Kinnane started using Pixelline 1044 battens - of which there are also 10 on this show - at Christmas after seeing them in action on Granada's Stars In Their Eyes in Manchester. He was impressed with the power and punch, and then tested some of the new PixelPAR 90 convection cooled fittings at the first opportunity. They were run in 10-channel mode for Love, ensuring full dimmer intensity control.
"They look fantastic on camera" he declares, and likes them so much that he'll now use them whenever he gets the chance. The next upcoming shows are a Graham Norton pilot for the BBC, and Later With Jools.
The PixelPAR 90's low profile, convection-cooled, weatherproof housing makes it practical for this type of in-set application. Other advantages include the fixture's completely flat beam field - when used with the wide-angle lens - which is devoid of hot spots, the intensity and range of colours and their quick response time. The fixtures were used constantly throughout the Love On A Saturday Night shows.
They were controlled by moving light programmer and operator Svend Pedersen, using a WholeHog II. Pedersen commented: "I simply love PixelPARs. The colours and intensity are just sensational. Sometimes we had to pull them back to between 15 and 30% and I am generally just completely blown away with them!". He adds that being able to achieve all the traditional Par beam angles focuses from the PixelPAR via a set of five lenses is also very handy, especially for creating even cross-set washes. Tom Kinnane reckons that Pixel products will soon be used to light cycs and other large surface areas and backgrounds because of the quality of the light diffusion.
Other members of Kinnane and Pederson's lighting team for Love on A Saturday Night were conventional lighting console operator Dave Knott, moving light crew Chief Richard Jarvis, generic crew chief Terry Maskill and lighting electrician Peter Montalbano.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
