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The All-New Laser Show

Chris Lose makes the case for the newest kid on the block: laser source lighting fixtures. With some expert advice and thoughtful advice, he suggests looking at navigating these new fixtures’ unique considerations.

Using Technology to Accelerate the Design Process

Steve Cohen and Bob Bonniol collaborated on the lighting, video and scenic design for Blake Shelton’s “Back to the Honky Tonk” tour. Bonniol built a virtual video environment that worked as an extension of the physical set design using Unreal Engine. “We had created Blake’s honky-tonk. The idea was utilizing this video screen to be an extension of that environment,” said Cohen. “It was like you really couldn’t tell where the physical ended and the virtual began,” Bonniol added. “Working on Unreal was so nimble and so fast, and I was able to bring elements together so quickly; to light them and plot camera moves through them…we had 13 days of rehearsal, but because we were moving so fast, using Unreal, that allowed us to basically take three complete, thoughtful passes at the show, which is unheard of in concert work.”

In Memoriam: John Iacovelli, Production and Scenic Designer, 64

PLSN was saddened to learn of the death of John Iacovelli, Production and Scenic Designer at the age of 64. Iacovelli was an Emmy-winning scenic designer whose work was seen on both stage and screen. He was also a mentor and educator. He died this past Friday, April 14, after a long battle with cancer.

21st Parnelli Awards Offer Surprises, Emotions, and Winners

Always full of surprises and the unexpected, the 21st Annual Parnelli Awards held on Friday April 14 started out with a big one: Outgoing NAMM CEO/President Joe Lamond was initiated in the Parnelli Hall of Fame. Also getting their due: Roy Lamb (Lifetime Achievement Award), Keny Whitright (Visionary Award), Marty Garcia (Audio Innovator) and more than two dozen others.

Sneak Preview of 21st Parnelli Awards Program

Terry Lowe, president of Timeless Communications, founder of PLSN and FRONT of HOUSE Magazines and co-founder of the Parnelli Awards, has announced that the program to the upcoming Parnelli Awards can be seen online. No, the winners of more than two dozen categories will not be divulged, but you can check out all the nominees for this year’s awards, including Lighting Designer of the Year, Lighting Company of the Year, Hometown Hero Lighting Company of the Year, the Indispensable Technology categories and more. The program also features more information on the history of the two-decade-plus awards program along with profiles of this year’s honorees for career achievement – Roy Lamb (Lifetime Achievement), Keny Whitright (Visionary) and Marty Garcia (Audio Innovator).

Bidding Adieu to ‘Phantom’ on Broadway

For LD Andrew Bridge, the final April 16 production of Broadway’s “The Phantom of the Opera” after a 35-year run was particularly poignant. “The opulence and the way it is choreographed on stage, the scene changes and all that, we will miss that. There aren’t many shows that can do that now. We have something like 150 people working each performance. You can’t do Broadway shows today with that size crew, cast and a 27-piece orchestra, it’s just not viable. So, I think we’ll all miss the opulence of that kind of Broadway show.”

Virtual Production News

PLSN’s April 2023 “In the Volume” section starts off with news about disguise and XPLOR’s new partnership to tackle the skills gap in virtual production in the UK; how EMN Tech is teaming up with AOTO to build a virtual studio in Turkey; how Reno Studios is launching Taiwan’s highest-res virtual production movie studio in Taiwan, and how Vectorworks’ connection to NVIDIA Omniverse expands designers’ opportunities in the Metaverse.

Trey Anastasio Band and Goose: Four Heads are Better than One

Trey Anastasio Band (TAB) and Goose co-headlined an arena tour in the northeast with Lighting Designers Marc Janowitz for TAB and Andrew Goedde for Goose. Joining them on the road were Lighting Directors / Programmers Patrick Hayes for TAB and Tony Caporale for Goose. Their great teamwork and creative synergy resulted in two equal but distinctively different full blown shows every night.

ODESZA: ‘The Last Goodbye Tour’

Electronic music with live music from drumline and horn sections produces a unique acoustic and visually arresting live musical experience for ODESZA’s audiences. Co-Creative Directors Luke Tanaka and Sean Kusanagi along with Lighting Designer Kyle Kegan have been working with the band and PM Shane Crowl to ensure the visual design reinforces the dynamic performance on tour and at festivals during “The Last Goodbye Tour.”

Streaming The Last Rockstars at the Hollywood Palladium

The Last Rockstars, a Japanese supergroup, played sold-out dates in Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles. We speak with Lighting Designer Peter Morse about his rocking design that showcased the band in the best light, and with Video Director Kevin Garcia about capturing and livestreaming the Hollywood Palladium show globally, including to 100 movie theaters in Japan.

Tove Lo ‘Dirt Femme Tour 2023’

Mason Ford, Lighting Designer, Programmer and Director for Tove Lo’s “Dirt Femme” Tour, noted how the cloud set pieces were “the main element” at the start of his discussions with Creative Director Charlie Twaddle and the Tove Lo team. They opted to focus more on lighting than video—with no complaints from Ford—with a rig provided by Premier Global Production, the lighting vendor that had supported this artist’s “Sunshine Kitty” Tour in 2020. “When I heard from our Production Manager Tyler Young that we were going with [PGP], I definitely breathed a sigh of relief,” Ford said. “With Mark Donahue out as our Lighting Tech, and the gear they sent us out with, I didn’t have much to worry about.”