Entertainment Technology December 2019 by Sun Circle Publishers

www.etech-news.co.za

December 2019

IN THIS ISSUE KYKNET SILWERSKERMFEES HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR AV AND BEYOND PROFILE

FEATURE

ROCKING THE DAISIES

THE WORLD'S FIRST TRANSFERABLE LED ENGINE

#RobeInnovation OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA: DWR DISTRIBUTION ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL ABOUT THE people

Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170, Johannesburg Tel: +27 11 794 5023 | Fax: + 27 11 794 5702 | sales@dwrdistribution.co.za | www.dwrdistribution.co.za

C ON T E N TS

www.etech-news.co.za

KYKNET SILWERSKERMFEES

BAD WEATHER ROCKS THE DAISIES

38 AV AND BEYOND PROFILE

SACIA STATEMENT

8 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

22 PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR

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EDITOR'S COMMENT

EDITOR'S WORD STRIKING THE STAGE

reetings, and welcome to final instalment of ETECH magazine for 2019. Despite difficult economic conditions, including a weakening Rand and the deepening crisis of our national power supply, the South African entertainment technology industry has enjoyed a year to be proud of. In fact, as our extended news section covers, even at this late stage of the year, deals are being made, partnerships are being formed and industry professionals are gearing up for what lies ahead. Perhaps inspired by hosting the Global Citizen: Mandela 100 concert at the tail-end of 2018, the South African live events sector has continued to develop in a world-class fashion this past year, and our cover feature this month – an in-depth look at how Bad Weather utilised an end-to-end Blackmagic Design system to deliver Rocking the Daisies 2019 – is a resounding testament of this. Read about this innovative production on pages 14-17. Other key stories in this month’s issue include how Epson projectors and ARGH Post Production Solutions “elevated the content” of September’s kykNET Silwerskermfees (18-20); a profile on

@etechza

EDITORIAL disruptive technical services company AV and Beyond (38-39); and an interesting studio feature, focusing on The Making of Newzroom Afrika (12-13). We also have to time to review a selection of this year’s most impressive products (22-25) and, as the end-of-year events wrap up and we all look forward to a bit of time off, it is with great pleasure that we reflect on some of 2019’s editorial highlights, with a section devoted to some of the most exciting stories we’ve covered this year – from houses of worship to theatre productions, trade shows and music festivals. From everyone on the ETECH team, we’d like to thank you for your contributions and for your support throughout the year. We are lucky to be involved in an industry so full of forward-thinking, hard-working and deeply professional individuals, and we wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Regards,

David Cornwell

and the ETECH team

David Cornwell – Editor editor@pro-systems.co.za +27 (0)79 748 5386

Nicole Barnes

nicole@pro-systems.co.za Cover photo: Rocking The Daisies 2019 Photo courtesy Luke Veysie

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CLEAR-COM APPOINTS DWR AS NEW AUTHORISED PARTNER Clear-Com has appointed DWR Distribution as a new Authorised Partner in South Africa, as its reach in the local live events and house of worship sectors continues to grow. DWR Distribution supplies, installs and services audio, lighting and AV equipment for the entertainment sector in South Africa. Established in 2006 in Johannesburg, the company works with leading theatres, auditoriums, shopping malls, museums and houses of worship to provide reliable and trusted solutions for live events. Installations include Johannesburg Civic Theatre, The Freedom Park Museum, The Mandela Museum and Durban Art Gallery. Richard Palmer, regional sales manager Southern Europe and Africa at Clear-Com, said: “The DWR Distribution team has a well-earned reputation for

excellent technical knowledge, honest advice and outstanding customer service. We are pleased to work with them as we continue to extend ClearCom’s footprint in the region.” Duncan Riley, the founder of DWR, said: “DWR Distribution has grown as a company as well as the product range we offer. Our clients would like a onestop-shop and there was a need for a communications system to fill the gap. We did a lot of research considering

Chris Pugh, Clear-Com product rep at DWR

price point versus versatility and quality, and Clear-Com was a clear choice. We are really looking forward to this new opportunity – there’s already excitement in the air to present a robust and flexible communications system to the people working on live performances.” For more information, please contact www.dwrdistribution.co.za or www.clearcom.com

SHOWLIGHT 2021 CALLS FOR SPEAKERS AND PAPERS Lighting industry professionals are invited to present their ideas for conference papers for the 2021 programme of Showlight, the quadrennial event taking place on 22-25 May 2021 in Fontainebleau. Anyone involved in lighting – whether lighting designers, lighting directors, directors of photography, architectural lighting designers or those in associated crafts like programmers and manufacturers – are invited to submit their ideas. Subjects might include innovative designs; unusual projects, large or small; solving the impossible; the future and the past – where should we be going and what should we have learned; issues that are affecting our industry and how we work. Talks are to be 20 minutes in length to enable as many papers as possible to be presented.

Showlight Quadrennial

The Showlight Quadrennial is one of the few international events organised specifically for lighting professionals, by lighting professionals across the performance, television, film, architectural and event worlds. Regarded as one of the best networking events in the industry, Showlight combines three days of eclectic talks with a great social programme, a sponsored student scheme and a supporting exhibition that gives unique opportunities for manufacturers and lighting designers to network in a relaxed and non-pressured environment.

Peripatetic by nature, the next Showlight takes place from 22-25 May 2021 at the Théâtre Municipal in the glorious setting of Fontainebleau, France. If you would like to become part of Showlight 2021 by presenting a paper, please email your name(s), company, mobile number and a brief summary of the paper you are proposing to papers@showlight.org. Speakers will be confirmed from 2020 onwards. For more information, please visit www.showlight.org

MARTIN BY HARMAN ANNOUNCES NEW ERA 500 HYBRID IP OUTDOOR FIXTURE HARMAN Professional Solutions, a global leader in audio, video, lighting and control systems, at the beginning of this month announced the new Martin ERA 500 Hybrid IP outdoor fixture. Martin’s true IP65-rated, all-in-one outdoor moving head fixture combines a powerful 1:20 zoom range and robust optics performance, including beam, spot and wash modes, with high output, a wide zoom range, CMY colour mixing and prism effects, all in a compact design. As a versatile fixture that offers renowned Martin user experience and IP65 protection, the ERA 500 is a durable and effective workhorse for any outdoor production, including concert tours, festivals and other outdoor events. “Reliability and performance are paramount for lighting professionals when selecting fixtures for concert tours and other outdoor events,” said Mark Buss, Martin Lighting product manager, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “With the introduction of the ERA 500, the Martin engineering team has designed a fixture that is IP65-rated for outdoor protection, while still maintaining the acclaimed performance and ease-of-use that lighting professionals demand. Combining powerful output, multiple optics modes, full colour mixing and dynamic effects, the ERA 500 provides a suite of features that is unmatched by other fixtures in its class.” The ERA 500 Hybrid IP fixture includes a highly efficient 370W Philips lamp that delivers 16,000 lumens of output. Combined with a colour temperature of 7800K, the ERA 500 boasts higher perceived brightness, which is crucial for creating striking mid-air effects. With an impressive 6,000 hours of lamp life, the ERA 500 is ideal for users who require a true “beam” hybrid for outdoor use but want to avoid the additional cost and inconvenience of frequent lamp replacement. The all-in-one optics design provides multiple projection modes, including “beam” for tight or wide coverage, “spot” for projection of gobos, or “wash” for a softened light effect. In addition to class-leading brightness and optics performance, the ERA 500 delivers an exceptional colour palette, typically reserved for more expensive fixtures. Integrated CMY colour mixing ranges from deep, saturated colours to pleasing pastels, in addition to fast transitions and seamless fades. The ERA 500 makes use of a flexible colour wheel, including CTO, 1/2 CTO, and 1/4 CTO, which allows not only for split colours, but helps produce warmer colours that might be needed to balance incandescent lighting from other fixtures in the rig. The ERA 500 features class-leading dynamic effects, including smooth dimming and multiple dimmer profile curves that produce very little impact on colour temperature. Lighting directors can achieve instant and complete blackouts, or choose slow, seamless dimming to suit their needs. By including multiple dimmer curves, the ERA 500 can be programmed to match the dimming characteristics of other lights, which makes integration into existing rigs easy and seamless. With nine rotating gobos and 15 static gobos, lighting designers have a myriad of options to achieve any combination of mid-air effects, pattern projections, and prisms, which are all original Martin designs. The ERA 500 also features two prisms which can be individually rotated and overlaid, which provides practically unlimited combinations of effects, from the industry standard multi-facet circular projection to overlays of linear and circular shapes. The ERA 500 packs a suite of class-leading features into a compact design, which makes it easier to handle and rig and takes up less space on a truck or storage shelf. Thanks to its IP65 rating, which offers the highest level of dust protection and protection from splashing water, the ERA 500 is a perfectly suited as a reliable workhorse fixture for concert tours, festivals, and outdoor events, even in inclement weather.

