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www.stld.org.uk

Issue 115: Summer 2015

Set & Light from the Society of Television Lighting and Design

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Editorial

Reports of new products and old memories to inspire and amuse you We’re halfway through the year already, where did that go? There’s a lot to look forward to in this issue. We have an article on our visit to see the new all-LED lighting installation in Sky TV’s Sports News Studio (page 14) and Bernie Davis reports from RADA at the unveiling of Robe’s latest product (page 20). We have some fabulous memories from Les McCallum – turn to page 31 for some eclectic reminiscing about The Day of the Triffids and Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em – and Andrew Dixon writes about his return visit to Africa. If you have some great stories that you can tell about past work you have done, then please do send them to me. The next issue of the magazine will be out in November. The deadlines for this next issue are 19 October for advertising and 26 October for editorial, which includes Sponsor news. Have a great summer! Our next event is on 29 September with Lighting Logic in Kent – full details will follow in an email flyer. And don’t forget to look in your inbox for our next events as this is where you will see the details. If we don’t have your email address then you will miss out, so please contact us and let us know what it is.

Emma Thorpe Editor

Contents 4

STLD visit: LCA

Recollection: Les McCallum

Event: 200 years of Fresnel

Letters and Obituaries

STLD visit: Sky Studios

Information: The KOI Awards

Product Launch: Robe

A view from across the pond

Members’ stories: Andrew Dixon in Africa

Sponsor news

Lighting: The General Election

Society sponsors

Event: KitPlus 2015

Index of advertisers

Set & Light is the journal of the Society of Television Lighting and Design and is published three times a year. ISSN 2055-1185 Editor: Emma Thorpe and Bernie Davis E-mail: editor@stld.org.uk Web: www.stld.org.uk Production Editor: Joanne Horne Sponsor News: Emma Thorpe E-mail: sponsornews@stld.org.uk Advertising: Paul Middleton E-mail: adverts@stld.org.uk Cover photo: Sky Studios exterior lighting for Sky News election

night by Richard Bowles Printed by: Gemini Brighton Deadlines for the next issue: Editorial: 26 October 2015 Advertising: 19 October 2015 Advertising is accepted only from sponsor members of the Society © Society of Television Lighting and Design 2014

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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STLD visit

Lights, Camera, Action with the STLD Words: Dudley Darby and Graham Jaggers Photos: John O’Brien Early in 2015, LCA invited STLD members to an LED workshop, writes Dudley Darby. On 27 March, in spite of the best efforts of the M25 to become a long-term car park, some 20 STLD members made it to Greenford to take up the invitation. It was an evening meeting providing an opportunity not just to hear about some LED lights, but to get to grips with how they performed and why. After a warm welcome from Nick Shapley and Vicci Clayton, with some much-appreciated coffee, tea and cold drinks, that nice Mr Dixon caught Graham Jaggers and me and asked, in that way he has that you can’t possibly refuse, if we would write about the evening for the magazine. That concentrated the mind! We were ushered into LCA’s onsite studio where a Sony Alpha 7 camera with Super 35mm sensor and Sigma lens recording to an Atomos Shogun had been set up, giving an HD feed to a high-grade monitor. Nick explained that the evening was to be split into two parts: the first looking at examples of LED lights, the second showing how different lights could be compared for use in television using the Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) to avoid any nasty colour rendition surprises in post-production. For the first part, our demonstrator was Den Lennie of FStop Academy, who had come up through the ranks as a sound recordist, PSC cameraman and editor in corporate and broadcast television before becoming an educator, but by his own admission, had never aspired to being a lighting director in studios as he preferred the open road. He made it quite clear at the outset that he didn’t work for LCA, and that although he was demonstrating some of LCA’s new products and their effects, it was because he had been genuinely impressed by them at Broadcast Video Expo in February, admitting that until fairly recently he had been sceptical 4

Set & Light | Summer 2015

about the use of LED lighting for television because of its variable colour rendition. During the day, he and Nick Shapley (who, with business partner Graham Kerr, set up LCA in 1999) had produced some short videos to demonstrate various functions and effects of the lights in realistic conditions. For live demonstrations, Hannah, Nick’s daughter, who usually looks after their office, had been persuaded/press-ganged into being our studio model. First up was LiteMat 1, the smallest unit in the range from LiteGear: a lightweight (<1kg) panel less than 25mm thick, comprising evenly-spaced dimmable Color-Correct LEDs spread over a large area, which gave a surprisingly bright output from the 533mm (21”) by 292mm (11.5”) panel. LightGear also produces LiteRibbon®, basically a strip of LEDs that can be bought in a roll in some 20 plus variations, all of which can be controlled and powered by the same equipment that powers LiteMat as these fittings consist of strips of the ribbon in rigid, durable cases. The fitting comes in Tungsten (3,200K), Daylite (6,000K) and Hybrid versions, all with quoted CRI of 95 and TLCIs of 89, 92, and 85, respectively. Den explained that although CRI had been used as a sort of standard for years to define colour performance, it was basically a system designed for architectural lighting and the eye, not digital sensors. The TLCI is a far more accurate way to measure and represent colour performance for television. More about that from Alan Roberts later. Den demonstrated the use of the light on camera along with some of the accessories that come in the kit. The body has Velcro attached, is light enough to be Velcroed to walls or panels, but also has a Kino compatible mount. Essentially a hard lightsource, a PolySkirt limits the amount of spill beyond its 120 degrees

of coverage and holds one of the three grades of diffuser in the kit, while the ParaHex Louver (yes, that is the way they spell it – it’s American), which is aluminised, parabolic, collapsible and does not sag as many egg-crates do, provides both an amount of focus control and redirection of peripheral light. Since our visit, the ParaHex Louver has been renamed the Square Louver. This range of lights is remarkably flexible, having the ability to run off 12 volts, battery or mains. The units are also relatively inexpensive, robust and lightweight – that last feature being a massive advantage for the PSC cameraman who is always trying to maximise output with minimum kit load. There are five lights in the range, which basically are formed from multiples of the LiteMat 1: a square LiteMat 2, a lengthwise 2L, side-by-side 3, and side-by-side 4. In terms of overall light output, the LiteMat 1 is the most efficient, with the 4 giving nearly 3.5 times its output at about a metre throw. There were questions about durability and repairability. Although there was no information to hand from the US manufacturer, general opinion was that beyond the one-year guarantee period, should an LED or row of LEDs fail, they might be replaceable with sections of LiteRibbon. Then came the killer question about comparing output with other lights, especially in studios. Why a killer? Various people used different units of measurement – lux, lumens, etc – so there was a scramble for the appropriate app to make the conversions. What did we do before smartphones? And whatever happened to foot-candles?! Calculations done and compared, the consensus seemed to indicate about 1,000 lux at one metre for LiteMat 1. For practical demonstration, the camera was set to the appropriate ISO value and aperture

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LCA

This picture and top right: an appreciative audience Litegear

Den Lennie demonstrates Litegear

Units such as the Versatile Bicolour panel can be used as part of a set design to provide controllable fill in otherwise inaccessible places

Nick Shapley and his daughter Hannah

Den and his ‘studio model’, Hannah

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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STLD visit

to emulate the sensitivity of a studio camera, extraneous light sources switched off and pictures inspected. Next up was the Versatile Bicolour: a 600mm by 600mm panel just 17mm thick, with a variety of mounting options. The panel size wasn’t just picked out of the air, it was specifically chosen to replace ceiling tiles, hence the name. LCA’s studio Waterproof (IP65) and dimmable, with colour range from 3,200K to 5,600K, unlike the controller in a bag. LiteMat 1 it uses edge-lit LEDs and Den next showed us remote weighs in at just under 6kg, mainly phosphor offerings from Cineo Lighting because of its rigid metal backplate, LLC, explaining that remote phosphor which acts as a heatsink. It produces uses ultra-blue LEDs just outside the 1,500 lux at one metre with a 160UV part of the spectrum, which project degree beam angle and can take 80onto a phosphor-coated perspex. This degree or 40-degree Snapgrids from excites the phosphor, which produces DoP Choice, which have no sag. a high output of soft, even light. Cineo Powered by battery or mains, it can be started using remote phosphor with its controlled via a small single controller Cineo HS: a 450W fixture producing or a larger four-way unit, both with some 3kW equivalent softlight with a DMX capability. The unit is cool to high TLCI. The question was asked touch and multiple units can be whether it was cheaper or easier to mounted together, a four-unit group produce high-quality remote phosphor being shown mounted on trussing. The units, to which Alan pointed out that it great thing is that these units can be was no different, apart from being able used as part of a set design to provide to change the phosphor, which gave controllable fill in otherwise less filtration losses than modifying a inaccessible places. fixed phosphor LED’s output. This was Den commented that many young immediately demonstrated by Den filmmakers tended to buy cheap panels, showing the range of interchangeble which just didn’t maintain quality of phosphors for the fixture covering light output, but he felt with these sort 2,700K, 3,200K, 4,300K, 5,600K and of fixtures, LEDs had more or less 6,500K, plus Chroma green and blue. come of age, producing powerful, To give a feel of the high output of the consistent soft light from an edge-lit remote phosphor fixtures, first Den panel with no hint of fall-off across the switched on a 120W Maverick alone whole surface. Yes, they are more with about 1kW light output, then the expensive, but you are paying for 450W HS with 3kW light output, then quality. Andrew Dixon also made the the XS, effectively a double HS drawing point that Alan Roberts’ work with the under 1kW and providing some 6kW TLCI had even greater significance with equivalent output – without the heat. LED lighting in that it gave a good Following that, in the roof were a indication of colour performance couple of spacelights, each containing rather than having to find out when an XS, producing the equivalent of you first see the results on camera. 12kW for just 1.8kW of power. While Den wasn’t sure whether the Versatile some older HS units didn’t quite dim had yet been tested. “Oh yes it has – it to zero, new ones have an improved scored 97,” came a voice from the 16-bit dimmer, which will go flickerback – Alan had beaten the M25! free from zero to 100 per cent, which The Versatile is available in a hire was duly demonstrated. kit with eight packed in a flight case One of our members offered the with two four-way controllers, a fourobservation that while having coolway flight case or a single with running high-output space lights is 6

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LCA

generally advantageous, there are times when the old-style lights are needed on some older stages just to keep warm! To round off the Cineo range, Den showed a Maverick running off a high-capacity Anton Bauer battery, but its SmartPower feature allows the fixture to run from a variety of AC and DC sources, including V-lock and Gold Mount batteries of any capacity. Using a DOPchoice Snapbag actually increases the apparent output slightly by reflecting peripheral light. Generally it was thought a good option for a 1kW daylight lightsource for OBs and PSC. Moving down to the smaller fittings, especially useful in cars or confined spaces, Cineo’s 11.5 – 16V DC Machstix, just 35mm wide and in three-inch, six-inch and 12-inch lengths, the smallest daylight version gives 49 lux at one metre, the longest some 215 lux at the same distance for 4W and 8W, respectively. They have the same range of interchangeable phospors as the Maverick. The larger 13W Matchbox lamphead will produce 248 lux from the 5.25” by 3.25” unit. Finally, we looked at the basis for the LiteMats, LiteRibbon Pro, which was designed by a couple of gaffers in Los Angeles. This can be bought in rolls. It allows for custom fixtures to be made relatively quickly and easily. It seems a recent film in Hungary, The Martian, ordered two-and-a-half miles of LiteRibbon. There were a number of power supplies tailored to different applications, and some speculation among the members as to how Lite Ribbon could be used. Den introduced Alan and stressed the importance of the work he and Per Bohler had done on the standardisation of colour measurement for television. A short break for a bit of networking and sustenance followed while Alan prepared to entertain and educate us with the whys, wherefores, myths and facts about colour measurement for television, interspersed with some science and mind-boggling mathematics, and the lighting man’s guide to the Television Lighting Consistency Index.

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Bernie Davis, Graham Jaggers and Andrew Mott with Alan Roberts

Alan demonstrates with an LED

Alan Roberts

The Television Lighting Consistency Index While looking at a wide variety of LED lighting units at the LCA studio in Greenford, Middlesex, we were lucky to have colour science expert Alan Roberts on hand, writes Graham Jaggers. He explained how there can be inconsistency of colour between different types of lamps and how a camera may reproduce inaccurate colours, although the lighting may look ‘normal’ to our eyes. Alan has developed a new standard for the assessment of lights. This is becoming the benchmark that manufacturers and TV professionals are turning to in assessing the suitability of a lamp for accurate TV colour rendition. It is known as the Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI). Here, with apologies in advance to Alan, is my simplified take on lighting colour and the need for

his TLCI. The incandescent light bulb has been with us since the 1840s. Although notoriously inefficient and as good at generating heat as light, it also has some excellent qualities, which have helped it survive so long. One of these is colour. The filament of a light bulb radiates a broad continuous spectrum of light. It is biased towards the red end of the spectrum but what we tend to call ‘white tungsten light’ contains the full spectrum of colours that the human eye can see. Similarly, daylight is biased towards the blue end of the spectrum but what we tend to call ‘white daylight’ contains the full spectrum of colours. Over millions of years, our eyes have evolved into a design that principally utilises red, green and blue sensors (cones) that enable us to have

good colour vision in daylight conditions. Colour cameras work to the same concept, utilising red, green and bluesensitive sensors to sample the image formed by a lens. Both camera and the human systems rely on the scene being illuminated by full spectrum white light in order to correctly interpret the reflected colours within a scene. Quite by chance, the filament light bulb has been providing us with camera-friendly illumination that can be colour corrected with a simple white balance, or graded, because there is enough colour information in the picture. Now at last, over a 170 years after the light bulb was patented, we have a number of more efficient energy-saving alternative light sources. Both the motion picture and the domestic home Set & Light | Summer 2015

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STLD visit

markets are using new generations of fluorescent and LED units to massively cut down on power consumption. Unfortunately, unlike the filament light bulb, these units do not naturally produce a continuous spectrum of visible light. Gas-filled fluorescents, and LEDs often have parts of the spectrum missing (pictured right, top). If pictures illuminated with such lamps are compared to continuous spectrum lighting, there is a colour shift (pictured right, middle). In the picture, each coloured panel and the portrait is a split between a daylight exposure and an LEDilluminated exposure. The white balance is correct in both, hence the grey-scale matches, but the colours vary widely. It takes complexity in the manufacture of LEDs and fluorescents to get them good enough for use with TV cameras, so there needs to be a means of assessing and categorising their suitability. Back in the 1960s a system named the Colour Rendering Index was devised for comparing a light source with an ideal or natural light source. The highest possible value was 100 (full spectrum), which would include incandescent lamps and daylight. Fluorescent lights range from about CRI 50 for the basic types, up to about 90 for the best tri-phosphor type. The CRI was developed for domestic and architectural lighting, intended for direct viewing with the human eye. According to Alan, its colour samples and mathematics are crude by today’s standards and it is not really suitable for use with modern television systems. Some light sources with a high CRI score will still not reproduce

LCA

accurate colours on TV. However, it is the only colour-difference metric approved by the CIE (the standards body for lighting and colour), so CRI values are commonly displayed for products from domestic compact fluorescent bulbs to sophisticated TV lights. The Americans made an attempt to improve on the CRI and developed a system named the Colour Quality Scale (CQS), but it was deemed little improvement and it was not adopted. Alan thought there should be a more meaningful index, suited to TV. He remembered that there had been some work done at the BBC in the 1970s that proposed to mimic an entire television camera/display channel to analyse the performance of a

luminaire relative to a reference. This forms the basis of Alan’s TLCI system. The highest possible value is still 100, but the scale is stretched at the highquality end to give more discerning results and the calculations more accurately represent a camera system. Trials were held where a number of experienced colourists were given sample material to correct. Lamps of different quality and TLCI value illuminated the samples, and the colourists reported how difficult the samples were to colour correct. The result confirmed that the TLCI was an improvement over previous systems and that the scale can be related to the potential difficulty of post-production colour-correction (pictured left, bottom). Many manufacturers are now getting their lamps tested by Alan Roberts and are adopting TLCI values as an improved way to indicate their spectral quality. Those of us using lamps professionally should be grateful for the determined effort he has made to develop a system that will help us select lamps of appropriate quality for the job. After a wholly entertaining and informative session, time for more networking, questions and further sustinence before many of us launched back onto the road network to wend our way home, hoping that the M25 had given up on its quest to ensnare anyone who ventured onto it. Our thanks to our hosts Nick Shapley and Vicci Clayton for a great evening, to Hannah for her patience sitting in as our model, and to Den Lennie and Alan Roberts for imparting their knowledge and expertise, bringing us up to date with the latest technology and the means to make sense of it.

A new approach to this year’s PLASA show PLASA Show 2015 has a progressive new approach, introducing focused hubs and new sector-specific seminar streams, workshops and product demos. With 35 years’ experience, PLASA Show delivers a world-class annual exhibition bringing together the international live entertainment technology industry. Adopting the successful ‘Focus’ model, PLASA Show 2015 will host focused hubs on the show floor for Stage, Lighting, Audio, AV and Live Broadcast to aid navigation. Seminar streams hosting 150+ industry-leading speakers offer visitors the chance stay in touch with the latest developments in the industry free of charge. Register for free and find out the latest developments for PLASA Show 2015 at www.plasashow.com 8

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Event

Reflections on a genius Words: Peter Phillipson Photos: John O’Brien Based on his recent lecture at the Royal Institution, Peter Phillipson examines the life and discoveries of Augustin Fresnel, whose theories, he argues, shaped and will always shape lighting as we know it The year of 2015, chosen to stage the UNESCO International Year of Light 2015, coincided with many anniversaries regarded lighting history. One of these was Fresnel’s Wave Theory of Light, though, quite frankly, there could be an anniversary for Fresnel each year for the next six years to celebrate one of his many achievements, each one equal to the magnitude of his wave theory. My interest in him started when I was eight years old. I used to get paid a tiny amount to hand lamps up to electricians doing maintenance at a local dance hall where my mother worked on Saturdays. Some of these lights were the architectural lighting that lit the boudoirs and lobbies, but others were the stage lighting itself that used a ‘Freznel’ lens, as it was typically and wrongly pronounced back then. This lens, which was lit by a pre-focused lamp (typically a T1 or a T6 – remember those?), produced a soft-edged beam. When learning about light theory at school at the age of 15, I was surprised to learn that nearly every aspect of light theory was associated with the name Fresnel, and that he and the lens inventor were one and the same. I could not believe that one person could have achieved so much in his short lifetime. As a lighting professional, I have subsequently found that if you always keep his ideas in mind then both the technical and aesthetic look of a lighting scheme will be correct. Unwittingly, everyone reading this uses his ideas all the time, but they are rarely articulated. In this, of all years, it is time to put the record straight. Augustin Fresnel was born in Broglie, in northern France, in 1788: the same year as the essayist William Haslett and the poet Lord Byron. His father, Jaques, originally from Mathieu in the Calvados region where Fresnel himself would grow up, worked as an architect, and for many years, oversaw renovations at the Chåteau de Broglie. Augustin was the second of four brothers. Louis was a brilliant scholar who died young in battle in 1809 while serving in the military in Spain, and whose death intensified Fresnel’s hatred of Napoleon. Léonor was a polymath and Fulgence a gifted linguist who translated ancient texts. His mother was Augustine Merimée. In 1801, aged 13, Fresnel attended the École Centrale de Caen. At 16, he attended the École Polytechnique near Paris,

where he was taught by his uncle, Léonor Mérimée. Two years later he entered the École des Ponts et Chaussées, where he met the scientist who was to become his lifelong friend, François Arago, and was taught by mathemetician and physicist Siméon Poisson and the mathemetician AdrienMarie Legendre. Fresnel worked in the Department of Public Highways at Ponts de Chausées, where he designed projects such as a bridge at Ille-et-Vilane, but this work did not satisfy his curiosity. At around the same time, Napoleon returned from the Island of Elba and put royalist intellectuals, including Fresnel, under house arrest. It was then, at 26, with some solid time and solitude, that Fresnel’s real passion for light took off and would sustain his intellect for the rest of his life. He had been interested in fluid mechanics for a while but was particularly struck by the observations of engineer, physicist and mathematician Etienne Malus, who had observed that light is polarised when reflected. Malus had noticed, while walking past the Palace of Luxembourg, that the sun’s reflection in one of the windows all but disappeared when viewed through a ‘polarising’ crystal, but not the view of the sun directly, leading to him formulating Malus’ Law. Fresnel’s early experiment was to study diffraction: the spreading out of light when it passes through a narrow aperture and the interference pattern observed when two such apertures are lit from a single source. Unknown to him

