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G!theimagineers Create Comedy Narrative for Maxime Gasteuil with ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M

PARIS –  Sometimes traveling 587 kilometers can be like entering a new world. Popular French comedian Maxime Gasteuil is familiar with this feeling, having journeyed from by train from his small (population under 2,000) village of Saint-Émilion in the south of France to seek the bright lights of Paris.

Gasteuil recounts this transition in a way that all thirty-somethings migrating to the French capital can relate to in “Arrive en Ville,” a show playing to sold out houses, and now the subject of an Amazon Prime program.

Witty, wry and insightful, the show is really more of a comedic narrative than a standup routine, as it contrasts Gasteuil’s life in his hometown, with its historic Romanesque churches and famous vineyards, to the fast pace of 21st century Paris, teeming with traffic, Starbucks coffee shops, nightclubs, and “rabbit cage apartments.”

Helping this entertaining narrative unfold is a richly-textured, theatrically flavored lighting design by the G!theimagineers team of Vincent Rautureau and Andreas Monschauer that was powered by a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M console.

Involving close to 300 fixtures and 50 universes when it debuted at Casino de Paris for nine sold out shows, which were recorded for the Amazon Prime, Arrive en Ville reflects the various situations, humorous and thought provoking, that Gasteuil finds himself in on his cultural odyssey.

“We started working on this show in July of last year and began preprogramming it in September for the January premiere in Paris,” said Monschauer, who ran the show on his ChamSys console. “This was quite different from a typical concert, in the sense that it was more intimate and had to tell a narrative. Throughout the process we did a lot of 3D drawings to show to Maxime and his team.”

A ChamSys user since 2010, Monschauer credits his MagicQ MQ 500 with making the complex show more manageable. “The Audio Timeline feature was extremely helpful,” he said. “I sent audio from the console and timeline and programming in a timecode was extraordinarily fast.

“Using our rig, we had to create multiple atmospheres with light by doing things like using beams to simulate windows in Paris apartments and pixel mapping FX to create the feeling of Maxime being on a train,” continued Monschauer. “And of course, the Pixel Mapper feature was a big help in allowing me to make different looks in no time!”

Color played a big role in Rautureau and Monschauer’s design concept. They used warm colors to reflect the friendly, supportive environment that surrounded Gasteuil in his village, and cold colors to evoke the different kind of mood when he encountered among the “arrogant” Parisians.

Arranging their fixtures in four rows that spanned almost the entire width of the stage, the two designers created a compelling sense of architecture. This not only served them well when creating urban looks for the Paris segments of the show, it also translated smoothly for the Amazon Prime crew’s cameras. Throughout the production, they accentuated the different moods of the set with adroitly executed changes in lighting.

“As long time ChamSys user, I never really thought about Motorised Faders, but the MQ500M is really a timesaver in this regard,” said Monschauer. “The ability to change banks from Playbacks to Masters with one button press is impressive. ”

In addition to crediting powerful console, Monschauer praises the staff that worked with the lighting design team on this show, noting that the producers, Magali Faure and Benjamin Demay; director/writer Edouard Pluvieux, production manager Matthieu Tortosa, and technical manager David Morcet among others were instrumental in supporting their efforts.

“This was an ambitious project that told many different stories, so it required a bold lighting design,” said Monschauer. “Thankfully the producers and directors gave us the freedom and support we needed.”

That support was well founded. Like a youngster from the country journeying to Paris for the first time, these designers had a big vision – and thanks to their talent, inspiration and hard work, along with some help from a powerful console, they made it all come true.

ChamSys Launches Direct Distribution in Benelux

GHENT, BELGIUM – ChamSys has attracted an ever-increasing following in Benelux in recent years with many leading programmers and designers making the company’s product their console of choice for major festivals like Reverze, as well as at clubs and on tours. In response to this growing demand, the company has joined with AVL, its longtime distributor in the region, to found ChamSys Benelux.

The award-winning ChamSys line is now available for sale in Belgium directly from the company’s affiliate, Chauvet Europe BVBA (ChamSys Benelux). While in the Netherlands ChamSys will continue to be distributed by Aukes Theatretechniek, with the support of ChamSys Benelux behind them.

Under this new arrangement, AVL now works with ChamSys Benelux to supply the high level of support, that AVL has built over the last 20 years, with ChamSys Benelux bringing increased investment in local inventory of products and parts, ChamSys products will be more readily available than ever in Benelux.

Highly regarded industry figure Luc Buytaert of AVL has joined ChamSys Benelux and will remain the primary contact point for the company in the region. Now, however, Buytaert and his team will be able to draw on the global resources of ChamSys to provide unparalleled levels of training, support and after sales service.

The same resources will also increase the efficiency of the ChamSys supply chain in the region. This will result in optimal inventory levels of products and parts, as well as industry- standard-setting delivery times, all of which will be very much needed as ChamSys continues to expand its market share in Benelux.

For placing orders and sales: sales@chamsyslighting.be.
For all customer support requests: support@chamsyslighting.be

About ChamSys
Based in the UK, ChamSys Ltd. was founded in 2003 by a group of designers and product developers seeking to create a lighting console that offered greater flexibility. The company’s MagicQ range has set an industry standard used in some of the most prominent concert, theatre, broadcast and club applications around the world. ChamSys was acquired in 2017 by Chauvet & Sons LLC, a leading global provider of professional luminaires, trusses, controllers and related equipment headquartered in the USA. For more information, visit www.chamsys.co.uk

Paul Cook Powers Central London NYE Show With ChamSys

LONDON – In 1999 the Greater London Authority wanted to do something special to mark the arrival of the new millennium, so they hit upon the idea of creating a 20-minute pyrotechnic extravaganza complete with a “River of Fire” on the Thames. Millennial fever has faded into history, as has Y2K and the River of Fire idea, but happily, what remains of that venture has emerged as an extraordinarily popular New Year’s Eve tradition.

The London New Year’s Eve Fireworks has attracted millions to the city every December 31st . Although safety protocols restricted crowds in London this year, the celebration was as popular and breathtaking as ever, garnering its customary huge audience of BBC viewers.

Developed by Jack Morton, the global brand experience agency, working in partnership with the Mayor of London’s office, the celebration features an impressive 13-minute firework display, kicked off by the ringing of Big Ben’s iconic bell, and a Durham Marenghi lighting design that covered the entire downtown.

Since it spanned such a wide area, the NYE lighting was divided into two sections: Central London and the Old Royal Naval College. Associate designer Paul Cook, ran the lighting in the first section, which included the Globe Theatre and St. Paul’s.

Cook used his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium Console to run the, 12-universe show at the Globe Theatre and an MQ80 for the 8-universe St. Paul’s rig. Both featured an array of dazzling looks, such as when St. Paul’s famous dome was immersed in stunning web of lasers by ER Productions’ Mark Payne. Each of these visuals was precisely timed to flow seamlessly with the TV broadcast, no small feat, but accomplished smoothly, thanks in part to some adroit programming skills.

The entire light show for the evening was pre-programmed and visualized on WYSIWYG and Depence2 to create a smooth work flow with no surprises for the client and the BBC, as there were to be no public rehearsals

The in-built Visualiser on Cook’s ChamSys consoles allowed him to check focus and programming details so he could fully pre-program his show prior to getting to the site. He brought the vis and patch into the console via a MVR file from the lighting plan data, so no actual redrawing or patching needed to be done. This saved him a great deal of time, as only slight morphing of fixtures was needed to achieve a fully functional and patched console prior to plotting.

Elaborating on how his consoles helped him meet the challenge of preprogramming and executing his show with such precision, Cook said: “We had to ensure that the lighting of the live action sequences were balanced; so, the Group Master functions were used extensively to control the balance for the TV, thereby ensuring the exposures were under control. Also, the ease of programming and morphing new fixtures was great in allowing me to accommodate rig changes very easily.”

The Execute Fader feature of his consoles also helped Cook manage his complex show under time pressure. For example, on those back up consoles that did not have the required number of faders, he was able to use his Execute Faders as GM masters.

On the subject of dealing with time pressure, Cook praised the efforts of Rob Watson and the team at Lights Control Rigging for installing a “faultless system” at the Globe Theatre and St. Paul’s.

The smooth teamwork made for a very happy New Year’s Eve, a night on which “hope smiles for the threshold of the year to come,” as poet Laurette Alfred Lord Tennyson once wrote many New Year’s ago.

