Some Venues

Well, the Adelaide Fringe is approaching at a rapid rate. But a couple of things have come to my attention, one being venues that have no technical resources. This is a worrying trend. Surely if you are offering a space and/or venue for the Adelaide Fringe, and multiple acts will be using the location, should there not be some basic technical equipment supplied. A few lights for the performance area and a simple PA with a mic and input for playback of audio. I was approached by a performer that had booked spaces at a venue. There was no mention from the venue that there was no equipment. They are a small venue. Though the client should have also asked as well. Now if you are not experienced, this is going to become daunting rather quickly. Also, the venue offering space should be aware that they need to have some basic equipment in place, I gather that after the fringe they are going to try and get corporate clients. Which means they will need to offer some basic tech stuff. Now the potential client that approached about equipment mentioned that the performing for two sessions a couple weeks apart. So, the equipment that they booked would have to bump in and out twice for 2 one-hour sessions. Other acts were performing on the same day and on the other days. So around possible 20 to 25 acts, bringing in their own gear. So that would look interesting with 15-minute changeovers. So, clients of venues need to ask a pertinent question about lighting and audio. Also clients also need to think of all aspects of their production. They need to develop a check list of what is needed and what must be organized. Hopefully we will see less of this as performers learn more of what is involved besides just performing.

Proteus Excalibur™ welcomes in 2023 on spectacular New Year’s Eve London show

Tim Routledge designed a stunning light show to complement fireworks and a drone display with high-power Elation beam lights in each of the London Eye’s 32 pods

London’s largest ever New Year’s Eve celebration took place at the London Eye on the River Thames, featuring a stunning fireworks and drone display accompanied by a mesmerizing light show designed by Tim Routledge. His first time lighting London’s end-of-the-year celebration, Routledge chose Elation’s powerful Proteus Excalibur™ beam moving head as a key fixture in his design.

“We wanted something that could cut through so you could see the beams and create more architecture with light,” Routledge said of his decision to use the Excaliburs. “It was very much about getting the chunkiest beam we could.”

The Proteus Excalibur’s enormous output—the beam light generates up to 7,500 lux at 100 meters—-in combination with a 260-millimeter lens and 0.8° beam competes with xenon searchlights and sky trackers. “It’s hard to punch through the amount of smoke that the fireworks generate,” the designer says, “but we managed to get past that with high-output lighting that was very much visible throughout the show.”

Excalibur in each pod
Routledge took on the project nearly a year ago, first assisting show producers Identity with the tender process and then working with them throughout the year to create a truly exceptional show that included 12,000 fireworks, 400 drones and over 300 high-power lights supplied by Neg Earth Lights.

The designer, who had seen the IP-rated Proteus Excalibur at the Prolight+Sound show last May and demoed the unit in September, positioned the units inside each of the London Eye’s 32 pods. It was an arduous task that Routledge and his team met resourcefully. He explains, “Because the London Eye is a tourist attraction and is used every single day, we mounted the Excaliburs and a strobe unit on wheeled dollies and waited until the tourists cleared out each night, sometime around 7pm. The Eye would continue to turn and we wheeled a dolly into each pod. We loaded all 32 pods this way.” At the end of the night of programming, the procedure was reversed and the dollies unloaded. They repeated the process over three nights.

Despite the overhead protection, Routledge says the Excalibur’s waterproof rating was required because of the constant loading in and out in an outdoor environment. Additional Excaliburs lined the pier in front of the 135-meter tall wheel, working with other long-throw luminaires.

Message of love and unity
More than 100,000 ticket holders plus millions around the globe took in the show and its message of love and unity. Highlights included England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 win, 50 years of London Pride, a message of support to Ukraine, a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and a segment honoring King Charles III. The Excaliburs were used throughout the 12-minute show, mostly in tight beam looks although Routledge says he did access the unit’s gobo wheels for the King Charles III segment.

The lighting was coordinated with the fireworks and drones in both white and multi-colored looks. In a show with an abundance of mesmerizing looks, Routledge says the dedication to Ukraine was especially powerful, “also because there was a pause in the fireworks at that point and the beams read really well.” He adds that the London Pride section was also a highlight as it gave him the chance to access the Excalibur’s full-spectrum color system to create “structured rainbow beams that really cut through.” Working for more than just the 12-minute show, the lights in the pods were used to build anticipation from 11pm and were active for 40 minutes after the show while the crowd dispersed.

Rock solid success
Reviews of London’s 2022 New Year’s Eve show have been universally positive and Routledge confirms the feedback, noting that the client was ‘blown away’ by the show. “A lot of people noticed the upgrade in how the show was lit and the change of fixtures in the Eye,” he said, adding that the Excaliburs and the wireless system of control, even at distances of 200-300 meters, worked really well. “The fixtures also held their positons beautifully despite being wheeled in and out of the pods every night. We really didn’t have to do much touching up position-wise.” The designer also reports that there were no issues with failed lights. “They were rock solid.”