‘If the so-called Fresnel lens was his number-one selling single, then his work on reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference between two diffracting images, bifringence and polarisation were his critical albums’ 10

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200 years of Fresnel

More than 250 people from the lighting industry attended the bicentenary lecture at the Royal Institution

Peter Phillipson

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Event

at the time, Thomas Young at the Royal Institution in London had done an almost identical experiment a few years earlier and had published his findings. When Fresnel discovered this he was disconcerted, believing that he had missed the boat. But with the help of Arago, who spoke and could translate English well, he started corresponding with Young, who encouraged him further. Fresnel had carried out his experiment with a modification to Young’s. As well as obtaining an interference pattern with two slits, he used a very shallow pair of prisms, known now as a Fresnel BiPrism, which produced two virtual lines of light, much brighter than that created by Young’s method. The pattern produced from this could only be explained if the amplitude of light waves was perpendicular to the direction of travel of the light wave – in other words, a transverse wave. Not even Young had proposed that light was completely transverse. It seemed those who believed that light was a wave, as the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens had proposed 150 years earlier, were gaining ground on others who thought light was particulate in nature. Fresnel went on to explain a phenomenon that had baffled even Huygens, Newton and many others: a property displayed by some materials such as Iceland spar (now called calcite), which refracts a ray of light twice. This involves the ordinary ray, which refracts in the same way as in any transmitting material, and an extraordinary ray that refracts differently depending on the angle that the light enters the material. Fresnel related this to the polarisation that occurs with the direction of the wave through the material, leading to a change in its refractive index. This is caused by the material not being ‘isotropic’ – in other words, not optically the same in all directions. Fresnel rewrote the laws of reflection. As well as stating that, for a specular surface, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, he worked out that the magnitude of that reflection might be more than 90 per cent when the angle to the normal is high (grazing incidence) and as low as four per cent at the normal, and that these values depended on the refractive index of the material. The behaviour of the transverse light wave when reflected by (and transmitted through) a surface varied depending on whether the wave was in the plane of incidence (p-polarisation) or at right angles to it (s-polarisation). The lecture illustrated this by recalling the opening sequence of the 1960s comedy featuring Harry Worth, who used to stand at one end of a shop window, with one leg in the doorway out of sight, lifting his visible leg with the camera looking at grazing incidence. It gave the impression that he was lifting both legs as the reflection was so strong. Fresnel calculated the same efficiencies for refraction, too, allowing us today to design lenses and optical systems with tremendous precision. It was Fresnel’s deeper understanding and calculations regarding polarisation of light that allowed a thoroughly rigorous theory of it. This would, in turn, allow Lord Rayleigh to discover how light becomes scattered in the upper atmosphere and why the sky is blue and the sun turns red as it sets, as seen from the Earth, or why we might see a 12

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With diffuse reflection, the brightness of the reflected light is the same no matter what the viewing angle is. This is in stark contrast to shiny specular reflection described by Fresnel

blood-red moon during a lunar eclipse. Of course, so far we have not even mentioned the famous lens that bears his name. The lens was originally designed for use in lighthouses to create an intense beam of light to reduce the number of lives lost at sea. His brother Léonor continued with the use of these lenses in lighthouses after Fresnel’s death. If Fresnel had designed just this, we would still be celebrating him 200 years on. In terms of his popularity, not his legacy, if the so-called Fresnel lens – he developed more than one type – was his number-one selling single, then his work on reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference between two diffracting images, bifringence and polarisation were his critical albums. The consequence of these are enormous today. The whole science of diffraction gratings led to the discovery that our sun is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium (hence the name helium, from the Greek ‘helios’, meaning sun). The way in which light reflects off architecture, and indeed anything, can be accurately measured according to calculations developed by Fresnel and Swiss polymath Johann Lambert (pictured above), and all lighting software uses these ideas. So, reflection off of all real surfaces lies somewhere between the pure specular reflections of Fresnel and the

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200 years of Fresnel

diffuse reflections of Lambert. Taking a mobile phone, for example, we see a reflection of our world on the front glass, while the aerial systems that transmit the data use Fresnel Zones to maximise the signal strength. The entire internet is connected by fibre optics, the total internal reflection of which allows extremely long runs of cables, all based on the principles Fresnel put forward. While history is littered with some celebrated spats between scientists, often over who had arrived at a theory first (Newton and Leibniz being one of the more celebrated), Fresnel’s relationship with Young reveals something of his character. Although not always in agreement, their correspondence was fruitful – indeed Young’s recommendation directly led to Fresnel being awarded the Rumford Medal. It was brought to him on his deathbed soon before his premature demise in 1827. He had TB and was just 39.

When pondering humanity’s future and his legacy, I feel that as well as the technology of the internet, Fresnel’s attitude to fellow scientists makes him an outstanding figure. People from other countries, who don’t always agree but correspond for the greater good of mankind, provide us with a timeless example of cooperation and collaboration. The bicentenary lecture, ‘200 years of Fresnel: why everything we light and look at today depends on what he said’, was delivered by Peter Phillipson at the Royal Institution on 10 March. Organised by the SLL, it was sponsored by Philips, the IALD and the Society of Television Lighting Directors (STLD). It was attended by the Duke of York and more than 250 people from the lighting industry. Peter is principal of Future Group Lighting Design. An edited version of this article first appeared in the ILP Journal May 2015. Set & Light | Summer 2015

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STLD visit

Some 40 members of the STLD arrived at Sky Studios in Osterley on 28 February to view the new all-LED lighting installation in Sky TV’s Sports News Studio. To make sure we knew we had arrived at the right time, two cherry pickers had covered the outside walls of the building in multicoloured posters proclaiming NOW! And as we climbed upward and onward towards our welcome coffee break at the top of the building, management had decorated the stairwell in 100ft-high portraits of Sky’s three remaining lighting directors, although they did look a bit like their star reporters... Those used to a BBC tea trolley carrying an urn of tea and plain biscuits were faced with a confusing array of some 20 different teas, with flavours such as mango and fishpaste, and a display of exotic biscuits involving marmalade and coconut. I remember that the BBC did at times have tea with a very strange taste, and on one occasion this was explained by the presence of a cleaning cloth soaked in Vim left inside the urn. Iain Davidson welcomed us to Sky. Before we visited the studio floor, he took us through the development of his lighting design for the refurbished studio and the tight timescales involved. He was backed up by Nick Mobsby of LSI, the company responsible for the installation, and Ian Muir of AC-ET, who had assisted in sourcing the luminaires. Iain had gone to great trouble to colour match the LED sources, buying up all of the discontinued Gekko soft lights remaining in the UK (even searching eBay!) so that he could reuse the excellent Karesslites from the previous Sports Studio. He had advertised for a new breed of multi-skilled lighting operators to man the operation and two of them, Lauren and Jonathan, were able to join us for the tour. At first they were a little in awe of us but they rapidly realised they knew far more about lighting sports studios than any of us ever would! It was encouraging to see these young people so enthusiastic and keen to do a good job, as we were, once upon a time. We then processed down to the Sports News Studio, which, surprisingly to those of us used to how busy Grandstand was on a Saturday afternoon, was not in use until 6pm that 14

Set & Light | Summer 2015

Sky Studios in Osterley

A matter of time Words: Ian Dow and Iain Davidson Photos: John O’Brien evening, except by sports journalists. Sky uses a different studio and set to give a different feel to Saturday sports coverage. It was impressive to see that Iain had gone to a great deal of trouble in his design to emphasise good portraiture lighting, keying generally with Source 4 LEDs rather than flooding the area in soft light. Lauren and Jonathan explained they had six weeks to learn the art of lighting operation, and that Iain had presented them with an ETC Gio console and told them to find out what it could do, and to develop a method of operation that best suited themselves (a cunning ploy used by LDs when they have no idea how something works!). They had decided using magic sheets and a touchscreen method was the quickest way to follow presenters round the studio and cut to different interview setups. All the operators have their own customised screen, which they select when taking over. There is an additional camera operator who sits alongside them and operates the five remote controlled cameras, and when he has to man one of the hand-held cameras, one of the lighting operators takes over his job. Iain explained that at that point the

director has a more limited range of camera moves and lighting changes until the position is again fully manned. We then moved to the studio used for Saturday Night Football presentation. This had more of the saturation rig many of us were used to and could also handle audience shows, although an extensive scenic header then had to be derigged. We weren’t able to visit a control room, as all were in use. There are six control rooms, which can be connected to any of the nine studios in the Sky Sports building. No longer can an angry director run straight onto the studio floor to harangue a stroppy presenter. He must run down several linking corridors, and up many flights of stairs, before arriving in the studio out of breath – and quite forgetting what he wanted to say. We returned to the penthouse in the sky for a splendid lunch and were able to ask Iain and his colleagues questions. Thanks very much to Iain for arranging for us to visit this innovative LED installation, and to all his colleagues at Sky for being so welcoming and allowing our party to tour round what is a working environment. Ian Dow

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Sky Studios

‘Touch wood, so far we haven’t had to use the back-up systems engineered in,’ says LD Iain Davidson, pictured above

The presenters’ view

From initial estimate to transmission – at full tilt Four years ago I was tasked with fitting out the Sky Sports News (SSN) studio in our new HD studio complex, writes Iain Davidson. You may remember the article in this magazine; it was one of the first all-LED installations in the UK, with a bit of natural light thrown in for good measure. Now three years later it seemed I would have to do it all again, only bigger, much bigger. Early in 2014 I was asked a casual question by our technology specialist about how much the original Sports News install cost and, without knowing the nature of the project, to give an estimate to build something similar but in a larger space. That conversation set the lighting budget. A few weeks later I was asked to sign a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to protect commercial sensitivities and was told the nature of the project and its name: Project Fred. Sky has a policy of putting projects of this size out to tender, including the set and lighting design,

but they seemed to recognise the sense of keeping the lighting in-house and having the LD on call at all times during the build and confirmed I was on the project. I now knew the budget and the fact my summer was going to be ruined yet again, but I didn’t know the scope of the project. I headed down to the first-floor newsroom and searched out Karen and henchman (henchwoman?) Mel. They were looking after the production angle. What were they looking for out of the rebuild? A space that would include several presentation areas, social media, incoming feeds, a large video wall, a central desk with 360degree shooting and, of course, the ability to shoot anywhere! Initial thoughts of two jibs were rejected as being too ‘Sky News’ but a couple of radio cams stayed in the mix. Technically the project was going to be demanding but the main concern was time. We had an on-air date of

mid-August, to coincide with the launch of a new channel, Sky Sports 5. But before we could start, the original SSN had to be relocated from its base and the space completely stripped back to the building shell. All the services that ran above in the roof space would have to be re-routed, presentation installed in St 6 and newsroom staff squeezed into any spare space in the building. At this point I needed to get an installer involved and I asked Matthew Addison from LSI to come in for a chat. He had been heavily involved in the original install and knew his way round the Sky system, so it made good sense given the tight schedule. I was still doing the day job lighting Saturday Night Football but had been asked to attend the weekly project meeting. At the end of March, two weeks in, I submitted an initial grid design to LSI but I still didn’t know what would sit below it. In April the set designers were appointed: Peter Ashton and Simon

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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The lighting console

Above: Iain explaining lighting for touch screen. This picture: A side view of a diffuser

Jago from BDA (now back in their own company since BDA folded). We built a mock-up of the video wall in a studio to work out the best shape and I suggested we look at the position and shape of the main desk at the same time, as this relationship is crucial. I started looking at lighting fixtures and how far things have moved on in the last three years. Two things were clear: it had to be LED and daylight balance due to the large number of display devices planned. On the original install I struggled to find a decent LED fresnel source as they were only just coming out of the design stage into production. After the original promise of delivery from one manufacturer failed to materialise, I went with DeSisti, which managed to get some fixtures to me shortly after the first TX. Soft light was easier as I had already had good experience of using the Gekko Karesslite. This time it was the other way around: lots of hard sources but not the right soft lights as, unfortunately, Gekko had gone out of production. The next design decision was 16

Set & Light | Summer 2015

Late-night sport

whether to wash everything with soft light, losing fine control, or use localised hard sources and keep the quality of portraiture high. The softwash option would be easier but the previous SSN used soft sources as keys and we needed a distinct visual change for the new programme. I went for hard sources as keylights, a decision I was to sweat over right up until the first look-see in August. One clear favourite came up: the LED Source 4 from ETC. Full choice of lens angles and it came in a fixed daylight colour temperature, which meant no loss of intensity because of a colour adjustment I knew I wouldn’t need. I carried out some tests to ensure that the LED Source 4 would match the Gekko’s I already had and wanted to reuse. They matched well but I found the DeSisti fresnels would need a bit of plus-green gel to blend in. The next stage was to test the available soft sources; most struggled to provide the intensity that I required but I eventually settled on more new technology in the form of the phosphor LED. Most soft fixtures

were the StudioForce from ChromaQ, although I also bought Cineo fixtures via LCA. I added softboxes to them to give the required degree of softness as the actual light-emitting area is quite small on these fixtures. One final source of soft lights was any remaining stock of Karesslites, which LSI helped buy up for me. One more issue to deal with: it was very important to Karen and Mel that they had a dedicated lighting team, similar to our Sky News operation. None of our staff sparks were interested in working purely on Sky Sports News so we were going to have to recruit. Our management was made aware of the situation and decided to call the role Multi-skilled Operator, MSO. They would run the lighting operation but also move over to the remote camera position when the camera operator worked with the radio camera. The advert was published and a short list of candidates to interview drawn up. Maybe it was the way the job was advertised but we got a lot of

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Iain Davidson talks to STLD members on the studio floor

applications from camera folk and none from dedicated lighting operators. More of this later... Into May now and information on the set design started to flow. I had designed the lighting bars in a circular pattern, like ripples in a pond, centred on the main desk. Happily, the set design team had a similar idea, with curves also following the desk. They included some circles of LED suspended above the set, which could prove interesting for my key lights. However, this was an improvement on the original concept drawing, which had a header over the entire central area! So, set design finalised (yeah, right) I completed purchase of lighting fixtures with priority on delivery times after my experience from the last build. ETC and Chroma Q via AC Lighting all delivered from stock, which was a great comfort. Very important was the visual appearance of the completed set and the lighting grid. I decided on all fixtures, clamps and bars to be finished in black so as not to distract from the set itself and the flown red LED circles. Powder coating the lighting bars and central circular truss had a knock-on for delivery times but was worth it in the end. First phase electrical fit out started with building work on the newsroom continuing. I designed the houselight rig to work as part of the main lighting install. Working closely with the electrical

contractor that was doing the main build, we decided on some LED architectural fittings made by Pulsar. They were able to provide a plot of lighting levels from the proposed positions, which I found really useful, particularly when we had to redo the entire design when it was decided to reduce the ceiling height everywhere bar the main area. It was important to provide a balance between providing sufficient light for people to work at their desks and it looking right on camera. As it happens, I set the levels at 50 per cent fully expecting moans from the journos but they remain at their original level to this day; all controlled by DMX from the lighting desk, by the way, with possible DALI control by the building system. All orders and designs in place and final building works happening, I took two weeks’ leave. Having worked all the way through the football season this was vital: lighting director failure was even mentioned on the project risk register! Back from my hols, the major task was to train our six new MSOs. Most were from recently defunct shopping channels and knew about television in general but not much about lighting. It could all go very wrong here as my lighting design depended on each setup being adjusted for optimum effect, just as we would expect on ‘normal’ shows. Only one of the six had worked a lighting console before so

the first priority was to get Console Programmer Alan Boyd in to run an introductory course. After this, they were left to get a feel of console work themselves, working to tasks I set them. In the meantime, I used some of my old BBC Training skills to run some lighting training days – at least I could ensure they knew how I liked things to look. The lighting console selected for the job was ETC’s Gio. I’m extremely proud of the MSOs and what they achieved in such a short space of time. As they were recruited a few weeks before launch they were able to take part in the lighting install, learning on the job and knowing the background to my random decisions of which light went where. I allowed them to work out how best to use the lighting console and independently they designed magic sheets for the lighting rig (graphical representations of a lighting grid where a fixture channel can be selected by selection from the plan on a touchscreen). As June continued, so did additional positions within the set and my stash of spares dwindled. Time to hit them with a financial cost for any changes: new investigation area, additions to the soft area, more use of snap area, and so on. A second batch of lights was ordered from LSI and more DMX buffers were needed. July burst upon us and the set

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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STLD visit

started to take shape. The video wall arrived onsite and from this point, no dust could be generated. I tried to get the odd light in place but it was getting more difficult as the workstations (desks) for the production team had been installed and very soon would be occupied. LED had been installed within the set and we started to flash out circuits. Given lots of time, each department would get time allotted to perfect its area in turn. However, this project was heading for a deadline of transmission at full tilt. This meant careful planning to avoid conflict and knowing when to give way and when to be firm. On top of all the installation work, the production team wanted to rehearse before they went on air! As they started to decide presenter and camera positions, I would let them work with a base level during the day and then come in

Sky Studios

in the evening to rig or make changes. Three weeks of rehearsal and testing were planned but some important elements of the set weren’t up and running until just a couple of days before TX. This meant my MSOs never got a full run until they went on air on the first day. I don’t know if you have ever been involved in such a project but I found it way more difficult than doing something on the same scale as an OB. In a temporary rig there seems to be more give; compromise is easier and everyone is working under the same conditions. In building a permanent home for SSNHQ we had to deliver a workspace that would continue to be used for years, or at least until I can retire! In the same week that the new area made its first transmission, the football season started and I had to restart work on Saturday Night

Football. As a bonus to looking around SSNHQ, I took the STLD visitors to see the SNF set. This set is shaded from the grid by a large metal and fabric header, which I reckon restricted access to at least 40 per cent of the lighting bars and created a challenge for key lights. To add to the challenge there are four large screens, which are filled by front projection. It was a great relief to see SSNHQ finally get on air and leave the day-today running in the hands of my MSOs. I don’t get to walk away, though, as there are always extras to the original plans to be accommodated. Touch wood, so far we haven’t had to use the back-up systems engineered in, and all but one of the original team are still there. However, we do have a freelance pool for the MSOs and we are actively looking for people interested in this entrylevel role.