If that be the case, then it smiled very brightly this night in central London with help from a brilliantly executed lightshow.

Jon Towler Navigates Changes and Challenges On Outlander TV Series with ChamSys


STOCKPORT, UK
– The hit Starz TV series Outlander has captivated global audiences with its intensely visceral tale centered around time travel. And with the passage of time, of course, comes change, which is something that Jon Towler can appreciate as lighting programmer and console operator for the program.

Towler, of Nineteen Sixtyone Ltd., began working on Outlander when it debuted in 2013 at the invitation of its HOD Gaffer Scott Napier, and has been with the program for all six seasons since. In that time, the show has made a major transition from tungsten and HMI heavy lighting into a rig consisting mostly of LED fixtures.

“Things change, and as technology has advanced, the lighting has transitioned dramatically,” said Towler. “The biggest surprise to me was how quickly the show embraced LED & wireless DMX. To give you an idea of how dramatically things changed, we started Season 1 with eight universes of DMX for the studio (controlling mostly tungsten & fluorescent). We ended Season 6 with 180 universes of DMX in the studio and 12 Universes of wireless DMX.

“The transition to pixelated LED fixtures and wireless DMX has created the tool kit the DOP always dreamed of,” continued Towler. “However, it’s also introduced new issues of how to control all the different types of fixtures, with each manufacturer taking different approaches to control and colour spaces. My biggest challenge as programmer/console operator is to ensure that as these changes have taken place, there are always as many options available to the DOP in the shortest time possible.”

Helping Towler navigate is way through these changes, along with the other challenges involved in lighting a program that takes place in varied locations, are his own ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console and MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Wing. (Outlander also carries two MagicQ MQ100 units supplied by Panalux for some filming sites as well as a QuickQ 30 and QuickQ 20, owned by the Gaffer for smaller locations and camera tests.)

“Thanks to the high (256) universe count on the ChamSys MQ500M, I was able to make the decision to use all fixtures in 16-bit and Pixel control modes,” said Towler. “This gave the DOP and Gaffer the ability to run effects on any fixture at a moment’s notice without needing to repatch or change modes, which saves time, something you are always short on with a program like this. By the end of filming, we had amassed a total of 180 ArtNet Universes used.

“I should also add that not having to worry about parameter counts, means I don’t have to take a conservative approach to the lighting control,” he continued. “Everybody knows sets get added and the lighting rig grows constantly. So, it’s a relief to know I can always accommodate.”

All of the floor lighting kit is controlled using wireless DMX (LumenRadio CRMX). With the large selection of floor lamps pixelated, Towler had to up the wireless universe count to 12, which he anticipates increasing as the program continues.

Towler described how MagicQ Swatch helped him balance colors for the program. “The issue we have with fixtures in TV & Film, is that they are mostly calibrated to different colour spaces,” he said. “This is a big challenge when trying to match the colour on different fixtures. To resolve this issue, I populate the personality palettes with the fixture’s CCT & filters. I also use custom user swatches in addition to the MagicQ Swatches, and add colorimetry for all noncalibrated fixtures. The combination of all these methods gives me the best chance of colour matching.”

Filming locations for Outlander change virtually every day, and include castles, forests, outdoor sets, studio sets, and listed buildings. The same level of lighting control is required regardless of where the filming occurs.

Towler has a shooting kit that travels to all sets and locations. All consoles have the same base programming/patching, so everything is seamless. By networking the stages Towler can control all the Stages from one central point, while retaining the option to have a console in the Studio if required.

Almost all programming for Outlander, including effects, is done only minutes before the camera turns over, noted Towler, who states “the speed at which I am able to work, and the flexibility within MagicQ, is why I am a loyal ChamSys user!”

Other features of his console that Towler finds indispensable on Outlander are The Output Plan View (“it would be nearly impossible to control a show of this size without it.”) and Motorised Faders (“a feature you don’t realise how much you need until you use a console without it.”)

Making full use of his console’s robust features and working closely with the DOP and Gaffer, Towler has been delivering impeccable lighting control for Outlander season after season through advances in technology and changing location demands. There are many reasons why the show has been justifiably praised for making a fantastical tale seem so believable. This impressive accomplishment belongs somewhere on that list.

ChamSys And Crt Birsa Power Legacy Of Looks For Dubioza Kolektiv

KRAGUEVAC, SERBIA  The past lives in the present. Although the experiences that shaped earlier years may fade with time, their echoes can still be heard in the current moment, endowing it with a new sense of depth and meaning. Crt Birsa of Blackout Lighting Design knew this full well when he designed a compelling lightshow for Bosnian stars Dubioza Kolektiv at Arsenal Fest 2021.

Birsa began lighting the genre-smashing band in late 2010 and soon after that he had bought his first ChamSys PC Wing. In all the years since, he has built on this experience with every single Dubioza Kolektiv show. Using ever-more advanced ChamSys consoles, he has continuously taken earlier looks and bent them in original ways to create designs that build on a rich legacy, while reflecting his client’s music in refreshingly original ways.

“My show contains ten years of history,” said Birsa. “This is a history that is constantly updated with new ideas for old songs, and also new songs being reflected in new and traditional ways.

“Designing for Dubioza Kolektiv is a wonderfully rewarding challenge, because the band combines some songs in blocks, so each tune has to stand out on its own, but at the same time all of them have to fit together in different combinations,” he continued. “Being able to save, edit, clone and morph my looks from generation to generation on a stable ChamSys platform is extremely important.”

For the Arsenal Festival, Birsa called on his MagicQ MQ80 (he’s also use MQ500 consoles) to unleash a vivid flurry of looks in support of the seven-piece band as they wove their way through a raw, powerful set that moved seamlessly from dub, ska, and hip hop, to rock, and punk sounds.

Coordinating his 150-fixture, 9-universe show with the video designs of Bob Raccoon, he directed brilliant beams of light down from the 10-meter high stage roof to create an architecture of light that opened clean performance spaces for each band member.

Birsa also engaged the crowd with bright colorful audience lighting. “The band-audience communication is very essential,” he said. “The audience is almost part of the show. Because of this, audience lighting is featured in my design.  I also use some effects on the crowd.”

Given the complexities of his Dubioza Kolektiv show, Birsa said time coding was essential to his plans.  “I could not have done things quite this way without timecoding,” he said. “The show would have to be built with much less to it if I had to run everything 100-percent manually. Happily for me, the MQ80 does a great job receiving timecode.”

Not surprisingly, Birsa tried to complete as much of his show as possible before he got to the festival site. However, intense sunlight, forced him to make some late adjustments, working while the temperature outside reached 39 Celsius (over 102 Fahrenheit). He notes that being able to connect the MagicQ MQ80 over a network was essential.

“What helped me on the day of the show was morphing the heads on my laptop,” he said. “I was able to import all the colour and beam palettes from other shows with the same lights and then transfer this show to MQ80 and check  the cues with the help of MagicVis on another computer.”

Encountering last minute challenges when working for Dubioza Kolektiv is nothing new for Birsa. He’s run into surprises at other points in his ten years of lighting the band. But like everything else in Birsa’s history with them, these are things he learns and grows from. The end result  is a timeline of shows that get better and more original with age, all without forgetting the past.

ChamSys QuickQ 20 Helps Kyle Bell Adapt For Warrant and Firehouse Show

DALLAS, TX– Do you have to love a band’s music to do a great job lighting it?  There probably is no definitive answer to this question but having a strong affinity for a group’s sound certainly helps — especially when you’re called in at the last minute to light back-to-back shows by two legends. 

Just ask Kyle Bell. On June 24th, he suddenly found himself tasked with lighting shows by the multi-platinum band Warrant and their fellow metal-mashers, the award-winning Firehouse at the iconic Lava Cantina-The Colony live music venue.

“It was a last minute type of thing,” said Bell. “I had very little time to program. I did create some scenes, but most of the two shows were busked. Good thing for me that I was a longtime fan of both bands. That helped with the FX part of my show, which was very important.” 

Familiarity with the two bands wasn’t the only thing Bell had going for him on that hot summer evening. He could also rely on the intuitive, user-friendly features of his ChamSys QuickQ 20.

“I have been working on ChamSys consoles since 2012, so I know I can count on them,” he said. “For this project, the QuickQ 20 was the perfect choice, because the FOH footprint at this venue is very small. But aside from being the right size, the QuickQ 20 had features that made it easier for me to busk.”

