Entertainment Technology June 2019 by Sun Circle Publishers

www.entertainment-tech.co.za

June 2019

IN THIS ISSUE THE VOICE SOUTH AFRICA MEDIATECH AFRICA CHICAGO NOOT VIR NOOT

FEATURE

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

BIGGER

BRIGHTER BOLDER

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

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C ON T E N TS

www.entertainment-tech.co.za

30 8 MEDIATECH

26 NOOT VIR NOOT

AFRICA

EUROVISION

THE VOICE SOUTH AFRICA

NALEDI AWARDS

ABSEN COMPANY PROFILE

CHICAGO THE MUSICAL

40 40 SOUNDBITE WITH ADRIAAN VAN DER WALT

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EDITOR'S WORD

EDITOR'S COMMENT

INDUSTRY GEAR UP FOR MEDIATECH

reetings, and welcome to the winter edition of ETECH magazine.

The mornings may be colder and the days shorter, but there is no hibernating for the professional entertainment and events technology industry. I am sure that I am not alone in feeling the energy levels rising as we all get ready to descend upon the TicketPro Dome in July for Mediatech, the largest tradeshow for the professional events technology industry in Africa. This year, we have a lot to look forward to, including the second iteration of the hugely successful Black Box, presented by Joshua Cutts and Christopher Bolton – who are fresh off the plane from Tel Aviv, where they worked as part of the crew on Eurovision, one of the largest and most technically demanding productions on the globe. Both Chris and Joshua spoke with ETECH shortly after their return to share a little of their journey with us. In this issue, we take a look at the narrowing of the gap between technology used for the live events sector and the TV studio environment. Multi-Media Event Trading recently deployed L-Acoustics’ L-ISA sound technology for the first time in the country for the third season of The Voice South Africa, and we got to speak to the technical crew and talent on the show about

their experiences with this ground-breaking gear. We also catch up with Christiaan Ballot about the revamp of the set for Noot vir Noot and provide a brief round-up of the lighting products that are finding their way onto live productions filmed for television and production studios – some of which will be on show at Mediatech. Approaching fast on the horizon, Mediatech Africa (17 to 19 July) strives to showcase the latest innovations in technology for our sector and will be featuring an array of disruptive technologies, including drones, AV over IP and a 3D flying broadcast solution, among many others. Exhibitors from around the world will be showcasing an array of products and technologies for the professional audiovisual and broadcast markets, providing a unique opportunity for local distributors and end-users to interact directly with representatives from international manufacturers. As always, Mediatech also provides a fantastic opportunity to gather as an industry, to engage with friends – both old and new – and to network, learn from each other and support each other.

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EDITORIAL Nicole Barnes – Editor editor@pro-systems.co.za +27 (0)66 489 3482 David Cornwell – Journalist Cover photo: Eurovision Song Contest 2019, Tel Aviv Expo Centre, Israel.

Photo by Ralph Larmann

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INDUSTRY NEWS

HIGH FIVE FOR LETPC 2019 The fifth iteration of the Live Event Technical and Production Conference (LETPC), held at the Sunnyside Hotel in Parktown, Johannesburg between 15 and 18 May, has again cemented the event as a seminal platform to drive the industry forward. Established in 2015 by the South African Roadies Association (SARA), LETPC has evolved into one of the most important platforms for those involved in the technical entertainment industry to gather and share ideas, network and learn new skills. Speaking to ETECH in an interview during the event, SARA director, Freddie Nyathela, explained that the LETPC provides a critical opportunity to explore the ways that the technical entertainment industry can support the Government’s key development goals, including job creation, skills development and embracing the demands of the fourth industrial revolution. “Our youth are talented, and they are desperate for opportunities to learn skills that will enable them to gain financial independence. Training and mentorship in the live entertainment technical field present young people with a viable career path, critical technical skills and the opportunity to fulfil their potential,” Nyathela points out. The National Department of Arts and Culture acknowledges the contribution the live entertainment technical and production sector can make with regards to addressing the youth unemployment crisis that we

LETPC 2019

are facing as a country, and therefore continues to support LETPC. “The Live Event Technical and Production Conference 2019 occurs at a critical time in the development and growth of sector skill demand in a market place set upon by the fourth industrial revolution and digital economy, including AI, robotics and machine learning that is set to decimate employment opportunities in many sectors. The conference aims to discuss training and skill development for professionals and practitioners within the events, technical, production and education sectors, sustainable job creation and economic growth,” said the South African Department of Arts and Culture. The LETPC 2019 has attracted speakers, panellists and attendees from across live event technical production and performance sectors, as well as from education, skills development and professional bodies. Notwithstanding South Africa,

countries featured this year include Kenya, Ghana, Netherlands, UK, USA, Denmark, Nigeria and Germany. Some of the topics explored during the three-day programme included the Inclusion of the Event; Technical & Production Sector in the White Paper, On The road: where we were, where we are and where we are going; The State of Technical and Production Skills and Services in Kenya; Educational Standards, as well as a range of technical discussions. “I am pleased to report that after years of struggle, we are finally receiving much-needed support and acknowledgement from government,” states Nyathela. “Finally, the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage, currently under review, includes the events, technical and production sector – and I am hoping that we will see more political will to drive development and create opportunities for our youth in the near future,” Nyathela concludes.

AUDINATE JOINS THE WILD & MARR STABLE Australian technology company Audinate, world-renowned for its protocol Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet) has recently awarded distribution of their products in South Africa to Wild & Marr.

Audinate manufactures the Dante AVIO Adapters which allows users to network everything and Wild & Marr have received their first shipment of these fantastic tools and problem solvers. Wild & Marr’s technical director, Anton van Wyk, added his excitement to the acquired agency, “Dante AVIO is a game-changing product which adds flexibility and expandability to any legacy audio system and / or DANTE network with minimal cost. We are very excited to distribute their products in our market.”

“Taking on the Audinate agency is another step in the direction of being a complete AV solutions company. This product range furthers our vision of being the audio, video and control systems distributor of choice in Africa,” said Gary Furman, managing director of Wild & Marr. Visit Wild & Marr’s Johannesburg offices at 1 Alec Road, Isandovale, to view the Dante AVIO adapters in the display area and have a chat with one of their sales representatives.

ETC NAMES NEW CEO

Dick Titus

Continuing its forty-year tradition of strong company leadership, the ETC board of directors has appointed Dick Titus as President/ CEO of ETC. The company is dedicated to maintaining the legacy of its co-founder Fred Foster who passed away earlier this year. As ETC continues to grow and develop, Foster’s people-focused and high-quality leadership perseveres. The company remains privately held with an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that helps to secure the business as an independent company for the future. ETC’s objective to continue providing the most innovative products, services and solutions to its markets remain upheld with its new president and chief executive officer. Titus has led the management team at ETC for 17 years as president and five years before that as COO. He started with the company in 1990. “It’s an honour to lead the executive staff,” Titus says. “Together we have a vast amount of experience serving the people of ETC and our customers. We have a unique culture, and I’m committed to building that for years to come. We have always been a company built on a model of personal responsibility. Our path of consistent growth continues to come from the wide variety of talents of our dedicated staff around the world.” With a diverse market, from architectural to entertainment and rigging systems, ETC achieved stellar revenue growth between 2014 and 2018. In 2017 ETC acquired entertainment lighting company High End Systems. In 2018 they grew their commercial sales division by completing the acquisition of EchoFlex Solutions and, earlier this year, they increased their presence in France when they acquired former partner Avab Transtechnik France and added a corporate office in Paris. This summer, distribution of the ArcSystem, BluesSystem, and CueSystem products completes the acquisition of these product lines from the UK-based company, GDS.

AWARDS

TECHNICAL TALENT RECOGNISED AT THE NALEDI AWARDS On Monday 20 May, The Naledi Awards returned to its home at the Joburg Theatre to

celebrate the achievements of some of South Africa’s greatest theatrical talent. Entering its 15th year, the awards aim to celebrate excellence – and the plethora of plays and musicals produced during the 2018 year presented judges with plenty of material to consider.

According to the Naledi board of directors, 2018 was a very special year in theatre for South Africa, with a host of world-class productions being nominated for the Naledi awards. “Outstanding talent and excellence in theatre are the watchwords for the Naledi. As the theatre landscape diversifies and matures to reflect today’s South African society and the mainstreaming of truly indigenous works from musicals to plays, children’s theatre and independent productions, the roles of the Naledi judges have become increasingly more difficult and challenging each year,” says Chris Avant Smith in a release following the award ceremony. He goes on to state: “While budgets tighten, and audiences are getting harder to attract, it is the role of theatre-makers in this country to provide their audiences with productions that fulfil their creative spirits and thrill their audiences. It is against this backdrop that the Naledi Judges saw nearly 100 productions during 2018.” Sweeping the boards with seven Naledi Awards was the musical The Color Purple, which will be returning to the Joburg theatre for a second

run in April next year. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time followed with three awards and the brand-new South African play, Shoes and Coups, received two awards, as did the children’s theatre piece Goggas. Founder and CEO of the Naledi Theatre Awards, Dawn Lindberg, on behalf of the Judges and Board of the Naledis, congratulated all the winners, nominees and theatre practitioners for an exceptional year of entertainment and dedication to the craft. “We are constantly devastated by the lack of financial support given to theatre in general and the Naledis in particular by the Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and local television channels,” she said. “Almost everyone involved in producing, creating and staging the Naledis this year worked for no remuneration. We are profoundly grateful to the Joburg Theatre, Splitbeam Technical and Visual Frontier as well as the presenters and entertainers who all felt honoured to be part of the celebration of excellence within their own ranks.”

