MIDDLE EAST NEWS

PIXEL ARTWORKS APPOINTS MIDDLE EAST HQ MANAGING DIRECTOR

THE MOVE FOLLOWS THE LAUNCH OF THE COMPANY’S NEW IMMERSIVE SHOWROOM IN DUBAI DESIGN DISTRICT.

Pixel Artworks has appointed Alex Apthorpe as Managing Director for its Middle East headquarters, based in Dubai.

Following the launch of the company’s office and state-of-the-art immersive showroom located in D3, Dubai’s Design District, Apthorpe will continue to expand the range of work across the region, with specific focus on Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He will oversee work for clients including Expo 2020. “Alex has an incredible wealth of experience and knowledge in the brand space in the Middle East, which will be instrumental to our continued growth,” said Pixel Artworks Founder and Managing Director, Tom Burch. “The Middle East is such an innovative space for immersive technology right now – it’s the perfect time for Alex to join.”

Apthorpe added: “Pixel Artworks are disruptors in their field, merging stellar creativity, insights and the latest cutting-edge technology. Brands are perpetually looking for unique ways to engage with their audiences, blurring the boundaries across immersive and digital, and Pixel Artworks achieves this perfectly. I have no doubt that as the world welcomes back in-person experiences, we will see some great opportunities for us to do our best work and grow the business across the Middle East.” Photo: Pixel Artworks www.pixelartworks.com

Pixel Artworks’ Alex Apthorpe.

HIPPOTIZER POWERS MOHAMED RAMADAN CONCERT

OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE ON EGYPT’S NORTH COAST DRAWS A CROWD OF MORE THAN 85,000.

Green Hippo’s Taiga and Karst+ were the media servers of choice for man-of-the-moment Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan, whose recent outdoor performance on Egypt’s North Coast saw 85,000 fans gather for what the singer described as “the largest audience attendance in 2021”.

To entertain the masses, the region’s largest ever scaffolding stage was erected, measuring 45m wide and 20m high, for a concert that commanded serious attention to detail, with the visuals quite literally taking centre stage among 800 lighting fixtures, pyrotechnics and SFX.

The structure was built by event rental partner Hi-Lights Group, which also supplied the 900 sq m of LED video wall that displayed bespoke graphics on an impressive 4K video display with a total of 230,400 pixels.

Hi-Lights Group utilised two Hippotizer V4 Taiga and four Hippotizer V4 Karst+ media servers, with an output splitter. For accurate programming and fast performance, the video team used Hippotizer’s version 4.5.5 software.

“We had a great experience working with Green Hippo’s technologies on the production,” said Hi-Lights Group Technical and Operation Manager, Fathy Hussien Hedia.

“We’ve been using their products for a long time and trust their abilities completely. Green Hippo products are versatile and easy to use, which encourages technicians to provide the best results possible.”

He continued: “Green Hippo also creates with absolute safety in mind, which is very comforting during a live performance with a live audience.”

The globally watched concert gave fans a synchronised show design with an abundance of choreographed dancers, physical props and futuristic visuals complementing the hit records.

“Being part of a live concert means everything needs to be executed and synced perfectly, therefore we have to use tech that we trust,” continued Hedia. “This made Green Hippo a great choice for the live environment. They have helped us to be part of another splendid performance in the region.”

Elaborating on the pressure of live events and the difference tech support can make, Hedia commented on the manufacturer-vendor relationship found at Green Hippo: “We have a great understanding and respect for each other, which made everything run smoothly,” he commented. “Mohamed Ramadan’s concerts are legendary and, thanks to Green Hippo, our involvement turned out perfectly due to their user-friendly approach.

“We wouldn’t have been able to reach the success we did without our team of great technicians, but a huge thank you to Green Hippo for being a supplier for Mohamed Ramadan.” Photos: Hi-Lights Group www.green-hippo.com www.highlightsgroup.me

VARI-LITE VLZ RANGE ILLUMINATES EGYPTIAN PHARAOHS PARADE

HI-LIGHTS GROUP SPECIFIES VLZ RANGE OF LUMINAIRES TO HIGHLIGHT THE SPECTACLE.

