© Lighthouse Productions

Middle East – Celebrated lighting designer, Terry Miranda used a Jands Vista L5 console to seamlessly synchronise his elegant lighting design with media content at the recent Al Burda Islamic Arts Awards, held at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Open to artists specialising in calligraphy, poetry and music from across the Middle East, the prestigious awards are held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdulla Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and organised by the UAE’s Federal Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development.

For the twelfth consecutive year, Terry – at the helm of his Dubai-based company Lighthouse Productions – was responsible for designing and supplying the awards’ set and lighting design.

This year the starting point for Terry’s design was Islamic architecture – with its geometric curves, arches, complex symmetries and domed structures. The intricate calligraphy associated with individual domes was blended with a modern aesthetic. This was created by using multiple dome shapes on the set as projection surfaces, which were outlined in LED and fully mapped to receive detailed custom content. The patterning theme was also continued on the black gloss floor, so the design united all elements of the environment.

Terry chose the Jands Vista L5 as his control console, so he could deftly and easily synchronise his sophisticated lighting design and the awards’ video content. Designed to cope with the complex demands of modern shows, the powerful Vista system makes controlling a mix of lighting, LED and media server technology fast and incredibly simple.

© Lighthouse Productions

“As a lighting designer who also programs, I wanted a desk built for a lighting designer rather than a programmer,” explains Terry, who is both managing director and creative principal at Lighthouse Productions.

“I saw the first demo of a Jands Vista console back in 2011 – and realised that the design and programming format was created in a way that inspired creativity in the quickest way possible. ”
“I like a desk that allows you to be creative, as opposed to spending the first hour programming and patching. The ease of access to everything across the physical console and the Wacom screen has made my lighting designs come together more quickly on site, allowing us to be more creative in the process.”

The lighting rig was kept minimal, because low weight loading in the 30-year old Abu Dhabi National Theatre is a major challenge. A selection of small, lightweight and bright Robe fixtures were selected. Nearly 100 graced the rig, including Robin 300 Beams, ColorWash 575 ATs, MMX Spots, PARFect 100s, Pointes and CycFX 8s.

The awards’ programmer and console operator was Adrian De Guzman, also of Lighthouse Productions. As video and lighting were so interwoven, he found the Jands Vista L5 proved itself adept at connecting easily to the media server without triggering latency issues.

© Lighthouse Productions

The fact that our AV department also now uses Jands Vista consoles to trigger media tells you everything you need to know about the ease of learning the desk for people without a lighting background. The layout of the large screen and how reliable the product has been for us over the last five years speak volumes about its build quality,” says Adrian.

“The quick programming capability of the Jands Vista, as well its reliability on operating multiple cues flawlessly, has helped maintain Lighthouse Productions’ reputation as one of the best and most consistent entertainment production design companies in the Middle East.”

Lighthouse Productions originally purchased their inventory of Jands Vista consoles from dealer, A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd.

Tony Jex, managing director of Oz Management Entertainment is thrilled with his new Jands Stage CL console, the little winner designed specifically for LED fixtures but just as suitable for conventional lights. Put simply, he loves the Stage CL’s capacity to control LED lights in an easy, old-school fashion with flash buttons and faders.

“With some of the small DMX consoles you almost need a calculator to work out which fader is going to control which element of the DMX functions on your fixtures, ” commented Tony. “With the Stage CL, Jands has recognised that and seen a gap in the market. I did look at some software options as well but I prefer to ‘play’ the console like a musical instrument. A lot of the work I do is with bands that I may be working with for the first time and the Stage CL allows me to easily interact with them. ”

One feature that Tony particularly favours is the ‘one channel strip per fixture’ which helps him to change colours easily as well as fade in and out. He also likes the record feature that allows him to easily bring up a scene, hit the record button and in two steps it is locked away.