Among those features was the QuickQ 20’s easy-to-navigate 9.7-inch touchscreen. “The screen is really good to work with,” said Bell. “Besides being a good size, it also puts things like beam angles, and intensity levels right at your fingertips. 

Bell notes that he made good use of the console’s Colour Control Section to vary saturation levels, as intense color changes were essential to conveying the hungry, fiery energy that both bands bring to the stage even after more than a quarter of a century of touring.

The QuickQ 20 was instrumental in helping Bell create those parts of the show that he did program, even with short notice. “The programming capability is definitely a big plus,” he said. “There were 60 fixtures in the rig, and it was very easy to patch. Another cool feature was that the console allowed me to update and save my show very quickly.”

Bell also credits Lee Russell, Lava Cantina-The Colony’s production manager and Dusty Mattson, its sound its sound engineer, with contributing to his experience at the venue. Describing them as “two amazing people, who do top-of-the-industry work,” he said they made his work “go much easier.”

Of course, having a compact, user-friendly console at his side didn’t hurt either!

Michal Hyra Meets Challenges With ChamSys At 100th Anniversary Celebration Of Third Silesian Uprising

BYTOM, POLAND – Michal Hyra could have been forgiven if he wondered what else could go wrong. Chosen to light the grand finale of the two-month long celebration of Tryptyk powstańczy – pamięć ziemi, which marked 100th anniversary of the Third Silesian Uprising, he found his rehearsal time for the on June 25th event severely curtailed by unrelenting rain on the 23rd and 24th. 

Despite this issue, Hyra was able to create a captivating lighting design that engrossed the large crowd gathered in Byton’s historic Market Square as well as those watching the livestream of one of the most important events in Poland. Dynamic and deftly executed, his smooth color changes and seamless transitions flowed naturally with the traditional Polish folk dancers on stage. Later in the evening, when the initial performers were replaced by a rock band, he created a tour-like show.

Helping Hyra accomplish this feat was the ChamSys Magic MQ 500 Stadium console that he used to run his 8-universe show. “I started learning MagicQ almost exactly a year ago and I’ve been using MQ500 since September of 2020,” he said. “It proved its worth on this project, which was carried out as a final part of the Metropolitan celebrations.

Recalling 100th anniversary project’s challenging start, Hyra said: “Due to the heavy rain, we had to program the whole show with only a reduced number of dancers, our director Karolina Widera, and our LD Paweł Murlik, present. We had to listen to a partial rehearsal from the day before to figure things out. This is where the MagicQ stepped in!”

Hyra credits his console’s “easy on the fly cue editing,” with helping him adapt. He notes that thanks to this capability he was able to change looks quickly to reflect the vision of his director. The user-friendly intuitive interface of the MagicQ MQ 500 Stadium also made it easier for him to busk.

“Since we didn’t have a real dress rehearsal, a whole bunch of stuff like strips and front lights had to be busked outside of the main cue stack,” he said. “Not to mention, that second part of the whole show was a rock concert, which I busked. So, the flexibility of my console was very appreciated.”

Another feature of the MagicQ MQ 500 that earned praise for Hyra was its UPS. “This turned out to be very valuable. “I also really liked the capacity of the screen desk, as groups alone took three quarters of one screen. Plus, the built-in patch-list generator, auto groups by fixture names, and color tagging all made things easier for me.”

Having tools that made his work easier was especially important to Hyra on this evening when so many factors outside of his control presented obstacles. But adversity often brings out the best in creative efforts — and at this national celebration that’s precisely what it did for this talented programmer and designer.

ViEvokes Volbeat Live Show And Its Niller Bjerregaard Design Powered By ChamSys

COPENHAGEN – In the weeks leading up to the lockdown, Volbeat was tearing up Europe on a 32-city tour of the continent. The raw, unbridled power of the Danish metal giants came to its full fruition at the Stuttgart Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle one night, as they shook the 15,000 seat venue to its very foundation with their thunderous sound.

Building on the energy of the band’s performance and driving the intensity level ever higher was a 40-universe Niller Bjerregaard light and video show powered by the designer’s two ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium consoles. Part programmed and part busked, the show served up a torrent of searing images for the 22-song set.

Although fans haven’t been able to see a live Volbeat show since the lockdown, they had the chance to immerse themselves in the magic of that special evening when the band’s Stuttgart performance was streamed on a pay per view platform. 

“The broadcast was as original as it gets,” said Bjerregaard. “All elements and features were as they happened that night and nothing was added or changed to enhance the viewer experience. The Stuttgart recordings were part of numerous recordings on that tour, but no elements were used from other shows, so what fans saw was exactly what happened. This video is a close as possible to that night, which is pretty cool.”

Among the sights that were there to behold that night was a stunningly dramatic opening that featured a video wall rising to reveal the band. “We had been using a  kabuki front drop in the beginning of our shows, so we were looking for something different this time, while still keeping the element of surprise when we introduced the band,” said Bjerregaard.  “We had a slightly curved full video wall 6 meters high and 14 meters wide with the Volbeat Skull Wing Logo. As the show started the hole screen moved up in one piece above the band — and after few songs started to move up stage in various positions and formations, showing content and live feeds on them.”

The “screen” that opened the show was actually made up of eight different single screens that could be combined as one, or positioned individually on a 360ﹾ truss track. In addition to up and down movements, the individual monolith screens could be turned 180ﹾ. On the back, Bjerregaard mounted lights and drapes for special songs. Aside from the monolith screens,  all surfaces of the stage set and pods were also covered with screens.

Bjerregaard used the M-Box Media Server. “Michael Austin Smalley, a renowned Light/Media Designer from Las Vegas and great friend, helped me in setting up,” said Bjerregaard. “My MQ500 controlled the media server with special designed  video content, including  movie clips with matching sound effects through the PA, as well as all camera live feeds. 

“I programmed all of this onto my Cue List, patching the media server as I would any other fixture,” continued Bjerregaard. “I used my palettes to ensure that I had a consistent work flow and handling. I experienced no problems working the complex and deep programming with M-Box and MQ 500 and was very happy how straight forward everything worked. . A big shout out to Smalley and PRG UK for the support and help.”

Bjerregaard also credits his MQ500’s ability to work smoothly with so many different protocols with helping him manage this complex show. His MQ500 allowed connection to up-to 50 media server layers and worked with many different types of media servers, with patch profiles already available in its personality library

To maintain a sense of spontaneity throughout the show, Bjerregaard mixed busked effects in with his cue lists. “I made a page for each song and had matching effects and color cues,” he said. “The MagicQ was invaluable for this purpose. I  could enhance the cue stack by adding effects such as strobes,  and fixture beam fly outs.  I also used the Execute Window for macros and between song looks.”

The entire light and video show was  programmed in different stages over several weeks on Bjerregaard’s two MagicQ MQ500 desks.  He began at his home studio building the design into the plot window to ensure that all fixtures were placed correctly. Then he trimmed trusses and lights to make sure he had the correct look in the Visualiser for making pallets and pre-patching. He also made output window plan views for different parts of the light plot to allow easy access and programming. 

Next, Bjerregaard moved on to London where he spent two days at Neg Earth putting the finishing touches on the patch plan and fixture modes. At Neg Earth, he also looked at video walls and screen automations and live cameras for the first time with award winning live camera director Shelby Carol Cude and PRG UK.

From London, he journeyed with the entire production crew to Poland, where they spent five days at an arena programming lights, video, automation, sound, and pyro before doing the first pre-run of the show in advance of heading out on tour.  It was a long process that led to a memorable tour – and though COVID-19 put a temporary halt to an encore, fans can still savor the moment on this realistic video as they look forward to the future.

Crt Birsa and ChamSys Power Geometry Of Light For 2CELLOS’ Livin’ On A Prayer Music Video

PULA, CROATIA – Maybe it’s because of its defiantly optimistic tone, smooth melody, dramatic minor third up key change flourish in its last chorus, or all of the above. Whatever the reason, Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” has been embedded in our collective musical psyche since its release on February 14, 1987.

It seems that everyone, from the Royal Philharmonic to Alvin and the Chipmunks (not to mention numerous rock and pop stars) has recorded cover versions of this ‘80s anthem. None of them, however, have been quite like the music video released by 2CELLOS.

Their bows feverishly jumping off the strings of their instruments, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser, the Croatian cellists who make up the group, mange to push the oft-played rock classic to new levels of intensity. Reflecting the driving force of their performance visually throughout the 4 minute and 21 second video is a dynamic and intricately layered light show by Crt Birsa of Slovenia-based Blackout Lighting Design. 