AWARDS

THE NALEDI NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS IN THE TECHNICAL CATEGORIES WERE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS: BEST SET DESIGN

BEST SOUND DESIGN

WINNER: Stan Knight for Fool for Love

WINNER: Ntuthuko Mbuyazi for Florence

(sponsored by DWR)

(sponsored by Splitbeam)

NOMINEES: • • • •

Niall Griffin for Hedwig and the Angry Inch Sarah Roberts for The Color Purple Thando Lobese-Moropa for The Train Driver Wilhelm Disbergen for Freedom

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

NOMINEES: • Akhona Bozo for Snow White: The Fairest Pantomime in the Land • Ntuthuko Mbuyazi for Shoes & Coups • Richard Smith for The Color Purple • Wessel Odendaal for Hedwig and the Angry Inch

BEST AV/ANIMATION DESIGN:

(sponsored by Splitbeam) WINNER: Gareth Hewitt Williams for The Curious

WINNER: Gareth Hewitt Williams for The Curious

Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

NOMINEES: • • • • •

Fred Abrahamse for Macbeth Mannie Manim for Fool for Love Michael Maxwell for My hole my home Thapelo Mokgosi for Dikakapa Oliver Hauser for African Gothic

NOMINEES: • • • •

Gopala Davies for Nijinsky’s War Lungile Cindi for Shoes & Coups Naret Loots for Hedwig and the Angry Inch Wilhelm Disbergen for The Little Prince

MEDIATECH AFRICA

TECHNOLOGY MEETS AR DRONES TAKE ENTERTA

Drone technology has made considerable advances since the last Mediatech Africa in 2017. According to Mediatech trade show director, Simon Robinson, drone technology is a powerful tool for many sectors of the economy but is undeniably disrupting and drastically altering the events, media and filmmaking industries. “Unmanned aerial geniuses – drones ignite the imaginations of people and industries the world over – and we have only just begun to scratch the surface of their potential.” 8

When it comes to events, drones have already had an impact on event surveillance, film and photography, but Disney has gone a step further and is putting drones to work on entertainment. The company has filed for several drone patents – all focused on entertainment. It has also been reported that synchronised lights shows, floating projection screens and drone puppeteers have all been considered by the entertainment giant. Globally, drones have been used for lighting shows for some time. Most recently, hundreds of drones were used in a display that marked the coronation ceremony for Thailand’s new King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The drones were used to spell out “Long Live the King,” as well as forming various shapes in the air, including a picture of the new king and a map of Thailand. The Thai number 10, which represented the sovereign as the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty, was also included.

MEDIATECH AFRICA

ART: AINMENT TO NEW LEVELS RECORD-BREAKING DISPLAYS The 2018 Winter Olympic Games’ light show featured a record-breaking 1,218 unmanned aerial vehicles that were airborne simultaneously; 330g Intel Shooting Star drones designed specifically for light shows. The Shooting Star drones feature built-in LED lights that can create more than four billion colour combinations in the sky, and the UAVs painted the sky with colourful illustrations, including a snowboarder and the Olympic rings. Like the drones that flew at Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl halftime show (2017), the drone flight wasn’t live – it was pre-recorded. The added number of drones used increased the resolution and quality of the images and all the drones for this, and other similar shows, are controlled by one computer and one drone pilot. Advances in software and animation interfaces allow a light show such as the opening ceremony to be created in days or weeks depending on the animation complexity. The animation creation process is automated by using a reference image that calculates the number of drones needed

and where the drones should be placed. The fastest path to creating the image in the sky is then formulated. Chinese drone-based aerial landscaping media technology company EHang Egret went on to break this world record when a 1,374 3D drone fleet danced over the City Wall of Xi’an. During the 13-minute light show, the drones created a huge sky curtain 1,200m long, 100m wide and 260m high above the city wall. According to EHang Egret, its intelligent drone formation command cloud system enables independent planning, real-time monitoring and smart dispatching of the UAVs flight task and light effects said to be superior to traditional manual control by drone pilots. Commenting on the use of more and more drones in lighting shows, Robinson says that using additional drones provides a broader canvas, but more importantly, creates more depth. “Animators compose the show using 3D design software, after which each individual drone gets assigned to act as an aerial pixel, filling in the 3D image against the night sky. With advances in technology, you can create really interesting effects and transformations.”

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MEDIATECH AFRICA

Adding to this, Robinson explains that drones operate independently, communicating with a central computer and, before taking off, that computer will determine which role each drone will play, based on the battery levels and GPS strength of each member of the fleet. “Given the limitations of current lithium-ion battery technology, as a rule, drones fly for a little under 20 minutes. Add to this the fact that because they normally launch at a distance from the performance area, show time is reduced further yet.” Robinson adds that synchronised programmable drones are entertaining, and deliver an impressive result like that of fireworks, but they’re easier to control, allow for more elaborate effects and are reusable, making them an increasingly popular technology for events.

LOCAL LANDSCAPE Locally, drone light shows are less common because South Africa has such stringent drone regulations. Despite this, although there’s speculation around how the approvals were garnered, a major bank used drones to celebrate the relaunch of the group and its new name with the continent’s first live drone light show in Johannesburg. According to the bank’s marketing director, the spectacle was intended to highlight the new strategic direction of the bank, which is to be a digitally-led business using tech to bring to life its purpose. Commenting on the growth of drone technology in South Africa since Mediatech in 2017, Timeslice director, Jono O’Connell, says, “The past two years have been significant and markedly good for the drone industry both locally and internationally, with several drone technologies disrupting the drone market and much technological advancement achieved. We are now at a point where drones are faster, safer and easier to use – and far smarter.”

GAME OF DRONES As drone technology evolves at blinding speed, it’s clear that the approach to film production is fundamentally modifying. In the production of series like Game of Thrones (GOT) – many bird’s

eye view shots appeared in the series thanks to drones. The Battle of Meirin and the approach of the Stannis Baratheon fleet to the Royal Harbor were filmed using drones. In Season 7, FlyCam, which provided mini-helicopter drones, was used for filming. This is useful technology, because the camera can be carried over terrain at high speed with good image stabilisation (simulating, for example, the flight of a dragon). “With the cost reduction of drones and the advances in technology, opportunities, accessibility and capabilities have been greatly enhanced. Very little capital outlay is needed to buy into the world of drones, so whether you’re in the film industry, or just a home moviemaker, drones are now widely accessible. An aspiring music video producer, or budding filmmaker, can purchase a drone for between R8 000 to R10 000 and shoot great quality beautiful 4K videos – easily, smoothly and cost-effectively. This has paved the way for a wave of filmmakers to start living their dreams,” says O’Connell. “If you compare drones to conventional helicopters or other large-format aerial filming of days gone by, shooting with a drone is a far cheaper way of capturing aerial shots and getting a bird’s eye view. The ability has been put into the hands of many to shoot beautiful content with hardly any cost.” As with many accelerating technologies, it’s hard to say what the future holds for drone tech, and O’Connell says that five years in this industry is an absolute lifetime, if not two. “In general, it’s safe to predict that the mainstream use and demand for drones will continue to rise and seeing UAVs in the sky will become common-place. “As for specific projections, I believe that range will be the next big thing to dominate the drone world: BVLOS – Beyond Visual Line of Sight. This speaks to the ability of drones to be flown at great distances from the operator and to fly accurately. We already have the technology now where directors, DOPs and creatives with no training can wear goggles and move the camera around by simply moving their head or arms by holding a handlebar. This means a significant barrier has been lifted for creatives with no training, to point and shoot the camera.” Adding to this, O’Connell says that a big issue to work on over the next five years is endurance – flight time. “Drones require an enormous

MEDIATECH AFRICA

“From toys for adults to drones that can land on water and film underwater, to solar battery technology that’s allowing high-altitude drones to fly for weeks at a time without landing – drone technology is leap-frogging what was ever imagined possible.”

amount of Radio; Film & Video energy to stay P r o d u c t i o n ; airborne, which Digital Media; Pro Audio – means heavy Lighting – Staging; Audio batteries must Visual Integration; and Studio power the drone, – Recording – DJ. An unmatched which counteracts their platform for networking, own endurance. In education and entertainment, this principle, most drones use high energy – high impact event is all half their power to carry the about the seamless integration of very batteries that power technology and creativity. It’s about them. Fundamentally we making the impossible possible. It’s about – Simon Robinson Mediatech trade need a device or system that innovation and bringing ideas to life using the show director makes the aircraft more latest tech. The three-day event attracts global efficient in the air – better and local brands who are at the forefront of their battery technology and industries. Thought leaders, decision makers and the even solar power or highest caliber influencers who are shaping tech trends renewable energy would work. and the very industry itself – attend the showcase. By Now that would make for great progress in the design, Mediatech Africa is an experience which visitors drone sector. immerse themselves in, leaving invigorated and inspired by “I don’t think it’s unrealistic to consider that soon, a the possibility of opportunity and a fast forward glimpse into the director will be able to operate a drone from a future. Visit Mediatech Africa on www.mediatech.co.za completely different city, and be able to control it Mediatech Africa is on between 17 – 19 July – register before the automatically without even laying eyes on the bird,” 12 July closing date to avoid paying the R100 entrance fee. A hugely concludes O’Connell. popular feature of the show, drones will again be a big talking-point at Mediatech Africa is an engaging biennial trade show that the event this year. brings creative thought to life within six verticals: Broadcast – TV &

COMPANY PROFILE

MAKING AFRICA SHINE BRIGHTER Since entering the African market in 2006, Shenzhen Absen Optoelectronic Co. Ltd have

Comic-Con Africa – Johannesburg

made an indelible mark across all spheres as Africa embraces the digital revolution. Jessica Xiao, sales director for Absen Africa, spoke with ETECH about the company’s growing footprint on the continent.

