Wednesday, July 9, 2008

4Wall - Phoenix: Fire and Ice on the Rocks

On July 12th and 21st, surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Springs World Arena hosted an event of Olympic proportions. Show Director and Choreographer –

Eddie Shipstad collaborated with international lighting supplier 4Wall Entertainment to execute this magnificently lit ice show. This 2-hour event unveiled a rink side dinner for a private audience of 300 plus guests featuring live performances by Olympic Skater Emily Hughes and other US National skate medalists.

Photo Credit: Robert Linn

The show consisted of 4 group numbers and multiple solos showcasing US medalist Hughes. Eddie’s goal for the ice show was to make it a finale event every attendee would remember. To succeed Shipstad knew he had to use the best in the industry. His said “Dream Team” of behind the scenes players consisted of internationally acclaimed Skating Choreographer -Simone Grigorescu, Lighting Programmer – Peter Jackson, Lighting Technician – Tom Buddingh, and 4Wall Entertainment Lighting.

Shipstad stated, “I used 4Wall strictly for two reasons: one, because of their extensive inventory (Vari*Lite specifically) and secondly, because of their exceptional customer service. Todd Mertzel, whom I’ve worked with multiple times while directing shows for the University of Denver, consistently provides service that’s second to none. The largest challenge we faced was making sure that we had enough fixtures to light the 600' of pipe and drape that surrounded the ice, along with the 38 tables on the ice for dinner lighting, and have lights available for the Children’s Chorale or the ice sculpturing group...all at the same time. 4Wall put together a package that gave us the high performance we needed, while maintaining a reasonable budget. The 22 Vari*lite 2500 spots along with 26 Studio Color 575s, 8 MAC 2000 WASHs and 8 MAC 250 ENTOURs were used to wash the ice surface. The lights were in great shape and all of the equipment performed extremely well. In past shows that I've directed, there were multiple issues with lights not working so the quality of equipment provided by 4Wall was key for a successful implementation.”

“The combination of extraordinary skating, quality equipment, spectacular lighting, and a powerful team and vision mapped the undeniable success of the these events. Thank you Todd and 4Wall for everything!”

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.