Produced by Shine TV for ITV2, the show was shot at BBC TV Centre's TC6 studio. However, part of the challenge faced by set designer Simon Kimmell and lighting director Will Charles was the production's desire to feel like it was hosted in a sports stadium rather than a 600sq.m studio.
To help with this, Charles deployed the additional "fire power" of the high-output Coemar fixtures, making use of Infinity Spot Ms, Infinity Wash Ms and Infinity ACL Ms. "I used the Infinity Spots as ultra-wide backlights for the team entrances, the Infinity Washes as coloured audience front washes, and the Infinity ACL for creating 'fingers' of light framing the downstage screens," Charles says.
"The lights certainly helped us fulfill the brief; the producers at Shine seemed happy that we had produced a look as good if not better than the productions already on air in the US, Germany and Australia. There are usually many things I would change in hind-sight, but for this show I believe my team of David Bishop on moving lights and Catalyst, Oliver Lifely on generics along with the excellent lamp techs from Richard Martin and the BBC racks engineers and sparks crew created something to be proud of. I'd certainly recommend these lights - and would be happy using them again."
(Jim Evans)
