The CHAUVET Professional video team does their magic again! Check out this amazing video featuring the new STRIKE 4. The STRIKE 4 is a new blinder from CHAUVET Professional that will change the way you think about using blinder effects in your productions. Check this out!
The NEXUS 4×4 is truly a versatile product. With so many ways to use this amazing product, we decided to put together a short video with some of our favorites.
Nottingham, UK– (For Immediate Release) — Elvis Presley has been gone for the best part of four decades, but his legend is very much still alive. As one of the most successful artists of all time, the King of Rock and Roll, reluctant movie star and performer extraordinaire has something of an untouchable legacy. Although Las Vegas, – which saw Elvis perform a whopping 635 times — is the place most synonymous with his exuberant and energetic shows, the city of Blackpool (fittingly, the so-called Las Vegas of Northern England), has been hosting one of Europe’s premier Elvis contests, which this year featured an appropriately glitzy lightshow featuring high-impact LED fixtures from CHAUVET Professional.
The fourth annual Europe’s Tribute to Elvis, which took place in Blackpool’s iconic 19th century Empress Ballroom, gave aspiring Kings of Rock and Roll the chance to qualify for a trip to the Elvis Tribute Artist Contest finals in Memphis. Arran Paul Audio, which has handled lighting and audio for the event in the past, was tasked with creating the design for the 2015 edition of the contest. LD and Engineer Ollie Wilkinson called on a collection of Chauvet fixtures to create something of a fresh Elvis experience for the audience during the three-day event.
“As the event is becoming one of the most popular Elvis competitions in the world, we knew that we needed to step the game up this year, and of course, our Chauvet fixtures didn’t let us down,” said Wilkinson.
All in all, Wilkinson incorporated 16 Q-Wash 560Z-LED fixtures and eight Next NXT-1 moving LED panels from CHAUVET Professional, as well as three MotionOrbs, four Geyser RGB LED foggers and eight PiXPar 24 par-style fixtures from CHAUVET DJ into his show design.
“When you see Elvis tribute shows around the world, there’s usually a big upstage E.L.V.I.S sign in lights,” continued Wilkinson. “I didn’t want to go for that typical look, so we played about with the thought of using separate Elvis letters in gobos on the downstage truss. After some thought we had the idea to use our Chauvet NEXT NXT-1 fixtures to spell ELVIS across the truss, along with other supporting acts such as the legendary Suzi Quatro, who also graced the stage.”
While the NXT-1s enabled Wilkinson to create something a little different from what one would usually expect to find at an Elvis show, another tradition was at the forefront of his lighting considerations.
“It became obvious to me when designing the rig that the world of Elvis was very black and white when it came to colour and contrast,” continued Wilkinson. “It’s rather difficult to keep the audience engaged with different temperatures of white, so I had to be very careful when washing the stage with primary colours and using gobos etc.” As a solution, Wilkinson resorted to using a lot of pastels in the design, using both the NXTs and the 560Zs. He continued: “I could go from a primary red to a lavender wash very easily just by adding an extra bit of white into my palette.”
Wilkinson positioned eight CHAUVET Professional 560Z fixtures on a flown truss in the centre of the ballroom for a full band wash, as well as painting the extravagant 100-year-old chandelier clad ceiling with colour. A further eight fixtures were positioned on the upstage truss to give a back wash, and also to wash the white wall at the back of the stage. Significantly, Wilkinson married the 560Zs with the three MotionOrbs, which adorned the back wall.
“As the whole event was being filmed, I placed the MotionOrbs against the white upstage wall to give a sense of colour and depth to the stage on camera. This provided a good amount of eye candy while keeping intensity to a suitable level.” He continued: “The MotionOrbs combined with the 560Zs really created a complementary look, and looked especially impacting on camera.”
To add extra snippets of wash light at crucial moments during the set to illuminate various members of the band, Wilkinson added eight CHAUVET PiXPar 24s to the roster of lighting fixtures. “The Chauvet PiXPar 24 is my alternative wash fixture when power and dimming is limited. Although the output is stunning, for this show I didn’t have to compromise all of my front wash. I could then still use some of the flown fixtures to light the cat walk and roof when needed.”