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Information

Showlight 2017

Plan ahead for 2017 conference

In case you haven’t heard, the next Showlight will be in the beautiful city of Florence from 21 to 24 May 2017, with Clay Paky as the main sponsor, writes Bernie Davis. If you missed Showlight 2013 in the Czech Republic, you missed a spectacularly good conference that left us all wondering how to follow it. Well, having visited Florence a few weeks ago and heard some of the plans already in place, I am confident Florence will easily match up to the standards we hope for in this unique quadrennial conference. What’s more, with a city like Florence there is so much to see and so many restaurants to try, you ought to consider staying on longer to do justice to the city. As before, the STLD will be supporting Showlight, and we will be sponsoring a limited number of members to attend in return for writing up some of the papers for the magazine and for help to run the STLD stand. You pay for your flight – Ryanair fly to Pisa, for instance, so it’s quite affordable – and for your hotel. We pay the registration, and almost all your meals are provided at Showlight. The only downside is that Florence is an incredibly popular destination, particularly in May. Hotels are already taking bookings for May 2016 and it won’t be long before they start taking bookings for 2017 too. Many people like to book for Showlight at the last minute because of the nature of our work, and although you are quite likely to be able to get last-minute hotel rooms, they might not necessarily be where you want. To try to help with this problem, the STLD is aiming to try to book 10 rooms for the conference period at an affordable hotel near to the conference venue. We can then offer them to any STLD members on a first come, first served basis. To avoid risking any losses, we will have to get these rooms allocated well in advance or hand them back, so we urge you to plan well ahead if you want to go to Showlight 2017. And who would not want to?

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Product launch

Robe

Ion desk

Dramatic venue for Robe unveiling Words: Bernie Davis Photos: John O’Brien In June Robe took the initiative to show its latest product at a series of pop-up meetings, with limited invited guests able to see first-hand a new addition to its already extensive range. I joined the ebullient Ashley Lewis at RADA in central London for a preview of this prototype fixture. The Robin DL7S is a new big brother to the DL4S profile moving spot, both of them using a multicolour LED source. The DL7S uses a seven-colour 800W LED source, which ensures a good CRI, quoted as >90, and I have to say, the colour looked excellent by eye. It sports all the regular features you might hope for in

Below and right, the set at RADA

Set & Light | Summer 2015

such a new unit: eight-degree to 45-degree zoom, rotating prism, iris and framing shutters, rotating gobo wheel, fixed gobo wheel and animation wheel. All looked to be engineered to the high standard you would expect from Robe. It even features the motion stabilisation first seen on the BMFL. The superb framing shutters are able to perform shaping stunts at surprisingly high speeds, adding another effect to the fixture’s repertoire. This was very much a prototype model but the product is due to be launched over 2015 at various trade shows and should be in production soon.

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Members’ stories

Out of Africa and back again, with more lights Words & photos: Andrew Dixon Last September I accepted the invitation to revisit (Television Lighting, issue 108) St Francis Hospital in Katete, East Zambia, to help hospital staff renovate a large ward to convert for use as gynaecological and ophthalmic wards. My five friends and I expected to reglaze about 300 window panes. What transpired was slightly more exciting. I had been offered by my own doctor’s surgery here in Ealing an autoclave (sterilizer), which was working but no longer needed. A great offer, but I had to split it into two pieces in order to get its weight distributed into manageable chunks. Unfortunately, it didn’t work when we powered it up on arrival. In fact, we couldn’t even open the front door. We managed to figure out that its locking solenoid must have needed power. In its absence, a screwdriver appropriately applied soon released the stubborn door. One problem solved. The other seemed to be down to a small pc board which had come loose. Replacing it didn’t seem to do the trick. Over the horizon comes Hillam, the maintenance engineer, home from a well-earned break. He takes the board out, moves it one slot to the right and everything starts to work. Didn’t I feel a right chump! The working autoclave has now been commandeered by the operating theatre staff. Dr Peter, seen here, is a pleased man. A cursory glance around the wards brought us to our next problem (sorry, ‘challenge’; there are no problems in this hospital). The arrival of new hydraulic adjustable beds from a European donor meant that the 13-amp sockets around the walls of all five wards were now just the right height for the beds in the lowest position to smash them to pieces. The challenge is that the hospital has no maintenance budget big enough to afford replacements. We got quite popular at the local ‘we sell everything’ shop as we revisited for more and more sockets and other electrical and plumbing bits. You can see our solution to the problem: the sparks did the rewiring; we put up about 200 pieces of protective wood!

Hillam, the maintenance engineer, fixes the autoclave

Dr Peter with the working autoclave

A life-saving notice

Meanwhile, in the premature baby ward... I visited one day with Boyd, the sparks who needed to replace the 100W light bulbs in the babies’ incubators. Primitive but effective! While we were there the power went off, which it does most days for about 10 minutes at a time before the generator gets started. The magical machines that make oxygen stopped working. What happened a few minutes later? A baby died. I seemed a lot more distressed than those around me. The sparks looked at the nurses and said: “Why isn’t the oxygen concentrator plugged in to the battery-powered standby supply.” “I didn’t know there was one,” came the reply. We very soon found the supply (the sparks know where they are!) and I resolved to add another addition to the wards of a simple message: ‘Battery back-up 22

Set & Light | Summer 2015

Our solution to the arrival of new hydraulic adjustable beds, which threatened the survival of the 13-amp sockets

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Andrew Dixon in Africa

electricity. For use on life-saving equipment during electricity cuts’. Everyone seemed really pleased with the simple solution. I hope the notices are still doing their job.

A lighting designer’s solution

Since we were last there a helpful person had replaced one of the three 100W lights in the hospital chapel – the one just beyond the chancel arch – with a long pendant fitting. This positioned the bare bulb in a place which created maximum glare. How many times have I seen eye-catching lighting like that? Too many I fear. My lighting designer’s solution had to be as reliable as possible because I knew that if it failed a long-lasting back-up would be needed. All I could find in the Katete shops were 150W PAR 38 bulbs and ES and BC lamp holders so I connected two PARS in series, added a 10W LED bulb for good measure and mounted the ‘luminaire’ behind the chancel arch. A slightly amber glow now fills the chancel! Thanks go to Alan Luxford and Philips for the LED. Its friends are also used in much greater numbers in the wards. All help to reduce considerably the load on the fragile electricity supply.

The premature baby ward, where a baby died after a power cut. Below left: Andrew’s notice pointing out the battery-powerered standby supply

The battery back-up system later failed in the operating theatre area. Thanks to donations from Ealing residents, the system now works again

Where light is needed most...

Just before leaving for home, I found out that the battery back-up system available in the wards had failed in the operating theatre area. The stories of operations completed by the light of mobile phones encouraged me on to provide a solution from home. With the help of one of the English surgeons, I am pleased to report that £1,200 collected by the good people of Ealing has paid for the batteries and inverter necessary. The system works but an automatic changeover switch is still required. Can’t you imagine it: “Hang on a minute while we turn the lights back on.”

Andrew sorts out the lighting in the hospital chapel

The challenges continue

As with my first visit, it was very rewarding to see how in a small way we could help and encourage the staff we worked beside. Not least because we arrived with money! Despite very good progress, the challenges that the hospital management and staff face every day with lack of regular funding, HIV/AIDS and TB and malaria to fight are massive. The same, of course, is true in many parts of subSaharan Africa but it’s a real privilege to work beside dedicated locals who provide the best care they can. I tell you what, though, it would be great to be able to add that expensive but very useful switch! Those of us who went this time have started a dedicated maintenance fund too. Charity money funds impressive projects, but routine maintenance – forget it. If you feel at all moved to donate where you know your money will be well used then please feel free to back up what my friends in the St Francis Hospital do by throwing some money at my bank account AH & SJ Dixon; 60-07-10; 45272875. Please identify it ‘Zambia’ and, if you like, your name. Thanks. I promise to pass it on. As for the window panes... They are all fitted. Not by us, but by two much more capable local workmen, Benedict and Elijah, whom we had met on the last visit. No longer on the staff (due to cutbacks) but available at £3.50 per day. Yes, it’s a very different world in Africa.

Not a light at all, but a solar oven, which bakes 20 loaves at a time

The mains intake for the whole hospital, doors open wide inviting small people to play with the lovely coloured wires. Difficult to imagine but now firmly held shut with a secure padlock Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Lighting

The BBC Wales foyer was still active as the main entrance to the studios, but also doubled as an interactive studio with 3D graphic banners dropping from the balcony rail to show the seats gained by each party Photo: Chris Barroccu

Double bill for BBC Wales election studios Words: Paul Middleton, Andy Cottey, Gafin Riley & David Marson Photos: Paul Middleton & Chris Barroccu In what will probably be its last General Election before it moves to its new central Cardiff headquarters in about 2018, BBC Wales set out to provide two simultaneous election results programmes from its current Llandaff base for BBC Wales and S4C. The rear entrance to the BBC Broadway Studios in 1977 with mobile VT truck parked in the street Photo: Paul Middleton

Set & Light | Summer 2015

The building has a number of TV and radio studios. The largest, C1, used to be the regular home of Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm. Next door is Studio 1, which used to be the home of Radio Wales’ orchestral music programmes before the opening of the Hoddinott Hall at the Wales Millennium Centre. Studio A then became the base for Crimewatch. The BBC first bought the Llandaff site in 1952, but high costs and shortage of materials in the early postwar years delayed the start of building work until 1963. In the interim, temporary studios at Broadway Methodist Church and nearby Stacey Road were built in 1955 and 1959 to

house local news programmes. The first news studios opened in Llandaff in 1966 followed by C1 in 1979 with an MMS control desk. Like the last General Election, this year’s coverage used both C1 and Studio 1. However, instead of using both studios for separate coverage, the two studios were to be shared, with C1 being split in half using a large temporary acoustic wall, and Studio A being fitted out as the ‘spin room’, where both English and Welsh presenters could wander around at will.

The LD

The lighting team, headed up by LD Andy Cottey and Lead Gaffer Gafin

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The General Election

LD Andy Cottey still uses his trusty STLD stencil and handcolouring lighting plots Photo: Paul Middleton

View from the lighting grid down on the Welsh side of Studio C1 Photo: Chris Barroccu

Riley, was charged with five areas to design, each with its own special set of challenges. Andy Cottey writes: Space and height would be at a premium in Studio C1 in order to fit a 1+2 presenter desk and a 1+4 soft sofa area, along with a large LED wall in each side. Each and every lamp was pushed to the edge of compromise and then just tweaked a tiny bit back! The brief for the spin room (S4C and BBC Cymru/Wales) was to provide something different and a contrast to the formal overnight look, but within the restrictions of minimal power and aircon available within the re-purposed radio orchestral studio. The approach was always going to be totally LED and to make it look like the social media hub – a bit like a cloud base to tweet from! The AR (augmented reality) ‘studio’ was based in the main reception area, which was never closed, so the brief was to be subtle, safe and quickly deployed:

The rear wall was a mixture of RGB LED strips in flexible opaque tubing, supplied by Pixelite, and Barco Mi-Strip panels, supplied by XL Video Photo: Paul Middleton

enhance the architecture and accentuate what the graphics were doing. Low power consumption using wireless and battery uplighters, giving a clean look without cables everywhere, was the plan. Most of the location would have many guests and politicians passing through during the night, so it needed to feel like an active environment, rather than just a set. After Andy had designed the five areas, the team increased to include extra LDs looking after areas during the rig and TX. LD Andy Lloyd and Gaffer Jamie O’Hare of BBC

Cymru/Wales became an integral part of the rig in C1, along with Console Op Bill Peachment, and looked after S4C TX on the night. LD Chris Barroccu looked after the spin room. Andy and Gafin were with the BBC Cymru/Wales side and AR area, while keeping a parental eye on everything via bank of monitors in a bespoke lighting room (a cold scene dock bay!). Andy says: “I believe that, with the help of an amazing team, we found solutions for all the brief and provided the broadcasters with a look they were both pleased and proud of!” Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Lighting

The Designer

David Marson writes: The brief for the set was to create two areas: one for hard news, one for more relaxed analysis; these areas to be close together to link well with exchanges between them, both areas then to sit facing a large screen/window that would display what was happening around Wales. My take on the brief was to bring all the areas together by wrapping moving graphics, which emanated from the large screen, around the studio. This would be achieved by placing LED panel strips around the set. The moving background graphics on the large screen would then move onto smaller strips set behind the two areas. Hopefully this would be a constant graphic loop throughout the programme, which would change from night to early morning as the programme progressed. The steel frame wrap that surrounded the studio is intended to be a framework that can be used again to achieve a different look for future election programmes, such as the Welsh Assembly Elections in 2016.

The Gaffer

Gafin Riley writes: Studio 1 was never designed to handle the large amounts of heat that would have come from using generics, so it was probably a blessing that the power availability is 26

Set & Light | Summer 2015

The spin room, shared by English and Welsh presentation, was lit entirely by LED fixtures. The eggcrates for the HiLos were manufactured especially for the event Photo: Chris Barroccu

limited. Although we did look into hiring in generators and aircon, it was a clear choice to go LED. After deciding on the LED route we arranged our own mini LED shoot out with lanterns that were readily available on the hire market. In the end, we were all bowled over with both Panalux’s XD90 (an 900W in-house manufactured LED Fresnel mounted in a traditional 1kW housing) and the HiLo, which has an impressive near 5kW output of bicolour lighting for a mere 400W of power consumption. The rig was peppered with a mixture of MAC Auras and Pixel Pars to continue on our LED mission. There was a natural split in the hires for the

election: ELP provided the moving lights, truss and rigging for both the S4C and BBC sets in Studio C1, as well as a mobile ‘Formula 1’ production office out in the car park next to the old Pobol y Cwm exterior set, while Panalux looked after the ‘hub/spin room’ in Studio A. XL Video provided the video elements, while NEP Visions mobile was used as control for cameras and vision for the English service. LED strips were provided by Pixelite.

The great divide

BBC meets S4C. The two halves of C1 had identical kit, but each ended up with a completely different colour

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The General Election

A panoramic view between the two halves of Studio C1, with the lead-lined panels and the two LED walls acting as acoustic dividers between the two sets Photo: Paul Middleton The old and the new: Rank Strand Kahoutechs showing that even after 30 years’ service, they have a place to fill alongside Source 4 Zoom. It’s still far easier to nudge barndoors with a pole than trying to adjust shutters from the top of a Zarges ladder Photo: Paul Middleton

palette and, of course, a different language. The additional kit consisted of 19 MAC Auras per side, five VL 1000s, 150m of LED tape interwoven into the set and a number of Compulite Consoles. Control of the original studio dimmers in the two halves of C1 was done by a mixture of clever Artnet and DMX mergers. Planning for the election had spread over several months and the final tech req ran to over 112 pages. Also in use was the BBCs own green screen studio that was used for the local version of Jeremy Vine’s animated 3D graphics of the election results on the map of Wales.

The main attraction

Gafin explains: “One of the largest consumption of time and emails was the very impressive 3mm pitch curved video screens from XL, which weighed in at 1.25T each. Studio C1 has a fantastic multitude of small scenic hoists, which can be positioned nearly anywhere you could need one, but 2.5 tonnes of weight on the centre of the grid provided a rigging challenge. Thankfully, the riggers at Elstree Light & Power rose to the challenge, providing curved truss, motors, and nine 10m spreader beams, which were strategically weaved in the grid! Apart from the obvious challenges of rigging moving lights in a studio that was designed for mainly tungsten lamps

Above: side view of the XL Video wall and this picture, the controllers for it Photo: Paul Middleton

many years ago, C1 has a fantastic infrastructure and and the versatility of a good old-fashioned Kahoutech, together with some intricate knowledge of where to insert blackwrap into the head, provided flexible options. Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Event

Some UK firsts at newcomer’s show Words: Andrew Dixon Photos: John O’Brien With one day in Manchester at Media City UK and two in London at the Old Truman Brewery off Brick Lane on 11 and 12 June, KitPlus is a fairly recent newcomer to the equipment show calender, with about 30 small stands and table displays. The STLD was taking part. Of particular interest was new lighting from STLD sponsors LCA, AC Entertainment and Cirrolite, plus over 30 manufacturers were represented. This was a good opportunity to get our hands on the latest kit, plus some UK firsts, with new kit on show fresh from NAB launch. During the event leading DoPs such as Alistair Chapman and Den Lennie covered everything from business advice to the latest in LED lighting in seminars and workshops. The event was also supported by BVE, BECTU, GTC, IOV and the ITTP. I visited friends on the three STLD sponsor stands. Cirrolite – John Coppen and Ben Starkin were on the stand. They are keen to get the Dedo, Matthews and KinoFlo brands published in preference to their own name. Most of us associate Dedo and Kino Flo with Cirrolite already, but there are newcomers who will have heard of the manufacturers before they learn the main UK distributor’s name.

Set & Light | Summer 2015

All the Dedos were on display: all the DLED range, including a natty little Ledzilla with all the usual Dedo optics, plus a dimmer and variable colour temperature knob. They were particularly keen that we appreciate the high quality of Matthews grip gear and were showing off the Matthellini clamp. “Maximum grip with minimum effort!” That’s my phrase! I thought that the little BOA bags for weighting down lightweight sounds particularly natty, as they are filled with lead shot rather than sand. KinoFlos are all available in LED form with the highquality colour rendition you would expect. On the LCA stand Nick Shapley and Vicci Clayton were busy chatting to prospective clients. The Bicolour Versatiles were plain to see. They are getting to be very popular on LE shows when covered in colour. Matchbox – a very neat little LED unit at 3.25in by 5.25in and only 15oz – packed a fair punch. It has blue LED emitters and up to four different white remote phosphor emitting screens that simply slot in and out. Litemat is a larger soft source, 21in by 11.5in (there are

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KitPlus 2015

LCA’s stand

AC Entertainment’s stand The BOA bags on display at the Cirro Lite stand are filled with lead shot rather than sand

The STLD’s stand

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Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Event

The STLD table

bigger ones, too) but very thin – only 25mm in some cases. They come with diffusers and louvers and a Kino Flo mounting system. Either tungsten colour temperature or daylight or even tuneable. At AC Entertainment, Ian Muir showed me the Rosco Silk 210. A colour tuneable LED soft, 600mm by 300mm, with egg crate and battery operable. Also Fiilex: LED kits available with colour tuneable sources tested by Alan Roberts to have high TLCI performance. There is a standard source used in Fresnel and softlight forms. Spotlight has a 150W fresnel that is RGBW. It looks like a theatre Fresnel. I’d like to get it in a theatre and see what it compares to! Chroma Q, the well-known colour changing series, now includes daylight and tungsten whiteonly units. In the time I was there manning the STLD stand I had enquiries only – from two people looking for LDs for their small studios. I said we were not an agency and immediately gave them my card (Editor: Just shows you have to be there to pick up little nuggets like that!). It’s good to keep our profile around to be seen, but the committee need to discuss whether this exhibition is worth our while attending in future. Our Secretary John O’Brien adds: “A big thank you to Chris Harris at Manchester, and in London to Andrew Dixon, Ian Hillson and our newest member of the committee Matt Maller for manning the STLD stand at KitPlus in the hottest weather so far this year.” 30

Set & Light | Summer 2015

KitPlus 2015

The LCA stand

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Recollection

The Day of the Triffids

Stunts and pranks pre-elf ‘n’ safety Words & photos: Les McCallum This picture and top left: the triffids were operated by the special/visual effects crew, including Mike Ellis, who was squeezed into the base of the plant

