Vari-Lite’s VL2600 Profile lights BBC Proms
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Staged through August and September at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the BBC Proms has an intense schedule, with concerts broadcast daily on BBC Radio and many performances recorded or broadcast live on BBC Television. With such time pressures, it’s essential for lighting fixtures to be reliable and versatile, but also quiet in operation and great-looking on camera.
“I was looking for a good, programmable profile spot that would be quiet enough for use on the Proms yet flexible enough to provide a high-quality light source with good zoom range, good shuttering on a flat field, and colour suitable for camera,” says Davis.
Having seen a demo of VL2600 Profile, Davis decided to trial them on the Proms. He positioned them on an advance truss, quite high over the front of the stage. “They seemed to meet all those needs comfortably,” he adds. “They were very successful in keying items all around the hall, particularly during the children’s ‘CBeebies’ Prom, which had action everywhere, even a rocket that ‘launched’ from the area lift.”
Overall, the VL2600 Profiles delivered a pleasing performance, as Davis explains: “The very flat field and good shutter performance makes them very usable. Their colour performance on camera is very good, and the wide zoom range is an essential for me, as they can answer so many demands during the season.”
(Jim Evans)
