NEWS
11
ROLLING STONES FANS OFFERED LIGHTING SATISFACTION
creatively after six decades, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and company sought a fresh, diverse and visually captivating look for the tour. Given their rich history, coupled with a selection of new numbers, the design team sought flexible lighting that could work with LED video to transform the stage for each song. “We knew from the start that video would be a major part of the tour, so choosing the right light would be important,” Cook commented, adding that they met several times with Upstaging to discuss options. “The light that I wanted had to be universal, it had to be bright and it had to be all the same units – this was especially vital for the look and feel of the show.”
The Rolling Stones took to the road in April for their Hackney Diamonds Tour , a North American run combining classics and original material that featured an energetic, modern production which took advantage of Elation Proteus Maximus luminaires. Creative director Patrick Woodroffe worked alongside lighting designer Terry Cook of WBD and associate lighting designer and programmer Ethan Weber, all long-time associates of the band, with the lighting supply delivered by Upstaging. The band released Hackney Diamonds last October, their first studio album of original material in 18 years, and then followed this up with a much-anticipated tour announcement. Still moving forward
RADA REVITALISED THANKS TO PANASONIC
Panasonic Connect Europe recently donated its 1-Chip DLP laser projectors to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) to stage its summer production. The production – the satirical comedy musical Urinetown by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis – took place in RADA’s largest venue, the London Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre. The video backdrop utilised two Panasonic 1-Chip DLP laser projectors to create a larger image across the cyclorama, bringing the fantastical world to life in front of the audiences’ eyes. Additionally, a central flown window utilised a 1-Chip DLP laser projector with an ultra-short-throw lens. The lens enables the projector to be positioned very close to the screen, without casting shadows or distracting the actors with bright light. Matt Leventhall, head of lighting at RADA, commented: “It’s wonderful when we are able to meaningfully integrate video and digital design into our work at RADA. It is relationships like the one with Panasonic which mean that we are able to keep our training up to date by exposing our students to the methodologies and technologies they will find at the highest echelons of the entertainment business.”
BOLERO GOES TO DALLAS
Riedel Communications has announced that Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas has upgraded from a stand-alone Bolero wireless intercom system to an expansive Riedel deployment. The enhanced system adds a full Artist intercom ecosystem, including an Artist-1024 matrix, various Smartpanels, plus additional Bolero beltpacks and antennae. In addition, Prestonwood added a complete Mediornet video distribution system, with MicroN, Compact and Modular units serving as video, audio and network gateways. Partnering with Broadcast Technical Services to design and deploy the new Riedel systems, Prestonwood has vastly improved the reach of comms, as
well as signal distribution between two campuses 27 miles apart. The domed and metal-framed architecture of the Prestonwood worship centre and its location at the highest point in the area presented wireless transmission and reception challenges that Bolero overcame.
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