being left on the shelf. “Innovation is always at the heart of everything we do, from the features we deliver and the design of the system to the way we communicate with our customers. We are always looking to push technical boundaries, delivering
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key features, taking on-board customer feedback, enriching the system even further, whilst staying true to its design and ease of use,” said Branson. The Current RMS team have found this industry to be very open and transparent and to follow suit are offering a free 30-day trial of the system - keen for businesses to experience the simplicity and flexibility of Current RMS first hand. This notion was delivered first hand as Lisa Kenward, Current RMS Marketing Manager explained: “We’ve just come back from a very busy three days at PRO and BPM, the launch exhibition for Current RMS. What a fantastic show, electric atmosphere, entertaining and vibrant. It was great to be involved in such an innovative show and have so many industry experts stop by our stand to say hello, eager to learn more about Current RMS. We received some fantastic feedback and had businesses sign up there and then at the show, after seeing the product in action, thanks for stopping by!” TPi www.current-rms.com
EVENT FOCUS: Litec
LITEC AND AMG AT ROME’S AUDITORIUM PARCO DELLA MUSICA TPi SCOOPS THE EXCLUSIVE AS LITEC RAISES THE ROOF IN ROME. Ever since it was inaugurated on 21 December 2002, the Auditorium Parco della Musica has become a consolidated reality on the cultural scene, a resounding success in terms of the quality of its programmes and the consistently high audience turnout. Every year over one million people, including audience and participants in the various events, have visited the multi-functional arts complex designed by Renzo Piano, one of the world’s most accomplished and feted architects. Renzo Piano’s definition of the Auditorium as a “cultural factory” is becoming ever more apt as time goes by. He said: “The most fascinating adventure for an architect is that of constructing a concert hall. It might be even nicer for a violinmaker to make a violin; but (given all the differences there are in size and time) they are similar activities. Ultimately, the objective is always to make instruments that are made for 48
playing or listening to music. The sound is what rules. Music has always been the focus of my attention: working with acoustics, working with musicians.” The site for the vast project of Rome’s Auditorium was specifically chosen to blend and complement the existing landscape. The area chosen for the Auditorium complex stretches from the Parioli area in the South, to the Flaminio area in the West, the Villaggio Olimpico to the North and Villa Glori to the East. This urban up-grade should confer a metropolitan and territorial dignity to this area equal to the four districts surrounding it, each with their own specific identity and local day to day way of life. Music has been the underlying priority of the Auditorium’s architectural and urban project. All the available areas, both internal and external, have been planned according to their being functional to musical activity. The facility’s
concerts of symphonic and chamber music are intertwined with the most varied and versatile of concert programming, from jazz to pop, to rock, world music and beyond; as well as film premieres, stage plays, art exhibits and literary performances. The festivals and other events have fast become musts on the cultural calendar, while the halls host more and more fashion shows, conferences, conventions and meetings at an institutional level. These activities to promote culture at large make the Auditorium Parco della Musica an engine of growth of limitless power in the great design of relaunching and re-qualifying the city. The Auditorium has not only three concert halls, but also a Theatre Studio, and Studios 1, 2, 3, a foyer and a cavea. Each of the three halls is different in size and has been constructed with the aim of satisfying the needs of any music genre. The Santa Cecilia Hall can be used for large orchestral and choral symphonic concerts.
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EVENT FOCUS: Litec
First Page: Ever since it was inaugurated on 21 December 2002, the Auditorium Parco della Musica has become a consolidated reality for Rome’s cultural scene. Below: LITEC and AMG worked together to create the splendid performance space.
The Sinopoli Hall, because of its greater acoustic flexibility, is more apt for a great variety of musical genres. This is also because orchestra position can be modified with respect to the audience; the Petrassi Hall, finally, has been assigned to contemporary musical genres, theatre performances and cinema. This is because it has an inbuilt system that allows both the musical source and the audience to be shifted and the sound reverberation tuned. Theatre Studio, with its 350 places, is a multi-functional space. Studios 1, 2, 3 are also important musical locations. Thanks to the quality of their technical facilities and equipment, they guarantee all practice sessions optimal acoustic conditions. Even the foyer can be used, on particular occasions, to present simple musical performances. The Cavea, the open-air amphitheatre at the centre of the Auditorium, is another particularly interesting musical area welcoming
up to 3.000 spectators. The Cavea, named after composer Luciano Berio, is the physical demonstration of the main concept behind the whole Auditorium project: it acts both as an open-air theatre and as a square. This dual function makes it the fulcrum of the premises’ centrality with respect to its urban surrounding. The Cavea has gradually become a meeting place. It is now part of the urban context and is used, in everyday life, as a normal city square. Here, at the Cavea of the Auditorium, AMG International, a leading rental company, has recently set up a 19 by 19 by 16-metre LITEC roof system for the summer music season. Though monumental, it fitted perfectly within the existing architecture. The truss systems totally built in RL105A truss and Maxitower 52 was strong and sturdy, thought for such a big installation on a wide span. It featured built-in guides for inserting roof sheets and a four-way sleeve block which is compatible with another
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LITEC truss product, LIBERA FL105. On this big stage a parade of artists performed live such as Massive Attack, the music legend Robert Plant, Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), James Blunt, Scottish Mogwai, Simple Minds, Rufus Wainwright, Joan As Police Woman, Suzanne Vega, Cat Power and many other worldwide famous singers. The roof system constructed was ideal to host all the special events, which were both successful and well-attended. Alex Vinciguerra, AMG International Event Director, stated: “We have taken on new considerable challenges and our team achieved ambitious goal this year. We are constantly striving for the highest levels of performances and safety and this project is part of our growth plan.” TPi www.auditorium.com www.litectruss.com www.amginternational.it
EVENT FOCUS: Anne Frank
PUSHING THE SOUND ENVELOPE: ADAPTING THE ANNE FRANK STORY ON STAGE AS A COMPELLING NEW THEATRE PRODUCTION BRINGS ANNE FRANK’S STORY TO LIFE IN A PURPOSE BUILT THEATRE IN AMSTERDAM, TPi CHATS WITH WORLD-CLASS SOUND DESIGNER, JEROEN TEN BRINKE, ABOUT THE COMPLEXITIES OF THIS ENGAGING LIVE SHOW. A three-time winner of the John Kraaijkamp Musical Award for Best Achievement in Design, Jeroen ten Brinke of the Netherlands is one of Europe’s most innovative and technically resourceful theatrical sound designers. He was honoured for his breakthrough work on Soldier of Orange (Soldaat van Oranje - De Musical), where he configured a remarkable 360º system for a circular ring stage of multiple sets that surrounded a rotating platform for an audience of 1,100. His latest work is ANNE, a bold new play based on the story of Anne Frank. Produced in the purpose-built Theater Amsterdam, ANNE utilises highly realistic sets of room interiors that rotate on and off the stage. ten Brinke explained the role audio plays in the production and how technology like Meyer Sound D-Mitri fits into the era of complex show design. TPi: The staging and consequent sound design of Soldier of Orange were unprecedented, 52
though some of that complexity stemmed from it being a musical. Plays are normally more straightforward, yet your sound design for ANNE is extraordinarily intricate. What’s so unusual here? ten Brinke: In many scenes, the action takes place simultaneously in two or more acoustically isolated spaces, so the actors cannot hear cues from one another. This is particularly true in those scenes where the characters in hiding need to talk very quietly or in whispers. So we need to have cross monitoring loudspeakers in all the rooms, with wireless microphones on all the actors. TPi: It’s quite a large theatre. Do you need to run the voices through the house PA as well? ten Brinke: Yes we do, but it’s more complicated than that. This is not a musical, where audiences tend to be more forgiving about where voices are coming from. That is very important in ANNE, so we also have small loudspeakers hidden throughout the rooms for creating a
first source for the sound, so you get a nice feel of placement. The main PA loudspeakers are delayed in reference to that. TPi: The signals to the loudspeakers are all sent via radio microphones. Why was that necessary? ten Brinke: The sets move on and off the stage via sophisticated mechanics, disappearing and reappearing, and not always in the same position. We didn’t want to worry about cables getting tangled, so we are using 16 Shure PSM 1000 units for 32 mono feeds to the loudspeakers in the rooms. Also, the fact that the loudspeakers in the sets change position, changing their relation to the audience, means we have to change the relative delay times. So yes, it gets complicated, as we have a total of 72 outputs in the system. TPi: And what about inputs - how many radio microphones are there? ten Brinke: We have 24-channels of radio mics on analogue inputs. Then we also have 48 channels on AES3 for sound effects, orchestral
EVENT FOCUS: Anne Frank
Below: A Meyer Sound D-Mitri digital audio control system was used for all mixing, processing, delays, output matrixing and loudspeaker processing.
score playback, and reverbs. We have four computers running Cubase and Nuendo, one with a multitrack orchestra, two for effects, one for the Altiverb reverbs, and a fifth as a spare. These run via AES3 into a Yamaha DM2000VCM which works as a submixer. TPi: For mixing, you chose a Meyer Sound D-Mitri digital audio control system. What advantages does it offer compared to a fixed architecture console?
wise to an analogue Cadac. We have a total of 72 inputs and 72 outputs in this D-Mitri configuration. Q: That’s a lot of technology for a drama! What was the biggest challenge in making it all work? ten Brinke: I think the main difficulty was the monitoring situation, because it’s all happening in different rooms, making it impossible for actors to hear one another and respond to cues. That made it very difficult to rehearse, and
“And D-Mitri sounds awesome, much like a premium analogue desk. For me, it’s the only digital system that is comparable sound-wise to an analogue Cadac.”
ten Brinke: It does all the mixing, processing, delays, output matrixing, and loudspeaker processing. D-Mitri is wonderful because you can go from any and all inputs to any or all outputs, in any way you like, and do it easily. You never have to say no when a director asks if you can do something, because anything is possible. And D-Mitri sounds awesome, much like a premium analogue desk. For me, it’s the only digital system that is comparable sound-
also in some scenes the actors are walking from one room to another while the house is turning on stage, which makes it even more complex. TPi: Is there anything you learned from the complexities of Soldier of Orange that you applied to ANNE? ten Brinke: With so much audio and theatrical show control now operating on computer networks, I’ve learned that it’s critically important to build your network infrastructure 53
EVENT FOCUS: Anne Frank
Below: The cast of ANNE below, produced by Robin de Levita and Kees Abrahms. The script was written by Jessica Durlacher and Leon de Winter.
clean and solid. If your whole show depends on one cable, you have to make sure you don’t lose any connections. So with ANNE, I avoided making my own network cable terminations. Audio people shouldn’t be doing that. It’s a job for IT professionals! TPi: Back to mixing and processing, are we seeing a new trend here with systems like D-Mitri? Are you essentially assembling a custom console for the needs of the production?
quality? ten Brinke: No, with D-Mitri you don’t get any degradation because the clocking is very good, and the A-D and D-A converters are excellent, running at 96 kHz. So I don’t feel like I’ve lost the feel of great analogue sound. TPi: Clearly both the staging and audio technologies of ANNE are on the cutting edge. Is this a new trend for dramatic productions in Europe? Are we going to see more radio microphones in plays?
“Your only real limitations are budget, and of course physical and acoustical limits, like the height of the room, and where you can place your loudspeakers. But even within such limits, you can take it pretty far, much further than a few years ago.”
ten Brinke: It is different, because with D-Mitri you can make as many subgroups and auxiliaries as you require something that is difficult if not impossible with fixed format desks. You just add it in and give it a name, where with other desks you have to make compromises to get the end result. With D-Mitri, it’s endless, limited only by the input and output frames you have available. TPi: Does all that complexity affect the sound 54
ten Brinke: It’s still highly unusual, at least here in Holland and most of Europe. For one thing, not many productions have scripts with this much whispering, and ‘stage whispering’ is unnatural and distracting at some point. So I think it will remain rare for indoor productions, though of course it’s more common for outdoor dramas. Q: Are shows like Soldier of Orange and ANNE
pointing toward a greater role for sound design for musical and drama? ten Brinke: Yes, directors can now rethink how they use sound, because the new technologies can accomplish so much more. You don’t have to worry about making cues too difficult for the operator to handle manually. No matter what cue you think of, there is a way to automate it and link to another cue in lighting or video. With the flexible structure of D-Mitri, you can be very open-minded in how you approach the whole task of sound design. Your only real limitations are budget, and of course physical and acoustical limits, like the height of the room, and where you can place your loudspeakers. But even within such limits, you can take it pretty far, much further than a few years ago. ANNE was produced by Robin de Levita and Kees Abrahms. The script was written by Jessica Durlacher and Leon de Winter, with music composed by Paul M. van Brugge. The ANNE audio team also includes assistant programmer Chris Blaauw and resident sound mixer Igor Milosavijevic. The D-Mitri system was supplied by Focus / Rent-all of Amsterdam, with Meyer Sound distributor Audio Electronics Mattijsen facilitating the sale. TPi www.theateramsterdam.nl www.meyersound.com www.shure.co.uk
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
CREAMFIELDS 2014 CREAMFIELDS IS ONE OF THE LEADING DANCE MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD. ESTABLISHED IN 1998, THE ORIGINAL FESTIVAL SET OUT TO PROVIDE THE CLUBBING WORLD WITH A BESPOKE LARGE SCALE OUTDOOR EVENT AND HAS GONE ON TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND RENOWNED EDM FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD. THE SUCCESS OF CREAMFIELDS HAS ATTRACTED WORLDWIDE ATTENTION AND HAS LED TO IT BEING STAGED ON EVERY CONTINENT SINCE 1999. IT HAS IN FACT BECOME THE ONLY FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISH ITSELF IN THE GLOBAL MARKET AND TO DATE CREAMFIELDS HAS BEEN STAGED IN 17 COUNTRIES WITH NEW TERRITORIES PLANNED FOR 2015. TPi SPOKE TO THE UK PRODUCTION TEAM. 2014 marked the fifth year that LarMac Live was brought on board to work with Cream and Live Nation to produce the show. As the festival has grown, so has its technical needs and this year’s show was no different, with Ian ‘Lar’ Greenway of LarMac Live, and Production Manager for the show, handling all technical and design matters across the 10 stages on the 70,000 capacity site. Commenting on the festival’s development over the years, Greenway said: “We’ve gone from having 160m2 of F15 and stealth screen to having over 2,200m2 of screen going right down to 6mm. Then there’s pyro - we have so much raw explosive that it can’t be held onsite and gets shuttled in from the airport, as well as around 1,000 bottles of CO² to deal with the cryo-type effects and confetti. 56
“The one thing that is becoming easier is DJ backline,” continued Greenway. “The variety and randomness of DJ booth set-ups is getting simpler and everyone is using the same kind of gear now that it’s become more intelligent. We have a few hundred Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayers and DJM-900 mixers on site, so then comes the problem of sourcing volumes of one kind of gear.” Commenting on the importance of choosing the right suppliers, Greenway added: “We know how hard these shows are for suppliers and so we look at what else is happening on our show weekends to make sure we’re not overstretching suppliers. We also expect the world and want suppliers to grow alongside us, and the show. We review all of the contracts every year. Shows evolve and so how we deal
with them on behalf of our clients has to be reviewed constantly.” On board for the first time this year was SSE in the 10,000-capacity Departures Arena, while HSL was brought in on a bigger scale than in previous years. Beyond that Greenway adapted his personnel structure, making sure that his team ran independently as a department. Greenway told TPi how he worked closely with the different DJ brands to develop different designs for each area of the festival, each day. What this resulted in is some pretty big technical changeovers in the arena, but shows with different personalities. ‘A State of Trance’, Armin van Buuren’s brand, hosted the Saturday in the biggest tent supplying Greenway with an arena-based creative concept, which was then interpreted
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Opposite: XL Video supplied its largest amount of screens to the festival to date for 2014. Below: Deadmau5 rocks the stage; Avicii performed through a myriad of colours and effects.
in to a field-ready show. This was integrated with the designs for the Friday and Sunday so common ground support work could be done and the changeovers masterminded. “The great thing about getting a DJ’s input is that there are different approaches across the site,” said Greenway. “There’s a couple of tents that we really push on - particularly Annie Mac’s AMP arena this year, which saw us build a series of towers clad with screens to create a more angular stage. It just added another feel to the
tents.” These multiple changeovers did, of course, come with their own challenges. According to Greenway, the show is so big now and working directives are so heavy that shift patterns are run on what is basically a 24/7 site. “We have four tents with 30,000 people open on the Friday,” he said. “They get changed over to the Saturday and then Saturday in to Sunday sees the two outdoor stages and usually six of the arenas getting turned around. Then
we’re straight in to Sunday night load-outs. So it’s really full on with shows needing crewing themselves, but we have the right people in the right places to keep everything moving.” A first for this yea’rs festival involved the Axwell ^ Ingrosso performance, which saw the arena turned into a 360º sensory space. A perimeter truss around the tent was laden with special effects, lasers and lights and then eight sources of audio were used to give a truly multisensory experience.