The set design for the hospital ward. Copyright: Victor Meredith

[Originally pronounced as try –fids, meaning three lobes or roots, which the plant uses to move around.] While watching a re-run of The Day of the Triffids, a BBC series from the 1980s, I was reminded of some of the fun we had while making it, along with some of the dangers that we faced – no health and safety overkill in those days. One of the final scenes in the story is when the farmhouse is surrounded by triffids but an electrified metal fence is keeping these poisonous corpse-eating plants at bay. Our heroes need to break out and start a new life on the Isle of Wight. A scaffold plank secures the gates and the plan is to ram the gates in an old Land Rover – after switching off the electricity, that is – and mow down any triffid that stands in their way. A shot of the triffids shows them eager to get through the perimeter fence. What you can’t see is Stage Manager Corin Hollingsworth, Production Manager Margot Hayhoe and myself out of shot bobbing the fibre glass stems and heads in the air. The scene for the breakthrough is all set: the scaffold

board weakened and scored on the back ready to break on impact. What we never expected was the sheer power of the impact to send one half of the board spinning like a helicopter blade towards our heads! Luckily for me, I ducked a split second before it would have taken my head off! That made me think of all the other scary and fun moments while filming on location. The first scene in the film is in the hospital ward, which was filmed in Putney hospital. The hospital was on emergency standby, fully functional with heating and lighting and all beds made up. The ward in which John Duttine is seen in the opening shot needed to be repainted and a few things added to suit the script. I arrived by the fire escape to check how the construction team was progressing. ‘Your dad’s working in the ward below,’ said one of the painters. We made our way along a dimly-lit corridor to see him when I spotted a stretcher trolley with a white sheet spread over it. Now before I go any further, I should tell you that my dad was a great prankster and sometimes needed to have Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Recollection

Les McCallum (pictured right) with a triffid

the same done to him. As I slid onto the trolley and pulled the sheet over my body, I told the carpenter, Peter Ford, to bring dad up to this floor and, as he passed me, to point out the body laying on the stretcher. As I lay under the sheet I pulled up my shirt sleeve and let my bare arm hang down. Nice touch. Along the corridor in the glimmer I heard them approaching. Luckily, they didn’t notice my chest going up and down as I chuckled to myself. Peter pointed out my arm to the small group of construction crew. I heard someone shout: ‘Oh my God, it’s a dead body,’ after which he sped off out of sight. My dad, on the other hand, walked back and I heard him say: ‘No, it’s a rubber dummy ready for filming.’ At that point, I shot up with arms outstretched, frightening the life out of him. He catapulted backwards, hitting a door with such force I thought it would come off its hinges, and slid down to the floor banging his chest with his fist. As I jumped off the trolley laughing he realised who it

was and called me all the names under the sun. I ran off down the corridor with tears running down my cheeks, Dad in hot pursuit as I raced down the spiral fire escape. In another scene at the farm, the special effects crew was setting up a makeshift flame thrower to burn the triffids. I don’t know how it happened but I saw a blast of gas shoot out from this weapon and, you have to believe me, in an instant froze Visual Effects Designer Steve Drewett’s forearm solid. Victor Meredith, the Production Designer, and I were totally shocked, convinced he would lose the use of his arm. We needn’t have worried though; within half an hour everything was back to normal. Steve started his working life as a sculptor at the Natural History Museum and was well chosen to head the special effects team. His triffids were excellent in design and based on a variety of carnivorous plants: if you are ever in Kew gardens have a look at the pitcher plants. In the book, the tongue ends in what looks like a bunch of grapes. However, in our script, the triffids feed on rotting corpses, so Steve designed a rather slug-like sucker at the end of a long stem that would shoot out of the flower head by means of a flexible rod and up to six feet. Very much like a chimney sweep’s rod, it was a cheap but effective answer to a flashing stinger, which could be retracted instantly by one of the special/visual effects crew. Mike Ellis was one: a lovely and knowledgeable man whom I worked alongside on many a film. In fact. he is the father of Janet Ellis and the grandfather of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the singer. Inside the triffid, Mike would have been squeezed into the base, facing backwards, enabling him to shuffle along while being directed by radio. If I remember right, they also had a small fan inside to keep themselves cool. Steve designed and built several versions of the triffid, each to do a specific job for filming. He also produced lots of smaller versions for the model shot of the farmhouse siege. At the end of the filming we were each presented with one of the maquettes. I still have mine: a treasured keepsake and a great memory jerker.

‘We tried to keep it as faithful to the book as possible’ Editor – What was it like working on The Day of the Triffids? As a kid I was scared by it but loved it at the same time. Those plants gave me nightmares! Les – Having worked on so many dramas, plays, sitcoms, variety shows, etc, you do get used to it. Perhaps a little of the magic does evaporate, but nonetheless Triffids was enjoyable. I worked with a designer called Victor Meredith and we were in the same small office for many, many years. In fact we are still the best of friends and meet up quite regularly. Andrew Dixon knows him well as he worked with us on many occasions. After reading the script you do start to get excited 32

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about all the sets to be drawn up and you later do the recces for locations. We then read the book to get more information and a feel for what was required for our series. The Day of the Triffids had been made into a film some years earlier and it was dreadful. The last thing the Beeb wanted was to do the same and we tried to keep it as faithful to the book as possible. However, a book lets your imagination work overtime and putting The Day of the Triffids into visual form sometimes takes the edge off the drama. I don’t think I ever saw the finished broadcasts at the time; we were always working and we didn’t have video recorders when it went out all those years ago.

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Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

Getting back to ‘elf ‘n’ safety’ reminds me of another incident on a very popular comedy series... In Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em the family are moving house. Michael Crawford slams the front door behind him and the house starts to collapse as he drives away in the removal van. [If you watch closely while the stationary van is being violently rocked by the scene crew, you might notice a metal tray being held by the hidden designer in readiness to clout Michael over the head as all the contents of the van are being hurled around.] The houses were in fact due for demolition: a row of Victorian cottages in East London that were all empty. We had to make them looked lived in by hanging curtains and nets at the windows. One problem though: no floorboards, no ceilings, just floor joists and nothing below but a long drop. To get to the windows with an armful of material I had to slide my feet along the exposed timber, snagging on nails until I reached the window, staple the drapes to the reveal and then the tricky bit: turn around and head back to the stairs. You might like to know that the house had been prepared to collapse in one continuous shot. Two holes were punched below the ground-floor window, a heavy chain passed though and around back to a cable, which in turn was attached to a waiting bulldozer in the backyard. Nobody knew what would happen: would the whole terrace of buildings collapse like a pack of cards or just Crawford’s house? A large crowd congregated behind the cameras and were kept well back by a cordon and a few policemen. We didn’t want any injuries to the public. The crew? That’s another matter... The door slammed and the bulldozer pulled the cable from out of sight. What happened? Sod all... the window and a few bricks dropped out as the chain disappeared out of sight. A quick reset around the door frame and once again very little destruction, but as luck would have it, this was a godsend. The Director, Sydney Lotterby, was able to stitch all the shots together, starting with a close-up of the chimneys toppling over, windows falling and then the walls collapsing with dust and debris. It wasn’t the intended shot but it turned out to be even better as Sid built up the tension and extended the scene. On the matter of things collapsing, in an article last year about Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em I failed to mention a scene where Crawford gets a job in a brick factory. A specialist in the art of bringing these huge towering constructions to ground level was contracted to drop one of the chimneys on cue, right in front of us. Michael was to run towards the camera and crew with the chimney coming down behind him and straight towards us. I’ve got to say, this would never happen these days and I can’t believe I had the good fortune to be present at such an event. Everything was set and the cue was given to detonate the base. Now, these chimneys are tall and when you are standing in direct line with one that is dropping at speed towards you, you get the urge, to put it bluntly, to run! Everyone started to grip the arm of the person closest; if they had

Pictured top, middle and bottom: the chimney scene, ‘a tidal wave of brick soot and dust’

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Recollection

made a break, I – and perhaps all – would have followed suit, but we held our ground as Crawford emerged from his position behind a skip and ran towards us. Bricks hit the floor with such force that they bounced towards us. Crawford was in danger of having his head knocked off, even though he was wearing a bright yellow helmet, and just managed to take shelter as the bricks banged loudly against the metal sides of a skip. A tidal wave of brick, soot and dust swept towards us and in fact it would have been much safer for Crawford to have run before. I couldn’t believe what had happened; we had stood in front of a huge, falling brick chimney. How many people get the chance of seeing that at such close range? I even managed to get a few photos. Our leading actor emerged safe and sound but the shot wasn’t quite what was wanted. Not to worry, we had another stack all set for dropping! This time, Michael started his run from behind the chimney as it was falling – yes, repeat, as it was falling! Veterans to avalanches of brick hurtling towards us, we stood in front of this aged and defunct edifice, this time there would be no holding of hands in panic. The chimney fell as planned, once again straight towards us, huge sections breaking off in mid-air and smashing into the ground with an explosion of dirty grey dust as the bricks collapsed inward. This tsunami of masonry hurled bricks at us with such great force that they came to a stop just yards in front of us. But where was Frank? A cloud of dust swept towards us blanking out all vision and the cameras kept rolling. Would this be a disaster, was Crawford alright? We waited for what seemed to be an age when, from out of the dust appeared our Frank and with his customary ‘Oooohhh’. This time there was no acting; he meant it. What a fantastic finish to this episode.

Pictured top and middle: Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer

A kidnapping plot and a gag

To finish this little trip down memory lane, a Ruth Rendell mystery involved a kidnapping and the victim held prisoner in an old camper van. We purchased a suitable vehicle and built a scenery interior for filming in the studio, the dimensions just a little higher and wider than the actual van. On location, the actors would be seen entering the back door and then we would cut to the studio-filmed section. Specialist vehicle companies make sure that all cars used in action on location are working, arrive on time and are available at any time for filming. In this case, a driver had the job of providing a Rolls Royce and WAS responsible for our camper van. Now I know it’s childish but when men are away from home for some time, they like to play the occasional prank on other members of the crew. One such prank involved catching someone asleep on set, taking a polaroid and pinning the embarrassing photo up on the chuck wagon menu board for all to see. This driver was asleep in the Rolls, photographed and then set up for more fun. Scene crews carry smoke guns for use on scenes. One 34

Set & Light | Summer 2015

On the set of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

wag had the idea of opening the van door and filling the interior with smoke. The door closed, he then ran to the snoozing driver shouting ‘Quick, your action van is on fire’. The poor soul was not only woken from his deep slumber but he had to rush to the van in panic. He opened the cab door and out billowed a cloud of white smoke; he rushed to the back door and smoke poured out. He was distraught with fear and panic at losing his job and while he was running around like a headless chicken, another wag climbed into the Rolls, which had the keys still in the ignition, started the engine and drove off, hiding the car out of sight . Everyone was in on the prank and they were watching hidden from view, no doubt doubling up with laughter. So there you have it, elf ‘n’ safety on location, with a bit of fun thrown in. I hope you have enjoyed this random selection of filming memories.

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Letters

Early pioneer was in his element on The Tube A note about the death of Jack Archer former Head of Lighting at Tyne Tees TV: I am sorry to report the death of my old chum Jack Archer in late March. Jack was Head of Lighting at Tyne Tees Television from its birth in the late Fifties until its demise a few years ago. He leaves Monica, fondly known as the Queen PA. Like so many of us, with no formal training available outside of the BBC, he came from elsewhere, being chief spark of the Tower Ballroom complex in Blackpool and, yes, he did change the bulbs on the aircraft warning lights on the top of the tower! With the issue of the new independent television licences, George and Alfred Black, two northern impresarios, head hunted Jack to run their new lighting department at TTTV in Newcastle. It’s called ‘make it up as you go along’, which he did with gusto. We first met when he hosted a small group of lighting directors who had the silly idea of forming an association to share ideas, techniques and drink the odd glass and we grandly called ourselves the Northern Lighting Directors. Representatives from Grampian, Scottish, Border, ABC and Granada all showed up for the few meetings before the Strand Floral Street meetings morphed into the STLD and the centre of gravity moved south. Tyne Tees, like all the regional stations, produced the full

range of programmes but their light entertainment department was so successful that they built a new state-ofthe-art studio especially to stage their runaway hit show The Tube, fronted by the young Jules Holland and Paula Yates. Jack Archer, former Jack was in his element with a generous budget to use any sort of lamp that moved Head of Lighting at Tyne Tees TV, died spun or strobed (all pre ‘moving lights’, on 19 March aged which are now so commonplace), and 89 years stretched the control systems to chase and flash uncountable parcans. Jack was a great supporter of the STLD and attended as many meetings as he could given the 300-mile journey involved. Trips abroad were a special treat for him and, notably, the definitive trip to Canada was a highlight he never forgot. The lighting world has moved on of course but these early pioneers shouldn’t be forgotten. That two-dimensional image representing the human face still appears to be almost as great a challenge as ever. Jack, technician, manager, photographer and a good mate, gave it all a go. Since I wrote this letter, I must sadly report the death of his wife Monica, who died within six weeks of Jack’s passing. John Watt

Warwick Fielding, 1938–2015 It is with great sadness that the STLD heard the news of Warwick’s passing back in May. He was a well-respected Lighting Director and an all-round ‘nice guy. I don’t know very much about Warwick’s BBC career except that he worked on many and varied TV programmes including Kelly Monteith, Tenko, The Little and Large Show, The Two Ronnies and Top of the Pops, to name but a few! He came across to London Weekend Television around 1985 and stayed there until the offer of early retirement became too good to resist! I first meet Warwick about 25 years ago when we were both invited to an event with Meteorlites (now ELP): a lighting company we were both using at the time. Warwick was a great supporter and committee

member of the Society and when he decided to stand down from the committee, he wanted to find a replacement. He rang me and asked “Would you consider joining the STLD committee?” My response was “Well, maybe, unless someone else is available!” The next thing I know Mark Kenyon (who was Chairman at the time) had contacted me with the words: “Oh thanks for agreeing to join the Committee”! Not quite what I had expected but I went along with it, so I’m afraid you have Warwick to thank (or blame!) for me ending up as Chairman. During Warwick’s last years of being freelance, we helped each other out quite often for covering jobs. I use to do a few days for Warwick on the FA Cup Draw in January when he went skiing and also on Have I Got

News for You. He would do Top Gear and other shows whenever I needed a cover LD, which he did without fuss but with great reliability. This lasted until he finally retired about six years ago. I know he had no problem filling up any ‘spare’ time as he was always rebuilding something in the house or sailing or skiing. He is probably looking down on all of us now with a pint in his hand as he was a great socialiser and someone whose company we always enjoyed. Let’s raise a glass to him and give a toast to ‘Warwick Fielding – Lighting Director and Family Man who ‘lit up’ the lives of all those of us who knew him. We will all sadly miss him and we pass on our condolences to Joan and the family. Stuart Gain

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Letters

A dinner to celebrate John’s retirement in February this year. Back row, from left: Mike Sullivan, Mike Sutcliffe, Pete Lawes, Mike Tanner, Simon Braddock, John Pomphrey, Tom Kinane, Oli Lifly, Dave Griffiths, Ross Williams and Simon Atlinson. Front row, from left: Andy Clark, Daniel Kinane, Max Conwell, Steve Emmett and Steve Williams

A tribute to John Pomphrey, who has just retired: “My first lighting job was in 1956 sitting huddled in a duffle coat in the bow of an ex-WW2 ‘Liberty’ ship going through the Suez Canal in a southbound convoy, pointing a small searchlight at the stern of the vessel ahead of us so we didn’t hit it. The ship had no radar, I had no iPhone and no one came round with coffee and biscuits. I’ve had some better jobs since.” Thus started the career of one of Lighting’s finest, John Pomphrey, who has finally decided to hang up his light meter. John started his career at the BBC in 1959 as a technical assistant, attending training courses at BBC Wood Norton, a facility that is sadly missed. He then moved north of the border for a spell working in News, covering all aspects, including cameras, vision and audio. John’s next move was to Granada as an engineer, where his lighting bug took hold. Later, he returned cap in hand to the BBC and, once there, started his career in Lighting. Training again ensued at Evesham and his lighting career took off. In his career, John’s body of work has been varied and diverse, covering everything from drama through to light entertainment and news. Highlights include Edge of the Wind with John Mills and series one to six of the cult series Red Dwarf. Other iconic shows such as This Is Your Life, Mrs Merton and A Question of Sport, plus a host of other work that had one thing in common – the quality of his craft and design. In 1996 John was one of the pioneering freelance LDs who paved the way for others. Again, to this freelance environment he brought his wit and talent. It was at this juncture that I truly got to know him. He became and still is a very dear friend and influence. If the world had some more ‘JPs’, it would be a much finer place; his integrity is second to none. So raise your glasses and wish John and Lady Pomphrey 36

Set & Light | Summer 2015

John as a young man at sea

(Linda) a great retirement and a well-deserved rest. In conclusion, I will share John’s final thoughts re. his career in TV: “Broadcasting has changed radically since I began in 1959, but what is consistent is everyone involved at every level in making a programme gives 110 per cent. The other thing I frequently bang on about is that broadcasting is really a team effort, with all disciplines involved. I could never have done my job without the skill, suggestions and help from all my friends and colleagues. I never stopped learning, right up to 17 November 2014.” Tom Kinane

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Information

The 2015 Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) have launched and submissions are already coming in for Television and Concert Touring & Events. This year marks the 8th KOI Awards, which celebrate the creative talents of international lighting and digital content designers working in the UK in the sectors of TV, theatre and concert touring & events. Organised by Clay Paky, the Society of Television Lighting Directors (STLD), the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD), Ambersphere, and Durham and Jennie Marenghi, the awards provide public recognition for the outstanding achievements of experts in lighting design, video and graphic display, and projection design who are working for UK productions across a range of professional areas. While applauding the accomplishments of such men and women, the KOI Awards simultaneously forge a closer bond between the field of lighting design and the lighting industry as a whole. The STLD and the ALD, which devote attention and care to the lighting industry and its designers, regard the lighting designer as a ‘Knight of Illumination’: a skilled and honourable defender of integrity and professionalism in the lighting world. These ‘Knights’ protect such values with their lighting ‘sword’ in hand – an analogy to the lighting instrument bestowed upon them by the industry. The awards will be nominated and judged by a panel of judges, each one a professional in the specific categories, who will themselves be selected and co-ordinated entirely by the STLD and ALD. These two British associations of lighting designers ensure that the annual awards go to practitioners who display unfaltering professionalism and integrity in their work. Submissions are open for the Television and Concert Touring & Events categories, with shows performed or broadcast between 1 August 2014 and 31 July 2015 in the UK eligible. As with previous years, the Theatre section can only be nominated by the judging panel. Crucially, KOI continues to run as a pan-industry event supported by the 38

Set & Light | Summer 2015

The Knight of Illuminat ... and we need your nominations now for generous sponsorship of businesses operating across the industry. Awardwinning Lighting Designer and coordinator of the KOI awards Durham Marenghi explains: “In eight years KOI has established itself as a much-coveted lighting and video industry award, respected for truly celebrating the art and creativity of lighting, video and show design. In fact, so successful has the event been that last year it was referred to by the Guardian newspaper, in an article that detailed the creative value a lighting designer can bring to the overall production process.” Today, the KOI Awards continue to forge ever-closer ties between lighting and video designers – at all stages of their careers – and the lighting and digital content design industry as a whole. A panel of industry experts assesses each sector of the awards and

submissions can be made for TV and Concert Touring & Events by visiting the KOI website. The shortlists will be announced in early September. In addition, The Enrico Caironi Lifetime Recognition Award will be presented to an individual whose passion for the industry has gone above and beyond the call of duty, in turn benefiting their colleagues, the industry and the wider world. Last year’s winners included Paul Keogan, Joachim Klein, Andy Purves, Adam Silverman, Ethan Wang for Theatre; David Higgs, Chris Rigby, Hugh French, Ben Cracknell and Luke Halls for Television; Will Potts, Andy Hurst, Matt Button and Paul ‘Pablo’ Beckett, Blue Leach and Cate Carter for Concert Touring & Events. The winner of the Lifetime Recognition Award was Brian Croft. For more information and to make

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The KOI Awards 2015

ation Awards 2015 has lift off... or the only awards dedicated to professional LDs a submission for Concert Touring & Events or Television, visit the KOI website at www.knight-ofillumination.com or the social media sites at www.facebook.com/ knight.of.illumination and https:// twitter.com/KOIAwards

TELEVISION SECTION There are five categories:

1. Drama 2. Light Entertainment 3. Small Studio 4. Events 5. Video Graphic Display

RULES 1. Nominations for the Knight of Illumination Awards must be for the

lighting or graphic display design for a TV show first broadcast in the UK between 1 August 2014 and 31 July 2015.

