Force Majeure is known for making work that transforms the familiar and domestic into the poetic.
Set and lighting designer Geoff Cobham collaborated with Chris Petridis, video designer and assistant lighting designer, on the project. A PC running Jands Vista v2 software with a Vista M1 wingboard was used to operate the show.
"Essentially I built the video system which included a Catalyst media server running ArtNet so that was an exciting factor in using the Vista for control," Petridis commented. "I find that the Vista is very compatible with ArtNet and networking."
The production utilised five standard projectors plus a Robe Spot 3000DT digital moving head projector so Chris was running two complete media server systems as well as a normal lighting rig.
"Geoff and I are similar in our artistic approach to lighting and consequently we really favour the Vista because it's very intuitive in creating the desired stage looks," explained Petridis. "Other consoles can be all about numbers. With the Vista, instead of having to think about what you're trying to create in a mathematical manner you can think about it in an artistic way. That's the greatest thing about Vista and that comes across in the programming of it using features like the colour picker and having all the gobos visible when you're loading and programming them."
Never Did Me Any Harm will be playing at the Melbourne Festival later in the year.
(Jim Evans)
