Archive of the Product Applications Category

CINE VCLX/2 and DIONIC HC Batteries Have Quickly Become Trusted Part of Production Team Over Past Six Months of Use

LONDON, APRIL 2, 2012—Director of Photography Robert Shacklady has worked his way up in the industry—from camera clapper loader and focus puller—to his current role as a DP with a slew of films and commercials under his belt. So when it came to making an investment in powering his new ARRI ALEXA cameras, he selected CINE VCLX/2 and DIONIC HC batteries from Anton/Bauer, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company and a premier global provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries. This way his gear continues to grow alongside his career.

“I work closely with ARRI Media, a hire company here in the UK,” says Shacklady, whose previous roster of projects includes those for Sony, LG, Guinness and more. “One of the main reasons I chose Anton/Bauer batteries to power the ALEXA was because ARRI Media did their research into which batteries were the best to power the ALEXA and if a big camera hire company like ARRI Media was going to invest in a particular battery, I knew it would make sense to follow their lead.”

Shacklady has worked on many commercials, dramas, corporate videos and short films in his day, and recently, he shot a Citroen commercial campaign using the ARRI ALEXA and Anton/Bauer combination. “What’s great about them is the sized power of the batteries,” he says. “The DIONIC HC is very small but extremely powerful.” Anton/Bauer’s DIONIC HC provides 91Wh and can operate a 40-watt HD camera for over two hours. Transported as carry-on luggage without restrictions, the DIONIC HC incorporates a special honeycomb design to protect cells and is the perfect lightweight battery for shooting on location* anywhere in the world.

“I’ve also got the QR-HOTSWAP AR dual-battery Gold Mount,” says Shacklady. When operating the power-hungry ARRI ALEXA, the QR-HOTSWAP Gold Mount allows for two DIONIC HC or DIONIC HCX high-current batteries to seamlessly hot swap. “I can hot swap batteries off the back of the camera, which is very useful and the QR-HOTSWAP displays the combined batteries’ remaining run-time right in the camera viewfinder. In addition, the brains behind the battery management systems have really impressed me. When you plug your batteries into the TM4, the charger knows how much charge to put in, how quickly to put it in and all that sort of stuff.”

When it comes to using the CINE VCLX/2, Shacklady appreciates Anton/Bauer’s acknowledgement of how professionals are using the gear in real-world applications. “I selected the CINE VCLX/2 batteries primarily because of how they fit in the Fisher Dolly, which is my preferred dolly. I’m so pleased to see that somebody at Anton/Bauer actually looks at how these batteries are being used—they’ve made the dimensions to the right size,” he says.

The CINE power system provides ultimate power performance, extended run-times and flexibility. Ideal for remote locations, CINE VCLX batteries are used in the world of film and digital cinema on cameras such as ALEXA, RED ONE, EPIC and SCARLET. The CINE VCLX/2 is powerful enough to run an ARRI ALEXA for more than two hours. The safe and high-power-draw performance of the nickel metal hydride cell technology can also power microwaves, recorders and lighting, including HMIs and the Litepanels 1×1 LED panels. The CINE VCLX/2 includes (one) 4-pin XLR for 14.4V and (one) 3-pin XLR for 28V and provides dual simultaneous outputs (10 amps at 14.4v; 12 amps at 28v). “I also really like the rubber housing around the battery. If you’re in very cold or damp conditions, it still keeps the battery itself slightly off the floor,” says Shacklady.

What’s more, Shacklady appreciates the on/off button on the CINE VCLX/2. “Because of the electronics in them, it just switches off so once they’ve been charged I can turn the power off and I can house them for as long as I’d like and know that once I go to use them—whether it’s a couple of days later or a couple of weeks later—it’s got a full charge, which is very useful.

“With other hire companies also using Anton/Bauer batteries, I feel confident that if I rent cameras or other equipment from them that my batteries will work with their equipment and vice-versa,” says Shacklady. “What also has been really good is working directly with Martyn Sly-Jex [Manager, EMEA]. I met him at a tradeshow in London and he’s been just really helpful, actually, in many ways, especially when it came to choosing batteries. It’s nice to know that if a problem does occur, it will get resolved very quickly and backup is there from Anton/Bauer’s customer support.”

For more information, visit www.robertshacklady.com.

*For more information about Li-Ion travel, refer to www.antonbauer.com.

