What Pros Say About SHOWGUN

SHOWGUN units are quickly making their way around the world, specified on high-profile events that you can read about on this website (click on the LD's highlighted name for a link to the story and photos in our news section). Here's what the pros say who know what SHOWGUN can do for their event.

LD Henk-Jan van Beek, Toppers Show:

“I wanted SHOWGUNs in this design because I wanted to use the output and I wanted just one powerful source for the shows. We started the shows in half daylight and then up to dark, so therefore I chose the SHOWGUNs, and they worked great!”

LD Bryan Hartley, Motley Crue 2008 tour:

“The SHOWGUNs as always are a great light and the band loves them. They had never seen them before and really like the LED ring."

George Studnicky IV, Creative Stage Lighting:

"SHOWGUN represents a new age of lighting design. With SHOWGUN, designers can truly give their audiences a memorable experience."

LD Greg Brunton, BET TV's Sunday Best:

"I've got the say the SHOWGUN is just plain terrific. I'm watching the rehearsal right now of the 6th BET Sunday Best show and I only wish I had more of them."

LD Paul Nancollas, Prince of Poets:

"Chris Ferrante organized the delivery of the SHOWGUN for me. Originally I wanted to see it for curiosity only. I remember when it arrived. We switched it on. There was a 5-second silence before I said, 'I have to get a LOT of these.' it is at the top of my purchasing/hire list ever since. At the time, they were still fairly new and not readily available in the region; otherwise we would have used them on every show. The SHOWGUN is the most beautiful fixture on the market. The idea to put lights on the light is genius."

LD Daunte Kenner, Chris Brown tour:

“I've used SHOWGUN on a few corporate functions and outdoor displays, but this is my first time touring with it. There is no comparison to any other light! The SHOWGUN offers many layers of creativity. The LED Ring is an effect in itself, and the tri-color system really extends your color palette. And the output -- still unbelievable!”

LD David Agress, 2008 NHL All-Star Game:

"The SHOWGUNs will be part of my big-show list from now on. Really a wonderful light. They were the work horse (and show horse) of this year's NHL All-Star Game."

Steven Hubbard, Production Manager, 2008 NHL All-Star Game:

"The SHOWGUN fixtures elevated the level of our production and exceeded our expectations. We will defeinitely specify them again. High End Systems brings a consistent and valued approach to the visual production solutions needed NO matter the size or scale of the event."

LD Maurice Verbeek, Andre Rieu world stadium tour 2007-2008:

"Because of the enormous dimensions I needed to add some strong spots. To cover a 40-head orchestra from a distance of 30 meters (99 feet) I used the 16 SHOWGUNs. We integrated them in the windows of the palace structure. It worked out better than I hoped. They were so strong we needed to reduce them. I would say SHOWGUN is one perfect spot for a classical show like this.”

LD Henk-Jan van Beek, 2007 Junior Eurovision Song Contest:

"SHOWGUN satisfied a lot of important requirements for this particular show. Not only did I want to have a good backlight, but I put some of the SHOWGUNs between the rig for effects, and the LED ring was a perfect complement to the circular design in the ceiling...I placed about half of the SHOWGUNs around the stadium, which has a pitch of almost 60 meters. The beam shows off well at that distance."

Production Designer Patrick Dierson, R. Kelly tour:

"There were a few reasons why I chose the SHOWGUNs for this tour and not the least of which was because Kells had seen them at a party a while back and thought that they looked really interesting. I love the fact that you can be sitting in the cheapest seat in the house and still have a beam shoot straight by your head. The photonic output of this instrument is amazing. I was also very interested in having a unit that could do double duty in being a wash and hard edge fixture. I also knew that we'd be using the SHOWGUN's LED ring specifically throughout the show."