Complementing the grandiose aura of Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom, Wilkinson’s final touch to the stage involved creating atmospheric effects with eight Chauvet Geyser RGBs positioned alongside the catwalk, which protruded from the front of the stage. The Geyser RGBs, which produce large volumes of water-based fog illuminated by colourful LED lighting, had the expected huge impact on the show.
“The Geysers never fail to impress,” continued Wilkinson. “The Geysers are my favourite alternative to Pyro by far. Not only did they give the audience that ‘wow’ factor, they were a worthy accompaniment to the awards, presentations and performances that were scattered throughout the event.”
While the King may no longer be around, with events such as Europe’s tribute to Elvis keeping his spirit alive, it’s little wonder that Elvis’ popularity refuses to wane. “It was a fantastic production to be involved with.” Concluded Wilkinson: “The Chauvet fixtures were essential to helping me recreate that electric atmosphere synonymous with Elvis performances.”
As we have been discussing the Queen Mary 2 celebration of the 175th year of Cunard’s tradition of trans-Atlantic ocean crossings, we wanted to make sure you actually saw the show so you could see why we were so excited about it. Check out this amazing show and make sure you have the volume up so you can see and hear every bit of this experience that we are so proud to have the Legend 230SR Beam chosen to be a part of.
(Nottingham, UK) Growing from a small local shop to a hugely successful international enterprise in the space of two decades is not easy. Achieving this success while advancing and upholding deeply held ethical principles makes the accomplishment all the more noteworthy. Management at Lush Cosmetics recognized this, which is why they wanted to make their company’s 20th anniversary celebration stand out. That’s precisely what they did, thanks to some help from Presentation Design Services and a collection of fixtures from CHAUVET Professional.
Lush Cosmetics first appeared on high streets throughout the UK in the mid 1990’s. In the ensuing years, the organic beauty merchant has carved out a well-deserved reputation for quality handmade beauty products, all the while upholding the ethics-conscious principles of fair trade and protecting animal rights.
In celebration of this 20-year milestone, Lush Cosmetics drew once again upon the support of longstanding event production company Presentation Design Services (PDS) to provide full production support to the event. In addition to designing and building the custom manufactured set, which featured around 200 reclaimed pallets, PDS, as customary, called upon their extensive array of CHAUVET Professional fixtures to empower the event with a magnificent visual aesthetic.
“Once again, CHAUVET Professional fixtures played a key part in our production design for the Lush Cosmetics event – one of our longstanding clients,” commented James Johnson, Project Manager at PDS.
With over 2,000 people attending the two-day conference at the BIC venue in Bournemouth, England, Lush required a sizable amount of visual support to create an event worthy of a 20th anniversary celebration.
“We supplied 254 Chauvet PVP S5 LED panels to create a video wall, which was split into three different screens,” enthused Johnson. “The main central screen played a key part in the set design, consisting of 190 panels, and the two side screens mainly showed live camera feed and VTs to further engage the audience. Thanks to the pin sharp PVP panels, we were able to build quite a spectacle for the Lush presentations.”
One of the other key lighting fixtures employed by Johnson and his team were CHAUVET Professional Nexus 7×7 panels. Having utilised the Nexus 7×7 fixtures for their sharp warm white focused beams on several Lush events previously, Johnson and his team have certainly found a great tool to create a certain concert-esque atmosphere inside what is essentially a corporate event.
“The stars of the show were, hands down, the Nexus 7×7 panels,” conceded Johnson. “We employed the Nexus fixtures to back light the pallet wall. The superb colour temperature and punchy beams provided an excellent solution to back lighting the reclaimed pallet wall.”
Also making an appearance at the event was the usual raft of CHAUVET Professional fixtures from the extensive PDS arsenal, including several CHAUVET Professional Rogue R1 Spots and Beams. “While spots were used as gobo washes across the set and stage, the beams were added to really create that classic performance look for the various performing bands throughout the event,” commented Johnson.
“Thanks to our CHAUVET Professional fixtures, we were able to create a versatile and varied palette for the Lush conference,” concluded Johnson. “It was certainly an event fit for a 20th anniversary.”
