6 minute read
AFRICA NEWS
YOUTHX SUMMIT
AVB AND TAILORMADE GROUP INSPIRE AT YOUTH-FOCUSED HYBRID EVENT AT VODACOME DOME.
The dynamic husband-and-wife duo behind Tailormade Group and AV and Beyond (AVB) pulled out all the stops when commissioned by Levergy to work on Nedbank’s YouthX, a platform designed to enable young people to learn from experts, sculpt their futures and ultimately realise their potential.
The campaign kicked off in March 2021 on AVB’s virtual platform with a fully virtual launch event, followed by six virtual and interactive masterclasses led by their changemakers; Theo Baloyi, Amanda Dlamini, Rich Mnisi, Rivo Mhlari, Candice Chirwa and Sho Madjozi. Culminating in November with the hybrid event of the year, the YouthX Summit was a 90-minute, high-energy production that was held at Vodacom Dome in Midrand, South Africa.
Before COVID-19, AVB and TMG, led by the husband and wife team, Warren Freidin and Hayley Bennett-Freidin, were busy working within the live events space. As Warren focused on AVB, a technical supply company, Hayley, an acclaimed former professional dancer, was the creative behind Tailormade Group, which supplies entertainment and the “wow factor” to events, from conceptualisation, production and direction, right up to providing all talent.
“As the reality of the pandemic set in, so did our concern for the devastating effect that this would have on our businesses, as well as our industries, our staff and their families,” she recalled. Instead of backing down, the couple partnered with a virtual solution provider. Adapting quickly, the team worked from three in-house studios, hand in hand with the AVB inhouse content creation team. “This allowed staff and performers to not only survive, but to shine and to lift each other up while adhering to all COVID-19 protocols and government restrictions.”
The YouthX Summit gave AVB the opportunity to dream big once more from design to execution. The bespoke set design with its distinctive ‘YouthX’ shape featured an infinity 2.9 and 3.9 LED screen made up of 846 panels, automated in various areas including the ability to
picture-in-picture a multitude of layered content on any section. AVB’s 4k Watchout servers with three NovaStar MCTRL 4k processors and two R5 processors allowed the 1.2 TB of content to be loaded in record time. Technical supply included an MA Lighting grandMA2 light for control, while 12 Robe BMFL Spots and eight ESPRITEs served as key lights for the production, which was also broadcasted. A further 12 Pointes and 10 MegaPointes punched through the LED, 24 LEDBeam 150s delivered wash and beam work, while six Vari-Lite SL Nitro 510s positioned on deck created the big flashy moments.
The show included 24 LED parcans, LED strips, two Le Maitre MVS Hazers, as well as laser work and a pyro show. Audio came courtesy of an L-Acoustics system comprising six KARAs and four SB18s per side, a DiGiCo S21 for control and various Shure microphones. “For all our crew, it was an emotional and happy time to be working on this large-scale live event after a very long time,” said Bennett-Freidin. “We have fought together as a family of creative thinkers and highly skilled technicians. Together, we know we can do anything safely, and at world-class standard for our clients.” Photos: DWR Distribution www.avandbeyond.co.za www.tailormadegroup.co.uk www.dwrdistribution.co.za
PROSOUND BRINGS DPA TO AMAZING DISCOVERIES MINISTRIES AFRICA
Amazing Discoveries Ministries Africa has invested in DPA Microphones, thanks to a recent upgrade project with Prosound.
With nearly 100,000 subscribers on YouTube alone, Amazing Discoveries Ministries Africa has a large audience to serve. Its studio setup has grown considerably over the years from equipment used primarily to service largescale live events that could get the job done, to dedicated recording gear.
“The right equipment for the recording is of utmost importance, as the better the initial recording, the less time we spend in post-production editing,” explained Amazing Discoveries Ministries Africa’s Fanie Fourie.
“Time is a very precious commodity to us. We need it done right the first time.” The latest upgrade has seen Amazing Discoveries Ministries Africa invest in DPA 6060 CORE Subminiture Microphones in a new installation from Prosound. “We understood that they wanted something discreet that would sound amazing for their productions,” said Prosound’s Keith Karimi. “For us, that means one thing – DPA Microphones’ 6060 and 6066.”
He added: “The clarity, consistency and durability of the 3mm capsule stands out – it squeezes everything into such a small package. I’m always happy to recommend these mics for applications where you need to deliver crystal clear audio from an almost invisible source and the whole Prosound team are delighted that this solution has worked so well.”
“Changing to DPA was a good choice,” Fourie agreed. “The sound quality is good, and the mic is small and not very visible in the recordings.” Photo: Prosound www.prosound.co.za
SAW ANNOUNCES NEW DEDICATED DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
AV DISTRIBUTION AIMS TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS AT STAGE AUDIO WORKS.
Stage Audio Works (SAW) has launched AV Distribution, a new company dedicated to managing markets chiefly served through a reseller/integrator channel, such as corporate AV, education, retail and hospitality. Ashley Coleman takes on the role of General Manager, while Mike Summerfield heads up sales.
According to SAW CEO, Will Deysel, the decision to form AV Distribution was a logical evolution of the process already started in March 2021 when the company restructured its sales operation into two distinct verticals – namely Projects and Distribution.
“We’d already concluded that having separate teams would allow us a better focus on the specific needs of each vertical, and our experience since March last year has borne that out,” explained Deysel. “The requirements for each vertical are very different, so it made sense for us to give the distribution wing its own identity and a certain measure of independence. While still part of the SAW Group with access to all the resources we have to offer, AV Distribution has its own website, its own branding and, of course, its own team who are focused on the needs of the reseller/integrator channel.
“This is an important step in the growth and development of the SAW Group,” concluded Deysel. “We’re stronger and more focused than ever, and excited by the possibilities ahead.”
Anything project-based remains the remit of SAW, with the executive and management teams of the SAW Group also remaining unchanged. The company also continues to invest in the market with the ongoing development and expansion of local manufacturing under its Stage Plus and Pixel Plus brands. Photo: Stage Audio Works www.avdistribution.co.za www.stageaudioworks.com
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