Running the 6-universe, 126 fixture, time-coded show on his ChamSys Magic! MQ80 console, Birsa created myriad patterns of light to play off the music video’s unique venue: a 33-meter long tunnel in a former military warehouse. To focus the viewer’s attention firmly on the geometry of the setting, he kept his color palettes simple.

“I didn’t want to go multicolor,” he said. “Basic palettes were the most well-suited for this venue. Patterns and movement were what I relied on to visualize the music in a way that stood out.

“The venue is different from others I’ve worked at,” continued Birsa. “My goal was to enhance the geometry of the structure itself.  The great length and circular shape of the site guided my ideas on where to put the lights and what to show at different times.”

To accent the architecture of the venue, Birsa minimized the visibility of the fixtures themselves, positioning most of them on the sides of the cylindrical structure,  hanging a  few overhead (there were limited hang points) and using the remainder to create a blinding wall of light at the end of the tunnel.

Birsa notes that the Time Code and Cue Editing features his ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 were critically important to the success of his show, which was programmed with WYSIWIG R45.

“The Time Code feature is very supple and exact,” he said.  “We had precisely timed cues to  accent key moments throughout the video.  As we did the video, it was also sometimes  essential to make changes to cues quickly. This is very easy to do with ChamSys.”

A longtime ChamSys user, Birsa explained why he feels comfortable taking the console to projects like the Livin’ On A Prayer music video.

“The MQ80 is a compact unit, but its powerful enough for elaborate jobs, and it’s a straight forward console to run,” he said. “For me, it’s the perfect console to take it on the field when I have a pre-programmed show and all I have to do is make some corrections. It also has UPS inside, which is most useful when you run the whole system by generator. If it runs out of fuel or something else happens, you have the chance to save the show and shut down securely. Really, this console has never let me down.”

So, while the idea of  “living on a prayer” may suffice for the young lovers in the Bon Jovi hit, a designer looking to light a memorable music video needs something more tangible – like a reliable, flexible and robust console.

Aura Visual System Named ChamSys Distributor For Thailand and Myanmar

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Formed at the start of this year, Aura Visual System is a relatively new company, but the people behind it bring vast experience in AVL to their venture. They also have a well-deserved reputation for their high-level of commitment to customer service.

Both were of front-and-center importance to ChamSys recently, when the company named Aura Visual System the exclusive distributor of its award-winning line of consoles in Thailand and Myanmar. 

“We are very excited about this agreement,” said Aziz Adilkhodjaev, International Sales and Business Development manager for ChamSys. “Aura Visual System shares the same philosophy that has guided ChamSys since our founding. Like ChamSys, AVS is totally dedicated to customer education and after-the-sale service.”

Pankom (“Aof”) Klaykum, CEO of Aura Visual System is equally enthusiastic. “We are extremely excited to be working with ChamSys,” he said.  “First of all, the company’s level of quality and support is second to none. Also, we feel that the MagicQ range of consoles is a great match for customers in our market, because it offers fantastic flexibility at an attractive price.  It’s also great to see the QuickQ range of consoles with network control with such an easy-to-use system. That series makes it perfect for our hotel market.”

The new agreement went into effect at the beginning of April and will have Aura Visual System be responsible for the entire ChamSys line in Thailand and Myanmar. “We’re looking forward to accomplishing great things together,” said Aziz. “Everyone involved is focused on the same goal.”

Adrian Schmidt Powers Riveting Apache 207 Music Video Lighting With ChamSys MagicQ MQ500

BABENHAUSEN, GERMANY —  Multi-award winning rapper Apache 207 holds nothing back in “Angst,” a gripping unsettling song of alienation, isolation and fractured relationships. The relentless emotional force of this powerful piece is reflected in a recent video of the same title that the chart-topping recording artists made to kick off 2021. 

Drawing on the brooding aura of its physical setting, Babenhausen Kasserne, an abandoned and desolate former military base that was built 120 years ago, the video evokes a haunting air of mystery. This quality is accentuated by Adrian Schmidt’s riveting lighting design that he powered with his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 console. (Another MQ500 was brought to the production site as a backup, but was never used.)

Like his client, Schmidt pulled no punches when devising his creation. From the very beginning when Apache 207 seems to be entering a swirling tunnel of light, each of his steps illuminating the ground beneath his feet, it becomes clear that this video is going to challenge perceptions.

Throughout the video, Schmidt creates wave after wave of lighting intensity that includes towering aerial effects, brilliant white flashes, and cascading “waterfalls” of light.  Helping him navigate his way through this vortex of looks was his trusty console. 

“I have worked with ChamSys for over 10 years now,” he said. “It’s a very stable desk that I know I always can rely on. With the MQ500, my work is made much easier because of its very intuitive layout and easy timecode programming.  I am also a big fan of the MQ Track.”

During the production of the Angst video, the MagicQ MQ500’s reliable, rugged design was especially appreciated because of the high humidity and cold temperatures.

“All the features of the ChamSys helped me in this project, as we had limited infrastructure, a huge  (113m x 85m) area, and long cables for data transmission via ArtNet,” said Schmidt. “We also had very little time for setting everything up, as the sun went down at 5 pm.  My console performed flawlessly through it all.”

With help from his MagicQ MQ500, Schmidt, along with the rest of the production team, prevailed over these conditions. Perhaps their challenges even added to the intensity of a music video. Who can say? But in any event, the end result is one that sears itself into the viewer’s memory.

Interlite AB Appointed Exclusive ChamSys Distributor In Sweden

SOUTHAMTON, UK – Key to the success of a lighting console, besides the quality of the product itself, are customer service, support and training, according to the corporate philosophy of ChamSys.

This belief is wholeheartedly shared by Interlite AB, which is a big reason why the company is proud to become the exclusive Swedish distributor of ChamSys products, including the award-winning MagicQ and QuickQ series.

“We are big believers in product training and demonstrations, “said  Tobias Johansson, a 20-year industry veteran and brand manager of ChamSys for Interlite AB. “The commitment ChamSys has to service fits perfectly with our own philosophy.” 

Beyond this compatibility, Interlite AB is most excited about the ChamSys line of products. “ChamSys products excel from the mid to the top range of the console market,” said Johansson. “Their powerful and user-friendly features have earned them a great reputation.” 

For its part, ChamSys enthusiastically welcomes Interlite AB to its distribution network. “Interest in our MagicQ and QuickQ consoles has been expanding rapidly in Sweden,” said Aziz Adilkhodjaev, International Sales and Business Development manager for ChamSys. “Having a company with the core values of Interlite AB represent us in that market will ensure that we are able to maintain the highest standards of service in Sweden as our business there grows. Great possibilities lay ahead in Sweden and we’re all very excited.”

René Jõhve of CuuClub Calls On ChamSys to Create Myriad Looks for Estonian Eurovision

TALLIN, ESTONIA – Out of chaos and confusion, creativity often emerges. In the process, it leads to bold solutions that flourish far beyond the moment. Such was the case last year, when René Jõhve and his team at CuuClub set out to design the stage for Estonia’s 2021 Eurovision preselection program. 

“We had a design ready, but there was a great deal of uncertainty in the air, because no one was clear about what would happen with the pandemic,” recalled Jõhve. “New issues kept emerging during our planning process. At one point, there was the possibility that the preselection semifinals would have to fit into a TV studio with the finals being moved to an arena. So, we had to change our plans last minute to create a design that would work in both settings.”

Accounting for all of these issues, Jõhve molded his ideas into an adaptable, all-encompassing stage design that created an array of unique looks for artists competing in this year’s Estonian National Eurovision Preselection, which was held in March at Tallin’s Saku Suurhall arena. 

With its multiple layers of angled floor-mounted LED video panels, massive triangular backdrop, and floating strips interspliced with brilliant aerial beams, his design projected an aura of majesty and expectation, providing an ideal setting for a contest highlighting aspiring talent.

Powering his massive 47-universe lightshow were three ChamSys consoles: one MagicQ MQ500M, which Jõhve used to run moving effects and blinders; and two MagicQ MQ 500 desks run by Erki Kukk, who took care of the key lights, and Črt Birsa for LED strips and special FX programming.