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Below: Fatboy Slim lit up with Colour Sound Experiment; Steve Angello on the Size Matters stage.
Showforce provided both Star Events Group and LarMac Live with multi-skilled crew members for this year’s Creamfields. A team of more than 150 crew members, including climbers and steel hands worked throughout the build-up and breakdown period to aid in the construction and de-rig of stages. LS-Live provided Creamfields with risers once again following on from a successful history with the festival. Over 180 crew were supplied for a nine-day period, spanning the build-up, show days and de-rig of Creamfields. The team included a crew chief, production crew and stage hands, who were involved with the load in and out of the festival and backline changeovers during the show days. Showforce also supplied Larmac Live with an experienced stage manager. Chris Martelly, Showforce’s Operations Director said: “Logistically it’s a bit of a challenge, due to Daresbury’s remote location and the size of the site, however we were able to utilise our own in-house fleet to transport crew to and from site, with the vast majority of them coming from our Liverpool office.”
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LIGHTING Adlib supplied lighting, sound and rigging for Arena 04 - hosted by Pete Tong / London Warehouse Events; Arena 05 - Revealed / Super You & Me; and the VIP area. Leading Adlib’s team on site was Crew Chief Kevin Byatt, while everything was coordinated from the office / warehouse end by Dave Eldridge. Both arenas involved major overnight lighting / visual changeovers. Adlib’s Ian Tomlinson designed production lighting for all three areas, which in CF04 and CF05, was also based on the requirements of the headlining acts each day. Ground support systems supplied by Prism were constructed around the stages in both arenas and used to provide the lighting positions, some of which were with sub-hung Adlib trusses. In CF04 the moving lights were Martin by Harman MAC Viper profiles, MAC Aura Washes and MAC 700 Washes - 56 in total, and these were joined by Chauvet Professional COLORado LED batten 72s and Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 DMX strobes, plus a number of four ACL bars for additional effects. Lighting control
came from a High End Systems Road Hog Full Boar lighting desk and Playback Wing, and the system was tech’d by Chris Richardson, Charlie Rushton and Nathan Harrison. In 05 Stu Wright, Andy Jones and Anthony Viney looked after all things illuminative, and this stage also ran on the Friday afternoon / evening and had two substantial overnight changeovers which included a completely new video set up and an additional lighting truss for the second night. The Arena 05 production design had to accommodate Sub Focus’ trussing set of three concentric trussing circles on the Friday night so practicality and adaptability were key. The moving lights in 05 were Martin by Harman MAC Viper Profiles, MAC 301 LED washes, Studio Due CS4s and Clay Paky Sharpys - 40 fixtures in total, arranged over the stage and above the audience. They were joined by Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 DMX strobes and the console options included an MA Lighting grandMA2 and an Avolites Pearl desk. Lighting in hospitality was rigged on a central circular truss and featured 50 small
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Below: Deadmau5 brings the stage to life; 3 are Legend stand united at Creamfields; Avicii on the South Stage.
moving lights - a combination of Martin by Harman MAC 350 Entours, MAC 301’s, MAC 250 Washes and Beams. They were joined by Chauvet Professional LED PARs, LED cubes and Abraxus LED snowflakes, as well as ETC Source Four Junior zooms for key-lighting the DJs. Control was an Avolites Pearl Expert and Expert Touch Wing and this area was looked after by Adlib’s Jeff Bond, Phil Woodbridge and Cody Chambers. Audile was brought on board to look after CF08, where the show design for Saturday night was provided by Immersive’s Mark Calvert, for Pryda. His concept was to make the tent feel more like a club, so Audile supplemented the lighting on stage with fixtures located on a square truss box flown over the dancefloor, and on nine towers located around the perimeter of the tent. All fixtures were trimmed around four metres from the floor and a huge amount of smoke from six Martin by Harman JEM ZR44 smoke machines was used to fill the tent. Fixtures included 56 Clay Paky Sharpys and 30 Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 DMX strobes, supplemented by a large quantity of lasers provided by ER for Pryda. Control on the Saturday night was from an Avolites Sapphire Touch console 60
and operated by Jaz Bhullar for Pryda. This all changed for the Sunday night, with Audile’s Jonathan Godsmark utilising the fixtures to give a fresh look for Cream. Overnight, the majority of fixtures were relocated from the dancefloor onto stage, with all 56 Clay Paky Sharpys and 24 Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 DMX strobes being grouped into a floor-to-ceiling battery surrounding a number of video panels, the latter requested by Paul van Dyke. With an additional 12 Robe Robin 100 LEDBeams located on stage together with a 24kW of Molephay blinders, the impact of the lighting was extreme. Godsmark operated on an Avolites Pearl Expert Pro, assisted by Dale Wilson. Audile’s final stage was CF09, a smaller arena located under a Saddlespan roof. As an outdoor venue the main aim was to provide lighting fixtures that would have impact in daylight. Audile supplied four Martin by Harman MAC Viper Profiles, 12 Clay Paky Sharpys and 12 Robe Robin 100 LEDBeams, these were operated by Bobby Dazzler using an Avolites Tiger Touch. Led by Crew Chief Jon Rickets, Colour Sound Experiment supplied over 550 moving lights plus
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Below: EDM fans were treated to an array of colour, sound and special effects during the three-day event
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rigging and trussing to the North and South open-air stages. Almost identical in size, Colour Sound’s production lighting design for both the North and South stages was created with reference to all the requirements of the headliners and their LDs - requiring major overnight changeovers on both stages. The South Stage moving lights included over 80 of Robe’s MMX Spots, LEDWash 600s and Pointes, together with Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500s plus copious amounts of strobes and blinders. Colour Sound also supplied two sets of control consoles - an MA Lighting grandMA2 and ChamSys, with all things lighting coordinated by Dave Kyle and Chris Steel running the FOH. The North Stage was overseen by Colour Sound Experiment’s Sam Campbell with a moving light count around the 250 mark including Clay Paky Sharpys, Alpha Spot and Wash 1500’s, together with Robe LEDWash 600’s and 1200’s and joined by a number of strobes and blinders, and some Jarags for additional impact. The MA Lighting grandMA console and ChamSys control were also available here. In both North and South arenas four of Colour Sound’s custom Litec QX30S trussing towers were deployed for audience lighting. The towers each sat on a special base, which could be extended up to 7.5-metres high using a manual winch / steel system. They can be rigged
with any combination of lighting fixtures and in this case, each one had four Clay Paky Sharpys (North) or Robe Pointes (South), two Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 DMX strobes and two 2-lites, all of which were hooked into the main FOH house lighting desks. Commenting on this year’s event Rickets said: “There’s always a great vibe at Creamfields and we really enjoy working there. It was great to see all the hard work and production investment pay off, producing two days of top quality shows.” Over in the Size Records’ Size Matters 10-pole big top tent, working for The Events Company UK, which handled rigging and design, Chris Morgan’s company Blueprint, used 400 SGM LT-200 tubes and 130 ILD controllers - spread over three separate grids to bring the tent alive. The pixel-mappable two metre long graphic tubes, loaded with RGB LEDs at 35mm pixel pitch, was specifically designed for Saturday night headliner, Greek-Swedish DJ / producer, Steve Angello and his ‘Size Records’ family. Morgan commented: “The Events Company UK was looking for something a little different to make Steve Angello’s set really stand out and designed these moving grids, populating them with 3D mapped tubes.” Events Company UK selected Madrix as the optimum control platform for the tubes due to the flexibility in creating content and the unique ability to map the tubes in 3D. Blueprint’s Toby Shipway programmed and operated the tubes,
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Below: XL Video displays were used throughout the festival.
requiring 140 DMX universes to create effects that were mapped individually on the three grids, before combining the maps to fill the room in a single continuous grid. The grids themselves were raised up to the roof so that the SGM LT-200s went unnoticed during the preceding acts, before being dramatically lowered for the main set. Via the Kinesys motion control, the three grids could then be raised and lowered over the heads of the audience independently during the show. The installation itself was carried out through the night so that the SGM LT-200 pixel tubes were only in place for the Saturday night and gone by the next day. VIDEO Collectively LarMac Live, XL Video and Star Events Group devised, supplied and provided for 1,300 sq metres of screens across the twin main stages at Creamfields. Designed to appear as if they were floating in the crowd space rather than flanking a festival stage, Star Events Group cantilevered the screens off the front of twin 20 metres VerTech platform wings, hiding the masts and roof grid supporting
the seamless landscape video palettes. Pete Holdich, Head of Structures at Star Events, commented: “It took a lot of planning to work out how it could all be achieved. There were 18m by 10m screens either side of both stages with a header linking them across the proscenium and a traditional backdrop screen behind the artist, all mapped together.” The two main side IMAG screens on the North and South stages were made up from a combination of XL’s robust high brightness Radiant MC-18 and Pixled F12 products and F12 for the centre areas with MC-18 surrounding. On-stage, the majority of the screen sections were made up from Pixled F15, with the front of the DJ booths clad in Radiant MC-18 Hybrid - a standard medium 18mm pitch tile with 32 by 32 pixels per panel, and four by four higher brightness (7700nit) low resolution pixels embedded in the same panel. A stage header / border across the top could also be run as high or medium resolution using Radiant MC-7T. The final two DJs playing on each stage also had their own video designs, so the overall set ups on the stages for Saturday and Sunday were based on being able to
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Below: There was an explosive atmosphere at this year’s Creamfields festival.
and Sunday were based on being able to replicate these as near as possible. Control on the North and South stages came from the latest Catalyst systems run in conjunction with Resolume and Barco Encore screen management to output to the different areas - they were operated by James Cooksey and Jack Banks. Most of the main artists supplied their own content formatted to a pixelmap of the screen surfaces that was supplied in advance by XL. As well as delivering more screens to the outdoor stages, XL deployed more LED around the arenas than ever before this year, with areas
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03 - 08 receiving between 80 and 140sq metres each, of which Arena 03 ‘A State of Trance / Departures’ - was the largest single surface with a 140sq metres screen design. The products used in the arenas included MC-18 and MC-18 Hybrid, and 100sq metres of surface to cover the set structure in 07 for Annie Mac Presents / London Warehouse Events and almost 100sq metres of 9mm screen in the Cream Arena, 08. All the arena control systems had Resolume platform at their core - with a Green Hippo Hippotizer media server in 07, chosen for its straightforward mapping capabilities to map
content onto the set structure. Over 35 XL crew worked in shifts to deal with overnight de-rigs and re-rigs on the North and South Stages and in four out of the six arenas, as the hosting clubs swapped venues overnight. In total, XL Video supplied over 2,000 sq metres of LED screen plus control and crew across eight stages and arenas this year, with three XL Project Managers - Steve Greetham, Paul ‘Macca’ McCauley and Connie Glover coordinating the project on site. Greenway commented: “Screens and pyro is what a DJ’s set is all about. A huge amount of
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
Below: Hardwell performing on the South Stage; Mistajam gets the crowd going.
content and it’s our job to have a canvas for it. We treated the two main stages identically, with a fantastic stretch of XL Video screens and it looked amazing.” AUDIO This year’s Creamfields festival featured an EDM first in the form of TiMax dynamic 3D audio spatialisation for duo Axwell ^ Ingrosso’s set ‘360’, specified by A&I’s sound engineer Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Sargeant, who also handles shows for Avicii. Rabbit designed an eight-channel surround system with SSE Audio’s Project Manager, Dan Bennett. It comprised two hangs of 10 L-Acoustics V-Dosc with the SB28 subwoofers on stage, plus four side - and two rear-ground stacks of four L-Acoustics V-Dosc cabinets each. The system was managed by FOH systems technician, Willie Klein and on stage by monitor technician, Kevin Sparkes. The TiMax SoundHub-S16 audio show control matrix received a stereo DJ mix via AES from the DiGiCo SD10 racks on stage. Eight
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TiMax outputs were injected via Dante into SSE’s fibre signal distribution network to the L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers. The first two (L/R) outputs from TiMax were summed into the Lake LM26 Processors driving the main left / right system, alongside the main stereo mix buss outputs from the SD10 mixing desk. This allowed Rabbit to treat the TiMax spatialisation as an effect laid over the main end-on stereo PA mix, blended and cross-faded live during the show using the SD10 DJ mix input faders and pre-fade aux send faders to the TiMax inputs. Ethernet control of the TiMax unit at stage from FOH was established via a dedicated VLAN also on SSE’s fibre network. At FOH, this connected to a TiMax 1602MiniServer WAP, which hosted an iPad Mini app webpage for triggering pan cues and trimming front, side and rear group levels of surround PA. Also connected was a MacBook running the TiMax software, to monitor and edit playback of cues. Programmed by Outboard’s Dave Haydon, these offered a range of slow, medium and fast spins. The spin and chase effects were
programmed in the TiMax TimeLine show control screen, and other front / back ‘wave’ and slow / fast ‘zig zag’ effects were created in the TiMax PanSpace. All were triggered wirelessly by Rabbit from an iPad Mini running the fully-customisable browser-based TiMax SoundHub app. Rabbit commented: “Mostly what I’m doing at FOH for an artist like this is live mastering - with external tools and plug-ins for bass enhancement and things like dynamic EQ and multiband compression, so TiMax spatialisation is a powerful and welcome addition to the palette.” Bennett added: “It was my job to break down what the TiMAx and Rabbit wanted to do - rationalising what needed to happen. Taking the initial idea and turning it into reality, not blowing the budget but achieving the effect.” Specified by Britannia Row, SSL’s role was to support the crew and assist with training visiting engineers, taking the pressure off the technical crew. Commenting on the SSL desk, FOH engineer for Creamfields South Stage,
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
FOH engineer for Creamfields South Stage, Johhny Keirle said: “The SSL used was great in that it is a truly fantastic sounding console. Not only does the channel strip sound great on its own, there are countless rack units that I could successfully use to get the most out of any input going into the desk. “The fact that this console has two insert points allowed me to quickly and easily jump between on-board SSL processing chains and external hardware units without needing to change any patching - obviously also allowing me to run both chains in parallel. This, combined with fantastic surface layout flexibility and great monitoring options, made for a fantastic console for Creamfields.” For microphones and IEMs only a small amount of RF was used, all of which was supplied by Britannia Row and no IEM systems were used on the South Stage. Adlib worked on the audio for Arenas 04, 05 and the hospitality area and specified Coda and JBL VerTec systems. The 10-a-side JBL VT4889 main hangs brought a real edge to the sound in Arena 04, together with 24 JBL VT4880 subwoofers - fine-tuned with Adlib’s standard Lake processing systems for EQ and time alignment. The consoles of choice included a Yamaha PM5D for FOH and a Midas Pro 2 onstage, with Adlib FD2 hi-packs and Adlib DF415 subwoofers providing DJ monitors and
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eight Adlib MP3 wedges along the front of stage. This Arena was engineered for Adlib by Vidmantis Baleisa and Rui Feio. In 05, the main hangs were 12 Coda Audio Airline LA12 loudspeakers a side, with 12 Coda Audio ViRay loudspeakers for infill and outfills. A sub arc array was formed by 24 Coda Audio SC8 subwoofers ground stacked and eight SCP subwoofers forming the centre of the array, all driven by Coda Audio’s new Linus amplifier and DSP platform. A Soundcraft Vi6 desk was provided for FOH and another Midas PRO2 desk for monitors together with the full Lake processing system. On-stage were more MP3 wedges and the same combination of two each Adlib FD2s / DF418 subwoofers for some serious DJ monitoring. Coda Audio was specified for the hospitality area with eight Airline LA12 loudspeakers; six SCP-F subwoofers ground stacked for the main arrays; eight ViRAY and SCV subwoofers to cover the side areas of the tent. This was driven by Coda’s DNC amplifier platform and a Soundcraft Si Performer 2 console. The crew in here were Mark Johnson and Arron Hatcher. Audile supplied stages CF07, CF08 and CF09 with audio and came up with the concept of a DJ platform integrated into a wide ‘cityscape’ of scaffold towers faced in video panel. This would be triangular in shape, thrusting out into the audience to bring the DJ closer to them.
