PRG TruColor™ HS™ a Winner at NAB 2012

Armonk, NY—Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology, debuted its new digital light fixture, the TruColor™ HS™ at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas last week. The innovative product created quite a buzz and received accolades from three major industry trade publications.

TruColor HS is a unique color-accurate digital soft source, which uses Remote Phosphor Technology. It is designed specifically to meet the strict standards of motion picture and broadcast production. With more than twice the output of a 2kW incandescent soft light, TruColor HS delivers an extended Color Rendering Index (CRI) over 95, generates a 160-degree beam spread, and uses only 400-watts of AC power.

The HS was awarded the Digital Video magazine’s Best of Show Black Diamond Award that recognizes outstanding achievement in the advancement of video technology. A select panel of engineers, editors, as well as production and post professionals joined the magazine staff as judges.

In addition, the HS fixture also received a Mario Award, from TV Technology magazine. The Mario Awards, established to recognize products that represent significant technical breakthroughs, are named after Mario Orazio, a pseudonym for a nameless engineer and a renowned technology columnist for TV Technology who pens the industry’s most widely read column The Masked Engineer. These awards are given out annually at the NAB Show to companies that demonstrate forward thinking and technical excellence in their products.

Rounding out its wins, PRG TruColor HS was awarded a prestigious Pick Hits Award from the Broadcast Engineering magazine.  The panel of independent judges spend three days on the show floor looking for innovative products and technology based on several criteria, including the technical and financial improvements a product may bring to a facility’s operation.

“We’re thrilled to get such great feedback for the HS,” said Rich Pierceall, PRG’s Director of Digital Lighting Sales. “Professionals in our industry are demanding improvements in digital lighting, and Remote Phosphor Technology allows us to hit higher quality standards in terms of color consistency and output.”

For more information on PRG TruColor visit www.prgtrucolor.com.

Best Boy® 4000 Spot Shines on American Idol

Armonk, NY — For 11 seasons, Lighting Designer Kieran Healy has created “concert” looks for American Idol, balancing the requirements for both the studio and television audiences. To realize his design goals, PRG is providing the lighting system including the new Best Boy® 4000Spot Luminaire, a precision-engineered automated light with a truly complete feature set. Designed to be energy efficient, the fixture delivers over 20,000 lumens, but draws only 5 amps at 208 volts and 10 amps at 110 volts.

With a wide range of musical styles among contestants and a “who’s who” of guest performances, Healy needs to ensure that the lighting rig is comprised of fixtures that are versatile and powerful. “The Best Boy really is a wonderful light,” said Healy.  “Its got a beautiful flat field. Optically, it’s very good.  There are some wonderful effects like the Moiré gobos and a couple of 3D-type of effects, which are pretty impressive. Also, it has a really great zoom. Compared to similar lights it’s got a much, much better zoom and a purer quality of light.”

Healy was also impressed with the color system.  “We key the show a little bit below daylight and the colors in the Best Boy are very, very rich.  There is nothing that I can’t seem to get out of them in terms of any color that I want. Plus, the color changes are very smooth, which is nice because we have a lot of ballads on the show, so if you want to crossfade from one color to another you can,” he said.  “It also strobes well and it has a great dimmer curve. For framing, the rotating blades are another plus.”

Lighting Director Joshua Hutchings agrees that the Best Boy is a unique fixture.  “The lamp intensity is really impressive especially given the wattage. It is really great having a fully functional hard edge light were we don’t have to give up so much to have a great shutter system,” Hutchings commented. “I see this being the hard edge fixture of choice for designers in TV, film, and theatre, plus the touring guys will love it!”

“One of the most impressive features on the fixture is the amazing zoom. To be able to not only zoom down to a tight clean beam, but also have a template almost fill the entire stage with just one fixture, and still have enough heat to read on camera is awesome,” Hutchings said. “With a trim of only 30′, having that great zoom with the Best Boy became huge. We didn’t have to add more lights to be able to get the same amount of coverage like we would have with almost any other fixture.  Anytime you can cover more area with fewer fixtures that’s obviously a plus.”

In addition to reducing the fixture count because the Best Boys cover a large area, the strobe function also helps to lower the total number of lights needed.  “We love the fast strobe, which they do very well. We have been using a different strobe fixture, but now I think the Best Boy can replace those, which means hanging a few less lights and being able to spend that money elsewhere,” Healy explained.

Hutchings uses the PRG V676^® Lighting Control Console to program American Idol.  “I love the V676. I would not want to have to do these shows with any other console,” he said.

American Idol is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of CKX, Inc. and Fremantle Media North America Inc.

PRG Launches TruColor™ HS™ Digital Light Fixture for Film/TV at NAB

Armonk, New York—April 12, 2012— Production Resource Group, L.L.C., (PRG), the world’s leading entertainment lighting company, today announced it will launch its new TruColor™ HS™ digital light fixture at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas. PRG will be exhibiting in booth C6042 at NAB, April 16th-19th.

TruColor HS from PRG is a unique color-accurate digital soft source designed specifically to meet the strict standards of motion picture and broadcast production. With more than twice the output of a 2kW incandescent soft light, TruColor HS delivers an extended Color Rendering Index (CRI) over 95, generates a 160-degree beam spread, and uses only 400 watts of AC power.