Absen, one of the leading manufacturers of display solutions for the professional AV market, has continued to grow its international footprint to become one of the most

recognised and trusted original equipment manufacturers of professional display solutions and services in the world. Established in 2001 in Shenzhen, China, Absen Optoelectronic Co. Ltd is a trusted global leader that provides LED display solutions and services across 120 countries in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Absen screens have been used for some of the world’s highest-profile events, including the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Championship League and for the NBA, and have been installed at a plethora of government organisations, corporations and retail destinations across the world. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Absen has established a state-ofthe-art manufacturing plant in Huizhou, and employs more than

COMPANY PROFILE

Chinese Embassy in SA

“All of our products are supported by certified technicians, who are trained by highly experienced Absen professional trainers across the world.”

of outdoor LED displays provides the perfect platform to deploy digital signage solutions that are cost-effective, longlasting, easy to maintain and – Jessica Xiao, sales director of the African market which offer exceptional visual 2 0 0 0 quality. “There are several factors people that set Absen’s outdoor products across the apart from the competition, including world while supporting more than 15 subsidiaries and offices a high level of brightness, contrast and IP ratings, solid reliability, globally. Over the past 18 years, Absen has invested in the as well as being extremely energy-efficient,” says Xiao. most advanced automated production technologies and She goes on to state that the affordability and diversity of state-of-the-art laboratories, and the company continues to Absen’s indoor Absenicon range, launched in May 2018, means drive research and development to push the boundaries that almost any organisation can invest in state-of-the-art LED of innovation. display technology. Xiao explains that: “There is an Absenicon Absen has ranked as the number-one manufacturer and display that is right for any sized meeting room or conference exporter of LED displays in China for a decade and produces space. Our displays can be deployed in spaces that approximately 6,000m2 of LED displays every week, the accommodate anywhere from 20 to 300 participants, all of equivalent of a football field. The company is highly committed whom will be able to see what is being displayed on the screen, to producing display solutions that comply with the highest in high definition, from anywhere in the room.” international quality and safety standards, while delivering The benefits for organisations that invest in professionalaffordable and user-friendly products that are well received by quality LED displays by Absen are vast and varied and almost professional AV technologists and end-users alike. always promise a return on investment. “The versatility and wide range of the Absenicon range enables almost any organisation to standardise its AV deployment. For universities, Absen displays allow institutions to create the kind of flagship lecture theatres that attract students Absen’s wide array of full-colour LED display solutions have in a competitive environment. Conference organisers are been used to great effect across multiple verticals, including increasingly considering the quality of a facility’s AV digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH), live events, production infrastructure when choosing a space to host an event – and sets, houses of worship, corporate applications (such as in LED displays represent the cutting-edge in display technology, boardrooms and auditoria), in the training and education ensuring that every conference delegate is afforded the very environment, among many other applications. best experience of the presentation. For corporate users, As the digital revolution unfolds, the benefits of digital Absenicon displays in boardrooms, meeting spaces and huddle marketing over traditional print billboards and banners are rooms foster collaboration, facilitate video conferencing and increasingly transforming the advertising market. Absen’s range support smarter business practices.

LED DISPLAYS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

COMPANY PROFILE

“All of our products are supported by certified technicians, who are HDMI HD trained by highly experienced c a b l e s Absen professional trainers between units across the world. This means that and are both The sales team of the Absen African market fast, efficient maintenance and WiFi and Bluetooth servicing on all of our products is enabled. guaranteed. Whether you have purchased your Absen display “The most important achievement of the Absenicon range is in Beijing, New York or in Kenya, a certified Absen technician will that when it comes to investing in a professional LED display, be available to assist you in getting the most out of your clients no longer have to choose between quality, functionality investment.” and affordability,” explains Xiao. “Not only does the unit offer features that are often only available in a much higher price bracket, but the displays are reliable and very easy and costeffective to install and service.” As a result, clients in the developing world are, for the first time, able to afford high-tech Since Absen was first established, the company has remained display solutions for a wide array of applications, which deliver at the cutting-edge of display technology and continues to results that are comparable with those achieved by leaders in push the boundaries of innovation. the developed world. “The latest trend in display technology is the shift from LCD to LED – and Absen is committed to accelerating the change,” says Xiao. This shift is evidenced by the DOOH billboards in Lagos, Nigeria launch of Absen’s new Absenicon range, which has been available internationally since May 2018. The Absenicon LED displays, which come in five standard sizes ranging from 110 to 220 inches, offer contrast ratios of up to 4000:1 and are equipped with an intelligent full HD signal processing card, together with a 1080P signal processing chip to support the input of 1080@60HZ signals and uncompressed output. Absenicon supports direct HDMI input and output, accepts shielded

DRIVING INNOVATION

COMPANY PROFILE

The ease of installation has also been of particular benefit to clients in Africa, where skills shortages continue to be a challenge for the pro AV market. Absen screens do not require teams of engineers and programmers to install, which means that a few well-trained ACE certified technicians can service a wide range of customers in a single territory. Absen displays have been used for a wide range of projects across the continent, including for the first edition of Comic-Con Africa in Johannesburg, for DOOH advertising in Nigeria, and a wide range of live events. Some of the continent’s most respected rental companies have invested in Absen displays and have deployed them

Church in Tanzania

ABSEN REACHES AFRICA Absen entered the African market in 2006 and over the past 12 years has established itself as a provider of choice for LED displays on the continent. “The Absen Africa team has achieved the highest level of market share on the African continent since we entered the market,” Xiao says. The primary reason that Absen has been so successful in Africa is that the company’s research and development departments have taken into consideration local conditions when designing LED solutions for the continent. “In Africa, factors such as energy consumption and brightness levels are key factors that we take into consideration for our clients,” says Xiao. “In Lagos, Nigeria, the high levels of direct sunlight and heat, as well as a scarcity of electricity have been considered, and Absen’s out-door screens continue to show very stable performance in the region, despite the challenging environment. Absen’s indoor products, meanwhile, are the perfect indoor direct-view LED solution for markets such as retail, corporate, transportation hubs and houses of worship, thanks to its wide range of pixel-pitch configurations.”

for live events, production sets, corporate events and conferences. Absen screens are also being used widely for permanent installations, especially in the houses of worship market, the retail sector, transport hubs and government institutions. Absen has a range of certified value-added partners across Africa to ensure that purchasing, installation and maintenance are all of the highest standards. “As one of the most promising markets in the world, Africa is a highly valued market for Absen. Working in close collaboration with our partners, we have made great achievements over the past 12 years, and we remain committed to extending our reach on the continent. Our dedicated African team include sales executives who are able to do business in both English and French and three highly-skilled engineers that support all of our partners. We are extremely proud of the relationships that we have developed with our African partners and are excited to see what the future holds,” Xiao concludes.

Absen Polaris at ISE 2019

FEATURE STUDIO & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

FEATURE 14

IMMERSIVE MAGIC FOR THE VOICE SA

NEW STARS FIND THE SPOTLIGHT

NOOT VIR NOOT MOVES IN TIME

LOCAL TECHNICAL TALENT JOINS EUROVISION CREW

ENTERTAINMEN REAL LIFE AN

Television in the home has been one of the most influential and transformative innovations of the 20th Century. The TV has revolutionised the way that information is spread across the globe and has created a platform for sharing between cultures that has contributed enormously to the development of the 21st-Century concept of a global village.

FEATURE STUDIO & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

NT TECHNOLOGY IN ND ON CAMERA I am sure that I am not alone in remembering the early days of broadcast television in South Africa, with the first grainy images reaching South African homes by 1976. In the mid-80s, South Africans were enjoying a variety of American television shows on South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) channels – often dubbed into Afrikaans and simulcast in English on the radio. By the 1990s, some of South Africa’s most iconic local productions, including the ever-popular Noot vir Noot, were a daily part of South African life, and the local production industry started to take serious shape. Just as we have witnessed the dramatic transformation of “the little box” over the past century – so the technology used to create television productions has undergone a radical transformation over a surprisingly short space of time. Tungsten lighting, once so critical for capturing natural skin-tones on camera in studio, has now become largely LED-based. The often kitsch static sets, so iconic of early game shows, have been replaced with state-of-the-art LCD screens and dynamic lighting designs. Traditional stereo sound has been revolutionised with the introduction of immersive sound technology. Increasingly, the boundaries between live events and studio productions are being broken down, particularly in reality television. Event technology and the technology

used for television studios have far more in common than in the past, particularly if one looks at the rapid digitisation of sound, lighting and display technology. The following feature takes a look at some of the great work that is being done by South Africa’s technical suppliers to the production industry. Some productions, like Noot vir Noot, are long-loved favourites that are being reinvented using the latest technology. Others, such as The Voice South Africa, have provided the opportunity to introduce technology that has not yet been used on international versions of the show, demonstrating our ability to be early adopters despite barriers in the developing world. Finally, this year's Eurovision contest demonstrates South African technical talent being put to use on one of the world’s largest productions to incorporate both television and live event technology. We have a lot to be proud of, and the power of television is that the work done by South Africans is being broadcast to audiences all over Africa, and all over the world. A big thank you to all of the stakeholders that contributed to these fantastic local productions and for providing us with the opportunity to tell your stories. – Nicole Barnes

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IMMERSIVE MAGIC FOR

THE VOICE SA The live performance rounds of the third season of M-Net’s The Voice South Africa opened at the Mosaïek Teatro in Roodepoort on Sunday 19 May – introducing South African audiences to the splendour of L-Acoustics’ ground-breaking Immersive Sound Art (L-ISA) technology for the first time. 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. Based on a reality show The Voice of Holland, broadcast in 2010, The Voice was adopted by an American network in 2011, and Talpa have successfully franchised the show internationally. 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. The iconic “Blind Audition” phase of the show has coaches facing away from those auditioning – so that the only factor that is taken into consideration is, literally, The Voice. 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.

ETECH had the opportunity to speak with the engineers, designers and programmers that have made the third season of The Voice South Africa arguably one of the most technically outstanding televised live broadcasts that M-Net has ever delivered for audiences both in the venue and at home.

AN AUDITORY REVELATION 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,

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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 set-up 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.

“This patented technology, demonstrated at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) and Prolight+Sound earlier this year, allows for sound elements to be individually placed within a 3D environment, enveloping the live audience in sound and allowing the audience to hear and see where Talent are on the stage.” L‑ISA technology is enabled by a comprehensive hardware and software ecosystem that adds new tools including 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. Multi-Media’s Adriaan van der Walt, one of South Africa’s leading sound engineers, and Chris Pugh, a leading systems engineer from DWR Distribution, were the first South African engineers to attend L-Acoustics L-ISA training at the L-Acoustics head office in France.

