Ready… GO

Welcome to the MDG Atmosphere APS haze generator. This short video serves as an introduction to the product and shows how easy it is to change the CO2 canister. The MDG Atmosphere is used world wide in theatre, concert touring and in professional installations.

ACT Lighting is participating in the Vendor Showcase at 4 Wall Lighting in New Jersey today. We’ll have a grandMA2 for you to poke!

From 4 Wall Lighting’s Press Release:
It’s back! 4Wall Entertainment, UsedLighting.com, and UsedAV.com will hold their Annual Vendor Showcase on May 20, 2010 at 3 PM at the 4Wall facility in Moonachie, NJ.

4Wall Entertainment- NY
2 Empire Blvd.
Moonachie, NJ 07074
201-329-9878

Controlling 64 universes of automated fixtures, Robert Sondergaard utilized four MA Lighting grandMA full size consoles and 16 MA Lighting NSPs to bring the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics Opening Ceremonies to life.

Installed at Vancouver, British Columbia’s BC Place Stadium, the consoles ran at marathon lengths in preparation for the March event. Lighting Designer Sondergaard explains, “We had 4 full size grandMAs networked together without any problems. We had two operators/programmers who worked simultaneously, and we used one of our backup desks for tech work (resetting fixtures, patching and so on). Because the venue has a translucent roof we brought our previsualization suite with us and networked it in as well – this allowed us to build looks during the day and then we finessed them at night when the sun went down.”

“Our two operators (Shaun Forbes and Sharon Huizinga) come from two completely different backgrounds – Shaun does mainly programming for music numbers on TV shows and Sharon has an extensive background programming for theatre. Each had their consoles setup in completely different ways, but were able to store in a common cue stack for playback. Sharon took the early shift, building looks in our visualizer during the afternoon and running rehearsals until 11pm, and Shaun took the late shift going until 4am building the large music numbers. Our lighting department head, Jason Bolger (who designed the networking/patch system) used the consoles in the morning to trouble shoot with PRG crew. We were going almost 18 hours a day with the consoles.”

Joe Cabrera of ACT Lighting adds,“Whenever someone from Electric Aura calls our support line, it’s never a simple question. It’s always to find out the very best way to do something that pushes the envelope. They are constantly innovating, and always with amazing results.”

Also on Robert’s Electric Aura team was TV Lighting Director Jason McKinnon and Followspot Director Alan Brodie.

The X Paralympic Opening Ceremonies were produced by Patrick Roberge Productions, directed by Patrick Roberge. Associate Director/ Head Choreographer was Joecelyn Peden. Director of Production was Nik von Schulman and Technical Director was Michael Scriven.

MA Lighting is exclusively distributed by A.C.T Lighting. A leading importer and distributor of lighting products, A.C.T Lighting, Inc. strives to identify future trends and cutting-edge products, and stock, sell and support their inventory. The company provides superior customer service and value for money to all of its clients.

Copyright © ACT Lighting 2010. All rights reserved.

With regret, A.C.T Lighting, Inc., announces that they will no longer sell or support the i-Pix range of LED fixtures in North America. Bob Gordon, President & CEO of A.C.T stated that “while we love the fixtures, the i-Pix model did not work in the North American market, and will not allow us to reach the goals that we had set for the range.” “We wish them the best of luck.”

A leading importer and distributor of lighting products, A.C.T Lighting, Inc. strives to identify future trends and cutting-edge products, and stock, sell and support their inventory. The company provides superior customer service and value for money to all of its clients. Their product range includes the MA Lighting grandMA, MDG smoke, fog & haze generators, and the GDS LightWare range.

Today, you’ll find updated versions of software for the following products, along with Release Notes detailing the updates:

grandMA Series 1
grandMA Console Software Version 6.5
grandMA1 onPC Version 6.5

grandMA Series 2
grandMA2 Console Software Version 1.7
grandMA2 onPC Version 1.7

Visualizer
grandMA 3D Version [1.7][6.5] (compatible with today’s console software releases)

Video Processing Unit
grandMA VPU Software Version 3.711

Please visit our Downloads page to access these updates and the Release Notes.

Thanks!
The ACT Lighting Software Team

Port Lighting Systems, of Seabrook, NH is holding an open house in honor of their 25th Anniversary, and ACT Lighting will be there. The event takes place March 10, 2010 at Port Lighting’s offices beginning at 4pm. You can grab a cocktail, enjoy some food, mingle with other entertainment lighting industry guests and check out some new gear. ACT Lighting’s Brian Dowd will be on hand with a grandMA2 Full Size console.

Port Lighting’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
March 10, 2010
4:00pm – 9:00pm
Port Lighting Systems
24 London Lane
Seabrook, NH 03874
(Directions)

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RSVP to andrew@portlighting.com

This post is ACT Lighting content. You may reproduce, but only in whole – not in part. You can visit Port Lighting’s website here.

Earlier this month, ACT Lighting held a demo of the grandMA2 console line, along with the MA Lighting VPU at LMG’s headquarters in Orlando, FL. In addition to the open house, Joe Cabrera of ACT Lighting also offered onsite grandMA training.

Steve (BOZ) Bodzioch, Lighting Design & Services Manager at LMG was good enough to grab a few pictures of the event and share them with us.

For immediate release.

The prestigious Boston arts institution, the Boston Symphony Orchestra just went through a major overhaul of their lighting and video systems – ultimately upgrading to a grandMA2 light and an MA Lighting VPU. In fact, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is the first installation in the United States to utilize the MA Lighting VPU.

The upgrade was a truly collaborative process involving the Symphony Staff, their Technical Director, Russ Costa, Designer Rob Smith, Lighting Equipment Supplier High Output, Inc and A.C.T Lighting.