Looking back at the design after the event, Jõhve described the creative process behind it. “Having the LED screens at the sides of the floor was my original idea. I wanted it to give some additional shape to the stage and to have visuals supporting the acts from more camera angles,” he explained. “Because of this, I really wanted to keep that idea. So, I started rearranging  the set design around these screens. The LED arc shape came first and the triangular background later just by trial and error. Finally, I was happy with it — all things considered.”

From the beginning of the design process for this year’s event, Jõhve realized that the triangular configuration of this set would present some challenges. However, he felt that the aesthetic payback would make it well-worth the effort.

“I knew that the LED arch and also the triangular lighting configuration would limit how we could fan the lights, but I was confident that we could still pull off a wide range of different looks to reflect the unique character of each artist,” he said. “Because we wanted to support the acts, we tried to give more focus to the artist, or at other times just to have a smaller feel of room for intimate songs.”

The triangular shape of Jõhve’s design endowed the entire set with a distinct visual quality, regardless of which type of look he created.  Although there was some programming, the CuuClub team did most of their timecoding during and after rehearsals. This meant long nights and little sleep during the event.

Thankfully, notes Jõhve, the ChamSys consoles made their task easier. “We like the MQ500 and MQ500M because they are fast with user-friendly screens and a lot of faders,” he said. “A really useful feature is the timecode timeline. After importing  audio tracks, it was really fast and easy to get the cues and timings right. 

“Of course, from my point of view the motorized faders on MQ500M made everything much clearer and easier to follow,” continued Jõhve. “For this show, the Automation and Cue Stack macros are essential. I’m very  glad we get more and more new options for Cue Stack macros with the MQ500M.”

Relying on their three consoles, Jõhve and his colleagues ran their 281 fixtures, plus LED strips with precise control using 38 pages of playbacks, one for each artist.  In the end they created a show that was breathtaking in its scope, representing some of the best aspiring singers in their country as well as the power of creativity to overcome any setback.

 

ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 Creates Smooth Path For Corey Easterbrook At PCCA Conference

NAPLES, FL – When you begin working with a new client who’s never used an outside professional AV company before, you need three things: patience, understanding, and a fast, user-friendly console that will allow you to make smooth in-show adjustments.

Corey Easterbrook of Hot House Music and Productions seems to have been born with the first two attributes. He credits his ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 with providing the third ingredient when he returned to live events recently, providing AV services to the Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) annual meeting.

A North American trade association serving members involved in the electrical power distribution industry, PCCA had always used in-house AV services for their events. The results were mixed. So, during the lockdown, the group reevaluated its policies and decided to go with a professional. Hot House Music and Productions came highly recommended by a Fortune 500 company.

For Easterbrook, the call from PCCA was the opportunity to work on his first significant live project since the lockdown began. “The past year has been a challenge for us as it’s been for just about everyone in our industry,” he said. “But this show was different because it was the first time that I felt like we were turning a corner. Every morning when doors opened, it  felt like Christmas!”

A long with this good feeling, however, came a long list of concerns, not the least of which was operating under strict safety protocols. Complicating matters, Easterbrook’s wife had recently given birth to a son, so he had to call in friend and fellow designer Eric Price as a backup for the two day event in case he was called away for an emergency. 

Meanwhile, he also had to deal with the possibility of having to make adjustments on site for a client who was new, not only to Hot House, but to the entire idea of using a professional AV service. Even with all of these considerations, he says that his MagicQ MQ80 helped provide a “smooth path” for his return to live events.

“Along with my business partner Jeremy Robertson and our crew Nathan Gifford, Brandon Scopel, Russel Lewis, and Tim Walters, the MQ80 was the key to making this event work,” said Easterbrook. “I have been using ChamSys for four years now, and it’s been making my life easier the whole time, especially at this event with all that was going on. The FX engine makes it incredibly fast and simple to dial in great looks without a ton of fuss. We programmed the entire show on site, so the ability to make changes quickly and smooth reassured our client.”

Of particular importance to Easterbrook was his console intuitive graphical interface and it’s adaptability.  “I like the Plot window on the MQ80 and how it lets me focus fixtures graphically,” he said. “With ChamSys, I can layout my show file the way I want from one event to another, depending on my needs. That  came in very handy in this situation. Also, the big high res display was nice, since we busked the entire conference.”

The user-friendliness of the MQ80 was driven home to Easterbrook when he gave his fellow LD Price a quick education on the console. “Eric is a longtime user of another brand of console, but he felt at home with the ChamSys very quickly,” said Easterbrook. “Eric also normally works off cues, but when I showed him the intuitive busking set-up on the MQ80, he responded ‘Let’s do it!’”


This response, along with the positive reaction of his client to the smooth changes made on the console, reassured Easterbrook. “Dealing with COVID safety protocols, coming back after a long layoff and working for a new client and having a beautiful new son Griffyn made my plate very full,” he said. “At times like this you appreciate your ChamSys. It’s  like a dependable friend.”

Chromasound To Distribute ChamSys QuickQ Series in Hungary

SOUTHAMPTON, UK – As part of its ongoing commitment to providing its expanding customer base in Hungary with the highest level of tightly focused service, ChamSys has named Chromasound Plc. the exclusive Hungarian distributor of its QuickQ series of consoles and QuickQ software.

Wannabe Studios, the current ChamSys distributor in Hungary, will continue to focus on the company’s flagship MagicQ range of products. Both companies will distribute the ChamSys SnakeSys line.

“We are focusing our distribution to better serve all levels of the market in Hungary,” said Aziz Adilkhodjaev, International Sales and Business Development manager for ChamSys. “Wannabe Studios is a strong partner, and now having Chromasound on board expands our capabilities even further.”

With their intuitive plug-and-play interface and approachable learning prompts, QuickQ consoles are ideally suited for applications that call for smaller lighting system. The flexible and user-friendly QuickQ software makes the consoles easy to run, even for inexperienced operators.

Based on Chromasound’s extensive 20-year experience in the market, ChamSys is confident that the company will be able develop the QuickQ customer base even further, according to Adilkhodjaev.  “Chromasound’s understanding of this market makes them ideally suited to represent the QuickQ series in Hungary,” he said. “We look forward to working with them.”

For his part, Imre Makkay, CEO of Chromasound, declared: “We are very eager to be involved with a series of products that offers forward thinking solutions. The QuickQ family empowers customers to accomplish more with lighting.  It represents a very contemporary approach to lighting control at events and installations. This is a great opportunity for us – and our entire customer base.”

Crt Birsa Calls On ChamSys For Mesmerizing RTV Design

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA – The marriage between lighting and set design is never far from Crt Birsa’s mind. Only when light absorbs itself completely in its surroundings, can it exert its full power to transform. This is always true, he believes, but especially so when lighting television productions, where the limited and less forgiving eye of the camera replaces live human vision.

“In TV shows lighting has to walk hand in hand with set design,” he said. “There must be tight collaboration between the lighting and set designers for the total design to reach the level of perfection that the camera demands.”

Birsa and his frequent collaborator set designer Greta Godnic achieved this level, and then some, for a NYE special run by Slovenian National Television (RTV) in its famed Studio 1.  Powering his five universe show with a ChamSys MagicQ MQ80, he wove light from 101 fixtures (not counting key lights) so tightly around the set’s myriad crystalline structures that they fused into a single spectacular vista that mesmerized from every camera angle.

“On TV projects I usually work with Greta,” he said. “We make most of the things together. There is my input on her set designs, and there is her input on my lighting designs, so we can’t really say who did what. When building the set design, we are already thinking where to put the lights and where to leave space.

“In this project, the geometric structures represented ice spikes or crystals, and were made from semi-transparent plastic material, “continued Birsa. The crystals were meant to be lit with the lights. Because they were semi-transparent, the light beams went through them to become part of the structure itself.”

Precise timing of colors was critically important in making the collaborative design achieve its intended effect. Birsa credits his MagicQ MQ80 with helping him in obtain this level of control. “As I have done a lot of jobs with RTV, importing palettes was really important,” he said. “The speed of my desk was critical to this timing. It gave me a fast way to bring my show file to the starting point.

“The Cue Stack macros of  the MQ80, which make it possible for one cue to control (activate, release or manipulate) many other cues or playbacks, were also very important for programming the show,“ said Birsa. “They helped me start all the right cues on time. Something else that was really valuable about my ChamSys in this show was being able to replace a palette in a cue or a whole cue stack.”