The HS fixture utilizes a unique lighting method called Remote Phosphor Technology (RPT), which eliminates the color-accuracy limitations inherent in LED fixtures. Instead of relying on LEDs as the source of illumination, TruColor HS’ independent phosphor panels emit high-quality light when excited by the high-frequency wavelengths from blue LEDs.

“Professionals in our industry are demanding improvements in digital lighting,” said Rich Pierceall, PRG’s Director of Digital Lighting Sales. “RPT allows us to hit higher quality standards in terms of color consistency and output.”

PRG partnered with a leading innovator of phosphor technology to develop special high-CRI formulations that deliver 96 CRI at 3,200K and 90 CRI at 5,200K. The interchangeable polycarbonate phosphor panels allow users to achieve both daylight and tungsten with a single fixture. Additional panels are in development to provide a complete range of color temperatures.

“In addition to delivering a significant volume of super bright, super soft light, HS is intuitive to operate and built to last,” said Pierceall. TruColor HS incorporates anodized alloy construction and field-serviceable components. The fixture’s ballast includes both local and DMX control, and connects to the lamp head with a ruggedized multi-core cable up to 98 feet (30 meters) away. It’s passively cooled, flicker-free, and manufactured entirely in the U.S.

Pricing for TruColor HS will be competitive with traditional and digital lighting for film and television.

For more information about TruColor HS, visit PRGTruColor.com or contact Trisha Maas, Account Executive, at 818-252-2613 or trucolor@prg.com.

See TruColor HS April 16th-19th at NAB booth C6042.

Arts Centre Melbourne Chooses PRG V676 and V476 Consoles

Armonk, NY —  Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia’s largest performing arts centre and the focal point of Melbourne’s cultural precinct, has chosen to purchase PRG V676^® and V476^® control consoles to meet their lighting control needs. PRG will be supplying the consoles through its Australian subsidiary, Production Resource Group (Australia) Pty Ltd.  Both the V676 & V476 consoles are in wide use globally throughout the entertainment industry including on major concert tours, international sporting events, and live television broadcasts.  The selection of the Vx76 control platform by Arts Centre Melbourne marks the first permanent installation of the PRG control consoles in a performance venue.

The PRG V676 console was selected as the control solution for Arts Centre Melbourne’s main concert venue, Hamer Hall. The lighting technology upgrade is part of the redevelopment of the 2,464-seat space, which presents both orchestral and contemporary music performances. The intimate 376-seat Fairfax Studio, a theatrical space at Arts Centre Melbourne that is home to smaller drama productions, will use the V476 Console.  Along with the two consoles, PRG is also providing console backup, remote video nodes, and designer remotes, as well as staff training and ongoing support.

“The PRG console was chosen on the basis that it offered the best development and upgrade path while maintaining a familiar and well laid out user interface within an achievable budget,” explains Chris King, Manager, Theatre Technical Development for Arts Centre Melbourne.  King and the lighting team evaluated a range of manufacturers and control console options before making their final decision.  There were a number of key features that the technical team was looking for in a new console that they found in the V676. “There are so many features associated with the console that we like; it is hard to narrow it down to a few, but the Group Super Palettes, console layout, and ergonomics are the ones that come to mind immediately,” comments King.  Arts Centre Melbourne also liked the graphical approach to managing show data on the Vx76 platform and the Media Palette, which is unique to PRG Vx76 consoles. Along with lighting, media control via the console was a requirement of the project.

A major benefit seen by Arts Centre Melbourne, and a factor in their decision, is the ability to work directly with the console development team at PRG. This streamlined communication between Arts Centre Melbourne and PRG has already proven that future development of the Vx76 console platform is a shared priority. “Arts Centre Melbourne has a great relationship with PRG. The people on staff are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable and their responsiveness to our suggestions and to service needs is quick and attentive.”

PRG Releases Vx76 Software Version 3.0 for V676 and V476 Lighting Control Consoles

Armonk, NY — Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG) is pleased to announce the release of Vx76 Software Version 3.0 software for both the PRG V676^® and V476^® Lighting Control Consoles. The V676 and V476 consoles have been used on many high-profile projects including: Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show, The Grammy Awards, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark on Broadway, the Chrysler exhibit at the North American International Auto Show, the UK’s Let’s Dance, and the Academy Awards. They are currently available at PRG offices in Europe, Australia, Japan, and throughout North America.

Version 3.0 includes several new features that extend the console’s capabilities along with a number of enhancements that both programmers and designers will appreciate. The Media Display has been moved to the Function Palette on the front panel of the console for easy access to media clips. The Console now includes CITP Media Protocol Control.

Along with an expansion to 4,000 channels of control, v3.0 has a revised Patch spreadsheet that provides an improved interface for editing and tagging data, as well as the ability to view multiple dimmer addresses patched to a single control channel. Other programming features in the v3.0 release include: Group Copy by parameter, Copy and Move Subs, Copy Channel Using Group, and Manual Data Undo. There are also a number of new tools provided in the Group Super Palette such as Multi-Level Ad Hoc Selecting by filtering Channels, Palettes, Presets, Dynamics, Cues, and Intensity States. A smart grouping feature provides user-definable channel selection.

