MIDDLE EAST NEWS

Pixotope’s Ben Davenport, Dave Cheng, and Travis Sims; Edge Electronics’ Kiran Dias and Pratap Singh; CTME’s Kevin Crossley; Bosch’s Josef Penker; Point Source Audio’s Gerry Forde; Facing page: PRG’s Andy Ehrenberger, Bhans Sheomangal, Jamie Watkins, Oleksii Kalenskyi, Pedro Quaresma, and Revil Baselga.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

THE LATEST MOVERS AND SHAKERS ACROSS THE REGION.

Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has appointed Kevin Crossley as Head of Operations for the MENA region. “I am really excited to be joining a world-class team at CT and helping the CTME MENA region operations grow as we expand into full production, delivering the same level of service and quality that our customers expect,” he commented. Andy Reardon, CTME’s Managing Director, added: “Kevin is one of many strategic hires we have made recently, and we have many more highly skilled professionals joining us over the coming months. It is an ex-citing time for us in the Middle East as we expand our offerings and continue to grow in the region. It is a pleasure to have Kevin on board, and I look forward to working closely with him on developing a new operational strategy.”

Josef Penker has been named Vice President of Sales EMEA for Bosch’s Building Technologies division, leading the regional sales force for the professional audio brands Dynacord, ElectroVoice, RTS, and Telex. He takes over the position from his predecessor, Jens Gaessner, who will move into the video division within Bosch. “One of the key strengths of Bosch is having the scale and resources to best serve the market with our services and solutions – that puts us in a unique position to lead the way towards what’s next in pro audio and communications,” Penker stated. “I can already count on an exceptional sales team and channel partners to help us achieve our goals, in step with the constantly changing needs of our customers and today’s rapidly transforming markets.”

L-Acoustics has named Edge Electronics as a Certified Provider Distributor for Qatar. “We take pride in distributing some of the world’s most innovative AV brands across the board enabling us to work closely with our clients offering onsite assistance and 24/7 support,” said Pratap Singh, General Manager at Edge Electronics. “Working in a fast-paced market as Qatar, holding local stock enables us to exceed our clients’ expectations.” Chris Mead, L-Acoustics Sales Manager, Middle East, India, East Africa, added: “Pratap and the team have built a very notable presence in Doha in the relatively short amount of time since the office was opened there, and we are excited to be a partner in their ongoing growth. I’m confident they will play a big part in building the L-Acoustics brand in both the rental and installation markets.”

Pixotope has added three big names to its global leadership team. Ben Davenport joins as VP for Global Marketing, taking charge of Pixotope’s international communications strategy. David Cheng has been appointed as VP Sales & Marketing EMEA. Additionally, Travis Sims has become Pixotope’s Strategic Account Manager for North America. “Pixotope meets the demand for real-time engine applications in live broadcast and events more succinctly and effectively than anything else on the market,” he commented. I am excited to be at the forefront of Pixotope’s journey and development – there are big announcements yet to come.”

Point Source Audio has appointed Gerry Forde as Business Development Manager for the EMEA. “We see the EMEA as critical for our ongoing worldwide growth,” stated James Lamb, President at Point Source Audio. “We needed a safe pair of hands with the knowledge and skillset to provide the local support our dealers and distributors deserve while driving the growth of the company throughout the territory. Since first talking with Gerry, we all knew he would be the right person to help move Point Source Audio forward in the EMEA region. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the market and strong relationships all over the territory. Most importantly he understands the culture of the industry and what we are trying to achieve. This is a very natural fit and I’m delighted to have someone of Gerry’s calibre on board.”

As the live events season gets back underway in the UAE, PRG Middle East has made several key appointments. Oleksii Kalenskyi, Bhanparkash ‘Bhans’ Sheomangal and Pedro Quaresma have joined the company as Project Managers. Meanwhile, the company has also welcomed a new Head of Audio, Revil Baselga; Head of Rigging, Andy Ehrenberger; and Sales Manager, Jamie Watkins. www.tpmeamagazine.com

ELATION LIGHTS AL ARABIYA STUDIO

VENUETECH SUPPLIES 100 ELATION PROFESSIONAL KL FRESNEL 4 CW LED FIXTURES TO THE NEW STUDIO SPACE.

