Get into the concert lighting and projection scene at Live Design’s first annual Concert Master Classes. Jeff Ravitz, acclaimed lighting designer for Bruce Springsteen, leads a faculty of today’s top designers in two-days of informative sessions at CenterStaging in Burbank.

You may recognize Jeff Ravitz from our webinar series. He, along with Richard Cadena, was a special guest on Lighting Design 101: Part II (available on the CSL Podcast [iTunes link]).

Who should attend?

The Concert Lighting Master Classes are perfect for all designers, technicians, programmers, and production managers interested in gaining valuable knowledge about the lighting and projection aspects of concert design and touring. Legendary lighting designer Jeff Ravitz (Bruce Springsteen) will serve as creative consultant. Confirmed speakers to date include Peter Morse, Marc Brickman, Butch Allen, Justin Collie, Bob Bonniol, Anne Militello, and Patrick Dierson, plus Jim Moody and Paul Dexter, authors of Concert Lighting, Third Edition,Techniques, Art and Business. The book will be available for sale when you register and both authors will be on site to sign the books during the classes.

If this sounds up your alley you can get more information from Live Design.

• Concert Master Classes

Creative Stage Lighting is a sponsor of this event.

In the August 2010 issue of Projection, Lights and Staging News Richard Cadena takes a look at Compulite’s Vector Violet consoles.

It used to be that lighting programmers and operators clamored for bigger consoles at FOH, partly as an ego booster and partly because having to use several layers of function keys can be a pain. But given the speed and power of today’s processors, there is no reason to have to choose between power and size or between size and accessibility. The Vector consoles allow you to set up the console the way you like it so you don’t have to be digging through multiple layers of functions to execute a command. It’s a powerful line of consoles that are easy to learn and the two Violets harness the power in a small package.

One of the things we like most about the whole Vector series is the Desktop feature. This allows you to create icons on the desktop view and assign them to presets, say for a lighting cue or addressing a group of fixtures. With just a click you can change the cue. This is incredibly handy if volunteers will be running the board, say in a church or theater, or if you just want to save yourself a lot of time.

For more information about Compulite’s Vector Violet Consoles, download the PDF Spec sheet.

• Compulite Vector Violet (PDF Cut Sheet)

You can read the full review online on PLSN.com

• Compulite Vector Violet and Ultra Violet – PLSN

The Post-Star has a good explanation of the event and what led up to it:

JOHNSBURG – On April 18, 2008, Wayne Bukovinsky’s life changed.

That’s when he lost control of his 2001 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic motorcycle on Golf Course Road, about 1.2 miles north of Blackberry Lane in Warrensburg, and ended up being thrown from the bike and losing his helmet.

He wound up unconscious on the ground and was flown to Albany Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition just after the crash, according to a Post-Star report from 2008.

More than two years after his traumatic brain injury, Bukovinsky’s speech is slurred and he walks with a cane, but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to help others the way they helped him after his accident.

Wayne’s been with Creative’s Rental and Production department almost since the beginning. After his accident he started the non-profit North Country Hardship Fund:

As a way of giving back to the community, Wayne has started this organization to raise funds for others that may be in need as he was. Your donation and support for this wonderful cause will be greatly appreciated. The region covered by this fund will include Warren, Essex, Hamilton, Washington and Saratoga counties in New York.

Waynestock III will be held at the North Creek Ski Bowl starting tomorrow, August 7, at noon. There’s no charge, but donations will be accepted.

The following local bands will be there:

• Vinnie Leddick
• Blonde Roots
• S.L. Smith Band
• Phil Camp
• Don’t Quit Your Day Jobbers
• Donna Britton Band
• Finger Diddle
• Dogtown Cadillac
• Groove Therapy
• Hoffmeister/Keystone Band.

You can read more about Waynestock in these articles:

• North Country Hardship Fund gears up for Waynestock
• Waynestock in Johnsburg rocks on to help victims of tragic events

If you’d like to support the North Country Hardship Fund you can donate directly to the organization:

Make checks payable to the North Country Hardship Fund

Mail checks to:
Steve Studnicky
287 Bird Pond Road
North Creek, NY 12853

Imagine… 6500 people watching a giant stage virtually in the middle of the desert in an ancient land at the foothills of a lofty and historical mountain made with a total of 600 performers, surrounded by 40 tons of lighting equipment and double the regular amount of music players, singers and choir members typically cast to an Opera show.

If this is not enough, the dramatic mountain of Masada which is the show’s background is the ‘playground’ of the LD Avi Yona Bueno (a.k.a “Bambi”) that creates stunning scenes of light highlighting the beauty and majesty of this unique and historical location.

For 5 nights the gigantic production by the Israeli Opera played Nabucco with the conductor Daniel Oren for a crowd of over 30 thousand people. The musical event celebrating 25 years of the Opera, on the shores of the Dead Sea, (400 meters below sea level the lowest place on earth..) in the middle of the desert, challenged by scorching heat, winds and dust during the day, with a pleasant cool weather at night, the Israeli Opera built, near the famous Masada mountain, an outdoor theater with a large 60 meter stage flanked by enormous set of lighting.

Total Production International correspondent Louise Strickland also produced a photo documentary of this. Check it out on Youtube.

And while you’re on Youtube you may as well check out this dress rehearsal clip.

More photos are available in this Flickr set.

• Compulite Vectors run Nabucco in Masada

If you’re in the Lake George / Queensbury NY area this summer and looking for something to do check out Youtheatre.

