Versatile Elation rig covers acts and more at Sandman Comedy Club posted: 07/04/2021
AV integrators Code 3 work closely with club owners to get the most out of the space
In late April, Michael and Carrie Sands will be fulfilling a longtime dream when they open Richmond, Virginia's newest entertainment venue, Sandman Comedy Club. Located in a roomy 1940's bank building complete with bank vault, the new venue houses an Elation lighting system of WW Profile HP , Fuze Spot , Colour Pendant and SixBar 1000 luminaires that will be used for much more than just comedy.
The Sandman Comedy Club, which will also hold Open Mic and Karaoke nights every week, will feature some of America's best comedic talent while serving up great food and drinks in a spacious room that features excellent views of the stage from every seat in the house.
Catering to live audience and video
AV integration company and Elation dealer Code 3 AV of Midlothian, Virginia, was called on to provide a comprehensive AV package for the new facility. Code 3's Vladimir Syrovatka worked closely with Michael Sands on the project, helping him realize some opportunities with the space that the owner might not initially have been aware of. Almost as an aside, Michael mentioned that he might want to also rent out the space to corporate clients or for weddings or other private parties, Syrovatka explains. That was a great idea. There are a lot of other opportunities to use the space besides comedy that he can leverage to give him additional streams of revenue. That modified the concept to the extent that he saw the importance in getting good lighting so he could not only light live performers but get good video capture through good balanced lighting as well.
As they talked about Michael's vision and the different ways he could market the space, the recording/video aspect became a central element of the design. With Covid, distance conferencing and online broadcast has become much more popular and they wanted to make sure they could cover that. Lighting had to work for camera as well as the live audience. By working closely with him and developing with him this methodology for operating, we were able to put together a very effective system for audio, lighting, video and camera.
Lighting supports vision
The approximate 200-capacity space was completely retrofitted from its previous incarnation as a brewpub with new kitchen and bar and the old bank vault serving as a one-of-a-kind liquor locker. Michael, a successful retired businessman who always had a penchant for comedy, naturally wanted to be cost effective so Syrovatka worked within a finite budget to determine what elements of the lighting were most important. Given that feedback, we massaged the budget and got the best lighting elements in place that could support his vision, he said.
Lighting system
Syrovatka says that despite being a small lighting system because it's dynamic lighting it's not limited at all. It's very versatile and still allows them to do a lot.
The system consists of two sticks of downstage truss that hold four WW Profile HP ellipsoidals along with a Fuze Spot LED moving head. The WW Profiles give warm white light onto the stage while the Fuze Spot can be used as a followspot, graphics projector or, with frost engaged, as a washlight. It has also been outfitted with a custom gobo to sweep the Sandman logo around the room. Three Colour Pendants with RGBW color systems are suspended over the stage to provide color or white light options onto the stage while adding depth to the look for video. Finally, SixBar 1000 LED battens, one left and one right at footlight positions and a third above a centered 90-inch display, wash the entire wall behind the performer in complementary tones. The SixBars are wonderful and very effective, says Syrovatka. They really highlight the performance and bring a lot of excitement to the venue.
Lighting scenes were created using an Elation Show Designer 1 controller working with a DMX interface and touch panel set up with preset buttons. An iPad configured with the touch panel allows venue personnel to walk throughout the facility and make adjustments to lighting and sound as needed.
On camera
A fixed camera in the back of the room allows them to capture the entire stage to record shows or can be used for online video meetings and distance conferencing. The camera links to a monitor in the green room where the next act is waiting, as well as to a digital recording device that can stream out to the Internet. Syrovatka says that performers will be delighted with the recording capability as it will allow acts to acquire a copy for their own promotion, both expanding the comedians reach while marketing the club as well.
The Healy Group
Code 3 worked closely with Chris Healy of Elation rep firm The Healy Group on the operating aspects of the system. Chris was very, very helpful on this project, Syrovatka states, who reached out to him to put the finer details on operation of the system and setup of the lighting units. He came in and really opened the client's eyes as to the potential of what the lighting system could do.
Satisfying result - club opening April 29th
The lighting install was completed earlier this year with the venue scheduled to celebrate its Grand Opening on April 29th. We are very proud of this installation and excited about what we were able to do within a limited budget, Syrovatka concludes. Our communication with the owner helped him to understand the role of lighting in supporting what he was trying to do. He felt it brought a lot of dynamism to his ability to support these performers in this environment and once he saw the finished package he was absolutely delighted with the end result.
About Elation Professional
Based in California with
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
Versatile Elation rig covers acts and more at Sandman Comedy Club posted: 07/04/2021 
