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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.

Last month, you may have seen our video preview of an interview with ACT Lighting’s own Joe Cabrera and Brian Dowd. This interview, conducted by Justin Lang of iSquint.net, was part of a longer podcast detailing the new features of the grandMA2 console. The complete interview is now available, and you can enjoy it here (below), or by visiting iSquint.net.

ACT Lighting’s VP of Sales, Brian Dowd, talks to Justin Lang (isquint.net) about the GrandMA 2. Brian discusses where the console is being used and where it’s going.

For more videos like this one, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Photo credit: Ed Krieger

The Broadway spectacular based on the beloved children’s book, “Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical” moved into Los Angeles’ historic Pantages Theatre carrying both a grandMA full-size and a grandMA light.

During pre-production, the two consoles were used in session for multiple focusing and programming access. The rig (connected to 4 MA Lighting NSP’s) consisted of over eighty automated fixtures, LED strips, myriad smoke machines, a Dataton Watchout system, and the Grinch’s wirelessly-controlled LED heart.

First produced in 1994, “Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical” has seen multiple homes, including San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre and Broadway in 2007, along with a North American tour in 2008.

Production Electrician Brendan Quigley

Production Electrician Brendan Quigley offered us some insight on the Pantages installation. “Taking the programming from the 2008 tour and adapting it to the installation at the Pantages meant doing a lot of updating. Changing fixture types has been virtually seamless. I was also extremely impressed with the ease with which we could interface our Dataton Watchout system with the grandMA via Art-Net.” Brendan also uses the grandMA on various installations and tours of “Wicked”, so he is more than at home when it comes to the console. “It’s a piece of cake for me to jump on a console when I need to.”

Programmer Shannon January at the MA

Shannon M.M. January is the grandMA programmer for “Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical.” He also previously programmed the 2008 tour of the same show. “One of my favorite things about the MA is the ability to put Macros on Executor Buttons. This gives me quick access to the actions that I need for the show.” Shannon has also configured Worlds to help keep this large-scale rig manageable. “I can break up what both I, and the designers, are looking at on the consoles, so that we can more easily focus on whatever we’re working on. The grandMA is powerfully different than other consoles in the huge amounts of customization that you can do. Every programmer’s show file and User Profile can be completely different.” Shannon keeps a MacBook Pro running grandMA onPC (under Parallels) in session with his console.

Directed by Matt August, Lighting Co-Designers for “Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical” are Pat Collins and D.M. Wood. Production Electrician was Brendan Quigley and grandMA programmer was Shannon M. M. January. Lighting equipment was provided by PRG.

“Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” runs at the Panatages Theatre through December 27, 2009. For more information or to purchase tickets for the Los Angeles engagement of
Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical,
please visit www.BroadwayLA.org

Photo credit: Ed Krieger

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.

Bob Bonniol presents a “highly detailed” tour of the ACT Lighting booth at LDI 2009.

ACT Lighting, along with MA Lighting, were proud sponsors of this year’s Live Design Projection Master Classes at LDI. Led by projection and lighting designer Bob Bonniol, the Master Class’s goal is to join video pioneers with creative thinkers in a two day seminar. I spoke with one of the attendess, LD Jon Griffin, to get his response on the sessions.

You may have already seen a couple of these videos floating around the internet, or perhaps you’ve heard about them on the LightNetwork or on our Facebook page. Beginning in October, ACT Lighting began sponsoring a new educational series called Console Cocktails. The series was inspired by the lighting and console related questions being asked on Twitter.

The hosts and producers of Console Cocktails are Joe Cabrera and Cat West. Joe is ACT Lighting’s Director of Software and Support, while Cat is a freelance programmer. Both Joe and Cat offer grandMA training classes at ACT Lighting. Console operators will probably also recognize their voices from years of technical support that they’ve both offered on various console platforms.

While trying to offer easy to understand answers to sometimes complex questions, Joe and Cat are usually seen drinking some sort of lighting inspired cocktail creation. They’re more than happy to share their recipes with you. Try the grandMAr2ni. You’ll like it.

This question and answer series only works if you get involved and ask something. Please send any of your lighting or programming related questions and there’s a really good chance that you’ll see a video answer! You can post a question as a comment to this Blog entry, or as a comment on any of the YouTube Console Cocktail videos that you can find on our Youtube page. Alternatively, you can also use this handy form.

Below is Episide #1 – it’s all about setting up a busking style showfile. Cheers!

If you’re attending the LDI trade show in Orlando, FL please stop by and visit A.C.T Lighting at booth 209 on the exhibit floor. Bob Gordon, Brian Dowd and other A.C.T Lighting and MA Lighting personnel will be on hand to discuss our exclusive products including the grandMA consoles from MA Lighting, i‐Pix LED fixtures (including the newly automated BB7), GDS LiteWare battery‐powered RGB Uplighter and more.

A.C.T Lighting is also offering two training options through the LDInstitute. Level Two programming with Joe Cabrera is offered in two two‐day sessions, and an Introduction to Moving Light programming with Paul Sonnleitner is offered on two weekend mornings. You can register for these courses through the LDI website.

The show floor at LDI will be open Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22nd. Hours are 10:00am to 6:00pm Friday and Saturday and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday. The Orange County Convention Center South Hall is located at 9800 International Drive in Orlando, FL.

The new ACT Lighting website

ACTLighting.com has been completely re-worked from the ground up with a more modern look and feel. Frequent visitors to the old site should recognize the same navigational options at the top of the page, but with slightly clearer detail. Additionally, if you find yourself lost on any page – you can simply scroll to the bottom to find a friendly site-map that should help you on your way.

We’ve added direct links to our social networking sites as well. You’ll find icons for this blog, our Facebook page, Twitter and YouTube at the top right of every page (just under the navigation bar). We hope you’ll join us on any or all of these sites in order to receive our latest updates and videos.

Speaking of updates, if you’re a programmer, operator or owner of any MA console or Video Processor, you can now receive software update notifications via RSS. You can sign up on our Downloads page to receive these notifications in your feed reader or by email.

We hope you enjoy the new layout!

Here’s Bob Gordon, President, CEO and Founder of ACT Lighting with a short narrative on the history of ACT Lighting Inc.