SECTION NEWS INDUSTRY

RCF ACQUIRES MONTARBO The RCF Group has added another brand to its portfolio with the acquisition of fellow Italian pro audio manufacturer Montarbo. Going forward, the Montarbo brand will be operated and run by AEB Industriale, which will also oversee the distribution of its products. Montarbo joins DPA Microphones, EAW, AEB Industriale brand dBTechnlogies and RCF within the RCF Group.

RCF Group CEO Arturo Vicari

RCF Group CEO Arturo Vicari is delighted to welcome Montarbo into the fold. “It’s a historic brand that has contributed to the evolution of the music and professional audio industry in Italy and around the world,” he said. “For anyone who, like myself, has followed the development of this market over the years, elite brands such

as Montarbo have a special significance and, therefore, represent a wonderful opportunity for us to increase the value of our group. The RCF Group is one of the most dynamic organisations in the global professional audio industry, meaning Montarbo will be able to live up to its potential and continue to grow alongside us.”

PROLIGHT+SOUND TO PARTNER WITH IABM Prolight+Sound is to further extend its international partnerships for its 25th jubilee edition, which will take place from 31 March to 3 April 2020 in Frankfurt am Main. Accordingly, the trade fair will, for the first time, be working with IABM (International Association for Broadcast and Media Technology).

Frankfurt am Main: The venue for Prolight + Sound 2020

IABM will be supporting Prolight+Sound’s complementary programme with a lecture series on innovative AV and radio applications. Some of the key areas of the content will include IP-based broadcasting technologies, interoperability between AV devices, the-ever more complex landscape of competing standards and specifications, as well as general trends in media technology. In addition, IABM will advise the

organisers of Prolight+Sound on sectorspecific issues, will help with exhibitor and visitor acquisition and will also be represented with an exhibition stand in Hall 11.0. “The shift towards AVoIP solutions and cloud-based workflows has engendered a considerable need for

further professional development, even amongst experts, who have been in the business a long time,” says Mira Wölfel, Director of Prolight+Sound. “We are committed to supporting our members at major shows and events around the world, and Prolight+Sound is increasingly being supported by our members as professional video and audio becomes ever more widely adopted beyond its traditional broadcast application,” adds Peter White, CEO of IABM. With this collaboration, Prolight+Sound will be building out its extensive range of topics and will, therefore, achieve a further step in its evolution towards becoming a rendezvous with a completely comprehensive range of products and services for all professionals in the entertainment technology industry. For more information please visit www.prolight-sound.com.

INDUSTRY SECTION NEWS

CRISTO HATTINGH INVESTS IN JBL Wild & Marr, South African distributors of JBL audio solutions, congratulates Cristo Hattingh, owner of Sound GP, on his recent purchase of serial #00001 and #00002 of JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors. World-renowned, seven-time Grammy award-winning producer, engineer and mixer Frank Fillipetti notes that the JBL M2 Master Reference Monitors “are not evolutionary, they’re revolutionary.” Having used other large-format studio monitors, in Hattingh’s opinion, JBL’s patented-pending Image Control Waveguide, coupled with JBL’s patented lowdistortion D2 high-frequency driver, differentiates the M2s from the rest. Hattingh reflected briefly on the moments before hse powered up his new monitors: “The JBL M2s

Christo Hattingh

remained in their box for a few weeks while the studio was being built, leaving me eagerly waiting in anticipation. “The moment I finally got them in the studio what surprised me the most was the sonic transparency throughout the volume change. The feeling that I got put into a single word: vindication, it is everything that I thought it would be. It gives me a true reflection of the sonics, and I can listen for five to six hours at a low volume in a single sitting,” smiled Hattingh.

Hattingh works on a plethora of postproduction content, both large and small format, for broadcast environments. “I can sit at 85dB SPL and I still have full frequency range with no issues at the low end. When I go up 2dB on my listening level, I don’t feel like I have to re-balance,” Hattingh notes. “I can trust that what I’m hearing on the M2s will come out, contextually, the same as what people at home watching a broadcast would hear.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

COUNCIL OF EVENTS PROFESSIONALS AFRICA (CEPA) TO BECOME PART OF SACIA The South African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) has announced that the Council of Events Professionals Africa (CEPA) will be reconstituted as a special interest group under the SACIA umbrella. CEPA was established in 2014 as the events industry’s professional body to develop and award professional designations to individuals working in the events industry. Originally formed as a three-way partnership between the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA), the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) Africa and the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI), the Council (CEPA) has broad buy-in from members of all three associations, and the CEPA board members appointed by the founding associations will continue to oversee activities through their appointment to a governing council. SACIA has been instrumental in establishing and implementing professional standards and ethical business practices across the Communications Industries for the past ten years. The journey has included the development and roll-out of professional designations for practitioners in the audio-visual, broadcast and live events sectors – traditionally areas in which experiential learning is more prevalent than formal qualifications. SACIA’s objective is to provide clearly defined career pathways for individuals working in these areas, to encourage a commitment to lifelong learning, and to protect the public against unethical and/or unprofessional behaviour from certified members. Along with the professional designations already available, SACIA will now proceed to develop and register new professional designations for the event management sector as well. this will provide for a formal recognition of competencies for professionals working as event co-ordinators, event managers and event directors, including related service providers across both small- and large-scale events in southern Africa. The events industry includes conferences,

SACIA executive director Kevan Jones

exhibitions, festivals and awards functions but also extends to weddings, funerals, sports days, social excursions, fund-raising events and much more. The baseline standard outlined in the various Professional Designation levels can be applied to all industry professionals working in the events industry, thereby creating new opportunities for individuals who may have been marginalised and/or denied access to commercial opportunities in the past. Events practitioners will soon be able apply for a designation to suit their level of expertise by submitting the relevant documentation and undertaking an online competency assessment through SACIA. Demonstrable proof of competency affords their clients’ peace of mind, knowing that they will receive a professional standard of delivery. “This is a fast-growing industry and we are excited to be moving forward with SACIA," says Sue Gannon, ex GM of EXSA and now director/treasurer and chair of the skills, certifications, ethics and disciplinary committee for CEPA. “Many of the people working in the events industry do not have a formal qualification but they’ve built up their core knowledge by attending short courses and learning on the job. Why should they not have a formal designation if they have the competencies required? We need to recognise the value of prior learning and provide for career paths within our industry.”

Melanie Sillince, director and chair of marketing and secretariat, CEPA, says, “I believe that joining SACIA will fast track our dream of certifying our industry, offering a platform for creating jobs and providing much needed skills transfer and development without it costing those who wish to professionalise themselves, time and large sums of money.” According to Glenn van Eck, CEPA board chairman, the pioneering work done by the board of CEPA has created a wonderful foundation for its successful incorporation under the SACIA umbrella. “At the end of the day, our primary objective is to give events customers a greater opportunity to be assured of world-class delivery for their investment in professional businesses. It will also provide an opportunity for first-time entrants into the industry to be exposed to the knowledge and experience of mentors in the Events Industry and enable them to fast track their expertise as a new generation of event professionals.” The merger with CEPA positions SACIA for coverage across the full spectrum of the events industry – including technical, operations and management, and opens up opportunities for SACIA members to tackle new challenges and prepare for industry advancements with a unified voice. The Association’s expanded structure will deliver enhanced value to all its stakeholders across the broader events industries, including live sound, audio-visual, event safety, cinematography, outside broadcast operations, lighting design, film and television, content creation and events management. “Incorporating CEPA into our existing SACIA structures will allow us to expand our footprint and deliver real value to all stakeholders working in the events industry, from event organisers through to the technical crew responsible for turning dreams into reality,” concludes SACIA executive director Kevan Jones. “It’s about an entire industry sector coming together in the shared pursuit of excellence.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

ISE 2020 SHOW TO DELIVER LEADING AV SOLUTIONS Consolidating its position as the world’s leading tradeshow for professional AV systems integration, ISE 2020 will feature a profusion of technologies and solutions for both the commercial and the residential markets. These are markets served by leading industry associations AVIXA and CEDIA, which jointly own ISE. ISE has established itself as a major launchpad for the industry. Many exhibitors build their annual product development schedules around the show, enabling them to take advantage of its timing early in the year. This means that attendees are assured an abundance of new product launches on the ISE show floor. Eight of the halls are occupied in whole or in part by six Technology Zones: Audio and Live Events, Digital Signage and DooH, Education Technology, Residential, Smart Building and Unified Communications. Some of these are large enough to be considered a ‘show within a show’.