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THE SOUND OF TEAMWORK Speaking to ETECH in a recent interview, van der Walt says that he has followed the development of the L-ISA system since it first entered the market and was delighted to be selected to attend the L-ISA training programme. “The training was two-fold: it took the traditional role of the sound engineer and split it in two. It mirrored the international touring model of having a dedicated mixer and a separate systems engineer. This is because there are so many decisions to make, and the workload is overwhelming for one person and begins to be counter-productive.” Pugh of DWR Distribution is a specialist systems engineer and was also selected to attend the training. “While Adriaan focused on the mixing, I was provided with extensive training on the systems engineering aspects of the L-ISA system,” explains Pugh. Reflecting on the L-Acoustics L-ISA training programme, Pugh says: “It was a lot of information to take in over a short period. However, the information was delivered in such a way that I have been able to adapt quite quickly.” Pugh goes on to explain that he has been able to augment his skills as a systems engineer through the experience. “Basically, the foundations are the same as what I have been

doing as a systems sound engineer for years – just on a much larger scale.” He adds that the support that he received from L-Acoustics has made all the difference in ensuring that L-ISA’s first deployment for Multi-Media was a success. “L-Acoustics sent one of their support experts to assist in getting the system installed and calibrated, which was very helpful,” he says. “Adriaan and I have worked closely to ensure that the very high standards set by L-Acoustics for their systems were met for The Voice South Africa, and it has been great to see the results of our hard work.” Reflecting on his involvement with L-ISA, Pugh gives credit to the Multi-Media team, stating that Adriaan and all of the Multi-Media technicians are a pleasure to work with. “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, particularly for the classical and jazz genres, in the years to come.” De Lancey echoes Pugh’s sentiments, stating that “Adriaan has achieved outstanding results with the L-ISA system. He has gone well beyond the call of duty on this production, and I am incredibly excited about what we will achieve with L-ISA on future projects.”

“I am ecstatic with what we have achieved with L-ISA for The Voice South Africa, especially as this is the first time that fully immersive sound technology has been used for The Voice franchise internationally, and certainly for the first time in South Africa.” 22

– Chris de Lancey, Director of Innovation, Multi-Media

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NEW STARS FIND THE SPOTLIGHT M-Net has secured some of the country’s top technical talent to bring South African audiences the third season of The Voice South Africa. ETECH magazine spoke with some of the talent who qualified for the live performance rounds about their first experience with professionallevel entertainment technology and the technical wizards that supported them during the journey.

“The technical teams that are working on the show are so talented. It is not only our talent that is being showcased on The Voice South Africa – we also need to recognise the people behind-the-scenes, the guys doing the lighting and sound.” – Amy Tjasink, a finalist on the third season of The Voice South Africa

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M-Net’s The Voice South Africa has, once again, successfully uncovered an impressive stable of previously-unknown South African artists – and provided them with the mentorship, exposure and opportunity to launch successful careers in the entertainment industry. In addition to benefiting from being mentored by some of the top recording artists in South Africa, the talent on the third season of The Voice South Africa have had the opportunity to work with some of the country’s most recognised set designers, lighting designers and sound engineers, using international-rider compliant technology.

THE TECH A-TEAM M-Net has drawn on the very best technical talent to bring audiences a truly international-level production for The Voice South Africa. Multi-Media Event Trading again served as the technical supplier, providing professional AV gear and support services throughout the season. “I am feeling fantastic about what we have achieved for The Voice South Africa – particularly the successful deployment of the L-Acoustics Immersive Sound Art, [L-ISA],” states Chris de Lancey, director of innovation at Multi-Media. Reflecting on the technical crew that has served the production, de Lancey says, “The team has been great – we have all been working together for a long time and work well as a unit.”

SETTING THE SCENE The set for the third season of The Voice South Africa was once again designed by Dewet Meyer, the managing director of JDM Unlimited, one of South Africa’s leading production design agents for the

television studio, events and multi-camera industry. Having worked on the previous two seasons of The Voice South Africa, Meyer has a solid understanding of the complexities of designing the sets for all the phases of the show, including the “Blind Auditions”, “The Battles”, “The Knockouts” and the live performance rounds. For the third season, Meyer successfully delivered something fresh, while remaining consistent with the international look and feel of The Voice franchise. Joshua Cutts, one of South Africa’s preeminent lighting designers, again lit The Voice South Africa. “Over the last year or two, I have learned that The Voice brand is highly committed to delivering a world-class live concert experience during the live performance rounds of the show. The talent feeds off the energy in the room, driving them to perform at their best, which translates for the viewers watching at home,” Cutts explains. Working in close collaboration with André Siebrits of Visual Frontier, Cutts put together a spectacular lighting design for the live performance rounds, featuring vertical trussing, or ‘fingers’, to accommodate the large bulkhead on the stage at the Mosaïek Teatro. “If I do horizontal trusses on this stage, I won’t be able to hang them in a big section of the roof – and you lose significant coverage. Also, Adriaan [van der Walt] needed a lot of roof space for the L-ISA PA hangs, which fitted between my trusses and therefore had little effect on the lighting,” Cutts points out. During the live performance rounds of the show, Cutts and Siebrits worked with the talent during rehearsal times to design a unique look and feel for each performance. “It is often the first time that the talent on The Voice gets to work with a team of industry professionals that are focused on guiding and cultivating them to create the best performance possible for each show. We all get stuck in and give our all to make the moment for them – and to make it the best moment

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that it can possibly be,” says Cutts. Amy Tjasink of Riky Rick’s team, who has gained a lot of experience as a musical director for the cruise ship industry, truly appreciates what a privilege this is for a young artist. “Before the show starts – usually on a Wednesday – we meet up with the technical teams, and we get to talk about what we will be performing, and are encouraged to share our vision for the look and feel that we have in mind. The creative teams are so supportive – no matter what I ask for, they are willing to help.”

SHINING TALENT The Voice, as a franchise, differentiates itself from many other popular talent competitions in that it is focused on discovering new talent in a supportive and positive environment, and providing them with the tools needed to make it in the professional industry after the show concludes. The Voice South Africa delivers on this vision without exception, particularly when it comes to equipping the talent with the skills needed to perform as professional musicians, using professional-level technology. Yahto Kraft, a musical theatre student mentored by LIRA, says: “We are so lucky and blessed to have the technology and systems that we have on the show. The new L-ISA sound technology being used is absolutely insane! We are so lucky to be able to work with such hightech equipment.” This sentiment is echoed by the PJ Twins, two classically-trained tenors from the Western Cape. “We love to perform using the L-ISA system. It brings our voices to another level, and you can feel the music right through your body. You get the most perfectly clear sound through the in-ear monitors, which makes it technically possible to be on-point with each note – it makes us sound amazing.”

“We are learning a lot each and every day during this journey whether it is about vocal training, sound engineering, using pro-level equipment or professional lighting design. Being exposed to this standard of technology and professionalism will, without doubt, prove a huge advantage as we step into our professional careers.” – Soné Joubert of Riana Nel’s team,

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Photos by Studio 88 Photography

NOOT VIR NOOT MOVES IN TIME

After 28 years, 43 seasons and more than 700 episodes under its belt, South Africa’s longest continually-running gameshow, Noot vir Noot, is ready for a relaunch.

With a new presenter in Emo Adams, new show elements to look forward to and a state-of-the-art new set, the much-loved show is ready to entertain both old and new audiences when it re-airs on SABC2 in mid-August. ETECH spoke to the technical team behind the show’s dramatic redesign, to get a sneak-peak of what to expect from the upcoming season.

TIME TO REFRESH The Noor vir Noot story began when Johan van Rensburg and Johann Stemmet were both working at the SABC in the 1980s. As Stemmet, the show’s director, explains: “In 1989, we left to start our own production house, and then the SABC called us for ideas about new game shows. We came up with a concept for a music game show – which they initially shot down because it was thought ‘too niche.’ It was exclusively Afrikaans when launched in 1991, but then we gradually introduced English music and artists over the years – and before we knew it, it was a show for the whole of South Africa.” Following the announcement of Stemmet’s retirement as the presenter of Noot vir Noot earlier this year, Stemmet says: “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].” Stemmet will still provide crucial continuity by serving as producer and director of the show, as well as continuing to source the contestants. He outlines some of the exciting innovations ahead: “We are going to change the whole format of the show. We’re involving a younger audience, younger contestants, younger presenter – we’re making it accessible and enjoyable for everybody.” Some new elements to look out for include the disappearance of the traditional cover band, with this instrumental backing being replaced by a DJ booth – a tweak to the format enabled by the producers purchasing the rights to use original tracks – and the show’s state-of-the-art new set, which introduces a truly stunning visual backdrop to the gameplay.

SET FOR SUCCESS 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 enjoys a close working relationship with both the show’s producers and Urban Brew for many years.

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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. “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. “As a result,” Ballot continues, “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.”

NOOT VIR NOOT GETS LIT Ryan Lombard, who served as FX lighting technician on the show expands on his design for Noot vir Noot, stating: “The first thing that we decided was that we were going to go for a very clean set, with no light fixtures on the floor and no visible cabling. We wanted to create a very

Photo by STudio 88 Photography

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modern, sleek look and feel for Noot vir Noot, using LED screens and the latest in lighting technology. There is not a lot of space between the contestants and the camera – so it was important to have visual elements behind the contestants to fill up the frame. “The other important element to the set design was keeping the space open and very slick,” Lombard continues. “I, therefore, decided to specify the Martin by HARMAN VDO Sceptron, which is a linear LED video fixture that is able to display video content as a lighting effect in the spaces between the screens.” The Sceptrons, supplied by Electrosonic, are innovative fixtures that represent the latest in studio lighting technology, and Lombard outlines some of their unique advantages: “We could have used LED strip on the spaces between the screens, but the Spectrons provided a much more versatile and easy-to-use solution. With the Sceptrons, I am able to upload content that is perfectly colour-matched with the content on the screens and they are bright enough to work as a lighting fixture while versatile enough to display video content.” Ballot adds on the versatility and user-friendliness of the Sceptrons: “We decided to invest in the VDO Sceptrons because they are highly versatile fixtures that represent a valuable addition to our rental inventory. While they have been perfect for the set of Noot vir Noot, we are able to use them for a wide variety of applications – including outdoor shoots, because they are bright enough to be used as a light source and are outdoor-rated.”