Creative Director: Dan Colbourne and David Zolkwer
Lighting Designer: Tim Routledge
Lighting Programmers: James Scott/Morgan Evans/Adam Marshall
Lighting Rental: Neg Earth Lights
Production: Identity
Fireworks: Titanium Fireworks
Drones: Celestial

About Elation Professional
Based in California with facilities in Florida and Mexico City, as well as European offices in The Netherlands, Elation designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of innovative lighting products known for its superior performance, excellent efficiency, and outstanding price:value ratio, all backed by a hard-earned reputation for Total Support. Elation also offers an advanced line of lighting control products through Obsidian Control Systems, as well as a full range of dependable specialty effects called Magmatic. Our mission has always been simple: to provide best-in-class products and service while offering the best value:performance ratio in the industry. Elation products continue to be a part of the industry’s most exciting projects across the globe. We invite you to take a closer look at http://www.elationlighting.com

For more information, contact:

Elation Professional US
6122 S. Eastern Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90040
USA
Tel: (866) 245-6726 (toll free)
Tel: (323) 582-3322
sales@elationlighting.com
http://www.elationlighting.com

Elation Professional EU
Junostraat 2.
6468 EW Kerkrade
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)45 546 85 66
info@elationlighting.eu
http://www.elationlighting.eu

Elation Professional Mexico
Av Santa Ana 30,
Parque Industrial Lerma,
Lerma, Mexico 52000
Tel: +011 52 728 282 7070
ventas@elationlighting.com
http://www.elationlighting.com

Well what next

Normally at this time of the year I am finishing the lighting designs and arranging staff for the Adelaide Fringe at one of Adelaide’s well-known theatres, the Bakehouse. Well, this year I am not. The lease was renewed by the new owners and therefore the venue ceased to exist. This was an extremely popular venue in Adelaide that supported up and coming artists and their dreams. Well, these dreams have been destroyed and a few people are now without work or a place to stage their next cutting-edge production.

For me this is the end of a lot of work, and therefore I am not doing anything for the Fringe. It is a strange feeling, a depressing feeling. I am not working with a range of artists, locally, nationally, or internationally.

Also, what is interesting is that none of the companies have reached out to me to see if I am available at other venues or even to catch up. In the Adelaide arts scene, you can easily be forgotten.

Depending on how things go in the next few months I may give up theatre completely after 35 – 40 years working around Adelaide, Sydney, and Great Britain. It could be my age who knows. I often received great reviews for my work, but obviously they don’t count. I know I have the skills and knowledge in theatre, especially lighting design. I had a few stating that they would put word about for me. I have mentioned to all clients I am available. Even I have help develop their skills and answer questions at midnight have gone quiet.

So, who knows what the future holds, Centrelink here I come.

#stage #design #lightingdesign #theatre

I Return, different but the same

Well after COVID and one of the main venues I work at has been closed permanently, I fell in a sort of funk. Theatre went to the back, and I struggled with trying to get back into the stream of theatre life. COVID really cut my workload, but it started to slowly return when the news that the venue I was working at had been sold and the new landlords had renewed the lease. We still had several shows to do before we needed to give the venue over to the new landlords. The final show we embarked on was a sellout season. It did not hit home until the final set of bows on the last show that that was the end of an era. I therefore took a break to reassess where I was going to head. I had even considered leaving the industry completely. A few of my theatre friends talked into doing a few shows. So, I have picked a few cool theatre shows, including a musical. So, I am putting out feelers for other shows. I am probably going to be choosy about the shows I work on and the people I work with. At my time of life, it is not worth the stress of working with people that are difficult. I don’t mind if they are challenging, as that makes me more creative.

So, I am back if slightly different. Look for more blog posts and general technical theatre posts.

Eventec Acquires LSW

As of today June 09, 2022 Eventec has acquired LSW.

The LSW trading name and its brands and distribution rights has been acquired by Eventec.

They are currently in a transitioning phase and LSW enquiries will be assisted by the Eventec team.

Wharfedale, Soundking, Light Emotion, Sunlite, Daslight and the ESP Technology brands will be continued to be supported by Eventec.

They appreciate your patience and look forward to assisting you on-going.

For any clients with LSW dealings offered prior to 9th June 2022, please contact the Eventec team so that we can discuss with you how to proceed moving forward.

