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CIRCLE READER SERVICE 3

Photo: Todd Kaplan

Photo: Paul Kolnik

contentsJanuary 2013 Volume 10, Issue 1

This Month

Cover: Golden Boy

Photo: Paul Kolnik

News

10 Industry News

38 New Technology

Regulars

76 Video Matters

80 Audio File

90 People Worth Knowing

Features

Belief SystemsA top design team pulls out all the stops forJustin Biebers Believe Tour

The Asphalt JungleA new production of Golden Boy presents a gritty, powerful view of Depression-era New York

Technical Focus

62 On the Beach at the DeLuna Festival

68 Robe ROBIN DLS Profile

8 Letters

81 Marketplace

89 Ad Index

44

52

Lighting&Sound Americapublished monthly by the Professional Lighting and Sound Association Copyright Professional

Lighting and Sound Association. The views expressed in Lighting&Sound America are not necessarily those of the Editor or

PLASA Media, Inc.

44

52

62

68

Publisher, General Manager Jacqueline Tien - [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief David W. Barbour - [email protected]

Technical Editor Richard Cadena - [email protected]

Media & Events Sales Representative Erick Pinnick - [email protected]

Events Sales Executive Helen Willard - [email protected]

Assistant Editor Beverly Inglesby - [email protected]

Editorial Assistant Breyanna Knoll - [email protected]

Marketing Manager Jen Barratt - [email protected]

Art Director John J. Scott - [email protected]

IT Manager Oliver Kinne - [email protected]

Office Manager Cindy S. Tennenbaum - [email protected]

Office Assistant Margot White - [email protected]

Lighting&Sound America is published by PLASA Media, Inc., a subsidiary of PLASAMedia Ltd who are part of the PLASA Organization. PLASA (the Professional Lighting and Sound Association), are also publishers of Lighting&Sound Internationaland Protocol magazines and owners of the annual PLASA Show in London andPLASA Focus regional shows in the UK and U.S.

www.plasa.org

PLASA CEO/Events Director Matthew [email protected]

PLASA Chief Operating Officer Shane [email protected]

Lighting&Sound America office:630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 609, New York, New York, 10036, USATel: +1-212-244-1505 ext. 712 Fax: +1-212-244-1502www.lightingandsoundamerica.com

PLASA Events:PLASA Focus: Orlando, May 15-16, 2013; PLASA Focus: Austin, Sept. 10-11, 2013;PLASA Focus: Nashville, February 5-6, 2014

members of:

To apply for a new subscription, or to change your address, go towww.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html or call +1-212-244-1505, e-mail [email protected], or fax us at +1-212-244-1502.

Subscription rates: Lighting&Sound America (ISSN 1552-1273), published monthly, is free for qualified U.S.subscribers and USD $25 for those outside of the U.S. Lighting&Sound America is published byPLASA Media, Inc., 630 Ninth Ave., Suite 609, New York, NY 10036. All non-US copies mailedsurface rate. Periodical Postage paid at New York, NY office and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Lighting&Sound America, P.O. Box 3000, Denville, NJ 07834.

Single copy $15; $20 Canada and International (includes shipping)

Copyright 2013 by Lighting&Sound America. All rights reserved.

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Much of the time, our theatre coveragethefeature-length stories, anywaytend to focuson musicals, for the very good reason that theytend to be more technically complex thanstraight plays and are therefore more deservingof longer, more in-depth consideration. Thismonth, Im happy to report, we take a goodlong look at a straight play. Its Golden Boy, byClifford Odets, who, to my mind, is the mostunderrated of great American playwrights. Therevival, produced by Lincoln Center Theater, is a

real stunner, bringing the world of Depression-era New York to life in anexcitingly theatrical way.

From the 1930s to today: Justin Bieber, surely the most popularandpolarizingof the current crop of teen pop stars, is out with his BelieveTour. As Sharon Stancavage reports, the show is a veritable encyclopediaof entertainment technology, especially in the video and special effectsdepartments. You can get the details starting on page 44.

On a lower-techif possibly more challengingnote, theres theDeLuna Fest, a musical event held on the beach in Pensacola, Florida. Itsnot easy hauling tons of lighting, sound, and staging gear across largestretches of sand, as Mark Johnson reports. The event also provided anearly workout for Meyer Sounds new LEO line array system, and Mark fillsyou in on how it worked.

Theres much more, including Mike Woods review of the Robe ROBINDLS Profile, Richard Cadenas discussion of UV texture mapping, and ourpreview of Showlight, the unique every-four-year symposium on all thingsentertainment lighting, which this year will be held in the Czech Republic. (If

you can spare the time and money, I urge youto sign up; it is simply the best industry eventIve ever been to.)

Oh, and happy New Year. It looks like 2013is going to be a most dramatic year for theindustry, and we promise to bring it all to you.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2013. Lastyear was a roller-coaster year for the US andthose overseas, filled with both milestones andchallenges. We do hope you were able to con-nect with friends and families over the holidays,to recharge and gear up for the new year. I did,and am looking forward to seeing many of youat upcoming events and shows, including ourown regional events: PLASA Focus OrlandoMay 15-16; PLASA Focus: Austin September10-11; and PLASA Focus: Nashville February 5-

6, 2014. Focus Orlando registration is now open at www.plasafocus.com. We hope you enjoy the packed January issue of Lighting&Sound

America. We are off and running with 92 pages of top editorial content,including the latest products and services from our 50+ advertisers onceagain this month. We recommend you take the time to check out theirstate-of-the-art gear, new technologies, consulting services, and education-al and training opportunities. Thanks to all of you, this is Lighting&SoundAmericas 10th year of providing the industry with professional, engaging,entertaining, and informative reading: in your mailbox, online, and on youriPhones, iPads, and Android devices!

Happy reading and shopping, and see you very soon!

LETTERS

David Barbour, [email protected]

Jacqueline Tien, Publisher/General [email protected]

Signature (Required) DateTelephone FaxE-mail addressNameCompany TitleAddressCity State Zip I would prefer not to receive information or advertising from other companies not affiliated with L&SA.1. PLEASE CHECK ONE CATEGORY

THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS FUNCTION:(REQUIRED)

A. Lighting Designer B. Sound Designer C. Programmer D. Technician E. Production Manager/Technical

Director F. Rental & Staging Professional G. Manufacturer H. Distributor I. Consultant J. Other (please specify)

2. IN ADDITION, PLEASE CHECKALL THE BUSINESS FUNCTIONSIN WHICH YOU ARE INVOLVED:(REQUIRED)

A. Lighting Designer B. Sound Designer C. Programmer D. Technician E. Production Manager/Technical

Director F. Rental & Staging Professional G. Manufacturer H. Distributor I. Consultant J. Other (please specify)

3. PLEASE INDICATE WHICH OF THESE VENUES BEST APPLIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS:(REQUIRED)

A. Concerts & Touring B. Clubs C. Theatre D. Houses of Worship E. Presentation/Events F. Themed Entertainment G. TV/Film H. Other (please specify)

4. PLEASE CHECK ALL VENUES THAT APPLY FOR YOUR BUSINESS:(REQUIRED)

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5. PLEASE INDICATE WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES YOUR TITLE:(REQUIRED)

A. Designer B. Engineer/Technician C. Educator D. Chairman, Owner, Partner,

President, CEO E. VP, CFO, COO, CIO, MD F. Director, Manager, Supervisor G. Sales &/or Marketing Manager H. Producer or Director I. Student J. Other (please specify)

Yes! I want to receive/continue to receive LIGHTING&SOUND AMERICA FREE! No I dont want a free subscription at this time.

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Free registration is opennow for PLASA Focus:Orlando 2013, to be heldWednesday May 15 andThursday May 16, 2013 atthe Wyndham OrlandoResort, Florida. This will bethe first PLASA Focus showto hit the Sunshine State,

bringing the worlds latest entertainment technology to alocal Florida audience.

Companies already signed up to exhibit at the showinclude: Elation, Group One, CAST Software, A.C.T Lighting,Chauvet, Robe, Tomcat, SEAL, High End Systems, andTMB. With many other applications currently beingprocessed, companies interested in exhibiting are advisedto move quickly to secure their spots.

The show will play host to Floridas most talented pro-duction professionals and will feature game-changing tech-

nology, world-class speakers, live product demos, free train-ing sessions, and unparalleled networking opportunities.

Running alongside the exhibition is the Orlando edition ofthe PLASA Professional Development Program. Curated byPLASA, the PDP is a two-day program of educational ses-sions designed to give behind-the-scenes access to theregions most creatively ambitious and technically challeng-ing projects in a fun and friendly setting.