ACTIONS REQUIRED BY 31 JULY 2015

2. The nominations can be made by anyone within the television industry.

n Submit your nomination by filling in the submission form

3. You can submit a show by filling in the details requested in the submission form. Nominations will be accepted only if supported by a recording in any valid format or a link to online content of the show, which shows the lighting or graphic display at a reasonable resolution. You will receive an email confirmation of your submission.

n Submit a recording in any valid format or a link to online content showing lighting or graphic display at a reasonable resolution. Details of where to send the DVD or viable web link will be supplied. Shortlisting will not take place until after 31 July 2015, so the web link must be valid at that time. If the recording is longer than 10 minutes please indicate which section should be judged.

4. More than one show can be nominated, even by the same lighting or graphic display designer. If you want to nominate another show, then go back to the submission area and fill in the data requested.

To submit a nomination, visit http://www.knight-of-illumination.com/ categories/television and click on the submission area at the bottom of the page. Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Lighting

The case of the orange faces Words & photos: Bill Klages A few weeks ago, I visited a local television station in a Top 40 market. I had been asked to improve the lighting of the studio portion of its live news broadcasts. The set filled a medium-sized studio and not only contained a typical main anchor area with its four-place desk, but a weather set, an interview area, a chroma key area and an RP stand-up area. The set was a little more than a year old. Before arriving at the station, I had viewed an air-check of each broadcast within the very extensive daily programme schedule. At the outset it was apparent why the station’s personnel – from the General Manager to the cleaning staff – were disappointed with the on-the-air picture quality. The lighting designer who devised the lighting scheme during the installation of the set had fallen victim to the CTO/Diffusion lighting method (CDLM). Applying the principles of this method is a surefire way to achieve an unnecessarily complicated set-up (bad) and increase the sales of the local theatrical gel dealer (good). As far as creating pleasant pictures of attractive news personnel, it is never successful. If you asked for my simple description of what I saw, I would say ‘unnatural, one -imensional orange faces’. Where did this method come from anyway? I’m not sure. But the explanation and justification always includes the words ‘warm’, ‘soft’, ‘beautiful’, ‘natural’, etc. These words are intoned in a very poetic litany with teary eyes staring off into space. Unfortunately, ‘pleasing’ never seems to be part of it and certainly doesn’t apply. ‘Pasted on the background’ is more appropriate. And what is the motivation for the orange correction – an offstage roaring fireplace? Doesn’t anyone look at the monitor?

The method

Let me describe the method. Buy two rolls (at least) of onequarter CTO. Or better still, one-half CTO, which makes you a true advocate. Buy two rolls (at least) of your favourite diffusion. ‘Opal’ has a wonderfully distinctive ring, particularly when echoed across the studio when visitors wander through. Warning: it may not be diffuse enough for the method. The next step is very essential. Make up ‘soft boxes’ and claim they are of your proprietary design. The pyramid shape is the easiest to construct and has the benefit of suggesting something mysterious. The closer the boxes are to the size of the Great Pyramids of Giza, the more striking they will be. Make at least 16 of these. They will be more obvious to a casual visitor if they are made from foam core which is white on both sides, and they will show better against the dark studio ceiling. Don’t hurry this process. Take at least two eight-hour days to do this job and strew all the materials around the studio to make passage impossible. Or better still, incur 40

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overtime, which will make this operation gain further importance. Attach these boxes to the best, most current fixtures in the studio’s inventory so that it is impossible to use them for the task for which they had been designed. Then, for the magic of CDLM to begin, the front of the boxes should be covered with one layer of CTO and one layer of diffusion. Next step is to diaper (a current lighting term used in the professional arena) every fixture in the studio with the same formula: CTO plus diffusion. We now are ready to ‘Light!’.

Add a dash of tension...

Point all the instruments into the areas that they are supposed to light. Let’s say that you wish to light chair number two at the anchor desk with a Fresnel spotlight from the camera angle. Remove diaper and put the hot spot on the face of someone seated in the chair. Replace the diaper. Repeat this for every focus area. Then, add the pyramids of light. There is absolutely no need to use your light meter because at the conclusion of this operation, the light level will be constant throughout. This is the idea. This method provides absolutely no control of the light. Every surface gets equal treatment, and no isolation is really possible unless you use light baffles, which, at their smallest, are the size of standard 4ft by 8ft black foam core. Just keeping the incident light off a rear projection screen can test the patience of the most stable lighting man. There may be some difficulty in the placement of these baffles because in a studio packed with sets there can be a lot of conflict and interference between the lighting of one set and the lighting of an adjacent set. But this is advantageous in that it can result in much confusion and readjustment and tension. Again, this will only emphasise importance of the method by incurring more overtime.

The result

Now, let’s look at the end result! We have successfully created a scene that not only has little contrast but offers no assistance as to the location of any elements of our scene. We have successfully plastered our talent on our background. I forgot to mention that no highlights are possible because the method does not allow them. Even a simple backlight on an anchor just can’t get through the ambient light, particularly since it also has the CTO/Diffusion sandwich. Oh, and wonderful dimensional shadows that could be part of the composition are non-existent. When there are shadows, they appear as a group of annoying soft penumbras. Of course, to complete the set-up, the cameras are

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A view from across the pond

white balanced under a ‘white’ light with no gels to insure that our camera sees orange faces. (Note: I realise that you who are in the know are saying, “Why not just ‘paint’ the cameras orange?” True, but we are talking ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ here!) This is really a shame since it has literally taken decades for the camera manufacturers and their designers to create a device that is very stable and is sensitive to much of the CIE colour space. I did forget to mention another rule: all the lights should be positioned so that their elevation is at least 45 degrees, so that the talent is properly ‘modelled’ – that is, modelled to look like the studio’s overhead cleaning lights have been inadvertently left on. Incidentally, even if you have a wall painted blue, still use the CTO/Diffusion combo. Nobody will be perceptive enough to ask ‘why?’. If you are asked to create a sunrise (or sunset), just talk them into a cloudy day. Be sure to use the terms ‘soft’ and ‘more creative’. Moonlight is a little bit easier, but (horrors!) you may have to take the CTO off the

‘moon. source. I actually observed a tinted blue translucent ceiling lighted with the CTO/Diffusion sandwich. This is difficult to explain. So, what’s the solution to all of this? Moving lights or LEDs are not the answer. I suggest going back to the basics. For example, review the methods suggested by Gerald Millerson in his standard text on television lighting. Even though the first edition was published in the ancient times of the 1970s and reflects the practice of the BBC at that time, the book is still very relevant today. Use diffusion and colour correction sparingly and only for applications for which they were intended. Keep your set-up simple and uncomplicated. Think of it as portraiture. And please, look at the monitor! The following article was first published in ‘Lighting & Sound America’ in June 2007. We would like to thank Bill for allowing us to reprint his column here. He would like to extend an invitation to all the lighting people out there to share your thoughts with him at billklages@roadrunner.com

Bill selected for alumni ‘hall of fame’ honour Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Alumni Association inducts William M. Klages to the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame Award-winning lighting designer William M. Klages, Rensselaer Class of 1947, has been selected for induction to the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame. The induction will take place on the campus in Troy, New York, on Friday 2 October 2.

About Bill

Bill Klages is an award-winning lighting designer who has been associated with some of the most outstanding productions in television history. He began his career in theatrical lighting with NBC, practically at the network’s inception. After establishing his reputation with live black-and-white television dramas, he lighted landmark shows of early television starring entertainment legends Milton Berle, Sid Caesar and Perry Como. In the decades that followed, he lighted an array of acclaimed entertainment specials for such luminaries as Barbra Streisand, Bob Hope and Liza Minnelli, and awards shows including the Emmy Awards, the Grammy Awards and the

Kennedy Center Honors. Klages also designed the lighting for grand-scale special events such as the 1984 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremonies. With more than 300 lighting credits to his name, he has won seven Primetime Emmy Awards and received 23 Emmy nominations. In 2012, he was the first lighting designer and only the third designer overall to be inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.

Trustees, created the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame to preserve and celebrate the exceptional heritage of alumni accomplishments throughout the years. The stories of these innovators, pioneers and entrepreneurs provide a powerful source of inspiration for all who follow in their paths and who, like them, will continue to shape our world. For more information on the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame, visit rpi.edu/rahof.

About the Alumni Hall of Fame

About Rensselaer

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute enjoys a rich history shaped by the vision and accomplishments of leaders and educators who built the university, and the alumni who took inspiration in its halls. Since Rensselaer’s founding in 1824, these distinguished individuals have forged frontiers in industry, science, education and technology. They have built bridges, probed outer space, revolutionised new industries and technologies, and discovered new knowledge. In 1995, the Rensselaer Alumni Association, with the full endorsement of the Institute Board of

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the oldest technological research university in the English-speaking world. As it approaches its bicentennial anniversary, the institute continues to define The New Polytechnic, a new paradigm for teaching, learning and research that uses advanced technologies to enable fresh collaborations across disciplines, sectors and regions in order to answer the global challenges of our day. For more information about Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, visit www.rpi.edu

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Sponsor news

Sponsors: don’t miss out on being featured here. Email your news to sponsornews@stld.org.uk for inclusion in the next issue of Set & Light.

AC-ET AC-ET announces charity cycle ride in memory of the late Kevin Fitz-Simons

A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd hosted a two-day charity cycle ride between their High Wycombe and Leeds sales offices from 18 to 19 July to raise money in remembrance of their beloved colleague, the late Kevin Fitz-Simons. Kevin held an important senior role as Northern Lighting Sales Manager in AC-ET’s Leeds office. He was an extremely wellliked and respected colleague, and a larger-than-life character. During his diverse career spanning over 30 years, Kevin built up an incredible number of customer relationships and friendships. He sadly passed away on 31 December 2013, aged 53. This event – known as the ‘Fitz-Simons Challenge’ – was organised by Stuart Burdett, Technical Sales Executive for AC-ET’s video product division. It has raised funds for two great charities that would have met with Kevin’s approval: Shelter, which is dedicated to helping millions every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness, and WaterAid, an international charity whose vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. The untimed event was aimed at Kevin’s industry friends and colleagues, and was suitable for both club and non-club riders. The cycle ride started in Leeds on 18 July at 8am, stopped overnight at a halfway point, and finished in High Wycombe on 19 July, covering a distance of approximately 180 miles. So far, £1,515 has been donated in Kevin’s name. If you would like to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/FitzSimonsChallenge

AC-ET appointed exclusive UK distributor for Fiilex LED Lighting

A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd have been appointed exclusive UK distributor for the Fiilex range of premium-performance hard-source location LED lighting, which is aimed at professionals in broadcast, studio and film requiring high-quality colour-tuneable lighting. Manufactured using the very best components and production techniques, Fiilex products are extremely robust, powerful and portable. The range utilises multiple colours of 42

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LEDs to produce a spectral curve with significantly less peaks and troughs, resulting in much better colour response on camera than is traditionally experienced from singlecolour LED light sources. The high-quality, colour-tuneable (bi-colour) light output, which is a much closer emulation of a traditional tungsten source, reduces the likelihood of variation with natural light at a range of colour temperatures between 3,000K and 5,600K. As a result, it produces exceptional colour rendition without aberration on camera, and in all cases the models score in the high 90s on the industry’s TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) measurement scale. Packaged as small Fresnel-type fixtures, models can be powered from a battery, accepting an input voltage range from 12–24 Volts DC (via D-Tap). Output, depending on the lensing option selected, is approximately equivalent to a 350W traditional source. The range of accessories available is also impressive, including two options for softening the output, an acrylic diffuser and a more traditional fabric-based softbox. Barn doors are also available and can be used with two additional lensing options, one of which is a full-blown 5-inch glass Fresnel, which provides huge illuminance at a point, considering the lamp’s power draw, with some spot flood capability. There is also DMX capability to facilitate control of fixtures from a lighting desk. To complete the line-up as a fully portable option, a range of hard case-based kits are available, which group the fixtures into various configurations, including stands, etc. The kits provide an easy option for most users, although building up a bespoke kit is still possible to suit personal taste. The Fiilex range includes the Q500 – an extremely powerful fixture in a very compact design; the P360EX – a versatile light that is just as well suited for studio as outdoor applications; the P180E – a camera top light that really packs a punch for its compact size; and the P100, aka ‘The Brick’ – created for on-camera use as an eye light and hidden offcamera accent light. AC-ET, which has a long history of supplying to this market sector, provides specialist technical advice and solutions for all aspects of film, television, studio and broadcast lighting applications. The lighting brands available – many of them exclusively in the UK – have been selected for their class-leading performance and expertise in this market.

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Compiled by Emma Thorpe – sponsornews@stld.org.uk

in new lighting fixtures and control. The L’Oréal Colour Trophy Tour 2015 was the first event to benefit from this new kit. The lighting design for the tour included Clay Paky Mythos fixtures, K10 B-Eyes and a number of Showbatten 100s, with the new dot2 XL from MA Lighting accompanied by a dot2 Node4 in charge of control.

Ayrton Panels are ‘magic’ on Olly Murs

AC-ET continues sponsorship of hot contender Jack Goff in 2015 Dunlop MSA BTCC season

A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd are proud to announce their continued sponsorship of fast-rising UK racing driver Jack Goff who, after garnering much praise for a podium and top 10 finishes in his first two seasons, has joined reigning constructor/manufacturer champions MG Triple Eight Racing for his drive in the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. AC-ET are one of four key partners supporting Jack Goff Racing in the 2015 BTCC season. The company has watched his progression competing in the Clio Cup for three seasons – which saw him clinch the Clio Cup UK Crown in his final season (2012) – and his first two BTCC seasons. In addition to AC-ET, a host of other leading companies have returned as key partners and sponsors, as the industry continues to lend its strong support to Jack’s promising racing career. Jack has joined MG Triple Eight Racing teammate and 2013 BTCC Champion, Andrew Jordan, in a second workssupported MG6. The partnership with Jack sees AC-ET continue their strong association to the field of professional motorsport, with each sector operating at the forefront of leading-edge new technology. This association began in 2007 with the company being welcomed as a Patron of the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s (BRDC) exclusive Rising Stars programme, which supports promising young British racing drivers. It was a natural progression for AC-ET to then sponsor a talented up-and-coming local driver from the Rising Stars programme – leading to their support of Jack Goff.

Since Ambersphere Solutions welcomed Ayrton into its family of quality distributed brands, the proliferation of Ayrton fixtures has been one of the company’s many success stories. A dozen of Ayrton’s Magicpanels were used on the lighting rig for Olly Murs’ UK tour earlier this year. Famously just the runner-up of The X Factor in 2009, the tour included four nights at The O2 in London before heading to Europe and then, in August, on to Australia. At the Manchester Arena show, the set list was put on hold to accommodate filming Olly and his audience by The X Factor team in preparation for his debut on the show as a judge. Not a bad result for a performer many thought would be consigned to the Butlin’s summer season after losing out to Joe McElderry.

ANNA VALLEY Anna Valley equipment showcased throughout BBC election night review coverage

A myriad of LED displays using the latest state-of-the-art high-end equipment was created for the prestigious BBC General Election results programme, hosted by David Dimbleby and Huw Edwards at its London Elstree studios. Production Designer Chris Webster, who had been responsible for creating the studio set for the highlyanticipated live broadcast, chose Anna Valley, the leading AV rental specialists for the broadcast and events sector, to provide the vast majority of LED equipment used for a spectacular studio. Chris commented: “This is a highly complex set, with several hundred pieces of equipment used, plus the added pressure on the production team as the country finds out who will form the next British government. As a live broadcast with several million viewers at any given time, we have to make sure everything is working perfectly without any issues and, if there are any problems, deal with them quickly without affecting what viewers see on their TV screens.”

AMBERSPHERE Ambersphere Solutions supply brand-new kit to Fisher Productions.

Since 1985 Fisher Productions has been supplying a complete production service to a wide array of corporate and private clients. Their quality bespoke service has secured the company as the preferred suppliers at many of the UK’s premier visitor locations, including the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A and the Tate Modern on the Southbank. Sister company Fisher Hires has recently invested over £5m Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Sponsor news

New Master Anamorphic Flare Sets announced

Anna Valley invests substantially in the ultimate LED 2.5mm AV2 screen

Anna Valley, the leading AV rental specialists for the broadcast and events sector, has invested in the latest generation of LED equipment, a 2.5mm AV2 screen, which offers a far superior higher resolution than any other screen currently available in the industry. Each AV2 LED panel is 480mm square and comes with a new matt surface that is optimised for on-camera. The results are visuals with stunning detail and vibrant highcontrast ratio imagery. Nick Hart, Director of Corporate and Events, commented: “We pride ourselves on bringing the most technologically advanced equipment into the marketplace, and they don’t get much better than the LED 2.5mm AV2 screen.

ARRI ARRI releases new SkyPanel family of LED soft lights

ARRI proudly introduces SkyPanel: a new line of LED fixtures. SkyPanel is a compact, ultra-bright and high-quality LED soft light that sets a new standard for the industry. With a design focused on form, color, beam field and output, SkyPanel represents the culmination of more than a decade of research and development of LED technology at ARRI. Recently, SkyPanel garnered recognition as an International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers Game Changer Awards Finalist 2015.

The new ARRI Master Anamorphic Flare Sets are highly versatile and economical accessories for the ARRI/ZEISS Master Anamorphic lens series. Each of the seven Master Anamorphic focal lengths has its own specific flare set, comprising easily-replaceable front and rear glass elements that can be used individually or in combination to provide the lens with three additional looks for enriched on-set creativity. Since their introduction in 2013, the Master Anamorphic lenses have established themselves as the most advanced anamorphic optics ever designed for the film and television industry. Offering a perfect combination of compact form factor, minimal weight, distortion-free optical performance and an unparalleled high speed of T1.9 across the entire focal length range, they are as fast and easy to use as spherical cine lenses and represent a major step forward in anamorphic cinematography.

New tools expand ARRI’s Electronic Control System

New camera and lens remote control tools being introduced by ARRI at NAB are the result of both ARRI’s own technological developments and of its ongoing collaboration with cmotion. They include the cforce mini lens motor and ARRI Active Motor Controller AMC-1. ARRI’s Electronic Control System is a sophisticated toolset for precise wireless remote control of any camera and any lens; it also provides valuable metadata about exactly what the lens is doing at any given moment. All tools within the modular, future-proof system can be freely combined to provide powerful, scalable solutions for any application. Ergonomic, feature-rich hand units ease the work of the focus puller, while compact, intelligent motor controllers optimise camera setups.

