Wednesday, June 13, 2007

2007 Annual Ford Fleet Product Review

LAS VEGAS, June 2007 - The Paris Ballroom, located in the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, NV was home to the 2008 Annual Ford Fleet Product Review. For 3 years running, 4Wall Entertainment Lighting has been the key supplier of lighting equipment for this colossal event.

Production Designer – Gary Cooper has elected 4Wall as his primary source for lighting because of their unwavering ability to serve. Gary stated, “Whether it’s a custom truss design, a photo shoot, or a high end piece of equipment, 4Wall is there to serve and help accomplish the task at hand. The personalities they employ are there to make your life easier.”

The Las Vegas Ford Fleet event is said to be one of the most exquisite manufacturer shows on the market today. Catering to their select audience, this year featured events included the Beatles cover band – The Fab-4, a comedy hour with comedian – George Wallace and a highly skilled car ballet. The theme for this years production was “Drive” and drive they did. “The car ballet was choreographed with 14 vehicles racing about the 180’ x 80’ indoor stage at speeds up to 40 mph while weaving in an and out of a medley of live dancers. It was an awe inspiring performance to watch” says, Cooper.

Also worth noting are past Ford Fleet venues consisting of fully executed themes such as 2005’s Old Vegas Meets New Vegas; focused on The Rat Pack and internationally acclaimed Cirque Du Soleil; followed by music icon Michael Mac Donald. 2006 showcased a Rock-n-Roll musical theme with Detroit Rocker – Jody Raffoul and crowd-pleaser – Jay. Jody and band were staged up above in 26’ tall towers, lit by several Color Kinetics Color Blasts and MAC 2000s surrounding them.

Each year poses new challenges for the lighting crew and this year was one of the most prolific. Dramatically lighting the live dancers while simultaneously providing enough light for moving vehicles weighing an average of 3,400 lbs. (1545.45 Kgs), and at the same time making certain not to blind any of the drivers; required precision planning with no margin for error. Drivers had to be guided by hidden cue lights to specified stage exits which would accommodate the vehicle’s size and momentum. They did not actually decrease their speed until after they had exited the stage.

Over 150 moving lights including 54 of the new VL 3000s were rigged out to light the actual performance. Gary chose 30 of CK’s Colorblazes because of their vibrant and wonderful color variations, using them to illuminate the 30’ velour curtain surrounding the stage. There were 16 Color Faders used on the 10’h x 120’l muslin header, which all performed perfectly. “This was a small miracle”, says Gary “Since they are notorious for requiring maintenance.” “It just goes to show that the extra effort 4Wall puts into the quality control of their equipment, pays off for the customer.” The show once again, was a huge success.

About 4Wall Entertainment

Founded in 1999, 4Wall Entertainment is a leading national provider of entertainment lighting systems. 4Wall's services include rentals, sales, service, design, and labor for the lighting industry. Staffed by lighting veterans, 4Wall has become the industry standard for quality and customer service. With the motto of being "Large enough to service, Small enough to Care," 4Wall equipment and design provides customers with projects that are not only aesthetically spectacular but also extremely reliable. 4Wall features three convenient locations- Las Vegas (702-263-3858), New York (201-329-9878), and Phoenix (480-212-0140). To learn more about 4Wall products and services, please visit www.4wall.com.