PLASA members, regional dealers, regional productioncompanies, and series exhibitors enjoy substantially dis-counted space at all PLASA Focus events. Each event tar-gets a unique regional audience that does not travel longerdistances to national industry events; in addition, PLASAFocus limits the amount of space that exhibitors can takeand provides a unique hard wall booth packageincludingmaterial handling, power, lighting, carpet, and furnituresothat each exhibitor enjoys a level playing field and a hassle-free, affordable exhibiting experience. To register, go towww.plasafocus.com/orlando.

Lex Products has stepped forwardto support Behind the Scenes in2013 by pledging a portion of theprofits from the sales of its BentoBox line to the charity. The BentoBoxes are Lex Products smallestseries of UL-Listed boxes for dis-tributing power or breaking out cir-cuits. Their compact size makesthem ideal for tight spaces abovethe stage or for use on location.Engineered thermoplastic construc-

tion makes them a very durable, fully insulated solution.Upon making the announcement, Bob Luther, president

of Lex Products, stated, After hearing about the recentgood work of Behind the Scenes at the Rock Our WorldAwards ceremony last fall, we decided to support thiscause. Since we won a PLASA Members Choice Award for

the Bento PowerCon breakout box, we felt the Bento serieswould be a meaningful choice. We are happy to support thisworthy cause this way.

Rick Rudolph, chair of the Behind the ScenesCommittee, expressed the charitys gratitude, Lex Productshas shown their support for Behind the Scenes in a varietyof creative ways over the years. By joining the Pledge aProduct campaign, they are giving the gift that keeps ongiving and providing a way for both their employees andcustomers to participate in their charitable work. We arethrilled they have chosen the award-winning Bento productline for this purpose and encourage other industry manufac-turers to follow their example.

The ESTA Foundations Behind the Scenes program pro-vides financial assistance to entertainment technology pro-fessionals who are seriously ill or injured. For more informa-tion about Behind the Scenes, to donate, or to apply for agrant, visit www.estafoundation.org/bts.htm.

PLASA Focus: Orlando Set for May 2013

Lex Products Pledges Bento Box to Behind the Scenes

NEWS

MAY 15-16ORLANDO 2013

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Schouw & Co., parent company ofMartin Professional, has entered intoan agreement with the global audiocompany Harman InternationalIndustries to sell Martin to Harman.The transaction is subject to custom-ary closing conditions, including regu-latory approvals, and is expected toclose in the first quarter of 2013.

Through this new combination oftwo worldwide industry leaders,Harman and Martin say they are con-vinced that their comprehensive offer-ing of audio, lighting, and video solu-tions for the live stage and events, aswell as permanent venues and installa-tions, will provide new, exciting oppor-tunities and will take customer satis-

faction to even higher levels. The idea is that the transaction will

create a one-stop shop for the profes-sional entertainment market. AddingMartin to Harmans $4.4 billion organi-zation and combining what the com-panies say are two of the largest R&Dbudgets in the audio and entertain-ment lighting industry will presumablyallow the companies to grow andimprove their lighting and video prod-uct offerings.

The companies say they are confi-dent that not only will they cementtheir respective positions in theirindustries but will additionally maketheir customers more successful byproviding new, innovative, and

improved products, services, and solu-tions in the future.

Blake Augsburger, executive vicepresident and president of the HarmanProfessional division, says he is look-ing forward to welcoming Martin toHarman: Martin product lines are anexcellent complement to our profes-sional audio business. After the trans-action closes, we will be able to offer afull lineup of audio, lighting, and videosolutions for the live stage as well aspermanent venues and installations.

Christian Engsted, CEO of MartinProfessional says: We very much lookforward to exploring the mutual bene-fits this change in ownership offersand continuing to develop our busi-ness relationship with our customersand partners across the globe.

Martin Professional will continue asan independent business unit withinthe Harman Professional division, withthe existing points of contact.

Harman AcquiresMartin Professional

Troels Volver, a longtime figure of theentertainment lighting industry, hasdied. He was 58.

A colorful character, known equallyfor salesmanship and his cheeky,humorous, bluntly honest (and occa-sionally profane) manner, Volver joinedMartin Professional in 1994. His tenureas managing director of MartinSingapore, beginning in 1996, provid-ed a showcase for his abilities. Hetook over Martins US office in 1998,tripling sales there in the process.

Volver left Martin and the lightingindustry in 2005; he returned in 2011,joining SGM, the Italian lighting manu-facturer, which had been purchased byPeter Johansen, the founder and for-

mer managing director of MartinProfessional. At SGM, Volver servedas export manager, North America andAsia Pacific. He was retired from SGMat the time of his death.

Volvers years at Martin coincidedwith a period of transformation at thecompany, from manufacturer of gearfor the club market to a major pres-ence across all sectors of the enter-tainment industry. Speaking on theoccasion of his 10th anniversary atMartin, he said, No one would arguethat this company has changed dra-matically in the past ten years.Products, philosophy, attitude, its alldifferent. Back then we were a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants company, a

scanners and smoke machine compa-ny. We didnt even have Macs to sell.Today, weve developed into a matureplayer in this industry, with a strongcorporate identity and strong corpo-rate culture that is customer-focused.

Eric Loader, director of sales atElation Professional, who worked atMartin with Volver, wrote, The thinghe did best was listen to his staff andempower them to do their jobs. Hewas the best listener, leader, motivator,and friend anyone who knew himcould have hoped for.

Johansen said, We did not alwaysagree, but what I admired about Troelswas that he always had the balls tostand up to me and enter into the dis-cussion with a smile. We shared thesame direct approach, and this led toan amazing cooperation. He undoubt-edly played a vital role in creating theworlds leading lighting company withhis infectious personality and ability.

Troels Volver:Lighting Industry Figure Dies at 58

Proud member of


INDUSTRY NEWS

The 3-D film version of the play CharlieVictor Romeo will make its world pre-miere as an official selection of the2013 Sundance Film Festival. The filmis in the festivals New Frontier pro-gram, which explores the conver-gence of film, art, new media technol-ogy, and storytelling. One of only 170selections chosen from more than12,000 entries, it is the only 3-D film inthis years festival. The films very exis-tence can be attributed in part to theextraordinary downtown New York Citycompany 3 Legged Dog.

Called the most frightening show Ihave ever seen by a reviewer in TheWall Street Journal, Charlie VictorRomeo is an award-winning perform-ance documentary derived entirelyfrom the black box transcripts of sixmajor real-life airline emergencies.Allowing the audience into the cock-pits of actual flights in distress, it is aportrait of the psychology of crisis.

Charlie Victor Romeo is executiveproduced by Kevin Cunningham,Patrick Daniels, and 3 Legged Dog,and produced by Caterina Bartha,Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, andCollective: Unconscious. The film isdirected by Robert Berger and KarlynMichelson with a screenplay by RobertBerger, Patrick Daniels, and IrvingGregory. The cast features RobertBerger, Patrick Daniels, Noel Dinneen,

Irving Gregory, Debbie Troche, NoraWoolley, and Sam Zuckerman.

Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, andIrving Gregory created the stage pro-duction in 1999 and premiered it atCollective: Unconscious in New YorkCity. It won critical acclaim and wasimmediately embraced by the aviationcommunity. CVR won numerousawards, including two Drama DeskAwards for Unique TheatricalExperience and Outstanding SoundDesign and made Time magazinesTop Ten Plays in 2004. Following thepremiere through 2008, CVR tourednationally and internationally. It recent-ly returned to New York for an encorerun at 3LD this past October.

3LD/3D+ is a new distributionstructure for experimental artwork cre-ated by New York-based performingarts and new media organization 3Legged Dog. This structure combinesa domestic and international touringcircuit with the broad reach of second-ary markets through filmed high defini-tion (HD) and 3-D video productions.Through partnerships with Tendu TV,NHK Cosmedia America, and others,3LD/3D+ productions are distributedthrough an international network ofdigital and 3-D movie theaters, cablechannels, video-on-demand services,and digital platforms.

This is the latest and probably the

most ambitious effort by 3 LeggedDog, a company that specializes inpresenting technically challengingworks, most of which have featuredbold experiments in projection tech-nology. (Readers may remember LSAscoverage of such productions as FireIsland, which combined live perform-ance with film footage seen on enor-mous screens; Frequency Hopping,about the actress Hedy Lamarr andcomposer George Antheil, who dis-covered the technology behind cellularcommunication; and Botanica, abizarre science fiction drama aboutscientists conducting an investigationinto the ability of plants to feel painand fear. More recently, in an attemptto become self-sustaining, the compa-ny has expanded its reach, lending itsprojection expertise to museums forexhibit designs, and now, helping toproduce Charlie Victor Romeo.