There are almost 200 exhibitors in the Audio and Live Events Technology Zone, but a total of 305 companies across the ISE show floor with solutions for audio systems and acoustics. ISE always features a sizeable quantity of exhibitors who are making their show debut. This helps to refresh the show content and ensures that even the most seasoned show attendee will encounter new companies. Among the 150 businesses exhibiting at ISE for the first time in 2020 are audio

companies including Bluesound Professional, Eighteen Sound, Full Fat Audio, Funktion One, Loud of Sweden and SE Audiotechnik. “ISE is simply the biggest event in the global professional AV tradeshow calendar,” commented Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Event. “No other show compares with our breadth of technologies or our quantity of product launches.” For more information, please visit www.iseurope.org

INDUSTRY NEWS

PROLYTE APPOINTS NEW CEO Prolyte has announced the appointment of a new CEO, Fons van Teijn, effective 12 December 2019. Fons has 34 years of experience in the professional photographic scene. During his career, he crossed paths with companies that made use of Prolyte’s products and services, too.

New Prolyte CEO, Fons van Teijn

“Fons’s connections in the industry, hard work and experience will lead Prolyte to greatness in no time,” said Frantisek Zykan, CEO of Area Four Industries. Meanwhile, Fons van Teijn commented: “I look forward to lead Prolyte to success already in 2020. We

will achieve greatness by being a strong united team.” A company statement continues: “We at Prolyte are very committed and enthusiastic to work with our customers all over the world and reconfirm the primary focus once again, which is to become the industry’s prime leader in customer satisfaction. “Prolyte brings something new every year. Founded in 1991 in Leek, the Netherlands, the company has become famous around the world due to its inhouse expertise and by being one step ahead with a new mentality and new energy. With that Prolyte is now back as never before.”

HITTING THE RIGHT SPOT AT THE ROBE ROADSHOW DWR's Jannie de Jager demonstrating the new Robe technology

The Robe Esprite and Tetra2 have received a fantastic response across the world, from tradeshows such as the recent LDI (Lighting Design International) in Vegas, right down to the southern-most point in Africa, where local distributors DWR Distribution hosted a Robe Roadshow during the first week of December. “It has been a while since a product has made such an impact in our market, and both the Esprite and Tetra2 have blown us away,” said Duncan Riley, managing director of DWR. “While the roadshow - hosted in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg - coincided with the busiest time of the year for many in our industry, we were pleased to demonstrate the fixtures to several key industry players. We were very grateful to those who were able to join us, and for the positive feedback that they gave. A big thank-you to the Roxy Revue Bar at the GrandWest Casino in Cape Town and the Grace Family Church in Durban for hosting us.” Demonstrations were held on the hour between 10am and 4pm throughout the Roadshow by DWR’s Jannie de Jager and Harry von den Stemmen, international sales director at Robe.

“The enthusiastic response to the new fixtures during the South African Robe Roadshow is in line with what we have experienced on a global scale,” says Von den Stemmen. “We have just enjoyed what I consider to be the best and most successful LDI ever, as The Tetra2 and Esprite are breaking records. It’s amazing.” The Esprite LED automated luminaire is a new technology that utilises a transferable white source LED engine. “While many people won’t admit it, LED deteriorates over time, which is something Robe wanted to address,” Von den Stemmen explained. “We’ve developed the transferable engine for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to demonstrate our independence as a manufacturer by building the engine inhouse. Secondly, the transferable engine enables users to swap out the LED engine, as you would a traditional light bulb. As a result, users can upgrade their light sources at any point in the fixture’s lifecycle, eliminating the need to replace the whole fixture. If you have one bad light out of twenty, you can replace the engine in ten minutes, and it will cost no more than two traditional bulbs.”

The second star of the Robe Roadshow was the Tetra2, a linear bar that builds on Robe Spiider and Tarrantula technology. Jannie de Jager was instrumental in giving the audience at the Robe Roadshow a first-hand demonstration of the capabilities of the featured fixtures. “There is nothing gimmicky about the Esprite,” said Jannie. “It does what is supposed to do, and it does it very well. I see the Esprite becoming the solid workhorse of the industry in future, and the fact that you can swap out the engine once you start losing light output places the Esprite in a league of its own.” Commenting on the Tetra2, Jannie said: “The Tetra2 is an incredible effects-driven fixture. The high brightness and narrow zoom make them perfect for creating a ‘light curtain.’ The Tetra2 is also fully pixel mappable, which is great for creating pixel effects or running video over them. I am excited to see more of these in the market.” For more information, please contact www. dwrdistribution.co.za

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INSTALLATION STUDIO

THE MAKING OF

NEWZROOM AFRIKA

Arguably one of the best-looking newsrooms on the continent, reaching a new audience and bringing cutting-edge content to the screen, Newzroom Afrika, a channel on Multi-Choice’s DStv satellite pay-TV service, went live earlier this year in time for the South African elections. The set, based at their new premises in Linden, was designed by Michael Gill Designs and built by Sets Drapes Screens (SDS), part of the Gearhouse Group of Companies, and the Absen DW 2.9 LED Panels, Green Hippo Boreal+ and dot2 lighting console were supplied by DWR Distribution. 12

“The project was very exciting,” said Michael Gill of MGD. “I can honestly say that Thokozani Nkosi and Thabile Ngwato, the television producers and entrepreneurs, are the two most forward-thinking individuals I have ever worked with. Their way of thinking is so youthful, fresh and digital. The mindset behind Newzroom Afrika is that news breaks on your telephone these days and not always on TV. With an emphasis on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, the idea is to link what is on your phone to the studio, hence screens were an important part of the set brief. “In their initial pitch, Thokozani and Thabile had a red desk that I took and made a new version of to become one of the main features of the set. The middle structure of the studio,

INSTALLATION STUDIO

which has become the framing device for all the shows, was inspired by the desk shape,” Gill describes. It has to be said that if ever a desk looked like a Ferrari, this would be it! There are also eight other presentation areas on the set that are used for various shows. “I am so lucky to be able to see in 3D,” Gill explains. “If you tell me what you are thinking or show me references, once I leave the briefing I can see the design in my head by the time I get to the first traffic light! I always sketch small ideas of what I am thinking, and the only way I can explain it is that it comes into focus when adding technical to make it work for television. And then I can see the picture clearly.” MGD is renowned for making television pictures look world-class. Their renders look exactly like the real thing. “But to get it to look identical, you need to have lighting, good screens, good LED, a good TV director and a good visual controller. I rely on so many people to make what we do look top-notch. You have to work with the best people in the industry to achieve this and to create world-class pictures.” The Newzroom Afrika studio is 20m x 20m and the height is 4.5m, which is why Gill forced the 16:9 ratio and why the long, thin screens work so well. There was initially a deliberation on which screens to use. Projection was considered but it lacked the high-resolution quality. There had to be no pixelation when filming 2.5m away from the screen. The client, not thinking that they could purchase the screens in time, did consider renting them and this option would have cost more than buying in the long run. Duncan Riley of DWR continues, “Ryan Toerien, a consultant on the install, phoned me and asked if he could bring his camera to our office.

“The mindset behind Newzroom Afrika is that news breaks on your telephone these days and not always on TV. With an emphasis on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp, the idea is to link what is on your phone to the studio, hence screens were an important part of the set brief.”