Audile bridled the PA from the tent poles to keep the visual look clean as masts wouldn’t have looked right alongside the stage structure. A total of eight d&b audiotechnik J8 loudspeakers were used per side, their low weight being a great benefit when it came to rigging. These were under-pinned with eight d&b audiotechnik J-SUB subwoofers per side, and DJ monitoring came from d&b audiotechnik M4 wedges with Q-SUB subwoofers. Control was from a Midas PRO2, with Dan Scantlebury and Kev Gill splitting audio duties. Lighting control was from a Chamsys MQ-100, with Tim Hawes and Chris Sirey operating. Audio in CF08 was a Funktion One system, comprising Resolution 5 and F-221P loudspeakers with Resolution 4 and F-218 for delays, powered by MC2 amplifiers. DJ monitoring was provided by a pair of Funktion One PSM-318 DJ monitors. Audio was operated by Craig Williams and Chris Donovan, using a Midas Venice desk and XTA processing. Sound in CF09 was Funktion One Resolution 4 and F-218 loudspeakers with Turbosound TFM-450 monitors, operated by Alex Goodby on a Soundcraft M8 mixer with XTA processing, while amplification was MC2. Studiocare has been the primary supplier of DJ kit to Creamfields for the past 10 years. The advent of Pioneer’s CDJ has seen orders change from several sets of Technics 1210s to
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Creamfields
over 100 pieces of assorted pro DJ kit. This year saw Creamfields’ largest equipment order with Studiocare to date, consisting of 22 CDJ-2000 Nexus multiplayers; 43 CDJ-2000 multiplayers; two DJM-800 mixers; 17 DJM-900 Nexus mixers; one DJM-900 SRT mixer; two RMX-1000 effects and remix stations; three DJM-2000 Nexus multiplayer mixers; and two EFX-1000 DJ effector, along with four Rane SL4 scratchers and three Allen & Heath Xone:92 mixers and one Xone:DB4 mixer. Creamfields is one of the biggest single DJ kit orders Studiocare receives each year and an enormous amount of preparation goes in to making sure the order is spot on. SPECIAL EFFECTS ER Productions supplied lasers to the Pryda Arena, with a total of 48 lase-array fixtures - 24 red, 24 blue and four Tripan RGB ops utilised. ER Productions rigged the laser-arrays all around the arena and on a centrally hung truss to add to the 360º feel to the show. With the fixtures being DMX, they were controlled from the lighting desk and for the laser heads the ER team used Pangolin’s new Beyond software. BPM SFX supplied lasers and SFX elsewhere on site and covered over 30 artist shows across eight stages and arenas over the three-day weekend. The twin South and North Main Stages featured over 400W of RGB laser power on each
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stage across 16 projectors and over 300 Blue Beam projectors on each stage. Huge stage and display pyrotechnic show performances to the likes of Calvin Harris and Avicii and over 30 15-metre chameleon, inferno and hurricane flame heads provided ‘walls of flames’ to the stage. New for 2014 was 12 X-treme Shots per stage each containing 30-metre streamers, forming a spaghetti junction of streamers over the crowd. Also new, were Magic clouds providing floating logos and shapes over the crowd throughout the day, floating about. Continuing on its vision of a 360º experience for the crowd, Creamfields featured multiple SFX towers situated in the crowd, consisting of CO² power jets washing the crowd with plumes of CO², confetti and integrated pyro. Arena wise the lid was blown off - Steve Angello and his Size Matters Arena bombarded the senses with ‘a hit a minute’ pyro and SFX. There were 16 Ice Cannon Power jets rigged all around the outer perimeter of the tent for the Axwell ^ Ingrosso set, along with 360 confetti swirl fans. New for 2014 were the ‘Boo Bubbles.’ A total of nine powered lasers provided an emanating display performance throughout the set, along with huge stage pyro and confetti hits throughout. But the special effects didn’t stop there, with another six arenas kitted out with high-powered laser packages, deafening CO² systems, and
tailored premium pyro and SFX packages to each artist performance. Summing up his thoughts on the event moving forward, Greenway concluded: “Creamfields has always been really passionate about its approach to artist’s shows - it is proud of the fact that it’s one of the only festivals in the world to allow an artist to bring their full production design with them. Although the gear is locally supplied so acts can do multiple shows that day, this is a really big deal as we get use of the acts’ creative vision. “Creamfields has always been one of the most famous dance shows in the world and is one of the originals. Its attitude of more, more, more says it all really… The team wants to create the biggest and best party in the world and have the strongest line-ups year on year. No pressure on us then!” TPi Photos: Marc De Groot, Howard Hill, Anthony Mooney, Nathan Damour & Colour Sound Experiment www.creamfields.com www.larmaclive.com www.er-productions.com www.ls-live.com www.sseaudiogroup.com, www.outboard.co.uk www.xlvideo.com www.studiocare.com www.showforce.com www.stareventsgroup.com http://bpm-sfx.com www.coloursound.co.uk www.audile.co.uk www.adlib.co.uk www.britanniarow.com
PRODUCTION PROFILE: V Festival
V FESTIVAL BIRTHED OUT OF THE CRAZY BRIT POP-ERA BY PULP’S JARVIS COCKER IN 1996, WHO WANTED TO PLAY TWO OUTDOOR VENUES IN TWO DAYS, THIS BRITISH FESTIVAL HAS SINCE GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AND EARNED A PLACE AS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EVENTS IN THE UK’S FESTIVAL PERIOD. HELD IN THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST OVER TWO DIFFERENT SITES - HYLANDS PARK IN CHELMSFORD AND WESTON PARK IN SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE - THIS PREDOMINANTLY ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL ALSO CATERS TO VARYING GENRES AND HEAVY WEIGHT POP ACTS. THIS YEAR ATTENDEES SAW GLOBAL STARS INCLUDING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, ED SHEERAN AND THE KILLERS. TPi LOOKS AT THE PRODUCTION NEEDS DURING A TECH TOUR OF THE TWO EVENTS. SITE ACCESS Eve, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of temporary access systems and related services, was on hand to supply more than 7,500 Trakway panels to the two V Festival sites. Also supplied was a pedestrian footbridge, barriers, anti-climb fence panels and other kit. At Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Eve put 750 hybrid box panels together for the biggest pad it has ever assembled, under the Virgin Media Stage platform, and used a new clamp attachment to drop Trakway into place for the MTV Stage, slashing the installation time. Festival Manager, Simon Forshaw, commented: “Eve gets the job done with a remarkable amount of pace and it’s very accommodating in terms of last minute changes to configurations - which is essential on a festival site.” 72
Formed in the 1960s, Eve has been operating across the event and industrial sectors for over 48 years. Eve attributes this far from temporary existence to its customer service, attention to detail and meticulous project management. By building great relationships with customers, and by employing fully trained and qualified staff, it has found that keeping up impossibly high standards is actually very possible. BARRIER SAFETY Mojo supplied over 1,000-metres of barriers at both V Festival sites - Hylands Park, Chelmsford, and Weston Park, Staffordshire. Contracted by Roseclaim Ltd in the North and Maztec Ltd in the South, Mojo Barriers has worked at V Festival for over 15 years, and the event is one of Mojo UK’s largest annual events during a busy time in its summer calendar.
Mojo provided a wide range of its stock inventory including barriers for stage one and two in the north, and all stages at V South, with security walkways where organisers needed complete confidence in the ability of the barriers to handle the large crowd pressures. The V-Festival relies on Mojo’s extensive product range, with curves and gates allowing specific barrier configurations. The flexible Mojo bar barrier system was utilised at wristband exchange areas in addition to public concessions including food and drink outlets. Kevin Thorborn of Mojo Barriers UK commented: “Having the wide variations of barriers allowed us to support the organisers on both sites to achieve their site plans with the appropriate equipment for the specific purpose. “Logistical operations are always tight at this time of year and the load out poses a particular
PRODUCTION PROFILE: V Festival
Opposite: Thanks to Showsec’s close liaison with Staffordshire Police, a significant reduction in the number of crime-related incidents contributed to the success of this year’s V Festival.
challenge for us. Weather plays a huge part in the success of this operation as all the kit needs to be separated on site and sent to various locations across the UK and in Europe, ready to be built in time for shows the following weekend.” SECURITY Showsec demonstrated once again the value of working closely with the Police on initiatives to combat crime at this year’s V Festival, and in doing so, helped to improve the customer experience for thousands at Weston Park. The crowd management and event security specialists implemented its Crime Reduction Strategy as part of an extensive operational plan geared to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for those visiting the Staffordshire venue. A significant reduction in the number of crime-related incidents contributed to the success of this year’s V Festival and highlighted the impact of Showsec’s close liaison with Staffordshire Police in the effective delivery of that strategy. As a result of an ongoing commitment to raising standards, the Company not only works hand-in-hand with the police at festivals, but in some cases is an extension of their services and can operate as a substitute for them in certain roles. “The planning phase was centrally focused on the delivery of a security and crowd management operation taking over a number of onsite policing roles in order to proactively reduce crime,” explained Mark Logan, Showsec Director who was at the head of a vastly experienced management structure put in place by the Company. “In liaison with Staffordshire Police, we employed a number of systems such as enhanced search, crime teams and plain clothes operatives, all of which have contributed to a reduction in the year-on-year crime figures for the event. “While the central focus was on crime reduction, this did not dilute our core operating ethos of providing a high standard of customer service.” Logan was supported by three of the Company’s Regional Managers, Steve Reynolds, Richard Church and Scott Anderson, who all fulfilled key operational roles. On top of that, Martin Lewis, one of several Area Managers on duty throughout V Festival, was in charge of the Crime Reduction Strategy as Showsec deployed a 150-strong management and supervisory team to direct more than 1,300 security staff across both the main arena and the camp sites within the grounds of Weston Park. Andy Redhead, V Festival Organiser, said: “We are continually striving to improve the V experience and enhance the event’s long-established reputation for being one of the biggest and best festivals in the United
Kingdom. For us to be able to continue raising the bar, we need the support of a strong team of professional agencies. “In the two years they have now been involved with us at Weston Park, Showsec have certainly made a significant contribution and the way in which they have worked so closely with Staffordshire police has certainly helped us to make important strides forward.” Superintendent Elliott Sharrard-Williams, V Festival Police Commander, added: “We are very pleased with the weekend’s policing operation. “Our officers, staff and members of the special constabulary have been working closely with event security teams to ensure everyone has been able to enjoy the festival and stay safe. This year, we shared several of the traditionally police-led activities with Showsec, including the search operation and patrol functions. “In order to ensure that the festival was a success, we have been working closely with Showsec and the event organiser for near-on twelve months. During this time, we have intricately planned the crime and safety aspects of the festival and it has been a successful event. “V Festival is like dropping a small town on Weston Park. Of course, with so many people looking to enjoy themselves, some criminals will try to target visitors, so it’s really pleasing that the crime numbers were significantly reduced compared to previous years. “We had officers working around the clock and not just within the park; neighbourhood officers have been on regular patrol in the local communities and our Road Crime team to support the traffic flow around the area.” He concluded:”This has been a real team effort: event management, security teams and dozens of other partners have worked together to make the weekend a success, and we have already begun to plan for next year.” Logan added: “We set ourselves a series of auditable targets in our second year onsite at Weston Park in seeking to provide a high standard of customer service. “An example of that was that with the help of the festival organisers Roseclaim, we really focused on delivering a bespoke service to the disabled areas borne out of experienced industry practice. This married up the central features of customer service in the arena market with the complexity of delivery to the festival environment. “While delivering our aims, the Company has continued to grow in its knowledge of the site and to ensure we engineered the crowd management plan to maximise the safety and enjoyment of our customers and the performing talent.” AUDIO SSE Hire continued its long established relationship with the V Festival in August, deploying L’Acoustics systems on four stages
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: V Festival
Below: Two Soundcraft Vi 6 consoles were employed at FOH and monitors for headliner Alex Clare at the Chelmsford site; The MTV Stage, complete with the SSE-supplied L-Acoustics K2 system.
across two sites. SSE has supplied audio for the two sites each year from the beginning right up to this Summer. This year, L-Acoustics systems were provided for both the main (Virgin Media) stage and the second (MTV stage) on both North and South sites. With fast changeover times and each band playing both sites over the two days, it made sense to provide virtually identical systems to each site. SSE deployed L-Acoustics K1 systems for the Virgin Media Stage in both Essex and Staffordshire, each comprising main L-R arrays with 12 x K1, six K1SB and three KARA underhangs per side. Additional outhangs of six K1 and three KARA were provided on both stages, with delays of K1 and VDOSC rigged to provide consistent SPL’s within the listening area, but tailored to the different geography of the two locations. Controls and monitors for both sites were the same, with SSE’s DriveRack providing overall system control, each running LA Network Manager-2 Software and SMAART software for control and analysis. Two Avid Profiles in flip flop configuration were provided on each site, with two Yamaha PM5Ds on Monitors - again on both sites. Over on the MTV stages, SSE Project Manager Miles Hillyard opted for a system using exclusively L’Acoustics K2 line array cabinets.
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This was actually the largest deployment of K2 this Summer for SSE, with 32 K2 units per stage. As with the main stage, a pair of Avid Profiles were used at FOH, while Yamaha PM5Ds were provided for monitors with overall system control once again from SSE’s proprietory DriveRack. Project Manager at V Festival’s Staffordshire site, Dan Bennett said of the new L-Acoustics K2 system: “The K2 is the perfect system for an outdoor festival of this size. Once you get used to the angle options, its a very flexible system. Its been very well received by the engineers at V.” Headliners for the two nights were Justin Timberlake and The Killers for the main stage and Elbow and Axwell Ingrosso on the MTV stage, with other acts including Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini, Tinie Tempah and the Manic Street Preachers (although the Manics were ultimately unable to perform in Chelmsford as they were stranded in Hungary). The dual-sited V Festival came in the middle of SSE’s busiest Summer to date, making up four of the 34 festival stages supplied with L-Acoustics systems by the hire operation between June and August. As soon as the systems tipped at Redditch on the Monday, they were prepared and dispatched for the Summer’s other major two-site festival in Reading and Leeds for the following weekend.