“You can lock a scene away in a variety of places then recall it quickly and easily in a number of different ways making it perfect to use on the fly, ” Tony added. “I also like the snapshot (hold) function as well as the preset modes for colour mixing and chasing. ”
“In the Mimic mode you can see the digital fader position, level of luminosity and colour for each fixture as it is all graphically laid out for you on the screen, as are elements such as individual steps of chases making editing super easy. ”

Oz Management Entertainment specialise in corporate events, small bands, weddings, conferences and gala dinners and they don’t carry large amounts of inventory compared to some of the larger AV companies, however what they do have, they own unlike most of their competitors.

“We aim to provide a quality production but within the budget range of our marketplace, ” stated Tony.

A Jands Vista L5 media and lighting control console, running the latest Vista v2 software, was used by designer Geoffrey Platt to help deliver US telecoms company 5LINX Enterprises‘ corporate vision to over 8,000 sales delegates.

Geoff, of Atlanta based Production People Inc. (PPi), used the Vista L5 with another of the family, a Vista T2, running in full tracking back-up to deliver a stunning stage production featuring video, lighting and LED.

Geoff has worked for PPi for the last five years as a creative and concept designer for scenic, video and lighting. Although he has been an enthusiastic user of the Vista family for a number of years, this was his first chance to use the new flagship Vista L5.

Despite the scale and stature of the event, and not to mention the fast pace of the show, Geoff was completely confident that the L5 was the right tool to deliver the precise look and feel he wanted for the presentations.

The L5 was controlling over 100 moving lights – a mix of VARI*LITE V*L3000 spots, V*L3500 washes, Martin Professional MAC 250 washes and Clay Paky Sharpys – as well as conventional lightsources and 140 LED fixtures including Chroma-Q™ Color Block™, Philips CK ColorBlast and ColorBlaze, Chauvet Colorado TriPAR and Alkalite Opto Strips. All lighting equipment was supplied by rental company 4Wall‘s Las Vegas facility.

Two Catalyst media servers were controlled by the Vista L5 to supply video throughout the event‘s presentations.

Geoff absolutely loved the L5 – especially its striking 21 inch, high-definition screen, which made accessing all the elements of the rig both fast and easy. This really assisted with the fast, intense programming the show demanded of Geoff and co-programmer, Greg Haygood.

Geoff continues to be hugely impressed with the performance of Jands‘ next generation Vista v2 control platform, commenting that its Effects Engine is “fantastic”.

He says the powerful, simple, visual Vista v2 software is invaluable for designing and operating quickly and efficiently on large and complex shows like 5LINX Enterprises, and features such as Vista v2‘s Matrix effects quickly bring extra dynamics and dimensions to the show.

“I think it‘s the fastest console currently on the market for programming – the timeline interface makes all the difference in the world” he enthuses, concluding “Jands have done a fantastic job on the L5, building a product with ’the future‘ in mind. I am very excited to see how things will develop from here.”

Australia’s Scene Change, ‘the #2 AV Company’, has purchased a Jands Vista S1 console to accompany their existing Jands Vista I3 console.

“We‘ve been more than happy with our Vista I3 and it made sense to purchase another console that was already in line with what we were using,” commented Jordan Renouf from Scene Change. “By adding the Vista S1 we‘ve gained more functionality and because it is the same software as the Vista I3, the ease of usability for the guys has been very simple.”

Jordan states that the surface of the Vista S1 is particularly good with a good number of playback handles for such a small surface.

“Again, it has a similar surface to the Vista I3,” he added. “The Vista is such an intuitive console – easy to use and quick. Because of this intuitive design it‘s very quick to patch and program and have a show up and running quickly. Also, as it‘s designed locally, it‘s really easy to get someone on the phone or to answer your email quickly if you have a query.”

The Vista S1 delivers five playbacks, including faders and flash buttons, a complete programming section with three encoder wheels, a rotary master fader, two LCD displays and lots more to make controlling your show a breeze.

After using the recently released Vista v2 software on their existing stock of Vista T2 consoles, Dallas, Texas based Alford Media have just committed to increasing their inventory after the next generation of software delivered the leap forward it promised.

Alford Media is an AV and lighting company, with full production facilities, known for its high end video capabilities as well as imaginative integrated visual designs and solutions. They work on a wide variety of live events for a diverse range of premium clients with exacting standards.