LD Jeroen Jans, "Het Beste Idee van Nederland":

"For this new high-level TV show I was looking for a fixture that was both new and fit well cosmetically into the scenery with a high LED and lamp output. The choice was easy: High End SHOWGUN – a great fixture with great features! All 15 SHOWGUNs did a job well done for two months, with nice slow and smooth movement in presentation scenes, fast in action, and great color mixing, too. The LED tracking ring - what a super idea! It looks great and it gives the picture just the difference I was looking for to fit the fixture in as part of the scenery.”

LD Durham Marenghi, St. Pancras High Speed Rail Station Opening, UK:

"The SHOWGUNs are great. It was nice to have the SHOWGUNs in the ceremonies. We ran them the length of the shed. I used them not only as wash lights but for projecting high-powered gobos across the high-speed trains themselves."

LD Bryan Hartley, Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour:

"I love its color mixing, strobing, lighter weight, LED ring, brightness and solid beam – plus it plugs in just like a normal moving light. We have so many LED products on this show, so the SHOWGUN with its recognizable LED ring fits right in and looks great. This is a heavy metal show, so rather than do the multi-colored Christmas thing I’m using all solid colors. I love the solid beam of SHOWGUN. I use the strobe, too – and I flash the LEDs red and blue.”

LD Rolf Wenzel, Haldern Pop Festival, Germany:

"SHOWGUN is an extraordinary new way of lighting. The LED tracking ring itself is also a standalone tool with a fantastic look in the rig. And in combination with the ultrabright beam of the SHOWGUN this fixture rocks. I used the Gatlin Gun gobo for a move over the audience and it is fantastic to see the crisp beam dots with the massive red surface in the middle on the heads of the audience. For me, SHOWGUN defines the next level of lighting!"

LD Ian Davis, Paul Van Dyk concert at Central Park:

"SHOWGUN is amazing. I love the new color mixing system and the rainbow effect. I had two SHOWGUNs at Front of House and used them as followspots at 120 feet. They were so bright. I’m excited about SHOWGUN. I’ve always felt High End Systems was the best innovator, and with SHOWGUN, they’re the king of moving lights again!"

Lighting Director Jason Eible, Ultimate Fighting Championship:

"The SHOWGUN is an incredible fixture that our industry was in need of. With the advent of LEDs most people have turned their heads away from lighting and into the LED as a new look for their show. The SHOWGUN with its LED ring is sure to turn heads and bring focus back to lighting. For me SHOWGUNs have brought another dimension to lighting design. The SHOWGUN has everything you need in an automated head. It is crazy bright, fast and has great color capability. The true black light and the electronic strobing are awesome. I can’t wait to get to the next show so I can use them again."

LD Jason Cain, Slayer/Marilyn Manson tour:

"SHOWGUNs are super f***ing bright! The light that emits from the SHOWGUN is so pure and intense. We should start handing out a pair of sunglasses to all the kids who come to the show. About SHOWGUN's LED ring -- at first, I thought was kinda 'disco' but ended up being a nice effect, used alone or in combination. The zoom ratio is nice, and the frost helps to even out the beam field. The color mixing system produces an intensely saturated color spectrum. Gobo capabilities are ridiculously cool! When we were replacing the gobos and putting custom gobos in, the modular design was quite nice and easy to work with. The strobe has a really good gate; fast strobes are not a problem, especially for a band like Slayer. It's got a smooth pan and tilt, and position recall is amazing for a fixture of this size. It seems to ride well in the road cases provided. All of these features are great!"

Aidas Gimbutas, Main Light Industries:

"Main Light purchased a good number of SHOWGUNs sight unseen. The relationship we have had with High End Systems and Richard Belliveau over the past 20 years allowed us to feel confident making such a large investment with only having seen a video of the prototype fixture. We believed that this fixture would ignite the imaginations of lighting designers and addressed an area of lighting that has been pretty much ignored by most manufacturers. I was out of the office when the fixtures arrived and shipped out the next day for Live Earth. There was a little fear of putting a brand new fixture on a worldwide televised event, without a spare unit. Great to report: no problems. When the fixtures returned from the event, performing flawlessly, I finally had a chance to see the fixture in person. The first impression  when we turned on the fixture: *&^% $%^&! The combination of the soft edge, profile and LEDs in one  fixture allows an almost limitless combination of looks. The light coming out of the fixture just about knocks you on your rear when you see it. We were so impressed with the fixture we immediately doubled our inventory. High End continually helps make this an exciting profession to be in."