NEW TALENT Singer-songwriter Alex Clare headlined the Future Stage at the Chelmsford site, with The Old Lion Touring Company providing a pair of Harman Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles for FOH and monitors. According to Alex Clare’s FOH engineer Harry Devenish, Clare’s performances showcase a human approach to electronic music. “Alex’s performances fuse the weight and power of electronic records with live elements,” he said. “A lot of that is due to the bass setup - the bass guitars trigger a synth and a sub, creating a heavy, dynamic sound on stage.” Devenish has significant depth of experience with the Soundcraft Vi6, having used one of the first models several years ago. “I come from more of an analogue background and was slow to embrace digital, but I’ve always been comfortable with the Vi6,” he said. “It has a very intuitive surface, with hands-on encoders and two layers, it’s very flexible. You can do a lot on the Vi that you can’t do on other digital desks.” “Vi Series consoles are so easy to work on,” said Tim Boardman, Tour Manager for The Old Lion Touring Company. “I’m from the studio world but I can walk up to the Vi6 and make it work, which is saying something!” In the autumn, Old Lion will provide a Vi3000 and Vi6 console for a 10-week tour
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: V Festival
Below: A Yamaha PM5D console at the monitor position in the MTV stage; Eve supplied more than 7,500 Trakway panels to the two V Festival sites for production logistics.
with Clare, where Boardman and Devenish plan on using the Soundcraft Realtime Rack library of plug-ins from Universal Audio. “We’re really excited about using the Realtime Rack library,” Boardman noted. “Bringing those effects that are predominantly used in studio settings to live performances makes a lot of sense.” “Realtime Rack will be massive for us!” Devenish remarked. “The Vi6 is already a convenient console to work on and this will take the performance up another level.” VIDEO XL Video were once again involved on both V Festival sites, with Lee Spencer and Paul McCauley project managing the site at Weston Park, and Paul Wood project managing the Hylands Park site. XL Video supplied 12 Sony HXC-100 cameras and three Camera PPUs (Grass Valley Karrera, and Kayak-based systems, plus a Panasonic AV-HS450-system)
for the Weston Park site. Camera directors, engineers and camera operators were all supplied by XL Video. At the second site in Essex, XL Video augmented the broadcast setup with dedicated cameras and PPUs for the IMAG screens, which also took feeds from the broadcast cameras. At both sites, the Arena stage had projection IMAG using Barco projectors and 16 by 12 metre screens. This year XL Video also supplied the onstage screens for Stage 2 and stage 3 at both sites. On the MTV stage, Elbow and Axwell & Ingrosso each used its Pixled F-12 screen for their sets - 100 sq-metres for Elbow and 170 sq metres for Axwell ^ Ingrosso who also used 25 sq metres of F-12 around their bespoke DJ booth, and topped off with Barco HDQ2K40 projectors at FOH for their intro sequence. The Arena stage was kitted out with ROE MC-7T LED screen at
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: V Festival
Below: White Light provided production solutions for Lucozade Energy’s Yes! festival tour which featured at V Festival. Supplied was a selection of Fusion LED battens, Martin Professional Mac Auras, Clay Paky Alpha Beam 300s,Philips Color Kinetics Colour Blasts, Atomic Strobes and Look Solutions smoke and haze machines.
both sites. 30 sq metres of MC-7T was employed with a Resolume media server that allowed all the acts to use the screen for logos and graphics, with the headline acts such as Chase and Status, and Alesso making use of an extra section of the MC-7T for their DJ riser front. On the Main stage Paolo Nutini
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utilised XL Video’s ROE MC-7T LED screen as a back screen, measuring in at 12 metres by six metres. XL Video’s new versatile touring frame proved its worth as it allowed the LED screen to be de-rigged completely during the 30 minute changeover and ready to load on the truck before the Killers were due on stage.
STAGING “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was the staging mantra at V Festival this year. The main Virgin Media stage at both Hylands Park and Weston Park once again featured Stageco’s standard 4-Tower Roof, with Patrik Vonckx and Hendrik Verdeyen heading the respective crews. “Although there are bound to be some changes in the future, our 4-Tower format has proven to be a very successful format to date,” commented Stageco project manager Dirk De Decker. Heavily involved in the V Festival since it began in 1996, a crew of steel fixers and climbers, steel hands and plant operators from east London-based Showstars assisted Stageco on the three-day build program at Hylands Park, while the company also provided site-wide crew consisting of up to 27 multi-skilled personnel who were on call for over three weeks. Showstars’ operations director
Stuart Milne said: “V is always a very popular festival to work on and there is always a good vibe, regardless of the tight schedule and often unpredictable weather. Many of our crew regard it as the highlight of the summer season.” STRUCTURAL BENEFITS Star Events Group has been supplying stages 2,3,4 & 5 - plus ancillary equipment - to the V Festivals since 2006. This year, the company deployed over 80 structures across both events, including the observation towers in the campsites. Stage 2 is a flagship 20-metre VerTech system, with wing portals and access designed specifically for each site, while the others are Big Top-based platforms. Given Star Events’ long history with the events, the Vs have felt the benefit of VerTech’s ongoing development, from improved grid and mast loads to PA support, and latterly, the introduction of Active
PRODUCTION PROFILE: V Festival
Roof Technology, which enables real time load analysis in the roof. Pete Holdich, Head of Structures at Star Events, commented: “ART is a system we’ve been working on for some time and the management teams at both V Festivals have been enthusiastic supporters. “With more artists bringing their own productions to the festival environment, it has become increasingly important to be able to accurately check the pre-event rigging information and ensure the roof loads remain within limits, so any show day changes can be dealt with efficiently.” ENERGISING EVENTS Making 2014 a summer to remember, entertainment lighting specialist White Light was tapped by experiential agency TRO to provide production solutions for Lucozade Energy’s Yes! festival tour. The unique brand experience events were designed to promote Lucozade’s popular energy drink brand to thousands of guests at the UK’s biggest summer music festivals. The Lucozade Energy Arena visited V Festival, Global Gathering and T in the Park music festivals during the 2014 summer season. The focal point of the pop-up event was the Energy Arena which invited visitors to enjoy free activities including the brand’s well-known
nightly silent disco. Since 2012, White Light was worked with TRO to deliver highly successful Luczade branded events during each festival season. For the 2014 season, the Energy Arena was completely redesigned to incorporate new activities areas for body zorbing as well as new seamless plasma screen walls to showcase visitors’ tweets. White Light Project Manager Dominic Yates worked closely with TRO’s Anne Mcpherson to design and deliver the event’s new look. Mcpherson commented on working with White Light over the years: “The White Light team has been excellent to work with. Since our very first event together the TRO and White Light teams have worked seamlessly with some amazing results.” White Light supplied lighting, AV, sound, rigging and power distribution for the Energy Arena, as well as on-site crew to build, run, and strike each event. Key equipment included Fusion LED battens, Martin Professional Mac Auras, Clay Paky Alpha Beam 300s, Philips Color Kinetics Colour Blasts, Atomic Strobes and Look Solutions smoke and haze machines. On-site setup included a full sound system setup, a 9x9 seamless plasma wall and Prolyte truss structures. White Light crew for the three events included on-site technicians Martin Strods, Alan Kiernan, Marc Thornton with lighting design
and project management by Dominic Yates. CATERING Eat to the Beat provided catering for breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight meals at the Chelmsford site. Eat to the Beat provided over 14,000 meals as well as dressing room rider requirements for 80 artists, including headliners Justin Timberlake and The Killers. Drinks were available at nine stations over a 24-hour period at stages, production, dressing rooms and, of course, at catering. 40 Eat to the Beat crew members were hard at work in the kitchen over 14 days on site. Eat to the Beat’s Kim Joyce commented: “Our team worked hard rain or shine, day and night to make sure our standard was above the rest. We were able to bring good quality home style cooking meals to the middle of a muddy field in Essex.” TPi Photos: Martin Strods, Soundcraft and Eve. www.eattothebeat.com www.xlvideo.com www.evetrakway.co.uk www.mojobarriers.com www.showsec.co.uk www.sseaudiogroup.com www.stageco.com www.stareventsgroup.com www.whitelight.ltd.uk
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Rock en Seine
ROCK EN SEINE THE FRENCH MUSIC FESTIVAL ROCK EN SEINE TAKES PLACE - AS ITS NAME IMPLIES - ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER SEINE IN PARIS. FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 2003, THE FESTIVAL HAS BECOME ONE OF FRANCE’S MOST POPULAR AND ATTRACTS OVER 110,000 SPECTATORS OVER THE COURSE OF THREE DAYS, WITH 65 BANDS - THIS YEAR INCLUDING ARCTIC MONKEYS AND THE PRODIGY - GRACING FIVE DIFFERENT STAGES. PATRICK MCCUMISKEY WENT BACKSTAGE AT THE FESTIVAL. In the August heat of France’s rock ‘n’ roll underbelly, a Parisian festival is underway with its biggest production feat to date. The production company in charge of video distribution at Rock en Seine was sombrero and co. Based in Paris, France, sombrero and co has an array of Blackmagic Design video production equipment at its disposal - many of which were utilised in the video production at Rock en Seine. As well as in Paris, Sombrero and co can be found working with Franco-German TV channel Arte, exchange TV Rennes in Brittany, with TBsud and TBO for Les Vielles Charrues festival, Les Transmusicales de Rennes and La Route du Rock de Saint Malo. In Normandy, sombrero and co also works with France 3 for the Jazz festival, Jazz Sous Les Pommiers. Additionally, sombrero and co was present at the Hellfest metal music 80
festival in June, where it provided video coverage for four stages and broadcast needs of four different websites and TV channels. “At sombrero and co, we are quite a unique group,” said Julien Brunet, Video Production Coordinator at sombrero and co. “We have some of the best video production crew in France. Each crew member has experience of working on productions not just in France, but also internationally. We are all united in the fact that we want to place quality of life over busy touring schedules. This way, when we work on projects such as Rock en Seine, we are focused and passionate - its not just another job.” Logistics is a word that the sombrero and co crew know all too well - the amount of set-up and planning that operating a video system for a festival of this size requires is no straightforward task.
“sombrero and co look after two things here at Rock en Seine,” said Brunet, massively underplaying sombrero and co’s role at the festival. “Firstly, we ensure that the cameras - a mixture of Sony PMW 500’s and Panasonic P2’s - on the Grande Scène (Main Stage), Scène de la Cascade (Cascade Stage) and the Scène de l’Industrie (Industrie Stage) - the three largest stages - feed their content to our control rooms. We produce a live mix with the images captured with Blackmagic Design’s ATEM switchers and disperse the live images from each stage to the relevant LED video screens on the stages. Secondly, we record - also through Blackmagic hardware - the shows to be edited and then distributed later on TV.” TECHNICAL PRODUCTION For the technical production, Brunet used a dual optical fiber ring throughout the festival site for
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Rock en Seine
Opposite: Rock en Seine, on the picturesque banks of the river Seine in Paris, attracted over 110,000 spectators over three days. Below: Blackmagic Design hardware played a key role in the video production at the festival.
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signal transmission. All in all over 3km of optical fibre was in place, which ran the length of the very long, narrow festival site running adjacent to the river Seine. This allowed for a very tough and reliable festival set-up, and flexible in the sense that small issues could be resolved quickly and efficiently whilst the live production continued. The optical fibre network was complemented by a variety of Blackmagic Design’s Smart Videohub routers, which were in place in each of the stages’ control room to manage signal distribution across the festival site. Videohub - a powerful broadcast grade routing switcher allows the user to connect equipment and easily change connections from a computer or laptop. There was a Smart Videohub 40 by 40 (40 inputs) on the Scène de l’Industrie and the other two stages had Smart Videohub 16 by 16. The key to Videohubs popularity is its usability and flexibility. A technical operator like Brunet can simply select a signal, and choose where it needs to be directed to using buttons on the Videohub’s front panel, or with Smart Control software. Brunet used Blackmagic Design ATEM Studio Converters to transmit the HD Video signals through the optical fibre network to the various control rooms. Due to their robust design, the ATEM Studio Converters are perfect for outdoor live event production, as they enable high quality bidirectional video signal transmission for cameras situated long distances from the switcher. Brunet added: “For us at sombrero and co, Blackmagic Design’s Videohubs and ATEM switchers are essential for our set-up. We have always incorporated them into our production with ease - we need great flexibility in our operation, and Blackmagic Design’s products allows for this.”
HIGH QUALITY EDITORIAL CONTENT sombrero and co uses the Blackmagic DesignATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K for its video mixing at live events, such as Rock en Seine. TPi saw the ATEM 2 M/E in action at the Cascade Stage, which controlled the feeds from eight cameras on stage (some operated by cameramen and women, some robotic) and also video content in between the bands for the adverts / short films / trailers that run during set changes. This was done with by connecting a laptop with one of Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards running through the ATEM. Terry Viellneuve, brother of sombrero and co founder Patrick Viellneuve, was at the helm of the ATEM 2 M/E switcher backstage at Cascade Stage’s video control hub. It was quite an experience to watch Viellneuve directing his orchestra of cameras in a torrent of words and sharp actions - this was a man completely in tune with his ATEM machine. The content produced by the ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K was used to serve three main purposes. Firstly, the video content was broadcast on the big screens at either side of the stage. Secondly and thirdly, the content was broadcast by the regional TV stations that Sombrero collaborates with and also for live streaming / online videos for Culturebox, a branch of French Television. “On events like Rock en Seine, we are generally involved with streaming web content too,” confirmed Brunet. sombrero works together with several French television channels with regards to creating live streams. “When we work with local TV channels, the deal is usually that we use some of their technical equipment and personnel, and in return we let them the rights for broadcasting the event. This way it helps us stay close to the place, to the people, and this gives us obvious logistical
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Rock en Seine
Below: The Cascade stage’s video production room, complete with Blackmagic Design’s ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K.
Blackmagic will continue to be our first choice for these events,” said Brunet.
benefits - instead of travelling with a lot of people and equipment all around the country, we can share equipment, for example.” Seeing as the content is broadcast on television and the internet, content has to be premium, particularly for
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Culturebox, and so the equipment has to be of the highest technical grade. “sombrero and co needs professional content production from equipment that fits the production budget. As a result, Blackmagic Design fits our purposes perfectly. That’s why
STAGE PRODUCTION For the third consecutive year, Stageco supplied and built two arched stages - a 26-metre by 20-metre Boogdak XL for the Grande Scène and 18-metre by 14-metre Boogdak for Scène de la Cascade, the second stage - which shared a similar décor theme. Two FOH towers, two delay towers and a pair of camera platform / towers for the Grande Scène were also provided within the Stageco package. A Stageco crew of 14, supported by local labour hired by the company, took five days to build both stages from 16 truckloads of equipment. The project also involved installing large docking platforms and loading areas behind each stage and a customised stage header for Grande Scène. The company worked in close cooperation with the festival organiser to ensure
that the rigging and front of stage additions such as catwalks and stairs met the requirements of all artists. A dedicated team of six was provided by Stageco to action these changes in between shows. AUDIO ONOFF, a French audio company which specialises in rock concerts, worked once again with with Rock en Seine, having been involved since the beginning 12 years ago. ONOFF supplied the main three stages with an extensive array of d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers and amplifiers, in addition to other high quality equipment. Included were three E3 and 12 J12 TOP loudspeaker cabinets, 52 J8 TOP cabinets, 12 V8’s, 44 J-SUB bass units, 12 Q1’s, two Q-SUBs and six T10 loudspeakers. For amplification, 12 d&b audiotechnik D12’s, two D6’s and 36 D80’s were employed. “Our highlight for 2014 was to introduce a massive use of d&b audiotechnik’s new D80 four channel amplifiers, deployed on
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Rock en Seine
Below: Paris based CKV2 Lighting provided an assortmemt of Clay Paky and Martin Professional features for the main stages, in addition to MA Lighting consoles.
three of the four stages,” said Nicolas Delatte of ONOFF. “The amplifiers were fully Ethernet controlled and AES / EBU fed. This was, believe it or not, the first time this set-up was employed in France.” One Klark Teknik DN 370, two Lake LM 44’s, four d&b audiotechnik R70 Interfaces and one Motion Tablet PC with d&b audiotechnik R1 remote control software and Lake controller software handled equalisation. The consoles employed on the main stage - which catered to the plethora of visiting engineers of the headlining acts - included a Avid Profile complete with a Avid Stage Rack, and also a Midas Heritage 3000. Monitoring was again via d&b audiotechnik, with four B20 subs, 10 C4 subs, eight C4 TOPs, 12 M2’s, six Max 115’s and two Q-SUBs on stage, amplified by 14 d&b audiotechnik A1’s, nine P1200As and four D12’s. Equalisation came in the form of a Klark Teknik 16-channel rack, with a Yamaha PM5D-RH and a Midas Heritage 3000 sharing console duties. LIGHTING Supplying lighting fixtures for Rock en Seine was Paris, France based CKV2 Lighting. “We began to do Rock en Seine’s lighting design 10 years ago,” said Frederic Fayard, CKV2 Lighting Manager. “The expert Lighting Designer in our company is Philippe Marty, who designed the lighting on four of the stages at this years’ festival.” At the Grande Scène - hosting headlining bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy and Queens of the Stone Age - Marty specified 18 Clay Paky Sharpys, 16 Martin Professional MAC Viper, 18 Martin Professional MAC 2000 Wash XBs, 48 Martin Professional MAC Auras, 27 Martin Professional Atomic 3000 DMX strobes, and two Robert Juliat Lancelot followspots controlled by two MA Lighting grandMA full size consoles. 84
Fayard continued: “Clay Paky have produced a lot of great performing fixtures in the last few years such as the Sharpy, A.leda and B-Eye; the same goes for Martin, with great fixtures like the Aura and the MAC 2000 Wash XBs. These fixtures allow for great flexibility, performance and stunning visuals. For us, these fixtures are especially important for large-scale festivals such as Rock en Seine, simply because of the sheer diversity they offer in terms of performance.” Fayard continued: “There are many challenges from a lighting perspective for a festival such as Rock en Scene. Firstly, we have to find the best compromise for the headliners. The lineup is very impressive for a French festival because we welcome the biggest international stars. So we talk a lot with product managers and lighting designers to make the best choices. “Many bands play during the day light, so the design has to be powerful and effective, and we try to ensure a good overall look.” The Scène de la Cascade (Cascade Stage), the second largest at the event, was again built by Stageco, comprising a two-level FOH tower and additional camera platforms and towers. Four d&b audiotechnik J12 cabinets, 24 J8 TOPs, 18 J-SUB bass units, four E8’s, three D1B E3’s, six Q1’s and four C6 cabinets were utilised as part of the line array system, amplified by 36 d&b audiotechnik D12’s and two D6 amplifiers. For equalisation, one Klark Teknik DN 370, one Lake LM 44 processor, and one Motion Tablet PC - again comprising audiotechnik R1 remote control software and Lake controller software - were employed running through a Midas Hertiage 2000 and Midas PRO2 desk. For monitors, four d&b audiotechnik C4 subs, two C4 TOPs, 16 Max 15’s and two Q-SUBs were employed on stage, amplified with two d&b audiotechnik D12’s and 10 P1200As. Seven Klark Teknik DN370’s equalised the monitor signals fed through one Midas XL250 and one Midas XL8 console.
