The Catalyst stores video clips, graphics and animations on its hard drive, which can then be called up and manipulated as easily as a moving light, via any DMX lighting desk. Fusing the technology and ideologies of lighting and video is creating an exciting and flexible presentation medium: up to this point, lighting and projection have been treated as separate departments in television - now, lighting and video cues can be changed simultaneously and instantly from the lighting desk.
Kenyon, Charles and their Catalyst systems are in action on the current series of the BBC's National Lottery Jet Set show, directed by John Spencer and presented by Eamonn Holmes. Kenyon is Jet Set's lighting director, and Charles operates the Catalysts with his Wholehog II lighting console. The set, designed by Chris Webster, features a 180° curved projection screen, onto which sources from the servers are projected by nine Sanyo XP55 projectors. The Catalyst V3 systems, each powered by a Mac G5 with an ATI Radeon 8500 video card, are each configured as two output layers, with the Sanyos grouped into three sets of three. The three on the left are fed from Catalyst 1, output 1; the centre set by Catalyst 1, output 2, and the right-hand set by Catalyst 2, output 1, while output 2 provides backgrounds for the finale.
Jump Graphics produced the digital content run by the Catalysts for Jet Set, and also supplied the show's other graphics. Stills are also lifted from the show's weekly on-location TV package and imported into the Catalyst, then output as projected backdrops. The show is lit with a large rig of LED light sources (supplied by Richard Martin Lighting) which are also controlled by Will Charles from his Wholehog II, along with eight Clay Paky Stage Zooms. The key lighting is from ETC Source Four Zooms, controlled from the studio's Strand Galaxy lighting console, operated by Darren Lovell.
Kenyon, who drove TV lighting forward with his use of moving lights and smoke in the mid-90s - notably on Top Of The Pops - is again at the forefront of visual design with his use of digital media servers. Kenyon will be using Catalyst on upcoming shows including The Generation Game and A Song For Europe. Projected Image Digital's David March comments: "It's fantastic to be part of this new end fast-moving trend that's giving designers access to a whole new level of visual control and flexibility."