According to Kevin Cunninghan,We support the emerging arts com-munity of New York City in severalpractical ways: one, by providing anadministrative and technical resourcecenter for artistic development, man-agement, and action; two, by helpingartists to promote their work; andthree, by providing fiscal sponsorshipfor selected projects. If Charlie VictorRomeo is a success, look for 3LD tobe involved in more film work. Ph

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Ready for Takeoff: Charlie Victor Romeo to Screen at Sundance

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INDUSTRY NEWS

These days, a sporting event isnt asporting event unless it has asplashy opening ceremony. The lat-est to get in the game was the USOpen, in Flushing Meadows, NewYork. Christien Methot, of the firmDesign One, was in charge of light-ing for the event, held at Arthur AsheStadium in August.

Weve seen these events at foot-ball and basketball games, but this isnew for tennis, Methot says. I wasin the stadium when it took place,and the audience was in awe. Theyreally ate it up.

And not a moment too soon. Theceremony was supposed to takeplace the previous year but wasderailed when Hurricane Irenesoaked the Tri-state Area. We had

five days of setup and one day ofstrike, with no show, says Methot,who was able to recreate aspects ofhis original design, with modifica-tions, for the 2012 event, which ran20 minutes and was broadcast onESPN. The ceremony includedremarks by New York Citys mayor,Michael Bloomberg, and USTA presi-dent and chairman of the board, JonVegosen, followed by a performancefrom Jordin Sparks. (Her new film,Sparkle, was released the previousweek). The climax was a lighting andvideo spectacle set to the music ofTaio Cruzs Dynamite.

The show featured video projec-tions on the court, accompanied bya battery of lighting effects. Videocontent was provided by Glow

Design Group, Methot says. Theyran SMPTE time code out of theirsystem, which was run through our[MA Lighting] grandMA2 lightingconsole. It was a nicely coordinatedpiece. Overland Entertainment laidgray Marley dance floor on the ten-nis court, and it was used as theprojection screen. When the videofirst came up, people were gasping.Video was delivered using a DatatonWATCHOUT media server and eightBarco 22K projectors on a scaffold.

As happens at the Super Bowlhalftime show, the event was real-ized using rolling carts loaded withgear. On the floor level, we had 12carts with lighting units and MDGhazers, Methot says. On the stadi-ums promenade level, there were 12

Anyone for Tennis?: Christien Methot Designs Kickoff for US Open

lighting positions as wellthreeeach for each orientation of thecourt. We had 16 crew memberswho were dedicated to rolling thecarts off in the five minutes of televi-sion commercial time we had tocover our load-out. Another crewwas dedicated to rolling up theMarley and rolling out the line-arrayloudspeakers.

The carts contained 16 High EndSystems SHOWPIX units, Theyreally helped to create a lightingbackground behind the performers,Methot says. They were a niceportable element with a realsparkle. There was an equal num-ber of Clay Paky Sharpys. Placed onthe promenade level were 12 HighEnd SHOWGUNs, which providedthe main wash light. The designeralso played with one of theShowguns most distinctive ele-ments, the LEDs that form a circlearound the units perimeter.Sometimes it was sparkling white,

and sometimes it featured undulat-ing blues and whites.

The Sharpys, Methot notes, are

super-bright! Theyre all about beamsin the air. They were very kinetic, veryenergetic, like dancers in a club. TheyPh

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INDUSTRY NEWS

stayed right along with the beat. Theydidnt take up much space, and youcould see them for miles.

Also, says Methot, We engi-neered custom brackets that held 8'sticks of truss over the vom posi-tions; on each of these were twoSharpys, a Showgun, and a CoemarInfinity Wash XL. I wanted the bright-est, punchiest fixtures on the marketwithout having to use Syncrolites,which would have taken up toomuch power. Haze was provided bya mix of MDG Atmosphere andUltratec Radiance units. The bestthing that happened was we had ahuge pyro hit at the top ofDynamite, Methot says. All of thesmoke from the pyro blew into thestadium and allowed us to get thefull effect of the light.

The pyro was supplied by Fireworksby Grucci. The video gear was sup-plied by Glow Design Group. The light-ing gear was supplied by WorldStage.When we finally saw it all come

together, it somehow had more impactthan a normal successful eveningwould have had, says Methot. We

had worked really hard the yearbefore, and to see it all play out sonicely made it even more special.Ph

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www.lightingandsoundamerica.com January 2013 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

Thorsten Bauer, creative director andco-founder of URBANSCREEN, ledthe artists and technicians fromBremen, Germany who designed thelight and sound show that broughtLovett, Sewall, and Herzstein Halls,the cornerstones of Rice Universitysacademic quadrangle, to stunning lifefor a series of performances duringits centennial celebration.

The team flew to Rice, its firstAmerican client, charged with creat-ing an event that would tell the storyof the universitys first century to theextended community of students,faculty, staff, alumni, and visitorsattending the extensive series ofevents the campus hosted during thecentennial celebration.

The strategy was to let Rices dis-tinctive architecture do the talking.Our first question was, Who istelling this story? We decided thearchitecture itself is the only livingwitness to the entire history, Bauersays. The images come from theinside of the building to the outsidefor a few seconds, then go back.

For the three-segment production,the team created a 3-D video keyedbrick-by-brick to the buildings. Wethink of a building as a diva, becauseit demands so many things, says TillBotterweck, an Urbanscreen artdirector, at a lecture for Rice archi-tecture students after the final per-formance. This one [Lovett Hall] waseven more of a diva.

With no white projection surfacessave for the covered sally port andseveral well-placed window screens,the ornate building presented manychallenges. For one, Bauer says, theteams original production drawingswere based on architectural plansthat go back to Rices beginnings.When they came to Rice for the

show, they discovered Lovett Hallsconstruction crew didnt alwaysadhere to the plan. They were a fewinches off here, a few inches there,but we were able to adjust, he says.

From the beginning of theprocess, the owl, the universitysmascot, served as inspiration.

At the start of the show, the soundof the owls flapping wings createdwith a wet towel waved in front of amicrophone, grew out of a prairiesoundscape. The owl circled anddropped a feather at the sally port,where the Rice Institute took root. Afanciful opening revelation of thearchitectural details served as asegue to the main segment, in whichthe artists bent the architecture totheir will as the buildings revealed theuniversitys colorful history, with eachdecade in turn crackling to life.

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Its Academic: Celebrating Rice Universitys Centennial


INDUSTRY NEWS

There are often many things hap-pening at the same time, bubblingup, falling to the surface, and disap-pearing again, he says. We createdthe visuals to reflect the design prin-ciples of the decades they repre-sent. The surround soundscapeenticed viewers to look this way andthat, ensuring that one could not seeeverything in a single viewing, andpossibly not even in multiple view-ings. The 270 projections were a

first for the company, which haswrapped a number of buildings infanciful animations, most notably theSydney Opera House last year.

Bauer used an astounding 30,000photos during the five shows and oneunplanned encore. Hubbard says thatafter the final unadvertised perform-ance for the Rice Design Alliance galaon October 14, hundreds of peoplewere still pouring into the quad. Onestudent came up to Thorsten and

asked, What time is the show? andhe said, Im sorry, were done. Wejust did the last show. And he saidshe burst into tears, Hubbard says.Ten minutes later, they decided torun it one more time.

Editing the images to fit the build-ings facades took months, with testsviewed in the companys computersand on a small mockup of the quad.With a projection that measured, intechnical terms, 10,000 pixels wideand 2,000 pixels high, there was plentyof room for Bauer to maneuver as heoversaw the flow of artwork in two-and three-dimensions, matching it tothe electronic score that was also com-posed and produced by the company.

The German crew traveled toHouston for centennial week withonly data800GB worthas theircargo. The rest of the gear wasleased from Houston-based LDSystems, a lighting-and-sound pro-duction company started and stilloperated by Rice alumnus Rob

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McKinley 81. The company built andinstalled the unique two-stage maskthat occluded the sally port withoutblocking traffic and also provided thetwelve 20,000W projectors andimmersive sound system.

Sound was most critical to whatBauer called the shows epilogue, inwhich history caught up to the pres-ent day. Our decision was to swapthe narration line from the visual inthe 100-years part to the auditory,he says of the segment that featuredthe layered voices of dozens of Ricestudents coming from every direc-tion. At first slowly and then in mas-sive waves, bricks of light flowedaround and about the arches thatsupport the three buildings.