PILTON, UK – (For Immediate Release) –There’s a reason why Spotify has ranked The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (or, Glastonbury, as it is commonly known) as the world’s most influential music festival. Over its 45-year history, the outdoor gathering has played host to a diverse pantheon of stars, from The Rolling Stones to Dolly Parton — not to mention Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, U2, Metallica and more. This year was no exception with the likes of Florence + The Machine, Pharrell Williams and The Who bringing it to the Pyramid Main Stage. Naturally all eyes were on these stars as they performed, but attention was also focused on an inspiring structure that towered over the iconic stage and glittered in the light from a collection of CHAUVET Professional and ILUMINARC LED fixtures.
Created by Joe Rush’s Mutoid Waste Company, the structure Peace Time Flies was a giant metallic winged clock that spanned the entire breadth of the Pyramid stage and captured the free, uninhibited and hopeful spirit that defines Glastonbury. This connection between stage sculpture and festival is not surprising. Rush, who achieved notoriety for groundbreaking works like “Carhenge” (a Stonehenge made from old vehicles), began showcasing his work at the Glastonbury 30 years ago. In 2015, the London artist demonstrated that his creative fires still burn with a fierce convention-defying intensity by creating a multitude of senses shuttering works of art, including Peace Time Flies, which symbolizes the hope that the time of peace at Glastonbury could be spread throughout the world.
photo courtesy of Jason Bryant and Martin Audio
A sweeping sculpture supporting a soaring and noble ambition required bold lighting. This is exactly what was provided by the Iluminarc Colorist Panel 36Qa, which is packed with 36 15-watt RGBA LEDs that radiate bright and vibrant color washes, and the CHAUVET Professional COLORado 1-Quad IP par-style RGBW fixture. A total of nine of the Colorist panels and six of the LED parts were used to direct colored light at the Peace Time Flies. The rich colors of this collection of fixtures animated the sculpture, amplifying the artist’s suggestion of flight, while the intensity of their output ensured that the sculpture would be visible throughout the sprawling grounds.
Another Rush sculpture stirred equally strong emotions at Glastonbury. Sitting on the top of the Other Stage, the second largest stage at the festival, his Pagan Crown depicted a multi-pointed pagan headdress intertwined with a ram, gazelle and stag horns surrounding a giant pearl. ILUMINARC fixtures were also called upon to accent this structure. This work was illuminated by two Iluminarc Colorist Panel 36Qa panels and eight Iluminarc Colorist Panel 8Qa 15-watt RGBW LED panels. In addition to giving the Pagan Crown an added sense of depth, the fixtures lend a mysterious air to the work with their darker blue and green colored washes.
Although Glastonbury will always be known and revered for its musical pedigree, it’s the seemingly endless supply of installations, art projects and theatre that really give the festival such broad scope and appeal to people of all ages and tastes. As one of the key non-musical staples to consistently grace Glastonbury, the work of Joe Rush’s Mutoid Waste Company is an essential guardian of this reputation. This year, CHAUVET Professional and ILUMINARC LED fixtures helped this breakthrough artist fulfill his mission in even more brilliant fashion.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The Manor Complex is located about 32 miles north of South Beach, but the crowds that jam pack this spacious 20,000 square foot venue don’t feel a compelling need to journey south on I-95. Why should they? There isn’t much that can’t be found at this very well-appointed superlative nightclub that features a jolt of eye-popping new energy, courtesy of Rogue and ÉPIX Series fixtures from CHAUVET Professional.
Owners Paul Hugo and Brett Tannenbaum added the Chauvet fixtures to the already powerful light show in the bi-level nightclub, because they believe it’s important to keep their establishment ahead of the entertainment curve.
“Being in Fort Lauderdale, we draw visitors from all over the world, so we hold ourselves to the highest international standards” said Paul Hugo. “There are a lot of good clubs that are always pushing ahead with new technology, so we felt it was important to keep ours in the forefront. We had a great lighting system, but we wanted to take things a step further so we could add an extra level of energy to the dance floor while offering some incredible looks at the same time.”
A collection of 12 Rogue RH1 Hybrids, six Rogue R1 Spots and 26 ÉPIX Bar 2.0 one-meter pixel mapping strips, along with 10 Intimidator Series movers from CHAUVET DJ, were added to the Nightclub rig. This powerful aggregation of fixtures has been made all the more impactful by being mounted on two motorized circular truss structures.