The Vx76 software application provides an integrated 3D programming environment, which includes real-time status and off-line editing. The v3.0 software Layers feature adds functionality to the Plan View and provides the user with many different “views” of the system. In the Plan View, users may also draw Regions, which can be easily manipulated.

A new Basic Profile Editor is also now available on the V676/V476 product pages of the PRG website HERE.  The Profile Editor application is used for creating a basic profile definition for a fixture that does not currently exist in the console, as well as importing fixture profiles. This is a stand-alone application that runs on any Macintosh operating on Snow Leopard or Lion.

For more information on the Vx76 v3.0 Software, please click HERE.

PRG Best Boy® Rocks Its Television Debut on the 2012 Grammy Awards

Armonk, NY — Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), was pleased to support lighting designer Bob Dickinson and his Full Flood team when they lit the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, on Sunday, February 12. For the biggest night in the music industry, PRG provided the entire lighting package including the Best Boy 4000® Spot Luminaire. Dickinson’s dynamic design marked the first use of the Best Boy 4000® since it was launched at LDI2011, where it received the Live Design Debuting Product of the Year.

Dickinson used 18 of the new Best Boys, split between the two performance stages. “Since these were the first ones, I didn’t have a large number of them so I decided to put them on the floor and use them for patterns and effects. At one point, we were doing a very tricky number with Chris Brown, which was on a pyramid of white blocks. The tops, sides, and fronts of these blocks were projected on with front projection. However, Chris himself and the dozen dancers were not lit by the projections. I used the Best Boys® because their shutters are highly accurate to sidelight Chris and his dancers and to precisely carve out the white blocks, so the light did not contaminate the projection surface. When you are doing that kind of framing, an inch makes a big difference. The Best Boys® were incredibly accurate.”

Dickinson was very impressed with the entire feature set that the Best Boy 4000® offers. “This is the single most exciting new instrument that I have seen in over 10 years. There is no other light that has been so well thought out and successfully achieved its design goals as the Best Boy 4000®. The optics are amazing; the output and the field of the light are just wonderful; and the color temperature is consistent and not too blue, because the color temperature of a lot of these instruments gets really high. Optically, it is unparalleled right now in the marketplace.”

After his experience using the Best Boy® on the Grammy Awards, Dickinson notes he would be very confident in expanding their role in his future designs. “Usually if you want framers then you have to make sacrifices. If we want a full selection of patterns, then we can’t have framers. The [Best Boy] 4000 does a great job because it offers all the features we want so we don’t have to hang a rig with framers in one place and full pattern units in others. This allows us to have everything that we want from a single light. I would absolutely hang a rig predominately with the Best Boy 4000®.”

The PRG Best Boy 4000® is a precision-engineered automated light with a truly complete feature set. Designed to be energy efficient, the unit delivers over 20,000 lumens, but draws only 5 amps at 208 volts and 10 amps at 110 volts.

Other PRG proprietary products in the Grammy Award lighting package included V676 ® Lighting Control Consoles and the PRG Series 400® Power and Data Distribution System. As a part of the video projection system, PRG provided V476® Lighting Control Consoles and Mbox Extreme® Media Servers.

For more information on PRG, please visit prg.com.

For more information about the Best Boy 4000® Spot Luminaire, please visit http://www.prg.com/product/bestboy4000/.

PRG Presents Event Technology Live on Stage in the ‘Festhalle’ Frankfurt at Prolight + Sound

PRG (Production Resource Group), the world’s leading full-service supplier of event technology for live events and TV productions, will exhibit in the ‘Festhalle’ at the Prolight + Sound trade fair in Frankfurt/Germany from March 21 to 24, 2012. The ‘Festhalle’ is the venue for the official opening night ‘PRG Live Entertainment Award (PRG LEA)’, which takes place on March 20.

In an area of about 3,000 sqm, visitors will experience new and established products live, in use in a real production environment. Every hour, guests will experience a 360-degree immersion of PRG’s premiere lighting, sound, video and automation products.

Visitors to the ‘Festhalle’ will have an opportunity to learn more about PRG’s global services and proprietary products such as Bad Boy luminaire, V676 control console and Mbox media server.
A particular highlight is the Best Boy 4000 Spot – the latest PRG proprietary product – which makes its European debut at Prolight + Sound 2012.  Furthermore, PRG will present the LED systems V9, V9 Lite, V18 and V28. PRG’s experts will be on hand to demonstrate all of the products, upon request.

In the entrance area, visitors will have the opportunity to spend some time in a relaxed atmosphere and speak to PRG experts from all markets: Concert Touring, TV & Film, Theatre, Corporate & Trade Show and Special Events.

About the trade fair presence, PRG GmbH (Germany) General Manager Morten Carlsson said, “After the positive experience in 2011, we are pleased to continue our partnership with the PRG LEA in 2012, which gives us the possibility to use the live setup of the award show as our exhibition space during Prolight + Sound. This exhibition is one of the leading international fairs for event technology, where industry experts from all over the world come together. PRG staff from many global locations will be on site in Frankfurt to present our clients and visitors our broad range of products and services we offer across the markets we serve.”

Production Resource Group (PRG) Acquires Paskal Lighting

Armonk, NY — Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology headquartered in New York, announced today that it has acquired Paskal Lighting, a US-based lighting, grip and expendables company.

