ELP in the Club

UK - We've had the jungle, the house and the academy, so it was only a matter of time until a reality TV show was set in a nightclub: Carlton TV's ‘The Club’, broadcast recently on ITV, was set in one of London's funkiest watering holes - Nylon - and starred Samantha Fox, Dean Gaffney and Richard Blackwood. The retro-themed two-floored bar in the City of London proved to be a challenging seven-week lighting and rigging project for Elstree Light & Power. Crew chief Mark Gardener explains: "Basically we had to rig, cable and light a fully functioning nightclub that was open to the public. Nylon regularly packs in over 500 revellers so you can imagine the potential for chaos. Not only was health and safety a huge concern but we had to make sure that hundreds of meters of cable were hidden from camera view."

ELP fixed over 150 lights including assorted Arri fresnels, Source Four profiles, standard and floor Par cans, Kinoflo Kits and Birdies with a selection of beam angles. Gardener continues: "Going out live every night meant that the different production departments had to work closely together in a highly charged atmosphere. Teamwork between camera crews, sparks, riggers and chippies was excellent."

(Lee Baldock)

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