ChamSys MagicQ reflects sun and sea
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“The whole idea for the general look of the set and lights was to create the sensation of waves spreading from a central point,” said Birsa of Blackout Lighting Design. “MMS was held at a seaside town, and most of the songs performed were about the sea, so connecting the stage design with water was essential. At the same time, since this is a song contest, we wanted dramatic looks to be part of each performance.”
Working on his ChamSys MagicQ MQ70, Birsa programmed a seven-universe show with 14 pages of cues and cue lists that accentuated the deepest elements of his collaborator’s set design.
“I am working with Slovenia’s best set designer Greta Godnic,” he said. “She usually gives the basic “shape of space” idea and then we start building the project together from the ground up. That’s how we can ensure that the lights have optimal positions in regard to the physical set. When we work like this, the lighting playground is much wider than it would be if the set and lighting design were progressed along separate paths.”
The production design provided a supportive backdrop for each of the 12 finalists, as well as the two special guests, who participated in the contest, which was broadcast on the Slovenia National Television network.
“As this was a live music show, there had to be some strong parts when the lighting energized the performance,” said Birsa. “This is why the set and lighting design were built, not just to be aesthetic, but to also provide some fast changes and lighting bursts.
“In terms of colour, we went with a lot of dual- tone looks,” continues Birsa. “I think that this design looked best when using two similar colors. With the video we had in the background, creating too many colors with the lights would demolish the whole stage look - especially for the cameras.”
Birsa programmed the show on his MQ70 using Wysiwyg R46 over a three-day period for pre-programming. A touring commitment took him to Spain during the broadcast, so the show was run by his associate at Blackout Design, Klemen Krajnc, using a ChamSys PC wing. The key lights were run by Darko Lovrencic of the TB network and run on a Chamsys MQ200 console.
Key to helping this project run smoothly was the time coding capabilities of his ChamSys console, according to Birsa. “This was the first time since I am doing the lighting design for this music competition, that we have used the timecode for execution of the lighting for the show. The Time Code features, including the Timeline Editor were very helpful for me.”
