Zagreb based Sven, the MD of Croatian rental and production company LumiLas LLC had a completely open brief for the lighting and stage design which also included the video concept. He wanted to make the arena look modern and high tech for the occasion, whilst also retaining a heritage feel to the show as appropriate to the surroundings.
The magnificent arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and with all three Roman architectural orders completely preserved. It was constructed in the first century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian and is among the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world and a rare example among the 200 Roman amphitheatres which still stand today, in addition to being the best preserved ancient monument in Croatia.
Being highly atmospheric and having such a special ambience the venue effectively brings a natural scenography to the picture that can be created just by illuminating the walls.
Sven decided to take advantage of the superior optics of 24 x Pointes and 24 x MMX Spots to create the necessary visual impact for the performance which were supplied by Zagreb lighting company Eldra, which has recently invested in Pointes.
The stage was below an 18 x 12m roof system, with sub-hung lighting trusses. The Pointes were rigged between five large onstage LED screens, and were not used until later in the show to maximise their wow factors.
The 24 x MMX Spots were positioned on over-stage trusses and on the stage deck. They were used as the show's primary profile / spot fixtures and also for wash effects. "The MMX is so powerful and versatile that I needed to spec only 12 wash lights on the entire rig - because I knew it could easily 'cover' when it came to extra wash," said Sven.
The Pointes were the main effects lights of the show, and "excelled" once again. He enthused, "The beam is incredible ... paired with a logical gobo wheel and prism selection, it is simply phenomenal ... there is no fixture to beat it."
He admits that he fell in love with the Pointes whist working on a show about a year ago and has been singing their praises at every opportunity since!
The get-in and out times at the arena were extremely tight as it's open to the public as a point of historical and cultural interest The pressure was on not to disrupt its working life and so he programmed the show overnight using two M6 consoles. The following evening the packed audience all enjoyed some great rock music and a fantastic lightshow.
(Jim Evans)