Gear used for the event includefour AV Stumpfl Wings Vioso mediaservers, nine Barco Folsom Image Prosignal processors, two Barco FLM Rand ten FLM HD projectors, 16 ETCSource Four Lekos, and 64 SourceFour PARs. The loudspeaker array,

entirely from L-Acoustics, included 16KUDO, 26 KARA, eight SB28, andeight SB18 enclosures plus eight LA-8RAK amps. Audio was controlled byan Avid control surface.

Rather than a visual representationof buildings, Bauer says the finale,representing the future, was built outof the wishes, fears, and hopes ofthe students of today. He conducted12 hours worth of interviews for thecollage that concluded the show.

The segment was inspired by acomment President David Leebronmade early in the process. He saysin one interview, You know, Rice isone of the last refuges of peoplewhose ambition is to change theworld, Bauer recalled. As I workedmore and more with Rice, I saw thismore clearly. This changed me. Thiskind of inspiration is the fire in thiscommunity, and I found that in everyinterview I did.Mike Williams

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Jeremy Lemos, freelance audio engi-neer, was on tour with The Shins, sort-ing out his stage at ACL Fest in Austin,when our paths crossed. The Shinsgig dropped in his lap when the formerengineer for the band and another ofhis clients, Andrew Byrd, both put outrecords at the same time. When theformer engineer chose to tour withByrd, Lemos took The Shins tour.Ive known Dave Burton, the tourmanager for The Shins, for years,Lemos says. Hes a legendary rockand roll tour manager who has beenout with everybody.

Working for different bands, hesays, allows you to cross-pollinate andbring ideas from one to another. Iron& Wine and The Shins are somewhatstylistically similar, but mixing-wise,

they are completely different, he says.For one thing, [Sam Beam of Iron &Wine] changes the songs every day.By the end of the tour, all of the songswill be completely different; only thelyrics will be the same. He alwayswants to experiment and stretch outevery day with his musicians. TheShins are the opposite; they want toplay the perfect Shin show every time.When they dial in, they want to do thetightest show they can possibly do.

Even though the band might striveto sound exactly like the record,Lemos believes that a live mix is a dif-ferent animal. I think you can chaseyour tail a lot, he says, referring torecreating the studio sound live. Notonly do you have completely differentmusicians playing live, but there are

things in the studio, like Pro Tools, thatyou can take for granted. The Shinsdidnt want us to have samplers every-where, so people are playing all theirparts. Realistically, you listen to therecords, but you should totally be mix-ing for your audience.

I like working with digital now,because I know I can have all of mythings together in a way I want themevery night, no matter what, whetherIm in Japan or Im at ACL. Its not thatits in the same ballpark; I mean, itsthe sameidentical. I do travel with aconsole, which is an Avid Profile. Justthis morning, because we multi-trackall the shows, I was able to sound-check The Shins from their Eugene[Oregon] show, using the recording ofthat show on my console. If you wereto close your eyes, it was if my bandwas on stage at 8 oclock this morn-ing, but my backline guys didnt haveto be here. I just went out there bymyself, and I was able to check it. Ialready know, when the band comeson stage tonight, Ill be ready to givethem a great sound, because I alreadytweaked it out.

As for shaping the sound witheffects, Lemos leaves that to the band;his goal is to recreate it as truly aspossible. I used to add effects, but Ifeel like The Shins and all the bands Iwork for have so much going on onstage, I dont feel like its my job to bean extra member out there. I just feellike its my job to represent them aswell as I possibly can. I always think ofthis as the Chicago School of engi-neering, where the philosophy is, If itdoesnt sound good, just use a differ-ent microphone. Thats the first thing.Dont start EQing it and start goingcrazy with plug-ins or whatever.Capture it right, and go from there.

The philosophy emphasizes fidelityearly in the signal path. For a soundperson starting out, getting a micro-phone package is very, very important,because everything else is going to bea variable. If you have the same micro-phones on the same amps every day,as long as you know there are value

Its Only Life: Jeremy Lemos Mixes The Shins

starting points, then you can workfrom there.

His microphone package on TheShins tour is a mixed bag. The bandused to have a deal with Sennheiser,so we have a lot of Sennheiser micro-phones. But Im pretty obsessed withthe [Shure] KSM9 mic. I really wantedto try them out, so we did a soundcheck. [James Mercer, the lead singer]said, Oh yeah, I love that micro-phone. It sounded so good in hisears, and as soon as he said that, thenthat was the microphone for the tour;we have been using it on him and theother singer, Jessica [Dobson], all year.Cory [Lorentz, from Shure] made me ahypercardiod version of the 9 whenthere werent very many of them out.He said, Try this out, the Vocal Max,and we have been using them all year.They have a nice high end, and wecan combine a hundred channels andnot get weird artifacts.

But dont people come to liveshows expecting to hear what they

heard on the record? I dont think so.Almost every show that I have everdone, if there is not feedback and youcan hear clear vocals, everyone thinksthat it sounds great. If those twothings happen, everything else is icing

on the cake. Thats all people want;they want a good show, they want tohear their favorite band play the songsand have a beer, as long as they canhear the vocals, he says.RichardCadenaPh

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Backstabbing is back in fashion on Broadway this winter, asevidenced by a new revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, directedby Daniel Sullivan. David Mamets drama of fear andloathing in a real estate office features Al Pacino leading astarry cast as a crew of salesman who will lie, cheat, andbetray each other in order to close any deal. If youve seenmore than one production of Glengarry, you may thinkyouve seen it all in terms of design, but this production, atthe Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, manages to find a numberof innovations while honoring the needs of the script.

The first act features a trio of confrontations in a Chineserestaurant. Many designers go for the route of Chinoiserie,with plenty of red dcor, and possibly an Oriental archway.In Eugene Lees production design, the setting is a sadder,seedier sort of place, with a pair of overused red circularquilted banquettes and tacky wallboard; a pitiful string oftwinkle lights is wholly inadequate at adding a touch ofcheer. Other decorative touches include cheap Buddha stat-ues and a photo of what looks like the Forbidden City. Lee

says, The production is really founded on a less-is-moreconcept. We tried to do it as simply as we could. You know,you dont always have to be whistling the scenery.

I proposed to Eugene that we put up that pathetic littlestring of Christmas tree lights, says James F. Ingalls, thelighting designer. We started with lanterns that were nicer.Then we added the string and made the lanterns morepathetic. The key, he notes, was to create a look that wasdumpybut not too much so. Dan pointed out that theygo there to drink as well as to eat, and a steam-table kind ofplace might not have a bar, he adds. Ingalls blue-tinged Ph

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Office Politics: A New Glengarry Glen Rosson Broadway

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lighting achieves that moody, late-afternoon look found inplaces where natural light is absent and the walls seem tosoak up whatever illumination is available.

The plays longer second act is set in the real estateoffice, which has been burglarized, hence the boarded updoor and window. Interestingly, Lees office design, with itsgrey filing cabinets and green leather upholstered officechairs, is true to the plays early-80s time frame, whichmeans that it now looks like a relic of another era. Lee put ina few touches of his own, making the managers office,which is seen through a doorway and a window, reached bya pair of steps, a choice he made for sightline reasons. Inevery detailincluding the cheap floor tile, well-worn desks,and overhead fluorescent units, the set design says that thisis an environment inhabited by bottom feeders.

Ingalls achieves a plausible fluorescent look with colorcorrection on regular ellipsoidal units. (HMIs were tooexpensive, he notes.) The lighting in the inner office is slight-ly warmer, he says, simply because its cheaply-paneledwalls take the lighting differently from the bulk of the set,which is painted a bleak institutional green. One can alsosee a warmer, sunlight look through the offices exterior win-dows. There appear to be few, if any, lighting cues in thisact, which, Ingalls notes, is because he worked at makingthem invisible. We have to change focus, because Davidhas written arias, and we wanted to heighten the effect ofeach onebut, at one point, we went a little too far andDan [Sullivan] pulled us back. The lighting is controlled onan ETC Ion console.

Scenery and lighting for Glengarry Glen Ross were sup-plied by Hudson Scenic and Hudson/Christie Lighting,respectively. Ingalls adds that thanks the technical supervi-sion of Neil Mazzella, of the above firms and HudsonTheatrical Associates, and electricians James Moloney,Justin Freeman, and Ron Schweir, as well as house electri-cian Ann Kilian and her team. A bona fide blockbuster,Glengarry Glen Ross ends its limited run later this month.