He arrived, measured the 2.5m distance and did some tests to see if the Absen screen would work. He said it was the best results he’d had so far, but the big question was could we deliver?” The surrounds for the screen had been manufactured already, with space or openings allocated for the screen to fit in. The cutoff day was April 1 and DWR were able to deliver a week earlier than expected. Roxanne Dare, from Newzroom Afrika, concurs, “At that stage, we were trying to conclude and it was imperative that we had the correct screen in regards to the moiré effect. I was given the details of DWR, we contacted them and they were professional. While I had been advised to rent a screen for a month because we were going live, DWR not only delivered on time, but it was far less expensive than what we had been quoted on by other suppliers. Subsequently, we have not had a single failed LED screen, we haven’t had a mark or any problem whatsoever. When I contact DWR I get a response on the same day, which nowadays is incredible considering how busy we all are. Important, too, is that they offer after-sales service and training. DWR’s Bruce Riley also visited the studio afterwards give us advice on setting our cameras.” DWR’s Bruce Riley, Andi Rodgers, Schalk Botha and Tylor Pugin worked alongside Jacob Mogale from the Install Crew for the installation and wiring. The Absen screens have three MCTRL 4K Processors all fed from three Calibre LedView770SV scalers and at the heart of it the Green Hippo Boreal+. Dylan Jones took care of the Green Hippo Boreal+ install and training. The Hippotizer has four SDI inputs, so from the main studio, content can be routed onto the screens in the studio as a PIP or background using multiple layers pre-programmed on the dot2. “Green Hippo is a versatile system, especially with a screen like this. Due to the number of screens and the pixel count, we had to use all 4K outputs and multiple viewpoints stacked within the pixel space to get the total wrap around the screen in the set,” said Bruce Riley. Lighting design was by Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier and Paula Modise, who programmed on the new dot2 console. Once everything was up and running, it was a matter of the directors getting used to the set with all the hourly set and prop changes. “In the first weeks, there were mainly close-up shots, as all the directors were concentrating on getting the content on-air,” explains Gill. “But now, some months later, they are exploring and starting to use the set to its full potential. One of the outstanding features of Newzroom Afrika is their vibrant team of graphic artists who produce visuals daily and which changes the look of the set consistently.” Newzroom Afrika is on air 20 hours a day (they have a break between midnight and 4am), seven days a week. “I think MGD has given them something that no news channel in the world has,” adds Gill. The Newzroom Afrika studio has high gloss black floors that reflects the set and the diagonally shaped desk gives it that high end look. The glass on the desk reflects the screen behind it. If you knew what infrastructure went into changing the desks, chairs and sets hourly to accommodate all the shows, you would be amazed! The screen appears to be floating and, together with the red and white structures and the high res screens, we have been able to anchor simple, interesting and ever-changing visual excitement for the viewers.”

– Michael Gill, owner of MGD

ROCKS THE

Photo by Aidan Tobias

BAD WEATHER

LIVE EVENTS FESTIVALS

Photo courtesy Rocking the Daisies 2019

DAISIES

Returning to the Cloof Wine Estate in Darling for its 14th edition, and with a diverse international line up including The 1975, Russ, Tash Sultana and Nasty C, Rocking the Daisies is one of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest music festivals. Cape Town-based production company Bad Weather delivered all aspects of the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live video, providing a masterclass in how innovative technologies can enhance the festival experience. Powered end-to-end by a Blackmagic Design workflow, featuring Blackmagic URSA Broadcast and ATEM Constellation 8K technologies, we caught up with creative director Jonathan Bandli to get the low-down. 14

Photo by Luke Veysie

LIVE EVENTS FESTIVALS

This was not the first time Bad Weather has delivered the live production of Rocking the Daisies (RTD), but it was, in fact, only the second outing for its new 4K PPU solution, the first being a gaming tournament held at ComicCon South Africa in September this year. Jonathan says: “We came to RTD straight off the back of ComicCon with little to no prep between the shows. but we’d provisioned for that when we configured the setup, and we had confidence the gear would work in the way we intended first time. It’s also a testament to how flexible Blackmagic’s video hardware is.” He continues, “Previously we would hire in kit, so this was our first investment in a system that we’d own ourselves. The motivation for that was driven by our need for something reliable, yet affordable. The only way to ensure it met our needs, and supported our creative vision, was to design and build it from scratch.

“Bringing this final component (the portable production unit) in house means that we can now provide our clients with a full service solution, ensuring that we are not only consistent in the quality of our productions, but that we also continue to innovate.” – Jonathan Bandli, creative director of Bad Weather

Photo by Aidan Tobias

LIVE EVENTS FESTIVALS

“The solution had to integrate into our existing workflows, which includes media server work, Notch real-time rendered motion graphics and effects, and our full visual design solutions.” ETECH first covered Bad Weather’s innovative use of Notch software in a feature of real-time graphics engines published in October. In that feature, Bad Weather co-director Andrew Bosman outlined the practical and creative implications of the Notch real time rendering engine as follows: “Everything the camera picks up is fed through a widget designer into Notch and then – once you’ve set the parameters of your canvas – that content is rendered and displayed in real time. You can also link the data from the camera to a lighting console, though: for example, in MA 3D you can link the data to MA consoles and have lights follow performers.” Jonathan continues: “Bringing this final component (the portable production unit) in house means that we can now provide our clients with a full service solution, ensuring that we are not only consistent in the quality of our productions, but that we also continue to innovate. “Also, having a 4K-capable workflow was key for us as it ensures that we have a competitive advantage in the market, a higher quality product for our clients and a solid investment for the future.” The new PPU system features the Atem Constellation switcher as well as Ursa Broadcast camera chains. “We used the URSA Broadcast for acquisition,” Jonathan says. “At front of house we had a single camera with a very long lens and a supplementary Micro Studio Camera 4K locked off just next to the sound desk. In front of the stage, meanwhile, we had

a jib-mounted Ursa Broadcast, and another on a dolly. On stage was a roaming camera op and a micro camera positioned on a drum riser or DJ booth for additional cutaways.” According to Jonathan, the image quality of these cameras was something that the festival had never experienced before. “The cameras performed perfectly in low light and they handled the dynamic range of a large stage set with changing light and heavy contrast so elegantly. Our solution has completely changed the perception of the organisers’ previous experience with live camera systems,” he adds. The main stage featured three central LED screens making up one canvas, with the middle screen being a 6x6 meter square and each outer screen measuring 3.6 metres wide by 6 meters high. There were, additionally, two 5.4m x 8.4m IMAGs stage left and right. “With both side screens essentially being portrait, we had to be careful of how we framed our shots, making sure that everything was centred,” Jonathan reveals. The production desk was located 60 meters away from the stage. “We had just the one rack, and at the top was a Teranex Express. We recorded the entire festival in 2160p24, but that

LIVE EVENTS FESTIVALS

– Jonathan Bandli, creative director of Bad Weather

Photo courtesy Rocking the Daisies 2019

“One of the main factors on choosing to invest in this switcher is that we have standard conversions on every input. It is so often an issue on live events with external sources, and so it just gives us peace of mind knowing that we can make any show happen. With all those inputs and outputs it lets us take on any project with confidence, and – as it is the heart of the system – it made sense for us to invest in the best unit in the Atem line up, giving us future expandability with 8K and a system that will work hard for many years to come.”

wasn’t suitable for some of the other screens around the site, so we downscaled everything to 1080i using the Teranex,” he explains. Relying on the Mini Converter Optical Fibre 12G, each camera channel sent a signal back over multimode fibre to an Atem Talkback Converter 4K racked in the PPU setup. Converted back to SDI, those signals were then patched to an Atem Constellation 8K switcher and vision-mixed using an Atem 1 M/E Advanced Panel. “One of the main factors on choosing to invest in this switcher is that we have standard conversions on every input,” Jonathan reflects. “It is so often an issue on live events with external sources, and so it just gives us peace of mind knowing that we can make any show happen. With all those inputs and outputs it lets us take on any project with confidence, and – as it is the heart of the system – it made sense for us to invest in the best unit in the Atem line up, giving us future expandability with 8K and a system that will work hard for many years to come.”

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“We set the goal to elevate the content beyond what we had achieved in previous years." – Project manager Antonio Baleiza, Ampere

THE SILVER SCREEN Every year filmmakers and fans from around the country gather in Cape Town for what has become one of the premier film events in South Africa: the kykNET Silwerskermfees, a film festival offering a platform to showcase newly developed films. 2019 marked the ninth year of the festival, and as always, kykNET were determined to deliver an excellent event and experience. The technical production of the festival was delivered by Ampere Event Technology under the direction of ARGH Post Production Solutions. “The brief from kykNET was simple enough: ‘Focus on the content’,” explains Antonio Baleiza from Ampere, who served as project manager on the event. “We set the goal to elevate the content beyond what we had achieved in previous years. Being our third Silwerskerm festival, we wanted to apply technical innovations in the space to deliver a result that exceeded the expectations of the client and festivalgoers. “Silwerskerm is a festival for industry insiders, producers and directors who are showcasing unreleased films recently mastered in the best postproduction facilities in the country. The majority of these films had not yet been seen outside of those environments, so it was imperative that we set a high standard for ourselves, trying to exceed the quality of experience of viewing in a commercial cinema. The ARGH and kykNET teams are veterans in the film industry, and so we applied our learnings of the shortcomings of traditional theatres and sought to exceed those limits here,” says Antonio. The team decided that all three cinema spaces for the festival needed a 5.1. audio solution and unrivalled picture quality, and opted for laser projection and d&b loudspeakers to achieve this.