Illuminating bands such as Blondie, La Roux and Wild Beasts were a selection of 26 Martin Professional MAC Vipers, 18 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700’s, 34 Martin Professional MAC Quantums and 19 Martin Professional Atomic 3000 DMX strobes controlled by two MA Lighting grandMA2 lighting consoles. The Scène de l’Industrie - the third largest stage at the festival - hosted acts such as The Horrors and Mac Demarco. Audio at the Scène de l’Industrie was again made up of d&b audiotechnik equipment, including 16 V8 line array speakers, eight V-SUBs, four Q7’s and four J-INFRA sub bass units. Amplification came in the form of six D80 amplifiers, whilst one Klark Teknik DN 3600 handled equalisation. A Soundcraft Vi6 console handled the mix at FOH position. In monitor world, four d&b audiotechnik C4 subs, two C4 TOPs, 12 Max 15’s and two Q-SUBs were employed. Amplification was dealt with by eight d&b audiotechnik P1200As and two D12’s, plus a Yamaha PM5D RH console for mixing requirements. A total of 18 Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700’s, 34 Martin Professional MAC Auras, eight Clay Paky A.leda K20’s, 15 Ayrton Rollapixs and 80 Oxo MiniBeam LEDs were utilised and controlled via an MA Lighting grandMA2 lighting console. In conclusion, its fair to say that Rock en Seine is a production which is increasing in magnitude each year in every respect. As crowd numbers increase incrementally year on year, it will certainly be interesting to see where this production goes in the future. TPi Photos: Patrick McCumiskey and CKV2 Lighting www.sombreroandco.fr www.rockenseine.com www.blackmagicdesign.com www.stageco.com www.onoffaudio.fr www.ckv2.com
INTERVIEW: LeRoy Bennett
A MUSICAL VISIONARY ‘AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?’ IS A COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTION, BUT FEW GIVE AN ANSWER THAT ACTUALLY BECOMES REALITY. WORLD-RENOWNED LIGHTING DESIGNER, LEROY BENNETT HAS MEMORIES FROM THE AGE OF FOUR, WHICH HE KNOWS PLAYED A PART IN HOW HIS LIFE TURNED OUT TODAY. TPi MET UP WITH THE LD IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, DURING THE ENTECH CONNECT SHOW, TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK. THE ANSWER BEGINS WITH MUSIC... Anybody who is anybody in the live touring market will have come across the name LeRoy Bennett - famous most recently for his work with Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga to name just a few - but since he has never spoken out publicly about his life and career, few may know his back story and just exactly how he got his first big break, the legend… Prince. Taking to the seminar stage at Entech Connect for his keynote presentation, Designing and Creating Emotions, it’s clear from the outset that Bennett is a humble and charismatic character, almost as if he doesn’t quite realise how much he is in fact admired by his peers. Speaking in front of a virtually full seminar room, it was obvious he is more used to being in the background rather than the foreground, his softly spoken tones and down to earth demure was at first somewhat reserved, but as members of the audience sat listening intently, at times gasping in amazement and at others laughing in all the right places, he soon settled into his well-earned place in the limelight. Born into a musical family, his mother a trained opera singer, Bennett was heavily influenced by music - classical in particular - from a very young age, and he credits this as a pivotal stimulus in his 86
life. What made music different for Bennett though, was his ability to associate the music with images, and quite seamlessly. He said: “Even as far back as three or four years old, music has always been a visual thing for me, I had very vivid images of things when I heard something.” A combination of his mother’s passion for singing and father’s design sense and creativity shaped Bennett’s thoughts and visions of the world, how he listened to music and how music became a visual art form in his mind. “All of these influences drove me in the direction of where I am now, although at the time I didn’t really have an inclining about what was happening. It probably didn’t make sense until I was about 19 years old,” he continued. A few years prior to that, aged 15, Bennett witnessed his first concert, Three Dog Night, accompanied by his father. “I’d never been exposed to a large pop concert in an arena. It seemed like a huge crazy world, everyone was older, had long hair, was smoking pot. It was daunting but also intriguing. I was totally transformed by that world and it was like having a light bulb moment. It moved me so much that it changed my life.” Living by a mantra of ‘I love music, I live
INTERVIEW: LeRoy Bennett
Opposite: Lighting Designer, LeRoy Bennett in the arena and at his desk - an MA Lighting console; Bennett with Sir Paul McCartney, an artist he has been working with for 12 years.
it, breathe it, listen to it everyday’, naturally became a concern for his parents as Bennett graduated from high school. But the choices he made did turn out to be the right ones. After meeting a band from Rhode Island, who were based in Washington DC and touring the East Coast through a friend, he became their roadie for 12 months. During that time, Bennett was shown how to set up a basic light show and how to control it from a console. He said: “At that point I realised I could perform musically without actually being onstage, which is where I prefer to be.” Upon returning home to Rhode Island, he took a job in a small lighting company called Polico and trained to be a technician, before leaving home again a year later, to take up a position at Zenith, a British company based in LA. “The director at Zenith knew I wanted to be more than a technician,” said Bennett. “He said to me, ‘the next client that comes to us in need of a designer, I’ll put your name forward’. The next thing I know, that moment had arrived, the director told some white lies that I had experience, which was scary, but I knew I had the passion to do it and knew I’d be able to do what was necessary to get the job done. The artist was Prince. “The first week with Prince was a nightmare but actually I was very lucky to work with him off the back of nothing and there’s nobody harder to work with than him, he’s the most challenging artist I’ve ever worked with, but he’s also the most rewarding.” After a settling in period between the pair, Prince allowed Bennett a free reign over design, as long as it incorporated some of his visions too. “Prince taught me a lot and pushed me further than I thought I was capable of. I don’t think I could have been any luckier in that part of my life, although at the time I didn’t realise it,” he explained. Bennett continued to work extensive with Prince throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. Another artist Bennett holds close to his heart is Trent Reznor, frontman of NIN, who he has been working with for 15 years. “He’s an amazing guy, much like Prince, very similar in terms of their music and their thought processes, how they perceive things happening. A perfectionist, musical genius and a major tech head.” His work with Prince put Bennett on the map, as Prince’s popularity grew, Bennett’s reputation grew. Other artists came to see the Prince shows and they began asking him to work with them too. Other significant acts included The Cure, Rammstein and then, Sir Paul McCartney. “I’ve been working with Paul for 12 years now and the great thing about him is he likes to do gigs in different places, different arenas, alternative settings and that’s a real challenge.” Challenge, is ultimately what leads Bennett to take on a particular project, whether it’s a different kind of artist, a different kind of music, a good song is a good song and Bennett
appreciates good talent. “I’ve worked with true artists, great musicians, great singers, songwriters and I’ve been very lucky to work with these people throughout the majority of my career. I’ll take on anything as a challenge, things that I have never done before.” One particular challenge Bennett took on with McCartney was the NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2005. “This was the first time I’d done anything of this scale so the pressure was on, I had to design something that could be put up and set up on the pitch within six minutes,” he said. “The key in that situation is not to panic. I’ve really learnt that there’s more than one way to get the end result. You have to understand the situation, be positive and see the light at the end of the tunnel… When I hit the power cable at the Super Bowl and everything went up, I could finally breathe again.” Taking on project after project and making each and every one different is no easy feat, and something which Bennett finds difficult to describe because, “what I do is not a formula, and that is why I can’t explain how the process happens. I can explain that certain things inspire me though, things such as fashion and
upcoming bands and basically just to do a lot of different things. Right now, there’s a cross pollination, we collaborate with each other and we bounce ideas off each other,” said Bennett. To date, the most notable collaborations are Bennett and FitzGerald for the Bruno Mars, Moonshine Jungle tour and the Balenciaga Fashion Show in Paris, commissioned by Alexander Wang for Bennett and Rylander. Seven will expand in the future as more people are brought onboard, programmers and directors and those people will be coming in to mentor others. “Somebody once described it as me being ‘the master chef’ and nothing made by the other chefs goes out to the table until I’ve tasted it,” laughed Bennett. There are plans in place to extend Seven into Asia too, with the formation of a company in China. “I’ve always had a fascination and a love for China, I actually live there part-time now too,” said Bennett. “The music scene and touring industry is pretty new in China compared to the rest of the world, it’s almost a new frontier and that’s a challenge for me. Not only because it’s a new frontier for them but for me, it’s dealing with the challenges of how things get done in China. The reason I’m
“Prince taught me a lot and pushed me further than I thought I was capable of...” architecture, and I absorb all of that stuff and use it in my designs.” It’s obvious the influences behind Bennett’s work are important to him, as he speaks about them so passionately. When talking about any one of his creations he becomes animated, listing detail after detail, indicating that he remembers each and every project on an individual level. In the past Bennett has stated that production design for him is about ‘architectural emotion’. “Architectural emotion is… it’s architectural to the lighting side of it, to the structural side of it. It’s when you see something and it evokes some emotion, relating to the music, the artist, the vibe of what you’re trying to portray in any project. It’s not just a structure for a structure, it’s for a purpose, there’s a reason why it looks the way it does, it’s an expression of what you’re trying to present. So it is an emotion because music is an emotional experience and it’s about piecing those things together,” he explained. Having built up so much experience over the years - having worked independently with his own company, Dakana Design - Bennett was keen to share this as a way to educate the younger generation and to that end he founded Seven Design Works in 2013 with Cory FitzGerald and Tobias Rylander, who together create a vast variety of concepts and designs for all levels of artists. “I started Seven with Cory and Tobias to be able to work with the
setting up the company is to mentor, develop and educate young Chinese people and companies to work in a Western way so that they understand about being more efficient in using technology, how to use the technology and how to use it in a creative way too.” Speaking about his own creative path and looking ahead to the future, he noted that there are many projects in the pipeline. However, possibly the most exciting is something that he has been sworn to secrecy over. The big unveiling will be in the next 18 months, and it’s something he describes as a game-changer. By the time the interview - which took place after the seminar in a more casual environment drew to a close, there was definitely a sense that TPi had been given the privilege of meeting the real LeRoy Bennett. Though his reputation may precede him, the man behind the name is a true genius when it comes to lighting design yet he remains admirably grounded. Concluding, when asked why he chose now to speak out about his life story for the first time: “It was a moment of weakness,” he laughed. Normally in these situations, I’m busy or it’s just not something I feel comfortable doing. But on this one, I didn’t have any hesitation, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I was like, ‘ok, I’m ready, let’s do it’.” TPi Photos: MJ Kim www.leroybennett.com 87
CLOCKING OFF: Ice Bucket Challenge Below: ALS and Macmillan both benefit from Ice Bucket Challenge charity donations. Jimmy Mac gets soaked, as do the TPi girls and DiGiCo’s James ‘Digger’ Bradley.
THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE IS AN ACTIVITY THAT GENERALLY INVOLVES DUMPING A BUCKET OF ICE WATER ON SOMEONE’S HEAD TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE DISEASE AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS) AND ENCOURAGE RESEARCH DONATIONS. IT IMMEDIATELY WENT VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA EARLIER THIS YEAR. HERE IS WHY SOME OF YOU GOT INVOLVED. In the spirit of the current Ice Bucket Challenge, we’ve seen many a familiar face in the industry take the plunge. From the lovely folks at DiGiCo and FOS Global, to manufacturing giant SGM which handed down a challenge to its closest competitors to submit their automated lighting fixtures to the ultimate ‘soak test’ - all of course in aid of gathering charity donations. Beardy Scot and backline maestro, Music Bank’s Jimmy Mac, decided to look into the Ice Bucket challenge after seeing a friend of his from the US participate and share footage on social media. Although being doused in freezing water didn’t sound like Mac’s idea of a good time, he acquiesced upon his nomination from Marshall Amps after discovering the initiative’s links to Macmillan UK. “Macmillan UK is such a fantastic charity and as I personally and so many of Music Bank’s friends have been touched by cancer. Not only did I have to do the challenge but I was also proud to hopefully be able to help in any small way I could. I hope those who see the video or 88
do it themselves will donate to their charity of choice. And, of course, I immediately thought of you guys as my victims, erm, I mean my nominations!” he said. Indeed, following his own soaking, Mac immediately landed TPi Editor, Kelly (Muzza as she’s referred to at HQ) with a nomination. Again, there was no doubt that if looking ridiculous on camera for two minutes could raise some money for charity, it was well worth doing. Like Mac, Muzza also donated to the amazing folks at Macmillan UK who on a daily basis counsel, comfort and advise those hit by the big C. Alongside Hannah (or ‘Eaks’ if you’ve ever had to shout her across a busy bar), the TPi lasses also donated to ALS and the recent tragedy at Manchester Dogs home. It shouldn’t take a dare or a hit to your street cred to make you want to donate to a worthy cause, but if it helps even a little bit, it’s surely worth it. And yes, we also support Water Aid thanks to their little helpers at Glastonbury. So whether you did or you didn’t find yourself driving home in wet underwear to not look like a coward on social
media, please do one good deed this week, and give back to a charity who might just mean the world to someone else. If you would like to upset your neighbours and buy one of Jimmy Mac’s 100% charity tee-shirts (on behalf of Cancer Research UK) you can get in touch here: jimm@musicbank.org. TPi www.alsa.org www.macmillan.org.uk www.dogshome.net www.wateraid.org www.cancerresearchuk.org
COMPANY PROFILE: Robe
ROBE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS ROBE NEEDS LITTLE BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION. THE CZECH COMPANY - CURRENTLY CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR - IS HAVING A BUSY MONTH WITH THE WORLD TOUR OF ITS LATEST PRODUCT RELEASE, THE BMFL. WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE ITS BIRTHDAY THAN WITH A COMPANY PROFILE AND AN INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDING FATHER, JOSEF VALCHAR. 20 years ago, when the Czech Republic was merely a year old, Robe (or Robe Show Lighting as it was then known) was born. Just two decades was all it took to grow the company to the success story that it is today; a company poised at the forefront of show lighting technology employing over 300 people at its primary 20,000 sq metre premesis in Valašské Mezirící - a small Moravian town in the south east of the Czech Republic. From the beginning, Robe’s philosophy was to remain a grass roots company staying as close to its customers as possible, listening to their needs, thoughts and wishes. Valchar maintains that end users of Robe’s products become part of the ‘Robe family’. This philosophy remains so strong for several reasons; partly because Robe’s two founders / owners Valchar and Ladislav Petrek are both still actively involved in the day-to-day running of the company. “I know it might sound like a 90
bit of a cliché, but we really are a family,” said Valchar. “I believe that all that face-to-face honest feedback and taking on-board people’s perceptions of our company is vital. “As CEO and General Manager of Robe, I can be hands-on with product development. Linked to that and equally important is being ‘out there’ in the field, visiting shows, events and projects and becoming personally acquainted with LDs programmes, crew and other end users. “I like the fact that people feel they can approach me directly if they have a special project or product suggestion or even if they just want to say hello. Many CEOs have an ‘unapproachable’ aura about them, but this would not work for Robe.” A BRIEF HISTORY Petrek - a DJ in the late 80s and early 90s began importing PAR cans, mirror balls and other lighting equipment from around Europe
in the immediate post-Velvet Revolution years in Czechoslovakia. Valchar, a general lighting graduate from Ostrava Technical University, happened to be looking for a job in the lighting industry. Petrek offered Valchar a job in his company which was importing lighting effects and undertaking installations in the Czech and Slovak Republics. (And so, our story begins…) “As an engineer, I was fascinated by the products that Ladislav was using and importing - and, in fact, in terms of engineering I could quickly see that most of them were not that well made!” said Valchar. “I suggested to him that we should go into business developing some of our own. This was the start of Robe and so my first ‘industry role’ as such was looking at product development for what was then really still quite raw but definitely burgeoning and emerging entertainment industry lighting effects in that part of Europe.” It wasn’t until 1994, however, that ‘Robe Show Lighting’ was officially born, exhibiting
COMPANY PROFILE: Robe
Opposite: The Robe factory building in the Czech Republic illuminated by Robe Anolis LED fixtures. Below: The BMFL - Robe’s latest fixture - is currently embarking on a world tour.
