Las Vegas- and Los Angeles-based full production and rental specialist, 3G Productions LLC, has invested in a substantial amount of Kinesys automation kit, adding to its already robust inventory. The purchase comprises 500kg and 1,000kg Kinesys Elevation Liftket motors with Elevation drives, Vector control console, multiple PD-ES Array Power Distros, and all necessary Libra Cell digital load cells, Libra Pro controllers, and networking switches.
“3G has invested heavily in all departments since the pandemic including rigging and automation,” explained CEO Keith Conrad, who believes that automation will become an increasingly important element of future visual and stage designs. The company works across multiple sectors including large-scale events, concert tours, festivals, and corporates, together with “significant” work up and down the world-famous Las Vegas strip.
The initial purchase of Kinesys motors proved hugely popular with a wide cross section of clients, so the decision was taken to expand and develop the automation department with future growth in mind. Before the latest Kinesys kit had even arrived at the warehouse, it was already booked and specified to fulfil the design requirements of several upcoming shows and events!
For Conrad and the team, “innovation, flexibility, reliability and the potential for the kit being used by clients / artists to differentiate their shows” are all key reasons for choosing Kinesys. They use it frequently on turntable festival stages for lifting a mid-stage video wall up and down to help mask changeovers happening on the back half of the stage noted Conrad, adding that creatives, bands, and promoters are always looking for ways to give their shows a unique style and aesthetic.
He reckons that automation “is a great technical element to design around, and using it ensures that shows can keep pushing the boundaries and being cutting edge”. The 3G crew favor the Kinesys kit for its quality, accuracy, and intuitive operation, while coming with all the necessary parts for it to be fully stand-alone. “We are always looking ahead and anticipating what the next big thing might be, and right now, we believe automation is top of the list,” he stated.
Working with David Bond and others in the Kinesys team has been “great” he says. There’s been a lot of bi-directional communication with the manufacturer which he values when investing in newer technology products, and he appreciates that all dealings have been straightforward and honest, even when navigating the universal challenges of supply chain timelines.
The new Kinesys system was recently used on the Calibash Las Vegas and Calibash Los Angeles Latin music festivals and the Super Bowl Music Festival to make video and lighting elements more dynamic and for masking changeovers with a moving video wall. Most recently, 3G handled full production for K-Pop favorite BLACKPINK – the first all-Asian act to headline Coachella. Their show design, created by a collaboration between Stufish and Cory FitzGerald from Silent House Productions
, used automation to deliver a high impact visual extravaganza featuring six lighting pods each controlled by four Kinesys motors. These could move and pitch on all axes, changing the shape and architecture of the stage. Another bespoke system design went out on BLACKPINK’s world tour which kicked off in Mexico and Australia soon after Coachella.
3G is in talks with numerous other summer festivals and tours re-deploying Kinesys systems, and based on initial response, Conrad is confident the system will have very little down time this year.
Further information from Kinesys: www.kinesysusa.com
Photos: Courtesy 3G Productions