Founded in 1988, Paskal Lighting has served the motion picture and television industries for over 20 years, with one of the largest inventories of lighting and grip equipment, as well as a fleet of production vehicles capable of accommodating any size production throughout the United States.

Paskal Lighting will operate under its own brand name, as a full member company of the PRG group, with Evan Green continuing in his role as President. “Paskal will continue to service our long time loyal customers as we always have, and will now have the additional support and strength of the PRG organization to further achieve our goals.” Green commented.

“The acquisition of Paskal Lighting brings us a like-minded company dedicated to customer service and solution-based technologies,” said Scott Hansen, President & CEO, Corporate & Trade Show, TV & Film, North America.  “Paskal’s expert production teams will add significant depth to our Film and Television division. Both companies will continue to provide the cutting-edge technology and expert support that today’s filmmakers and broadcasters demand.”

“Evan and his staff at Paskal are highly regarded in the industry and we are very pleased to welcome them to the PRG family,” added Jere Harris, PRG Chairman and CEO.

For more information on Paskal Lighting, please visit www.paskal.com.

AbelCine and Ianiro UK Now Dealers for PRG TruColor™ Foton™ Lighting Fixture

Secaucus, NJ—Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology, is pleased to announce that AbelCine is now a North American dealer for the award-winning PRG TruColor™ Foton™ lighting fixture for the film, TV and photography industries. AbelCine, a supplier of professional film and digital equipment with facilities in New York City, Burbank, CA and Chicago, IL, has added the Foton to its line of lighting products that it offers its clientele.

Mitch Gross, Applications Specialist and Product Manager for Lighting, AbelCine, said, “When I saw what PRG was developing with the Foton, specifically the concept of remote phosphor technology, it really struck me as very forward thinking and something outside the current norm. It is more power efficient; it is more heat efficient; the trueness of the color is more accurate at the start and will remain more accurate over the lifespan of the light.”

The Foton’s unique incorporation of remote phosphor technology allows it to achieve a CRI of more than 95 with a nearly continuous light spectrum previously unattainable from traditional LED sources. It was designed specifically to eliminate the color-accuracy issues inherent in LED lighting for film and television production. The Foton is also completely flicker-free at any frame rate, silent, waterproof, and generates almost no heat. Power consumption is less than 30 watts and is available in either AC (90-305 VAC) or DC (12-40 VDC) models. The Foton currently matches tungsten sources. Daylight models will be available in early 2012.

Local dimming from 0-100% is achieved with negligible shift in Correlated Color Temperature. The Foton AC unit also allows for output control though an external dimmer. Foton utilizes a bayonet-style system for attachments to alter the beam characteristics. The unit ships with three open-face reflectors, providing 20º, 40º and 60º beam angles in a single-source hard-edged light. With the 20º reflector, the Foton delivers over 400 Lux at three meters. Barn doors and color frames are also available.

In Europe, Ianiro UK Ltd. will be distributing the PRG Foton.  “The Foton will be welcomed by everyone from ENG cameramen shooting outdoors in European drizzle to filmmakers facing wintry mountain conditions. Its small size, high output and low power consumption means it will also be a welcome addition for specialist crews working underground, in disaster zones or desert environments,” said Nick Allen-Miles, Managing Director, Ianiro UK.

Both AbelCine and Ianiro UK look forward to being among the first to provide remote phosphor lighting to the creative community. Already recognized by many in the industry as a groundbreaking technology, the PRG Foton was awarded the 2011 Cine Gear Expo Technical Award in the Lighting category.

For more information on the Foton, please visit: prg.com/product/foton

About AbelCine

Established as AbelCine Tech in 1989, AbelCine is a leading supplier of professional film and digital equipment with facilities in New York City, Burbank, CA and Chicago, IL. Core services include equipment sales, rental, technical service, digital media services and training. The company is the North American agent for Phantom high-speed cameras, as well as a Sony Solutions Reseller, Panasonic Specialty Reseller, Arri digital camera reseller and the exclusive US agent for Aaton motion picture cameras. The company is also the first Carl Zeiss Authorized Service Partner in the Americas. In 2011, the company launched its rebranding as AbelCine, to reflect its expanded role in the marketplace.

For more information on AbelCine, visit www.abelcine.com

About Ianiro UK, Ltd.

Ianiro UK is a partly owned subsidiary of the Rome Factory and distributes internationally lighting and lighting accessories, camera support equipment, dollies, tracks, cranes and jib arms. Ianiro UK has a network of dealers and distributors throughout Europe that serve the film, broadcast and video industry. Known for the sale and rental of lighting equipment and accessories, while developing at the same time the production of portable fixtures for the industry.

For more information on Ianiro UK, visit www.ianirouk.com

PRG Debuts Best Boy 4000® Spot and More at LDI 2011

Secaucus, NJ—Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), will launch the highly anticipated Best Boy 4000® Spot Luminaire at LDI 2011, the leading live entertainment technology trade show held in Orlando from October 28 through October 30.  Attendees will be the first to see the “all-in-one” Best Boy®, a 20,000+ lumen, 700-watt fixture with an all-inclusive feature set and no compromises in performance.

