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The Bouba / Kiki Effect

The Bouba / Kiki Effect

Craig Rutherford looks at how the bouba / kiki effect, the idea of how people “map” between sounds and the visual shapes of objects, has relevance in the lighting discipline. He suggests it should be considered by programmers and designers to avoid a visual mismatch to the content being presented, especially for corporate shows.

André Petrus, Lighting Designer / Programmer

Here is an encore of our 1,000 Words with column featuring André Petrus. Did you know he started lighting shows at 15, went to Full Sail, moved to Nashville and started his professional career at 19? Since then, he’s worked in television and live concerts working with artists such as: Shania Twain, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kelsea Ballerini, Drake, Little Big Town, Lana Del Rey, G-Eazy, Halsey, Old Dominion, Zac Brown Band, Panic at the Disco, Burna Boy, Charlie Puth, J Balvin, Rihanna, Queen, Greta Van Fleet, and Lil Nas X.

Eric ‘Shakes’ Grzybowski, Production Manager

Eric “Shakes” Grzybowski originally wanted to be a hockey player. Growing up in Detroit, Shakes started out as a rapper. While performing regionally, he got a lot of experience that led him to work as a stagehand. He then moved up the ranks from tech to stage managing and on to tour and production managing. He’s worked with a wide array of artists, but for 18 years, he was full time with Kid Rock. Other artists he’s worked for include Korn, KISS, the Reverend Horton Heat, Poison, and more. When we spoke, Shakes was just wrapping up PM duties for the Pantera tour and was moving on working on the Queens of the Stone Age tour.

Architectural Cinematography

The Carter Green Palladium in Carmel, IN unveiled a nightly projection mapping system for the building that will allow for projection installations year-round. Dubbed ‘Palladiscope’, the one-of-a-kind, permanent viewing system was designed by Blockhouse Studios, a bespoke multimedia production company based in Bloomington, IN. Blockhouse also created the inaugural architectural cinema installation.

Lighting the ACM Honors, and More Design News

Debi Moen has all the news of who’s working on what, including touching base with Robert Peterson about his work on the Academy of Country Music Honors, plus Alex Picard, Brett Lorins, Emily Bornt, Graham Rolak, Rachel Mullen, and Steven Douglas, among others.

Managing Expectations

This month, our LD @ Large, Chris Lose, shares advice on an important subject that affects many people in our industry—managing expectations. He offers some insight into keeping clients, bosses, producers, artists, etc. happy while also keeping things rooted to reality.

The Sphere Experience is a Two-Part Multi-Sensory Experience

The Sphere Experience, the next-generation of live entertainment, has opened in Las Vegas, offering stunning visual displays and immersive technologies. The approximately two-hour program begins in the Atrium with one-of-a-kind immersive experiences created specifically for Sphere, here guests will gain a better understanding of how technology amplifies our human potential. The atrium is curated by five humanoid robots – named Aura – that serve as interactive guides to Sphere. Aura was developed using next-generation technology in robotic mechanics and artificial intelligence. The Sphere Experience then continues in the main venue bowl for a muti-sensory cinematic experience at an unparalleled scale as audiences experience Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth. A visuals-only video is provided here.

PRG Provides Vibrant Versatility for Designers During New York Fashion Week

Designers, David Blond and Phillipe Blond walk the runway during The Blonds Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week – September 2023 at Gallery at Spring Studios on September 13, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Thomas Concordia/FilmMagic

Annually, NYFW: The Shows, owned and produced by IMG Studios and the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA), is attended by more than 230,000 visitors during the months of February and September in locations throughout New York City. From its longstanding headquarters at Spring Studios in Tribeca, the Spring/Summer 2024 collections ran from September 8-13 and featured designers such as Sergio Hudson; Studio 189, a social enterprise that provides a platform to help promote and curate African fashion; and luxury apparel brand, THE BLONDS. In addition to the runway shows, Spring Studios hosted presentations, activations, and exclusive parties for fashion brands and event attendees.Read More »PRG Provides Vibrant Versatility for Designers During New York Fashion Week

Cameo Spotlights Deployed on the NATURE ONE Mainstage

NATURE ONE, the festival for techno, house, trance, hardstyle, and all other varieties of electronic dance music, is one of the biggest open-air festivals of its kind in Europe and attracts the best DJs and live acts of the EDM scene year after year. In 2023, around 65,000 visitors partied over three days to the beats, leads, and drops of 350 acts, including Alle Farben, Moguai, Paul van Dyk, Sven Väth, and many more. For Cameo, this year’s NATURE ONE marked another festival milestone: with over 450 spotlights, the lighting designers relied more than ever on the models of the German lighting technology manufacturer on the various stages. Here’s a video from Cameo on the lighting for the Mainstage at the NATURE ONE Festival:

Read More »Cameo Spotlights Deployed on the NATURE ONE Mainstage

Last Week for Parnelli and IT Nominations, Closes Oct. 13!

Nominations are closing soon for the upcoming Parnelli Awards, so be sure to get your nominations in before the deadline, which is Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, 5 p.m. PDT. Anyone can go to the ParnelliAwards.com site and nominate live event professionals and companies who exemplify the best of the best for a Parnelli Award, the most prestigious award in our industry. Nominations for Indispensable Technology (IT) Awards also close on Oct. 13.

Elation Professional Announces Exclusive Distribution Partnership with PANOU SA in Greece

(L to R) Vasilis Vlahos (PANOU), Jonas Stenvinkel (Elation), Michael Kontogiannis (PANOU)

Elation Professional, a leading global provider of professional lighting products and solutions, is thrilled to announce a significant expansion of its presence in Greece through an exclusive distribution partnership with PANOU SA, one of the country’s most respected entertainment technology providers. The partnership, which took effect on October 1, 2023, marks a significant milestone in Elation Professional’s commitment to delivering top-tier lighting products and services to the Greek market.Read More »Elation Professional Announces Exclusive Distribution Partnership with PANOU SA in Greece