Another challenging aspect of lighting this television show was that the set had to be treated like a 360 stage. “We had to cover all angles for the camera,” said Birsa. “At the same time, we had to make sure that the key lights did not bleed onto the set and detract from our colors. The RTV technicians who ran the key lights did a great job avoiding the set in such a small place. Also, by allowing me to  transfer  my ideas to reality very quickly, my desk helped me manage this tricky situation.”

Everything in his complex project was pre-programmed on his MagicQ MQ80, notes Birsa. This helped ensure that there were “no special surprises” in his show. 

No “special surprises” perhaps for this talented designer, but for those who tuned in on RTV, the show was a rewarding journey into the surprising visual delights that unexpectedly arise when light and its surroundings become one.

 

Crt Birsa and ChamSys Power End-to-End Looks for 40 Fingers Livestream

TRIESTE, ITALY – With its exquisitely light and airy Neo-Renaissance forms, the Nicolò Bruno-designed Politeama Rossetti theatre affords excellent views from each of its 1,531 seats. Regardless of where visitors find themselves in the historic venue, however, they can only see the stage from one angle at a time.

No such limitation exists for livestream viewers, though, and that, believes Crt Birsa, changes the fundamental trajectory of a lighting design. “The live audience has just one point of view,” he explained. “But in a livestream each camera is a new point of view that has to look good. The viewer sees things from all angles, so your design has to present a very consistent image from one end to the other.”

Birsa provided a breathtaking example of this principle in December when lighting a one-hour livestream at Politeama Rossetti for the Trieste-based guitar quartet 40 Fingers. Covering the stage with a seamless and tightly woven pattern of gobos and beams, his 15-universe, 110-fixture show enveloped the four artists in an all-embracing panorama that reflected their lively performance. 

Powering his preprogrammed show was a ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 console and PC Wing. “The show was designed in WYSWIG and run on my MQ80 with the Wing for backup,” said Birsa. “I have been using ChamSys for 10 years, ever since a retailer in Slovenia convinced me that the company’s consoles would do all that I want faster and more logically than an alternative.  His advice was certainly true.

“The MagicQ MQ80 was a big help in this show,” continued Birsa. “It is powerful with enough universe support for a show of this size. (It’s capable of handling 48 DMX universes.) Plus, it’s fast to program, and fast in editing cues. By simplifying things, my MQ80 frees up my creative side.”

Birsa’s creativity was on full display during the 40 Fingers livestream. Pulling out all the stops, he served up an explosive array of bold immersive looks,  showering the quartet with flood of split beam and gobo patterns one moment, then directing a quasar-like torrent of intense rays out to the empty theatre seats the next. 

“Because there was no audience, and the show was made just for the camera, I could do a lot of looks that I would normally stay away from out of fear of blinding  people in the seats,” said Birsa. “This opens up a lot of creative possibilities and the chance to push things in bolder directions. I am fortunate that Vigna PR believed my crazy ideas and helped bring them to life for this show and that the Event Lighting crew did such a great job setting up the rig.”

By creating sweeping looks, Birsa ensured that his design would present a smoothly flowing image to viewers from every camera angle. “Being aware of all the cameras, we wanted to cover all the main backgrounds with light,” he said. “Of course, we also used the very nice ambience of the venue itself as often as possible.

In addition to creating his big picture vistas, Birsa ensured that each song had its own look.

“This was still a concert and light must support the music,” he said. “I think that in a livestream setting, because there is no audience, concerts are becoming more and more visual. The looks we create can be stronger, as long as we don’t lose sight of the music.”

Supporting the performance on stage, must always be at the heart of any show, affirms Birsa. But for now, while working livestreams, he is free to push his designs in directions that are bolder and more comprehensive than ever.

Olev Luhaäär Powers Flexible Design For Bocuse d’Or Europe 2020 Contest With ChamSys

TALLIN, ESTONIA  It was the final day of Bocuse d’Or Europe 2020. Esteemed chefs from 24 nations had gathered with their teams in different rooms at the Saku Arena early in the morning to review their secret plans for the dishes they would be offering judges later that afternoon.

All of them would be working with Estonian quail and eel catfish. The culinary wizard who blended these basic ingredients into the most sumptuous and alluring gastronomical creation would be crowned European Champion by Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid. 

As the top chefs and their assistants met in secret that morning, Olev Luhaäär was also busy meeting with his team as they reviewed plans for lighting the televised event under unusual circumstances. (Unlike in previous years there was no live audience in the 10,000-seat arena because of the pandemic.)  Luhaäär had begun preparing for this project six months earlier, working with project manager Gamal Elhuveig. Now it was time for a final review with his crew: LD Rene Jõhve, and tech support specialist Kristo Sooalu.

Like the chefs, preparing their entries, Luhaäär and his associates had to balance varying elements together into a smoothly integrated final creation. Helping them in this endeavor was the ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console.

“People and sets changed all the time during the program, so we constantly made small adjustments for the lighting, all the while ensuring that we remained camera friendly,” said Luhaäär who used eight universes and 120 different lighting fixtures for the broadcast. “Since the presenters constantly strolled between kitchens, there were some unplanned locations for interviews. This required us to adjust the lights fast according to the changing situations. Thanks to MQ500M giving us immediate access to enough buttons and faders, the process worked very smoothly, even with the unscripted changes.”

A ChamSys user for ten years, Luhaäär only recently moved up to the MQ500M.  He found the transition seamless. “I had used this console a few times before, so I was familiar with it,” he said. “The MQ500M is even more comfortable than earlier models, with its very intuitive and logical layout. It also has several new features that greatly enhanced my work.”

For Bocuse d’Or Europe 2020, Luhaäär found the changeable fader functions — notably the fader banks and rotating knobs on buttons 16-30 — particularly helpful. He points out that these functions allowed him to have more cues at his fingertips for quick storage and playback.

“The show wasn’t very complicated in terms of programming,” he said. “What it demanded most was constant attention to detail, which was something that the MQ500M helped us do. At all times we had to be in step with what was happening on stage as things changed.”

This focus helped ensure that the lighting reflected well on all of the program’s chefs, including winner Christian Andre Petterson of Norway. Although TV viewers couldn’t taste the mouthwatering delight he created, they could certainly savor it visually, thanks in no small part to Luhaäär’s thoughtful recipe for lighting the show.

Jean Michel Jarre Virtual Show Opens New Worlds With Help From Jvan Morandi and ChamSys

PARIS –There is an unmistakable sense of boldness, perhaps even bravado, betrayed by a name like “Welcome To The Other Side.” In choosing this title, the author of a work is promising a transformative experience, one that will liberate the imagination of all who partake of it. In the case of electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre, this confidence is well-founded — a promise kept!

Released on New Year’s Eve, Jarre’s Virtual Reality show is a mind-expanding experience that garnered 900,000 views on YouTube within a week of its release and, according to Sony Music International, over 75 million views on all outlets (Facebook, VRC, Weibo, Tik Tok). Defying all expectations, his creation swirls high-tech sights and sounds around a reimagined (and virtual) nine-centuries-old Notre Dame cathedral.

During its 55-minute run time, conceived to celebrate the arrival of 2021 in the French capital, animated geometric forms rise and fall within the historic church’s nave, keyboard instruments melt with color, brilliant light patterns run up stone columns to play off stained glass windows… all turning common perceptions on their head, so the viewer can come out “on the other side.” 

Moving seamlessly with Jarre’s music in Welcome To The Other Side is a multifarious lightshow created by Jvan Morandi of Placing Shadows using his ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 console as the starting point to merge show business with game engine workflows. Run along triggered timelines within the Unity game engine, the lightshow is divided into two parts: interior stage element and architecture: sequences created via the ChamSys but then run directly by the Unity engine a series of exterior architectural sequences, involving lights and lasers aa well as camera moves played back via the lighting desk thought ArtNet and software.

“We programmed the cues with a ChamSys MQ80 in my studio,” notes Morandi. “All the cue lists come from ChamSys and were translated into a set of Unity animation triggers on a timeline. When I say ‘translated,’ I mean that Victor Pukhov used the visualized lighting cues to create shader animation that then got triggered by Unity custom scripts by Antony Vitillo.

Morandi credits his MQ80 with helping this process go smoothly. “The Copy linked features in the ChamSys console were very useful, as was the Off-Set patch,” he said. “With so many camera shots on the outside I needed to dress the shot and fill it differently depending on the situation. Also, the ability to link my desk directly to my software and transfer data between the two, (they patch automatically in ChamSys) was a big help in creating the shots quickly.”

