Robe makes mega splash in Macau
- Details
The 41 x BMFL Wash XFs and 21 x Tarrantula LED wash beam lighting fixtures have now been installed in the theatre as part of a drive to upgrade the technical equipment to include more sustainable and advanced options than were available when the show launched in 2010.
The integrity, drama and dynamics of Luc Lafortune’s original lighting design are all preserved as the concept works to support the show narrative.
The House of Dancing Water (THODW) show is one of the most successful entertainment phenomena in the world - having clocked up over 3,500 performances, it has been enjoyed by over three million spectators.
Karl Jenkins, head of lighting, projections and special effects for the theatre, has been in the post for two and a half years and has previously worked on several Cirque du Soleil projects. He runs a team of 26 technicians and was instrumental in adding the Robe fixtures to the show.
“Ultimately it was the output, the colour mixing and the beautiful Fresnel lens that put the BMFL on top,” he confirms.
They didn’t need a multi-purpose unit, but they wanted that rich and deep Fresnel look coupled with a high output to deal with the long throw distance, with refined and elegant colour mixing.
The final decision was taken by Karl and his head console operator/programmer Justin F Sinclair, who has been with the show since the beginning. The lights were delivered by Robe’s Hong Kong distributor, ArcSource.
The BMFLs are all positioned in the overhead grid on levels 5 and 6, at between 18 and 25m above the stage.
The Tarrantulas are enclosed in a series of Plexiglas ‘lighting bubbles’ below the water’s surface, and are used to highlight the underwater environment, working in unison with the special FX including ‘boiling’ and other effects created by microbubbles in the water.
With over 1000 fixtures in total in the show - including several submersible IP 67 and 68 ones, Robe is now also an integral and important part of this landmark production. The whole lighting system is run via a grandMA2 network with a Luminex backbone which is another recent upgrade.
(Jim Evans)
