
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 ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
18/08/2026
Riedel Communications has announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, ...
18/08/2026
Company launch with stereo-imaging tool
Panoramic is the debut release from Panorama Labs, a new company formed by mastering engineer Nicholas Di Lorenzo. C...
18/08/2026
Control software now available for older interfaces
Focusrite have just announced the launch of an update that extends Control 2 software support their Scar...
18/08/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Lightware announces an integration with SpectralBot that helps system integrators and AV operators troubleshoot faster using augmented reality (AR), AI-assisted...
18/08/2026
Command Frame for After Effects
Scott Black August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Free download, demonstrations, hands-on tests, and creator resources
Want to t...
18/08/2026
At Stand 14.A57, the data company will demonstrate GreenDot and IBM Aspera together, giving media and entertainment businesses real-time visibility of what thei...