GLP X4 XL adds bite to Dracula in Oaklahoma
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“The production is rented to ballet companies throughout the world, and at each venue I lay out the line sets and adapt the show to whatever I find there,” says the LD, explaining the background. “[GLP impression X4s] are among fixtures that remain constant and the rest change depending on venue.” He believes that the production plays better in theatres where the architecture is either more ornate or with darker woods, rather than the light grey ones that pull focus from the stage.
However, with the latest transfer, fixture availability forced him to replace the eight X4 devices generally deployed in the production with the same number of GLP’s larger X4 XL, which the Ballet sourced from local company, Toucan Productions. Containing 55 high power RGBW LEDs (each rated at 15W), coupled with 7°-50° zoom range, the output is intense.
The fact that the X4 XL uses the same optics featured in the impression X4 to deliver a similar well-defined beam, was the main reason Grill opted for an identical number of units. “Because they have a specific ‘focus’, cutting down the quantity was not an option,” he says.
While the designer was able to maintain the feel of the impression X4 in the darker scenes, both colour and levels needed to be backed off due to the increased brightness of the X4 XL. In the whiter scenes, however, it was a different story. “I was very happy to have the brighter units as they now cut through the conventional units and made those scenes much more as I have always wished the look to be,” he admits. “I had no need to fuss with the colour, as I thought might have been the case with the upgrade, and am very relieved that they transferred flawlessly between units.”
(Jim Evans)
