Ayrton’s Ghibli LED lights American Idol
- Details
“This year’s design for the American Idol studio shows has a moving ceiling with eight different panels,” says Healy. “I don’t have fixed lighting positions to key the judges since the ceiling can be in many different positions. I was looking for a new moving head spot fixture with an even field to put in the rig so I could take any pair of lights and key the judges from any angle.”
Healy opted for 50 Ghibli fixtures, five of which are dedicated to keying and backlighting the judges while the balance serves as performance lighting. The fixtures were provided by PRG.
ACT Lighting arranged a demo of the new Ghibli and other moving head spots for Healy at Volt Lighting. “LED spotlights are really just coming up to speed,” Healy notes. “Ghibli immediately struck me as a great instrument. The output, even field, colour rendition and framing shutters were all important to me. It stood out amongst the other lights.”
Healy uses other Ayrton fixtures on American Idol as well. “The upstage vertical screen splits four ways horizontally and vertically to expose three different light walls when the screens are in different positions,” he explains. “Ayrton MagicBlade and MagicPanel fixtures, hung vertically, are revealed to create beam effects and eye candy for various numbers.”
Healy’s team on American Idol includes programmer Harry Sangmeister and lighting director Don Winters.
(Jim Evans)
