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Festive Edition 2011
A very happy festive season and prosperous New Year to all our readers from everyone at Stage Technologies. We welcome any feedback you have. For all the Stage Technologies news follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn or visit stagetech.com.
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“Automation in Performance” seminar to address need for training and awareness in the entertainment industry
Some places are still available for this event, which will be relevant to all current technicians interested in the field such as theatre owners and administrators, consultants and educators as well as students considering a career in automation. Lunch will be included.
 In order to address a rapidly growing and worldwide demand for skilled automation professionals to fill roles in a truly international and lively job market, interested parties from across the entertainment industry including potential employers, consultants, technicians, users and students are gathering for a one-day seminar. "Automation in Performance" has been organised by the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and Stage Technologies and will explore the challenges in representing all aspects of stage automation within technical theatre training.
The seminar will take place from 10am to 16:00 in the Barbican's Cinema 2 on Friday 16 December, and will feature speakers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Theateradvies Amsterdam, Leicester’s Curve Theatre, and Stage Technologies. The full programme may be downloaded here.
Tickets are onsale now through the Barbican Box Office. Don't miss your chance to take part in the discussion and networking.
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Opening Ceremony 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico
Aerial performers on light tubes at the Opening Ceremony of the 2011 Pan American GamesIn October Stage Technologies worked closely with the creative team for the opening ceremony of the Pan American Games held in a stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. The organisers of the spectacular two hour sequence of music, dance, projection and aerial acrobatics wanted to showcase the past, present and future of Guadalajara. The scenes took place below the “Halo” (a large circular structure located 100 feet above the playing field at the city’s Omnilife Stadium) which itself served as a scenic element and also provided the location for the attachment of rigging, performer flying systems, projection, lighting, and more.
 Stage Technologies provided a 21-axis power flying system including winches (12 with a speed of 5 metres per second and 9 at 3 metres per second speed), six AU:tour plug-and-play racks, and two Acrobat G6 desks all running eChameleon and the Sculptor Animation Toolkit. Using the Sculptor Animation Toolkit (the interface that works between eChameleon and 3D Max Studio)enables operators to programme complex, multiple 3D paths and facilitated sequences being programmed, viewed and re-edited quickly with video projection linked and tracking the moving objects.
The production included separate scenes celebrating Culture, Peace, Innovation and Sport. You can see the final seconds of "Innovation," which was filmed from the automation booth, here.
The opening ceremonies were produced by FiveCurrents and viewed by an estimated worldwide audience of 200 million as well as over 60,000 ticket holders in the stadium. Stage Technologies was contracted by Production Resources Group (PRG) to manage the performer flying.
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Rentals roundup:
It's been a busy year for the Stage Technologies rental teams in the UK, USA and Australia, and there's no slowing down for the festive season.  Stage Technologies in London has provided a control system for the Royal Shakespeare Company's hit show Matilda The Musical, which is now taking bookings until October 2012. The team is also once again supplying a Maxis SI digital position control system for the X Factor final. In another return gig, for the fourth year in a row the team is supplying a package of floor tracks and automated axes for a scenery slide truss in the Michael Rose production of White Christmas as it tours Southampton, Liverpool and Dublin. It's Christmas panto time, and Stage Technologies has provided First Family Entertainment and New Wimbledon Theatre's 2011 panto Dick Whittington and His Cat with a 3-axis system. We're also taking our 15-axis rental system with the Barbican's production of South Pacific on tour as it continues to Bristol and Oxford throughout December and into the New Year.
The Las Vegas team has just finished the US leg of the Taylor Swift Speak Now tour. Stage Technologies had nine BigTow winches and controls on the show. Five of the winches on the stage were flying aerialists with a four-way performer flying bridle out in the house to pick up the multi-award winning Taylor from the front of the stage and her fly her around the arena, bringing her closer to her fans. Stage Technologies will also work on the tour as it heads to Australia in the New Year.
Season's Greetings!
Photo: The RSC Production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
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