Tag Archive: LED lighting

1. White Light Supplies New Lighting Fixtures to Glyndebourne

   20 April 2021 13:13 Leave a Comment

   

   Located in the heart of the Sussex countryside, Glyndebourne is one of the most renowned and celebrated opera houses in the world, delivering performances to over 150,000 people on an annual basis. Every Summer, it normally hosts the Glyndebourne Festival: a world-class opera season which plays to audiences in its state-of-the-art indoor auditorium. The technical team at Glyndebourne recently decided to upgrade parts of the lighting rig within the auditorium, ensuring that it matched both the exacting standards of incoming lighting designers and the venue itself. As such, it approached White Light (WL) to assist.

   Having first opened in 1934, Glyndebourne is a venue rich in both history and tradition. It is also one in which audiences expect an operatic experience like no other and, as such, has to ensure that the technical infrastructure in place is able to offer this. Vic Pyne, Head of Lighting and AV at Glyndebourne, comments: “We have been working on a general overhaul of our basic lighting rig for the past couple of years, mainly because our in-house lighting rig mainly consisted of tungsten and HMI fixtures; the majority of which are nearly 15 – 30 years old.  In addition, we were keen to support Glyndebourne’s environmental commitments, and the use of LED fixtures would mean that our energy consumption would be significantly reduced. With sets increasing in complexity, flying space at a premium, not to mention many fixtures becoming increasingly redundant in today’s lighting designs, we took the advantage of last year’s unexpected downtime to properly explore what options were open to us in terms of a footlight solution to replace our old LDDE fluorescent units”.  

   Vic and her team approached Business Development Manager Jonathan Haynes to decide on what fixtures they required. Vic explains: “As a venue, we are always striving to keep up-to-date with the latest technology and were particularly keen to ensure we invested in LED fixtures as part of this upgrade. Not only are these able to provide the looks required by designers but their quietness is a necessity in a venue such as ours.  Certain designers had requested specific units, that were unavailable to us except to hire at vast expense from European hire houses, and it made financial sense to settle on a common solution for our repertory basic rig.’ 

   Having demoed a number of fixtures with support from the team at WL and manufacturers, Vic and the team decided to invest in the LDDE HP2880 Footlights. She states: “The Footlights offered us a range of fantastic features, such as impeccable brightness, shadow image, colour mixing and ease of use; not to mention the incredibly useful barndoor assembly.  Plus LDDE have been reliable in the past and we’re confident that this will continue going forward.’

   Vic also decided to continue their investment in the GLP XBar 20. She explains: “Almost every designer that comes through our doors requests the GLP battens; it is clear that they are a staple fixture for any lighting rig. They are compact, hugely versatile, great colour mixing, and we had known for some time that we needed to purchase some!’.

   The new, energy efficient parts of the lighting rig are now being used as part of this year’s Glyndebourne Festival which makes a much welcome return next month, following the cancellation of last year’s season. 

   Vic concludes: “We are all really looking forward to the season opening and seeing how the designers utilise the new fixtures across the various productions. I’d like to say a big thanks once again to Jonathan and the team at WL who offered excellent customer service and for whom nothing was too much trouble; particularly during what was a very stressful and uncertain time for so many of us in the industry”.

   Photo credit © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: James Bellorini

2. White Light Delivers The Community Awards of Mayfair and St James’s at Claridge’s

   29 January 2018 11:16 Comments Off on White Light Delivers The Community Awards of Mayfair and St James’s at Claridge’s

   Last week, White Light delivered the technical solutions for The Community Awards of Mayfair and St James’s at Claridge’s, a Mayfair Times event organised by 4 The People. The Community Awards of Mayfair and St James’s recognises the community that binds Mayfair & St James’s together. They focus on the people who help create and maintain the spirit and ethos of these twin districts and celebrate their journeys.

   The event was held in the ballroom at Claridge’s, where guests were also treated to a performance by world-class soprano Natalie Rushdie. A panel of judges, including British Fashion Designer, Amanda Wakeley, and Journalist and Author, Dylan Jones, identified some very special individuals of this unique community. Award winners included Lifetime Achievement Award (Joan Burstein), Commercial Newcomer (Connolly) and Unsung Hero (Anthony Kilbey).

   WL is the in-house supplier of technical equipment and production support at Claridge’s, one of five venues it currently provides in-house services for. This valuable relationship allows Claridge’s to deliver high calibre award ceremonies using the latest technology complemented by a full support team from WL.

