Gallery & Press Releases
2012
HSL Nominated for Two TPi Awards
5 months ago
in 2012
Blackburn, UK based lighting and visuals rental company, HSL has been nominated for two 2013 Total Production International (TPi) Awards – for Favourite Lighting Rental Company (sponsored by Robe lighting) and Favourite Video Services Company.
HSL is one of the most proactive UK rental companies and has been nominated several times for the TPi Award for Favourite Lighting Rental Company, winning in 2008.
Being nominated for Video Services as well reflects the continuing convergence between lighting and certain elements of live video under the ‘visuals’ banner, and with it, a serious investment by HSL into LED screens and media server technology.
This took a major leap forward last year with the purchase of Martin LED screen and the full complement of Green Hippo Media Servers, Catalyst and AI.
This generally growing trend enables HSL to offer competitive lighting and LED screens/playback control packages coupled with video projectors and bespoke Video Systems, all from the same source.
HSL’s MD Simon Stuart states, “It is an amazing achievement to receive not one but two TPi nominations, especially coming from our peers in the industry, which adds proper value and credibility. More >
HSL Supplies Lighting for S4C TV Shows at NEP Cymru
5 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied nearly 300 moving and LED lightsources and over 100 generics to a series of Welsh language channel S4C Light Entertainment programmes recorded in a 10 day block at Studio 1 of the NEP Cymru (ITV Wales) facility at Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff .
These were specified by Cardiff and London based Lighting Designer Steffan Jones, who designed lighting and video for the raft of programmes, many featuring live artists. He was working for production companies Boomerang PLC in association with Alfresco TV and Apollo TV, and co-producers Mr. Producer.
HSL’s TV and broadcast specialist Sean McGlone co-ordinated the project. He comments, “It’s always a pleasure working with Steff. His drive, enthusiasm, imagination and keen visual eye are refreshing and invigorating, and his designs always interesting”.
NEPC is the largest OB and studio facilities company in Wales, and the batch recording session included the creation of popular programmes like “Noson”, “Carolau Gobaith” and others.
Flexibility was the key to the lighting design, and so the rig was based on offering numerous options for Jones. He had to embrace and light a plethora of More >
HSL Supplies Cheryl Cole A Million Lights Tour
6 months ago
in 2012
Well … in reality …. It wasn’t quite that many ….. BUT leading Blackburn, UK based lighting and visuals rental specialists HSL did indeed supply lighting equipment and crew to Cheryl Cole’s first solo ‘A Million Lights’ arena tour, once again working for technical producers Production North.
The lighting design by Peter Barnes, directed / operated out on the road by Neil Trenell of Fix8, proved that imaginative and intelligent use of lighting and effects can bring serious layers of magic to a high-impact show.
The tour was project managed for HSL by Mike Oates who comments, “Production North under the technical direction of Iain Whitehead co-ordinated another superb looking and highly entertaining show, and we were really pleased to be involved”.
Barnes and Trenell worked closely with creative directors Fatima Robinson and Beth Honan, who commissioned the set design from Bruce Rogers. They also initiated the video and visuals concepts, bringing a lively mix of footage to the picture, played back across an upstage pyramid shaped set clad with LED panels and a set of stairs immediately in front of it.
The lighting which matched and contrasted this as Cheryl’s fast paced, More >
Diversity for HSL
8 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental and solutions provider HSL continued a massively busy touring season supplying lighting, LED screen, rigging and a Kinesys automation system to Production North for street dance troupe sensation, Diversity’s first major arena tour.
HSL has worked with Production North on many different projects. Once again, Mike Oates project managed for the Blackburn based company, with set, visuals and lighting designed by Peter Barnes, working in close conjunction with Diversity’s creative director and leader, Ashley Banjo.
On the road, lighting was looked after and operated by Neil Trenell. An HSL crew of six took care of lighting and video and the Kinesys system, together with rigger John Ashton, who put in the 58 points each day.
Sarah Hollis, production manager for Production North, remarked that it was “Excellent” to deal with one company and a single HSL crew chief – Steve Major – covering lighting, video, staging, rigging and automation departments. They were extremely happy with the service and attention to detail for which HSL is renowned.
The futuristic Tron styled and shaped stage set was inspired by Banjo’s original narrative threads which set More >
Global Gathering for HSL
9 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL continued its busy summer supplying lighting equipment, LED screens, trussing and rigging for the Main Stage and five tented arenas at the 2012 Global Gathering event, staged at Long Marston Airfield near Stratford ….. attracting up to 50,000 dance music fans over two days.
HSL’s Tim Fawkes project managed the event and co-ordinated the supply of seven trucks worth of equipment to event production lighting designers Nick Jevons and Phil Windward of Electric Fly, also working closely with their lighting crew chief Mark Callaghan.
The main stage headliners were Tinie Tempah (Friday) and Chase & Status (Saturday). They and a host of other top international DJs and live acts – including Armin van Buren, Skrillex, Dot Rotten, James Zabiela, Ferry Corsten and hundreds more – set the fabulous Warwickshire countryside buzzing with the very best dance vibes,.
Even the sun participated in the fun .. delighting everyone with a fantastic performance over the two days – one of the few UK festivals this summer not to be plagued by erratic weather. The good weather prompted a run on the last remaining tickets the week before.