We didnt want somebody just tomake a carbon copy of our originalproduction. We wanted a truly creativeteam who were great working withnew material and who could bringsomething really special to the stage.The director of the Disney TheatricalGroup, Stephen Crocker, is crystal-clear about what was required to stagethe first-ever European production ofDisneys Aladdin: The Musical. Sowhere did Disney choose for this pre-miere? Berlin? Paris? Welcome toFredericia, a provincial town on theJutland Peninsula in Denmark, midwaybetween the ferry port of Esbjerg andthe eastern city of Odense.

The Fredericia Theater returned tolocal distributor Alfa Audio only twoyears ago to update its C-Series sys-tem, from d&b audiotechnik, to d&bsQ-Series. The theatres house sounddesigner, Tim Andreasen explains, Ihave been a big fan of d&b loudspeak-ers for a long time. Quality of sound isabsolutely, always our main focus. Asa theatre that concentrates on musicaltheatre, we must have a system thatsounds great in any dynamic range orlevel. When replacing the old system,it was the Q-Series that had the sizeand the sound we were looking for. Ihave played so many gigs on that sys-tem and knew that it was the right

choice. Without doing any calcula-tions, I just knew that it would workgreat, and it does.

Lars Frederiksen, from Alfa Audio,acted as consultant and designer incooperation with the theatre.Frederiksen clarifies, My reasons forsuggesting the Q-Series are not at allcomplicated: I believe that its the per-fect sound solution for musicalsbecause of the emphasis on the natu-ral reproduction of the human voice.This is, and always has been, one ofthe hallmarks of d&b. Werner VierBayer, of d&bs product management,has vocal reproduction as his first cri-teria for the voicing of the boxes, andthat makes them perfectly suited forany application where the naturalsound of the voices and high intelligi-bility is important. As if to confirm thebelief that quality audio reproductiondoes not have to have a sell-by date,Frederiksen remarks, The original C-Series is still providing great service.We relocated it to a smaller, moreexperimental hall next door to themain auditorium.

With an updated PA systeminstalled, Fredericia Theaters creativeproducer and managing director,Sren Mller, set about developing theartistic and creative profile of thevenue, as Andreasen recalls: Since

[Mller] started leading the theatre twoyears ago, all our focus has been onproducing new, creatively fresh materi-al. Currently, we are the only theatre inDenmark doing that.

Mller himself elaborates, We havestrong connections with the DanishAcademy of Musical Theatre and theNew Works Development CentreUterus here in Fredericia. We only pro-duce new, original musicals, and Ithink it was that reputation for creativesensibility that prompted DisneyTheatricals in New York to contact us,along with our focus on nurturing tal-ent, new works development, andnon-aggressive production. After along interview, they offered us theEuropean premiere of Aladdin, givingus full freedom in artistic and creativedesign. They simply gave us a scriptand a score and left the rest up to us,including the sound design.

When the time came to make thesound design for Aladdin, Andreasendecided he wanted more, so onceagain he returned to Frederiksen atAlfa Audio and d&b audiotechnik.Lars is always the man I call when Iget ideas of changing, adding, or try-ing something different. The installedQ-Series system is a left and rightarray plus a small center cluster for thebalcony and fill for just downstage of Ph

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INDUSTRY NEWS

AladdinTakes Flight: d&b, Disney, and Denmark


the front of stage. For Aladdin, I decid-ed to do the mix as 5.1, so needed aproper center just to handle thevocals and sound effects. That gaveme more headroom in the vocals,whilst still being able to maintain agood level to the music.

I always feel that more loudspeak-ers give a feeling of space, not just tobe able to play louder. Despite that, Ihave better coverage on the balconywith the bigger center. The Q-SUBSare the main subwoofers for this pro-duction; they provide the punch justthe way I like it, and the J-SUBS aresimply brilliant for the low frequencyeffects, whether it is in boosting thelow end in the orchestra or in the mas-sive sound effects.

All rooms have their acousticnuances, and the Fredericia is noexception. We are limited as to wherewe can place the main loudspeakersystem, Andreasen says. Frederiksenadds, There is some resonance in thelow end around 60Hz and a lot at

200Hz, because the main loudspeak-ers are placed in a corner. We hadtalked about a center cluster whenthey originally purchased the Q sys-tem. Before Aladdin, the theatre askedif we thought it would be a good ideawith a full center cluster, and I recom-mended that.

After we added the center cluster,Andreasen continues, I found thatthere was a big resonance at 241Hz,due to the fact that the cluster is hang-ing under the proscenium. I notchedthat in the filter. Problem solved!Similarly, we had to work around thehard surface created from the speciallyinstalled LED screen, which makes thetop end a bit harder to control, not tomention balancing an 18-pieceacoustic orchestra with every mic onstage being omnidirectional. Here, theimportant thing about loudspeakersand acoustics is how much headroomit is possible to generate withoutmessing with the quality of eitherorchestra or players on the stage. But,

in musical theatre, problems like thisare the name of the game, and, withthe ease of using d&b and its inter-face, rigging, and calculating alongwith support from Alfa Audio, as anengineer you feel both safe and confi-dent to push the boundaries at thesame time.

As front-of-house engineer,Andreasen is obviously enjoying thedynamism of the Q-Series. Audiencesseem to be a bit more critical whenthey see a theatre show rather than arock concert. After all, hearing everyword of the lyrics is important to thewhole experience. But once you feelconfident in delivering that safely, wellits time to bring the music up. A pro-duction like this is allowed to feel like aconcert sometimes, and sometimes ina completely different way!

Disneys Aladdin: The Musicalclosed November 25 after an extend-ed run.

Some Ideas On Lighting The Dance By Susan Hamburger

I lit a dance performance based on Pearl Primus

writings about Southern sharecroppers and performed

by the Urban Bush Women. The section of the piece

shown here is different from the rest of the dance. For

this sequence, the blue surround separates it in spirit

from the parched landscape of the rest of the dance.

R83, a wonderfully saturated blue, works well in both

warm and cool environments. It has the added the

advantage of being particularly flattering on the

dancers skin tones

Read the whole story of this innovative solution at

www.rosco.com/dancelighting R83


INDUSTRY NEWS

Every year, the city of Barcelona cele-brates Spains largest, and most popu-lar, festivalLa Merc. The eventsstretch across several days and culmi-

nate on September 24 with music,dancing, wine, and giant puppets toobserve the Roman Catholic feast dayof Our Lady of Mercy.

Traditionally, Barcelona invitesanother city to participate, and thisyear it was Montreal. The Canadiancity called on the multimedia designersat Moment Factory to be part of avisual production that centered on theNativity Faade of Barcelonas Basilicay Templo Expiatorio de la SagradaFamilia, or Basilica and ExpiatoryChurch of the Holy Family. AntoniGaudi took over the design and con-struction of the basilica started in1883, and it is currently expected tobe completed in 2026.

Johanna Marsal, a producer fromMoment Factory, explains, JacquesRenaud, from Renaud Architecturedvnements [of Montreal], had theidea to produce a show on the faadeof the Sagrada Familia. MomentFactory was asked to conceive andcreate the whole showso we tookcare not only of the creative aspects,but of the technical setup and installa-tion of the whole project.

Multimedia director Nelson deRobles and scriptwriter MareikeLenhart developed the story, told vialarge-scale projections, whichrevolved around the story of creation.We started working with our team ofdesigners to create the conceptsketches for each act, says deRobles. Once we were happy withthat, we started the real design. Thatmeant working in the real canvas andcreating all the elements that aregoing to be animated in production.

Fitting large-scale projections ona building designed by Gaudi wasaltogether challenging. By itsdesign, the Sagrada Familia doesnthave any straight edges or flat sur-faces, explains Moment Factorytechnical director Alexis Bluteau. DeRobles adds, The biggest challengewas the complexity of the building,everything is organic.

The buildings side was also signifi-cant. Our projection was more than30m by 100m, more or less, and withthe lighting, more than 150m. Its anextremely big canvas, Marsal says. Ph

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Moment Factory at La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Also, says Marsal, The amount ofdetail that the faade has, the level ofcomplexity because of the reliefs ofthe faade, really changes the way youcreate the content. Consequently, wecouldnt use basic 3-D techniques inthis project because of the details ofthe faade. So we tried different tech-niques2-D, 3-D, and we used opti-cal illusions, textures on the stone thatwould really bring the faade alive.

