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INTERNATIONALNEWS
Carrying Light Across
The Pont Du Gard
NIMES, FRANCE—Le Pont du Gard, the ancient Roman aqueduct near Nimes, France,
was recently feted with a 20-minute spectacle of lighting, video, fireworks and music, designed
by Group F. Sixty-eight PixelLine 110s and 12 PixelBricks were installed on the third
level of the bridge and eight PixelLine 1044s were installed on the ground. All the lighting
was supplied by Montpellier-based Texen and the extra PixelLines were sub-hired from
the Waldeck Organisation Aix en Provence.
Don’t Cry For
White Light
LONDON—White Light is supplying the
lighting equipment to the first West End revival
of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
hit musical Evita, which opened at the Adelphi
Theatre on June 24.
Directed by Michael Grandage, designed
by Christopher Oram and with choreography
by Rob Ashford, Evita is being lit by twotime
Vari*Lite VL1000s and VL3000Q Wash units,
ETC Revolutions, and Clay Paky Alpha Halo
Wash lights.
The final moving light was created by
White Light’s Technical Director Dave Isherwood
in response to Paule Constable’s
request for, effectively, a moving version
of an aero-style beamlight. “We adapted
Olivier Award winner Paule Constable. the Amptown Washlights,” commented
Constable’s design includes a diverse range Isherwood, “replacing the bulb and optical
of lighting equipment, with one particular
system with a low-voltage aero-
light created by White Light specifically for
the production.
The conventional rig includes ETC Source
Fours and Source Four PARs, Strand Alto and
Cadenza PCs, Alto Fresnels and Strand and Arri
5kW Fresnels, PAR64s and ADB Svoboda battens
plus two hundred Rainbow Pro scrollers
in a range of sizes. The show is also using two
Foxie and two Korrigan follow-spots from
Robert Juliat.
Complementing the conventional rig is a
moving light rig that is one of the first to use
Vari-Lite’s new VL500 washlight, in its pastel-color
version. The VL500s work alongside
lamp to give Paule exactly the kind of beam
she needed”.
Working with Paule Constable on Evita are
associate lighting designer Jon Clark, lighting
programmer Vic Smerdon, controlling the entire
rig from a Strand 500-series console, production
electrician Gerry Amies and his team
including Martin Chisnall and Chris Dunford
plus the Adelphi Theatre crew; the show’s
production manager is Richard Bullimore. The
lighting team’s work on the show has already
received praise from its composer, who described
it as “beautifully lit” in a recent Radio
2 interview.
Welcoming Changing Seasons With Light
FUJIMINO CITY, JAPAN—Cocone Kamifukuoka,
a multi-use complex in Fujimino
City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, located
north of Tokyo has installed new, dynamic
façade illumination.
The shopping center’s façade, a five story
construction that houses a large parking garage,
features a color changing illumination
from 11 Martin Architectural Exterior 200
Long Barrel color changing luminaires. The
IP 65 rated fixtures, mounted with 12° lenses
and spaced equally atop the structure, focus
a narrow beam of seasonal shades vertically
across the metal surface of the building,
creating a captivating effect that livens up
the entire area. The dynamic color changing
solution was supplied by Martin
Professional Japan.
The lighting scheme was designed by
Reiko Chikada Lighting Design Inc. and features
a selection of LightJockey programmed
scenes that change monthly. Color changes
(as short as every 0.1 seconds) communicate
an original yet subtle story as neighbors
and visitors alike experience a taste of the
current season.
Each lighting scene begins with a color
changing sequence followed by a static
color display for the first 15 minutes. Next
comes a sequence that emulates train
movement and finally static color is again
displayed to complete another 15 minutes.
One scene lasts 30 minutes, and although
the concept remains the same for all scenes,
colors may change according to the time
of year. For instance, a combination of red
and white stripes welcomes the New Year
in January when color changes race up and
down the façade. In June, a rain and thunder
effect increases in intensity followed
by a multi-colored rainbow. In October, autumn
leaves blow away, and in December
a Christmas tree, together with shooting
stars, welcome Santa Claus.
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Genlyte Acquires Strand
continued from cover
The Strand business segments included
in this transaction reported 2005
sales of approximately $31 million. The
transaction purchase price includes a
cash price of $8.5 million plus the assumption
of approximately $5.0 million
in trade payables and notes payable of
the US and Hong Kong operations. Approximately
80 Strand US employees
located in Los Angeles and 22 employees
in Hong Kong will join the Genlyte
organization.
Larry K. Powers, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Genlyte Group
commented, “We are pleased with
the strategic benefits of this acquisition.
This business will complement
Genlyte’s current Vari-Lite, Entertainment
Technology, and Lightolier Controls
product offerings. In addition, it
broadens our presence in the Asian
theatrical and entertainment lighting
markets. We plan to operate Strand
Lighting as a stand-alone business reporting
to Steve Carson the Vice-President
and General Manager of Genlyte’s
Controls, Vari-Lite and Entertainment
Technology Division.
“We believe that this acquisition
will break-even at the EBIT level, but
it will be slightly dilutive after interest
expense and taxes through the remainder
of 2006. We anticipate that the
acquisition will be accretive during
2007 after we complete the restructuring
activities.”
Strand was founded in 1916 as a
manufacturer of entertainment lighting
and lighting systems. Steve Carson
said, “We are excited about the opportunity
to add the Strand Lighting
brand and technologies to our portfolio.
The addition of the Strand product
line for the theatrical and architectural
lighting markets completes our product
package with excellent synergism
and little overlap. While we look to expand
our overall market penetration,
we plan to continue to sell the Strand
products through the existing Strand
distribution and sales organizations.
Genlyte’s Vari-Lite and ET product
lines have a significant presence in
the European, Asian, and US markets.
The Strand acquisition will enhance
our product offering throughout
the world. “
16 PLSN AUGUST 2006
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