Robe in the spotlight for new TV show
- Details
The first series’ episodes were produced by Stemburg TV and recorded at the Urban Brew Studios at Randburg Waterfront, and the show was creatively lit by Ryan Lombard, head of lighting at Blond Productions, using around 100 Robe moving lights and other fixtures. All the lighting and video equipment was supplied by Blond Productions.
Each show featured a local music artist whose story was revealed thorough a series of 12 songs, which included a tribute, a ‘legend’ song, a duo, and other variants.
The intense seven-day shoot schedule entailed recording two episodes per day, so Ryan had to light 24 songs - each one looking different and unique! That was the challenge, and the reason he chose Robe moving lights to assist.
The initial set design was a collaboration with Dream Sets, after which Ryan and Christiaan Ballot - owner and founder of Blond Productions, now one of the leading South African TV lighting and production specialists - were asked for their input. They also specified the video screens at this stage.
Once the set details were finalised, they started working out the lighting positions. Ryan had plenty of creative freedom as director Anne Williams and he have worked together before, and she knew he would deliver the required atmospherics and mood.
Three U-shaped trusses were installed in the roof of the studios to provide most of the lighting positions. The upstage one was the widest, with the other two reduced in size proportionately to give a shrinking perspective effect.
One of the briefs from the producers was that they wanted it to look huge on camera, yet also capture the intimate, cabaret style vibe, with guests sitting at tables around the performance space, rather than on traditional tribune seating.
Other lighting positions were provided by truss totem towers positioned around the stage at floor level.
Rigged on these were 36 x Robe LEDBeam 100s, 12 x miniPointes, 12 x MMX Spots, 18 x LEDWash 300s, 12 x 600E Beams and eight PATT 2013s, plus a selection of LED PARs, and battens.
The lighting console was a grandMA2 light with a grandMA2 NPU, also running an MA VPU with all the video content that Blonde compiled specially for the production.
(Jim Evans)