ARRI announces new super-wide Anamorphic Zoom

The new ARRI Anamorphic Ultra Wide Zoom AUWZ 1936/T4.2 is a unique lens that perfectly complements the ARRI/ZEISS Master Anamorphic lenses by extending the range to cover extreme wide-angle focal lengths between 19mm and 36mm, without any sacrifice in image quality. Possibilities for wide-angle compositions when shooting anamorphic have been strictly limited in the past due to a lack of high-quality lenses. Compromises such as heavy distortion, pronounced breathing and poor resolution and contrast have always been major problems with existing lenses on the market. Now, for the first time, anamorphic productions can incorporate visually stunning wide-angle perspectives into their storytelling.

AURORA Aurora lands on ‘Love Island’: Helping bring a little sunshine to the latest batch of islanders Working closely with Gaffer James Tinsley and his team, 44

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Aurora have sent out a full location package to the latest series of Love Island. The team have been working round the clock to get things ready for the latest batch of islanders. To support the installation, Aurora have provided everything from tungsten to tape, distro to desks, plus site power and a range of bespoke electronic installations and LED set pieces. Commenting on the project, Aurora MD Nick Edwards said: “Preparing the gear and taking care of the logistical challenge of transporting a full location package to the island in the sun was the easy part. Thankfully, James and his team are on board to make sure the 12 islanders are viewed in the best possible light during their six weeks’ excursion to paradise!”

Schoenfeld also persuaded touring artists from Kid Rock to John Legend to turn their stages blue to raise autism awareness. This year, the LD/editor decided to bring the effort closer to home and involve the lighting industry directly. The Chauvet facilities were illuminated in blue and displayed the Autism Awareness logo in gobo form. To Chauvet’s point, the prevalence of autism among children in the United States has increased by almost 120 percent since 2000, according to the latest figures from the Center for Disease Control. This makes autism the fastestgrowing developmental disability in the country. World Autism Awareness Day and ‘Light It Up Blue’ were sponsored by Autism Speaks. For more information visit www.autismspeaks.org

Aurora joins together with Prized Apart

Aurora Lighting Hire proudly supported Lighting Director Gurdip Mahal and Gaffer James Tinsley on the BBC One adventure quiz Prized Apart. Working with production company Electric Ray and Set Designer Julian Healey, Aurora provided a full service installation to the extensive studio lighting set up at Farnborough Five. In keeping with the dry heat of the show’s Moroccobased location adventures, Gurdip bathed the set in a fantastic desert glow created using a blend of MAC Viper Profiles, MAC Auras, plus Vari-Lites VL3500 and VL2000 that mirrored the arid on-screen conditions. Adding to both the vibrancy and versatility of the lighting design, Martin Viper Performances and Rush PARS mixed with Sunstrips and Shapeshifters, while Super Nova Flowers, Sharpies and Source Fours took care of highlights and keying. Julian and Gurdip have previously been paired to build exciting installations on numerous productions, and the overall look and feel of Prized Apart was no exception, perfectly complementing the adventure theme and aircraft hanger-style of the studio. Along with Moving Light Operator Ross Williams and Console Operator Ges Smith, the team made full use of Aurora’s automated technology to create a suite of dynamic looks that worked throughout the studio environment, from contestant introductions to the show’s exit segment as winning couples departed the studio to head for the plane.

CHAUVET Chauvet Europe lights it up blue for World Autism Awareness Day

Chauvet Europe went blue to help fight a disorder that affects an estimated 52 million people throughout the world. On 30 March, the company lit its facilities in the UK and Belgium, as well as its US headquarters, a bright royal blue to kick off the week leading up to World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April. On a personal level, PLSN editor and noted LD Nook

Chauvet opens second European operation

Chauvet, a leading supplier of entertainment lighting headquartered in the USA, has opened a full-service subsidiary in Ghent, Belgium. The facility, which follows in the steps of a Chauvet branch in the UK, acts as the Chauvet distributor in the Benelux area, serving dealers of CHAUVET Professional and CHAUVET DJ brands in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, while supporting Chauvet distributors and strategic partners elsewhere in Europe. In addition to serving as a sales, service and distribution centre, the Belgium facility houses a showroom for conducting product demos and training. The new subsidiary is Chauvet’s fifth office globally, joining two facilities in the United States and one in Mexico, as well as its UK operation.

The ultimate high: CHAUVET Professional takes high-res LED video to higher levels with 3.9mm pixel-pitch PVP X3 video panel

As LED video wall technology has improved in quality, it’s becoming the new standard for displaying video images – in applications ranging from concerts and productions, to nightclubs and sports arenas – thanks to the superior efficiency, reliability and flexibility it offers compared to traditional projection video. Now

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Sponsor news

CHAUVET Professional is meeting the rising demand for sharper, more detailed LED video displays with the PVP X3, a modular indoor LED video panel with a high-resolution pixel pitch of 3.9mm. In addition to having a tight 3.9mm pixel pitch, the PVP X3 utilises SMD 2121 black body tri-colour (red, green, blue) LEDs to produce the highest in class contrast and exceptional clarity of images. Each panel’s 500mm-square display surface is densely outfitted with 16,384 LEDs, which emit a standard total illuminance of 1,560 NITS (which can easily be adjusted up to 2,100 NITS) for brilliant colour reproduction of high-resolution video content.

CHROMAQ Chroma-Q Color One 100 Pars cater for Diverse Events at The Ballroom, Hyndburn, Lancashire

Chroma-Q Color One 100 premium performance LED Pars are providing a rich palette of coloured stage washlighting to meet the diverse, multi-purpose needs of events hosted by The Ballroom, Hyndburn, including theatre-style live shows, dances, conferences, fashion shows and wedding receptions, among others. The classic ballroom, which dates back to 1853, is located within Accrington Town Hall and run by Hyndburn Leisure, working in partnership with Hyndburn Borough Council. It recently underwent a £750k respectful restoration to enhance its striking original features, as well as bring its technical facilities right up to date for hosting modern events. When it came to upgrading The Ballroom’s stage lighting rig, the venue wanted to invest in a state-of-the-art, energyefficient, colour-changing effects lighting system, which would provide an impressive visual enhancement for singers, orchestras and other live performers. Taking into account these technical requirements, Chroma-Q® Color One 100™ LED Pars were specified to provide rock ‘n’ roll-style washlighting over the stage, as well as effects lighting for the curved truss and legs running around the front of the performance area. The Chroma-Q Color One 100’s innovative fully homogenised beam, which virtually eliminates the colour separation and shadows synonymous with LED lighting, made it ideal for this project, providing a front light with clean shadows and a downlighter with a smooth, even beam.

CIRRO LITE Dedolight new award-winning LED kits now available to rent

Cirro Lite are pleased to announce, after a delay of almost a year due to demand in sales, the first new DLED rental kits. These will now be available from our rental department as well as all main rental companies. Dedolights have often been described as ‘painting with light’ and these new LEDs take it to another level! The new LED 40W units offer the great optical performance and 46

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control as expected from a Dedolight, but these also have added ability to dim without any colour shift, as well as the capacity to tune the colour on bi-colour versions. The DLED lighting system addresses many of the challenges when shooting with the new digital cameras in a busy environment: not only does it provide great optical control that will make you more efficient on set, it also provides a new level of dimming control. This allows you to fine tune your stop to camera and make small adjustments on the fly; also important is the ability to add effects and highlights with the projector system. Rental kits come in both Bi-Colour and Daylight versions and rental kits are similar in content to the standard 150W dimmer kits available as standard from most rental lighting companies

CLAY PAKY Clay Paky Mythos makes its Eurovision debut

Award-winning Lighting Designer Al Gurdon made spectacular use of a predominantly Clay Paky rig for one of the world’s largest TV entertainment events, The Eurovision Song Contest 2015. Celebrating its 60th anniversary with the theme ‘Building Bridges’, Eurovision was sponsored by OSRAM and hosted at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. UK-based Gurdon, whose previous lighting triumphs include the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sochi Olympic Games and the American Super Bowl, has now lit Eurovision three times. This time he chose 172 of the new Clay Paky Mythos, 48 Sharpy Wash 330, 83 A.leda B-EYE K20 and 74 Stormy fixtures to deliver a dazzling, party atmosphere bursting with vibrant colour, varying shape and dimension. All equipment was supplied by Production Resource Group (PRG), supplemented by Clay Paky UK distributor Ambersphere, and supported by a team of specialist technicians led by Lighting Crew Chief Richard Gorrod. Designed specifically for television, Eurovision presents a number of its own unique challenges. Pulling performers out from a video-heavy backdrop conveyed on a 2D medium, while keeping colour and intensity balanced across all the output mediums, can be testing.

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Every year, some 180 million viewers watch the Eurovision Song Contest. This year, Sweden was victorious, with its entry ‘Heroes’ by Måns Zelmerlöw. Working alongside Eurovision’s Creative Director, Kurt Pongratz, Gurdon and his programmer Mike Owen delivered a sharp, beat-perfect lighting design that complemented each act’s stunning video content, which was conveyed via the floor, the backdrop screen of the stage and across the end lit array of aluminium pipes, which made up the eye-shaped set.

Photo: Ralph@Larmann

Clay Paky illuminate the Six Nations

One of the most exciting developments in the entertainment industry of the past few years is the demand for musical/theatrical entertainment as a prequel to high-profile sporting events. There’s little doubt that the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympics had a significant influence in popularising these occasions. BAFTA award-winning Lighting Designer Tim Routledge has embraced this new genre with some gusto. He explains: “Sports presentation, as it is known, is a fast-growing industry, with many sports upping their game to create an exciting pre-match experience for the fans, generating a great buzz and building anticipation. I was contacted by the Millennium Stadium, who I have worked with several times before, to create a dynamic light show for the pre-match entertainment at the opening match of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament.” The lighting rig was supplied by PRG, and Routledge specified some of Clay Paky’s latest fixtures to create the required dynamism and energy he wanted from the design, as well as a host of Clay Paky Sharpys and Sharpy Washes. With the quality of fixtures from PRG, and by employing the programming talents of colleague Tom Young, the excellence of Routledge’s light show was endorsed by the BBC, which used it as part of its coverage and, in fact, broadcast the entire time-coded piece.

MoMS opens the first museum in Europe devoted to modern show lighting

In the year UNESCO has decided to devote to light, Clay Paky has inaugurated MoMS: the Museum of Modern Show Lighting. MoMS is housed on the company’s premises in Seriate, Italy, and is the first museum in Europe specifically devoted to light, not regarded merely as a useful natural phenomenon but seen as a means to arouse emotions. The exhibition aims to reveal and let visitors discover the playful, theatrical and evocative nature of this important aspect of the physical world. MoMS officially opened its doors on 15 May, as part of the ARTDATE artistic and cultural season, in the presence of industry professionals and dignitaries, including the Mayor of Bergamo Giorgio Gori and the Mayor of Seriate Cristian Vezzoli. The Museum is open to the public every Tuesday and Thursday (except bank holidays) between 3pm and 5pm. Admission is free. MoMS visitors discover so-called ‘lighting effects’, which are the technological tools lighting designers use to work with light. The experience is not just passive, but also interactive and multimedia. Light is the star of the show and

Pictured from top: This year’s Eurovision Song Contest was lit using a predominantly Clay Paky rig; Clay Paky’s fixtures also featured in the prematch entertainment of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament; Clay Paky’s Museum of Modern Show Lighting opened at its premises in Italy in May

the spectator is immersed in spectacular attractive effects with a strong emotional impact. All the areas in which show lighting is a key element are represented in the museum: concerts, theatrical musicals, TV shows, discos, theme park attractions, exhibitions, inaugural events, installations and urban embellishment. Light is increasingly used in these applications as a tool to arouse emotions, thanks to its ability to bring out the theatrical nature of music, the artists’ personalities, the meaning of lyrics, the plasticity of scenic elements and the outlines of shapes. Set & Light | Summer 2015

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The progress in technology over time is shown in parallel to its socio-cultural context. The museum starts with a short historical excursus on stage lighting in ancient history, and then focuses on the 1970s, when the lighting effects that are etched in the collective memory were first seen. Those were the years of great musical and dance films such as Saturday Night Fever. After that, we are brought up to the present day and the complex moving heads currently on the market. Its inauguration was also an opportunity to illustrate the museum’s cultural mission. MoMS was the brainchild of Pasquale Quadri (1947–2014), the founder of Clay Paky. It also has an archive and website and is available as a venue for conferences, seminars and training courses for show lighting professionals, students of vocational schools and universities, and enthusiasts of this constantly evolving industry, which combines music, emotion and fashion with the most advanced technology.

ELP There aren’t many LDs or lighting production companies that can claim to have lit the burial of a British king, but this is the legitimate claim that Bernie Davis and ELP can make. Bernie was the LD for the re-burial or ‘reinternment’ of Richard III at Leicester Cathedral. It was an event marked with all the pomp and grandeur of state funeral. Broadcast on Channel 4, it showed a cathedral transformed into a grove of white roses and foliage. Bernie lit the cathedral with a generic lighting rig sourced from ELP, while Roger Williams managed the broadcast studio, which was lit entirely with ELP’s LED stock, including Source 4s, ARRI L7s, Pixel Pars, Chroma Q and Chroma Floods. An ELP twinset generator provided power for the regal broadcast. ELP continue to support Bernie Davis with generic lighting rigs across other religious service broadcasts, including the BBC’s Easter Service from Manchester Cathedral and the BBC’s Afghanistan Commemoration Service from St Paul’s Cathedral. This marked the end of UK involvement in the conflict and remembered those who lost their lives. ELP also worked with Bernie and LD Dave Gibson on the VE Day Thanksgiving Service from Westminster Abbey. Bernie lit the cathedral while Stuart managed the broadcast studio. ELP were very busy during the General Election campaign, with live broadcasts both in the run-up to and on the night itself. A series of live debate shows ran during the Newsnight and Victoria Derbyshire shows. These debates took place around the country, so LD Joe Breslin specified a slimline lighting rig that was easily portable within ELP’s twinset generator. The genny also provided power for the live events. The touring gear included Source 4s, Pixel Pars and Chroma Floods. ELP’s Matt Smith was the gaffer with a three-man crew. ELP were much in demand on the main election night, with the highlight being the illumination of a giant map of the country outside Broadcasting House. The enormous map changed colour as the political party results came in from 10pm until midday the following day. Darren Fletcher was 48

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the gaffer leading a crew of six technicians. The ELP kit list included VL3500 Wash, Clay Paky Sharpy Wash and MAC Auras. The LD was Nigel Catmur. BBC Young Dancer is a new award for young people that showcases the very best of young British dance talent. It culminates in a grand final at Sadler’s Wells and is broadcast ;ive on BBC Two. Nigel Catmur was the LD for the final. Nigel used ELP’s moving lights to supplement the in-house rig. This included Vipers, TW1s and MAC Auras. Also with Nigel, ELP worked on the recent BBC Folk Awards, which took place at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. Once again, Nigel chose to supplement the venue’s in-house rig with ELP’s Vipers, TW1s and MAC Auras. LD Jim Ewart lit The Dragons’ Den studio at The Space Project in Manchester: a very handy location for the ELP Manchester crew, who are based just round the corner. Not only did Jim benefit from a very happy crew but he was also able to road test ELP’s new range of ARRI L5Cs. The L5s complement ELP’s L7s as they are a smaller version and allow for more mobile lighting applications. Their compact size and low weight allow the L5 to be rigged in tight places and hung from low ceilings. The L5 is also ideal for cramped location shoots and interview set-ups such as The Dragons’ Den. Low heat allows safer and more comfortable shooting conditions. The Dragons’ Den set was lit entirely with ELP’s LED range and it got a big thumbs-up from those who measure the production’s ‘green’ credentials.

ETC ETC upgrades Israel’s Channel 1 news studio

The state-owned Israel Broadcasting Authority has upgraded its main news studio in Jerusalem, with help from ETC and dealer Danor Theatre and Studio Systems Ltd. The lighting for the Channel 1 studio needed to be suitable for the demands of high-frequency cameras, so the new ETC Source Four LED Series 2 Daylight HD, with tuneable cool white lighting in the 4,000–6,500K range, was ideal. The studio was open in time for the Israeli elections, which were held in March, with 50 ETC Source Four LED Series 2 Daylight HD fixtures providing on-screen lighting. Gelfland used the Source Four LED fixtures as key lights and model lights; by cutting the focus points accurately, he was able to avoid moving any fixtures, while still keeping the atmosphere in the studio as desired. The creative team was headed by Chief Producer Sima Moas; Director Jim Subhi and Set Designer Avi Fahima. The lighting system was programmed by Hilton Moss, and logistics were managed by Shlomi Turgeman.

ETC products at home on Tony Award-nominated ‘Fun Home’ With strong reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations and

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Compiled by Emma Thorpe – sponsornews@stld.org.uk

12 Tony Award® nominations, the musical Fun Home appears to be right at home on Broadway. Based on an autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, it is an unusual show: incredibly delicate, rather than big and flashy, according to Lighting Designer Ben Stanton, who found himself with a low-tech show in need of high-tech lighting. Stanton uses shifting pockets of light to follow the action from scene to scene, defining rooms of different shapes and sizes as furniture appears and disappears through a complex series of traps. Using an ETC Eos Ti® lighting desk, Programmer Alex Fogel built a low-res pixel map encompassing the whole stage, with each lighting area as a separate pixel. By applying a gradient to the intensity parameter of the area lights, he was able to smoothly drag focus around the playing area, responding quickly to changes in blocking, while maintaining the intimate look of the scene.

HSL HSL appoints new FD and Strategist

Blackburn-based lighting and visuals rental specialist HSL has appointed Mick Seddon as Group Financial Director and Strategist. Working closely HSL’s MD Simon Stuart, he will play a key role in HSL’s active expansion over the next five years, and is one of a number of high-level appointments to be announced by the company in the coming months. HSL and Mick’s award-winning accountancy practice have already been collaborating for several years. During that time, Mick has been instrumental for the management and co-ordination of several acquisitions by the HSL Group, including the purchase of Playlight, The Lighthouse and Production Services Ireland. HSL is currently formulating plans to grow the company while remaining agile and decisive in a highly competitive marketplace. This vision includes integrating more companies into the group by offering a positive working environment where they can maintain their own identity while maximising their potential with access to a wide and dynamic range of resources, infrastructure, skills and creative thinking. Several major changes within HSL’s management structure over the last two years have paved the way for the

Pictured: HSL’s MD Simon Stuart with new Group Financial Director and Strategist Mick Seddon, who will play a key role in the company’s expansion

planned growth ahead. At the essence of this is positioning the company to continue delivering the very best standards of technical production to all areas of professional entertainment and leisure. Anyone interested in exploring options in relation to becoming part of, or working more closely with, the HSL Group, should approach Simon or Mick directly. All enquiries will be treated confidentially.

John Slevin joins HSL

Leading UK lighting and visual production and rental company HSL is delighted to announce that John Slevin has joined their lively and proactive management team based in the Blackburn HQ as Technical Support Manager (Projects). John brings his wealth of experience, great personality and excellent communication skills to HSL on a full-time basis, having worked for the company as a crew chief and lighting technician regularly over the last 13 years. John will be working closely with HSL’s busy – and Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Pictured: HSL supplied the lighting equipment for the one-night-only illumination of the Halifax Transmitting Tower in an installation designed by James Bawn called ‘Ploughcroft Eco Northern Light’. Photo by Bob Collier

growing – project management team offering technical support and sharing his knowledge and infectious enthusiasm on all projects. He will divide his time between being on-site visiting shows and events, at large and on-hand in the office. John has always loved performance and entertainment. In his youth he trained as a lighting designer at RADA and he has been involved professionally in stage lighting, visuals and production ever since. John’s penchant for dealing with the more unusual, offbeat and idiosyncratic projects will be galvanised at HSL where his quick and lateral-thinking abilities and unfazable character will encounter plenty of challenges.