for the first time at Frankfurt’s ProLight & Sound with its own scanners and sound activated fixtures. “For the first eight years, Robe became a very successful OEM manufacturer supplying many leading European moving light brands,” continued Valchar. “Then in 2002, we decided the time was right to launch ‘Robe’ as a brand in its own right … and we have evolved from there.” In 2003, Robe UK Ltd., Robe America and Robe Italia were established to manage the expanding markets in these areas. Robe’s ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200 AT Series were launched in the same year, with its successor, the ColorSpot 2500E AT fixture launched in 2006. The success and popularity of these fixtures paved the way for the ROBIN LED series in 2009, which still remains ever popular among Lighting Designers. 2013 saw Robe capitalise on the success of the ROBIN with the Pointe - a multipurpose spot, beam, FX and wash light. “We were confident that The Pointe would do well, but I think everyone was surprised with just how well it has done and the sky-rocketing sales! There were many other beam light products out there, and that why it was vital
that the Pointe offered so much more in terms of features, brightness and build quality - as well as being competitively priced.” THE BMFL The global launch of Robe’s hugely anticipated new lighting fixture, the BMFL (the Bright Multi-Functional Luminaire), took place on 2 September this year. The launch was broadcast via a worldwide video stream across three time zones, and was watched by an estimated 11,000 people, who pre-registered on the special Robe Premier launch website. Introducing the new BMFL, Valchar claimed: “I think it’s the best fixture we have ever made. “The BMFL has been three years in development and that’s because we wanted to make sure it’s absolutely spot on - and that it covers all bases. It had to be mega bright because we wanted a signature long throw moving light that was good for multiple applications, and it took some years also to develop the 1700W lightsource.” The BMFL light source was custom designed for Robe. The lamp produces a powerful 250,000 lumins at five metres, and light at a CRI of 92. Furthermore, a refined optical system giving 5 - 55 degree zoom results in a crisp,
high quality fat beam that is truly homogenised and without a hotspot. “It also has fantastic colour mixing, ultrasmooth dimming, and other key features like no hotspot, dual animation wheels, two colour wheels, multiple prism effects plus many other unique ones like the EMS stabilisation,” added Valchar. Aimed at long-throw applications, the newly patented Robe EMS (Electronic Motion Stabiliser) technology enables the BMFL Spot to absorb vibrations from music and audio sources, truss movement, sprung or suspended floors Furthermore, the new, high definition colour mixing technology can produce a full spectrum of colours. There are also two colour wheels which include filters that can be utilised to adjust colour temperature and improve the CRI of the white output in aging lamps. There are two rotating gobo wheels - each with six slot and lock gobo positions and also two Rotating Prisms. The Dual Graphic Wheels both focus within the same focal plane, and the rotation and movement can be individually controlled and varied to create ultra-cool, infinitely subtle special effects. Frost and dimming functions provide further effects; three grades of frost are available and 91
COMPANY PROFILE: Robe
Below: BMFL roadshow in Singapore with Josef Valchar, Robe CEO; Founder and part owner of Robe, Valchar; Robe Pointes bathed the Rolling Stones in light on tour. To date, the Pointe has been included on countless headline tours worldwide.
the dimmer is exceptionally smooth with no distortion, so the full beam width is visible right up to the point at which it fades out. Weighing in at just 36 Kg, the compact body profile makes it a relatively lightweight fixture especially given its performance capabilities. The BMFL World Tour began at Robe’s global HQ in Valmez, Czech Republic, and is currently making its way around the world. By December, the BMFL World Tour will have visited over 60 countries on all continents and thousands of interested parties will have seen and experienced the product. As the last of the independently owned major moving light manufactures, this gives Robe several key advantages. Valchar continued: “Being independent brings so many elements to the equation. Firstly, we can be very agile, make decisions quickly and respond to market and technology trends with immediacy, and that’s really important in this industry, where the technology is constantly changing. “Secondly, we are in control of our own destiny. There isn’t a hierarchy of middle management or accountancy management to negotiate through in order to make an investment or a corporate financial decision. “Related also to that is the fact that we can recruit who we want to make up our allimportant management infrastructure - which is extremely proactive, with much talent and 92
some diverse and interesting personalities.” Robe’s freedom of manoeuvre has had a direct influence upon its ability to invest in R&D. Continued Valchar: “We have a team of around 25 people constantly working on different products,” added Valchar. “Not all of those will be developed for production, but we also keep a close eye on how the relevant associated technologies are developing. It’s important to try and keep a step or two ahead! We could have the best sales force in the world, but the bottom line is that any company needs the right products.” According to Valchar, investment in R&D is also essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with rental companies. He added: “It is very important to be in contact with the rental companies as they are our major customers and we want to have constant feedback relating to their need and wishes. They must feel comfortable when they invest money in purchasing new products, so their opinions count and help shape our R&D. “Rental companies are also in tune with what LDs are specifying, and can give us valuable information and feedback about trends and what’s being said and discussed. “They also are a great sounding board for the different regions and markets; for example, the trends in Brazil will be very different from those in Germany, so it’s another reason for close contact with rental facilities worldwide.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY “We are very proud to be here after 20 years and in the position we are at the moment, which is among the leading moving light manufacturers in the world. It is very satisfying to see our products being used on some amazing shows all over the globe. “I hope that we will continue to be offering great tools for designers and creative teams to use in their various works, good solid products and for rental companies to have in their stock and wide choice of fixtures for all types of installations. At the end of the day it’s what all these different end-users want and need to sustain their work and business that influences the product development. “It’s hard to predict the future precisely right now, as to some extent things like product development will also depend on how the lightsource and component technology develops – as well as the needs of the designers, rental companies and installations mentioned above. “I think it’s important to stay focussed on maintaining quality standards and respect the fact that we all learn new things every day. I don’t want us to ever become complacent, and we need to maintain the great energy, spirit and multi-level inspiration that drives the company forward.” TPi Photos: Louise Stickland, Robe www.robe.cz
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: K-array KH8
K-ARRAY KH8 LINE ARRAY K-ARRAY SYSTEMS LAUNCH THE NEXT GENERATION OF TOURING LINE ARRAY SPEAKERS For centuries Italy has been the country of design and creativity, it’s a country of dreamers. That passion still flows in the heart of Tuscany, Mugello, inspiring some of world’s most notable innovations. In the world of professional audio, the new creation to leave the workshop of K-array is a product of this rich history set to shake the experts in the industry. Since the first line array systems appeared in the market back in the ‘90s, there have been great strides in terms of sound quality, the sound pressure levels (SPL) and the ability to focus energy towards the listening areas. This has increased large areas of the audio market, which the public have become accustomed to over the years with major festivals sporting giant PA systems to support reputable artists all around the world. However, the price paid for this evolving technology has continued to grow as the systems have increased in size and complexity thus adding more costs to move equipment around and set up. The need to uniformly cover large areas led to the 94
appearance of increasingly cumbersome systems that were complex to assemble and difficult to manage. Alex Tatini, President of K-array explained: “When we started designing the KH8 we wanted to create a system that would represent the ‘state-of-the -art’ in terms of performance but at the same time, the most ‘practical’ as possible in terms of portability, installation and management. When we considered all the feedback from others and from our own experiences, the focus became: how could we make life easier for everyone using pro audio, day in, day out especially in the touring sector, where the demand for quick turn around times and tight costs affect the freedom to be creative.” The result is the KH8, one of the world’s first flexible digital ‘slim array technology’ (SAT line array speakers; slim and compact in design, selfpowered and weather resistant, providing an exceptional peak output of 145dB SPL offering a rather different solution to the touring audio market. It is fully controlled by the onboard DSPs
for hyper detailed beam steering and maximum operational flexibility. Its counter- part, the KS8, is a compact, self-powered, weather resistant subwoofer element providing an exceptional peak output of 148dB SPL. This too has dynamic set up options for optimum delay calibration. RIGGING EASE A system of 24 KH8 units can be flown in just 10 minutes. This is possible because it is not necessary to dismount the entire cluster, the speakers are anchored in groups of three within rigid frames - and each frame is placed on a standard dolly for practical transportation that can be connected quickly to create longer clusters (up to 24 units). Compared to traditional systems that require wiring and a mechanical connection for each speaker, the KH8 saves time. The portability and ease of assembly are just some of the advantages of configuring a ‘straight array’. For example, if users wanted to change the inclination angle of a speaker when the cluster has already been hoisted: with the
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: K-array KH8
Opposite: K-array has launched the KH8 line array and KS8 subwoofer. Below: The KH8 was Beta tested at the Shanghai JZ Festival last year and will return again this year.
KH8 it is not necessary to pull the cluster down, it is sufficient for someone to change the tilt of the single speaker, an operation that requires no more than a few minutes. In addition, the ‘straight array technology’ minimises the cluster’s volume and allows maximum freedom on where they are hoisted. For instance, not as much space in depth is needed behind the cluster, instead it can be flown almost attached to a wall or a tower. The result is to obtain a wavefront that has the desired curvature from a perfectly vertical cluster. “We like to say the bananas go digital,” laughed Tatini. Every unit can be independently tilted to focus the sound mechanically and then digitally steered. The KH8 cluster’s coverage can be controlled mechanically by adjusting the splayed angles between units and digitally, by exploiting one of the key advantage of the KH8 system, the digital steering function. With the KH8 users can focus sound in targeted areas with more accuracy, excluding beam sounds in specific areas (i.e. the stage), check the directivity frequency and obtain an extremely uniform sound field. Acoustic steering is a technique that allows users to steer a speaker’s sound beam through the interaction of several loudspeakers. The full potential of this technique can truly be maximised only when there is a system that allows users to precisely and independently control each element of the array. Powerful calculation software that can optimise all the parameters in order to obtain the desired acoustic result is required. The KH8 system has
this capability. Each KH8 unit has eight onboard DSP channels in order to drive all its section independently. Each of the eight channels is designed to load FIR and delays to achieve the best and the most accurate steering results. DEDICATED SOFTWARE With an intelligent system such as the KH8 dedicated software to make things easier is required but equally as important is giving the user plenty to play with. K-array approached the most successful software developers in the AFMG industry and together developed the FIRmaker software to users have the ability to create their own acoustic modelling. Dedicated software allows any user to design according to any venue requirement. By simply pressing a button, the software can suggest the most accurate speaker angle for optimal coverage in the targeted listening area. Press another button and the software will compute the best FIR settings to meet any demanding set-up requirement and control sound spill over. KS8 features IPAL driver and amplifier technology, including a powerful amplifier module, a differential pressure sensing device, a ‘zero latency’ DSP and two 21-inch specifically designed high efficiency transducers. The IPAL technology allows the user to correct the intrinsic uncertainties of the acoustical system in real time for state-of-the-art performances. System linearity is guaranteed by feedback correction based on a differential pressure control method. The integrated DSP ensures
an astonishing 10 microseconds latency on the critical feedback paths allowing ‘analogue type’ feedback approach with the flexibility of a DSP core. Tatini said: “We returned to the drawing board when designing the KH8, focusing on power, usability, weight, size and the time it takes to set up, we listened and discussed the problems with numerous sound engineers around the world. We went right back to the beginning of the line array and re-designed it from the ground up, considering every detail in a bid to make things simpler but pack enough power to make it a system everyone can recognise and enjoy. What we have created is not just a high performance speaker, it reaches a whole other level of sound technology.” BETA SUCCESS “We have been BETA testing the KH8 in Asia for a year now and the results have over exceeded our expectations,” continued Tatini. The KH8 was used at the JZ Festival in Shanghai in 2013 and is currently being installed at the Carina Club in China. “The system is ready to ship and the success of its performance is down to the incredible team we have here in Tuscany, the European commission and our colleagues in the pro-audio world,” he concluded. The KH8 has been used on tour in Italy and China this summer and will feature at the JZ Festival in Shanghai on 17 October. TPi www.k-array.com 95
MARKET FOCUS: Rigging & Trussing
RIGGING A.C. RIGGING
www.ac-et.com
A.C. Entertainment Technologies’ dedicated rigging division, A.C. Rigging, is a specialist one-stop shop for all your rigging equipment needs. It prides itself on offering impartial advice on lifting and rigging products from renowned manufacturers, to ensure the customer always has the right products for the application. It holds vast stocks of quality products for same-day or next-day delivery. These include everything from general purpose and high load truss by leading manufacturers, Litec and Prolyte, to Lodestar chain hoists from Columbus McKinnon. Other stocked lines include BroadWeigh load monitoring, Out Board control systems, Petzl height safety equipment, Crosby rigging hardware, Manfrotto support and grip, VMB telescopic and PA lifts, Litestructures Litedeck, Prolyte StageDex staging systems and Touring Custom Products.
ACTUS INDUSTRIES
http://actusindustries.com
Actus Industries supplies a range of specialist rigging equipment and solutions to the entertainment, broadcast and exhibition industries. It is a small, enthusiastic team with many years of experience. It stocks an extensive inventory of rigging equipment from leading manufacturers, maintained to the highest standards and offered for hire at competitive rates. Actus Sales is proud to be an official distributor of Litec Truss and EXE Rise Chain hoists. Working together with its hire and sales divisions, Actus Project Management provides consultancy and installation services. With warehouse facilities in London and West Yorkshire it is ideally located to provide its services throughout the UK.
BLACKOUT
www.blackout-ltd.com
For 24 years Blackout has been supplying the music, sports, conference, exhibition and broadcast sectors with its extensive range of rigging, trussing and draping equipment. The company benefits from one of the largest inventories in Europe, and can service any event rigging needs from dry hire to bespoke, one-off creations of any scale or complexity. But, at Blackout it’s about more than simply the equipment that’s available; it’s the people that make the difference. From project management to warehousing, manufacturing, CAD design and installation all of Blackout’s staff are skilled, dependable and love what they do. Blackout has offices in both the UK and Paris, working internationally with some of the biggest names in the business. This year alone, Blackout’s people have been entrusted by Wireless Festival, Somerset House music and film events, Kasabian, The MTV EMA and The Brits to name just a few.
KINESYS
www.kinesys.co.uk
The Kinesys Libra system is a range of products designed to offer simple and accurate load measurements for use in any number of rigging and load bearing applications. There are three main elements to the system: the LibraCELL which is a load measuring shackle, the LibraPRO which works as the hub / power supply and LibraWATCH which is a multi-platform software program where load cell data can be viewed and programmed. The Kinesys Libra system works as a standalone load monitoring system but it can also be integrated in to Kinesys’ DigiHoist fixed speed control system to provide overload and underload safety monitoring to comply with BS7906-1:2001 for lifting and suspending loads above people and D8+ (SQ P2:2010) for suspension of loads above people without the need of a secondary suspension.