About Anton/Bauer
Anton/Bauer is recognized as the world’s innovator and a premier provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other key mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries. Based in the United States in Shelton, CT with offices in Europe and Asia, Anton/Bauer was established in 1970 and has expanded its product offerings to include many signature lines such as its leading Gold Mount system, InterActive chargers and Logic Series batteries such as the HyTRON 50, 100 and 140, and DIONIC 90, 160, HC and HCX. Their products are compatible with every camera brand on the market today. Other Anton/Bauer high performance products include the Ultralight 2, ElipZ, CINE VCLX and the Tandem 150 Modular Charging System. Their superior-quality products have become an industry standard. For more information on Anton/Bauer, visit www.antonbauer.com.

About Vitec Videocom
Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry: Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec. It acts as an endorsing brand for these market-leading broadcast, film and pro video products, encouraging multi-brand system sales and simplifying the way that customers worldwide do business.

Vitec Videocom is an operating division within the Vitec Group, an international business serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military aerospace and government markets. Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers rely on worldwide.

Vitec Videocom – innovative products around the camera.

Eclipse and Optocore Systems Raise Efficiency for Reality Television Production Team

LOS ANGELES, CA, APRIL 2, 2012 ? MTV’S “Punk’d”, the groundbreaking hidden camera series, is utilizing Clear-Com’s Eclipse-PiCo digital matrix intercom, V-Series user control panels and Encore partyline along with the Optocore interfaces V3R-FX-INTERCOM and X6R-FX-INTERCOM, for the production of the all new season airing March 29 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Coffey Sound, a Trew Audio Company, a Clear-Com dealer and Clear-Com Global Rental Group Partner as well as one of Los Angeles’ leading sources of audio equipment in the entertainment industry, designed the one-of-a-kind communications platform and supplied the intercoms for “Punk’d”. The production team is relying on the Eclipse-PiCo, Encore, and Optocore systems to achieve a faster intercom set-up, efficient signal distribution, and higher productivity.

During pre-show preparation and while in production, the director, executive producer, backup producers, video engineer, hidden camera operator and audio technicians utilize the Eclipse V-Series panels to communicate with one another. The director provides cues for the talents, who are using hidden microphones and IFB earpieces, while coordinating with the producers and camera crew on two-way radios and Encore RS-603 wired beltpacks.

The V3R-FX-INTERCOM and X6R-FX-INTERCOM devices provided a high speed interface for the Clear-Com system along with all other audio network circuits via fiber and CAT5, permitting centralized management of the distribution network. The Optocore interfaces also allowed fast, intelligent routing of audio, data, video and intercom signals over the integrated systems in real-time with the added benefits of dual fiber redundancy, ultra-low latency, and high bandwidth. This solution decreased the number of cables required to link the voice communication systems and the intuitive, plug and play design of the Clear-Com systems dramatically simplified the complexity of cabling.

“Since “Punk’d” is a hidden camera show, our communications set-up and production are even more complex than a typical TV show configuration. With the combined Clear-Com and Optocore solution, our setup time was reduced by 50 percent, lowering the production costs,” says Gary Vahling, Rental Manager, Coffey Sound. “With the Eclipse-PiCo, we gained access to a variety of useful functions and capabilities, which increased our performance output and supported a highly personalized production experience.”

Clear-Com’s Eclipse matrix intercom system was configured to meet the changing communication demands of this sophisticated production. V-Series panel users can instantly and effortlessly redirect their audio, alter their key assignments, and re-adjust labels as their production needs changed from day to day. The production team was also able to customize communication paths on the Eclipse-PiCo and V-Series panels for specific talk groups, isolating private conversations between the director and camera operators, the producers and actors, and the video engineer and cameras operators. The convenience offered by the highly flexible Eclipse matrix system increased productivity for the “Punk’d” production crew well above their previous seasons of filming the show.

“Clear-Com’s utilization of the Optocore solution is a strategic tool for helping “Punk’d” become more efficient,” says Jaz Wray, Regional Sales Manager, Southwestern USA and Latin America, Clear-Com. “The easy to deploy, simple to manage, and feature-rich, system design frees up time so the production team can focus on the concept for each show, capturing their audience, and pulling off an epic punk on an A-list celebrity.”

For additional information about MTV’S “Punk’d”, go to: http://www.mtv.com/shows/punkd/series.jhtml.