COVID effects

Well, it seems that with COVID being around so long, that theatre has turned to streaming of their productions. People sit in their homes in their pajama’s watching the latest production from their favourite theatre company. They can chat, drink, and eat without disturbing the rest of the audience. They can often pause the playback to have a pee. Now when we could not get out or there was a limit on audience sizes this was great. Although we are now returning to normal and theatre benefits from having a live audience, but audiences are slowly forgetting the manners needed to be in a live audience.
Streaming is not the same atmosphere for cast, crew, and the remote audience. I am not sure if we need to carry on with this way of seeing shows. Audiences are returning, they are wanting live events. It is time to wind back the live streaming instead of live audiences. We have audiences wanting to sit in the theatre and enjoy some good theatre.
But there has been a change in the way the audience act. On recent shows that I have worked on, I have observed that the audience conduct is quite different from before COVID. It is like the audience have lost their attention span. They cannot even be trusted to turn off their mobile phones, they talk to the people next to them during the show. Recently I have seen folks check their messages etc whilst the show is going. So, it looks like we will need to return to training the audience. It seems reminding them in the foyer and having notices in the foyer and the program does not work.
Here is hoping that audiences get back into the rhythm of enjoying live theatre without the electronic distractions that are part of our life.

Launch of ETC’s Eos Apex consoles

I got up sort of early to watch the launch of the newest member of the EOS family from ETC. These new consoles are the flagship of the EOS range. The did arouse the feeling of console envy. I look forward to the time I can get behind one of these consoles and test drive it. It is designed for operator comfort and not an engineer’s layout. Things look like they fall naturally under your hands, even us left-handed folk should be able to easily operate this desk. The idea of haptic feedback seems to be rather smart, you get feedback of a task whilst looking at the scene. Also loved the idea of 2 touch screens,27′ and 4K would mean a lot less eye strain.

As production continues to resume around the world, lucky programmers will be greeted with a powerful and elegant new lighting control desk: the Eos Apex console. With three sizes to choose from – the Eos Apex 5, 10, and 20 – this latest release ushers in the next generation of ETC’s flagship controls line.

A lighting control desk is more than just a powerful piece of hardware – it is your home away from home when you’re working on a show. Eos Apex consoles prioritize the user experience with creature comforts to ease those long hours behind the desk. The massive multitouch displays offer generous screen real estate for Magic Sheets, Direct Selects, and Augment3d models, and feature eye-strain-reducing 4K resolution. The displays articulate on a dual-axis and feature a 160-degree viewing angle, so you can see all your tools and data from anywhere along the programming surface. With an ergonomically redesigned wrist-rest, book lights built into the sides of the desk, hand-holds for easy carrying, and drawers and charging ports for your accessories, Eos Apex is the ultimate workspace for high-level programmers.

The luxurious innovations extend to the programming surface as well. New-to-the-industry technologies provide programmers access to their most-used tools – right on the face panel. The familiar Eos Family programming keypad has been enhanced with a touchscreen that thumps with haptic feedback when you press your soft keys or mapped content. Eos Apex also introduces customizable Target Keys for your Direct Selects, which boast individual OLED displays that can be customized with images, icons and text. The encoder area from the Eos Ti console has been expanded to include eight mini-encoders and a navigation dial to easily switch between parameters. The five, ten and twenty motorized Playbacks on each Apex console (respectively) now boast an additional, separately-mappable scroll wheel for on-the-fly programming. With more buttons, encoders and Playbacks than ever before, Eos Apex makes fast, hands-on programming a breeze – all while maintaining the familiar, sophisticated look and feel that users of the family love.

A powerful lighting desk demands a powerful system, and the Eos Apex line delivers with brand-new components to build out your lighting network. The Eos Apex Processor provides the power of an Eos Apex console in a portable, rack-mountable box that makes an ideal primary or backup controller or remote programming station. When you need a portal into your lighting system but not the processing power, the new Eos Remote Interface lets you view and edit your system from anywhere in your venue.

Apex consoles themselves are built with flexible system-building in mind, allowing you to mix and match your DMX and show control ports on a per-show basis using customizable widgets. In addition to standard etherCON Gigabit connections, all Apex-class controllers also feature SFP+ ports that are compatible with the latest high-speed copper and fiber networks. Eos Apex consoles and Processors provide 24K output, allowing them to control complex rigs with ease. And because shows keep getting bigger and bigger, expansion processing options are already in the works as the next phase of Eos development.

The Eos Apex line ushers in a new era of control and comfort for professional programmers. Though the new consoles directly replace the Eos Ti and Gio in ETC’s currently-shipping lineup, those desks will continue to receive new software updates, as well as the full benefit of ETC’s industry-leading customer service and support for the duration of their long lives in the field.