Vari-Lite’s VLZ range of luminaires were harnessed to light up Cairo’s Golden Parade, which showcased 22 ancient pharaohs as they were transported from the Egyptian Museum to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilizations.

The event’s technical production team approached Hamed Arafa of rental house HiLights Group – a Vari-Lite and Strand distributor in Egypt – who proposed Vari-Lite VLZ PROFILE and VLZ WASH fixtures for the project.

“Using Vari-Lite products for this culturally significant task was our only recommendation,” said Arafa. “For the huge productions that we helped to deliver, we knew that Vari-Lite produced the quality of light we wanted.”

Hi-Lite’s team collaborated with Lighting Director, Maria Younan of Egypt-based Siraj Lighting to design and deliver the event. The team used the VLZ range to light the Hatshepsut Temple, The Sphinx and The Great Pyramids for the promo shots of the Golden Parade.

At Tahrir Square and along the entire length of the procession, more VLZ PROFILE, VLZ WASH and VL10 luminaires were deployed. In the same square, Vari-Lite SL BAR 640, SL WASH 350 and SL PUNCHLITE 220 luminaires were used to light the passage of the mummies. SL PUNCHLITE 220 luminaires were also used indoors for the elegant interior, lighting towering walls, prominent statues and the focal stage area.

“What I find most impressive about Vari-Lite technology is its user-friendly design,” Arafa explained. “Our team is well-versed in operating massive projects, but with the glorious quality of Vari-Lite, we know we can achieve optimum results every time. Each of the fixtures we chose enabled us to deliver beyond expectations.” Photos: Hi-Lights Group www.vari-lite.com www.highlightsgroup.me

Sennheiser’s Ryan Burr and Iva Georgieva.

SENNHEISER SUPPORTS REGIONAL MUSIC SCENE

THE PRO AUDIO MANUFACTURER HOLDS QUARTERLY LIVE WORKSHOPS, WELCOMES A NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR, AND PRODUCES A MUSIC VIDEO TO CELEBRATE THE UAE’S GOLDEN JUBILEE.

Sennheiser is supporting the region’s music industry with a raft of initiatives, all contributing towards the common goal of achieving increased awareness in the live music and end-user fraternity while supporting the live performance scene in the region.

The quarterly live workshop provides both aspiring and established artists the opportunity to explore and understand the technical aspects of live sound and how they can benefit from working with Sennheiser equipment and training.

The first round took place on 21 September and the second on 24 November, with 11 local artists in each workshop, given the opportunity to learn about Sennheiser’s microphone and in-ear monitors for live performance, including the newly launched EW-D range. “It was great to understand how the new wireless systems work and how we can use them on stage,” said guitarist and composer, Niki Mukhi [part of the team behind DXB4BEY, TPMEA #28].

Singer/saxophonist, Kerrie Stirling added: “I’ve always used other brands previously, but today we had the chance to try each different Sennheiser mic one after another and I can see the difference in quality and clarity. It’s definitely something that I will bear in mind when I make my next purchase for saxophone or vocals.”

Another string to the Sennheiser bow when it comes to supporting the regional music industry is its Brand Ambassador campaign, which was launched on 17 October in collaboration with Khaleej Times. As part of the initiative, singers from all over the UAE were invited to submit their entries for the chance to become a Sennheiser Brand Ambassador for a minimum of six months.

“We had some fantastic submissions from a range of vocalists from all corners of the UAE among the 150 entries we received during this campaign,” highlighted Sennheiser Trade Marketing Manager, Shraddha Mukul.

However, there could be only one winner, and after careful deliberation, the first prize was awarded to singer, Iva Georgieva.

As well as being named Brand Ambassador, Georgieva also got the chance to star in a special music video, created by Sennheiser in collaboration with BarCoe Studio and Rhythm of Heart to celebrate the UAE’s 50th National Day. Photos: Sennheiser www.sennheiser.com