   Matthew Ward, Venue Sales Manager for WL, comments “As the in-house production supplier for Claridge’s, WL was the obvious choice to provide audio visual support for the Community Awards of Mayfair and St James’s. We worked closely with the client to design a look and feel that complements the hotel’s stunning art deco architecture and the event’s Gatsby theme. We provided a complete solution including set, stage, video, lighting and audio.

   He adds: “Utilising the latest ultra-short throw projector lenses, we were able to fit rear projection in a very tight space leaving plenty of room for the 300 guests and sponsors. LED lighting added warmth and drama to the space and allowed full control of the colours throughout the evening, highlighting key moments. Unusually for an awards’ show, a live band were providing the winner’s music and so we chose a PA system that provided excellent coverage while remaining discreet”.

   4 The People’s Leah Cooper comments: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at WL. Everyone was so friendly, professional and a real joy to work with. The room looked beautiful and everything ran like clockwork”.

   Moving into 2018, WL will look to further expand its portfolio of managed venues, providing clients with the latest technology in event and conference production, complemented by the support of a dedicated production team.

   Set in the heart of London’s Mayfair, Claridge’s was the natural choice for this event. Claridge’s is the epitome of timeless elegance, and considered to be one of the best 5-star luxury hotels in the world. Claridge’s is proud to have preserved both the physical and spiritual aspects of its unique heritage whilst adding all the modern luxury flourishes a guest could wish for, all bound together by impeccable service.

   Photos courtesy of Mayfair Times (Facebook Page).

3. White Light Supplies LED Walls to Park Holidays UK

   26 July 2017 15:14 Comments Off on White Light Supplies LED Walls to Park Holidays UK

   Park Holidays UK is the largest operator of holiday parks in the south of England. With 27 parks stretching from Devon in the west to Suffolk in the east, they offer a range of distinctive and individual parks in some of the most popular costal resorts in the country. Alongside accommodation, Park Holidays UK is committed to providing holiday-makers with a range of entertainment and state-of-the-art facilities. As a result, the company recently approached White Light to supply them with a series of LED screens.
   Jay Muzzell is Retail Support Manager at Park Holidays UK. He comments: “My role at Park Holidays UK means I oversee all of the retail departments along with the design and install of the technical equipment. As we oversee some of the most popular resorts in the country, we want to ensure that those who use our parks receive the best holidaying experience possible. Technology plays a huge part in this, which is why we were so eager to utilise LED technology”.
    
   Prior to the purchase of the LED screens, Jay had previously worked closely with WL’s Technical Solutions Director Andy Hook who supplied him with a series of LED columns. He states: “We had seen the LED columns in action and decided to use a few of these as a new feature for our outdoor entertainment. When we initially hired them in, we were very impressed with what we saw (as were those staying at the parks); so much so that we wanted to see what else was available out there”.
   Antony Vine, WL’s Business Development Manager, states: “After speaking with Jay and hearing about his specifications and his budget, it became clear that the ESD Lumen LED walls we had in stock would be the most suitable. They essentially wanted screens which could help enhance entertainment shows, which in turn would lead to a more exciting experience for those staying at the parks”.
   Park Holidays UK ultimately invested in 32 Panels of ESDLumen Dazzel 5.9mm Screens. Antony states: “ESDLumen are a leading LED display service adviser and one whose products we frequently invest in. Whether it’s trade shows, private events or conferences, they can be used in a range of environments and are extremely thin and versatile while offering the highest quality output. They are also very reasonably priced and fell well within Park Holidays UK’s budget”.
    
   WL supplied the range of screens to Park Holidays UK and they were put straight into use. Jay states: “We installed the screens and the immediate impact was palpable. We use them on a daily basis to advertise events running that day, along with broadcasts of our entertainment, show visuals and even games. We have an endless range of uses for them and they have genuinely become an integral part of our day-to-day activities”.
   This marks another example of WL supplying a client with the very latest LED technology bespoke to their exact requirements. Antony adds: “We are constantly investing in the very latest LED technology and have supplied clients ranging from broadcast channels such as ITV Sport to houses of worship to secondary schools. The use of LED technology, particularly screens similar to these, is constantly growing as organisations such as Park Holidays UK push boundaries by offering their customers something new. Due to our experience, knowledge and investment, we are in a position to help them achieve this”.
   Photos courtesy of Park Holidays UK.