Moment Factory did much of thepreproduction in Montreal. Becauseour main character was the building orthe surface that we were mappingvideo on, it was pretty hard to createor test our content with the real build-ing. To help creating and testing theimages, we worked with scale models.In this particular case, we worked froma 3-D scan of the faade, and we cre-ated a scale model and a virtual modelout of it, Bluteau says.

Even though we were workingwith a mini-mockup of the church herein Montreal, because of the detail, itsvery different when youre on site,Marsal says. Consequently, the teammade several trips to Barcelonathroughout the process to iron out allthe details.

The right software was key to theproject, de Robles says. We used ourproprietary, Windows-based software,X-Agora, for playback, and we devel-oped a specific plug-in for this projectto be able to map the faade in all itsdetails. That allowed us to map thebuilding in record time; we reducedthe mapping time from a week of workto one night, which was essential tothe restrictions of the project.

The mapping of the faade was-nt obvious. We used 16 projectors,and because of all the details on therelief, it required more rigorous map-ping, Marsal says. The project uti-lized eight X-Agora players as well as16 Christie Digital 20K and 18K pro-jectors, with three backups in place.Skynight, of Geneva, Switzerland,supplied the projectors.

The video covered one part of the

faadethe arches and bottom part;all the restthe four towerswascovered by lighting, de Robles says.The lighting package, provided byAlbadalejo in Barcelona, included avariety of gear. We installed 24[Martin Professional MAC 2000s] withgobos matching the video, 12 [ClayPaky] Sharpys in the center part of thefaade to create very defined beams,ten [Martin Atomic 3000 strobes]inside the towers, 48 PAR LEDs insidethe towers, and 12 [Clay Paky] AlphaBeams on the floor for very dramaticshadows on the building, he adds.

Control was via an MA LightinggrandMA2 light console. We pro-grammed hundreds of lighting cues tofollow the video in perfect sync. Also,we incorporated some animated light-ing effects on the video to blend themlater with the real lighting and achievethe result we wanted, de Roblessays. Gabriel Pontbriand conceivedthe lighting and Dominic Lemieuxserved as the lighting specialist.

The sound portion of the produc-tion featured a soundtrack created byAnthony Rozankovic. The more mod-ern finale featured music from electro-jazz band Misteur Valaire.

Skynight also provided all thesound equipment with the great sup-port of Meyer Sound in helping us toachieve a great coverage and sounddiffusion within the restriction thatwe had to deal with, Bluteau says.The project used a Meyer rig withMILO, MICA, and a variety of HPcabinets; sound engineer Jean-Michel Caron used an Avid Venue atthe front of house.

There were 12 shows altogether,with more than 110,000 viewers tak-ing part in the experience. Each night,the team received a standing ovationfrom the audience. Our goal was totouch people and to give a messageof hope, and those were the exactwords the mayor of Barcelona usedin his interviews for describing ourshow, de Robles concludes.Sharon Stancavage


INDUSTRY NEWS

Architect/production designer StefanBeese, who in recent years has spe-cialized in holistic designs for NewOrleans-based cultural events such asEssence Festival and Voodoo MusicExperience, took on a new challengethis year: H20 Music Festival. Held inDallas and Los Angeles this past sum-mer, H20 targets the young Hispanicmarket with a variety of artists, includ-ing Man, Tisto, Juanes, Weezer,Snoop Dogg, and Damian Marley.

The Dallas edition, held in theCotton Bowl, was a big affair with an80'-wide stage that held a 60'-diame-ter turntable. (An additional stage, aStageline SL320, was located in theplaza outside the stadium.) We hadsix weeks to design the festival,Beese says, adding that because theevent was entirely new, there wasntanything like a template in place. Inone week, we had a 100-page designdocument. He also pulled togetherhis vendors and collaborators, includ-ing staging supplier Brown United (ofDuarte, California), lighting supplierGemini Stage Lighting (of Dallas), andvideo supplier GoVision, based inArgyle, Texas. The latter suppliedDaktronics PST-12HD modular LEDdisplays, which, Beese says, aresuper-readable and bright. They couldcompete with the bright sunlight ofDallas. The screens had a verticalconfiguration, which, he says, gavethe images more scale and created amuch nicer look. Combining IMAGwith contenta mix of imagery sup-plied by the acts and created byBeese and his teamthe designersays he was able to add extra excite-ment to the show. If you just useIMAG, it makes the show boring, hesays, noting that, with an act likeTisto, I saw Matt Webb really cuttingimagery to the beata closeup of himDJing with a graphic element, then agraphic element, making an interesting

collage. With these really good prod-ucts from GoVision, suddenly theres ashow in the show.

The audience area was marked bya series of light towers, metal struc-tures featuring cutout versions of thefestivals name, the host brandUnivision Radio, and MiO, the makerof liquid water enhancers. The lighttowers build a nice city of mono-liths, Beese says. Also, they addedsidelighting possibilities and visualstimulation, and they provided brand-ing for the sponsors. The towerswere built by [New Orleans-based]Event Producers.

The towers were like Swiss Armyknivesthey had multiple functions,Beese says. Some of them hadcharging stations; in LA, we brandedsome for Metro PCS, which was asponsor. Others were seating areaswith misters, and others created MiObar and beverage stations. They alsointroduced sponsor branding without

having to resort to banner materials.MiO was a main sponsor and need-ed to be presented in the right formatand programming for the festival,Beese says. They asked for an inte-gration that made sense for the brandand festival.

He notes that, rather than usingcargo containers for the structures, ashe has done in the past, his team usedtruss with CNC-milled facades, allow-ing them to ship in the panels theydesigned. The team also went throughsun studies to generate visuals thatrepresented the shade where peoplecould hang out, a welcome side effect.

Beeses layout was also cunninglyconceived to keep the party going. InDallas, he says, when an act finishedon the main stage, a DJ would takeover at the MiO pavilion, and thecrowd would be redirected to him.Also, the video displays added to thepace of the event. Most of the bandswanted to bring in signage, Beesesays. I said, You have a full digitalbackdrop to play with. Why not use it?We can bring someone who will take,say, the Weezer logo, and create dif-ferent animations with it, which will

H20 Times Two: Stefan Beese Designs a Pair of Festivals

make your performance much moredynamic then a static logo. This way,we didnt have to deal with setchanges, and it made the show moredynamic over the course of the day.

The event in Los Angeles StateHistoric Park required a slightly differ-ent approach. There were lots of hillsalong with the LA skyline, Beesesays. We went through vignettes orelements, trying to create a city land-scape that would have blended in withLos Angeles. We had a slightly smallerstage than in Dallas, placed in a valley,and another, smaller stage to the leftof it. Next to them were the MiO pavil-ion and the others. It was about tryingto blend into the natural landscape.

The main stage was smaller than inDallas and located in an open field.For the main stage screen, we hadVuePix MC7 LED mesh screen, whichwas 18' by 32', and, on the sides,were 26' by 16.5'. For the secondstage, we had an MC15 screen, whichwas 9' x 16'. These helped us withissues of wind and weight load,because, in LA, we used a differentstage provided by Kleege Industries.We chose a different stage, made ofaluminum trussing, which could be

built using manual labor. Its a quickerand more efficient setup when dealingwith a historic park where you want toavoid damage to the ground due toheavy equipment. On the other hand,it doesnt hold as much weight. Wealso installed a scrim behind eachvideo screen for better readability.

The lighting in Dallas, designed byPatrick Theriot, included MegalightBrightStripes, GLP Volkslichts, MartinProfessional MAC 250 Beams, Mac250 Kryptons, Elation Opti Tri 30s,Chauvet COLORado 11s, controlledby an Avolites Tiger Touch console.The towers were lit using more ElationOpti Tri Pars, controlled via CityTheatrical ShowDMX wireless system.Video was delivered by PRG MBoxmedia servers, controlled by an MALighting grandMA light console.

In Los Angeles, the lighting, sup-plied by Visions Lighting, includedStrong Entertainment Lighting SuperTroupers, ETC Source Four Lekos,Philips Vari*Lite VL3500s, Clay PakySharpys, Martin Atomic strobes, RobeROBIN 300LEDwash units, Elation1200c Profiles, Elation Platinum Beam5Rs, and Elation 260 Q-Wash units,controlled by a grandMA console.Ph

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CASTsBlackTrax: The Future of Fully Immersive Productions Makes its Debut

Attendees at LDI, held in Las Vegas, lastNovember, saw CAST SoftwaresBlackTrax make possible a completelyunrehearsed audio-visual spectacle aradio-controlled shark swimmingagainst a backdrop of flickering lightsthat created the feel of ocean depths,while shadows danced around the roomlike light on the waters surface. At first,the shark glimmered in relative darknessas brief flashes of light swept past,coming to a stop near the seabed. Atthat point, Martin Professional MAC700s swung into position and illuminat-ed the shark with a wash of blue-green,bringing the scene to a crescendo intime with the theme from Jaws.