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“The overall response was fantastic. We had several compliments from the country’s best directors, producers, actors and critics." – Marc Baleiza, ARGH DIT and Post Production Solutions

PROJECTING “These films are made for cinema,” says Marc Baleiza from ARGH, “so it is important that we maintained a cinema experience, but avoided the dull sound and dim projection we so often hear about. On a subjective level, we showcased several legacy projects this year. Therefore it was important to maintain the cinematic aesthetic within which the films were crafted.” Determined to achieve this high level of quality, the team made use of Epson laser projectors for the screening of all films as well as for AV display during the after-party function. “The resolution is fantastic and the colours very true,” Antonio says. “The colour gradient over the entire screen was extremely even, something that can be lacking in standard lamp projections.” In the Rotunda, the team made use of the Epson L1755U, a powerful 3LCD laser projector designed for larger venues which boasts bright and vivid images, even in daylight. The other two venues both made use of the Epson L1405U, another pin-sharp projector designed for large spaces. “The brightness of these projectors was incredible,” Marc explains. “We actually needed to reduce the overall brightness to calibrate picture accurately. It is very frustrating to reach the ceiling of a projector’s output and not be getting the crucial luminance, contrast and saturation values we are aiming for. The Epson units delivered to the point we could trim away and get to a desirable calibration level. I was impressed by the consistency of these units out of the truck,” he adds. “We had minimal adjustments across the projectors spread over the festival. That was a huge win for us, being able to walk from venue to venue

and be confident in how the picture was going to look.” Asked about the best features of the projectors used, Antonio was similarly impressed: “The brightness and colour is fantastic. Lining up these projectors is also pretty easy and quick. The network connectivity also makes this process much easier.” Working in post-production, Marc has made use of many of the more common brands in the DCI and film spaces. “Epson is not your typical DCI projector, and so there was initially some concern about that,” he says, “but we did our homework and lined up the projectors with proper film grading gear, and we found that they aligned very well. We took a bit of a leap, but it worked out.” It certainly did: according to Antonio, everyone from the technical director, right through to the client and the participants in the festival were “blown away” by the replication of picture of the projectors from an OLED calibrated to industry colour standards. “I think everyone considers Epson an office- or homeuse brand, but I must say that they’ve done a great job of delivering a quality product to the events industry.” Marc agrees: “The overall response was fantastic. We had several compliments from the country’s best directors, producers, actors and critics. This of course made the kykNET and ARGH technical team very proud of what we were able to achieve. With the support of Ampere, who were incredibly helpful, sharing our desire for excellence, we all felt that this year’s festival was a resounding success. If anything, we’ve just made it a little bit harder to raise the bar for Silwerskerm 2020.”

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TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR

BEST ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY 2019

In this end-of-year feature, ETECH looks at some of the entertainment technologies that made a big impression in 2019.

Across all sectors, one recurrent theme of our coverage of entertainment technology this year has been immersivity, and the ability for stage productions and events to provide rich, unforgettable audience experiences. Of course, what always underpins these efforts to captivate audiences is cutting-edge technology, which is playing an ever-more dominant and visible role in the staging of productions, the design of events and the construction of studios across South Africa. ETECH reached out to some of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading techies to get a sense of the gamechanging items of gear they have relied on to bring us shows, events and productions that have made 2019 a successful year for the industry.

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR

L-ACOUSTICS L-ISA TECHNOLOGY L‑ISA empowers the presentation of sound as a multidimensional art. The technology is enabled by a comprehensive hardware and software ecosystem that adds new tools – the L‑ISA Processor and the L‑ISA Controller – to the familiar performance and reliability of L‑Acoustics loudspeakers, amplified controllers and prediction and control software. The L-ISA experience is achieved through speaker deployment and by object-based sound mixing, placing sound objects in a 3D space. Instead of hanging speakers to the left and right of the stage, speaker hangs are placed across the stage, on the sides, and even throughout the venue in order to immerse and envelop the audience in sound.

Nominated by: Adriaan van der Walt, Multi-Media “With L-ISA technology, you have more tools at your disposal, and the result you can achieve is so much more sophisticated and elaborate – it’s not a case of simple, standard fixes anymore. This is definitely the natural progression for audio: more outputs mean a quantum shift towards a more natural experience for the audience.”

MARTIN VDO ATOMIC DOT WRM The Martin VDO Atomic Dot WRM hybrid lighting and video fixture, also available in a CLD colour temperature variant, combines a small blinder, compact strobe, video-pixel and small spotlight. By combining a video-controlled Aura backlight and a bright blinder/ strobe dot in one fixture, lighting designers are empowered with greater creative potential to make a bigger impact with audiences than ever before. Integrated support for P3, DMX, Art-Net and sACN eliminates the need for additional interface boxes and on-board P3 eases pixel mapping and using the product as a video controlled blinder or strobe. VDO Atomic Dots are ideal for rental customers and lighting designers working in concert/ touring and TV show sets as well as supporting corporate and nightclub clients.

Nominated by: Guillaume Ducray, AV Unlimited “My recent investment in the Martin VDO Atomic Dot has stood out for me. Martin Professional came out with the P3 Protocol a few years ago and we were introduced to it with the Martin LC+ Video Panels. As the protocol grew so did the products around it. My first big investment was the Martin Sceptron 10s, which have hands down been one of the best products I have ever invested in. The ease of use , the flexibility and the reliability have been phenomenal. After two years of owning the Sceptrons the Atomic VDO Dots have now been added to my inventory and have just gone out on their first show. The VDO Atomic Dot is top quality product from Martin that we have come to expect over the years. These amazing little dots are inspiring LDs to create new looks and challenges literally show by show. With amazing support from Electrosonic , anytime anywhere, investing in these was a no-brainer for us.”

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR

ROBE ESPRITE LED LUMINAIRE The new ESPRITE LED automated luminaire has a fast-change, cost-effective, transferable light engine – ingeniously solving the problem of performance longevity for those preferring the higher brightness of white source LEDs as an obvious replacement for their aging stock of discharge workhorses. The self-referencing, data capturing WTE (White Transferable Engine) 650W LED source allows for rapid and economical “lamp-like” exchange to give the fixture a life well beyond those of non-user replaceable LED sources. Performance has not been compromised with the 27,000 lm fixture output producing a piercing 85,000 lux at 5m. The comprehensive feature set includes: Flat field CMY mixing; variable CTO, two fast colour wheels; one indexable and rotatable gobo wheel; a fixed gobo wheel CTO filters; 6-facet rotating prism; 1° soft edge and 5° wash type frosts; an animation wheel and spectacular multi-colour effects.

Nominated by: Christiaan Ballot, Blond Productions “The Esprite is big game-changer, and with the 650W White LED chip it gives us the brightness of a big discharged fixture but with the no noise, no heat and the low power consumption benefits of an LED fixture. The Transferable LED Engine is also a huge money saver in the long run and gives you a longer life span on the fixture.”

QSC Q-SYS CORE 510I The Q-SYS Core 510i processor is an audio, video and control processing system that leverages Intel CPUs and motherboards as well as a dedicated Linux real time operating system developed by QSC to provide class-leading capabilities for AV systems of any scale. The Q-SYS Core 510i processor offers the most flexible audio I/O of any Core in the Q-SYS Ecosystem, perfect for applications that require a diversity of analogue, digital and networked audio connectivity. It features eight on-board I/O card slots that can be populated with any combination of Q-SYS Type-II I/O card, allowing diverse connectivity options.

Nominated by: Estian Els, Mosaeik Teatro “Q-SYS Core products are simply phenomenal. We use ours to run our PA system and our LED screens, and the performance is second-to-none. [The designers] have given a lot of thought to the user interface, and the real time processing capabilities of the system are incredible.”

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR

KLANG FABRIK MONITORING SOLUTIONS Combining the fastest convolution algorithms and 3D audio technology, KLANG:fabrik makes interactive 3D personal in-ear monitoring sound for musicians possible. It connects to your professional mixing desks via optional Dante modules with a maximum 64 input channels. Up to eight musicians plug in their in-ear transmitters via pairs of balanced XLR connectors, and the personal in-ear mix is remotely controlled via Ethernet or simply on its 5-inch touch display. Two optional analogue zero-latency input channels can be mixed individually to each of the 16 analogue outputs, and – additionally – the KLANG:fabrik system offers redundant power supplies.