Elation’s exclusive distributor in the Middle East, Venuetech Audiovisual & Lighting Systems, has supplied 100 KL Fresnel 4 CW LED Fresnel lights to Al Arabiya’s new Dubai studio.

Lighting Designer in Venuetech’s Design & Application department, Ziad Shames Eddine, specified the KL Fresnel 4 CW for the space with lighting design handled by Safwan Harcouss, Head of the Lighting department at the MBC group. “We needed a CRI of high quality to be able to get perfect skin tones for the camera,” stated Harcouss.

Due to the low height of the ceiling, a small lighting fixture was preferred. “Not only did we want lights that visually suit our studio, but we also needed something with power that has a long life expectancy as the studio is used 24 hours a day. We have been using our Elation lights for one-and-a-half years now and have not faced any issues.”

The KL Fresnel CW series is a line of coldwhite LED Fresnel lights with 5,600K LED engine available in 50W, 150W and 350W models. Used for a variety of purposes including keylight, washes and front light, Venuetech’s Ziad Shames Eddine described the KL as “one of the best products for TV production and theatres at the moment”. He added: “The accurate colour temperature and the high CRI make it a highquality fixture for broadcast. Also, because of space constraints in the studio, the small size of the fixtures, the light weight and the fact that they produce little heat were important.” Photo: Venuetech www.elationlighting.com www.venuetech.ae

STEM ECOSYSTEM ARRIVES IN UAE

THE MOVE IS IN RESPONSE TO DEMAND FOR VALUE-ADDED MEETINGS FOR REMOTE AND IN-PERSON ATTENDEES.

Shure has made the Stem Audio Ecosystem available in the UAE. “With Stem Ecosystem solutions, you can build the perfect customised audio experience,” said Jacob Marash, Managing Director of Stem Audio. “We are excited to finally offer Stem Audio products to customers across the globe and provide a complete portfolio for all types of environments, whether it requires a fully integrated system or a solution you can install yourself.”

With wall and table speakerphones, along with a ceiling microphone that blends into any room and syncs with networked loudspeakers, as well as dedicated control systems for a complete audio package, the Stem Ecosystem gives users the freedom to mix and match to create the perfect audio pickup in any space.

Since Stem Ecosystem products were designed for anyone and any type of room, customers can design, install, and manage their meeting rooms all while staying within budget and on time. Plus, the devices are backed by a robust platform full of tools designed to make the process of adopting new technology effortless.

“The Stem Ecosystem is a powerful solution for organisations of any size seeking a straightforward and customisable experience that can help users save money through its noprogramming approach,” shared Rob Smith, Senior Director of System Sales, Shure. “Now, Shure can offer a more diverse array of solutions for a wider variety of customers.” Photo: Shure www.shure.com

CTME PARTNERS WITH UK PAVILION AT EXPO 2020

THE COMPANY WILL DELIVER AUDIO, VIDEO AND LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE SIX-MONTH EVENT.

Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) has been named the official live events audio-visual partner for the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020.

“CTME will be delivering audio, video and lighting solutions alongside providing a team of highly skilled project managers and technicians for the duration of the event,” commented Andy Reardon, CTME’s Managing Director. “The UK Pavilion has an exciting, informative and educational six-month events programme lined up, and we are honoured to be part of it.”

The UK Pavilion, which is situated in the Opportunity District at Expo 2020 is based around the theme of ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’ and promises to offer inspiration and excitement to visitors from around the world. The six-month event will see the UK Pavilion host a variety of events from multiple trade missions and conferences to various live entertainment spectaculars, including the UK National Day event, which is set to bring the imagination of Glastonbury Festival to Dubai.

Reardon added: “Millions of people will be travelling to Dubai from all over the world to see Expo unfold, and we’re excited for them to experience the creative, immersive and inspiring audio, video and lighting installations that our team has delivered for many pavilions and legacy areas throughout the Expo, alongside all the other amazing showcases the event has to offer.”

“Sound and vision are an important part of how we bring our Expo programme to life,” said Laura Faulkner OBE, UK Commissioner for Expo 2020 Dubai. “From our immersive Choral Space to a fantastic range of speakers and panel discussions, having a dynamic AV partner was vital in creating an inspirational and engaging environment. CTME has been great to work with, and we’re looking forward to seeing our visitors experience the pavilion, too.” Photo: CTME www.ctme.co

UAE PRO LEAGUE AWARDS

NO1 EVENTS AND MEDIAPRO INTERNATIONAL CREATE A HIGH-TECH SOLUTION FOR 200 VIPS AT EMIRATES PALACE AUDITORIUM.

