When Swedish Film (SF) decided to build the most inventive and modern cinema complex in Europe, Filmstaden Bergakungen in Gothenburg, they also wanted a restaurant, bar and café which would be an attraction in itself, not just a complement to the cinema. With that in mind, SF teamed with Primetec AB and concept developer Stylt Trampoli to create Danilo restaurant, bar and café where a Medialon ManagerV4 Lite orchestrates lights, sound and moving images. more

Stage Research, Inc., the developer of audio, sound design and lighting software, will hold two one-day training sessions in London to introduce UK-based sound designers to SFX 6, the new version of the company‘s leading live entertainment sound playback software. The training sessions will take place January 29 and 30, 2008 at the renowned Central School of Speech and Drama located in central London. more

Electrosonic Systems Inc. (Electrosonic) has performed a system upgrade to the Concert Hall at Independence Seaport Museum at Penn‘s Landing, Philadelphia, to transform the theater into a technologically-advanced space for the deaf and hearing-challenged communities in the city and beyond.

Electrosonic was charged with providing a multi-use entertainment system that was simple for the staff to operate. The Independence Seaport Museum, located on Philadelphia‘s waterfront, uses the Concert Hall for many different types of functions: high school band rehearsals, ballet performances and Congressional hearings among them. The Museum wanted to expand its capabilities to include corporate meetings, movie presentations and a Theater for the Deaf that could provide captions for both filmed and live presentations, the latter with a transcriber providing real-time captioning. more

A complement of Clay Paky lighting fixtures has been selected for “Disney‘s High School Musical: The Ice Tour,” a live fusion of songs, dance and team-spirited fun inspired by the pop-culture sensation and Disney Channel Original Movies, “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2.” The show, produced by Feld Entertainment and Kenny Ortega, made its world premiere in New York City September 29 as part of an unprecedented global tour featuring three companies playing more than 100 cities across the US and locations in Canada, Mexico, South America, Australia and Europe. The ice tour will include never-before-seen choreography, costumes, lighting, special effects, projection and scenery. more

Two Medialon Manager V4 Lites are running at the new Gaudi Centre in Reus, Spain. The system controls all the AV functions and interactivity for exhibits dedicated to Catalonia‘s famed Modernist architect, Antoni Gaudi.

Opened by the City of Reus, the Gaudi Centre features interactive models, tools and personal belongings of the innovative architect, including scale models of the Sagrada Familia cathedral and the undulating roof of La Pedrera, both in Barcelona. Numerous models and projections help visitors understand the thought processes and concepts of Gaudi. more

Washington, D.C.‘s Edmund Burke School, a 300-student middle school and high school with a growing performing arts and theater production program, used Look Solutions‘ CRYO-FOG low-fog system in a production of J.M. Barrie‘s classic “Peter Pan.” The program stages productions in its own new theater each trimester.

The school deployed a demo unit, in combination with various lighting effects, to simulate Marooners Rock in the middle of the water. “It worked very well and gave us an interesting, spooky environment,” reports Jonathan Deull, director of production. “The CRYO-FOG created a nice, low fog that lasted and was easy to deal with. The unit is relatively quiet — an important factor when you‘re doing a play in an intimate theatre space — and is compact, light and simple to operate. That‘s important since the system was run and managed by our students — and they didn‘t have any problems with it.” more

Madison Square Garden, New York City‘s premiere indoor venue for sporting events, concerts and live entertainment, has added four Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1200s to an existing complement of 24 Clay Paky Stage Zoom 1200 fixtures. Scott Humphrey‘s Delaware-based Light Action was the dealer of record for the sale.

Lighting designer Patrick Dierson of Artfag specified the Alpha Spot HPE 1200s. Dierson works directly with the National Hockey League‘s New York Rangers and the NBA‘s New York Knicks, who both call the Garden home, and is often called in by Garden operational personnel as a theatrical consultant. “They know what they want to happen but don‘t have the technical expertise to specify equipment,” Dierson explains. “I bridge that gap to make sure what they need is implemented seamlessly.” more

Integrator IEC is using Medialon Manager show control software to manage the Dataton WATCHOUT system in the Alcatel-Lucent headquarters‘ showroom in Paris. Alcatel-Lucent provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. more

“I don‘t think this sort of production and staging is done a lot,” muses Solomon Rosenzweig, president of DaVinci Fusion.

As guests cross the Bay Bridge and exit on to Treasure Island, which lies between San Francisco & Oakland, the old military base seems almost deserted. As they turn on California Ave and drive past the numerous old military hanger type buildings, they soon realize that they are not heading to someplace ordinary. Valet parkers in white coats rush out to greet them in front of the San Francisco Bay, with the Bay bridge looming like a giant toy in the background. They have arrived at a very special event at Treasure Island, Ca. more

NHL Hockey greats, the Tampa Bay Lightning, were looking for a new cutting-edge video scoreboard/display at their home arena, the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. The 2005 Stanley Cup Champions selected HiTech Electronic Displays, a leading manufacturer and designer of LED displays, to supply a first-of-its-kind center-hung, circular scoreboard, along with video display boards around the perimeter and behind each goal in the arena. At the heart of this ground-breaking system is the Vista Systems‘ Spyder. more