VAXTHENATION

#VAXTHENATION

#VAXTHENATION IS A JOINT EFFORT BY OVER 400 OF AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, LEADING TOUR PROMOTERS, MUSIC FESTIVALS, VENUES, TICKETING AGENCIES, RECORD LABELS, COMEDY PRODUCERS, THEATRE AND OPERA COMPANIES, STREAMING PLATFORMS, INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS, PEAK BODIES AND MORE.

https://www.vaxthenation.com.au/about-us

This is a great initiative to save our industry. One that we all need to get behind. Over the last 18 months or so it has been a real struggle for those employed in the entertainment industry. This includes performers, designers, lighting, audio, stage manager, ticket sellers. Everyone in the industry has been impacted. Whether you are in a lockdown state or not, the industry Australia wide has been hit. There has been little help from the government to keep going. The only way to survive seemed that we need to become a football team and we could then do what we want.

This is self-funded campaign by the industry, there is no government support. The so-called government support has gone to the large commercial companies, the small companies, theatre collectives, small venues etc have received no additional help to continue. I know from personal experience that I may not be around much longer in this industry. Work has dried up, so the sooner people get fully vaccinated the sooner we can return to work. We can go full steam ahead with being creative and getting audiences and enjoying our efforts.

For more info, click the link

#VAXTHENATION

Theatre Safe Australia (TSA) Continues Scenery Workshop Legacy at Adelaide Festival Centre

21 July 2021 – Stolen from TSA website

Theatre Safe Australia (TSA) is excited to announce the addition of an advanced scenery workshop to our operation from 1 August 2021. Formerly operating under the ownership of the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, the workshop in South Australia has been the country’s leading commercial set builder, handling 65% of all theatrical scenery work in Australia. Striving always to build out complementary arms of our business, TSA is headquartered in the Gold Coast and is one of Australia’s major suppliers of entertainment and theatre technology.

From August 1, Theatre Safe Australia will commence to operate a scenery workshop in the former Adelaide Festival Centre premises at Regency Park, South Australia.

Theatre Safe Australia will continue the legacy of Adelaide Festival Centre’s Scenery Workshop, employing many former Adelaide Festival Centre staff, the workshop will continue to provide high-quality scenic builds to clients, adding the support of a dynamic young company focused on continued innovation in the industry. This new chapter for Theatre Safe Australia creates an operational team whose commitment to providing top tier service and high-quality solutions is matched with decades of experience and now, the ability to take a production fully from concept to reality by acquiring the facilities previously owned and operated by Adelaide Festival Centre Scenery Workshop.

The new TSA Scenery Workshop will complement the venue services, production support and product solutions that Theatre Safe Australia already provides within the Australian and worldwide market.

Director of Theatre Safe Australia, Stuart Johnston: “We are very excited to be bringing such a talented and experienced workshop on board and look forward to what the future will bring. TSA will continue to provide the high-quality services clients expect from both companies and use this expansion to continue to innovate with the technology available in the manufacturing and set construction space.”

Theatre Safe Australia (TSA) is an Australian based company that exists to create solutions for the entertainment industry. TSA is motivated by supplying, creating and designing theatrical automation and engineering solutions for our clients and providing service that exceeds expectation. We craft solutions to fit every aspect of the diverse industry in which we operate, from large scale productions and corporate events, to local and regional based companies, theatres and schools. TSA’s goal is to create a tangible difference to the quality and safety of production and events being created and delivered in Australia.

Since 1979 Adelaide Festival Centre has provided automation and scenery builds for productions including Phantom of the Opera, Matilda, Billy Elliot, Singing in the Rain, Hairspray, Cats and Moulin Rouge! as well as countless others. This prolific production history has been achievable though a workforce and a workshop that pride themselves on the quality of their build, an understanding of the changing dynamics of the entertainment and theatre industry and a willingness to always go above and beyond to fulfill producers and clients’ requirements.

Read more about the Scenery Workshop here.

Mobile Phone Saga

How many years have mobile phones been around? How many years have we been telling audiences to either turn them off or onto silence ot of respect to others. Yet the same thing keeps happening. The glow of phone screen as the house lights go down. People taking selfies with the set as a backdrop. Even people twitting or Facebooking during a show. Surely out audiences have not hot that dumb that they think it is thier right to use a phone during a stage production.

Are we going to have to put staff to check people have turned of their phones or maybe do what schools are starting to do. Collecting thier phones from audiences in the foyer before the show starts and then letting them retriving after the show.

It can not be that hard to remember to put phone on silent or turn it off. It also seems all age groups are guilty of this.

As much as we love audiences coming to see the art we produce they need to not destroy other peoples enjoyment of the event. Besides the phone issue, there are the people chatting during an intense scene on stage or even replying. Must not forget the noisy eaters, this is not just something that happens in the cinema.

So if you are one of the audience that ae guilty please stop, be mindful of others.