About Trew Audio
Trew Audio is devoted to the art of location sound recording for film and television. Founded by sound mixer Glen Trew, Trew Audio was designed to fill the widening gap between sound professionals and support services that has grown as film and video production has become less confined to Hollywood and New York. With four locations in Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver and Nashville, Trew Audio is a leader in the sales, rental, and service of audio equipment for professional film and video production in markets worldwide. Find out more at www.trewaudio.com

About Clear-Com
Clear-Com, an HME company, is the global market leader in critical voice communications systems for professional productions. Since 1968, Clear-Com has developed and marketed a comprehensive range of analog, digital and IP-based wired and wireless intercom technologies for party-line and point-to-point communications. Recognized for our legacy of intercom innovations, production teams around the world have come to depend on Clear-Com for clear, reliable and scalable communication solutions. More information about Clear-Com can be found at www.clearcom.com.

About HM Electronics, Inc. (HME)
A privately held company founded in 1971, HME has continued to be a leading provider of innovative technology focused on enhancing productivity and customer service for multiple markets including pro audio, sports, and restaurants. HME developed the first wireless intercom system for pro audio and continues to introduce exciting, cutting-edge wireless intercoms that enhance communications, increase productivity and facilitate creativity for virtually any application. For more information, please visit www.hme.com.

New CloudEyes offering enables media collaborations among video producers from any location
 
Vancouver, British Columbia — April 2, 2012 — Singular Software™, a developer of workflow automation applications for video production, is pleased to introduce CloudEyes™, a cloud-based media synchronization technology that lets producers and contributors share and mine footage for remote video collaborations. CloudEyes, an online synchronization service based on the same multi-award winning technology that powers the popular PluralEyes® and DualEyes™ products, automatically syncs audio and video clips for multi-camera and dual-system audio applications.
 
“In the past few years, the tools and devices we use to record and edit video have surged ahead in incredible ways,” says Bruce Sharpe, CEO, Singular Software. “We can merge video from multiple sources, sync them automatically and create sophisticated multi-camera productions on the desktop. But until now, developers creating online applications haven’t been able to combine expertise, footage or other media elements easily. CloudEyes is one part hunting and gathering platform, one part community mash-up engine—through which everything from planned shoots to spontaneous, crowd-sourced recordings can come together and be turned from raw footage into compelling stories.”
 
The automatic synchronization technology of CloudEyes is used by producers thousands of times every day to create everything from wedding videos to commercials to indie films. Like Singular Software’s family of post-production tools, it removes the need for timecode and clappers, and automates the most time-consuming of workflow tasks—except now, all those production benefits have moved from desktop to cloud.
 
CloudEyes Availability
Developers interested in learning more about CloudEyes can find out more at http://www.singularsoftware.com/cloudeyes.
 
About Singular Software
Since 2008, Singular Software has pioneered workflow automation for audio and video professionals. The breakthrough innovations of PluralEyes and DualEyes automate and simplify multi-camera, multi-take and dual-system audio productions, and integrate with the industry’s most widely used video editing software. For more information about Singular Software, please visit: http://www.singularsoftware.com.
 
PluralEyes, DualEyes and CloudEyes are trademarks or registered trademarks of Singular Software Inc. All other trademarks, registered trademarks and products mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.
 
Press Contact
To schedule a press briefing or request a product review, please contact Janice Dolan at:
 
Zazil Media Group
Janice Dolan
(p) +1 617 817 6595
(email) janice(at)zazilmediagroup(dot)com

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Get your editing groove on at the MEWShop Edit House; lineup of FREE hands-on training offers both workflow and technology training sessions covering Adobe, Apple, Avid, Blackmagic and more
 
New York, New York – April 2, 2012 – Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEWshop) is pleased to announce its lineup of free classes to be offered at the NAB 2012 exhibition held in Las Vegas, NV from April 16 – 19 (booth 12805). An extension of their professional, certified training, the MEWshop Edit House will feature workshops taught by industry professionals covering a wide range of workflows, including multi-camera productions, DSLR shoots, stereoscopic 3D, color grading and visual effects creation. In addition to the free hands-on workshops, the MEWshop Edit House will feature special presentations. Notable guest speakers include Radical Media’s Evan Schechtman, who will discuss the company’s wildly successful Sting ‘appumentary’ as well as the crowd-sourced phenomenon “Johnny Cash Project,” and Michael Tronick, who will talk in-depth about his role as editor for the feature film, Act of Valor.
 