Nominated by: Estian Els, Mosaïek Teatro “We have started using the KLANG:fabric system for our in ear monitoring – and the results have been awesome. Using these IEMs allows for the reduction of stage volume, reducing feedback issues, as well as allowing for the tailoring of monitor mixes to suit the needs of the individual artist.”

DIGICO SD5 CONSOLE Just as the iconic D5 Live once fuelled the growth of digital mixing, now the DiGiCo SD5 adds the immense power of Stealth Digital Processing and floating-point Super FPGA technology to the feature set that changed the world of professional audio. With the SD5, you define the workflow: recall or save presets on the channel strip; recall or save snapshots using the master screen or simply use the dedicated switches on the surface. Special functions can be assigned and accessed instantly via 40 Smart Key Macros, accessed via four layers of 10 RGB backlit keys. With up to 253 processing channels at 48kHz/96kHz, the SD5 is reassuringly powerful. Standard channel processing across inputs and outputs includes Channel Delay, Single and Multi-Channel Presets, Hi- and Lo-pass filters at 24dB/octave, four-band parametric EQ (eight on the outputs) with band curve selection, dual insert points, and DiGiCo’s renowned DYN 1 (Compressor, De-esser or Multiband Compressor) and DYN 2 (Gate, Compressor or Ducker).

Nominated by: Estian Els, Mosaïek Teatro “DiGiCo is one of the top brands in the world, and one of the most requested consoles on technical riders. The SD5 suits our business model very well. We chose the larger console from a channel-count perspective, as we wanted to provide a good solution to clients making use of the Teatro.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

HIGHLIGHTS OF In this end-of-year special, ETECH rounds up some of the editorial highlights of 2019. In 2019, South Africa’s entertainment industry continued to punch above its weight, delivering a procession of international-standard shows and events despite trying economic circumstances. With a report from PwC indicating 7.9% CAGR over the last five years, the live music sector alone was worth R1.5 billion to South Africa’s economy in 2019 – and this is before arguably even more important factors, such as the effect of job

creation and skills transfer within communities, are factored in. In this feature, it is our pleasure to recap some of ETECH magazine’s editorial highlights of the past year. From record-breaking music festivals and technology trade shows, to next-generation house of worship installs and theatrical productions, South Africa’s technical professionals have shown that with hard work, unwavering

THE YEAR passion, wise investment and innovative thinking, scintillating results can be achieved. ETECH would like to thank everyone who contributed to these features and all the other entertainment technology stories weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve covered over the past year. We look forward to continuing to do our bit to ensure that South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment and events industry professionals get the recognition they deserve in 2020.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100

SECTION HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR CONCERT

GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL Joburg welcomes the world (February 2019)

“What sets us apart as a rental company is that we are able to provide a turnkey solution for big events – and at no point was this more evident than at Global Citizen Festival. Every business division was intimately involved in this project and we were able to provide for every aspect of the event.” – Stuart Andrews, branch operations manager JHB at Gearhouse SA

The Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, held at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 2 December 2018, brought together an impressive contingent of heads of state, dignitaries, some of the world’s most talented artists and influencers and thousands of global citizens to end world poverty and celebrate the centenary of Nelson Mandela. The event broke a number of records, not only for the commitments made to support the Global Poverty Project in its fight to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, but also for the entertainment technology industry in South Africa. Speaking to ETECH in an interview after the event, Stuart Andrews, branch operations manager JHB at Gearhouse SA, says that the company have delivered full technical solutions for events of the scale and complexity that Global Citizen Festival presented in the past, and they had every confidence that they would be equipped to deliver on all the technical requirements put forward by the international event

management and technical teams. “We purchased 12 boxes of L-Acoustics K1, to bring our total count from 36 to 48. We also invested in a complete L-Acoustics K2 series system to meet the various audio riders for Guns N’ Roses, the Global Citizen Festival and Beyoncé’s OTR II tour,” Andrews points out. He adds that “it is also worth noting that we have invested in 28 subs and LA12X amps, to bring the K1 system up to the KS standard.” “What sets festivals of this nature apart is the level of collaboration and communication that is required between the technical crews and artists involved with the festival,” says Jako de Wit – who served as project manager for Gearhouse on the event. “One of the biggest challenges with the project was that we only had comprehensive riders for Beyoncé, and the Global Citizen Festival production team provided us with sound riders. Outside of that, everybody had to negotiate for their space.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR TRADE SHOW

The tenth edition of Mediatech Africa delivered on its promise to ignite the imagination of exhibitors and visitors alike during its three-day run at the TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg, between 17 and 19 July. Mediatech Africa 2019 enjoyed strong support from exhibitors and visitors alike, despite trying economic conditions in the region. The show drew record crowds – attracting 7,700 unique visitors from four continents, representing a six percent increase in attendance since the last iteration of the show. The Mediatech showroom floor played host to one hundred exhibitors, representing some of the leading local distributors and an impressive contingent of international equipment manufacturers and suppliers, who showcased an array of cutting– edge technologies and products on their company stands. As an expo, Mediatech Africa presents the only opportunity for major players in six niche sectors to view and assess the latest media and

entertainment technologies on home ground. The event showcases the same advanced technologies seen at the likes of international events such as Prolight+Sound and ISE, and presents a rare networking opportunity for sector professionals from across the continent. According to show director Simon Robinson, the exhibitors, many of whom participate in every Mediatech Africa, reported that the 2019 edition was as slick as any comparable event abroad. Joshua Cutts and Christopher Bolton of Collective Works once again served as the masterminds behind the Mediatech Black Box, working in collaboration with Robinson and the Gearhouse Group. The dedicated presentation space offered visitors to Mediatech an entertainment spectacle designed by the most creative minds in the industry – showcasing the most groundbreaking technology available in the most inspired and inventive way.

“Mediatech provides an opportunity to demonstrate the high levels of professionalism, skill and dedication so entrenched in the South African market. Despite the trying times, the expo provides an opportunity to ignite confidence in the market and our industry.” – Simon Robinson, show director of Mediatech

MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019 Mediatech 2019 breaks all attendance records (August 2019)

Photo courtesy of Big Concerts

SECTION HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR CONCERT

ED SHEERAN Ed Sheeran: The ÷ Tour (April 2019)

“Ed, pretty much, entrusted production to me since the beginning of our relationship, and one thing that we’ve proven over the past four years is that the Meyer Sound LEO Family is the way forward.” – Chris Marsh, production manager and FoH engineer

Renowned singer and songwriter, Ed Sheeran, performed in South Africa for the first time during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in December last year. Thanks to Big Concerts, Sheeran and his technical team returned to the country with the Ed Sheeran Divide (÷) Tour in March, performing two shows in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town. ETECH had the opportunity to attend the Johannesburg leg of the tour where we were treated to a full technical tour of the FNB Stadium ahead of the show. Sheeran started working with Mark Cunniffe, an award-winning lighting and production designer, when he first started to perform as a solo artist in larger venues in 2011. Cunniffe has been instrumental in designing all of Sheeran’s tours, including the Plus (+) Tour, the Multiply (X) Tour, and the most recent Divide (÷) Tour, which is proving his most successful to date. Cunniffe designed a dramatic set for the Divide Tour, centred upon a 63-foot-wide main stage where Ed Sheeran performs alone in front of a massive, 55-foot-tall goblet-shaped LED video structure, which displays Cunniffe’s custom-designed video content throughout the show.