From their website:

Youtheatre is a musical theatre workshop located in Lake George, NY for students ranging in age from eleven to eighteen. We produce three Broadway musicals in a four-week time frame. The performers participate in all aspects of musical theatre including, vocal, dance, stage direction and management, lighting, sound, scenic design and of course acting. Our mission is based on the value of learning and self discovery. We strive to build self confidence and feelings of self worth. We hope that our players will develop an understanding that personal growth comes from sharing their talents with others. Our performers come from various communities but they all leave Youtheatre with two very important things, lifetime friendships and a love and respect for theatre.

This year the group is performing:

• Les Miserables
• Bye Bye Birdie
• The Music Man

They usually perform in the Lake George High School auditorium, but this year they’ll be at the Queensbury High School.

Creative Stage Lighting is Youtheatre’s Corporate Sponsor.

For more information, including show times and location, visit lgyoutheatre.com.

Break a leg, guys!

This article from Church Production Magazine takes a look at lighting consoles in Houses Of Worship.

The participants include Chris Kennedy, software director with ChamSys Ltd.; Michael Nevitt, Compulite product manager with distributor Creative Stage Lighting; David Lincecum, ETC marketing manager; Fred Mikeska, vice president of U.S. sales & marketing with A.C. Lighting, distributor for Jands; Chris Pease, sales and marketing manager with Lightronics; Ben Saltzman, executive vice president A.C.T Lighting Inc., distributor for MA Lighting; Peter Rogers, senior director entertainment marketing for Philips Lighting; and Peter Kirkup, product manager-Zero 88, distributed by Cooper Controls Ltd.

Michael Nevitt, our Product Manager for Compulite, discusses the Vector Violet and Ultra Violet.

CPM: Are there particular features that your customers are finding popular with your consoles?
Nevitt: Customizable desktop, the ability to define most frequently used features as selectable icons on a desktop; Topo View, which allows quick access to fixtures based on their location and layout on the stage; and Matrix View, which allows faster matrix chaser programming with animated GIFs.

If you want to see the customizable desktop in action, or any other feature of the Vector Violet, you should stop by a CSL Open House. If you’re in the Atlanta area we’ll be at Full Circle Lighting on June 30th.

We’ll post more upcoming dates soon. For more details about CSL Open Houses go here: Creative Stage Lighting – Open Houses

Church Production Magazine Article – Lighting Console Manufacturers’ Roundtable

Photo: Kathryn Yu. Used with permission. From the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Check out more photos from this show on Kathryn’s Flickr Set and more at her website: kathrynyu.com

Lighting Design: Martin Thomas
CSL Technicians: Dylan Haines, Scott Siwek
Lighting Crew Chief: Richard Jackson

Selected gear

Dimming / Power Distribution

• (1) Entertainment Power Systems ML Distro, 36 Circuit, 6 Paired Soco 208v
• (1) Entertainment Power Systems ML Distro, 24Ckt 208v, 6Ckt 120v, Aux L6-20
• (1) SVX-2 36X3K Dimmer Rack

Consoles and Control

• (1) MA Lighting Grand MA 2 Light
• (1) MA Lighting Grand MA 2 Ultra-Light

Rigging, Motors, Truss

• (12) James Thomas PR Truss, Black, 91″
• (5) James Thomas Moving Light Truss, Silver, 91″
• (6) Columbus McKinnon Motor, 1/2 Ton, 7-pin Socapex
• (3) Columbus McKinnon Motor, 1 Ton, 7-pin Socapex
• (1) Skjonberg CS-800 Hoist Control

Conventional Lighting Fixtures

• (13) ETC Source 4 750w Head
• (13) ETC Source 4 Lens Tube

LED Fixtures

• (4) Color Kinetics ColorBlaze 72

Automated Lighting

• (4) Coemar Infinity Wash XL
• (12) Martin Mac 2000 XB Wash
• (4) High End Systems StudioPix High End
• (8) High End Systems ShowPix
• (8) JB Lighting VaryScan 7

Communications

• (4) Clear-Com Belt Pack, RS-601
• (5) Clear-Com Double Muff Headset, CC-260 + DT109
• (1) Clear-Com A/B Base Station, CS-222

Effects

• (2) Reel EFX DF-50 Hazer

Need gear for your next production? Learn why some of the biggest names in the business depend on Creative Stage Lighting for their lighting equipment needs.

• CSL Rentals / Production Popular Gear
• Testimonials
• Get a Quote

Here are some of the things our rentals department has on special.

• Varilite VLX
• High End Systems SHOWGUN
• JB Lighting JBLED A4
• Martin Maxxyz Compact

Full list on our rentals site where you can also sign up to get our monthly rental specials delivered to your email.

• Popular Gear List
• Testimonials
• Get A Quote

Compulite has posted a story about Vectors at Expo 2010, the international exposition in Shanghai.

King Chou, a Vector user:

Vector with its 16 DMX output, fast cue modification/delete functions and unmatched performance was perfect to create these many different changing scenes perfectly expressing the city themes.

The study hall in the “City Being” pavilion shows a bookshelf circled by numerous small lights “turned on layer by layer by the Vector Red signifying the long road of study” said King Chou. He added: “I like Vector. Not only because its control ability, ergonomic design, but also due to its multimedia functions and powerful DMX output. It is easy to operate, and the system is very stable”

Check out the full story and more photos on Compulite’s website.

On June 30th we’ll be in Atlanta, GA. Full Circle Lighting are our gracious hosts.

For more information, or to register, check out our open house page. Open Houses are free to attend. We only ask that you register so that we have an idea of how many people to expect.