The sharks movements in the 3-Dspace were unplanned and decided onthe fly by the crew member controllingit. There were no cues, preprogrammedautomation, or followspot operators, buteach piece of light and sound gear inthe room behaved according to thedesigners directions. The BlackTraxsystem tracked the dynamic position ofthe shark and delivered its coordinatesto the output technologies, whichresponded accordingly.

Anyone or anything tagged with asmall BTBeacon, part of the BlackTraxsystem, can be tracked, in real time,with 1/4" accuracy at a speed of morethan 100 frames per second. The bea-con uses proprietary IR technology, anon-board gyroscope, and a wirelessradio to communicate dynamic posi-tional data with what the company callssix degrees of freedom (x, y, z, roll,pitch, and yaw) to audio and lightingequipment, robotic cameras, and mediatechnologies.

THE HEMSLEY LIGHTING PROGRAMSThis year marks the 30th Anniversary of the creation of the Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Programs. On March 17th at 6 PM, we will celebrate Gilberts legacy, our generous donors, and our future at the annual Hemsley Portfolio Review Reception. Details on our website www.hemsleylightingprograms.org.

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In this instance, the beacon wasattached to the sharks underbelly andits coordinates used to modulate theoutput of 34 Martin Mac moving headsvia an MA Lighting grandMA2 console;two 16K Christie Digital projectorsserved by coolux Pandoras Box mediaservers; and a 20-cabinet JBL ProCinema surround-sound system con-trolled by Sonic Emotions Sonic WaveI processor. Movements as small as aninch were picked up by IR-sensitiveBTCams, located in the trussingabove, and fed to the output technolo-gies via the Ethernet-based BTServer.This delivered real-time dynamic posi-tional data in two formsthe propri-etary BTX protocol (full 6-D coordi-nates) for advanced digital processingunits that can accept and utilize it,such as Pandoras Box and the SonicWave I, and pan/tilt DMX values forlighting, derived from the positionaldata and sent over the standard Art-Net protocol.

In another demonstration, an RCtruck zipped along, carrying with it thesound of a roaring diesel engine, eventhough it was actually powered by atiny electric motor and wasnt fittedwith any speaker. The sound originat-ed from a throng of loudspeaker cabi-nets positioned around the perimeterof the room; the 3-D directivity of theeffect was made possible byBlackTrax in conjunction with theSonic Wave I processor.

A trail of intense white smokeflowed in the wake of the truck, whichwas an image generated on the fly bya Pandoras Box and projected ontothe floor by a high-spec ChristieProjector. One of the biggest advan-tages of BlackTrax is the speed of thetracking, explains Jan Hwel, of

coolux. Its very important to be ableto deliver lightning fast motion in orderfor the audience to believe in themagic of the tracking. Nowadays, a lotof people are familiar with sensorssuch as Kinect [for Microsofts Xbox360], and they already notice thelatency, but with a tracking speed of120fps and above, BlackTrax is a bigstep up in quality and precision.

The creative potential of BlackTraxis one of its greatest assets, the com-pany says, but there may be a multi-tude of arbitrary applications notimmediately obvious to those who aresimply looking for a way to creategreater shows with fewer resources:The functional power of the systemextends into the realms of extremeproblem solvingas professionalssuch as lighting designer DurhamMarenghi have pointed out.

BlackTrax represents a uniqueopportunity to track and illuminate, oraccurately keep in darkness, perform-ers, screens, and scenic elements in awide range of environments, but itsapplications are limited only to theimagination of lighting designers,Marenghi says.

One sprang to mind when I sawthe inevitable Flashing lights andstrobe effects are used in this produc-tion sign outside one of my shows:Imagine reserving a block of seats inthe theatre for those in the audiencewho are susceptible to photosensitiveepilepsy. You could then program thelighting system to momentarily extin-guish any moving light effects thatpass across this area, he says. Anunusual application it may be, but itswell within the capabilities of thisamazing system. Now go and think upsome more of your own!


SHOW PREVIEW

It is fitting that the famed Czech artistand scenic designer Josef Svoboda isthe subject of one of the upcomingpapers at Showlight 2013, as the con-ference will take place May 1821 at acastle in Cesk Krumlov, a traffic-freeUNESCO Heritage Site in Svobodasnative Czech Republic.

Showlight is unique for many rea-sons, not least of which is that speak-ers are present for the duration, allow-ing them to mingle with delegates andexhibitors throughout the eventdur-ing the paper presentations, at tea andcoffee breaks, over meals, and duringthe visits programallowing plenty oftime for discussion and exchange of

ideas. Hence the high regard in whichShowlight is held as one of the bestnetworking events in the business.

There is also the unique aspect ofwanderlust attached to Showlight: Adifferent location is found every time,so each event is organized from theground up. Nowhere else will you beable to spend quality time talking to amember of the lighting team behindthe opening and closing ceremonies ofthe 2012 London Olympic Games, thedirector of photography for Brave, andChristopher Baugh, who worked withthe iconic Czech scenographerSvoboda at Londons National Theatre.

Organized by a group of volunteer

lighting professionals, Showlight isreliant on sponsors and approximately40 trade booths for income. The 2013event would not be possible withoutthe huge support it is receiving fromRobe, the main sponsor behind theconference dinner and projectionequipment for the auditorium. JosefValchar, CEO of Czech Republic-based Robe, says: Robe very muchbelieves in the Showlight mission ofbringing together the lighting commu-nity from all over the world and provid-ing an outstanding opportunity to learnfrom some of the best in the business.We are honored to have the opportuni-ty to welcome Showlight to our beauti-ful country, and we hope it willbecome a source of inspiration for allparticipants for years to come.

The program for Showlight 2013begins with a welcome reception onthe evening of Saturday, May 18,sponsored by Clay Paky. Delegate reg-istration will be open at the HotelRuze, where everyone will gather fordrinks on the hotel terrace that over-looks the Vltava River.

The serious business of papersbegins on the morning of Sunday, May19. Following a short walk from thetown through the castle courtyards,delegates will arrive at the Showlightvenue in the castles Riding Hall. Hereis the small auditoriuma typicalShowlight audience is approximately350 400 peoplewith the adjacenttrade show booths. Sunday is a fullday of 20-minute presentations, withbreaks for teathe organizing com-mittee members are mainly British!coffee, and lunch, during which dele-gates and exhibitors are able to spendquality time together.

Sunday evening of Showlight isassigned to the traditional companydinners, at which exhibitors host a

Capturing the CastleLighting professionals head to the Czech Republic forShowlight 2013

Cesk Krumlov, Czech Republic, the chosen city of Showlight 2013.

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SHOW PREVIEW

table at one of several preselectedrestaurants. All full-conference dele-gates attend the evening, with eachcompany hosting two to 16 delegates.Typically, there will be three to five hostcompanies in each restaurant.

Monday, hangovers notwithstand-ing, starts bright and early for a morn-ing of papers. Lunch, once again inthe Riding Hall, is followed by the tra-ditional Monday afternoon visits pro-gram, which mixes business with thenot-so-serious. This involves visits tonearby places of interest, which maybe theatres, TV studios oras inCesk Krumlova brewery.Everyonedelegates, speakers,exhibitors, and studentsparticipates,and a choice of six to eight differentitineraries is offered. More details willbe available later, but the 2013 visitsinclude a backstage tour of theBaroque theatre situated inside thecastle. Dating from 1760, this is one ofthe oldest fully operational Baroquetheatres still in existence. Cesk also

has a small-town theatre, and a visithere will include a demonstration ofRobe lighting equipment.

A visit to sample the local brew isalways popular. Also local is a graphite

mine which, although no longer opera-tional, is open for underground tours.Not for the claustrophobic, this triptakes you on a train into the workingfaces of the mine from where you walk

The Baroque theatre in Cesk Krumlov Castle

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SHOW PREVIEW

back to the surface, looking at themachinery involved in cutting the orefrom the rock face. You are issuedoveralls and a hardhat completeminers lamp. The graphite is still usedin large quantities at the Koh-i-NoorHardtmuth pencil factory, which willalso be available for touring.