The UAE Pro League held its 2020/2021 season awards ceremony on 16 August at Emirates Palace Auditorium, with 200 VIP guests in attendance as well as a large TV and social media following tuning in live to celebrate the achievements of the league’s top teams, players, and managers. Sharjah-based No1 Events provided the technical production for the event, with MediaPro International supplying the video solution.

No1 Events’ remit for the project was extensive and varied, comprising everything from creating a system to simplify the entry process, to a showstopping reception area and the main show. Project Director, Mirco Resta explained that the first task was to create a high-tech entry system, which would not only ensure that only the invited attendees were granted entry, but also keep contact between guests and staff to a minimum. “No1 Events created a system that generated a personalised QR code for each guest,” he began. “Once each guest had scanned their code at the entrance, they were directed to the appropriate area and seat. The system worked perfectly.”

The first part of the show – a press conference – was held in a ballroom adjacent to Emirates Palace’s main auditorium. As soon as the conference was over, guests were directed to the auditorium for the main event, passing through a “journey of technology” en route.

In the first area, there was an interactive LED screen as well as the ‘ballman’ [a structure inspired by Nike’s famous installation at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa]. “Next, guests entered an LED tunnel, where they were thrown into a stadium atmosphere, with crowd noise and a 3D animation of a football pitch,” Resta recalled. “They then passed through a gallery displaying trophies and new kits of each of the league’s teams, followed by a 180° LED screen displaying the long-term vision of the league.”

Delivered by MediaPro International, the video supply included 80 sq m of Gloshine P2.6 LED and a Resolume Arena 7 server for the LED tunnel; 70 sq m of Gloshine P3.9 LED and a Resolume Arena server for the main conference area; and 20 sq m of Absen P2.9 LED for the strategy arena. Meanwhile, inside the auditorium, 184 sq m of Absen P4.8 indoor LED was configured into a 23m by 8m main screen, with processing coming courtesy of eight NovaStar MCTRL LED Processors.

There was also a 3D project-mapping element, with eight Panasonic PT-ZR21K projectors, as well as four Dataton WATCHOUT servers with HD outputs. “Having MediaPro in

charge of the video setup made the project much easier for me in terms of communication and phase development,” Resta noted. “A special mention should also go to Haitham Taha of Inframes, who delivered all the content for the projection in a very short time and in a professional manner. He was onsite throughout, adjusting the content and being flexible to all the changes, while keeping a smile on his face.”

Lighting in the main auditorium comprised 18 ETC Source 4s, 18 Claypaky Sharpys, 20 Martin by Harman MAC Auras, 12 2K Fresnels, 20 440W beam fixtures and 12 City Color 400s. Control was via an MA Lighting grandMA3 light console with MA NPU. The audio supply was made up of 12 TW AUDiO VERA tops and four VERA subs, controlled by Midas M32 and DL32 consoles. Eight Shure SLX-D micrs were provided for on-stage speakers, while four Audio-Technica M3 IEM systems with ATH-40 earpieces were also deployed.

Aside from Resta – who has now joined MediaPro full time – the team behind the event comprised: Show Director, Hassan Abdul Hamid; Artistic Director, Hany Altombary; Finance Director, Ahmed Abdelgawad Meabed; Technical Manager, MediaPro’s Vishal Sivasankaran; Video Engineer, MediaPro’s Diljith Divakaran; WATCHOUT Operator, MediaPro’s Satender Goldy Singh; Lighting Designer, Lucas Rey; Audio Engineer, Martin Chiervo; Crew Coordinator, Mohammed Navas; Production Coordinator, Riham Darwesh; and Accreditation Manag-er, Analyn Matin-ao (Arra).

The content team was made up of Creative Content Director, Ahmed Elkady; as well as Sulaimon Olasunkanmi, Mohammed Rasin Thalathodika, Zubair Ahsan Barkaat, Jaganath Singh and Inframes’ Haitham Taha. Ali Al Khawar wrote the original songs, while Mansour Alfeeli and Talal Al Blooshi starred in the pre-awards production.