HSL helps take Halifax Transmitting Tower to new heights

New levels of colour and imagination graced the familiar landmark of the Halifax Transmitting Tower in a special onenight light installation called ‘Ploughcroft Eco Northern Lights’, designed by James Bawn, which illuminated the 45.7metre (150ft) relay mast located on the top of Southowram Bank, overlooking the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Lighting equipment was supplied by Blackburn-based HSL. The project was commissioned to help local roofing company Ploughcroft celebrate huge achievements in energy saving for numerous homes, schools and business right across Yorkshire. The tower, owned by Arquiva, is a broadcast and communication facility receiving TV and radio transmission signals from Emley Moor Tower and beaming these to areas in the north, east and centre of the town of Halifax which are blocked by the hill on which the tower resides. It also accommodates 3G and 4G cellular generators for several mobile networks. The lighting project follows on from James’s groundbreaking lighting of the Emley Moor Tower last year. 50

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LCA Lights Camera Action Phil Mallia promoted to Operations Director

LCA – Lights, Camera, Action is pleased to announce that Phil Mallia has been promoted to the role of Operations Director at LCA. Phil has worked for the company since the 1 May 2002, starting in the warehouse. He was subsequently a sales executive and more recently Operations Manager. He has been integral working with the team at Greenford to facilitate the recent move to the new, larger premises in Fairway Drive.

MARTIN by HARMAN HARMAN’s Martin Professional announced Jorge Espinoza as the first prize winner of the 2015 Young Lighting Designer Contest. As part of his prize, Espinoza has been awarded a trip to the Prolight + Sound 2015 show in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition to his all-inclusive trip to PL+S 2015, Espinoza has been awarded a new Martin M-Touch™ controller and

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an M-PC™ Kit. Throughout the month of March, amateur lighting designers from around the world programmed their ultimate show and submitted their work to Martin’s Facebook page for a chance to win. A winner was then chosen through a simple process: Facebook users voted for their favorite shows. The three shows with the most votes were then judged by a three-person panel to determine the best show. The panel consisted of 2014 contest winner Garou Blancan, Martin’s Senior Product Specialist Michael Feldmann and Martin’s Product Manager for Controllers Paul Pelletier. Martin also awarded prizes for second and third place. The second place winner is Roman Vakulyuk from Russia. As the runner-up he will also receive an M-Touch™ control surface for Martin’s M-Series controllers. The third place winner is Ludovic Milien from France, who will receive a M-PC™ kit. View the winning shows at https://www.facebook.com/ MartinProfessional/app_486254294756872

Adlib Lighting invests £1m in Martin Professional

UK rental and production company Adlib has recently invested over £1 million in Martin Professional products, increasing its MAC inventory to over 200 units, including the award-winning MAC Viper™ family, MAC Quantum™ Wash and MAC Aura™. “Adlib has seen significant growth over the past few years and there has been a real need to further invest in new equipment to supplement our rental stock,” says Mike Docksey, General Manager of Lighting and Video, Adlib. “It was extremely important for us to invest wisely in the resources behind the talented people we have here at Adlib so that they can continue to flourish. With an already extensive inventory of Martin products in our ranks, it was an easy decision to demonstrate our faith in the brand once more by way of a series of purchases across the range in a relatively short time frame.” For more information on Adlib, visit www.adlib.co.uk

HARMAN’s Martin Professional announces immediate availability of RUSH Club Smoke Dual™

The RUSH Club Smoke Dual™, HARMAN Martin Professional’s new hybrid smoke and haze machine, is now shipping and available from stock. First unveiled in April at Prolight + Sound 2015, the new addition to the RUSH by Martin line of atmospheric effects is an innovation based on the Magnum Club Smoke system, installed in prestigious venues all over the world.

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Pictured: Osram technology played a part in the European public viewing event for the 2015 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna

The Club Smoke Dual is a multi-head system, which utilises up to six heads across three zones via DMX or an onboard digital display. This unique feature of the system allows the user to deploy fog, haze or a combination of both using a specially formulated fluid. This means that fluid changeover is no longer required for the desired atmospheric effect. The separate base unit, which can be installed in a convenient remote location, contains a 10-litre fluid reservoir, ensuring continuous use throughout busy nights. See the RUSH Club Smoke Dual in action at https://youtu.be/obh80kDp_4A

OSRAM Osram sets highlights with Eurovision Song Contest

L’illumination – douze points. The lighting manufacturer Osram transformed the 2015 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna into a spectacular experience for spectators thanks to state-of-the-art lighting technology. Effect spots create fascinating stage shows and the intelligent Lightify light system fired up the atmosphere in the European Village public viewing area. Last year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen saw colossal video screens as the main focus of the show, and this year the Vienna organisers demonstrated how classic stage design can be optimally combined with high-end lighting technology. The defining element was the so-called Moving Heads from the Osram subsidiary Clay Paky. These luminaires, featuring mobile head units with omnidirectional rotation, created impressive colour effects, projections and light rays adapted to the music. In addition, Osram technology played a part in the European Village public viewing event. Up to 20,000 visitors followed the preliminary rounds as well as the final competition live each day on Vienna’s town hall square over the week, demonstrating their support for the performance of each artist by voting. An app for Osram’s intelligent Lightify lighting system was adapted to implement the voting process. Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Compiled by Emma Thorpe – sponsornews@stld.org.uk

PHILIPS Winner of lighting competition revealed

The winner of the Philips Strand Lighting upcycling competition has been announced. Paul Nulty Lighting Design (PNLD) scooped the prize for team effort ‘Anamorphosis’, which saw the colleagues turn a vintage Patt 23 theatre lantern into a deconstructed art piece. PNLD was revealed as the winner at The Society of Light and Lighting Fresnel Lecture, which took place at the Royal Institution of Great Britain (Ri). Philips was chief sponsor of the event, alongside support from the IALD. Following the talk, Philips’ Lighting Application Design Lead and competition judge Mike Simpson announced that PNLD’s design had come out on top. Launched at the end of last year to celebrate the iconic brand’s centenary, the Strand Lighting competition garnered much interest from lighting designers and artists worldwide. Over 90 people registered their interest and 175 were following the Pinterest inspiration board. The prototypes of the winning design and two finalists were built by Howard Eaton Lighting and displayed at the Ri for attendees of The Fresnel Lecture to view. The Fresnel Lecture marked 200 years since Augustin Fresnel discovered his Wave Theory of Light and coincided with the UNESCO International Year of Light. Peter Phillipson of the SLL gave the lecture, with a guest appearance from Dr Bryson Gore. The event was fully booked, with Society of Light and Lighting patron HRH Prince Andrew also in attendance.

Philips Vari-Lite VL4000 Spot delivers key versatility on ‘Thronecast’

Sky TV Lighting Designer Iain Davidson used one of the latest additions to the Philips Vari-Lite product line, the featurepacked VL4000 Spot, to deliver smooth, precise effects and stunning colour to popular Sky Atlantic show Thronecast. The official fan companion series to widely-watched fantasy drama Game of Thrones (GoT), Thronecast followed shortly after each new installment of GoT on a Monday night. Presented by Jamie East and Sue Perkins, the show saw a live discussion of the episode’s events with various members of the cast and crew. Iain employed six of the award-winning Vari-Lite luminaire, supplied by Richard Martin Lighting (RML), to give depth and texture to the chat show set-up. Iain therefore turned to the Vari-Lite VL4000 Spot, positioning the units flown in the rig to provide gentle background animation but also as break-up in such areas as the revolving entrance door. “My original brief was for a glossy set in front of a white cyc and, as the look was going to be high key, the standard beams and smoke approach didn’t apply,” says Iain. “My plan was to create a subtle movement on the lattice work within the set. To avoid spill from the set header falling on the white cyc, I wanted to have precise control of my luminaires, so I needed shutters, subtle gobos and delicate colours.” The VL4000 Spot features dual rotating gobo wheels with a new collection of optimised gobo patterns and dual 52

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animation wheels, which provide dynamic motion effects as well as the chromatically tuned Dichro*Fusion effect. The beam can be further modified via the precise four-blade shutter system and mechanical iris.

VL4000 Spot Luminaires light the Grammy and Academy Awards

When working in the world of live television production, the lighting rig stands at the forefront, called upon to provide a wide variety of creative looks. Nowhere is this more important than on two of television’s most-watched events, the Grammy and Academy Awards, where both productions showcase a number of artists with individual lighting needs. As a veteran of both productions, Lighting Director and Programmer Andy O’Reilly knows exactly what it takes to bring all these performances to life, and this year, he and his team got to do so with the assistance of VL4000 Spot luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite. As the production team was gearing up for the 2015 Grammy and Academy Awards, O’Reilly and his team were offered the opportunity to use the new VL4000 Spots, which they eagerly accepted. While he had previously only seen the VL4000 Spot in demos and online, he was excited to be able use them for himself.

PLASA PLASA to host second Behind the Scenes Happy Hour at LDI 2015

PLASA has announced that they will host the second Behind the Scenes Happy Hour, an evening with music, food and drinks from 6pm–8pm on Thursday 22 October at the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel. Current sponsors include A.C. Lighting, Heartland Scenic Studios, iWeiss, RC4 Wireless, Sapsis Rigging, Inc., Stage Equipment and Lighting, Stan Pressner and Ultratec Special Effects. After a hugely successful event in 2014, attended by over 400 creative technology industry professionals, the Behind the Scenes Happy Hour is returning to host the biggest preLDI party of the year to raise money for the Behind the Scenes charity, which provides financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are ill or injured, or to their surviving family members. Funds are granted, which can then be used towards medical care, basic living costs and funeral expenses. Behind the Scenes, an initiative of the PLASA Foundation (formerly the ESTA Foundation) brings help and hope in times of great need, and has granted over $500,000 since its inception in 2005.

PLASA 2015 aims high with world-class offering

From its award-winning venue, to its business-only focus and change in opening hours, PLASA 2015 has its sights firmly set on providing a show that delivers on every level. With a track record of hosting world-leading events such as PLASA London, ExCeL is the UK’s largest exhibition and conference venue and a compelling destination for business professionals. Part of a 100-acre campus, ExCeL boasts easy

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Pictured: Thronecast, the official fan companion series to Game of Thrones, was lit with Philips Vari-Lite VL4000 Spots supplied by Richard Martin Lighting

transport links to central London, parking for 3,700 vehicles and free venue WIFI, enabling visitors to stay connected and make maximum use of time away from their business. ExCel has roof height of 10m, with 7.2m² wide drive-in doorways and the Event Hall floor weight loading is 18kN/m². There is a three-lane lorryway for buildup/breakdown access, all of which makes it ideal for the majority of PLASA exhibitors’ requirements. The venue also has over 40 onsite bars and restaurants and seven hotels, providing a superb base for visitors to PLASA to sample some of the best experiences that London has to offer. Further highlights of PLASA 2015 include increased networking opportunities from the sector-focused areas on the showfloor and the return of the show’s central bar, which will also provide an all-important social element.

Richard Martin Lighting Every once in a while a show comes along and is so successful that it develops a cult following. Only Fools and Horses and Breaking Bad are a couple that immediately spring to mind and now we have Game of Thrones. For those of you who have been living under a stone for the past few years and don’t know what it’s about, the show is based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling book series A Song of Ice and Fire. It has been brought to the screen as HBO sinks its considerable storytelling teeth into the medieval fantasy epic. It’s the depiction of two powerful families – kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and honest men – playing a deadly game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and to sit atop the Iron Throne. We are now on to Season 5 and the show has such a

huge following that Sky Atlantic decided to introduce a fanbased show called Thronecast. Hosted by Jamie East and Rachel Parris, Thronecast accompanied every episode of Game of Thrones and featured exclusive interviews with the cast, insights into the world of Westeros and beyond, and previews of what’s in store. Iain Davidson designed the lighting for the show, which focused on one of our most recent purchases, the VL4000 Spot. The VL4000 Spot includes all the tools needed to create dynamic and useful lighting on any stage. Hailed as ‘everything in one’, the fixture has so much potential, as you can continuously create new looks without having to change the lighting rig. To accompany the Spots there was also a number of Clay Paky Sharpys, which continue to be popular among our lighting designers and customers. Since Richard Martin Lighting relocated to Sovereign Park in 2007, the huge increase in warehouse space has meant that it has created a wealth of opportunities and potential for us. Not only is there ample space for our ever-expanding stock inventory, there are also numerous offices, workshops and a fully functioning demo room – Studio 24. As a result of this we made the decision to rent out some of our floor space and offices to other companies within our industry. Key Light Hire have been a permanent resident here for the past five years, offering generic lights to the TV and film industry. Over the years we have also played host to Light Initiative, Apache Sales, LA Lighting and HDO Productions. Now we have some new tenants – Philips Entertainment. As well as Vari-Lite using our studio space for all of their product training, the Philips entertainment team now have office space. Set & Light | Summer 2015

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We always consider it a great opportunity to work closely with other key players in the industry; however, we are extremely excited that a manufacturer has now chosen to have their UK base with us. During the General Election, unlikely agony uncle Jack Dee was on hand to help answer our questions and queries. Along with a panel of celebrity guests, the grumpy and sarcastic comedian helped a live studio audience by shedding light on their dilemmas relating to the election. Jack Dee’s Election Helpdesk was filmed at the London Studios for Off the Kerb Productions. Richard Martin Lighting (RML) provided the lights for the main BBC coverage of the election and also recently lit Cameron and Miliband: The Battle for Number 10, which was aired on Sky, so to make the hat trick we provided LD Chris Kempton with his chosen specification for the show. Although there is a relatively serious message, it was definitely an entertainment show and therefore the set was bright and fun, as was the lighting rig. The main fixture, which is still proving to be popular ‘eye candy’, is the MAC Aura. Along with 20 of those there were also VL1000TS, Alpha Spot 575 HPE and Chroma Battens. The show’s original format ‘Helpdesk’ was one that he showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At the time, the reviews said it was the perfect format and set-up for a TV show. When you ask someone their thoughts on politicians, politics and how their country should be run, it is usually like opening a huge can of worms and so a General Election seemed like the perfect time and subject matter! Over the past few years a number of studios have closed in London, meaning that more and more work is being filmed in different parts of the country. So it was very refreshing when we recently filmed The Javone Prince Show in up-andcoming Rivoli Ballroom. When I say up-and-coming, the South London building was originally built back in 1913 and is the only ballroom still intact in London. It has been used for a variety of different things over the years but the untouched, cool, vintage interior now means it’s the kind of trendy venue artists such as Noel Gallagher want to play. The beautiful building was the perfect backdrop for a stand-up-style comedy show with a cabaret-style twist. After his success on shows such as Horrible Histories, I’ve Got No Head and PhoneShop, award-winning comedian Javone now has his own sketch show. What’s extra exciting for us is that Javone trained at LAMDA and as their Principal Lighting Partners, we have a close affiliation with the theatre school and anyone who is a product of the academy. We work very closely with their students, providing all kinds of training and support, so it’s 54

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always great to see firsthand one of the many success stories. His series, which is for BBC Two, looks at all facets of contemporary multicultural Britain and questions our attitudes and why we have them. The Javone Prince show is produced by Lovely Electricity and BBC Comedy and is lit by Martin Hawkins, supported by us at Richard Martin Lighting (RML). Although the infrastructure is different to that of a normal TV studio, there was an opportunity to light the entire ballroom and pick up on existing features to really bring the room to life. Martin chose MAC 700s, Sharpys, VL1000TS, Pixel Pars and Stage Bars to create his look. Filmed in front of a live audience, it also features music and guests, promising to be a fun and enjoyable night out for viewers, taking on more of a comedy night than filming a show.

ROBE Robe BMFLs hit the beauty spot in SA

Rising to new challenges is one of the many elements making South African Designer Joshua Cutts, of Visual Frontier, passionate about creating spectacular shows, and for the live telecast of Miss South Africa 2015, he picked up Producer/Director Gavin Wratten’s gauntlet to help bring a fresh look to the high-profile beauty pageant staged at Sun City Superbowl.

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Compiled by Emma Thorpe – sponsornews@stld.org.uk

Central to his lighting and set design was the specification of 24 Robe BMFL Spots moving lights. Gavin’s reimagining of the show in a new and contemporary context involved a 30m-long black high-gloss central runway emanating from the stage, traversing to the centre of the venue. Sic Productions produced the event for Sun International. The traditional gala dinner set-up was ditched in favour of tiered VIP seating – fashion show-style – flanking the catwalk. Fundamental to Gavin’s vision for the show, this clean, elegant and NOW aesthetic worked brilliantly on camera as well as for the 2,500-strong live audience. Broadcast live on leading TV channels MNET and Mzanzi, this exciting redefinition of traditional beauty pageant presentation was hailed as a major success by the media and received with great enthusiasm by the public.

Robe SmartWhites for Al Jazeera London studio

A special version of Robe’s ROBIN LEDWash 800 PureWhite SW fixture was specified by lighting designer and broadcast lighting and visual media effects specialist, Manfred Ollie Olma – from Cologne, Germany-based lighting and visual design practice mo2 design – for the new state-of-theart Al Jazeera broadcast studio in London. The studio, located on the 16th floor of The Shard in London, features 80 of these Robe moving lights. mo2 design was commissioned by set design and constructor Studio Hamburg, Germany’s leading production service centre for film and television, which installed the studio’s set and infrastructure on the strength of their designs for other high-profile TV studio installations. These have included Phönixhof in Hamburg (also using Robe lights) and Sky Sports News in Munich.

Royal Albert Hall invests in Robe BMFL Spots

London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall is the first live performance venue in the UK to invest in Robe’s BMFL Spot moving light, with a purchase of 17 fixtures for its in-house lighting rig. The decision was taken by the Hall’s Senior Technical Manager Ollie Jeffery and the venue’s award-winning Lighting Design and Systems Manager Richard Rhys Thomas. The units were delivered by Robe UK in conjunction with TSL Lighting, where the process was co-ordinated by Ashley Lewis, Robe UK’s Key Account Manager for Touring, TV, Theatre & Film. The Hall stages approximately 400 performances per

year in the main auditorium, which has a capacity of over 5,000 (variable according to configuration) and is known for its splendid environment and famous organ, built in 1871 and comprising 9,999 pipes. In addition, there are about 400 events in other spaces around the building, encompassing all types of performance – from comedy and cabaret to world music, education workshops and storytelling sessions for children. It is one of the busiest – and most prestigious – performance spaces in Europe, and the hectic schedule keeps Ollie and his technical team of 16 fully energised all year round.

Robe Lighting France opens in style

Robe officially launched its latest subsidiary operation, Robe Lighting France, in style in Paris last week, unveiling the new offices with a fabulous party attended by about 150 people, including major rental players and lighting designers from all sectors of the French production industry. Robe Lighting France is headed by CEO Bruno Garros and CFO Elie Battah. The company is fully operational and hits the ground running with seven staff in place, including Executive Assistant Messaouda Belarbi, Aftersales and Technical Support Manager Jerome Lambeau and Communications Specialist Jonathan Grimaux. They are joined by two technical sales engineers, Kevin Migeon, covering northern France, and Franck Huyhn, who is taking care of the south of the country. Robe Lighting France has eye-catching new offices at Paris Nord 2, which are extremely well located in a beautiful leafy green area just 10 minutes from Charles de Gaulle International Airport at Roissy and 20 minutes from Paris Porte de la Chapelle. The building was acquired earlier in the year and has been renovated, redesigned and kitted out specifically for the new company’s needs. The 480 square metre property includes offices, a large showroom, aftersales and technical departments and a stock-holding area for all the main products to ensure quick and efficient delivery nationwide.