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The drapes and rigging people. At Blackout we offer more than just the usual event equipment hire. It’s not just that we’re the only company in the UK supplying a complete drapes and rigging service, we also provide what others can’t. Our people. Blackout people, from project management, through warehousing and manufacturing to rigging and installation, are skilled, dependable and enthusiastic - in fact, we thinkthey’re the best in the business. Find out for yourself. To talkto Blackout about your next project or event, phone +44 (0)20 8687 8400 contact us at sales@blackout-ltd.com or visit www.blackout-ltd.com
Where the people make the difference.
Come visit us at ABTT Wednesday 11th & Thursday 12th June Stand No. 18
MARKET FOCUS: Rigging & Trussing
KNIGHT RIGGING SERVICES
www.knightrigging.co.uk
Knight Rigging Services is one the UK’s foremost production support companies providing stage rigging and design services for live events around the world. Working with the entertainment industry’s leading artists and production companies to stage events at the very highest level, Knight works closely with artists and their associates in designing and coordinating all aspects of event rigging systems to ensure that they meet the client’s creative vision and specific needs. It works pro-actively to ensure that all work complies with H&S legislation.
LOAD CELL RENTAL
http://loadcellrental.com
Now in it’s second year of trading in the UK and US, Load Cell Rental offers an insurance backed independent weighing service with detailed reports for all aspects of flown production equipment from custom built set pieces to full lighting, video and audio. With a stock of both wired and wireless cells totalling 240, this specialist company has recently completed reports for Miley Cyrus, Robbie Williams and Aiken Promotions. Rehearsal and touring systems are also available for hire, with Queen, Cher and Katy Perry taking advantage of the service. A strong understanding of one off and touring needs; equipment is packaged with the user in mind and all cells are regularly verified for accuracy.
OUTBACK RIGGING
www.outbackrigging.com
It is a year of celebrations for Outback Rigging, not only has it recently celebrated its 20th birthday, it has substantial investment into an innovative and unique light weight truss. The OV Truss, by Total Solutions Group, has been both designed and manufactured in Britain with a keen eye on the needs of the live production and exhibitions markets. Offering a host of benefits, including; cheaper rental prices, maximum flexibility and most importantly safety - with it being the only light weight truss to comply with Eurocode 9 standards. The robust design is extremely well engineered, offering customers a great looking product. DesignJunction, the contemporary design show, has taken full advantage of the solution at London’s Sorting Office, praising the truss’ exhibition quality condition.
RIGGING SERVICES
www.riggingservices.co.uk
When Rigging Services was founded in the mid-90s, it’s hard to believe that the provision of truss was not an initial part of the business model. Originally the plan was to include hoists and rigging accessories only. It wasn’t too long before clients were demanding truss also. Today, the company believes it is one of the biggest stockists of truss in the UK with all sizes up to and including Prolyte’s B100 truss. Truss by design, although lightweight, consumes a lot of space - hence Rigging Services is pleased to announce its 5th warehouse in the UK at London’s Excel venue to accommodate yet more truss.
RIGOROUS TECHNOLOGY
http://rigorous-technology.co.uk
Rigorous Technology specialises in all things Kinesys and LibraCELL being one of the largest stockists of the Libra Digital Load Cell System in the world. Its Documented Production Weighing service should be of interest to anyone planning or managing any rigging operation, big or small. RT will provide a bespoke load cell system at a location of your choosing, along with NRC qualified riggers to load in, operate and load out the system. Recorded loads will be clearly documented and passed on to production as a guide to future rigging operations. Whilst on site RT’s crew will also monitor your rig for any signs of potentially dangerous overload situations. LibraCELL systems are also available for dry hire and touring applications.
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MARKET FOCUS: Rigging & Trussing
STAR EVENTS
www.stareventsgroup.com
Star Events is one of the world’s leading manufacturers / suppliers of bespoke rigging systems for venues and arenas, its modular ‘Mother Grid’ steel truss components tailored to safely transfer loads back to structural areas of the roof. Installed Mother Grids can be lowered to attach concert equipment and lifted back to the roof. Fully compliant with the legal duty in many territories, to design out the need for ‘Work At Height’, it is a quicker, safer, more cost-effective way of facilitating stage-based entertainment in multi-purpose venues. Star also offers a consultancy / design service to ensure that new venues have optimum support points for either Mother Grids or conventional event rigging.
UK RIGGING
www.ukrigging.net
UK Rigging has an exceptional reputation for its high standard of work and attention to detail. Recent and current events include; BBC Proms in the Park - Hyde Park, Sports Personality of the Year, Leeds and Reading Festivals, Tour de France Team Presentation Ceremony and Lee Evans Monsters Tour. UK Rigging holds an extensive inventory of truss and rigging equipment, including hoists, variable speed hoists, black and silver truss, truss circles and various rigging and control systems. In addition to equipment hire, UK Rigging provides complete rigging solutions consisting of site survey, design, technical expertise and rigging personnel. Continually adding to its equipment stock, UK Rigging’s recent investments include Total Fabrications SMD and GS Truss, additional Kinesys Elevation1+’s and compatible Liftket hoists.
UNUSUAL RIGGING
www.unusual.co.uk
Unusual Rigging’s 4.75 acre facility carries probably the largest hire stock of truss, single and variable speed hoists, winches, control and other rigging equipment in the UK, all of which has been selected for reliability and fitness for purpose. Clients include concert and theatre producers, exhibition organisers, corporate event, TV and film production companies, museums and galleries. Choose either dry hire or opt for the services of some of the best riggers in the country: nearly all have Level 3 Rigging Certificates and all are fully trained in equipment handling. Their knowledge, experience and advice is invaluable in helping you to deliver a successful project. Other skill sets include mechanical, structural and design engineering.
TRUSSING ALL ACCESS
http://allaccessinc.com
All Access operates a full-service company, supplying a variety of rental and sale equipment to the entertainment industry. Its primary product offerings consist of its patented Versa system, including indoor and outdoor Versa staging, turntables, towers, truss structures, and aluminium and steel barricades plus much more, as well as its production services. Its popular Versa truss is a well-respected heavy duty roof truss which has become familiar within various parts of the live event industry. All Access also has a variety of curved trussing available from its manufacturing facilities in both 12” box and 20.5” which allow the customer to augment a bespoke design.
DOUGHTY ENGINEERING
www.doughty-engineering.co.uk
Doughty Engineering has developed an award winning range of Drop Arms and H-Frames, giving riggers an alternative to ‘home made’ kit. Attractive, safe and strong, it’s the easiest way to suspend lights in an artistic manner. The modular system is ideal for touring productions and events, providing a flexible rigging method for suspending luminaires from a truss of fixed aluminium tubes and barrels and opening up the possibility for highly innovative lighting design. The Drop Arm range of components can be connected together to make varying lengths with a coupler fitted at one end and a ‘T’ or stirrup at the other. The H Frames can be used for larger moving lights or a row of smaller luminaires.
100
®
new
Raising the Standard of Performance DOUBLE
BRAKE
as standard BGV D8+ READY
For loads up to :
1000 KG operating convenience > Operating sound level down to 60 db. > Chaining tool delivered with every hoist. > High capacity and high strength chain bag. > Climbing motor or industrial suspension configuration can be changed simply by reversing the hoist.
And also :
For loads up to 250 kg
For loads up to 500 kg
innovation > New “Perfect Push®”, patented concept, load wheel with 5 pockets is fitted as well with 5 intermediate teeth. > Rubber Shock absorber. > Electrical components designed for “plug and play” connectivity. > Chainflux® MKII. Design provides a horizontal flow of the chain as it comes off of the load wheel. > LIMITFlux®, magnetic limit switch as standard on version B.
safety > Double lifting brake as standard. > New Clutch concept. > Electrical limit switch as standard on version B. > IP55 protection for the entire hoist.
improved ergonomics > New pure and totaly fluid design. > The hoist body is powder coated with black, protective 70µm epoxy paint. > New ergonomic concept for the retractable, rubber clad handgrips. > Lifting hook has an ergonomic, rubber clad, gripping surface.
savings > Maintenance operations are now simpler, faster and more economical: Plug & play electric components, easy access to brake and torque limiter settings.
Version A: 3 phase hoists with direct voltage control. Version B: 3 phase hoists with low voltage control.
www.stagemaker.com
5-8 OC
TOBER
2014 - Ex
CeL
MARKET FOCUS: Rigging & Trussing
DURATRUSS
www.duratruss.com
The DT 34 / 3 Flex Tower from Duratruss is a unique transportable truss tower in which all parts are attached to the system for ease of transport and setup. This ‘no loose parts’ system has a loading capacity of 500kg and a maximum height of 6.5-metres. Ideal for events of all types when a quick and easy truss tower solution is required, the lightweight (75kg) and easy-to-handle construction is compact for easy storage and transport. Flex Tower is made of sturdy aluminium alloy and includes a durable manual Columbus McKinnon winch which meets the strict BGV-C1 German regulation.
EUROTRUSS
www.eurotruss.nl
Eurotruss does it all and everywhere. From supplying an every day truss, to a major outdoor roof structure. The Eurotruss philosophy is simple; supply a high quality product including global support for a fair price. Its truss is designed according to the new Eurocode 9 and proudly manufactured in the Netherlands. Eurotruss also offers next to its full trussing range also rigging and staging products to suit the touring, installation, corporate and theatre market. Many refer to the QNCC in Qatar as the biggest truss and rigging job ever. It required innovative, cooperative and operational skills to pull this off in 10 months. Seven halls were installed with 22,500m of Truss, 432 units of foldable cable tray lifts and 1,742 units of Vario Speed hoists fully wireless controlled.
GLOBAL TRUSS
www.globaltruss.de
With decades of experience, Global Truss enables the realisation of successful concerts, festivals and events worldwide. The aluminum truss with unique quality is regularly certified from independent testing institutes. Therefore the user can be sure that Global Truss products are made of premium aluminum (EN AW- 6061 and EN AW-6082 according to DIN EN 573-3). The product range was extended systematically over the years and includes beside trusses also barriers, couplers, hooks as well as sophisticated stage structures and heavy duty trusses. Also, when it comes to innovations, the development department in Germany sets new accents, for example, with the brand new barracuda clamp.
LITEC
www.litectruss.com
Dynamic Stack Tracks are multi-purpose built-in rail systems with modules that move LED screens, scenery and lights. They consist of 52 stacking trusses provided with a double track and a foldable dolly. They feature motorised, slave and rotation trolleys, which can run on both straight and curved tracks. D.S.T. are easily stored owing to their modularity and stackability and very simple to assemble. They may be brought on stage with their dolly, which folds upward without the need of being stored when the truss works. The modules may be managed with the most common control systems on the market. The possible movements are horizontal (right-left and left-right), vertical (up-down and down-up) and 360° rotation (clockwise and counter-clockwise). D.S.T. are painted in dark grey to absorb light, but other colours are available on request.
MILOS
http://milosgroup.com
The seeds of Milos Group were planted in 1994 when Milos Structural Systems was founded in the Czech Republic. It became Milos Group in 2012 when the engineering design expertise, experience, knowledge, and manufacturing capabilities of its three brands - Milos Structural Systems, Litec and TOMCAT - were combined and solidified. Milos Group offers an unsurpassed range of truss and rigging solutions for a wide array of events and products. Its unparalleled compatibility allows use with your existing stock. With its newly launched hardware replacement program, you now have the opportunity to trade in your worn out warehouse stock for new Milos hardware. Milos also offers a construction assistance program that offers assistance in building your structures safely and on time, no matter where you are located.
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MARKET FOCUS: Rigging & Trussing
PROLYTE GROUP
www.prolyte.com
Clever features and impressive specifications make Prolyte’s H40R the ideal truss for rental purposes. It boasts a loading capacity comparable to Prolyte’s H40V truss yet its more compact design makes it even easier and more cost effective to store and transport. Three-sided webbing allows some lateral force - the diagonals are positioned so that a 30D truss can rest on the bottom chords. Thicker bottom braces allow easy mounting of lamps and central loading, reducing the torsion effect. Furthermore, the spigot orientation means this truss can be assembled effortlessly while on the floor. The H40R range comprises standards lengths, box corners and MPT tower adapters.
TOMCAT
www.tomcatglobal.com
Tomcat specialises in the fabrication of aluminium truss and structural components for the entertainment, audiovisual, exhibition and worship industries, as well as providing related products such as theatrical chain hoists, custom electric assemblies, lighting products and rigging hardware. Tomcat is a proud member of the Milos Group, the largest global aluminium trussing and staging manufacturer today leading the way in truss system design. Tomcat, along with Litec joined the Milos Truss-Group in August 2012 and boosts Milos´ commitment of innovation. Merged into a matchless bond, Milos, Tomcat and Litec build staging and truss products that are beyond compare worldwide and share the mind-set of making everything you need exceed your expectations.
TOTAL SOLUTIONS GROUP
www.trussing.com
The OV range by Total Solutions Group represents an innovative engineering solution to a common size of truss; is designed to the latest Eurocodes, combining high comparative load capacities, low self weight and comes at a competitive price. Developing OV has allowed TSG to re-examine all the many applications to which truss is used in the modern entertainment world. All of this whilst analysing the most common slinging / support methods on the truss has determined an ‘engineered’ product that can utilise the most modern manufacturing techniques. OV might resemble what you see from commonplace rivals on the market; but look closer and you discover the subtleties that defines the product designed by a company with a history of innovation.
TRUSS UK
www.trussuk.com
Truss UK Ltd is a company that designs products with the user in mind. All of its designers and fabricators have field experience in the entertainment industry and all Truss UK trussing products are designed in accordance with the very latest European code for aluminium structures, namely BS EN 1999-1-1 for the design of aluminium structures. Its fabricators are all coded to the EN ISO 9606-2 welding code for the fusion welding of aluminium alloys. Truss UK offers a full range of trussing and rigging products to suit the theatre, corporate, retail and touring market sectors and welcomes every opportunity to assist its clients in the correct choice of standard products as well as offering full design, engineering and structural packages for bespoke projects.
TRUSST
http://trusst.com
Trusst, backed by Chauvet, offers trussing, clamps, and presentation solutions, rigorously inspected to ensure the highest quality and standards of safety. Manufactured from 6082-T6 aluminum alloy, it features SLV-certified welding and is certified to meet stringent TUV safety standards. The system offers straight and curved sections, corners, base plates, clamps and utilises a conical connection system compatible with other truss brands using the same standard conical connectors. Fast assembly goalpost and arch kits, totem kits, fabric scrims and accessories are available. Trusst is a regular at festivals and events: alternative metal band, Therapy?, headlined the Bohemia stage at this year’s Sonisphere Festival, with a Chauvet Professional light show rigged on to Trusst structures, which were pivotal in reducing the band’s carbon footprint across Europe for a series of festivals. Paul Van Dyk’s opening set for Godskitchen featured Trusst constructed in creative combinations. SJ Grevett, MD of DMX Productions, commented: “Trusst is very solid. I find it easy to assemble and it offers great flexibility in the many ways you can combine it.”
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
THE BIGGER PICTURE “ROOM WITH A VIEW, SIR?” Did you hear the one about the trucking company boss that got sent to jail for 12 months because one of his drivers slept in the cab of his vehicle? No, you probably haven’t, but you might soon.
Photo courtesy of Kenworth. Diagram shows the T680 Sleeper Cabin, left view.