TAIT built the LED video goblet with a curved touring frame that houses numerous LED video screens, four lighting pods and scenic fascia. Cunniffe’s brief was to make the stage space really dynamic for the Divide Tour, so he developed a versatile and dramatic lighting rig that includes 142 moving lights and 17 LED strobes, together with two MDG theOne stadium hazers and 10km of DMX-controlled RGB LED tape. Meanwhile, at the heart of the audio rider for Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour is the Meyer Sound LEO Family linear reinforcement system, supplied by UK-based Major Tom Ltd. The foundation of the system was formed by four arrays of 18-each LEO line array loudspeakers with low end augmented by 42 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements: two flown arrays consisting of nine speakers each and two end-fire arrays of twelve speakers on the ground. Eighteen flown 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements supplement the 24 in the end-fire floor arrays and twenty-four LINA loudspeakers supply front fill. Typically, the MILO line array loudspeakers are deployed on four delay towers, however in South Africa Gearhouse SA supplied the delay towers utilising their existing rental inventory.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR PRODUCTION

The Voice is an international franchise of televised singing competitions that provides a platform for previously unknown musicians to be mentored by some of the best recording artists in the industry throughout the show. While there are several singing competitions in the reality television genre, what sets The Voice apart is that, unlike rival shows such Idols and The X Factor, it focuses on singing ability alone. With pure music at the heart of the production, it is very fitting that Multi-Media Event Trading, one of South Africa’s most respected audio-visual and technical services suppliers, decided to deploy the very best possible audio technology for the live performance rounds of this season of The Voice South Africa. Speaking at a media briefing ahead of the first live performance of The Voice South Africa, Multi-Media director Chris de Lancey explained the immensity of the investment for the company. “Multi-Media recognised a while back that we needed to upscale our audio inventory to bring it in line with the world-class technology that we have in our

other departments. In conjunction with some very supportive partners, and because we were looking for the best solution available on the market, we set our sights on the L-ISA system by L-Acoustics.” L-Acoustics’ revolutionary L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound Technology dramatically increases loudspeaker resolution, to provide a natural and intelligible soundscape that expands panorama and elevates sonic realism. The power of L-ISA is that the audience is fully immersed in sound from all directions to provide a hyper-real experience. “A traditional setup incorporates an array of speakers placed on the left and right of the stage. To achieve a stereo effect, multiple inputs such as vocals, instruments and backing tracks have to be combined into the left and right speaker feeds,” De Lancey explains. As a result, only a small portion of the audience in the venue experience true stereo sound – depending on where they are seated. “By contrast, L-ISA can accommodate not the normal two, but rather up to 96 channels of audio and plays them out in a custom, multiple-speaker set up,” he says.

“I am so pleased that Multi-Media now has the L-ISA system, and the skills needed to deploy it, available for the South Africa market. I am excited to see immersive sound technology being used in South African theatres and for live events, and I am incredibly excited about what we will achieve with L-ISA on future projects.” – Chris de Lancey, director of Multi-Media

THE VOICE SOUTH AFRICA Immersive magic for The Voice SA (June 2019)

SECTION HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR THEATRE

KINKY BOOTS

Kinky Boots is alive and kicking! (August 2019) “The lovely thing about Eos is whether you’re using your laptop or you’re using the big flagship console, it’s all the same software. So it’s all compatible and works together. It’s such an easy console because it speaks the same language the designer speaks to a programmer.” – Mathew Lewis, ETC product manager at ApexPro

The foot-stomping show Kinky Boots played to rapturous full houses at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town throughout its lengthy run from June to October this year. The lighting for the show was designed by seasoned UK veteran Tim Mitchell and programmed by Mathew Lewis. “Programming for Kinky Boots made me fall in love with the Eos consoles all over again,” said Lewis, who is also the ETC product manager at ApexPro. According to Lewis, the lead product developer on Eos, Anne Valentino, actually went and sat in theatres while they were programming and listened to how the designers talked to the programmers. She then developed the syntax from there, so as to keep it simple and comprehensible. The Eos Ti was born from these efforts, and it is the console Lewis worked on for the production. His love for the console is contagious and, according to him, “There’s not a show on Broadway that’s not on Eos.”

ETC products are also prominent in the lighting rig for the show, in the form of the Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr, ETC’s flagship lighting fixture. Leading the pack of LED theatre lighting, the Lustr uses ETC’s x7 Color System with the addition of a lime-green LED emitter and more red, to create a deeper, richer colour spectrum that fills in the gaps that ordinary LEDs leave behind. This cutting-edge technology lends the production a world-class sheen, as various spaces are created and enhanced by lighting wizardry. The biggest lighting challenge and goal, per Lewis, was contrasting the “boring old world” of the shoe factory with the glitz of Lola’s neon nightclub lifestyle. “The way that LED technology has come along made it much easier to be able to switch between these states. Especially the Lustrs that can render tungsten-like looks all the way through to bold, saturated colour. Couple that with the power of Eos, particularly the colour mixing engine, and the whole process becomes a lot easier.”

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THE VOICE SOUTH AFRICA Immersive magic for The Voice SA (June 2019)

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A TOTAL TECHNICAL EVENT SOLUTION

SECTION HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR HOUSE OF WORSHIP

MOSAÏEK TEATRO

The Mosaïek Teatro takes on the world (February 2019)

“Our vision for the Mosaïek Teatro is for it to become a world-class theatre that offers a turnkey solution for live event and broadcast productions. There are many venues in the Johannesburg area, and we want to differentiate ourselves by providing a safe, family-friendly environment for audiences while ensuring that artists and their crew can simply arrive at the venue, plug in and put on a world-class show.” Estian Els, head of technical at Mosaïek Teatro

The Mosaïek Church, situated in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, this year made significant strides in achieving its ambition to raise its flagship venue, the Mosaïek Teatro, to world-class technical standards. Over the past fifteen years, the Mosaïek Church has established a reputation as a highly respected religious organisation that enjoys a strong following both at its facilities in Roodepoort, as well as on various broadcast channels, including M-Net’s kykNET. When not hosting church services and in-house worship events, the Mosaïek Teatro has become a popular venue for filming live performances for some the country’s favourite music contests, including M-Net’s South African Idols and The Voice South Africa. Audio engineer and current head of technical at the church, Estian Els, explains that when the Mosaïek Church moved from a modest 800-seater venue in Randburg to their new facilities in Roodepoort, they wanted to establish a world-class venue that would meet all of the needs of its growing congregation. At the same time, the church wanted to expand their capacity to support a wide range of outreach projects aimed at improving the lives of people in the community. It was soon

realised that by hiring out the Mosaïek Teatro to third parties, the church could diversify its revenue stream, which would – in turn – strengthen its ability to fund missionary work. The business model has proven highly successful, and over the past 15 years, the Mosaïek Teatro has hosted an impressive number of highprofile productions and live events. “The Mosaïek Teatro has become a firm favourite for a number of South Africa’s leading production and events companies because the venue provides a well-equipped and secure environment to host audiences, while being perfectly set up for filming,” says Els. One of the important goals that Els wanted to achieve with the upgraded sound system at the Mosaïek Teatro was a seamless migration from analogue to digital, which was also achieved by Stage Audio Works, using state-of-the-art technology by QSC. “A large part of the upgrade was moving the entire rig onto a digital network, which has been achieved with the help of Stage Audio Works’ outstanding use of Q-Sys. Currently, there is no copper between front of house and the stage, as everything has been integrated on the network.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR PRODUCTION

With a new presenter in Emo Adams, new show elements and a state-ofthe-art new set, the much-loved show Noot vir Noot relaunched on SABC2 in mid-August. The Noor vir Noot story began when Johan van Rensburg and Johann Stemmet were both working at the SABC in the 1980s. However, as Stemmet, the show’s director, explains: “Any program that stagnates will die – and it is very important to make sure that the show remains current. The important thing is the television program and not the presenter. In the interests of the program, it’s the right time to make a move. The decision to redesign the look and feel of the show, and to introduce a new presenter, was well thought-through. We first sourced the presenter, and then we consulted closely with the production company [Urban Brew] and the technical supply company [Blond Productions].” Blond Productions, a leading technical solutions provider for the live events and broadcast markets in Africa, has been a technical solutions provider for Noot vir Noot and has enjoyed a close working relationship with both the show’s producers and Urban Brew for many years.

Director of Blond Productions, Christian Ballot, explains: “Over the past five years, we have taken a careful look at the set of Noot vir Noot and slowly implemented upgrades to the technology being employed. We introduced the first moving head lights about 10 years ago, and we have slowly upgraded technology since then. However, with a show like Noot vir Noot – which has such a loyal following and is so iconic – we did not want to do a drastic redesign too suddenly and alienate the show’s existing audience.” However, when it was decided that the 44th season of the show would feature a new presenter, Johan Stemmet, Blond Productions and the production company, Urban Brew, worked in close collaboration to develop a brand-new set for the show. “Ryan [Lombard, FX lighting technician] was able to create the set around the lighting design instead of the other way around. We decided to go with a very slick, clean look and feel for the show, with no big lighting fixtures on the floor – which is never really ideal for studio filming, because you don’t want to end up shooting through a beam.”

“We worked in a very collaborative way to come up with a new look and feel for the show, and Johan and his creative team gave us free reign to come up ideas for the design of the set – which we built around the technical components.”