Other products in the PRG booth, #1127, include the PRG V676® and V476® Lighting Control Consoles and the new Mbox Director™ application that allows remote control or offline editing of the Mbox EXtreme® media server. Along with PRG’s award-winning proprietary products, will be the ChamSys MagicQ MQ100 Console and ChainMaster ¼, ½ and 1-ton capacity Fixed Speed Motors. In addition, there will be the new PRG Nocturne V-18 LED Video Modules, a product that is quickly becoming the most widely specified LED screen in the industry. This screen offers superior imaging in 18mm resolution that is lightweight, flexible and easy to install.

The PRG Demo Room, #S230G, will offer in-depth demonstrations of the new Best Boy 4000® Spot, the Mbox Director, the V676® Control Console and the new and extremely flexible PRG Rolling Deck.  The PRG Commander™ Automation Console that was used for the innovative scenic effects on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and the 2011 Academy Awards will also be on hand. In addition, PRG will show the OHM™ Light, an LED Softlight, and the Foton™ Light, a new fixture that uses innovative cold-phosphor technology for film and television applications.

Be sure to stop by both the PRG Booth #1127 and the PRG Demo Room #S230G and see all that PRG has to offer.

 

PRG OHM™ Digital Spacelight Now Available

Armonk, NY— Production Resource Group L.L.C. (PRG) announced today that the PRG OHM™ Light is in full production and is now available in quantity for purchase.

The highly efficient LED-based OHM Light, developed by PRG in conjunction with Gekko Technology, is designed specifically to replace the traditional spacelights used on many motion picture and television sets. As a viable color corrected source, the OHM Light has a similar lumen output to a tungsten spacelight, with over 80% reduction in power and HVAC requirements. The fixture can operate on 110-240 VAC, using only 500 watts of power.

“We have shown the OHM Light to many DPs, gaffers and studio managers and have been very pleased with the positive response,” said Brian Edwards, General Manager, PRG Los Angeles. “We are excited to announce the production of the units in quantity and that we now have the OHM in stock. Any project or studio wishing to control costs by saving power will see an immediate and significant operational savings by using the OHM, without sacrificing the quality of light or creative flexibility.”

The OHM actively monitors the light output to create accurate white light between 2,900K and 6,500K, with a CRI rating greater than 92 @ 3,200K. The unit can be easily and precisely tuned to the desired color temperature either locally or remotely via DMX. Powered by Gekko’s kleer colour® technology, the LED arrays incorporate closed-loop optical and thermal feedback to preserve color consistency over the 20,000-hour life of the unit.  This ensures an excellent match with other OHM units as well as other traditional light sources. Unlike other spacelights, the color temperature of the OHM will not vary throughout the dimming range and requires no warm-up time to reach the desired color temperature. The OHM can be rigged with a traditional single-point hanging assembly or with a yoke mount for lighting green screens, replacing skypans or operating on a stand. The OHM Light has ETL certification with testing to CE and FCC Class A requirements and is RoHS compliant.

For more information on the OHM Light, please visit http://www.prg.com/product/prg-ohm-light.

 

Production Resource Group (PRG) Acquires Nocturne Productions

Armonk, NY—June 2, 2011—Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology headquartered in New York, has acquired Nocturne Productions, Inc., the leading concert touring video production service company, through PRG’s wholly owned subsidiary, PRG Nocturne Productions Inc.  The announcement was made jointly by PRG Chairman & CEO Jeremiah “Jere” Harris, PRG Chief Operating Officer Kevin Baxley, and Nocturne Productions co-CEO Bob Brigham.

PRG Nocturne Productions will continue to serve Nocturne’s clients from Nocturne’s existing location, as well as from PRG’s depots throughout the world.  Effective immediately, Nocturne will begin operating under the name PRG Nocturne Productions Inc. with Bob Brigham and Ron Proesel as Co-Presidents and with Paul Becher continuing in his present leadership role as Executive Vice President.

Nocturne is the world’s premiere concert touring video service company with clients such as Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, Madonna, Eagles, Van Halen, Metallica, KISS, Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, Ricky Martin, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Tim McGraw, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nickelback, Kid Rock, NKOTBSB, James Taylor, Sting, Nine Inch Nails, Carrie Underwood, Def Leppard, Linkin Park, Alice in Chains, Blue Man Group, Michael Bublé, Glee Live!, Journey, Earth, Wind & Fire and many others.  “PRG and Nocturne share a core philosophy of offering the highest level of customer support combined with providing the latest cutting edge technology. Our companies have been on the same tours and shared clients for years, so combining forces is a logical next step,” said Bob Brigham.

“PRG has been growing our video offerings, primarily in the corporate and large event markets and with Nocturne, we will be able to offer our concert touring clients access to the highest quality video and LED equipment and the best crews,” said Baxley.  “Many of our clients want a single source solution with experts knowledgeable across the market sectors and so we will continue to offer both bundled and individual services.”

“Over the years, we’ve admired Nocturne’s strong leadership and their truly innovative production solutions and we feel very fortunate to have Bob, Ron and Paul join our management team,” said Harris.

Production Resource Group (PRG) Acquires SHOWTEC

Armonk, NY—Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology headquartered in New York, announced today that it has acquired SHOWTEC Beleuchtungs- und Beschallungs GmbH, the Europe-based event technology company.

