BIRMINGHAM, U.K. — LD Kevin “Stick” Bye and Tim Routledge of grandPA, a new support company focusing on MA Lighting consoles, sped through a short prep period at Lite Structures’ facility in Wakefield to program the updated looks for the recent U.K. leg of Elton John’s Red Piano tour.
NEW CASTLE, DE — Video WallTronics, Inc. announced that Mark Chizmar, formerly with BlueWater Technologies, has joined the company as a marketing and customer service specialist. The company also promoted Geza Diveny to general manager.
LOS ANGELES — When Nissan unveiled its all-new 370Z sports car at the LA Auto Show, the company wanted to create a roar, since this marked the first major overhaul of the “Z” since 2003. The revamped roadster was given center stage in the company’s booth, featured on a turntable under a circular canopy of color-changing lights.
KNOXVILLE, TN — A recent U.S. Air Force event at McGee Tyson Air National Guard Base, the Order of the Sword, was lit Bandit Lites. General Craig R. McKinley was honored at the ceremony, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the enlisted corps.
ROSARIO, Argentina — The Argentine Magazine Awards, held recently at the Salon de Convenciones Metropolitano, was lit by PR Lighting fixtures chosen by Pablo and Néstor Deligio, who run the company responsible for production, Deligio Iluminaciòn.
TOWER LAKES, IL — Lightswitch, a provider of lighting design services, has announced the formation of a new division, Lightswitch Architectural, to be headed in Chicago by longtime design team member, Avraham (Avi) Mor. Mor has also become a full partner of Lightswitch.
HOLLYWOOD, FL — Chauvet recently launched a redesigned Web site with a new look, format and an expanded range of content. “The updated and fresh site reflects our commitment to stay innovative and ahead of the curve as a leader in professional lighting,” said CEO Albert Chauvet.
PARIS — Analog Way, a designer and manufacturer of image converters and presentation switchers, is celebrating a milestone in 2009. Marc Loret and Pierre Berthet founded the company 20 years ago.
KNOXVILLE, TN —Bandit Lites has recently added $2 million in new Vari*Lite 3000 Spots, 3500 Washes and 2500 Spots to its inventory. “We feel blessed to be able to continue expanding our inventory considering the current economic conditions,” said Michael T. Strickland, chairman of the board. “We will continue to do everything we can to provide the best quality service to our clients.”
PARIS — French singer Raphael recently played several gigs across France beneath an Andi Watson-designed MAC rig that included Martin Professional’s new 1500 watt MAC III Profile. Arpège Son Lumière, which purchased 14 of the new generation MAC fixtures via Martin France, supplied the fresh-from-the-factory gear for the tour.
LOS ANGELES — More lighting designers and venues are using ETC’s Eos control system since it was launched in 2006, particularly in California, including the Los Angeles Opera (LAO), shown here. The Hollywood Bowl also upgraded to an Eos console last year to handle all the conventional lights and some of the moving lights on its rig. Since then, more than 100 shows have been lit by the board, including many tours where guest lighting designers used Eos to control the show.
City Theatrical has released two LED products using Philips Color Kinetics LED — the MasterBlast, shown here, which functions as a wireless, battery-powered fixture with up to 10 hours of operating time, and the iW Blast TR Lighting Kit, which combines the Philips Color Kinetics iW Blast 12 TR lighting fixture with City Theatrical accessories geared for the needs of film, video and photo applications.