The Rady Shell invests in Follow-Me
- Details
Jason Rothberg, technical director, and lighting designer at The Rady Shell understood the challenges that his venue faced. Being an outdoor venue, Jason knew that a traditional follow-spot would not be an option. While the original design centred around a brand-specific moving light and tracking system, the venue, sitting on the San Diego Bay wanted a system that would meet IP65 standards for outdoor use.
The team at The Rady Shell worked closely with Jason Reberski, CEO of Chicago-based JRLX, and identified Follow-Me as the solution that would allow them to use any IP65 rated moving light to meet their unique challenges.
Jason Reberski, CEO of JRLX says, “The ‘open-source’ nature of the Follow-Me system - coupled with its years of successful use on the market is ultimately what led me to recommend it for this application. As we supplied a vast automated lighting rig for The Rady Shell project, I knew that almost any fixture in the plot could function as a follow-spot or tracking back-light.”
In addition to the IP65 challenge, all of the lighting positions at The Shell are angled. With each fixture mounted on an angle and curving catwalks at different trim heights, Follow-Me SIX 3D auto-calculates the different XYZ values for each fixture and makes set-up and calibration a snap.
The Follow-Me system utilises a camera, providing each Follow-Me operator with a clear view to easily see the entire complex stage at The Rady Shell. “Follow-Me turned out to be an incredible solution for us,” explains Jason. “The software can work with any moving light allowing us to utilise any IP65 rated fixture. We have Follow-Me working with 23 Proteus Maximus fixtures by Elation.”
The Follow-Me works in unison with the grandMA3 console and network allowing Follow-Me to control an unlimited number of fixtures, eliminating the need to dedicate moving lights as follow-spots. Fixtures can be selected on a cue-by-cue basis.
“We can switch between fixtures throughout the show depending on who we need to follow. A single operator can control a front and backlight on one target. Our follow-spot operators now sit backstage, and we can use as many fixtures in the system as we want,” remarks Jason Rothberg.
The Shell’s system includes four Follow-Me fader consoles and four Follow-Me mouse consoles, in a portable rack. With four control systems connecting to one rack, the crew can operate Follow-Me from anywhere in the facility.