The MEWshop Edit House FREE Workshop Playlist Includes:
Celebration – Premiere Pro
Brick House – After Effects
Rock The Boat – FCP X Multicam
Hot Stuff – Video Podcasts and Social Media
We Are Family – Plugging in with GenArts, FxFactory and PluralEyes
Give It To Me Baby – Avid 3D
That’s The Way I Like It – Avid Multicam
Greatest Hits – DaVinci Resolve with Warren Eagles
 
Attendees can register for their favorite title session at http://www.mewshop.com/contact/rsvp/.
 
“The MEWshop Edit House is the place to be at NAB this year. We’ve got a killer lineup of classes covering all there is to know about post-production, and a cool spot to hang out at as well,” says Josh Apter, founder and president, Manhattan Edit Workshop. “Regardless of what brings you to NAB, our booth is where you’ll go to relax, learn and network.”
 
Register Now for a Seat in the MEWshop Edit House
Don’t miss out! You must register in order to attend a free MEWshop training session at NAB 2012. Register here: http://www.mewshop.com/contact/rsvp/.
 
About Manhattan Edit Workshop
Manhattan Edit Workshop was founded in 2002 with the goal of providing cutting-edge instruction on Apple®, Adobe® and Avid® platforms. In 2011 Mewshop added Avid Pro Tools®, DaVinci Resolve, Autodesk® Smoke® and ASSIMILATE SCRATCH training to its already impressive curriculum. Mewshop’s signature Six-Week Intensive is a jump-start for anyone looking for a career in post-production, while weekend and one-week courses introduce and solidify core-editing concepts. Corporate and group training offers a customized curriculum, either in-house or on-site, for professionals eager to learn a new skill or to build on existing ones. The facility’s focus on small workshops, highly skilled and certified faculty, and a results-oriented curriculum, have quickly won it the reputation as New York’s premier post-production teaching facility.
 
Follow @mewshop on Twitter or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mewshop.
For more information on Manhattan Edit Workshop please visit: www.mewshop.com.
 
Press Contacts:
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
janice(at)zazilmediagroup(dot)com
(p) 617.817.6595
(skype) janicedolan
 
Anya Oskolkova
Zazil Media Group
anya(at)zazilmediagroup(dot)com
(p) 617.817.6559
(skype) anya.oskolkova
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Los Angeles, CA – March 2012… MTV’S “Punk’d”, airing March 29 at 10pm ET/PT, is a groundbreaking hidden camera series that features a different celebrity host each week playing complex, hilarious and fun punks on their famous friends. Whether it’s on the set or out and about, some truly outrageous responses get documented. It’s all in good fun, of course, and capturing these moments requires a variety of special equipment. That’s precisely why the B6 Omni .1-inch diameter lavaliere microphone from Menlo Park, CA-based Countryman Associates is on the scene. more

Broadcast International and Vivicast unite to expand Media and Content to OTT & IPTV Providers

Santa Clara, CA – Broadcast International, Inc. (OTCBB: BCST.OB) and Vivicast Media jointly announced their alliance today from OTT Con 2012. The agreement calls for joint services to be offered to mutual customers and partners who deliver next-generation IPTV and OTT solution offerings.

The race to bring an expanded lineup of video broadcast programming to users over a variety of mobile devices and IP-based networks is heating up and the driving distinction for television, broadcast, and service providers is the diversity and breadth of their channel lineup and content offerings. IPTV providers and Content Services Providers must break out of their pre-programmed, structured lineups to enable custom menu choices made available to any deivce over any IP network.

Vivicast boasts the industry’s leading lineup of programming and content from sources around the globe. Its unique approach enables providers to build custom packages and complimentary programming to be delivered Over-The-Top to end users anywhere over any network. And now that invaluable video content will be treated by CodecSys™ from Broadcast International and delivered at dramatically lower bitrates with much higher quality.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed but the solution is immediately available and under evaluation by several joint customers and prospects.

Stuart Smitherman, CEO of Vivicast noted, “We’ve built the most robust lineup of programming content for IPTV and OTT network providers in the industry. It is critical to protect the value of our offerings by ensuring the final user enjoys the highest quality viewing experience possible, regardless of how the access or view the content. CodecSys ensures that every program, every stream, on every device is delivered with Cinema-Quality Video at the lowest bandwidth possible. It delivers tremendous network efficiencies while improving the viewing experience of our content”.