SHOWTEC will operate under its own brand-name, as a full member company of the PRG group, with Wilfried Schiefer and Ralf Richrath continuing in their present leadership roles.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany and subsidiaries in Berlin and Munich, SHOWTEC is a leading supplier of state-of-the-art lighting, audio, plus a broad range of  LED equipment to a wide range of market segments including trade fairs and expositions, public and corporate events, concert tours and television productions.

“SHOWTEC has an excellent reputation in the industry for maintaining the highest standards of quality for its equipment and services,” said PRG Chairman & CEO Jeremiah “Jere” Harris. “Their seasoned management team and experienced production staff will add depth to our organization and we are proud to welcome them to the PRG family.”

Wilfried Schiefer said, “This was a logical move for us, as both SHOWTEC and PRG are committed to providing integrated services (audio, video, lighting) to our clients on a global basis.  We are particularly pleased that our clients will now benefit from the depth of our combined inventories, including the many innovative PRG proprietary products, as well as the wide geographic reach of PRG.”

PRG Presents the PRG LEA Stage in the Festhalle at Prolight + Sound

Secaucus, NJ — At this year’s Prolight + Sound trade show, April 6^th – 9^th, the Production Resource Group (PRG) exhibition will encompass the entire main hall of the Frankfurt fairground, Festhalle. The 32,000+ sq. ft. venue will also be the location for the official Prolight + Sound opening evening event and the PRG Live Entertainment Award (PRG LEA) on April 5^th. PRG will be providing all the production support for the night’s celebration of the German entertainment industry.

During the entire Prolight + Sound trade show, visitors to the PRG Festhalle exhibit will be immersed in a complete live event production environment that will allow them to experience PRG’s unparalleled ability to integrate complex systems using state of the art technology. Showcased on the 4,300 sq. ft. PRG LEA Stage will be integrated lighting, sound and video demonstrations several times each hour. Attendees at the ‘behind the scenes’ exhibit can learn about the market segments PRG serves and speak with market experts in Corporate & Trade Show, TV & Film, Concert Touring, Theatre, Special Events and Sales & Integration.  Also on hand will be representatives from PRG’s Used Equipment and Distribution divisions as well as a Human Resources area for applicants to learn about job opportunities and training programs. Freelance technicians can even submit their information in the form of a questionnaire directly into the PRG database.

PRG will be exhibiting its proprietary products, including the Bad Boy® luminaire, the V676™ control console and Mbox EXtreme® media server. Product experts will be on hand to provide in-depth demonstrations of all products.

The V676 control console offers extraordinary speed, both in programming and responsiveness, as well as innovative interface advancements in hardware layout and software design. The V676 is quickly becoming the console of choice by programmers throughout the industry and was used on the 2010 Winter Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the Emmy Awards, the Oscars and the Grammy Awards, as well as the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest; The Circus Starring Britney Spears tour; and on Broadway on Fela!, The Addams Family and Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark.

The Mbox EXtreme media server is designed to give users powerful and flexible control by working seamlessly with up to twelve layers of content.  Users have the ability to transition content on the same layer and have a content resolution of up to 1080p (1920 x 1080).

The 48,000 lumen Bad Boy spot luminaire has been featured on many high profile concert tours, television and film productions including the U2 360º tour, the Jay-Z & Eminem Home & Home Stadium Shows, the 2010 Winter Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the feature film Iron Man 2.

For more information on PRG LEA, please visit www.lea2011.de/en/inhalt/start_en.htm

About PRG LEA – The Live Entertainment Award has been given since 2006 for outstanding achievements in the event sector of the German-speaking countries. The PRG LEA showcases the people behind the scenes of stage entertainment, e.g., promoters, managers, agents and venue operators. The aim of the presentation is to spotlight the wealth of variety that distinguishes the German event scene in the field of live entertainment.

 

 

 

Production Resource Group (PRG) To Acquire Bytecraft

Armonk, New York—Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), a leading global supplier of entertainment and event technology solutions headquartered in New York, has announced that it will acquire the business and assets of Australian-based Bytecraft Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Staging Connections Group Limited.  PRG chairman and CEO Jeremiah “Jere” Harris and Bytecraft Managing Director Stephen Found today jointly announced the acquisition, which will be completed by the end of March.  Stephen Found will continue in a leadership role with the company.

Founded in 1984, with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, Bytecraft Entertainment has a long history of technical excellence.  The company specializes in supplying lighting, drapery, and Superscreen LED systems for large-scale events, as well as theater, television, theme parks, gaming venues and large outdoor sporting events. Bytecraft Entertainment’s clients include: the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Formula 1 Grand Prix, and concert tours for Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Robbie Williams, Kiss, Cher, and Pink.

“This acquisition will be hugely beneficial to our customers,” said Found.  “PRG’s global reach, depth of inventory and technical expertise will provide many opportunities for our existing clients.”

“PRG is a truly global brand,” said Harris. “  With the acquisition of Bytecraft, we will be able to better serve our existing client’s needs in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.  In addition, Bytecraft and PRG have similar philosophies—both companies provide a multidiscipline, integrated product to our clients.  With the addition of Bytecraft, PRG continues to respond to our clients’ desire for a single source solution—audio, video, lighting, scenic, rigging and automation—with experts knowledgeable across market sectors.”

