REGIONAL ROUND-UP

DWR’s Duncan Riley, Johnny Scholtz and Dylan Jones with Christian Hertel, Sales Manager at MADRIX.

MADRIX APPOINTS DWR AS ITS SOUTH AFRICA DISTRIBUTOR

THE GERMAN LIGHTING CONTROL SPECIALIST JOINS FORCES WITH DWR DISTRIBUTION TO FACILITATE THE SOUTH AFRICA MARKET.

German lighting control specialist MADRIX has named DWR Distribution as its distributor for South Africa.

“DWR has shown a strong commitment to MADRIX for a long time. Even during this difficult time, their team was able to acquire new customers and support current customers,” said MADRIX Sales Manager, Christian Hertel. “With deep roots in the entertainment industry and a ‘people buy from people’ approach, DWR is a perfect match. We are happy to officially add DWR as distributor and welcome them to the MADRIX family. I’m very excited and confident about the synergy created by our two businesses.”

DWR’s Johnny Scholtz, who specialises in architectural projects, added: “Manufactured in Germany, MADRIX is rock-solid. It is currently the leading pixel-control system on the market. It meets the needs for specific installations like large-scale building facades, or for controlling LED-lighting features in a club or venue.”

DWR Distribution’s Dylan Jones recently used MADRIX for a pixel wall located in a high-end retail store, and the system was as simple as plug-and-play and worked extremely well. “I believe there is huge potential for the MADRIX software and hardware products in South Africa to create more complex pixel-mapping solutions for our clients,” Jones stated. “Products like the MADRIX AURA all the way through to the MADRIX LUNA Art-Net controllers provide everything you need to control any LED lighting. This is a great opportunity for our new projects as well as supporting the current MADRIX client base.”

There’s great hope for the future of South Africa. “While the live events industry is in a lull, we know that as soon as the vaccination programme rolls out, the sector will take off again,” said DWR’s Duncan Riley. “We look forward to helping our clients with innovative ideas and solutions that incorporate LED technology in a range of spaces, from buildings to interiors, studios, and wherever the imagination may lead. The people behind MADRIX are hands-on and passionate; it’s an honour to represent the brand.” Photo: DWR Distribution www.madrix.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

EVENTS EVOLUTION SELECTS CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL FIXTURES FOR BENJAMIN DUBE LIVESTREAM

CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL MAVERICK MK2 SPOTS, ROGUE R2 SPOTS AND ROGUE R2 WASHES CREATE ORIGINAL LOOKS DURING AN EPIC EIGHT-HOUR SHOW.

Coming up with new looks for a 90-minute concert is tough enough but keeping a show fresh for eight hours straight is a different ballgame altogether. However, this is exactly the challenge that faced Blessing Bero, Tatenda Gaylord Rushwaya, and the rest of the Events Evolution when they worked a mammoth eighthour pay-per-view livestream show by platinum Epic Records star, Benjamin Dube.

The Events Evolution team deployed a flexible lighting rig including 11 CHAUVET Professional Maverick MK2 Spots, four Rogue R2 Spots, four Rogue R2 Washes, plus a Net-X node.

“We created a wide range of backgrounds with our videos and the rainbow of colours we were able to get from our lighting fixtures matched them all,” said Rushwaya, who programmed the show and ran the video content, while Bero handled the lighting design. “Colour was key to keeping things visually fresh and interesting throughout the entire show. The design we went with called for a great many bold colour mixes.”

Relying on the wide beam angles of their fixtures, which were hung on three rows of overhead truss, as well as on stage left and stage right structures, the Events Evolution team frequently changed the coverage area of their colourful displays.

They also didn’t hesitate to overlap shafts of light in different bold colour combinations, going with red, green and yellow one moment, they moving to purples and blues for another song. Another way that the designers kept things interesting was by working split white beams and rotating gobos from their Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures with compelling video images and ample amounts of haze.

Setting these beams and gobo patterns against the rich purples from their washes, the team created sleek elegant looks on stage. This contrasted with some of the intensely powerful impressions that resulted from the bold colour combinations; but in the end both worked toward the same goal.

“We wanted to create scenes that were very different, but all supported the same message,” Rushwaya concluded. Photos: Events Evolution www.eventsevo.co.za www.chauvetprofessional.com

Projeni Pather (AAXO), Kevan Jones (SACIA), Duncan Riley (DWR Distribution) and Sharif Baker (TPSA).

#LIGHTSARED SCOOPS SILVER AT PRISM AWARDS

THE CAMPAIGN IS RECOGNISED FOR ITS TIRELESS WORK IN RAISING AWARENESS FOR THE PLIGHT OF THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

#LightSAred took the Silver Award in the category of Arts and Entertainment at this year’s PRISM Awards – this after the campaign lit 505 buildings, theatres, and landmarks red across South Africa in aid of the live events industry, who at that point had not worked for five months.

Despite the win, the sad reality is that 15 months after the COVID-19 lockdown was first implemented in South Africa, many companies have been forced to close their doors permanently, retrenchments have seen thousands lose their jobs and for freelancers it has been an extremely hard blow. “It is a bittersweet victory for the industry – we have received recognition, but the wheels on the bus are not moving forward,” commented Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution.

The #LightSAred campaign was held in August of 2020 with the aim of bringing attention to the desperate state of the live events industry, and to obtain a seat with the government to discuss ways of keeping the industry on its legs and safely opening the industry under strict COVID-19 guidelines and protocols.

The incentive was born when Riley saw similar initiatives held across the globe after the live events industry was unable to work due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and he joined hands with Sharif Baker of the TPSA, and SACIA. The campaign was made possible thanks to the participants in the industry from technical supply companies to actors, theatres, and event companies. So many more people besides crew were affected, from cleaners to ticket sales, décor suppliers, caterers, and other industries.

“It was special to see everyone stand together on the night and a special world of thanks to creative director and designer Shaun Sebastian,” Riley concluded. “I would also like to thank a charity we support, #FeedourCrew who are still helping freelancers with food vouchers. This time has been so difficult for everyone so please give it all you have as we hang in there for a bit longer.” Photo: DWR Distribution www.lightsared.org.za www.dwrdistribution.co.za

Robe Forte

ARRI S60-C