“We have two rings of truss,” said Brett Tannenbaum. “The inner ring is 6.5 feet in diameter, and the outer is 16 feet. During the evening, as the action on the dance floor heats up, the truss circles descend down from our 30-foot ceiling. Each truss structure is powered by three motors so they move very well in all directions.”
The nightclub has one person that just controls the movement of the truss structures and the pixel mapped ÉPIX bars and lasers, while another controls the video and rest of the light show. “The powerful combination of the intense Chauvet lights and the massive moving truss structures really captivates the crowd,” said Tannenbaum.
“It’s an awe-inspiring spectacle; the prodigious lights on the moving trusses create the sense of a space ship landing on the dance floor,” added Manor’s interior designer and General Manager Gary Santis. “The bursts of color and the different gobo patterns and prisms from the Rogues create something that’s a light show and a Cirque show all in one awesome package.”
Along with valuing the intensity of the Chauvet fixtures, Hugo and Tannenbaum appreciate their versatility. In keeping with the all-encompassing spirit of the Manor complex, the venue serves as more than just an incredibly popular dance club. The facility also hosts shows by internationally acclaimed acts, as well as an array of contests, revues, receptions and private parties. The Rogue, ÉPIX and Intimidator fixtures help this thriving club wear its many hats in style.
Commenting on the versatility of the Rogue fixtures, Santis stated: “We chose to go with Chauvet’s Rogue fixtures, due to the fact they push the performance boundaries for automated fixtures to new heights. They combine the power of a beam, optics of a spot, and the coverage of a wash. We are an event space that transforms into a nightclub, so these fixtures serve multiple purposes. The versatility of the Rogues helps us create multiple atmospheres and emotions.”
The elegant looks created by the ÉPIX strips also make a valuable contribution to the club’s presentation. Using the pixel mapped bars to create different looks helps the club maintain its unique and widely praised aesthetic balance that has it harmonizing vintage English touches (hence the name Manor) and crystal chandeliers with modern, cosmopolitan accents.
“We pride ourselves in creating a very memorable welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy to relax yet still excites,” said Tannenbaum. “Without question, we’ve been extremely satisfied with the Rogue, ÉPIX and Intimidator lights. These Chauvet products were an awesome choice because of their reliability, multi-functional capabilities and output, and of course price. Anytime you can go all out to create a nice environment for your customers, yet still stay within your budget, you have to say things are good!”
NEW YORK – (For Immediate Release) – The iconic Cunard Line was looking for a way to celebrate the 175th anniversary of its first transatlantic crossing, when Kelly Easterling approached the company with an idea that was outside the box — or perhaps more aptly outside the ship! Easterling, the creative director and principal designer at Quantum Theatricals, proposed creating a dynamic lightshow set to music off the side of the 1,132’ Queen Mary 2, the company’s flagship ocean liner. Much to the delight of the massive crowd in New York harbor on July 14, this is precisely what he and his dedicated team wound up doing with help from 50 intensely bright Legend 230SR Beams from CHAUVET Professional.
The 230-watt Legends were the only fixtures used on the ocean liner for the magnificent lighting display. (Four other movers were on shore as part of the show.) Positioned on the railings of the port side promenade deck, the fixtures cast rapidly moving and vividly colored beams across New York harbor and into the sky during the 8-minute show, which began at 9:30 in the evening as the ship held position in front of the Statue of Liberty.
“It was an impressive sight,” said Easterling. “Our goal was to celebrate the rich history of Cunard and point ahead to its exciting future with a show that was as breathtaking and majestic as the famous ships that sailed under the Cunard banner. We produced the show for two perspectives: the passengers aboard the ship and the people gathered in Battery Park in lower Manhattan. We saw it as a ballet of light choreographed to a sweeping musical score. The show received an incredible response!”
Kelly and his lighting designer Richard Chamblin counted on the intense output (96,000 lux at 15 meters) of the 50 Legend 230SR fixtures to create an impactful display for their light-and-music ballet in a “theater” that was really one of the world’s largest harbors.