For more information on Bytecraft Entertainment, please visit www.bytecraftentertainment.com.

PRG Launches Media Services Group with Acquisition of Pow! Pix

Armonk, New York – Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), a leading entertainment and event technology company, announced today that it has acquired New York-based Pow! Pix.  The acquisition marks PRG’s entry into the rental of post-production equipment and services, specializing in on-site editing for live events and other broadcasts.

For over 15 years, Emmy award-winning Pow! Pix has provided equipment and engineering services to clients such as ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO and MTV.  Projects include: The Daily Show/The Colbert Report, Olympic venues, the Super Bowl, reality shows, game shows, corporate events such as product launches and numerous documentaries.  Post-production facilities in central New York City include seven state-of-the-art editing suites, and two mix rooms – one of which is a Dolby HD 5.1 Surround Sound mix room.  Pow! Pix principal, Bob Barzyk will continue with the company as Vice President of Post-production.

“This is a huge opportunity for us.  Pow! Pix clients will benefit from PRG’s global reach and massive resources.  PRG has frequently provided audio reinforcement, video displays, lighting and other services on the same events where Pow! Pix was providing remote editing and live streaming services, so we are now in a unique position to bundle our services,” said Barzyk.

PRG Vice President Mike Perrone said, “For some time, PRG has been interested in developing a media services division to offer remote editing equipment and services to our live event clients. In addition, our clients increasingly require streaming of their events, which we can now provide.  Pow! Pix has an excellent reputation in these areas, as well as in creative and workflow consulting.  With the launch of PRG Media Services, we can now offer these services globally or from our post production facility in New York City or from any of our locations in North America, Europe and Asia.”

For more information on PRG Media Services, please visit media.prg.com.

Contact us via email: media@prg.com or phone: +1 (212) 589-5499

Production Resource Group Acquires EML Productions in Europe

Armonk, NY – Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), a leading supplier of entertainment technology services headquartered in New York, has acquired First Events BVBA.  A major Europe-based entertainment technology company, First Event’s holdings include EML Productions NV in Belgium, EML Productions Holland BV in The Netherlands and Sound and Light Productions S.L. in Spain. PRG Chairman & CEO Jeremiah “Jere” Harris and EML Director Jan Van Malder made the joint announcement of the acquisition through MEL Holding BVBA, a subsidiary of PRG.

This acquisition will extend PRG’s European presence into new territories, including the Netherlands and Spain, as well as significantly reinforce their existing activities in Belgium. “Today, PRG’s local presence in mainland Europe gets even stronger,” noted Harris. “With EML joining PRG, we will continue to provide our services globally with an emphasis on local support.”

Founded in 1979, EML has grown considerably over the past 30+ years providing lighting and sound services for a wide range of markets, including concerts, tours, festivals, fashion and trade shows, corporate, and special events. EML’s outstanding reputation in these markets is thanks to an internationally-recognized team of experts as well as the high quality equipment offered, including a large inventory of automated luminaires (featuring Vari*Lite products) and a wide range of audio solutions.

“I am confident that this acquisition will create a great opportunity for both PRG and EML as well as for all of our customers who will now have access to the wide range of services offered by PRG,” Van Malder stated. “Like PRG, EML has built its reputation on offering the very highest level of customer support combined with the latest cutting edge technology.”

For more information on EML, please visit www.eml-productions.com

PRG Names Ian Clarke Chief Technology Officer

Armonk, New York – Production Resource Group (PRG), has announced the promotion of Ian Clarke to Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Clarke is currently serving as Head of Technical Services, in Birmingham, UK.

Clarke began his entertainment industry career as a stagehand in Plymouth, UK. In 1984 he joined Light & Sound Design Ltd. (LSD) as a touring lighting technician working throughout Europe. After a break, during which he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electronic engineering, he helped pioneer the development of the company’s Icon series of moving lights and hoist control system. He also managed the team of engineers responsible for the Icon M lighting fixture, which was the first luminaire to be based on digital projection technology.

Since PRG merged with VLPS in 2004, Clarke has been involved in the design of the Mbox Extreme® range of media servers, the Bad Boy® luminaire and more recently the LED-based OHM™ fixture. In 2009, he was made Head of Technical Services, based in Longbridge in the UK. In his new role, he will be based in Dallas, Texas.

“Ian is an industry veteran with unmatched experience. PRG has a strong commitment to product innovation and the development of integrated entertainment technologies, which will continue under Ian’s direction, “said Jere Harris, PRG’s Chairman and CEO.

“There is no one better qualified than Ian Clarke to lead PRG’s technology group,” said Rusty Brutsché, Vice Chairman, PRG. “He has been a valuable member of our R&D team and has a long history developing successful products.”

PRG Acquires Innovative Event Production

Armonk, New York — Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), a leading entertainment and event technology company, announced today that it has purchased Washington, DC-based Innovative Event Production (IEP).  The acquisition reinforces PRG’s position as the foremost provider of client services, equipment and technology solutions in the entertainment, meetings and events industry.

For over 15 years, IEP has provided equipment and services to the event industry, including Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, government agencies and non-profits.  Patrick Hand, IEP’s Chief Executive Officer, and Kevin Ponchock, IEP’s President, will continue in their leadership roles with the company.

