The third gold-wrapped ETC Source Four lighting fixture, representing the one-millionth-unit production mark of the brand and entitling its owner to the real prize of nine different fixtures in ETC’s Source Four range, has surfaced in Japan. The recipient of a gold-wrapped Source Four is Yasuhiro Fujiwara, president and owner of Xippi Lighting Design in Tokyo. Fujiwara has been a professional lighting designer for over 28 years, having worked on international tours in Carnegie Hall, New York City; Royal Albert Hall, London; and at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan. He is a long-time user of ETC equipment who recognized the importance of Source Fours early on and purchased his first of many in 1993. Fujiwara also tours Japan with an ETC Express® 125/250 control console and was the first Japanese lighting designer to use house DMX with his touring console. Fujiwara says he was “overwhelmed” when he put in his order and received this surprise. He looks forward to using his new Source Four-line sampler on many future projects.
The first ‘One-Millionth’ Source Four turned up in early September, in an order destined for the brand-new school theater at Evansville High School, Evansville, WI. The symbolic Source Four was displayed for a few weeks in the school’s main showcase and then, and as per contest rules, was returned to ETC in exchange for the grand set of Source Fours. Students and faculty at Evansville have been using their nine new fixtures on all of their school and community-theater productions ever since. The second gold-wrapped Source Four, located in late September, went to 18-year lighting veteran He Shou Feng, founder of lighting specialists RGB in Guangzhou, China. Experts in lighting, dimming and control for theatrical and television applications, RGB has specified numerous ETC systems and products and installed major projects throughout China, including the ninth China Sports, Shandong Conference Center (the first ETCNet2™ site in China), Hangzhou Red Star Theatre, Shanghai Oriental TV, Guandong Star Ocean Concert Hall, and Guangzhou Zhongshan Memorial Hall. Their new Source Four set will get plenty of use on future high-profile projects.
The revcent revelation in Japan accounts for all but one of the winning Source Fours that ETC shipped out randomly within its four electrical markets last summer in celebration of the million-unit milestone and 10th anniversary of the fixture. The one remaining prize fixture, sent to Europe, continues to elude discovery. The mystery grows.