One of two full time lighting designer/directors, Kurt Wunsch has been with the company for 10 years. He was an early adopter of the Jands Vista control platform, and has been an enthusiastic user since. Their first T2 console was bought soon after Vista was launched, and along with the others they have bought since, is still going strong even after constant use. Last year one of his highlights was lighting the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary National Scout Jamboree show – 16 universes of DMX controlled from a single Vista T2.

Kurt and his colleagues took the decision that now was the right time to update their consoles to the next generation Vista v2 software, and get access to all the additional functionality that it offers. Vista v2 was designed from the ground up to allow all levels of user to get the most from whatever mix of technology they have available, whether dimmers, moving lights, LED, or media. Available in a wide range of hardware Vista v2 offers both the simplicity to work fast, with the power to control the finest details, so everyone can focus on creating a great looking show rather than on programming a desk.

Kurt is very impressed with Vista v2, particularly the way it interfaces seamlessly with media servers. As Alford Media is a video orientated company, this is proving extremely useful to get the most from their recent investment in several Green Hippo Hippotizer products.

Kurt likes many features of the Vista v2 operating system, specifically the user-friendly programming environment, and they way it allows you to “work in a logical, straightforward and creative manner” to build your show. He says “you can really focus on the design, and think in terms of colours and effects rather than number-crunching and percentages. It’s fast, interactive and simple to use” he comments, adding that it also suits the theatrical / rock ‘n’ roll style of his programming which was shaped during his early career.

Kurt believes Vista v2 is now “faster than any other console – the interface makes it so easy to grab fixtures and apply parameters”. This allows him and his team to deliver the high standards that his clients demand within the tight timeframes they set.

On a recent Quake Con event in Dallas, Kurt was using Chroma-QTM Color BlockTM LED fixtures to highlight the trusses, which he was easily able to map using the matrix facility in Vista v2. He says that it worked “Brilliantly”, saving literally hours of programming time, and quickly giving the client exactly what they were looking for.

Upcoming shows on which Kurt himself is using one of the company‘s T2‘s include an event for a large pharmaceutical company in Maryland, for which he has designed a large rock ‘n roll style rig for the live stage that will feature sets by Motown greats The Four Tops and The Temptations, as well as major expo‘s for a natural drink company in Salt Lake City, and an energy company.

With Vista v2 now installed and proved completely reliable on all their desks, he’s starting to train some of Alford Media’s other operators. Apart from really appreciating it, they “are all picking it up incredibly fast”. He recalls a recent trade show in Dallas. He unexpectedly had to go and deal with something elsewhere in the building, so to ensure no valuable programming time was lost, gave freelance LX Teresa Porterfield – who had never seen a Vista T2 before – an express basic training course! “It was amazing! She ‘got it’ so quickly, so well and enjoyed the process so much that she ended up programming and running the whole show!”

VP of marketing and sales at exclusive NA distributor, AC Lighting Inc, Fred Mikeska said “As more people around the world try Vista v2 they see the power and simplicity that it offers to all disciplinces – including concert, corporate, worship, and education. Kurt and Alford Media have embraced Vista v2, and discovered how much extra it gives them to deliver even more to their clients. Vista v2 is a true next generation software that lets all users get the most value from whatever mix of technologies they have available.”

The first Jands Vista T2 lighting desk and Jands Vista M1 control console with the Vista v2 ‘Byron’ operating system to be sold in the Middle East by the new IBS Group division, IBS Solutions, are already proving to be a great purchase for Lighthouse Productions, according to its MD.

Terry Miranda, managing director and chief lighting designer at Lighthouse Productions visited the IBS Solutions stand at CABSAT in February, and said he found exactly what he was looking for in the Jands Vista with the new Vista v2 software.

“In the past two years I have had my eye on the latest developments in lighting consoles in order to purchase something that fit my idea of what a lighting desk should be. Having seen the first demo of the Vista v2 Byron operating system at PALME 2010, it had piqued my interest till it hit the sweet spot in 2011. The system allows a designer/ programmer to dictate terms to the programming aspect and to decide how simple or powerful it should be,” said Miranda.