Steve Jones, General Manager of the CodecSys Division added “Our customers are under constant battle to retain their subscribers and one of the most compelling means to do so is to deliver a broader and customizable lineup of programming choices. Vivicast can instantly rejuvenate a providers offerings which will secure customer loyalty, prevent attrition, and stave off competitive threats. Their turn-key approach, coupled with our platform provides a streamlined OTT solution that can be deployed in very short order”.

About Broadcast International, Inc.
Broadcast International is a leading provider of video-powered broadcast solutions, including IP, and digital satellite, Internet streaming and other types of wired/wireless network distribution. BI’s patented CodecSys software is a breakthrough, multi-codec video compression technology that cuts video bandwidth requirements over satellite, cable, IP and wireless networks. By slashing bandwidth needs, CodecSys enables a new generation of applications such as streaming video to cell phones, and offers unprecedented price/ performance benefits for existing applications such as HD video.
Broadcast International is a public company (OTC BB: BCST) headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. On the Web www.brin.com and www.codecsys.com.

About Vivicast Media
Vivicast Media is the greatest source for Over-The-Top, mobile , CATV and IPTV programming. The company is leading the way for the changing world of entertainment programming with a vast mix of sports, music, 3D and entertainment programming aimed at satisfying today’s multi-screen requirements. As a multi-screen and multi-national content licensor, Vivicast Media also holds exclusive content licensing rights for certain networks that can be made available to qualified video operators in the US and internationally.

On the Web www.vivicast.com

Company Contact:
Cameron Francis
Vice President Products
Broadcast International
801-562-2252
pr@Brin.com

Investor Contact:
Michael Koehler or Matt Glover
Liolios Group Investor Relations
949-574-3860
bcst@liolios.com

Press Contact:
Harriet Diener
Desert Moon Communications
845-512-8283
harriet@desertmooncomm.com

HAMBURG, Germany – With approximately 750 students, the Academy of Music and Theatre Hamburg (HfMT) is one of the major music academies in Germany and offers an artistic and scientific education in all areas of music and theatre. One of the Academy’s hallmarks is its AV Media Center, at the heart of which lies a HARMAN Studer Vista 5 digital mixing console.

HfMT’s AV media center includes a recording studio and a video production studio, plus an audio control room for the recording of live events that take place in the Academy’s 450-seat theatre. The theatre hosts up to 10 opera productions per year, as well as productions by the Academy’s drama students. The AV Media Center’s equipment is used on a full-time basis by the Academy’s students, who are expected to familiarize themselves with the technology.

The Vista 5 console at HfMT is equipped with 32 faders. The central unit of the DSP system, the SCore Live engine, is equipped with four DSP cards and is housed in an equipment room along with other media and audio technology components. The exchange of audio and control data between the CPU and the D21m I/O system takes place via a fiber optic network.

A total of 216 and 208 outputs are available in different formats. The Studer I/O system can also be easily adapted to existing audio patchbays.

The Studer Vista 5 console was sold through Audio Pro, Studer’s Germany distributor.

For more information on Audio Pro, please visit www.audiopro.de

For more information on the Academy of Music and Theatre Hamburg, please visit www.hfmt-hamburg.de

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.2 billion for twelve months ending December 31, 2011.

NEW YORK, New York- Nestled in the heart of New York City, premier audio post production house, Mixopolis, recently purchased a Fairlight Xynergi system in order to maximize potential and optimize workflow within their state-of-the-art mixing facility, providing television and radio advertising agencies high quality promotional material.

Mixopolis, who prides itself on being a full service audio post house, deploys Fairlight for post work including voiceover recording, lock to picture, sound effects and sound design. The ability to intake all audio and video formats through the Xynergi console allows them to stay on top of the game and offers the flexibility to handle any project.

Currently featuring work on Macy’s ‘Shop For A Cause’ campaign as well as other television spots and shows for NBC and HBO, Mixopolis continues to grow. With the addition of another Fairlight system, this time a Xynergi, Mixopolis looks to extend their reputation for delivering quality projects and top-notch client service from start to finish.

The addition of Fairlight’s Xynergi provides a secondary system that will allow the Mixopolis team to access projects and files while their other studio rooms are occupied. “It’s great to have the ability of prepping files or projects on the stand alone system,” said Mitch Raboy, owner, Mixopolis. “It fits perfectly in the area near our music library and is easy to access by everyone.”