Summing up his experience on the project, Resta praised the venue. “Working in a nice structure like the auditorium makes our lives a lot easier,” he concluded. “All the power and signal distribution are where you need them to be, which saved a lot of time and effort that would normally be spent running cables.” Photos: UAE Pro League www.no1events.net www.mediaproav.com

AO CREATIVE DELIVERS THE UAE’S FIRST DRONE-FLOWN QR CODE

A 600-STRONG FLEET OF DRONES CREATE A SCANNABLE QR CODE INSIDE THE DUBAI FRAME.

AO Drones, part of the AO Creative stable of companies, launched a state-of-the-art, 600-strong fleet of drones inside Dubai’s 150m-high landmark Frame structure, for a campaign to announce the July unveiling of the UAE’s first Nike Jordan Concept store.

The event saw the 600 AO drones programmed to generate a four-layered, threedimensional, rotating facsimile of the famous Jordan ‘Jumpman’ logo. The logo then morphed into a scannable 3D QR code, enabling potential customers to discover more about the store. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Dubai, the client could not make the show public, so the activation was designed to be filmed from the outset.

“The Dubai Frame provided a spectacular illuminated border for the Jumpman logo and QR Code,” said Marco Niedermeier, Show Producer at AO Creative. “We animated the Jumpman icon with strobes and colour but creating the figure in 3D was challenging – especially as the object was presented in four layers and then rotated 360°.” When the team turned the images 360°, everyone in the park and surrounding apartments could see and scan the code. In addition to the drone show, AO Creative employed three camera drones to film and photograph the event. The resulting video was then edited for a Nike Jordan digital and social campaign across the brand’s channels.

AO Creative also delivered full event production, including the lighting execution, which added drama and atmosphere to the drone formation, alongside power and data distribution and a grandstand platform for the 100 invited guests and influencers.

Before the show could go ahead, the AO Drones team had to complete a detailed feasibility study due to the location of the Dubai Frame, with a major highway and airport nearby. This meant that the team could not fly the drones higher than 120m and the design had to be created with pinpoint precision for the code to register on phones. The drones were guided by GPS, using software that enables live communication between each object.

Environmental considerations were also key. Luckily, it was below 40°C and wind levels were low. In addition, planning complex drone shows come with their own logistical challenges. “For permissions, we had to contact the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority where our drones and pilots are registered,” added AO Drone’s Pilot in Command, Kevin Niedermeier. “The DCAA gave permission for the event, as did the traffic authority, the police, and the government.”

The demand for such shows is on the rise. “We’ve learned from the market – especially here in the Middle East – that the quantity of drones our clients are asking for exceed 300 to 500 per show,” Niedermeier revealed. “That’s why we have augmented our fleet to 1,000 and are planning to increase to 2,000 by the fourth quarter of the year.” Photos: AO Drones www.ao-drones.com

BROMPTON TECHNOLOGY POWERS TURKEY’S FIRST VP STUDIO

THE NEW FACILITY BOASTS TOP-OF-THE-RANGE TESSERA SX40 PROCESSING.

Turkey’s first virtual production house, MGX Studio, owned by MGX Film, is a revolutionary virtual production (VP) facility based in Istanbul offering a next-generation LED stage with Brompton Technology processing, advanced camera tracking solutions, in-camera VFX, plus a host of pre- and post-production tools.

The story of MGX Studio began during the pandemic. “We decided to use the time when we were confined to our homes wisely, looking for the latest technologies in VP,” said Halit Gülmez, Technical Director at MGX. “MGX Film’s owner, Müşvik Guluzade, was the first to recognise the power of virtual production and embrace the technology, establishing Turkey’s first virtual production facility, MGX Studio.”

The team completed installation within five months. “We built our own powerful Ledeca LED screen setup with top-of-the-range Brompton Tessera SX40 processing,” explained MGX CTO and Studio Manager, Fatih Eke.

“Filmmaking culture is growing following rapid evolution of technology, pandemic restrictions and the way content is being consumed by Gen Z,” concluded Gülmez. “Virtual production has a significant role in the formation of this new culture. We aim for Turkey to be part of this important change, with MGX Studio supporting the maturity of VP. Brompton Tessera processing is an important element for us on this journey as, together with other cutting-edge technology partners, it spearheads us into the future of VP and filmmaking.” Photo: MGX Studio www.bromptontech.com www.mgxfilm.com