Allen Branton lights iHeart Awards with Chauvet
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For his part, Branton relied on light from his 4Wall Entertainment supplied rig, which included over 70 Chauvet Professional fixtures, to enhance the “virtual stage” environment created through the video and scenic design.
“This show was the result of an interesting collaboration between lighting and scenic design, along with the screen content creations by Darmah,” says Branton. “The design team essentially built the show around a virtual environment. Creatively arranging video tiles, the team created a virtual proscenium on the venue’s actual stage, with lighting working inside it.”
Created to meet the needs of a broadcast event, the design had the flexibility required to create different looks for the long list of celebrated stars who appeared on the nationally televised event; a group that included host LL Cool J, Måneskin, Jason Aldean, Megan Thee Stallion and Jennifer Lopez, John Legend and Charlie Puth
“The video content capacity of the design allowed us to generate entirely different worlds,” continues Branton. “Darmah was the MVP of this production for sure.”
As the show reflected the various personalities and styles of the different artists on stage, video content played a key role in maintaining a consistent image for the TV audience. “Time was short as is almost always the case,” adds Branton. “So, as we moved through the programme, a regular visit to the ‘home base’ video look kept us in the iHeart world.”
Also lending an element of consistency to the multi-dimensional show were the 44 COLORdash Accent Quads in Branton’s rig. He used these compact 10-watt RGBA units as a point source element extending them beyond the stage at the spacious Shrine Auditorium to fill peripheral space and provide a consistent look for wide shots.
Other fixtures in the rig included 12 Rouge R2X Washes, which were flown above the stage and used for colorizing down light and 16 Rogue R1 Beams. By lighting the audience, the beam fixtures helped convey a live concert mood to television viewers.
Branton credited his crew John Cox, Felix Peralta, Kevin Lawson and Jason Uchita with helping to navigate the challenges involved in a show of this size. He points out that the most daunting segment featured Jennifer Lopez, since it involved the most moving parts and largest cast on stage.