LD Rolf Wenzel, Haldern Pop Festival, Germany:

"SHOWGUN is a extraordinary new way of lighting. The LED ring itself is also a standalone tool with a fantastic look in the rig, and in combination with the ultrabright beam of the SHOWGUN, this damned fixture rocks. I used the Gatlin Gun gobo for a move over the audience and it is fantastic to see the crisp beam dots with the massive red surface in the middle on the heads of the audience.
For me SHOWGUN defines the next level of lighting!”  

Andy Webb, Sundial Theatre, UK:

"(After seeing the video), the new SHOWGUN is even more impressive up close. From the ease of servicing to the intensity and spread of the LEDs, it outperforms what I expected and these features make it a unique product. This fixture will work in many different applications, not just concert touring. I look forward to trying it within a theatre production, using it to produce intense backlight."

LD Tom White, Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) member:

"A very interesting fixture. It's versatile and even one unit on its own would make a huge impact on any touring rig. The LEDs are bright enough for a wash when used independently. It's got solid construction relying on mechanical indexing rather than any optical sensors. It is really a tough fixture and reliable. Good heat extraction from the head and base - the best I have seen in any moving head fixture."

Charlie Malings, MiddleMan Productions:

"Reggae Rising with over 12,000 people attending witnessed the SHOWGUN
and boy did it impress! The SHOWGUNs worked right out of the road case and endured 5 days of dust and dirt and operated flawlessly throughout as the Dance Hall went to 6 a.m. The LEDs are not a gimmick --the combination of CYM and RGB mixing produced beautiful colors and with the 'natural' haze up there, you
didn't need artificial fog or haze. Thanks to Richard Belliveau and his R&D crew for giving the industry SHOWGUN, truly the fixture that brings lighting back into the main focus again. This fixture will be one of the most specified toys in big show applications. I'm so confident that we ordered another 8 fixtures. Thanks again to HES for another awesome tool!"

LD George Tellos, Lighting Design Greece:

"The 'Gun' rocks! I think a new era of moving lights has just begun. The ability to have both spot and wash features in a single fixture is just amazing. It's time that theory becomes reality! About the brightness, designers may have to think twice where to rig the SHOWGUNs, because the other fixtures will look less bright. I really love the color mixing system and the quality! Sharp and quick. The fixture from the outside looks robust and compact. The design is very clever and reduces the total volume of the unit. The LED ring is a fun and cool feature. You really have to play with it in order to explore some cool effects!"

Russell Armentrout, Performance Lighting:

"When we powered up the SHOWGUNs for the first time (for the KISS shows), everyone’s jaw dropped. The whole production staff, including Mr. (Gene) Simmons, was very much impressed by the fixture. And the SHOWGUNs are just as easy to hang as any automated luminaire."

Lighting Director Sean "Motley" Hackett, KISS:

"I hung them stage left and stage right of the KISS sign to fill the gap where video screens used to be. By placing them here they became very ‘in your face,’ which is definitely where this band is. This way I could get air and stage focuses. SHOWGUNs are awesome. Basically it is easy to set up, easy to power and for the weight, gives you great bang for your buck. I love the LED as it makes them look unique. I love how you could do slow CMY fades, but the color would also react very quickly so it made it great for bump and grind."

Emiliano Morgia, ONE4ALL:

"In SHOWGUN, Richard Belliveau has another great idea to open a new territory for light. SHOWGUN is a unique fixture positioned between a stage light and a search light, which includes the best of both!"