During the show, Jarre played live from TV Studio Gabriel in Paris. He was lit only by a video projector and portrayed in vivid colors and shapes coming directly from the same video content that was UV mapped on the inside of the virtual cathedral. Lending another evocative touch to the show was the virtual rendition of Notre Dame’s interior. The 3D model and the game engine programming were optimized by Lapo Germasi and Victor Pukhov of Manifattura Italiana Design. “Once we received the interior of the cathedral, we worked with our studio software and the game engine to find the right looks,” explained Morandi.

When designing the stage set in the middle of the church, Morandi envisioned a “modern version of Stonehenge.” He viewed the circular stage as a reflection of the shape of the big stained- glass window at the front of the cathedral. The stage columns that animated the scene were video mapped and received streamed content from a cue list on Vimeo.

“The stage lights are actually not real light but volumetric shaders that were animated by Victor Pukhov to mimic my ChamSys programmed lighting cues,” said Morandi. “Most importantly, Vincent Masson created the 3D animations that made the show look stunning. He used our 2D content as starting point, and with a lot of passion and talent created the 3D versions of it.”

Collaboration was critical to making this VR creation come to fruition. “This project involved a great many very creative people coming together from diverse backgrounds, starting with Jean Michel Jarre whose vision and hard work made it all possible,” said Morandi. “Credit should also go to Louis Caracciolo from VRroom, our French VR Producer; and Antony Vitillo of NTW (Italian developers that looked after all the scripting and game engine functionalities). Jonathan Klahr did an amazing job on the 2D video content mapped onto the interior walls. Stephan and Jeroen from LaserImage of Amsterdam programmed the initial laser sequences. Georgy Molotsdov, Maud Clavier, David Montagne (global tv broadcast) did a great job filming the show all in VR.”

Exemplifying the scope of the project, one camera director was in Moscow (Georgy Molotsdov), while another was in Paris (Maud Clavier). Each of them controlled up to eight remote VR cameras and drones. Filming of this live VR gig was completely in VR within the VRchat platform, an accomplishment that would have been unimaginable not that long ago, but one that will become commonplace not that far into the future, according to Morandi.

 

“Once we have tested and solved various technological issues, I see tours in the future travelling with a VR/AR component in the crew,” he said. “Each show will be attended by real audience as well as VR/AR audiences. It will be just another way to enjoy entertainment.”

ChamSys expandiert nach Deutschland

BREMEN – Die Chauvet Germany GmbH, eine hundertprozentige Tochtergesellschaft der Muttergesellschaft von ChamSys, ist ab sofort für Verkauf und Service der gesamten ChamSys Produktlinie auf dem deutschen Markt verantwortlich. In Verbindung mit diesem Schritt, und auf den bisherigen Erfolg der Produkte in Deutschland aufbauend, wurde Frank Alofs zum Business Development, Training and Support Manager für ChamSys in Deutschland ernannt. „Wir freuen uns ab sofort für alle ChamSys User der direkte Ansprechpartner zu sein und gleichzeitig auch Frank in unserem Team begrüßen zu dürfen“, so Henning Oeker, Operations Manager bei Chauvet Deutschland.

Frank Alofs ist in der deutschsprachigen Community kein Unbekannter und bringt ein großes Maß an Erfahrung und Wissen für seine Position mit. In seiner neuen Rolle wird er ins besondere auch für die Durchführung von Trainings und Tutorials verantwortlich sein, die das gesamte Portfolio an ChamSys Produkten abdecken wird. Informationen zu den einzelnen Trainings, sowie direkt buchbare Termine können ab sofort auf der deutschsprachigen ChamSys Website (www.chamsyslighting.de), sowie auf der deutschsprachigen Facebook-Seite (www.facebook.com/chamsysgermany) eingesehen werden. Letztere soll in Zukunft nicht nur als Sprachohr für neue Produkte und Applikationen dienen, sondern auch der bereits lebhaften Community ein Zuhause bieten. Userspezifische Anliegen können so nicht nur mit anderen Nutzern, sondern auch direkt mit dem Team diskutiert werden. Die Interaktion zu den ChamSys Usern soll so intensiviert werden.

Durch die neuen und direkten Ressourcen, die wir nun in Deutschland vor Ort haben, können wir viel besser auf den immer größer werdenden Markt reagieren“, sagt auch Chris Kennedy, Managing Director bei ChamSys. Auch mit dem großen Wissen, das Alofs über den deutschen Markt mitbringt, soll der Markt laut Kennedy

weiter ausgebaut werden. Auch Frank Alofs sieht diesbezüglich viel Potential: „Ich war immer überzeugt von den ChamSys Produkten“, sagt er. „Sie bieten praktische, realistische und vor allem benutzerfreundliche Lösungen für Programmierer und Lichtdesigner. Hier sind keinerlei Grenzen gesetzt.“

Durch die neue Basis in Deutschland sollen ChamSys Produkte nun einfacher und schneller verfügbar sein. Angesichts der neuen Möglichkeiten ist dies eine vielversprechende Entwicklung, die auch den zahlreichen Nutzern im deutschen Markt neue Vorteile bieten wird.

 

Über ChamSys:

ChamSys Ltd. mit Sitz in Großbritannien wurde 2003 von einer Gruppe von Designern und Produktentwicklern gegründet, die eine Beleuchtungskonsole mit größerer Flexibilität entwickeln wollten. Die MagicQ-Reihe des Unternehmens gilt als Industriestandard, der sich in weltweit bekannten Konzert-, Theater-, Rundfunk- und Clubanwendungen wiederfindet. ChamSys wurde 2017 von Chauvet & Sons LLC, einem führenden Anbieter von professionellen Scheinwerfern und Zubehör mit Hauptsitz in den USA, übernommen.

Mehr Informationen:

www.chamsyslighting.de

www.facebook.com/chamsysgermany

ChamSys Expands Into Germany

BREMEN, GERMANY – Chauvet Germany GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of ChamSys’ parent company, is now exclusively responsible for selling and servicing the complete line of ChamSys products in the German market. In conjunction with this move, which reflects ChamSys’ commitment to building on its success in Germany, Frank Alofs has been appointed the German Business Development, Training and Support manager.

Highly regarded throughout the industry, Alofs brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new position. “We’re very excited to be direct in Germany and to welcome Frank to our team,” said Henning Oeker, Operations Manager for Chauvet Germany. In his new role, Alof will be responsible for conducting training sessions and tutorials that cover the full range of ChamSys consoles in German. Information on these can be found on ChamSys’ new German language website: www.chamsyslighting.de and social media support page: www.facebook.com/chamsysgermany 

“Going direct gives us greater resources to meet the demands created by our rapid growth in Germany,” said Chris Kennedy, managing director of ChamSys. This, combined with the deep understanding of the market that Frank brings to ChamSys, puts us in an ideal position to build on the success we’ve already achieved, so we can grow even more in 2021.”

Frank Alofs is equally optimistic as he assumes his new position. “I have always been a big believer in ChamSys products,” he said. “They offer a practical, realistic and user-friendly solution to programmers and designers. The sky is truly the limit.”

ChamSys products will be more readily available than ever in Germany. Poised as it is for growth in the year ahead, this is a welcome development for its expanding base of customers in the German market.

Nicolas “Murph” Murphy Reflects Gentri’s Sweeping Sound With ChamSys

SALT LAKE CITY – Words like “soaring” and “inspirational” come up often when critics write about Gentri. It’s easy to see why. With its sweet harmonies and lush orchestration, the music of these three Utah-based tenors gives wings to the imagination.

Their sound can also inspire an uplifting lighting design — even on short notice. This was plain to see at the trio’s recent socially distant livestreamed concert at Salt Lake City’s Maverik Center, where Nicolas “Murph” Murphy supported their evocative cinematic-like performance with an artful blend of bold light and shadows.

Relying on sharply focused beams and a variety of light angles, Murphy sculpted the three tenors on stages, amplifying their charismatic qualities. He also endowed the stage with greater depth by balancing bold swaths of light with shadows, and mixing reds and greens with vivid ambers, blues and other hues.

Impressively, Murphy, the owner of Murphy’s Production Services, pre-programmed this 11-universe, 82-fixture show, which he ran on his MagicQ MQ500 Stadium console, in a few hours with help from his ChamSys MagicVis software. 