“I would say the new Jands Vista is one of the finest, most intelligent lighting desks the industry has seen.”
Gavin Coxon from IBS Solutions, the official UAE distributor for Jands, added: “”With the new Vista v2 Byron, Jands has an even stronger product range to compete with the other top lighting consoles available on the market, we expect big things from the range in the UAE.”

Lighthouse Productions created the design for the BURDA event held on February 15 at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, where the new console took centre stage. Using the mosque as backdrop to the main stage Lighthouse used a Watchout system and bitmapping to project the images onto the entrance of the mosque, using the Jands for all the lighting cues preprogrammed via wysywig.

Also included in the sale were custom-built flight-cases for each console, manufactured and supplied by IBS Flightcase, another IBS GROUP company.

Lighthouse Productions used the new equipment again at the Zayed International Prize for the Environment on March 14 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The JANDS Vista was utilised to the maximum with all the lighting cues as well as a Wi-Fi link with an iPad for focusing and fine tuning while walking around Rashid Hall.

Mcgriff Mascarenhas, assistant lighting designer at Lighthouse Productions is also very happy with the new equipment: “JANDS Vista is one of the simplest operating desks that I have ever used that allows me to think visually and work visually.”

© Dabney Forest

Once again, a Jands Vista T2 console has provided lighting control for an event winner at the InfoComm / LSA Staged Events Awards. Freeman received the 2010 ‘Best Overall Staging for a Corporate Industrial Entertainment Event’ award for their work on the American Library Association’s Annual Conference.

The annual awards are held at the InfoComm tradeshow and represent achievements in AV excellence in some of the most unique and challenging environments. One judge commented on the winning Freeman event:
“It is difficult for a lighting submission to grab attention when it’s up against so many great total staging projects with video. But lighting is one area that can own a show if it is done properly and this event exemplifies the power of light over the audience.”

Freeman, a world-leading provider of integrated services for face to face marketing events, provided full lighting, audio, video and scenic elements for the winning conference. The multi-day event featured 20 guest speakers discussing their works as well as an awards ceremony.

The event lighting design was by Freeman AV Chicago’s in house LD, Anne Sedlock with programming by Dabney Forest. Anne let Dabney choose her console of choice, the Jands Vista T2, a popular choice in Freeman AV Chicago’s rental inventory. Anne commented:
“We use the Vista T2 on almost all this style of show. It provides us with the flexibility and the ease of use we need to get our shows up and looking great in very little time.”

The challenge was how to give the single stage a unique look for each day of the conference presentations, as well as for the awards ceremony. Anne’s lighting concept was to make the stage scenic elements really stand out by using numerous unique looks to keep the lighting fresh.

For the main scenic element, a massive curved frame covered in white spandex material, Anne used Chroma-Q™ Color Split™ LED fixtures to provide subtle looks of gradiant color uplighting from the base of the structure. Chroma-Q™ Color Block™ compact LED units were used to get into the many curves of the scenic piece and add highlights where needed, as well as adding a hint of colour to the drape line upstage. In addition, Vari-Lite VL3500 Spots provided a layer of downlighting and texture. All fixtures were chosen from Freeman AV Chicago’s in-house inventory.

Summarising her experience of the Vista, Dabney commented:
“It’s not often we get such a great canvas to paint our lights on. As with many shows, for the ALA we got very little time to program. The Vista allows me to create looks efficiently and quickly. I know I can rely on the speed that the Vista’s interface offers to do the things I need to both fast and easily, whether ‘drawing’ precise shutter cuts on my VL3500s, quickly moving icons around my layouts as the rig changes, or copying whole looks across different fixture types. Then of course, there’s ‘extracts’. In the current economic environment, it’s rare for a show to allow for the kind of programming time that was standard in years past. Frankly, without the Vista I could not have made the intricate looks the show needed in the time I had available.”