HSL is also More >
HSL Says Farewell to Westlife
10 months ago
in 2012
Westlife – the world’s favourite ‘boyband’ – played two phenomenal and highly emotional farewell concerts over two nights at Croke Park stadium in Dublin in their very last live performances, capping an amazing 14 year chart-topping, multi-million record selling career.
Lighting for this – and the six week tour preceding the two 85,000 capacity sold out shows at Croke Park – was supplied by leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL. It included nearly 200 moving lights.
The lighting design was created by Dave ‘Biccie’ Lee and operated on the tour at Croke Park by Simon Horn. Mike Oates project managed for HSL, who were working for the tour’s technical production co-ordinators Production North, under the auspices of production manager Karen Ringland.
Says Mike Oates, “We were immensely proud to work on this tour and the two landmark Croke Park shows. The show was absolutely stunning and a real tribute to all involved in producing another complete Westlife ‘experience’ with the highest production values that will be remembered for many years to come”.
As well as the hordes of loyal and dedicated fans packing into Croke Park for the final Farewell Concert, this show was More >
HSL Rocks With Prodigy at Download
11 months ago
in 2012
Lighting and visuals rental company HSL supplied a substantial ‘specials’ package – including 170 moving lights, custom metal ribs inset with LEDs and a Kinesys automation system – for The Prodigy’s hell-raising headliner performance at the 2012 Download festival, staged at Donnington Race Track near Derby.
The band’s show visuals were designed by Andy Hurst. As you’d expect it was a high impact, high energy, relentlessly pumping show musically and visually.
As it was also the band’s only UK festival appearance this summer Hurst wanted to do something on an epic and grand scale.
HSL’s Mike Oates project managed with HSL’s Tim Fawkes working as system and console tech on-site, and also assisting Hurst with the WYSIWYG pre-programming, completed in HSL’s dedicated visualisation facility at their new warehouse in Blackburn.
The backbone of the rig was 16 custom 8 metre high curved ‘ribs’ which were all individually outlined with LEDs, flown across the full stage width on three staggered upstage trusses. The idea being to add depth to the whole performance space.
These trusses were flown on Kinesys beam trolleys so they could be tracked upstage during the day and concertina’d More >
HSL Supplies Lighting for The Israeli Opera’s Carmen at Masada
11 months ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting rental company HSL sent over 500 lighting fixtures and crew to the Dead Sea for the third consecutive year to service the 2012 Israeli Opera Festival at Masada, which premiered a brand new production of Bizet’s “Carmen” directed by Daniel Oren.
HSL was again working for the event’s overall technical production suppliers The Design group from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in an operation co-ordinated by event Technical Director Eyal Lavee and Technical Production Manager Elad Mainz from Stage Design, and Project Managed for HSL by Mike Oates.
Lighting for the stunning looking ‘bare-stage’ production was designed by Avi Yona Bueno (Bambi), Israel’s best known performing arts lighting designer. The set was created by William Orlandi and the show directed by Giancarlo del Monaco both from Italy.
HSL’s crew of Ian Stevens and Matt Brown worked on site with Israeli lighting technicians Tsafrir Dagan (Saffi) and Itay and Ran Hafner, and together they dealt with the four containers of kit that left HSL’s HQ in Blackburn – three by sea and one by road.
The lighting rig featured 150 Robe moving lights – a mixture of ColorSpot 2500E ATs, ColorSpot 1200E ATs and REDWash More >
HSL Cuts To The Chase
1 year ago
in 2012
Blackburn UK based lighting and visuals rental company HSL is supplying specialist LED lightsources to the current series of the popular ITV quiz show, The Chase, in the process renewing its long and fruitful working relationship with leading TV lighting designer Tom Kinane, who has lit the series since it started.
HSL is supplying i-Pix BB4 LED wash lights and Satellite LED ‘bricks’ plus Pulsar Chroma strips to the show, which is being recorded in Studio Two at The London Studios (TLS) on the South Bank. The schedule is intense, recording three shows a day in batches of five days, and it has a daily broadcast slot on ITV 1 between 5 and 6 p.m. They have also just recorded six ‘celebrity specials’ – in TLS Studio One with live audiences – that are being aired on Saturdays.
HSL’s project manager and TV sector specialist Sean McGlone comments, “It’s always a pleasure to work with Tom, he is a real perfectionist and always comes up with great results”.
The set, designed by Jonathan Paul Green, is defined by a large crescent shaped Pixled F-30 LED screen which wraps about 260 degrees around the studio space. Another main element is a large scenic “C” at the end of which the More >
HSL Acquires Massive New Warehouse Facility
1 year ago
in 2012
Leading UK lighting and visuals rental company HSL has acquired a new 240,000 square foot warehouse and office premises very close to their current HQ in Blackburn, Lancashire. This will quadruple the current space and is currently being prepared to be fully operational by summer 2012.
HSL’s business has expanded exponentially over the last 4 years and the company has completely outgrown the current building in Ribble Business Park and a second adjacent unit that came on stream two years ago.
The move will ensure that HSL’s highly effective service-driven operations will continue at the levels of efficiency which everyone expects. There will also be room for future expansion into the rest of the space once the initial 165,000 square foot ‘phase one’ development is complete.
Features in the new space will include a large technical department, complete with climate controlled test rooms from +85 to minus 20 degrees – including an anechoic chamber (dead room) – to enable the extreme soak testing of all products in HSL’s extensive hire stock. Clean air facilities with full monitoring are installed throughout all the technical areas.
A complete set of Visualisation studios More >