“IEP has always been a full-service multi-discipline company, just as PRG is, so it is a great fit for us.  In joining forces with PRG, our clients can benefit from expanded product offerings and a wider geographic reach.   We look forward to growing PRG’s presence in the corporate events market,” said Hand.

PRG’s Scott Hansen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Corporate
 and Trade Show Americas, said,  “IEP’s seasoned management team and experienced production staff will add significant depth to our Corporate and Trade Show division and give us an enhanced presence in the Washington, DC market and surrounding area.  With the addition of IEP, PRG continues to respond to our clients’ desire to purchase a single source solution — audio, video, lighting, computers and staging — with experts knowledgeable across market sectors.”

For more information on PRG, please visit prg.com.

PRG Project Receives Thea Award

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has announced the 17th Annual Thea Award Recipients.  The awards, for the themed entertainment industry, celebrate excellence in the creation of compelling places and guest experiences.

Science Storms, Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago USA will receive the award for Outstanding Achievement.  PRG worked on two of the massive interactive elements in the exhibit—a 40-foot tornado and a 20-foot avalanche disk.  For more about this project, click here

PRG and Macy’s Reveal a New Holiday Window

Macy’s will unveil a new window display today at the Herald Square flagship store.  PRG was hired to build the design which encompasses six Broadway-facing windows.  Click here to read more and see a video about the build.

PRG Helps to Make the JayZ/Eminem Shows Great

PRG provided equipment and services for the recent JayZ/Eminem shows in Detroit and New York.

Click here for more info about the shows.

PRG and the Singapore Youth Olympic Games

Gekko Technology Wins Two Awards at IBC2010

New Windsor, New York — At this year’s IBC2010 exhibition in Amsterdam, Gekko Technology, a leading provider of LED-based luminaires for film and television that are distributed in North America by Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), received two awards recognizing their innovation in technology.
Gekko’s kleer colour® LED-based multichip array technology received an International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers Award for Excellence in Design & Innovation. The IABM’s prestigious awards are given for design, innovation and recognition of products and solutions that significantly aid the evolution of the broadcast and media technology worlds.

“Our kleer colour technology adds precise control of color temperature without the need to gel the fixtures,” noted Gekko’s founder and Managing Director David Amphlett. “Using software control, kleer colour is capable of generating high quality whites as well as different colors and a closed feedback loop ensures color stability across varying ambient temperatures.”

In addition, Gekko’s kezia 50 and 200 hard-source LED luminaires, both of which incorporate kleer colour technology, received a Pick Hit award from Broadcast Engineering magazine. The judges for this award are readers of the publication who are also working professionals in the broadcast industry. “Film and television lighting directors are increasingly progressing to LED-based systems for reasons of consistent performance, inherent robustness, cool operation and outstanding power efficiency,” commented Amphlett.
PRG distributes the full line of Gekko Technology’s energy efficient LED-based luminaires as part of the wide range of cutting edge technology and services that PRG provides the film and television industry, including many

proprietary product innovations including the brand new PRG OHM™ light which uses the kleer colour technology and is a 1-to-1 replacement of traditional spacelights with significant energy savings and unprecedented versatility of color temperature control.

PRG has supplied products and services including lighting, video, motion control and audio to many of today’s high profile films and television shows including Iron Man 2, Get Him to the Greek, Quantum of Solace, Mamma Mia, Star Trek, Desperate Housewives and Dancing With The Stars, among others.

PRG Provides Support for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games

New Windsor, New York—Marina Bay, in the heart of Singapore, was the location for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, which took place from August 14 to August 26. Creative director Ivan Heng, show producer Vernon Teo, and the artistic team that included lighting designer Koert Vermeulen of ACT Lighting Design, presented the ceremonies, which took place on the world’s largest floating platform stage with the Singapore skyline as the backdrop.  Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC, said, “It was a combination of pure emotion and technical perfection in a unique setting.”

Production Resource Group (PRG) supplied the lighting and rigging equipment and technical services for the opening and closing ceremonies for this inaugural event. Vermeulen, designing his first Olympic ceremonies, was very pleased that PRG was awarded the project.  He said, “This is something I could only do with PRG. They really help to solve challenges and they have an amazing amount of resources. In only two to three days they can turn around a massive amount of fixtures, which at one moment on this project was so crucial. That is the evidence of why they are the biggest company in the world for our industry.”

PRG provided a team of fifteen technical specialists who were responsible for the installation of the ceremonies lighting package with over 1,900fixtures, including the PRG Bad Boy® automated spot luminaire.  “It was my first choice for the backlight. It has a great output and an incredible zoom range,” Vermeulen said.

An additional twenty PRG technical specialists travelled to Singapore to take care of the rigging and lighting at the other 18 venues, including field of play broadcast, for which PRG also provided the lighting. Lighting Designer Mike Gorman handled the lighting duties for all of the sporting venues.

The artistic and technical teams presented an unforgettable Olympic ceremonies experience for the 27,000 spectators and estimated two billion broadcast viewers. For Vermeulen, PRG was a big part of that effort. “Working with PRG was a very, very good experience,” he said. “It was really thanks to PRG that I was able to be on time and on budget without compromising the design.”