DISPLAY BRILLIANCE

Schalk Botha, product expert on Absen at DWR Distribution elucidates: “The D2V, which Blond Productions have in their inventory, is ideal for studio applications. Cameras love this panel because of its refresh rate, which refers to how fast the individual LEDs flash. The combination of the very narrow pixel pitch and the ultra-high refresh rate – which can be pushed up to 3840Hz on the D2V – means you get smooth footage without flickers or pixilation, up to a camera distance of about three metres. “The greyscale performance is another big selling-point – and so for your studio, newsroom or broadcast applications, this is a great, vivid, space-efficient solution.” From a broadcasting perspective, the brightness, crispness and clarity of the screen-filled set design will allow the cameras to shoot in 5600K and perform colour-correction afterwards – and Lombard explains the neatness of the networking set-up between the various fixtures and screens.

“We decided to invest in the VDO Sceptrons because they are highly versatile fixtures that represent a valuable addition to our rental inventory. While they have been perfect for the set of Noot vir Noot, we are able to use them for a wide variety of applications – including outdoor shoots, because they are bright enough to be used as a light source and are outdoor-rated.”

In addition to the forty VDO Sceptrons on set, technophiles will notice the deployment of a number of Absen LED screens on set.

– Christiaan Ballot, Director, Blond Productions

“The lighting and screens were all controlled using the MA Network – we made use of the MA MPU, VPU and two grandMA2 lighting desks – which allowed me to control the mapping on all the screens and the Sceptrons. It also allows me create an innovative ‘buzzer’ system that didn’t require the use of an actual buzzer, which contestants tend to find irresistible to touch when they are off-camera and technically not in the game.”

SOUND INVESTMENTS Of course, while getting the look of the set just right was vital for the rebranding project, Noot vir Noot has won loyal viewers over the years because of the integral role that music plays in the show. As Ballot puts it: “Noot vir Noot is – at its heart – a music show, and therefore the quality of sound is very important.” Faced with the aesthetic imperatives of the set design, Ballot and his team decided to invest in high-quality audio technology designed to mitigate the need for unsightly boxes, speakers and cables. On the gameplay side of things, a range of Shure Axient Digitial microphones provides impeccable RF-based microphone feeds. Featuring channel quality metering, AD and ADX cross-compatibility, AES-256 encryption and Dante/AES67 + AES3 digital outputs, the “Axient range has provided everything we needed, both in terms of quality and ease-of-use in Urban Brew’s studio setup.” Meanwhile, as far as the system design was concerned, Rian Rademan, head of sound and AV at Blond Productions, explains that “Because of the look of our set, we needed the PA to be as unobtrusive as possible. I therefore custom-designed and built brackets for the eight L-Acoustic X8 monitors and mounted them on the walls, thus ensuring that they did not impact on Ryan’s lighting design.” With the capacity to accurately translate the sonic signature of a large sound system within smaller spaces, the X8 boasts high SPL and extended LF resources in a compact format. As Ballot says, “When people saw how small the boxes were they were sceptical – until we turned the system on and delivered the amazing, distinctive L-Acoustics sound that we knew that they would.” With its refreshed format and refurbished set – featuring the best of what current entertainment technology and proudly South African talent has to offer – be sure to tune into the revamped 44th Season of Noot vir Noot, which premieres on the 15th of August on SABC2 at 7pm.

Photos by Ralph Larmann

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LOCAL TECHNICAL TALENT JOINS EUROVISION CREW The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is considered to be one of the most spectacular and captivating television events in the world. There are few lighting professionals who have not got ESC on their gig bucket lists – including Joshua Cutts and Christopher Bolton, two of South Africa’s most eminent lighting designers. ETECH spoke with both Cutts and Bolton about the fateful morning that they received the call to join the crew for the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held at Israel’s Expo Tel Aviv in May.

THE EUROVISION EXPERIENCE The Eurovision Song Contest is renowned for delivering a spectacular feast for the senses by consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible from a staging and production perspective. Production manager, Ola Melzig, used his significant international network to bring together some of the best technical talents from all over the world to ensure unsurpassed production standards at this year’s event. Lighting for the 2019 edition was entrusted to Ronen Najar and Dakar Azulay, two Israeli lighting designers who were able to combine their respective skills in the live, musical and television fields to deliver at the highest possible level. The dynamic team oversaw the operation of a lighting rig of truly gargantuan proportions, which comprised no less than 15 grandMA consoles, controlling 71,061 parameters and more than 2,500 light sources and LED Fixtures. The show’s lighting design was based on a concept created by Florian Wieder, who wanted to create a scene recalling the Star of David – the symbol of the state of Israel. “There are about 1,600 fixtures for the main stage, alongside a further 200 for the

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green room. These fixtures are largely LED, a decision which prompted an in-depth study to provide the required balance, with a choice of colour temperature from 5000K to 5600K. This provides an output that is not too warm, tending slightly towards pink,” Najar explains. Inside Expo Tel Aviv, the venue chosen for this year’s performances, a dedicated room was created for the pre-programming of the event. Here, lighting, video and broadcast crews spent a month simulating lighting and video cues, alongside camera movements, to further optimise timing once inside the venue itself. The 406 Claypaky fixtures specified by Najar and Azulay, which included 66 Axcor 600, 152 Sharpy Wash, 116 Sharpy Plus and 72 Unico units, performed the lion’s share of the show’s lighting. In particular, the Sharpy Plus units provided some extraordinary spot-beam effects, which worked in combination with luminous triangles that covered the entire roof of the venue. In addition, the rig included more than 700 Ayrton fixtures, including 330 MagicBlade-R and 206 MagicBlade-FX, which were rigged on ladders at regular intervals across the massive back and side walls. These were interspersed with 100 Khamsin-TC profile fixtures which, together, were used to create a multitude of looks from subtle backdrops, to strong colourful visuals, and brilliant aerial effects. “There were more lights on the back wall than you would have on your average tour,” says Melzig, “and the power of the MagicBlades was truly a sight for sore eyes.”

CALLING IN THE TROOPS With a lighting rig of this magnitude and complexity, it is not surprising that the production of ESC requires an army of technicians, and among those drafted in were South Africans Joshua Cutts and Christopher Bolton. “Christopher and I have a fair number of international contracts over the past few years, and we have had the privilege to work with some very prominent designers and programmers during this time. When Ronan and Dakar decided that it would be in the best interests of the production to contract a few more programmers to expand the lighting team ahead of the finals, he contacted Marco Zucchinali of Claypaky, who placed our names among the list of possible candidates,” Cutts explains. “Marco called me up one morning,” Cutts recalls, “and told me that there was a three-week gig available. My first response was to say that I was already committed and was not sure if it would be possible,” he says. “I then asked him ‘What’s the gig?’ And when he said it was Eurovision, I simply said ‘Hold on!’ and cleared my schedule.” Cutts completed a telephone interview with Ronan and Dakar later that day, who then reviewed his show reel. “At 11 pm that evening, they called me back and asked if I could come to Tel Aviv the very next day. I had no idea what was in store for me – I think I was completely blown away that I was going to Eurovision, and it all felt a little surreal.”

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"Any one of the technical professionals that I work with in South Africa could

Photos by Ralph Larmann

have fitted in with the team at Eurovision – and that is both encouraging and something to be very proud of." – Joshua Cutts

AN INSPIRED LANDING The Eurovision Song Contest includes contestants from 41 countries, who are whittled down to 26 delegations that battle it out during the final rounds of the show in front of a live audience of 7,500 people, while the live broadcast is watched by approximately 200 million fans worldwide. “Eurovision is, without doubt, the largest production that I have ever worked on – the scale of it is quite mind-blowing,” Cutts points out. “When I first arrived at the venue, the scale of the production and sheer size of the rig was a little overwhelming. Ronan was, however, extremely understanding and encouraged me to spend the first day or two just taking it all in. It was a little like being at a lighting designer’s version of Disneyland!” Once the work started in the lead-up to the first of the live shows, the lighting team decided to split up into teams, with one team working the day shift and another team working at night to capture notes taken from the rehearsals held during the day. “It was at this point that I gave Christopher a call and told him that he simply had to join me.” Bolton explains: “I was working on a job in Saudi Arabia when Joshua called me and told me that I really needed to come to Eurovision. I realised that it was an opportunity of a lifetime, and therefore decided to get to Tel Aviv as quickly as I could.” Over the next three weeks, Bolton and Cutts worked with an enormous team of technicians to oversee guest performances, as well as delegate rehearsals and the live shows. “The pace is absolutely gruelling,” Bolton points out. “There are only 24 hours in a day – and the amount of work that needed to be accomplished during those few weeks is mindblowing,” says Bolton. “We had a half-hour rehearsal with each of the 42 delegates, with ten minutes between each rehearsal to take notes. We had four days of rehearsals and then everybody got a day off – except the lighting department, because that was our opportunity to come in

and work on the rig. During show week, we had a day with two dress rehearsals, followed by a day with a dress rehearsal and then the show, and we continued at this pace for six days in a row.” Despite the enormous pressure and unrelenting pace, Eurovision is renowned for being a remarkably slick production. “The secret to producing a show of this scale is the exceptionally high levels of collaboration and communication, and the unbelievable standards that are maintained by each technician on every team,” Bolton explains. Cutts echoes these thoughts, stating that the production team determined a schedule, and every delegation and technical department adhered to the schedule without fault. “One of the coolest things for me is that you are a part of this massive machine that seems to move on its own momentum. There is a schedule that everybody follows, and – because of that – you become this single collective force, with the single objective of creating something truly exceptional. You don’t want to be the person that is responsible for holding up the whole production – which simply cannot afford to shut down for even a moment. So everybody brings their A-game, all of the time. It was both inspirational and humbling to be a part of.” When asked what the highlight of the experience was, Cutts concludes by stating: “As South Africans, we sometimes underestimate ourselves. Working on a show like this has helped me to acknowledge that while we might work on a smaller scale and with fewer crew members, our technicians do work at international standards. Any one of the technical professionals that I work with in South Africa could have fitted in with the team at Eurovision – and that is both encouraging and something to be very proud of.” Come experience the talent and professionalism of the SA lighting industry with Joshua Cutts and Christopher Bolton, who will be at The Black Box at MediaTech Africa from 17 to 19 July 2019.