Cesk Krumlov is close to CeskBudejovice, where the SouthBohemian State Theatre is based. Thisregional theatre combines old and newtechnologies and is highly regarded inthe southern Czech Republic. Again,

the visit includes a backstage tour.At the end of the afternoon, the

coaches, which this year are spon-sored by White Light, will converge inCesk Krumlov for the conference din-ner, one of Showlights signatureevents. Traditionally, each table has ahost whose guests move from onetable to another during the course ofthe evening, ensuring everyone meetssomeone new and providing a memo-rable experience. At press time, plan-ning for this is still in progress, but, asalways, it promises to be the highlight of Showlight.

Showlight will host a large variety ofspeakers. (Event sponsor MartinProfessional is covering some speakerexpenses.) Danielle Feinberg, of PixarAnimation, will speak about her workas director of photography on themovie Brave; award-winning Broadwaylighting designers Beverly Emmonsand Ken Billington will discuss theestablishment of an Internet-basedlighting archive; and Bill Klages willcontinue his hilarious stories of lightingUS TV spectaculars, a talk that startedin Glasgow in 2009 and was rudelyinterrupted when he overran his allot-ted time by a mere 15 minutes.

Petr Ferebauer, the producer at theCesk Budejovice Theatre, will intro-duce attendees to the celebratedGarden Theatre in the grounds ofCesk Krumlov Castle, while PeterPerina will give an introduction to theBaroque theatre in Cesk Krumlov;Zoi Katsarou, a student, will report onher participation in the Social LightMovement workshop, dedicated tousing light to rejuvenate a deprivedurban area of Stockholm; FriederHochheim, president of Kino Flo, willtalk about the technical developmentof film-friendly fluorescent lights andthe future development of LEDs; andIsraeli lighting designer BuenoBambi Avi-Yona tells of lightingthree operas at the foot of theMasada Mountains. Set and lightingdesigner Alfred Sturla Bodvarsson willdiscuss whether or not he lived up tothe challenge when Icelandic TV

Attendees network at Showlight 2009.


TRADE SHOW PREVIEW

executives expected their version ofThe X Factor to look just like thespectacular UK production.

Other papers will include LeonConrads overview of contemporaryshadow theatre, where performersoften double as lighting manipulators;Durham Marenghi on the lighting ofthe Queens Diamond Jubilee Concertat Buckingham Palace; and a panelcomprised of Jim Tetlow, Fred Foster,Ryan Fletcher, and Fabiano Besio,who will discuss the many advantagesof LEDs, their use and misuse, thecolor balance problems with videocameras, and the dangers of specify-ing them for the wrong reasons.Lighting designer Katharine Williamswill tell of lighting three performancesusing only practicals. Wayne Howell,of Artistic Licence Engineering, willoutline various lighting control proto-cols, suggesting when each is thebest choice and looking ahead to seewhat will become available in thenext five years. Tupac Martir, whohas pioneered the use of automaticmoving light tracking in dance, willtalk about the lighting of the stageproduction Nierka.

Showlight ensures the participationof entertainment lighting students byputting a small percentage ofexhibitors fees toward students traveland accommodation costs. Each stu-dent is allocated to an exhibitor and isexpected to help them throughout theevent, including the setup and break-down of the stand. As the exhibitionarea is closed during the presentationof papers, students have full delegateaccess to Showlight.

For delegates, the fee of 265 GBP,approximately $425 USD, includespapers and the backstage visits aswell as two dinners; coffee, lunch andtea each day; and the receptionSaturday evening.

For more information on standspace, contact Jane Cockburn byphone at +44 1323 418 405 or [email protected].

Showlight committee chairman Ian

Dow says, During Showlight 2009, Iwould pass groups of people animat-edly discussing lighting. Withoutstudying their badges, there was noway of working out if they were dele-gates, exhibitors, speakers, or stu-dents. If I got the chance for a closerlook, I would realize that each grouphad a mixture of practitioners fromtheatre, TV, event, film, architecture,manufacturing, and supplying. This iswhat Showlight is about. A chance tomeet others with a passion for light-ing, from areas you would not nor-

mally have contact with, time toswap ideas, and discuss problemsand solutions.

However, he continues, thecatalyst for all of this is the qualityand range of the papers, the workput in by the speakers in prepara-tion, the generosity of the exhibitorswho often additionally sponsor ele-ments of Showlight or provideequipment, and the enthusiasm ofthe lighting students able to mixwith those already established inthe profession.

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NEW TECHNOLOGY: AUDIO

Behringer XControl AppThe XControl application replicates theX32 control surface with all faders, dis-play screens, and major controls locat-ed on the desktop. Operators cancontrol mix and assign functions, setand adjust effects, and even meterindividual inputs and outputs.Connecting the X32 to the computer isas simple as adding a network device:just set the IP address, and its done.Whether you use a wired connection inan installed environment or prefer themobility of a wireless solution for livesound, the X32s control throughEthernet will meet the need, the com-pany says. XControl software allows auser to connect to and control oneX32 at a time by selecting from anynumber of connected consoles on anetwork. In addition, multiple instancesof the application can be active and

control the same mixer at the sametime, allowing for sophisticated remotemixing, monitor mix, and broadcastapplications. When combined with theXiControl app for the iPad, the systemdelivers full remote mix functionalityalong with a tactile control surface.The X32 application is free for down-load from the Behringer website.www.behringer.com

Auralex Acoustics ProFusor II DiffusorThe new ProFusor II fabric-wrappedsound diffusor addresses flutter echo

without removing acoustic energy inthe room or greatly changing the fre-quency content of the sound, thecompany says. By incorporatingProFusor IIs, the user can make asmall space seem large and a largespace seem even larger. ProFusorsallow users to enhance the accuracyof critical listening environments, thecompany says. Designed for use inresidential theatres, listening rooms,concert halls, recording studios, hous-es of worship, and other residentialand commercial applications, the engi-neered quadratic residue diffusor isavailable in two sizes (ProFusor22: 2' x2' x 3"; and ProFusor24: 2' x 4' x 3")and five fabric color options (ebony,pumice, mesa, sand, and shadow).ProFusor is manufactured from class Afire-rated materials.www.auralex.com

Cadac CDC FourConsoleThe CDC Four features 16 genuineCadac analog mic preamps with gaincontrol, fully emulated EQ, and an

Cerwin-Vega! P-SeriesProfessional PA SystemThe heart of the P-Series is the P1500X, a two-way, bi-amped, full-range bass-reflex speaker. It employs a 15"woofer and high-frequency compression driver, pow-ered by a custom class D amp. With a rating of1,500W, the P1500X is the most powerful PA product inits price class, the company says. A proprietary hemi-conical horn provides enhanced sound clarity over aneven and wide coverage area.

A built-in mixer with I/O connections allows for sim-ple and fast setup, while enhanced EQ, Vega Bassboost, and high-pass filters enable exact tuning andexceptional performance for any event, the companysays. It can be used as a single speaker for a smallvenue, in pairs for a larger venue, or side-mounted as afloor monitor for a band.

The muscle of the P-Series is the P1800SX, a

poweredsubwooferemploying an18" wooferwith a cus-tom 2,000Wclass D amp.The largewoofer and amplifier are enclosed in a hardwoodcabinet, the combination of which provides a highlevel of bass punch and extreme low end response,the company says. While designed for use with theP1500X, the subwoofer can be used for bottom-endextension with competitive products. Additionally,thru and mix output options allow for systemexpandability and fast daisy-chain connectionsbetween components.www.cerwinvega.com

Spot Focus - Audio


NEW TECHNOLOGY: AUDIO

expandable input count of up to 64inputs with a dedicated stage rack. Itfeatures steel construction throughoutwith wood trim. All mic preamps are96kHz, 24-bit. SHARC DSP is fourthgeneration with 40-bit floating pointresolution, four of which are deployedin the design. Effects are bothextremely powerful and sonicallytransparent, the company says. Theonboard 16 mic inputs, eight stereoinputs, six output busses, and eightauxiliary sends are further expandableby connection of the dedicated stagerack via a twin coaxial transmissionsystem. This allows the stage rack tobe positioned up to 1,000' away andprovides an additional 32 mic preinputs with digital control of the pre-amp functions and 48V phantompower, signal present and overload

indicators, and onstage access to upto 16 outputs. The CDC Four approxi-mates analog operation to a degreenot previously achieved with a com-pact digital console, the companysays. This is due to a less menu-dependent operating system, 7" high-resolution, TFT color display, andmotorized channel faders. The centralassignment module controls equaliza-tion, group assignment, VCA control,effects, auxiliary sends, and dynam

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