Paul McLean, Lighting/AV Systems Designer:

“The design is absolutely fantastic. The serviceability and maintenance have been simplified to an amazing degree. You can change the lamp in about 30 seconds and the reflector in about 3 minutes. Plus, it’s very easy to clean. And I can’t get over the pan movement; it’s as smooth as Brylcreemed hair.”

Ola Melzig, M & M Production Management:

“It’s seriously the future of lighting. It doesn’t have an external ballast. You save power, you save weight and you save crew. So it saves money. I see so much potential in the product.”

LD Patrick Dierson, Live Earth Giants Stadium:

"I just want to express my sincere thanks to all of you and your teammates who not only helped make Live Earth a success but also for putting out such a great product in the ShowGun! These fixtures worked flawlessly in their inaugural debut and looked great, both live and on camera. Everyone on the design team was very happy about their performance and realistic ability to do what many were skeptical about. Nobody truly understood the LED implementation until we started to really make them dance and you could just see the light bulbs turn on in the heads of all the technicians and guest LDs whose first reaction was to dismiss it as just another ‘gag.’  

Given the spirit of this event we set out to use higher intensity fixtures in our rig but far fewer of them than we normally would have. This, in turn, reduced the overall energy draw on our bio-diesel generators. The single most striking feature of this unit is its output. We came into the stadium for sound checks starting at 10 a.m. and the sun was blazing directly down onto the stage. Not only did the SHOWGUN beams burn right over the sun's output but you could actually read the gobo textures on the deck clearly. So much for taking it easy during the daytime acts! We were able to get color on everybody throughout the course of the day and then use the SHOWGUNs to light the audience in the back of the stadium at night. These things have changed the game as we know it. Simply put, it's a really impressive piece of equipment!"  

Lighting director Joey Bradley, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi:

"These lights kick a**! I was blown away when I was able to focus our logo on a cloud! That did it for me. This is the best fixture I’ve ever seen. It was easy to change gobos, two screws and bam! You’re in. It took less than 15 minutes to change 6 gobos in 6 fixtures. That’s amazing. Also if the fixture ever has problems it’s a snap to work on; tons of room and a few twists of some screws and you can take out the whole bulkhead, the flags, gobo wheels, dousers and all. God bless the engineering department. Truly a piece of art.

The flag color mixing really raises the bar for moving fixtures. It takes CMY to another level. Two colors, one beam that is sexy! The LED ring is rock n’ roll. It’s really bright and complements the fixture perfectly. What can I say about the lamp? These lights give the sun a run for its money! You can see the beam with no haze 200-plus feet out of the fixture.

The SHOWGUN makes me think that the game is changing and High End Systems is once again leading the industry into new territory. That is exciting. When I was 14 I never thought that I would be debuting a High End Systems fixture. It is truly an honor and a privilege to do it at 21. I can’t wait to see what’s coming in the future.

High End’s Scott Kinnebrew was truly awesome. He was very knowledgeable about the fixtures and the console. He is exactly how I pictured a High End rep would be and act. He delivered what we have been taught here at the Hard Rock: kick-a** service! High End Systems was my favorite, now I won’t accept anything but!”

Marco de Koff, Flashlight:

“I am very impressed with the output, color mixing, the overall design. I am also very pleased with the simple straight-forward design that makes this unit, as all High End fixtures, easy to clean and maintain. We did not see SHOWGUN before we placed the order, we just saw the movie on the Internet. But after our very interesting visit to the Austin factory last year and meeting Richard Belliveau, we had no doubt that High End would come up with something special again. And indeed they did.”

Marc van der Wel, Ampco Flashlight Group:

“SHOWGUN is the perfect addition to our current rental stock, which consists of several hundred High End Systems and Flying Pig Systems products already. High End sent a service technician to arrive at the same time as the SHOWGUN, so our staff has been fully trained, and we are looking forward to some great shows with these great fixtures.”