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STUDIO LIGHTING ROUND-UP

ETC SOURCE 4 LED SERIES 2 DAYLIGHT AND TUNGSTEN HD FIXTURES The Daylight HD and Tungsten HD arrays from ETC were designed for the studio and other applications where high-definition lighting is a must. With flicker-free operation – even at high speeds – the Source Four LED Series 2 Daylight HD and Tungsten HD arrays look great on screen. •

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The Daylight HD array produces the coolest (4000 to 6500K) variable-white light that looks just like natural sunlight, and the Tungsten HD array creates warm (2700 to 4500K) adjustable-white light that mimics the performance of tungsten fixtures. Their temperatures and tints can be tweaked to perfectly illuminate individual skin tones, so they look great in person and on camera The Source Four LED Series 2 is also designed to work perfectly with DataTrack Backbone. This strong and stable track lighting solution makes it possible to use full-sized LED fixtures in track lighting installs Some product features include: 60 Luxeon Rebel LED emitters; 20,000-hour L70 rating; slots for glass or stainless steel patterns and soft focus diffuser; accessory slot for motorized pattern devices or optional iris. Multiple control options include RGB, strobe, and console-free Master/Slave mode Power and DMX in/thru connections for easy setup: up to nine fixtures (15A max) may be linked via power thru connector (10 fixtures total per circuit) when used with R20 Relay Module or Unison Echo Relay Panel; DMX512 in/thru via five-pin XLR connectors

Distributor: Apexpro www.apexpro.co.za

ETC COLORSOURCE CYC The ColorSource CYC is a dedicated cyclorama fixture with the sole purpose of creating beautiful, smooth washes of light on a cyclorama or wall. Along with a lower fixture count, you won’t need to worry about replacing gels on as many power-hungry units. •

• • • •

The five-colour mix of this fanless fixture is a unique blend of red, green, blue, indigo and lime, giving an incredible range of colours at an affordable price With a compact and lightweight design, it fits easily on your studio floor and can be hung from a C-clamp or pipe Because these fixtures are fanless and all-LED, they consume a fraction of the power of other standard CYC fixtures Neutrik PowerCON in/out connectors; DMX-512 via 5-pin XLR or RJ45 connector Can be operated via ETC’s free app called “CYC Tool”. Here you can input the width and height of the cyclorama, how far the fixtures are to be set back, and if you are lighting it from the ground, above, or both – and it will automatically calculate “good” and “best” options for your setup

Distributor: Apexpro www.apexpro.co.za

STUDIO LIGHTING

PROFESSIONAL

AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR

S O M E WA I T. S O M E S E E K . OTHERS JUST

MAKE IT IT HAPPEN. HAPPEN. MAKE

Sure, some thrilling experiences come out of nowhere. But not in this industry. When it comes to live sound, unforgettable experiences are built — one piece at a time. We made ShowMatch to be the piece you don’t have to worry about. Yes, because it’s durable and reliable. But also because we’re not going anywhere. We’re here to support you. And we’re here to stay.

ShowMatch Systems More coverage from fewer modules DeltaQ technology allows tailorable coverage patterns to better match the venue Complete solution available with carts, cases, and amplification

FEATURE STUDIO & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

ETC COLORSOURCE PEARL RANGE ColorSource Pearl from ETC is a variable white-light array that houses a mix of two different white LEDs that enable you to set the colour temperature anywhere between 2700K and 6500K. •

•

The Pearl array includes the same great feature set and high quality construction as its full-colour siblings, including an impressively bright output, a simple user interface, and a price point that is tough to beat Pearl was designed for installations that depend heavily on white light, such as studios, houses of worship and architectural installations Where camera work is a key part of operations, fixtures must be flicker-free and have an incredibly smooth dimming curve – and ColorSource Pearl is able to perform to those exacting standards With warm white and cool white in the same fixture, it’s finally possible to install a full LED rig that gives adjustable white light, without breaking your budget Some key product features include: bright output, quality construction, simple user interface, flicker-free operation, smooth dimming, affordability

Distributor: Apexpro www.apexpro.co.za

HIGH END SYSTEMS SOLAFRAME 750 High End Systems’ SolaFrame 750 is the most compact framing fixture in the Sola Series family of automated tools. A reliable workhorse with plenty of brightness and an impressive range of features. •

•

• • •

Featuring a compact footprint but a huge feature set, the SolaFrame 750 is a perfect fit for smaller to medium-sized venues, and its 11,300 lumens can easily cut through the competition With 6-50° zoom, rotating gobo wheel, fully continuous animation and much, much more, the SolaFrame 750 offers the widest array of effects currently available in a fixture of its size Full-frame, four-plane shutters engineered for accuracy and speed CMY/CTO-linear colour mixing and a replaceable colour wheel, saving maintenance and repairs costs In-built functions such as Iris, Three-Facet Prism and Frost; three active cooling modes

Distributor: Apexpro www.apexpro.co.za

FEATURE STUDIO & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

STRAND STUDIO 300S The Studio softlight range from Strand features panels with both calibrated white colour temperature settings of 3200K and 5600K, as well as a tunable white version, making it ideal for a wide range of lighting applications. •

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A slimline, large LED studio softlight designed specifically for TV broadcast lighting, with a very high TLCI rating in excess of 94 and a consistent 5600K and 3100K soft, even, 50° beam output Also features a large illuminance output area, with a 50° beam angle for a smooth, even output to distant objects High-performance optical system formed by a high-quality PMMA convex lens and frost panel filter With its on-board, full-color LCD display, all necessary data such as DMX address, intensity, CD value, CRI, LED/tungsten mode, curve type, CCT and internal temperature can be viewed at all times – and with the simple “touch and turn” design, all parameters can be easily adjusted Natural convection cooling without fans offers a quiet operational environment during recording

DWR Distribution www.dwrdistribution.co.za

QUARTZCOLOUR BY COSMOLIGHT STUDIO LED X SERIES Cosmolight is a professional lighting company who design and manufacture lighting, suspension systems and an extensive range of related products for the professional lighting industry. In 2012 the company acquired Quartzcolor and IFF, world-renowned brands for professional lighting fixtures and lighting suspensions. •

•

• •

Combining the peerless features of the renowned QuartzColour Fresnel spotlights with the latest advances in LED technology, the Studio LED X Series range is more powerful and from 30% to 60% brighter than ever before The high-lumen density COB LED array allows true colour reproduction and a pure, bright, and consistent white light, as well as ensuring exceptional beam control and precision lighting A high-resolution LCD graphic display guarantees immediate access to dimming and colour temperature set up, as well as insight into the system status to show the LED internal temperature and the dimming level (both in remote and manual mode) On-board DMX RDM control function On-board USB port allows for fast and rapid diagnostics, as well as easy installation of new software and feature upgrades

DWR Distribution www.dwrdistribution.co.za

FEATURE STUDIO & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

ROBE T1 PROFILE Robe’s T1 fixture has been described as “the new one and only fixture you need for theatre, television and touring.” It has been specifically designed to fulfil the challenging requirements of these diverse applications within one comprehensive fixture. • •

•

The new revolutionary MSL (Multi-Spectral Light) LED engine’s output reaches an impressive 10,075 lumens The T1 Profile is full of theatrical subtlety. With CMY colour control, DataSwatch filters containing a selection of pre-programmed colours via the new generation RCC (Robe Colour Calibration) algorithm and a wide-ranging 2700K to 8000K CCT control, all variations of colour are possible for even the most demanding designers Precise dimming needs are catered to with the super-smooth Robe 18-bit dimming system, while the high CRI of 90+ provides natural skin tones For television work, Robe has included a plus and minus green channel, as well as Cpulse flicker-free management for all vision systems such as HD and UHD cameras All this combined with the fixture’s crisp framing shutter system, full zoom range of 0,5° and 10° variable frosts, specially-designed breakup and aerial gobos, animation wheel and prism, gives you total control over your lighting design

DWR Distribution www.dwrdistribution.co.za

MARTIN ELP SERIES The Martin ELP range is the company’s bold entry into the world of ellipsoidal LED fixtures. Martin ELP Ellipsoids feature optic assemblies designed in Denmark by the technology innovators behind MAC Encore, the leading LED moving light. •

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Martin ELP fixtures deliver the luminance, brightness and vivid colour rendering that has been synonymous with the Martin name for more than 30 years – and also offer innovative, industry-first features for precise, nuanced control and ease-of-use The ELP series is designed to maximise efficiency and deliver a flat field of illumination for smoother blending and mixing between fixtures Available in two versions: ELP WW (warm white) offers industry-leading colour rendering and brightness, while the ELP CL (colour) delivers rich, saturated colours and class-leading output Both versions can be configured with one of four Martin lens tubes in 19, 26, 36 and 50-degree beam angles. ELP fixtures can also seamlessly integrate into your existing inventory via convenient third-party compatibility with industry standard lens tubes and accessories The ELP range also offers 16-bit dimming with four selectable curves and 26 colour presets that match industry-standard colour filters

Electrosonic www.electrosonic.co.za

FEATURE STUDIO & PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

MARTIN MAC ALLURE PROFILE Martin’s MAC Allure Profile is the world’s first pixelated spot with light and colour engine divided into seven full-colour pixels. Designed to support rental and install clients, the MAC Allure Profile is perfect for a diverse range of applications, from concert rigs to TV studios. •

