"We were tasked with putting London on the map alongside Sydney Harbour Bridge and Times Square, NYC," explained Marenghi. "The fantastic fireworks by Darryl Fleming at Titanium are what the public recognize but, like all good lighting, our design is subliminal but would be very much missed if not there."
Marenghi and Cook designed a two and one half hour light show in the lead up to and including a 10-minute fireworks spectacular at midnight which was broadcast around the UK and the world. The event is focused around one of London most iconic visitor attractions The London Eye which operates until the afternoon of the day of the show. For NYE 2015, a live musical concert accompanied the show and was broadcast out across the Thames to the audience in attendance.
"We create lighting design using wysiwyg software every NYE. I work on creating cue lists from the music track and exact firework firing lists to obtain colours and cue speeds. Paul Cook then uses the wysiwyg and Chamsys control platform to create the lighting program. The event is always pre-visualized in the virtual world before the event which gives us a chance to review it with the client and sponsors, showing them exactly what we will achieve," said Marenghi.
"The cue list is then put into the lighting design desk using wysiwyg's virtual system and photometrically accurate models of the fixtures in the unique lighting positions on the wheel itself.
"Cue operation is sent to other operators for lighting on to the Shell Centre building, Jubilee Bridge and the London Marriott County Hall Hotel. We also send the cue sheet to the BBC director so that they know exactly when the major lighting effects will be so that they can broadcast them effectively.
"wysiwyg is a tried and tested system and we would not achieve the accuracy and client satisfaction we have received over the years without it! Projects like this allow us to think out side the box and ensure that NYE revellers have the best start to the year possible."
Other design considerations include the moment when the midnight fireworks finish. "This gives us a nice chance to give beam lighting effects from The London Eye capsules," said Marenghi "as there is plenty of smoke in the air!"
"Additional care has to be taken as for most of the evening the Thames River is open to boat traffic and no light beams may interfere with captains of the river vessels."
Marenghi has another innovation that is very wysiwyg orientated. There was a requirement for a giant oversized clock for the Shell Centre building.
"Lighting design is so creative that there is not even need for projection! We designed the use of 14 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700s to create the bars of a digital clock with an oblong Gobo. Thanks to wysiwyg we created a 20 metre high countdown for the final 60 seconds until midnight.
"The beautiful architecture of London is the perfect backdrop for New Years Eve and we are proud to see wysiwyg used in such an entertaining way by Marenghi and Cook," said Igor Silva, marketing director at CAST Group.
(Jim Evans)