Photo by Studio 88 Photography

Christian Ballot, director of Blond Productions

NOOT VIR NOOT Noot vir Noot moves in time (June 2019)

SECTION HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR VENUE

PLATTELAND Ready to rock (February 2019)

“Being on a big stage, with a good system behind you, just gives bands and audiences that sense that it’s awesome playing music again. We’ve played shows in the past where our bassist has had to fill in as sound engineer – run over and tweak things on the desk in between songs – and that’s no way to build a proper, professional live music industry. We want to be the kind of venue that leads the turn towards top-class professionalism in our industry.” – Rudi Oostuhizen, co-owner of Platteland

Centurion-based Platteland – with help from the team at DWR Distribution – at the beginning of 2019 undertook the installation of a new L-Acoustics ARCS WiFo sound system, equipping the venue with a truly world-class rig as it looks to establish itself as one of the country’s leading live music spots. As co-owner Rudi Oosthuizen says, “The venue developed from the point of view that we need places in South Africa that can provide a quality stage and quality sound system for our artists. I know there are a lot of bands playing in smaller pubs, but for them to actually come and play on a stage like this, with big sound, is remarkable for them. I play in a band, and I know how important it is.” The Oosthuizen brothers, Rudi and Marcus, explain why Platteland decided to opt for the L-Acoustics system. “When we started, we had a CRV line array system – and we all assumed that’s what we would use in the new Platteland venue. But when we got it out of storage, we knew we needed to replace it: it was extensively weather-damaged. So that left us with a bit of a problem, because we hadn’t really budgeted for a brand-new L-Acoustics system,” Rudi says with a grin.

Marcus echoes Rudi’s thoughts, saying that their search for versatility, power and clarity of sound application led them to the L-Acoustics brand: “We did our research and spoke to many sound companies and audio engineers, and all of them mentioned L-Acoustics. We required a clean sound that would deliver a punch, and without a doubt, that is what the ARCS WiFo system has delivered.” Platteland’s interior is an attractive, high-ceilinged space, and DWR’s Jaco Beukes – who managed the project - explains that “due to the design of the venue we were not able to hang anything from the beams in the ceiling, but we had a fair amount of gear that needed to be suspended.” In the end, the team designed an 8 x 5 metre, 4.5-metre high, H40 Prolyte structure that overshadows the entire stage, with a circle truss flown on the back of the main structure and six totems with lights and TV displays on them. “We needed a clean and professional look that would also be safe and secure and future-proofed so that we can add sound, AV or more lights with ease of mind to the structure. Prolyte delivered on the spec,” reports Marcus.

THE VOICE SOUTH AFRICA Immersive magic for The Voice SA (June 2019)

Watch the video teaser

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COMPANY PROFILE

NEW GENERATION TECHNICAL SERVICES COMPANY SHARES ITS SUCCESS Company co-owner, Warren Freidin, shares the story of how start-up company AV and Beyond has, in just five years, managed to stand out from the crowd and achieve outstanding success. AV and Beyond, a leading technical events solutions provider in South Africa, is creating a reputation in the industry for doing things differently. Established in 2013, the company has quickly evolved from a start-up full of potential to a key player in the eventing industry in the region. Warren Freidin and Katlego Pitse make up the dynamic leadership team behind AV and Beyond. The two have successfully established the country’s leading nextgeneration technical services company in a surprisingly short five-year span, and have recently purchased a state-of-the-art L-Acoustics Kara professional sound system, as well as a dozen Esprites, making them the first to take delivery of Robe’s newlylaunched LED automated luminaires in the country. ETECH chatted with co-owner Warren Freidin about the company’s origins, impressive growth and vision for the future.

WHEN WAS AV AND BEYOND FIRST ESTABLISHED? I started my career heading up an events company and, having studied audio engineering and event lighting after school, I naturally gravitated towards the more technical side of the company’s offerings. My current business partners, Katlego Pitse, Hennie Roussow and I started working together at BEYONDred Events and, over the years, we became a really tight team. In 2013, we decided to branch out and establish AV and Beyond as a separate technical services company, enabling us to continue to provide technical services for BEYONDred Events' shows

when required, but also broaden our client-base independently. When we first started the company in 2013, it was proper grassroots startup. We had a team of three operating from a house in Greenside, Johannesburg, and we kept our gear in the garage. It’s actually quite mind-blowing to reflect back on those early days and realise just how far we have come over the past five years.

COMPANY PROFILE

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST BIG BREAK? We started off doing a lot of smaller events and quickly established a reputation for quality and reliability as a technical service provider. Our first big contractual client was Nedbank – and we are still their preferred service provider to this day. The relationship was established when we provided technical services for the Port Elisabeth leg of the 2013 edition of the Nedbank Top Achiever Awards, with Harry Sideropoulos and the Tailormade Group on creative and entertainment. The client was exceptionally happy with the event and recommended AV and Beyond for Nedbank’s main Top Achiever Awards evening later that year. Following that, we pitched for the Nedbank CEO Roadshow and we were awarded the contract in 2014. We have since worked with a lot of the big financial houses in South Africa and have built very good working relationships with clients in the financial world.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SETS AV AND BEYOND APART AS A SERVICE PROVIDER? There are a lot of dry hire and technical services companies in the country that are very skilled at delivering the gear and technical expertise needed to pull off an event. While this is a very important service, the AV and Beyond team is unique in that we understand that clients often need a lot more than a technical solution. While we specialise in technical services, we are also able to contribute towards the creative and production sides of events. We have an extensive referral network within the eventing industry and, as a result, we are able to tailor our services to exactly match our client’s needs. If they already have a production company working on their event, we are more than willing to provide technical services alone. However, if they need a concept, design, sets and staging, entertainment, catering services, decor, or just about any other event-related service, we draw on our network of service providers to deliver on every aspect of an event imaginable. The other factor that sets us apart is our company culture, and how it translates to our clients. We are deeply passionate about innovation and we enjoy pushing the boundaries on conventions. Many of our clients share this future-focused approach, which creates fertile ground for developing meaningful and personal relationships with the people that we serve.

We also understand that in today’s experience-based economy, clients not only want an excellent product at the end of the day, they want an enriching experience in the lead up to their event – which, traditionally, can be a very stressful and unpleasant time. Our client-centric work ethic ensures that the client is integrated in every stage of the planning and execution process, from stage design to 3D renders and floor plans, our goal is to bring the client’s vision to life, while complying with the highest possible safety and technical standards. We pride ourselves on being responsive, agile and adaptable in our approach and we place the client at the centre of everything that we do, which gives us a competitive edge.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE? We are incredibly proud of the way that AV and Beyond has grown over the past five years. The team and I started the company with a clientcentred approach in mind, and we have allowed it to grow organically in response to market demand and our client’s needs. We have achieved a more that 96% client retention rate, which is all the evidence that we need to be sure we are doing something right. We are also very proud to have reached a point in the company’s growth path where are able to invest in more of our own gear to ensure that we are in the best position possible to deliver on projects moving forward. As we take on larger and more technically challenging contracts, we have dramatically increased our inhouse inventory, almost doubling the amount of gear that we own an annual basis over the course of the company’s lifespan. While we do not believe in purchasing the latest unnessasary gear for the sake of it, we are very proud that we have been awarded contracts that place us in the position were it makes sense to invest in lighting and audio equipment that is of the highest international standards. Finally, we are extremely pleased with the team that we have managed to put together and the talent that we are able to attract in terms of freelancers. We understand that our people are our greatest assets, and we invest in our people to ensure that they are able and invested in delivering for our clients.

WHERE DO YOU SEE AV AND BEYOND GOING IN THE FUTURE? In our experience, allowing the company to grow in direct response to market demand has been a key component to our success. This is an approach that we will continue to pursue, and therefore its not really a case of where we see the company going, and far more about where our clients want us to go. The future is therefore full of possibilities, and we are very excited to find out where it will lead us.

SOCIALS

ROBE ROADSHOW Joshua Cutts (Visual Frontier) with DWR’s Jannie de Jager, Duncan Riley and Olebogeng Boinamo

Harry von den Stemmen (Robe) with MGG’s Denzil Smith, Nardus de Lange, Gunther Muller, Duncan Riley (DWR) and Mark Gaylard (MGG)

Theo Rood, Harry von den Stemmen, Mike Jones, Duncan Riley and Guillaume Ducray

ELECTROSONIC YEAR-END FUNCTION Vanio Alexandrov, Thea Pretorius, Renier Smit and Jesse Dullabh

Renier Smit and Bruce Schwartz

Terry Bourquin, Thanduxolo Cembi and Sithembiso Xaba

Bruce Genricks

WILD & MARR YEAR-END FUNCTION Aadil Matwadia and Gary Furman

Mpho Dire, Carmin Junius and Michael Pela

Rozal Farrington and Perlaine Parish

Service, unmasked.

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