Ayrton MagicBlade -R cuts above the rest on Maroon 5 V world tour posted: 18/09/2015
Two hundred and ten Ayrton MagicBlade -R fixtures form the dramatic backbone of Roy Bennett's lighting design for Maroon 5's year-long World Tour 2015 in support of V, the band's fifth studio album
Bennett, of Seven Design Works, has used the MagicBlade -R units to delineate thirteen jointed truss arms', which are suspended in a V' shape above the stage to form a pivotal feature of the stage design. The MagicBlade-R fixtures are rigged in double rows along the arms, which split along the centre line and move independently on a series of separate wire winches to shape and sculpt the stage from above.
I didn't know the band well but knew their music. I wanted to give them something very different from the video-heavy designs of their past tours - and create something that I haven't done before! says Bennett. I like transparency, reflection and mirrors right now so I created a fishbowl' from a transparent stage and other elements based on the album artwork's V symbol.
Bennett devised a set composed of an under-lit PLEXIGLAS stage, an upstage wall of stepped, PLEXIGLAS panels which can be filled with smoke, and a ceiling of moveable arms etched out by the MagicBlade-R fixtures. This gives the stage a volumetric feel below the band as if they are standing on another world, a backdrop that can be back-projected onto and a ceiling that I can use to change the look, feel, and shape of the stage throughout the show. My intention was to create a modern, clean look that was flexible enough to give multiple looks within the personality of the design, he explains.
Bennett uses the MagicBlade-R fixtures both as sources of illumination and as tools to construct sculptural, architectural effects. I'm able use the MagicBlades to accentuate the image of the V' and create a forced perspective in both horizontal and vertical planes. I can gear everything to an apex - in the air, on the ground and upstage - and use them as a mirror image of each other. At one point I even bring them in low and flat to compress the stage and top light the band.
Occasionally we run content through the MagicBlades along with the other lighting elements on stage but most of it is pre-programmed to take advantage of the MagicBlades' flexibility. There's a great flexibility in what you can do with Ayrton lights because of the individually addressable LED emitters which add great simulation and texture.
Jason Baeri, Bennett's lighting programmer for the V tour, agrees: It's not just the flat beams of light that make the MagicBlades so unique, but the appearance of the face of fixture which we can use to construct scenic looks. We can create defined spaces, like the outline of a triangle, then completely transform the look for the next song in an instant. We use the continuous pan and tilt, for example, to animate the effects and make dynamic use of the space: to see 40-foot wings of light descend over the audience with the MagicBlades spinning over their heads is incredible and truly unique! I couldn't have foreseen the kind of effects we have been able to create with the MagicBlades in Roy's design.
Ayrton's MagicBlade-R is immediately identifiable as having seven 4.5 15W RGBW LED emitters arranged inline, each of which can be individually controlled for greater design possibilities. We didn't make use of MagicBlade's on-board macros because everything we did was engineered to create specific architectural space, says Baeri. But programming them is as easy or as complex as you want it to be. You can get some amazing looks with the blade' effect alone, which is very easy to do. But neither is it difficult to program the individual emitters independently. We did this using an MA2 console and, for the very intricate stuff, we used a Hippotizer media server to pixel-map complex shapes and direct video.
Everything the MagicBlades are capable of doing, I have them doing on this show, says Bennett. I love to work that way - I put lights through their paces and push them to the max. I like to find out where their breaking point is and the stop just short of it!
There's no doubt about the durability of the MagicBlades, confirms Baeri. I've seen these and other Ayrton fixtures really take a beating on tour and not even flinch!
Bennett, who first used Ayrton's MagicBlade-R for the Japanese stadium tour of Big Bang Korea (the world's biggest K-Pop band), was among the first lighting designers in the USA to use Ayrton's award-winning MagicPanel 602. His design for Nine Inch Nails' 2013 Tension tour employed 126 MagicPanel 602 fixtures, arranged in 3 x 3 pods' above the band. Now, for Maroon 5's V tour, he has utilized another massive quantity of Ayrton lights with the overhead matrix of 210 MagicBlade -R units. Bennett's love for large numbers of Ayrton fixtures is obvious.
Ayrton fixtures always work well in a mass, he laughs. I absolutely love Ayrton and am really impressed with their products. They are good, rock solid, bright and very dependable. They are not as mechanical' as some moving lights and they give you great flexibility in what you can do. Ayrton products bring something very unique to the market and they always come up with new tools.
The level of support we get from Morpheus Lights in the US is unparalleled, concludes Baeri. They are available to us 24-hours a day and, through them, we are in direct contact with Ayrton's product designers who truly listen to our feedback about what we want their products to do in future.
Maroon 5's V tour commenced in Dallas on February 16 and concludes in Denver on December 31, by which time the tour will have crossed America,
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Ayrton MagicBlade -R cuts above the rest on Maroon 5 V world tour posted: 18/09/2015 