“One of the biggest challenges in this project was the distance of the ship relative to Battery Park where the crowd gathered,” said Chamblin. “When this project was being developed we knew the ship would be anywhere from a quarter to a half mile off shore. With that kind of distance we wanted to make sure that the lights would be bright enough to stand out. The biggest deciding factor for us in choosing this fixture was its brightness. The Legend 230SR easily out performs its competitors in lumen output.”
The LDs also singled out the Legend 230SR Beam’s 8-facet prism for creating vivid, colorful looks on the harbor’s nearly black night water. “We relied heavily on the Legend’s prisms during the show,” said Chamblin. “At the distance we were using the lights, gobos and zooming features aren’t what’s called for — but the prisms in these fixtures created some really nice looks when we used the water as a palette to illuminate.”
Overcoming the distance between the ship and the onshore audience was only one of the challenges that Quantum Theatricals faced when pulling off this historic project, which Easterling and his team began working on in March. “When we presented the idea of creating this show, the Cunard executives were very intrigued,” said Easterling. “However everyone was wondering if it could be done. There was a tremendous amount of conversation and research undertaken to ensure that we would have the necessary time and money.”
Among the biggest challenges faced by the design team was to ensure that the lightshow, which was timed using SMPTE time code on the ship, and the music sound tracks at Battery Park would be triggered at exactly the same moments. “We couldn’t run a cable from the park to the ship – and streaming SMPTE was not reliable enough,” said Easterling. “So we commissioned a custom GPS triggering system that utilized GPS time clocks to trigger the start of the show both on land and on the ship at the exact same moment in time. The clock sent a trigger to the control consoles on the ship and in the park at precisely the same time, so we wound up with the lighting effects on the Queen Mary 2 being perfectly synchronized with the soundtrack at Battery Park.”
The New York appearance of the Queen Mary 2 marked the final stop in a three-country tour that celebrated Cunard’s 175th anniversary. Retracing the July 1840 journey of the company’s original RMS Britannia, the QM2 began its crossing at South Hampton, then stopped in Liverpool before setting forth to Halifax, Nova Scotia, then on to Boston and New York.
Capping off this transatlantic journey with an amazing nighttime spectacle required an incredible degree of coordination before the first Legend 230SR Beams were ever turned on. Among the agencies that cooperated to make the show possible were the US and Canadian Customs, The US Coast Guard, the City of New York, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Given that the lumen output of the Chauvet fixtures was so high, we were required to contact the FAA at JFK moments prior to the performance to get clearance and then contact them again following the show to notify them that we had finished,” said Easterling. “This was done so that the Air Traffic Control Tower could notify any aircraft in the area of the show and warn them of the bright moving lights. Additionally, we worked closely with Cunard’s UK team to develop a marine plan that detailed the exact longitude and latitude of the ship for the show, which was then approved in advance by local and federal agencies.”
Like any project of this magnitude, the Cunard 175th Anniversary required a tremendous team effort. “We’re all quite grateful to our Canadian Production Manager Shaw Fortis, who really coordinated the gear and logistics. His insight and guidance kept the show on track and on budget,” said Easterling. “Solotech and Christie handled our Canadian rentals (we loaded the show onto the ship in Halifax), and WorldStage handled the shore-side support in New York. All of these companies were splendid to work with. Finally, Earlybird Visual took care of our pre-visualization of the show and did stellar work.”
After the anniversary celebration, the Queen Mary 2 sailed out of New York harbor while Easterling, Chamblin and the rest of the Quantum Theatricals team took a step back to appreciate what they had accomplished. “When you’re in the middle of the project you’re too preoccupied with things,” said Easterling, “Now I love looking at the photos and videos of that night.” Apparently a lot of other people do too. Shortly after the celebration ended, an image of the Legends in action on the Queen Mary 2 was the number one photo in the Huffington Post’s “Pictures From Around The World.”
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For more information on Quantum Theatrical visit: www.quantumtheatricalservices.com
To see how Quantum Theatricals set this up, check out the video
Here are some of the festivities around the Queen Mary 2’s celebration of 175 years of Cunard
For a little more information on the LEGEND 230SR Beam see the below
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA– By any measure, the Mediatech Africa 2015 Advanced Technology Trade Show was an outstanding success for Audiosure. The South African company drew large appreciative crowds to see its extensive collection of audio and AV products as well as lighting from CHAUVET Professional and CHAUVET DJ.
