Lighting designer James Campbell was given the task of lighting the new series: "The brief was to recognise and produce the traditional Mastermind look, with a suggestion of different architecture, like the different locations they used in the original series."
The Lighting rig is made up of 20 MAC 500s and one Stage Zoom 1200.
"The central image to the show is the iconic chair, where I use an intense arrangement of moving lights (the MAC 500s). The background is kept black with the multi-dimensional beams in striking shades of blue."
By Campbell's own admission the MAC 500s are "easy to hire lamps, they have a strong user base, are programmable by most basic desks and they are very reliable. You are never more then 50 Miles from a MAC 500 or 60 miles from a MAC 600 and we didn't have a huge budget so couldn't afford to spend on delivery and collection which would have been a significant cost."
Using the MAC 500s meant that Campbell could hire direct from a company in Manchester and from RML in London.
Campbell's preferred operators are Gill Hersee and Andy Dobbs in London and at Granada in Manchester, Andy Stagles and Taras Kochan.
(Chris Henry)