For a system that wasn’t originally meant for full project development, Raboy and his team have been able to utilize it extensively due to ease of use and ability to edit material very quickly. “We all love the Constellation we have in our mixing room. This makes it easy for our team to take advantage of the second system. To our surprise it has been used regularly and we’ve even done a few complete projects on it.”

Speaking highly of Fairlight, Raboy continued,” We’ve maintained an upgrade path and still have and use the CC1/Constellation in house, which has been a work-horse throughout the years.”

“The addition of Fairlight to be able to drag and drop any file format to the timeline has been the deal maker,” Raboy added. “This was a huge step in the process to save time. We can now store video with the project and don’t need any other peripherals.”

Although Raboy and his team are not new to the workings of the Xynergi, some of the settings and processes of the console continue to make projects simpler. “The automation is great, being able to copy past projects to the current timeline saves time when working on multiple versions of a commercial. Having touch-sensitive faders and knobs under my hands is awesome. It’s great not having to use a mouse. Whatever knob or setting you’re looking for it’s right on the console.”

“Overall Fairlight has been there through it all and helped us to do our jobs at the highest level. The support has been outstanding and gives us confidence that we can tackle any job that comes our way,” Raboy summed up.

For additional information on Mixopolis, please visit: www.mixopolis.com

-ends-

About FairlightUS:
FairlightUS is headquartered in New Jersey USA and is the exclusive distributor for Fairlight products in the North American market. Fairlight has been at the forefront of digital audio development since its inception in 1975. Fairlight designs and manufactures media creation tools including digital audio recording, editing and mixing systems for standard and high definition audio post, broadcast and music production applications. www.fairlightus.com

About Fairlight:
Headquartered in Sydney, Australia Fairlight designs and manufactures media production systems powered by the company’s groundbreaking CC-1 FPGA digital processing engine. The Fairlight product range includes EVO, Xynergi and the new PyxisG2, all of which feature in the world’s leading broadcasters, commercial post facilities, music studios and film production studios. Fairlight has a rich tradition of innovation and development and is at the forefront of green computing technology.

Over 150 automated StreamZ Live encoders power lucrative live streaming of 25,000 events annually for leading sports media group

March 29, 2012 — Passfield, UK: Digital Rapids announced today that sports media specialist PERFORM has deployed over 150 StreamZ Live encoders and the Digital Rapids Broadcast Manager multi-encoder automation software to power live streaming of thousands of premium sports events to viewers on an expanding range of devices and platforms. more

“Good Goods,” a new play written by Christina Anderson and directed by Tina Landau, made its world premiere at Yale Repertory Theatre recently with fog and smoke effects created by Look Solutions’ TINY FX and Viper NT foggers. The equipment was just purchased for the university’s repertory productions.

A Viper NT is deployed for two industrial smokestacks which appear in a factory seen upstage. “They have to blow at various times during the production, and the Viper works very well for that; we can get a lot of fog out of it,” says lighting supervisor Donald W. Titus. “Look’s quick-dissipating fluid is one of the fastest I’ve ever seen; we thought we’d have to install an exhaust system but we didn’t.” A second Viper is utilized to pump fog to several other scenic elements throughout the stage.

The Viper NT fogger unites current digital technology with proven technique and power. It features DMX 512 as standard, has an internal timer and easy-to-use LED-display panel, and offers fine adjustment of the output to produce everything from a tiny fog cloud to the thickest fog.

Two TINY FX foggers are used for effects in which the characters appear to cough up smoke. “I worked with the costume designers to build them into the costumes,” Titus explains. “The hose runs down the sleeve of one outfit, and the actor holds his hand up to his mouth and coughs. In the other instance, the actor wears a short-sleeved dress and the hose runs over her shoulder invisibly. The TINYs can be easily hidden and work very well.”

Truly small in its footprint, the lightweight TINY FX consists of just two components: the machine and its battery pack. It delivers efficiency and punch in a unit that’s easy to use anywhere.

Titus is pleased with the performance of the TINY FX foggers and Viper NTs and has his eyes on possible additional purchases. “We always like Look products for our shows,” he says. “There is very little to worry about in terms of their maintenance and cleaning. We may be purchasing some more. The Unique hazer is everyone’s favorite – it seems to be taking over everywhere.”

Yale Repertory Theatre acquired its TINY FX foggers and Vipers from Dark Star Lighting & Production in Hinesburg, Vermont.