“The group’s production manager is an old high school friend of mine,” he said. “I was able to get a recording of every song they planned to perform. I tend to listen to the track a few times and then program out what I visualized in my head. Kind of my normal process when I am afforded the time. Due to our limited time available in the venue, I pre-programmed everything in MagicVis at my house in less than a day, something I was able to do, because it’s so easy to work with this software.”

 Arranging his fixtures, which were supplied by Clear Lamp A/V, on stage left and stage right vertical truss structures as well as on three rows of overhead truss, Murphy created distinctly different looks throughout the concert to reflect its evolving moods. “My design process kind of boils down to just how I think and visualize the music,” he said. “I conceptualize the lighting rig that would be best suited for optimal coverage, whittle down the rig to fit within budget/time constraints, visualize how I want the stage to look, and then translate into real life. I can’t even draw a straight line or paint worth a damn, but give me light and I’ll paint the world. 

“Mostly, I designed this show for the live crowd,” he continued. “But most tours and events I have been doing the last few years involve cameras, so there’s a real chance my work will be viewed on the small screen down the road. Because of this, I now naturally program looks that will work for the camera, but will also look great for whoever sees them in person.”

The stunning looks created for this show also translated well onto photographs. A “bonus” in this concert, notes Murphy was that his design was photographed by Leavitt Wells.

“It was nice to work with a photographer who can represent my lighting so well,” he said. “Leavitt is a gifted photographer and I always look forward to seeing how she captures my work.”

Making it easier for Murphy to run his show was the intuitive layout of his MQ500 console. “The dual built-in large touch screens of the MQ500 are a lifesaver,” he said. “The configurability of the windows means that everything I need is just a touch away. Also, having 15 physical faders per page saves time and gives me a lot more flexibility.”

For Murphy, being able to run the Gentri show was an early Christmas present of sorts, since it represented the first time in 10 months that he was able to work in a large venue.

“There no way to describe how good it felt to be in an arena with a proper lighting rig again,” he said. “The outline of this rig was something I was working on for a client before the pandemic. It was nice to see it come to life in a new and unexpected way for this show.”

 

Photo Credit: Leavitt Wells

Simon Horn Takes Train On Magical Holiday Ride For Steam Illumination With ChamSys

NEW ALRESFORD, UK – Seen from a distance, the Steam Illumination Christmas Train appears like a rolling band of moving light cutting through the dark night as it rolls past the farms and fields of the Hampshire countryside. To those inside, the experience is even more magical, as they find themselves immersed in a rotating tunnel of brilliant colors and patterns. 

Covered entirely by LED lights, this special 120-metre-long train seems like something out of a fantastical Hollywood Christmas movie suddenly come to life in South East England. In reality, however, it was the result of extensive of planning and hard work by the nonprofit Mid Hants Railway’s Watercress Line and a creative team that includes Simon Horn.

The owner of Purple Lighting in West Sussex, Horn was responsible for designing and programming the 78-universe Steam Illuminations lightshow with the help of his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M console and MagicVis software. “This was the kind of project you become completely immersed in,” he said. “The Watercress Line typically has visits with Santa every December, but this year that was impractical because of COVID, so the foundation turned to something new.

Horn spent two weeks programming and four months on background research for his show, which involved two Steam Illumination trains, each adorned with 14,000 individual fixtures. (Some fixtures are banked, so the console sees just shy of 10,000 heads and pixels.) He programmed roughly 1000 cues for his show, breaking them down into an internally timecoded cue stack for each section, which cover the intervals between the two stations on the 20-mile roundtrip route as well as the time spent at each station.

“I programmed everything on my MQ500M,” said Horn. “Although the design was originally built on another software, I ended up using the MagicVis Visuliser to preprogram this show, as it was far more stable and smoother with visualizing such a big array of pixels.”

The ability to manage a large number of pixels was a key benefit of using the MagicQ MQ500M in this project, according to Horn “Being able to make pixelmap grids automatically from the plot, saved me days of work, as 10,000 pixels all in a slightly complicated array would have been nearly impossible to do myself,” said Horn.

Given the size and scope of this lightshow, the channel capacity of the MQ500M was another important benefit for Horn. “At 78 Universes and with limited space on the train for control gear, my console was a life saver, because it handled everything with no need for any racks of external processing.

“The on-board audio playback was also essential,” continued Horn. “Using the console to play back the Audio content was a fantastic help. One gain, the meant I needed less equipment. It was nice and simple to have an all-in-one solution with audio and time code all in one place!”

Aside from dealing with cramped quarters, Horn also had to content with power and data distribution issues. “There are a great many long cable runs in a railroad environment,” he said. “This can play havoc with distribution. We got around this by using custom waterproofed and powerful PSU and drive modules that were built for this application with its complex cabling system.”

Dealing with these issues freed Horn to push the creative envelope for Steam Illuminations. For example, he created immersive and memorable looks by rolling an intensity effect from one side of the train over the roof and down the other side. In addition to creating a jaw-dropping impression on those viewing the train from the outside, this created an engaging tunnel effect for the train’s socially distant passengers.

Horn also used his lighting to play off the tress that the train passed along its 20-mile roundtrip route. Hitting the trees from two angles from the wash lights under the train, he created animated color shadows that mesmerized passengers as they passed through wooded areas.

At some points, Horn even created rainbow chase effects, something he normally avoids.

“In the concert world, I would look at these as ‘my first lightshow’ kind of effects,” he said. “But as it’s Christmas — and also as a nod to our hard-working NHS – I did it, and frankly it looks pretty epic in this scenario.”

For those visiting Steam Illuminations, which ends January 3, many of the looks created for this event will be “epic.” By combing a centuries old form of transportation with cutting edge lighting technology, this popular attraction is transporting visitors away from the daily concerns of life in 2020, to a place where the magic of the Holidays blooms in vibrant color.

Zach Scott Turns Around Fast For New Found Glory With ChamSys

BRIDGEVIEW, IL – Zach Scott has been a self-described “huge fan” of New Found Glory since sixth grade. Following the rise of the quartet from their early days through their ascendent to the top of the alt rock charts, he’s developed a deep appreciation of their ability to balance raw power with subtle emotions. 

So, when Scott got the opportunity to light a holiday show by the band in the parking lot of Seat Geek Stadium (home of the NSWL’s Chicago Red Stars), he decided to depart from his usual near-total busking mode and program a heavily cue-stacked lightshow for the band’s 90-minute performance.

“Because of my connection to the band, I wanted to do this,” said Scott. “I decided to cue stack a lot of the songs I knew they would play.”

Scott’s plan may have seemed simple, but there was a complicating factor: he was given only 48-hours-notice that he would be LD for the show. To make matters even more problematic, he also had to light two other bands on the second night of the holiday show, along with providing supplemental lighting at the start and conclusion of the movies that were shown each night. 

It is under circumstances such as these, says Scott, that his go-to console, the ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 really shines.

“I had minimal time to get things together, but that is the exact reason why the MQ80 is my favorite desk,” he said. “I used an MQ80 with an Extra Wing on this project. That combination is always my first choice, because of the size allows me to take it anywhere, including on airplanes, and because of how quickly it allows me to be up and running. From getting a basic file ready 15 minutes before showtime to spending 3 months programming a tour together, it will do whatever you ask of it.”

In this instance, Scott programmed six New Found Glory songs, each with 30-40 cues. The rest of his show was busked. The user-friendly, logical setup of the console and the MagicQ Software made the programming easier.

“The MagicQ software is basically my third arm,” said Scott. “Whatever I can imagine in my mind, I can then translate to the software without a lot of complications slowing down the process.”

While the MagicQ software expedited programming in the tight window available to Scott before the two-day show, the intuitive layout out of the console and its 12-inch screen made busking “infinitely easier” for New Found Glory as well as the other bands.

“Being able to take my desk on the stage deck to do my DS focus without having to ask a tech to assist with moving it made my days a lot easier,” said Scott. “I never fail to be amazed at how something so compact can be so easy to work with in real time at a show. Things like the eight Encoder Wheels put so much at your fingertips.”

Using this power, Scott conjured up nonstop intensity in his four-universe shows during the two-day event. “I always strive to create a totally immersive environment,” he said. “This is more challenging to do at a drive-in show environment, so I pushed beams with extra intensity into the lot to pull the cars into the experience. 

In the end, the whirlwind show experience, left Scott with an immense sense of satisfaction. “I can’t really explain the feelings I got at the end of the New Found Glory Show,” he said. “Seeing my work created under time pressure, come together to revolve around a band I have always loved, is something I’ll never forget.”

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