However, beyond being drawn by the opportunity to get their hands on some of the latest gear, show visitors were stopped in their tracks by an eye-popping lightshow Audiosure created using a collection of CHAUVET Professional fixtures.
Designed by Sean Crawley with the assistance of Stefan Van Der Walt, the show at the Audiosure stand drew on the intense output of 16 pixel-mapped Nexus 4×4 LED panels to display blinding breakout patterns and stunningly bright text. Adding to the visual feast was the sweeping light from 30 ultra-fast Rogue moving fixtures. The new Strike 4 blinder pumped up the intensity level even higher, as did four Next NXT-1 moving LED panels flown on the rig’s truss. A group of eight COLORado 2-Quad Zoom IP fixtures washed the booth in a rich array of colors during the show.
“The lightshow at the Audiosure stand was really quite special,” said
Stéphane Gressier, International Sales Director of Chauvet. “It really showed how lighting can transform a space, especially when in the hands of talents like Sean and Stefan. We’ve always believed that the best way for anyone to appreciate what our lights can accomplish is to see them in action. This enthusiastic response to the show at the Audiosure stand certainly proved this point.”
NASHVILLE, TN – Lighting designers often like to talk about how they capture music in light, but Chris Lisle has taken this concept a step further on the Chase Rice tour. The well-known Nashville LD, who’s done standout work for the likes of Miranda Lambert, One Republic and Robert Plant, wove images of music and light together in dramatic fashion for the up-and-coming country star by converting faux guitar cabinets into lighting effects, courtesy of 16 Nexus Aw 7×7 LED panels from CHAUVET Professional provided by 4Wall Nashville.
Lisle positioned the Nexus Aw 7×7 panels inside eight of the replica cabinets, which were arranged on top of set carts along a row that ran across the upstage deck. When the Chauvet fixtures were off, the set props looked like standard guitar cabinets. Then, when the show kicked into high gear, the “cabinets” came alive, shooting out intense beams of warm white light from the Nexus’ 49-watt LEDs. Pixel mapped sweeps created the sensation that the scenic element amps were actually responding to the hard-driving guitars riffs on stage.
Like many startling ideas, Lisle’s creative use of the Nexus Aw 7×7 panels grew out of practical concerns. Rice’s recent Number One Billboard album Ignite The Night has transformed him into a hot commodity in country music. This led to his being selected to open for superstar Kenny Chesney on a tour that stopped at large arenas. From a design standpoint, this meant two things: Rice would be appearing on a much bigger stage than usual; and as the opening act setup and tear down time would be critical for his rig.
“In a big arena setting like where Kenny Chesney plays, I always want to fill as much visual space with light as possible,” said Lisle. “This helps make the make the show look bigger without a gigantic budget. The faux guitar cabinets were an existing part of the set already. However, I knew that by adding the Nexus inside of them I” be able to pull out some cool fun tricks during Chase’s 25-minute set that engaged the audience and filled the stage. Of course once that set was over, we wanted a rig that could be moved off the stage promptly. Having the Nexus panels set in the cabinets really helped with this process.”
Lisle mounted the panels flat facing outward inside the cabinets. Each of the cabinet/fixtures was linked to the next via DMX. The LD credits his programmer Mike Marcario for creating impactful pixel mapped images on the Nexus panels.
“Mike did a great job of pixel mapping them and doing some great sweeps and motion with them for sure,” said Lisle. “He did more effects than anything – generic sweeps and use of geometrical patterns. It really created the look we wanted on stage.”
The acclaimed LD also praised the Nexus panels and 4Wall Nashville. “I love the color temperature of the Aw 7×7,” he said. The fact that I get those nice CTO punchy beams out of the guitar cabinets makes for a great look. I am a big fan of the warmth of tungsten light, and this fixture does a good job at giving us that. The team at 4Wall Nashville was also great, helping me every step of the way. It’s always a good feeling when you come up with an offbeat idea and everyone says, ‘Hey! it actually worked.’”
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For more information on 4Wall Nashville visit www.4wall.com/nashville