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The MAC Allure Profile features a novel RGBW light engine with unique seven-segment beam control. With instant colour control and pixelated beam, the MAC Allure Profile enables dynamic projection and not-previously-possible mid-air effects The proprietary light engine sets new standards in compactness and efficiency, previously associated with larger, costlier fixtures. Built for pixel mapping with an all solid-state colour mixing system, instant colour and intensity response To ease programming and content creation, this is also the first lighting fixture to incorporate Martin’s P3 control. This means that the pixelated beam can still be controlled or pixel-mapped via DMX and Art-Net protocols; however, switching or cross-fading to P3 is now instantly possible. High and precise refresh rates ensure no flicker or banding on any broadcast application Colour-calibrated system excels on subtle pastels and white tones to ensure consistent colours across fixtures

Electrosonic www.electrosonic.co.za

MARTIN VDO SCEPTRON 10 The VDO Sceptron 10 is a linear outdoor-rated LED video fixture for the rental market with 10 mm pixel pitch and an extensive range of optical accessories for a wide variety of looks. Martin VDO Sceptrons are perfect for attractively ‘breaking up’ large amounts of empty studio space, and are a very cost-effective way to dress up a venue. •

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The VDO Sceptron 10 is driven by the Martin P3 System Controller family for easy configuration, mapping and setup, and is also backwards-compatible with DMX for smaller setups The integrated power and data cabling allows for long daisy-chains with many fixtures per cable-run, while the power supply can be located backstage (up to 50m away) for a clean setup, avoiding messy cabling and several driver boxes Easy setup, mapping and configuration Pixel-level brightness and colour calibration for optimal image quality and consistency Key product feature includes: 10mm pixel pitch; 250 cd per meter calibrated; 750 lumens per meter calibrated, high-quality, 16-bit per colour image processing technology. Available in 320mm (12.6-inch) and 1000 mm (39.4-inch) versions

Electrosonic www.electrosonic.co.za

LIVE THEATRE

Photo by Christiaan Kotze

LIGHTS, CONSOLES

ETECH spoke to the head of the lighting department for

Samantha Peo leading the chorus line of Chicago

the Chicago the Musical International Tour 2018-2019, Glenn Duncan, to find out more about his experience of the technology used to bring this audacious and colourful all-South African

A nightclub singer, a double-murderess, a smooth-talking lawyer, a cell block of sin… and, of course, all that jazz! Chicago, the world’s sexiest musical, brought its high-energy flare back to the Montecasino Teatro stage after performing in New Zealand and China to critical acclaim.

I KNOW A WHOOPEE SPOT

production to the international stage.

Chicago has everything that makes Broadway and the West End great – a universal tale of fame and fortune, sensational dancing, a sophisticated set (which incorporates a live orchestra) and one show-stopping song after

another. Chicago continues to be one of the most successful international musical hits of all time. Based on a 1926 Broadway play written by Maurine Dallas Watkins, a journalist from the Chicago Tribune who had covered the trials of two women accused of killing their lovers while under the then-controversial influence of alcohol and jazz, Chicago was first created by the legendary Broadway trio of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse in 1975. Winner of six Tonys, two Oliviers, one Grammy, two Baftas and six Academy Awards, Chicago is the longest-running musical revival in Broadway history. An estimated 31 million people have seen Chicago, and the show has played over 32,500 performances worldwide.

LIVE THEATRE

... AND ALL THAT JAZZ BY STEPHEN SIMM

RAZZLE DAZZLE SA STYLE

Originally staged in Cape Town and Johannesburg in 2005, and again in 2008 at Montecasinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teatro and the Artscape in Cape Town, the all-South African rendition of Chicago is produced by Showtime Management in association with Barry and Fran Weissler and David Ian. The production features a combined South African and international creative team, including associate director Tania Nardini and the re-creation of New York production choreography by Gary Chryst, both of whom have staged Chicago across multiple continents. Awardwinning musical director Bryan Schimmel leads the 11-piece orchestra to once again razzle-dazzle South African audiences. The talented all-South African touring cast, band and crew for the 2018/19 season of the show began rehearsals in

Johannesburg in August 2018, before starting a year-long international tour that kicked off in New Zealand followed by China, before the company returned to South Africa in January 2019 ahead of the local leg of the tour. The company is now touring Europe where the show has been well received, with standing ovations.

THE TECH TANGO

The swinging tale is a feast for the eyes and ears, and is being told with the help of the best theatre lighting technology that ETC has to offer. Programmed and run on ETCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eos family of consoles, the Johannesburg run has been utilising the Ion XE 20, which was provided by South African distributor ApexPro to Splitbeam, the Technical supplier for the South African Season.

LIVE THEATRE

Photo by Christiaan Kotze

Mathew Lewis of ApexPro said, “We are always happy to assist where needed with service, as support is a major priority for us at ApexPro.” However, it’s not only the control side that features ETC products: the production is beautifully lit using a combination of standard Source Four Tungsten profiles along with the incomparable Source Four LED Series 2 Lustrs, which create absolutely breath-taking scenes. “With such a high standard of LED technology available, it is no wonder that productions all over the world include ETC fixtures as their go-to choice.”

GLENN DUNCAN TAKES THE STAND

We spoke to the head of the lighting department for Chicago’s International Tour 2018-2019, Glenn Duncan, to find out more about his experience with the technology used to bring this audacious and colourful production to the stage. According to Duncan, using ETC’s Eos family for a touring production is useful in that one can programme on one of the larger consoles and then run the show on a more compact member of the Eos family. “Having the bigger programming surfaces and more displays on the flagship consoles is great for programming, while the smaller, compact desks Carmen Pretorius plays Roxie Hart make life much easier on the road. Seamless networking also allows us to program and update from whichever console happens to be nearest the action, and gives us a backup system which can be relied on.” “The ETC Eos family is just that – a family,” says Duncan. “It’s a big plus that our show will run on any of the consoles in the family without modification. At various points on tour, we’ve used an Eos, two Gios, three Ions and an Ion XE, and the showfile has always been perfectly portable between the desks.” Duncan previously worked on the original production, which used scrollers. We asked him how using the ETC Lustrs have changed the show for him – do they measure up in the typical tungsten environment of theatre? “What a relief to have moved beyond scrollers!” he says. “A great deal of very precise and detailed work was done by Ken Billington and Associates to match the colours and outputs to the original design – and the fact that the Lustr units have been able to fully replace the scroller versions is a testament to the quality of their output.”

Duncan goes on to explain: “The switch to LED has made for a rig that is easier to tour and more robust on the long, bumpy journeys between cities in China. Recently, I heard a comment regarding one scene, saying how good the all-tungsten picture looked. I later realised that there were actually a few Source Four Lustr units in that picture, too, and one simply could not tell the difference.” He adds that “on a show like Chicago, where the lighting is all about precision, achieving those matches [must have been time-consuming], but I’m certainly impressed with the results.”

ME AND MY TOUR TECH

On tour, Glenn has worked with gear from a variety of hire companies, so we were curious about the relative consistency of the ETC gear. “We’ve worked with three different suppliers so far on tour, and the ETC equipment has always been reliable and consistent. I think it helps that the ETC gear is clearly named and you always know what you’re getting after presenting a spec. Rather than a plethora of similar-but-not-identical models, it’s good to know that a Source Four is a Source Four, a given lens will always give you the same optics, and a Lustr will always do what it says on the tin. Helpful too are the RDM features of the LED units – if there is a discrepancy in dimmer curve, mode, colour mix or DMX response on the supplied gear, we don’t have to climb ladders to put it right.” ETC is internationally lauded for their service and support. “We’ve had very little reason to contact support or ask for help on this tour, which in itself has been a pleasure. The equipment simply gets on with the job – we can all take a lesson from it! In the past, however, I’ve always been able to get the help I need from ETC, from the silliest questions to the deepest code-level nitpicking.” Finally, we asked Glenn why, as a touring lighting HOD, he would choose ETC products for a show. “A busy tour can be hard work for crew and equipment alike. The ETC equipment is robust and consistent, easy to work with and always leaves us with a great-looking final product. If I sign up for a tour and see that the rig is ETC-based, I know that the gear will perform. It saves a whole lot of worry and fault-finding when you know the equipment will deliver.” In Duncan’s words, Chicago the Musical continues to deliver, night after night – and city after city. Thanks to the hard work behind the scenes, the audience can sit back knowing that the lighting experience will be as slick and savvy as the show’s signature piano riffs.

TYING THE RIGHT KNOT

EXPERT OPINION

EXPERT

OPINION

with Rinus "Rhino" Bakker

Disadvantages are: 1) It can loosen during dynamic (alternating / changing) loading; 2) It is impossible to tie the bowline when the rope is under tension.

DON’T YOU KNOW A BOWLINE? Getting married is like buying a house, not a thing we do as an everyday routine. On the other hand ‘tying the knot’ is what riggers do every day, lots and lots of times per day. In rigging we might know around 25 of the 300 different knots, but in real life we only use about a handful. A knot is tied for a purpose, to lift a small object or to tie down and secure something. Entertainment rigging is not the Japanese art of Shibari, even though the latter can be very entertaining. Entertainment rigging is: getting the lifting machinery into the required position in a safe and quick way. After it has been installed, move it with the load attached to it – during the load-in, the rehearsals or the programming, during the show and eventually during the load-out.

WHICH OF ALL THOSE KNOTS? In a recent inquiry on Facebook I asked riggers which knots they tend to use and the frequency with which they were used them. About 40 people responded and the answers, all pretty much confirmed the general idea that has been around for decades:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Bowline Clove hitch Figure-of-eight Sliding (Alpine) Butterfly

And obviously some very obscure or exotic hobby knots pop up in such an enquiry. After all, we are only human and want to be different from ‘the next guy or girl’. Thus the Randy Robin Return Hitch or Sneaky Snake Slides into the Slot Knot are not very common to say the least. The Bowline is by far the most commonly-used knot / hitch. Some Bowline advantages are: a. It is easy to learn; b. It is relatively strong; c. It is easy and quickly to make to a required length; d. It stays taut when under load; and e. It’s easy to undo when the load is off.