Of course, that scenario is a bit far removed from the day-to-day activities of most of our members, but one way or another it has an indirect effect on everyone. It’s all down to Belgium and France interpreting EU directives governing driver hours in a way that bans companies from ‘forcing’ drivers to take their regulation 45-hour weekly rest in the cab of the truck which, incidentally, can be a lot more pleasant than some of the London hotel rooms that many have frequented. The Belgians feel so strongly about the issue that they are threatening €30,000 fines and a year inside for the operator, a tad disproportionate to the offence, if you ask us. Now, with that in mind, transport costs can only head north, if drivers have to be provided with a hotel room, or flown home for the weekend. That only means a squeeze somewhere else… Maybe that comes out of your end of the budget. See what we mean by indirect effects? 106
Naturally, this was an issue raised by a number of members that provide transport services, the individuals potentially at the receiving end of a prison sentence, and we had to work out a way of communicating our specific concerns to those making decisions. MEPs have been briefed, requests for action have been sent to the appropriate Eurocrats, and wheels are in motion, so to speak. It’s what we do; just one illustration of how a well-supported trade association can help, having a person in an office with the time to find the contacts and get our point across. But this is very much more than a one man show, and that’s where you could come in. It is crucial that the representation work of the PSA is shared amongst its members. Sure, a full time General Manager can and will spend days sitting around tables, helping to develop policy, guidance, standards and the like, but there are special people out there who have the specialist knowledge required to have a greater input, people who are willing to give up
a bit of time in the name of a better business environment for all. If those transport companies need to dispatch a delegate to explain the dire, yet unintended consequences of the law change, who better than one of their number, acting in the name of the PSA? Our representation work draws our attention to 10 groups that meet regularly, along with numerous splinter groups that meet to discuss specific issues and projects. Some groups are concerned with specialist subjects; the Institute of Structural Engineers have their guide to temporary demountable structures that needs reviewing and updating, the British Standards Institute similarly has publications that need input from us and our members, the Health and Safety Executive meets with the Entertainment industry at least twice per year, to report on policy changes or enforcement activity as well as to hear from representative bodies on their concerns and issues; others are wider industry groups, such as UK Live Music or the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP), concerned with a multitude of issues affecting the markets our members serve. Each one of these groups needs representation for our members, perhaps from a member of Council or from someone drawn from the wider membership, backed by the General Manager, because people do have businesses to run too. At the beginning of this year, we informed attendees at our AGM of our intention to share notes and information from these various groups, where permission is given. This has led to a better division of representation work between members, with the ability to share information and call upon the resources of PSA Towers to seek out information and contacts where required. Then there are specialist groups within our own membership; this is not the first time that transport has had its issues; when new driver hour regulations were introduced a few years ago, all of the major transport companies (one exception) got together to agree their approach; on the latest issue, who better to explain our particular challenges than the actual
www.psa.org.uk Opposite: Hotel HGV, where a two night stay can cost €30,000.
practitioners? We knock on the door, they send the message. It’s not very easy to hear a dozen slightly different messages, uniting under one name and speaking with one voice is a much better way of getting the point across. The collective voice is a great tool, but we’ve also got the recent addition of some good, solid research into the value of our industry to the UK economy. We’ve spoken about it before, but having robust, peer reviewed data on our contribution to the economy, as well as that of the live music industry has helped in our argument against the enforcement of the Construction Design and Management Regulations on entertainment. To put it simply, we can now say that we represent over 1,100 people who work in an industry this big, that has that many employees and generates that much income for UK PLC (Scotland included at time of writing). If the consequence of a change in the law threatens to reduce our economic contribution, stifle our growth or lose employees, people listen. STAND AND DELIVER And there’s the PSA’s council of management, a distillation of our membership, 14 people elected to represent the membership and direct the activities of the PSA. Each year we invite members
to stand for Council, each year a certain amount of Council members are required to stand down and seek re-election if they wish. This is the time of year when that happens, this is the time of year where we ask our members to get on board and get involved. Not every Council member can make every meeting, some might spend
serve because if they’re healthy, business is good. If people are going to gigs, live music needs production services; if big exhibitions, conferences and product launches are coming to these shores, they need production services. Could you spare the time to give your input to our collective voice? The PSA Council meets
“We’re really keen for our members to be an active part of what we do, it’s about making the business environment easier.”
more time representing and simply report back through the PSA HQ; what is crucial is that there is active communication with, and direction from Council. The greatest challenge is getting enough self employed people represented on Council; they represent the majority of our membership. We’re really keen for our members to be an active part of what we do, it’s about making the business environment easier, and it’s about taking an active interest in the markets our members
six times a year for a half day of focus on live issues and activities, the wider the cross section of members on Council, the wider the scope of our work. That said, there is absolutely no barrier to any member bringing issues to the table for us to help with, if it’s in the wider interest of the membership. Drop us a line (gm@psa.org.uk) if you can get more involved. TPi www.psa.org.uk
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MOVERS & SHAKERS Sponsored by www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
MOVERS & SHAKERS d3 Technologies has announced the appointment of Sarah Cox as its new Sales Manager for EMEA. Cox joins the team at d3’s head office in Borough, London. Having seen exceptional growth in the past year, d3 Technologies is strengthening its team in the EMEA region through Cox’s appointment. “Eleven years ago I graduated with a BA Hon is in Technical Theatre Arts,” said Cox. “My passion was the complete ensemble of the overall production design. d3 gives me the opportunity to explore this passion and be part of the future in shaping how these disciplines can collaborate together.” Chris Bird, Sales & Marketing Director of d3 Technologies, added: “Sarah is the perfect fit for our team. She has great industry experience and shares our passion for innovation and quality. With her on-board, we’ll continue to make great strides forwards and ensure we are there for our customers when and where they need us.” DPA Inc., the US branch of DPA Microphones, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Spahr, Pedro Rocha and Leonardo Romero as Area Sales Managers for the Eastern US, Western US and Southern US / Latin America, respectively. The company has also promoted Shan Siebert to General Manager of the Longmont, Colorado-based office. After a year of unprecedented growth for the US operations, these latest assignments signify the company’s continued commitment to its customers in the region. “This announcement comes at a very exciting time for DPA Microphones’ US operations,” said Eric Mayer, President of DPA Inc. “Not only does this serve as an example of how our brand recognition has expanded, but it also means that we’ll be able to further grow our fan base throughout the Americas. In addition, these appointments will allow me to perform my day-to-day strategy, sales and marketing responsibilities more effectively, giving us the opportunity for even greater success.” The drpgroup has appointed Sara Lyddy and 108
Mark Roddy as Account Managers, who will bring a wealth of industry experience to the agency, and will look after drpgroup’s financial sector clients. “I have a real passion for events and the drpgroup is such an exciting agency, covering a really broad range of disciplines,” said Lyddy. “I am relishing the opportunity to be part of their growing account team.” Working alongside Lyddy will be Mark Roddy who has worked for GovNet Communications as Head of Event Management. On joining drpgroup, Roddy said: “To have the opportunity to work for a multi-award winning communication’s agency of this scale is fantastic. Their passion, innovation and client commitment is what attracted me to the organisation, along with their approach to immersing themselves in their clients’ brand and strategy to deliver fully integrated live events.” Leisuretec Distribution is delighted to announce its new trade partnership with Laserworld, manufacturers of show laser systems, effective September 2014. Leighton Buzzard-based Leisuretec is a distributor of professional and commercial audio, lighting, video and special effects to the trade. Cliff Dounting, Managing Director, commented on the new partnership: “It’s extremely exciting to see your growth plans continue to develop, and adding a whole new product category to our portfolio is fantastic. We are very proud to be partnering with Laserworld and to have the opportunity to provide our customers with a greater choice of products.” Sales Director for Laserworld UK, Denis Phoenix, added: “This is a natural progression for Laserworld and we are delighted to be partnering with one of the industry’s leading ‘trade only’ distributors Leisuretec Distribution. One of their keys strengths will be to hold significant stock, available for next day delivery at very competitive trade prices, making Leisuretec a one-stop distributor for lasers, software and accessories.” Birmingham’s Sean Hames is back with the
team at LMC Audio. Working out of the LMC Birmingham office once again, his new project will see him undertake a Northern Area Business Development (NABD) role for the professional audio sales company. Following a break from the pro audio scene, Hames is ready for this new challenge, he commented: “I have kept in touch with some old industry friends, following the news in the world of PA. Now, I’m really looking forward to carrying out my new role, being in the thick of it once more, meeting new customers and becoming part of making their jobs happen.” Hames’ role will initially emphasise producttraining and growing customers’ individual businesses in the North East of England. He commented: “Living on the North East Coast, I’m on-hand to provide direct support to help make the equipment an easy hands-on experience for our customers - in all aspects of trying out, using, and buying kit.” German fibre network specialists Optocore, has appointed Audio Solutions to distribute its products in Russia. According to Manager of the Professional Audio Department, Igor Kovalev, the 12-year-old Moscow-based company will be providing Optocore solutions to its two core markets: sound reinforcement (theatres, concert halls, live events) and broadcast. In addition to their formal distribution arrangement with Optocore, Audio Solutions said it is also working on a major project, using sister company BroaMan solutions for delivering scalable customised solutions for clients requiring SD/HD/3G video routing. Kovalev stated that adding Optocore to the company’s brand portfolio was an obvious step: “It represents a good price / performance ratio when compared with other brands, along with amazing flexibility / scalability and extremely high sound quality. It will allow us to implement modern digital optical network technology, with all its advantages, and to replace noisy long analogue runs in existing cultural buildings.” Hire company Point Source Productions, and
www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Opposite: DPA Microphones new hires: Spahr, Romero, Siebert; Sara Lyddyand Mark Roddy. Below: Sean Hames; Marc Hendriks; Audio Solutions team; Rob Mills of Light Motif and Stephen Capel of Point Source Productions shake hands on new partnership.
event production company, Light Motif, have entered into an exciting new partnership to service the events industry. Founded by Rob Mills, Light Motif is a young company made up of creative individuals with extensive experience in the events industry. Light Motif specialises in the creation of vibrant, bespoke designs that determine the look and feel of an event. Strong emphasis is placed on the advance presentation of visuals to the client and high levels of pre-planning to ensure every event delivers the ‘wow’ factor and meets the clients’ expectations. Part of the company’s exciting growth
includes the new partnership with Point Source Productions. “Point Source Productions consistently supplies the best maintained and serviced equipment in the business,” said Mills. “We have used Point Source Productions for many years as they can be relied upon to provide kit that works straight out of the box and looks good onsite. So when we were looking for a partner to complement Light Motif’s services, Point Source was the obvious choice.” has announced the Renkus-Heinz appointment of industry veteran Jim Bailey to a newly created product marketing position. In his new position, Bailey will fill a number of vital
roles within the company, including the creation of technical documentation, educational videos, and software development. He will interface directly with both marketing and engineering. “Jim’s broad background across a wide range of technical and marketing disciplines is exactly what is needed at Renkus-Heinz,” observed VP of Sales and Marketing Rik Kirby. “His ability to fulfil multiple roles is invaluable, and we are confident he will quickly become an indispensible member of the Renkus-Heinz team.” “Renkus-Heinz is one of the companies that started it all - they’re part of the history of professional audio,” added Bailey. “More
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www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Below: John Kaukis; Stuart Leader; Jim Bailey; John McGregor; Laurence Jones, Dapo Adeniran and Chris Martelly.
importantly, they are innovators whose products have had a major impact on loudspeaker design. I’m proud to be a part of such a great group of people, and looking forward to contributing to the next generation of Renkus-Heinz technology.” Sennheiser, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems, has announced the appointment of John McGregor as its Business Development Manager (BDM) for the Middle East. The regional office in Dubai reported exceptionally strong growth figures for both turnover and profit in 2013 and believes this move will further strengthen its foothold in the region’s education and broadcast markets. In his new role, McGregor, a former tutor at the highly reputed SAE Institute in Dubai, will also drive knowledge transfer initiatives directed at the audio specialist’s Middle East partners and customers. McGregor will serve in Sennheiser Middle East’s Systems Solutions Division and will report to the company’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Mig Cardamone, who said: “On-going digitisation and the convergence of IT and audio technologies are prominent trends in the region’s broadcast industry, while educational institutions are increasingly leveraging the latest audio solutions to enhance and revolutionise the classroom experience. John has a wealth of knowledge and experience specific to both these verticals, which will help him guide customers in making sound investments. As he grows within his role, he will also extend his focus to segments such as installed sound.” Two senior crew chiefs from Showforce - the event industry’s leading provider of talented crew and technicians have been promoted. Dapo Adeniran will take on 110
the role of Business Development Manager whilst Laurence Jones has been appointed Crew Manager. Together the pair has over 14 years’ experience working in the live events industry and will be utilising their expertise gained working on such events as the London Olympic Games, Laureus World Sport Awards, FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi and The Sainting of Pope Francis in Brazil to continue growing the Showforce brand globally. In their new roles, both Adeniran and Jones will be based at Showforce’s London office in Stratford and will report to Operations Director, Chris Martelly, who said: “I’m really pleased that Dapo and Laurence have taken on more senior roles at Showforce; both joined as crew members so have first-hand and in-depth knowledge of exactly how the business operates.” Milos Group welcomes Marc Hendriks to its experienced team of professionals. Hendriks is a wellrespected expert who has enjoyed a long and successful history within the truss and support structure industry. His wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience is well known by his peers and appreciated by countless customers across the globe. The introduction of Hendriks to the Milos Group team will strengthen all brands of the group and offer value added to their worldwide customer base. In keeping with Milos Group’s dedication to constantly refining and improving its product offer, Hendriks will drive the tasks of ensuring efficient product development and effectively managing the product portfolio across all three brands. This includes ensuring that product lines from each brand effectively meet the needs of their customer base across all global markets. TPi www.tpimagazine.com/jobs/
The TPi Production Guide
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VITAL STATS
VITAL STATS 163 Jo Beirne Profession: Project Manager, XL Video Date & place of birth: Edinburgh, and never ask a lady her age!
What kind of training do you feel most prepared you for a career in entertainment technology? Was it informally, ‘on the job’ or in an educational setting? I was the first female manager of Richer Sounds, and then I did a music management and promotion course at Jewel and Esk Valley College. Part of the course involved a three week work placement with Virgin Records, and the company offered me a job the day I left college. I spent three years there before working for Bamn Management that looked after ‘90s pop bands, All Saints and 5ive. Steve Levitt (of Production North) was our Production Manager and knew I wanted to get involved in production. He offered me three-day work experience with Westlife on their debut tour. Three days turned into three months on the road! XL Video was the video vendor on the tour and Lee Spencer offered me a job after the tour ended, and here we are now, 13 years later!
“I was particularly motivated to succeed when I was told, ‘27 is too old for a woman to start working in the music industry’...”
Is there a time you consider to have been your ‘big break’ into the industry? The day Lee Spencer offered me a job. I was particularly motivated to succeed when I was told, ‘27 is too old for a woman to start working in the music industry’, by a record company executive, who shall remain nameless. I regularly supply video to one of his big signings now. You’ve been with XL Video pretty much since the start of the UK operation, what has kept you there? I really bought into what XL stood for and wanted to achieve in the concert touring space, 13 years on I’m very proud of my journey.
from their first tour with video and develop a long-term creative relationship. What are you essential tour survival skills? My 10-year-old son, Dillon keeps me too busy at home! XL Video has won 10 TPi Awards, what do you think resonates with your peers in the industry to keep winning the title? I think we’ve always occupied a unique role with video in concert touring, Chris Mounsor was the founding father of this market in Europe and we have followed his ethos of ‘combining the latest technology with creative staff and technicians, and backing that up by building strong relationships and ensuring we deliver out on the road’. We also recognise that this industry requires a lot of different people and companies to work together. Some of the companies we compete with can also be clients or bring us work, so we aim to have good relationships across the industry.
During your time in the professional video sector, do you feel you’ve had an informal mentor of sorts? I’ve had several, particularly Steve Levitt, Lee Spencer, Chris Mounsor and Des Fallon.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a colleague? A wise man once told me, ‘don’t eat yellow snow’! I think you all know who that is...
You’ve project managed tours for the likes of James Blunt, Mumford & Sons and The Killers to name a few. What drives you to keep things fresh with each new artist / event? It is often said that the first sale is the hardest, this is particularly true with artists taking video for the first time. At XL Video we are very well set-up for this in terms of our equipment, crew and creative technical know how - we always try to make it a enjoyable experience and aim to work with artists
What live and touring action can we expect from XL Video for the rest of the year? Over and above our ongoing work with existing long term clients, we are very proud to be involved with yet more firsts; both from new artists adding video to their shows, and others who are making the step up to arenas after touring smaller venues so far in their careers. We’re working with a diverse range of artists from established rock acts like Kings of Leon and global stars such as Il Divo, through to the hottest new EDM artists.
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