Russ Costa, Technical Director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra approached High Output, Inc of Boston for assistance in determining which product could help him consolidate their lighting and projection systems into a single, more powerful installation. “It’s always hard when you want to upgrade a system that’s currently working without too much issue, but as soon as I was able to show the capabilities of the system and the savings that we’d see, it was an easy pitch. Using the grandMA2 along with the MA VPU allows us to eliminate the extra Show Control system and the additional projectionist. The grandMA2 is our single, unified control solution for both lighting and video.”

Jess Klarnet, Director of Production at High Output, Inc was instrumental in placing the right product for Russ’s needs. “The timing of the Boston Symphony Orchestra project could not have been better, for High Output was in the process of determining what product line in which to invest. We have had success with the grandMA and the Boston Ballet and with additional input from Rob Smith and other notable programmers we decided that the MA line was the right choice. Brian Dowd, our representative with A.C.T Lighting, was instrumental in pulling together a demo that included grandMA2 light and the MA Lighting VPU. As an aside, the technical support through out this process including this successful Holiday Pops season was outstanding, kudos to Jason Baeri.”

“Knowing the reliability of the grandMA line, I was confident the VPU would be just as solid,” says Rob Smith, who served as the Video Designer/Programmer and a content creator utilizing a grandMA2 and the MA Lighting VPU. When the Boston Pops perform, certain video scenarios need to be met. One of the regular set pieces is a custom built DMX controlled roll down screen. The screen measures 42′ wide by 21′ high, split into 3 sections that can be individually controlled, and is capable of opening or closing in just under 2 seconds at top speed. “The grandMA2 allowed us to program the automation moves of the screen precisely with the video from the VPU. Adding that to the lighting cues gave us a fully synced show that was controlled by one operator.”

Rob continued to creatively use the MA VPU to meet the additional video needs of the Boston Pops. “The easiest is displaying images from a Broadway show or Hollywood film. During the holidays, Sing-A-Longs are a crowd favorite. The MA Lighting VPU allowed us to add a new level of creativity by being able to animate backgrounds and layer the words over the top as opposed to the old slideshow style. The most critical style of playback was handling what we call “streamers”. Two files would start simultaneously, one being projected to the audience, the other being sent to a monitor at the conductor’s podium. The conductor’s version would have colored lines that scroll across the screen in time with the music so changes would happen at precisely the right moment in the film. We never experienced any lag between the files even with HD quality movies.

“The MA Lighting VPU’s ability to have any number up to 32 layers available was a unique feature that we took full advantage of. New Year’s offered a rather eclectic mix of music, from Opera to Disco to current Top 40 hits. We were able to create image files that could be mapped to the architecture of the iconic organ pipes of the Symphony Hall. Highlighting the individual architectural elements with lighting fixtures would have required 32 color-changing luminaries. We accomplished the same look with one VPU and a pair of 12k projectors -and we weren’t just limited to colors and a handful of gobos – the possibilities are endless.”

High Output, Inc has served as the lighting equipment provider to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the past 20 years. High Output Inc offers the grandMA2 light along with the MA Lighting VPU as part of their extensive rental inventory.

Staff at the Boston Symphony Orchestra involved in this installation included Pam Smith as grandMA 2 Lighting Programmer, and Mark Rawson – lighting technician, along with the aforementioned Rob Smith as grandMA2 and VPU Programmer and Video Content Creator; Russ Costa – Technical Director and Margo Saulnier, Assistant Artistic Director to the Boston Symphony.

MA Lighting is exclusively distributed by A.C.T Lighting. A leading importer and distributor of lighting products, A.C.T Lighting, Inc. strives to identify future trends and cutting-edge products, and stock, sell and support their inventory. The company provides superior customer service and value for money to all of its clients.

For more information call 818-707-0884.

Copyright © ACT Lighting 2010. All rights reserved.

UPDATE: DUE TO IMPENDING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED TO FEBRUARY 18TH.

ACT Lighting, in support of Main Light Industries, will be participating in a Manufacturer’s Day Thursday, February 18th. Along with ACT Lighting, representatives from ICD Coemar will also be available. This event is open to anyone and everyone in the entertainment lighting and video industry. Hosting the event, and offering their warehouse space, is Main Light Industries – a popular distributor and rental house for ACT Lighting products.

At the event, you can meet and greet with ACT Lighting’s Vice President of Sales, Brian Dowd, along with Technical Support and Training Specialist, Jason Baeri. During the day, get hands-on time with two grandMA 2 Full Size consoles, the MA Lighting VPU media server, the iPix BB7 LED Beamlight and the rechargeable GDS LiteWare RGB LED Uplighter.

The event on February 18th runs from 10:00am to 4:00pm in Main Light Industries’ shop. You can RSVP by emailing John DiEleuterio at john@mainlight.com or by visiting the Event Page on Facebook.

Main Light Industries can be found at:
1614 Newport Gap Pike
Wilmington, DE 19808 US
302.998.8017

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Screenshots of how this blog appears on an iPhone or iPod Touch

If you’ve read this blog on your iPhone or iPod Touch in the last week, then you’re probably already aware that it looks a bit different than it does on a regular computer’s browser. The idea is to streamline the blog so you can find the post or page you’re looking for easily. The home page (pictured above left) lists the latest post by title, date, tags and categories. You can also use the arrow at the top right of any page to access the navigation menu. Within this menu (pictured above, right), you can skip to one of our pages, get contact information, send us an email, or search for posts based on Category or Tag.

Or, if you’d prefer not to use this new theme when visiting the blog, just scroll to the bottom of any page and you’ll find an option to turn the mobile theme off. This will redirect you back to the normal version of the ACT Lighting Blog.