Anyone that calls him/herself a ground rigger should give back that title if they don’t know how to do a Bowline. Making the up-rigger terminate his rope with a carabiner causes despair for both parties, and lets the up-rigger know that the pace of the load-in has been hampered by the grounder's incompetence. The Bowline is the knot, that covers 95% of all rigging situations. A Figure-ofeight knot is the knot that is the strongest and the first to be used when directly dealing with human life. It takes more time and knowledge to make this kind of knot, but when ‘safety and security’ are the main requirements, the time spent is non-negotiable.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE KNOT, MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN RUN However, sending up a Figure-of-eight when the up-rigger has asked for a ‘Bowline’ – now that is seriously gambling with the up-rigger’s temper. Once the up-rigger decides that he must come down to set his grounder straight, it is best for the grounder to become an instant 100m Olympic sprint champion.

As seen

After the successful introduction in 2016, the Verto truss is a hit. It is a revolutionary system, making truss connection fast, silent and safe. This year Prolyte introduces two new series: Verto H40V and Verto H40R. www.prolyte.com/verto40series

Building your LED screen from ground level is now easy, with Prolyte’s Universal LED Stack system (LSU), a very stable system to support you LED screens in various configurations and offers flexibility in height as well as width. www.prolyte.com/LSU

P r o li g

+ Sou

The dimensions of LED systems often cause either unbalanced loading or unstable LED walls. The Prolyte Middle Beam truss series keep the total load in the middle of the truss and guarantee safe and easy suspension of LED walls. www.prolyte.com/MBtrusses

SOUNDBITE: ADRIAAN VAN DER WALT PROFILE

Those in the know refer to Adriaan van der Walt as one of South Africa’s leading sound engineers. This reputation has recently been confirmed, as he was selected to be the country’s first engineer to take part in the exclusive L-ISA sound training programme

offered

French

company L-Acoustics [see our feature on pages 20 – 22]. ETECH caught up with Adriaan to learn more about his professional background, the revolutionary new sound solution from L-Acoustics and the impact he thinks that immersive audio will have on the professional audio industry.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW THE L-ISA TRAINING CAME ABOUT? I have been a freelancer most of my career. I’ve worked for most companies in the country – some permanent positions here and there, but mostly as an independent contractor. I’ve had an interest in multi-channel mixing since I did my first quadrophonic show, probably in the mid-90s. And once you start realising the limits of stereo, then multi-channel mixing becomes the obvious next step. Because, you know, we don’t listen in stereo – we don’t hear things in nature in stereo – so that really sparked an interest for me. How can we reproduce that natural experience from behind the desk? So when I saw that L-Acoustics were developing something in that direction, I started following the story closely – this was well over two years ago, the first time I read something on one of their websites.

SO, WAS THE TRAINING FROM L-ACOUSTICS BOTH TECHNICAL AND CONCEPTUAL? Yes, in a sense. The training was two-fold: it took the traditional role of the sound engineer and split it in two. It mirrored the international touring model of having a dedicated mixer

PROFILE

WHAT’S FASCINATING IS THAT THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY LEAP SEEMS TO TRACK PERFECTLY WITH ADVANCEMENTS IN FILM, VIDEO AND GAMING – WITH VIRTUAL REALITY TAKING WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A TWO-DIMENSIONAL MEDIUM AND PLACING THE VIEWER INSIDE THE CONTENT. IN YOUR VIEW, IS THIS THE FUTURE OF PROFESSIONAL AUDIO? This is definitely the natural progression for audio. I don’t see this as a fad that’s going to disappear in two years or anything like that. More outputs mean a quantum shift towards a more natural experience for the audience. From mono we went to stereo, then 5.1 – which never really worked for us in the live setting, because the sweet spot is so small – so this approach is a step towards complete surround sound mixing. In terms of speaker systems, on-board DSP was probably the previous big wave and line array before that. But this is even bigger – it will have a bigger impact on how audiences experience audio, and what their expectations then become. It will come to affect the way music is composed, recorded and consumed.

FROM A SOUND ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE, DO YOU FEEL THREATENED AT ALL BY THE INCREASING RISE OF AUTOMATION ACROSS CREATIVE INDUSTRIES?

and a separate systems engineer. This is because there are so many decisions to make, and the workload for one person is overwhelming; it begins to be counter-productive to have one person wearing ‘too many hats.’ The brand feels very strongly about meeting a certain level of performance, and they need to guarantee this quality to their clients worldwide. One of their requirements is that you either focus on the mixing side of the technology – which I did, as it or else the system engineering side of things.

AND DOES THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY ACTUALLY CHANGE THE JOB, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE? It is very different, in the sense that up till now, mixing had almost become a habitual, instinctual process. But now – with so much more to consider – you almost have to re-learn the job from scratch. 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. You have to starting thinking in three dimensions; thinking of sound in terms of the depth and width of the field, and not just its loudness level or tonality.

On the contrary; the idea of automation is to reduce repetitive tasks so you have more time to focus on the creative part of your job. A case in point is MIDI: I have always shied away from it because I viewed it as a musician’s tool for keyboards and that sort of thing. I somehow never saw the use of it in my field because I have always wanted to be hands-on. With this recent season of The Voice, however, I very soon realised the workload was just too much and started poking around the DiGiCo to see what the options were – and there it was, MIDI staring me right in the face! It took a good couple of days of research and trying out different options to see what would work best in this particular situation. Now that I’ve experienced the freedom it gives me to focus on the mix I will probably never want to go without it. Naturally, automation can take many shapes and formats – best is to identify what needs to be simplified and then start on your journey of finding the right solution for you. What works for me does not mean it will work for the next person. In the context of a team, it takes teamwork to come up with a workable solution for all. Whatever makes the job easier and more fun!

FINALLY – WHAT IS YOUR DREAM SHOW TO MIX? David Bowie has always been at the top of my list – but, sadly, that ship has already sailed. My view nowadays is actually from another perspective: how can I design the PA or do the console configuration in such a way that I get the results I want, irrespective of what is happening on stage? Sound has mostly always been an exploration; trying different ways to achieve the same goal and seeing which solution best suits me. Although it’s important to try new equipment and technologies, at the end of the day, the challenge really is to push the envelope with the equipment you use on a daily basis.

TRAINING

ELECTROSONIC OFFERS ONYX TRAINING

ONYX training in Cape Town

Electrosonic has successfully completed the first rounds of ONYX training in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, designed to equip users with all the necessary skills to get the most out of Elation’s new professional control interface. ETECH spoke with Electrosonic’s Jesse Dullabh, who presented the country-wide sessions, as well as some of the candidates who completed the training about their experience. 46

Dullabh explains that in mid-2018, Elation brokered a deal with HARMAN to buy the rights to the M-Series platform. “This was a great move, as Elation wanted to aggressively push the brand,” says Dullabh. “Matthias Hinrichs, who was the product developer at Martin, moved to Elation in 2017 and, since he had spent the last 13 years developing the software and hardware interfaces, he wanted to continue working on the product range.” Dallabh points out that all M-Series users stand to benefit from ONYX training, as the introduction of V4 ONYX software allows users to experience a new version of the platform. “If you have attended the M-Series training courses in the past, the platform will not be new, but the new version introduces novel techniques and better ways of using the software. Therefore, those that are using ONYX for the first time and those that are familiar with the M-Series platform all stand to benefit from the training.”

The two-day ONYX training was held in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, and offered attendees an introduction to the ONYX platform on the first day, and then more in-depth insights into the various applications and functionalities of the product on day two. “The course followed a similar structure to previous M-series courses and unpacked both basic and intermediate techniques. Every candidate was connected to a 3D Visualiser, which succeeded in achieving a unique and personal training experience,” says Dullabh.

REAPING THE REWARDS Erica Ferreira of Choose Life Church serves as a volunteer lighting operator for Sunday services and decided to attend ONYX training in Johannesburg to develop her skills. “I will be using a lot of the skills that I have learned during the course for our church services in Pretoria. While we have a professional technical professional that does a lot of the setup, many of the practical skills that we have learned and refined will come in very handy.” The ONYX training sessions not only catered for the South African market, with Kazeem Adegbamigbe making the trip from Nigeria to attend the training. “I run an entertainment company called Ayag Entertainment in Nigeria. I provide technical services for several artists and am trying to advance my knowledge and skillset in lighting to achieve the best possible results on the shows that we host.” Dylan Goosen, a broadcast engineer that works at the Moreleta Park MC Church, decided to attend ONYX training to concretise his skills on the new version of the platform. “What I found most interesting was the chases and movement programming. Most of the programming we do is very basic, and we use static lights. So the chases helped a lot, and Jesse explained everything very well.” ONYX training is specifically designed to meet the needs of all users – from professionals in the field to those who are just starting out in the industry. As Thabiso Khumalo from Timleast Events points out: “This is my first experience in terms of lighting. It’s new to me and exciting. I got to meet interesting people, got to know about the different features of lighting and what lighting is about in terms of design and functionality.” Upon completing this first round of ONYX training, Dullabh reflects: “Every candidate that attended the training seems to have taken something positive away. While the more experienced lighting operators have discovered new and more efficient ways of managing their workflows and programming, those new to the technology have been able to gain the skills needed to get started and explore the possibilities.”

For more information on future ONYX training, contact www.electrosonic.co.za

Successful ONYX training candidates at Electrosonic in Johannesburg

Helping you build great things

SOCIALS

THE VOICE SOUTH AFRICA Mosaiek Teatro, Jhb

The technical team behind The Voice South Africa

Joshua Cutts

Adriaan van der Walt

ELECTROSONIC ONYX TRAINING Joburg & Cape Town

Schalk van Staden, Enrico Truter and Jesse Dullabh

Training room at Electrosonic Johannesburg

ONYX training with Jesse Dullabh

PROSOUND ATKV TRAINING Johannesburg

Mathew Lewis delivers lighting training

Lee Brune delivers sound training

Brandan Venter, Helen Surgeson, Lee Brune and Mathew Lewis

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