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Sponsor news

ROSCO Braq Cube and Miro Cube UV

In the winter edition we introduced Rosco’s growing family of LED fixtures with the Braq Cube™ WNC Tunable White and Braq 4C for colour mixing. A new version is now available: the MIRO Cube™ UV. Conventional UV discharge lamp fixtures have many disadvantages, and this LED-based UV fixture is radical. With LEDs, the unit has a power draw of only 50W, with the same UV light output as a 250W mercury lamp-based source, with its heavy ballast and slow warm-up to full output. The UV output peaks at 380–385nm and Rosco’s dichroic lens can block the visible content at about 400nm, so that the Indigo effect is eliminated. It has no control gear and plugs straight into 230V AC, with no audible hum. Control is flexible: it has five-pin XLR connectors for DMX input and output; there are two DMX 512 universes for 8- or 16-bit resolution for flicker-free dimming from the console. Where there is no DMX, an intuitive full text LED control panel enables normal control of the UV output. With the lightweight, compact four-inch cube size and quick last-minute installation if needed; it can be hidden in scenery or track mounted, or hung with C clamps using the flexible yoke.

Softdrop

We have launched a new backdrop, SoftDrop, in the UK and already have some installations going in. It has so many advantages for lighting designers as well as set designers, that it merits sharing with you. The technology is new and removes all the difficulties associated with conventional backdrops. It is based on a lightweight cotton material that is extra wide, without seams that can create difficulties to light, Rosco can supply a SoftDrop of up to 40ft (12.9m) height by 170ft (51.8m) wide, seamless. The water-based inks used for the image printing have an ultra-matte finish that’s inherently semi-translucent. It’s valuable for television (fast delivery), is lightweight (280g/m²) and meets international flame-retardancy standards. SoftDrops fold neatly into a case for delivery in a car and it unfolds easily and smooths out quickly when it is hung, without wrinkles. Finishing options cover most needs, hems, grommets and ties, pipes or chain pocket. Printed SoftDrops are easier to light than other systems. For front lighting, best results are from lighting from the top. Back lighting is best achieved by using an oblique wash of light. There’s a good case study on US feature film Stonewall at www.roscodigital.com/softdrop/case_study.cfm that answers most questions. A brief outline summary is: on a Montreal sound stage, part of a New York square was constructed as it was in 1969, but several huge background drops were needed, too; they were 12m high and totalled 120m in width. It was a collaborative effort between the 56

Set & Light | Summer 2015

designer, cinematographer and Rosco – a Rosco photographer captured the view round Stonewall Inn and digital artists manipulated the imagery as required and to suit the sound stage space. The rigger grips found it easy to install and gaffers easy to light and the art director found it beautiful and realistic.

TIFFEN Tiffen International Ltd Academy Award-winning filter technology available in XLE series of filters

Since being honoured with a Scientific and Technical Academy Award of Commendation, Tiffen International Ltd are proud to announce that their Oscar award-winning technology is available to stills photographers to use throughout the recently launched XLE series of filters Steve Tiffen, Jeff Cohen and Michael Fecik were recognised for their efforts in developing dye-based filters, which reduce infrared contamination when neutral density filters are used with digital cameras, during the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards presentation on 7 February. They are the only recipients of the award this year and the first to receive it since 2007. During the ceremony, it was stated: “Tiffen have identified the problem and rapidly engineered a series of absorptive filters that ameliorated infrared artifacts with lenses of all focal lengths. These widely adopted filters allow cinematographers to work as they have done with film-based technology.”

WHITE LIGHT New state-of-the-art Studio 15 offers combined solutions for developing technical content

White Light are set to launch a cutting-edge new studio facility at their Wimbledon premises. Featuring its own dedicated entrance and hospitality suite, Studio 15 incorporates a highspecification infrastructure including large format meeting space with video conferencing; pre- and post-production audio and video editing suites; and a 120m2 dedicated rehearsal, teaching and product demonstration space. The multi-purpose venue offers the market a rare find within London: accessible space facilitating full technical rehearsals, with the resource to make up-to-the-minute final

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Compiled by Emma Thorpe – sponsornews@stld.org.uk

edits to material. Studio 15 will also be utilised as a hub for White Light’s clients to develop bespoke creative content for their events, as well as host industry masterclasses. With a capacity of 60 pax theatre-style, or 30 cabaret, the versatile hire options will include competitive rates.

organisation has grown over the years, hosting various events annually such as Late Night Cabaret and Midnight Matinées. Their most recent fundraiser was a revived performance of the play Elegies For Angels, Punks and Raging Queens by Bill Russell and Janet Hood.

White Light adds glamour to awards ceremony

White Light roped in by Macmillan Cancer Support

On Tuesday 2 June, the biggest names in fashion, film, music and television gathered at Berkeley Square Gardens in London for this year’s Glamour Awards. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the awards ceremony honours the most extraordinary and inspirational women working across a variety of fields. Now in its 12th year, the annual star-studded event continues to grow in prominence and White Light was once again approached by Timebased Events to provide lighting for the occasion. This year was the third time in which White Light has worked on the event, collaborating closely with Timebased Events, which organised proceedings. This year’s ceremony attracted more high-profile attendees than ever before. The awards distributed include Best Radio Personality for Fearne Cotton, Best TV Personality for Rita Ora, Best Sportswoman for Laura Trott, Best Theatre Actress for Gillian Anderson and Best Entrepreneur for Kate Hudson. The only male award on show was for Male of the Year, which was taken home by the DJ Calvin Harris.

White Light acquires Shock Solutions

Entertainment production supplier White Light has reached a deal with video and lighting technology firm Shock Solutions that will expand the company’s offering of video, media and projection services for clients in the broadcast, event production and commercial markets. Founded in 1971, White Light is a leading supplier of technical production solutions throughout the UK, Europe and worldwide. Shock Solutions has over 10 years in the industry and is a forerunner in the field of LED lighting and audio-visual equipment solutions. The two companies will combine staff and assets under the name White Light and will be based from White Light’s current offices in Wimbledon, London. Shock Solutions Managing Director Andy Hook will join White Light as Technical Solutions Director.

Putting TheatreMAD charity in the spotlight

On Sunday 31 May, Leon Kay for First Light Theatre, together with TheatreMAD, a fundraising brand of The Make A Difference Trust, held a one-off performance of Elegies For Angels, Punks and Raging Queens at the Criterion Theatre. Twenty-two years after it was originally performed in the venue, the play made a welcomed return to the stage to once again raise the profile of HIV awareness, as well as the charity’s work. White Light was called upon to provide some essential lighting equipment for the performance, which not only meant assisting on an important event but also continuing their relationship with one of the UK’s leading HIV charities. Established in 1990 as West End Cares, the rebranded TheatreMAD is a group of volunteers bringing the theatre community and its audiences together to raise awareness and funds for those diagnosed with HIV. Originally starting with bucket collections in West End theatres, the

White Light recently provided the production support for Macmillan Cancer Support’s 29th annual tug of war. Held on 2 June, the event saw the House of Commons take on the House of Lords as a means of raising funds for people affected by cancer. The battle between the Houses was witnessed by hundreds of spectators at Westminster College Gardens, with the House of Commons coming out on top for the sixth year running. A regular feature in the White Light calendar, the complete production solution specialist was proud to once again assist on such a unique event, which supports a worthy cause. The cheering crowds not only received the chance to see the politicians battle it out but also watched rival city firms, industry giants, armed forces and fire crews flex their pulling power. While the various teams took to the ropes, BBC Radio 5 Live’s Chief Political Correspondent John Pienaar compered and the Tug of War Association adjudicated the matches. This is the third year running White Light has provided its services for the event and the second time in the space of a week in which it supported a charity event (see above).

Making history at Magna Carta anniversary

Monday 15 June marked a historic day as royalty, members of Parliament and other dignitaries all gathered to celebrate 800 years of the Magna Carta. Taking place at Runnymede, now a National Trust Park, the event consisted of the unveiling of a new sculpture by artist Hew Locke, a re-enactment of the charter’s history by local schoolchildren and a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra before culminating in several flypasts by a group of Red Arrows. The arena for the celebrations was built by Apollo Event Consultants Ltd and, due to the magnitude and historic relevance of the occasion, they wanted to create a setting that was unforgettable. As a result, they approached White Light to provide the lighting, having previously worked with the complete production solution specialist on other events. The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in British history. Issued in 1215 by King John of England after an uprising by his barons, it enforced the ruling that everyone in the country, including King John himself, was subject to the law. The document also had a huge impact on how countries should be run worldwide and was even used as the basis for the Declaration of Independence. Despite its age, it contains certain clauses that still have relevance to this very day.

XL Video XL Video puts monsters on the big screen for Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular

Working with producers Vision Nine Arts & Entertainment, XL Video supplied a multi-channel camera system and video Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Sponsor news

projection for the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular UK live concert tour (pictured right, top). The tour, which showcases the compositions of Murray Gold for the much-loved TV show, includes the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and performers from the BBC National Chorus of Wales, conducted by Ben Foster. Hosted by Peter Davidson, who played the fifth Doctor, the tour includes live appearances from an array of Doctor Who monsters, including Daleks, Cybermen and the Ood. The show design aims to immerse the audience via the music, coupled with the big-screen footage of Doctor Who and live-action appearances by a multitude of monsters in the arena. To help achieve this across a variety of large-scale venues, XL Video supplied a video projection system and accompanying cameras, which displayed a mixture of Doctor Who clips and live IMAG.

Photo: Scott Davies

The XL Video Factor Live

XL Video once again contributed video production to The X Factor Live 2015 tour (pictured right, second from top). The tour consisted of six weeks around UK arenas showcasing the talents of the 2014 X Factor TV series finalists, including popular runner-up Fleur East and winner Ben Haenow. XL supplied ROE MC-7T and MC-18T Hybrid LED screens in XL’s custom touring frames, cameras/PPU, Catalyst media server playback, a large Barco Mi-Strip scenic feature, projection and crew for the colourful, animated megamash of 30 major musical numbers, which was performed by eight artists and 11 dancers to sellout audiences. The live tour show was produced by Beth Honan for Syco Entertainment under the technical direction of Production North.

XL Video supports Teenage Cancer Trust 15th anniversary shows

XL Video was proud to support Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual run of live shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the third consecutive year. For this 15th anniversary, XL Video supplied LED screens, live cameras and HD recordings for the seven shows in late March 2015. The week-long run included a comedy night hosted by Kevin Bridges, plus live music shows headlined by Stereophonics, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paul Weller, The Who, Van Morrison, and Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls (pictured right, third from top). All the shows featured a central flown screen, 36.6 square metres in total, formed from XL Video’s Barco NX6 6mm LED. This screen displayed a mixture of the artists’ own playback content and logos, live IMAG footage and prerecorded films about the trust’s work. Playback content was served from one of XL’s Catalyst media servers.

XL Video UK expands with new LED DC

XL Video’s UK operation is excited to announce an expansion of its warehousing and distribution for its LED department, with the opening of a new 20,000 sq ft warehouse near to the company’s existing Hemel Hempstead location (pictured right, bottom). The 50 per cent increase in total warehouse space 58

Set & Light | Summer 2015

Photo: Richard Barclay

enables XL Video to create a dedicated space for preparation and dispatch of the company’s wide and varied range of indoor and outdoor rental LED screens and other creative LED products. This expansion into the new LED facility also creates additional much-needed space in the main XL Video warehouse to allow for the growth in inventory of XL’s projection and media server/control departments, both of which announced major technology investments earlier this year with the likes of d3, Barco, and Lightware.

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Society Committee

Chairman Stuart Gain 07774 161 996

chairman@stld.org.uk

Treasurer Mike Le Fevre

Secretary John O’Brien

07956 305 662

07717 170 288

Magazine Editor, Sponsor News + Assistant Sponsor Liaison

Emma Thorpe 07850 709 210

johnobrien@stld.org.uk

treasurer@stld.org.uk

Sponsors Liaison Bernie Davis

Membership Chris Harris 07775 846 972

07860 662 736

editor@stld.org.uk

Exhibitions, Diary + Advertising Sales

Paul Middleton

07720 446 921

sponsors@stld.org.uk

members≠ @stld.org.uk

Publicity Andrew Harris

Website Ian Hillson

07973 745 583

paulmiddleton@stld.org.uk

John King

07860 759 294

Picture courtesy of Chris Capstick

publicity@stld.org.uk

Robert Horne 07762 562 434

roberthorne@stld.org.uk

Alan Luxford 07867 536 522

ianhillson@stld.org.uk

Andrew Dixon 07885 731 865

andrewdixon@stld.org.uk

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Rick Dines

07780 707 169

rickdines@stld.org.uk

Jonathan Taylor

07774 698 847

alanluxford@stld.org.uk

jonathantaylor@stld.org.uk Set & Light | Summer 2015

STLD_115 SOCIETY SPONSORS:TL 85 Spring 2005 31/07/2015 23:17 Page 60

Society sponsors

A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (--) Centauri House, Hillbottom Road, Sands Industrial Estate, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP12 4HQ Tel: 01494 446 000 ~ Fax: 01494 461 024 ~ Email: jono@ac-et.com ~ Web: www.aclighting.com

Ambersphere Solutions Ltd now incorporating MA Lighting (Glyn O’Donoghue) Unit 13 Alliance Court, Alliance Road, Park Royal, London W3 0RB Tel: 020 8992 6369 ~ Email: glyn@amberspere.co.uk ~ Web: www.ambersphere.co.uk

Anna Valley (Part of Shooting Partners group) (Mark Holdway, Doug Hammond) Unit 13, Mount Road Industrial Estate, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 6AR Tel: 020 8941 4500 ~ Fax: +44(0)1932 761 591 ~ Web: www.annavalley.co.uk

ARRI CT Ltd (Andy Barnett, Siobhan Daly, Lee Romney) 2 Highbridge, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1LX Tel: 01895 457 000 ~ Fax: 01895 457 001 ~ Email: sales@arri-gb.com ~ Web: www.arri.com

ARRI Lighting Rental Ltd (John Colley, Mike O’Hara) 2 Highbridge, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1LX ~ Tel: 01895 457 200 ~ Fax: 01895 457 201 Manchester 0161 736 8034 (Jimmy Reeves) ~ Email: mohara@arrirental.com ~ Web: www.arri.com

Aurora Lighting Hire Ltd (Nick Edwards) Aurora Lighting Hire Ltd, Unit 21, Ockham Drive, Greenford Park, London UB6 0FD Tel: 020 8813 2777 ~ Mobile: 07710 261 838 ~ Email: nick.edwards@auroratv.co.uk ~ Web: www.auroratv.co.uk

Avolites (Koy Neminathan) 184 Park Avenue, Park Royal, London NW10 7XL Tel: 020 8965 8522 ~ Fax: 020 8965 0290 ~ Email: koy@avolites.com ~ Web: www.avolites.com

Barbizon Europe Ltd (Tom McGrath) Unit 5 Saracen Industrial Area, Mark Road, Hemel Hempsted, Hertfordshire HP2 7BJ ~ Tel: 01442 260 600 ~ Fax: 01442 261 611 Email: tmcgrath@barbizon.com ~ Web: www.barbizon.com

BBC Studios and Post Production Ltd (Danny Popkin) 77–79 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4PW Tel: 020 3327 6900 ~ Email: danny.popkin@bbc.co.uk ~ Web: www.bbcstudiosandpostproduction.com

BBC Academy (Tim Wallbank) Room A16, BBC Wood Norton, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 4YB Tel: 0370 010 0264 ~ Fax: 0370 010 0265 ~ Email: bbcacademy@bbc.co.uk ~ Web: www.bbcacademy.com

CHAUVET® Europe Ltd (Michael Brooksbank) Unit 1C, Brookhill Road Industrial Estate, Pinxton, Notts NG16 6NT ~ Tel: 1773 511115 X.204 ~ Mobile: 07977 208435 Skype: michael.brooksbank.uk ~ Email: mbrooksbank@chauvetlighting.com ~ Web: www.chauvetlighting.co.uk

Chris James & Co. Ltd (Barry Frankling) 43 Colville Road, Acton, London W3 8BL Tel: 020 8896 1772 ~ Fax: 020 8896 1773 ~ Email: info@chrisjamesfilter.com ~ Web: www.chrisjamesfilter.com

Chroma-Q (James Bawn) Hawksworth Commercial Centre, Elder Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS13 4AT Tel: + 44 (0)113 386 9118 ~ Fax: + 44 (0)113 255 7676 ~ Email: james.bawn@ac-et.com ~ Web: www.chroma-q.com

Cirro Lite (Europe) Ltd (John Coppen, David Morphy, Frieder Hockheim) 3 Barrett’s Green Road, London NW10 7AE Tel: 020 8955 6700 ~ Fax: 020 8961 9343 ~ Email: j.coppen@cirrolite.com ~ Web: www.cirrolite.com

Clay Paky S p A (Davide Barbetta) via Pastrengo 3/B, 24068 Seriate (BG), Italy Tel: +39 335 72.333.75 ~ Fax: +39 035.30.18.76 ~Email: davide.barbetta@claypaky.it ~ Web: www.claypaky.it

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Please mention Set & Light when contacting sponsors

Doughty Engineering Ltd (Julian Chiverton, Mark Chorley) Crow Arch Lane, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 1NZ Tel: 01425 478 961 ~ Fax: 01425 474 481 Email: sales@doughty-engineering.co.uk ~ Web: www.doughty-engineering.co.uk

Eaton – Zero88 (David Catterall) 20 Greenhill Crescent, Watford Business Park, Watford, Herts WD18 8JA ~ Tel: +44 (0)1923 495495 ~ Fax: +44 (0)1923 228796 Mob: +44 (0)7802 464484 ~ Email: DavidCatterall@eaton.com ~ Web: www.eaton.com

ELP (Ronan Willson, Barry Denison-, John Singer, Darren Fletcher) 15 North Gate, Alconbury Airfield, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28 4WX Tel: 01480 443 800 ~ Fax: 01480 443 888 ~ Email: info@elp.tv ~ Web: www.elp.tv ~ Elstree Office: 020 8324 2100 ~ Manchester Office: 0161 300 2922

Electronic Theatre Controls Ltd (Mark White, Jeremy Roberts) Unit 26-28, Victoria Industrial Estate, Victoria Road, London W3 6UU Tel: 020 8896 1000 ~ Fax: 020 8896 2000 ~ Email: mwhite@etceurope.com ~ Web: www.etcconnect.com

Film & TV Services Ltd (Julie Fegan, Eddie Fegan) Unit 3, Matrix Park, Coronation Road, Park Royal, London NW10 7PH Tel: 020 8961 0090 ~ Fax: 020 8961 8635 ~ Email: mail@ftvs.co.uk ~ Web: www.ftvs.co.uk

Fountain Television Ltd (Mariana Spater) The Fountain studios, 128 Wembley Park Drive, Wembley HA9 8HP Tel: 020 8900 5800 ~ Email: Mariana.spater@ftv.co.uk ~ Web: www.ftv.co.uk

Green Hippo (Samantha Bailey) Unit 307 Parma House, Clarendon Road, Wood Green N22 6UL Tel: +44 (0)203 301 4561 ~ Email: sam@green-hippo.com ~ Web: www.green-hippo.com

Havells-Sylvania Ltd (David Hogan) Havells-Sylvania Ltd, Avis Way, Newhaven BN9 0ED Email: david.hogan@havells-sylvania.com ~ Web: www.havells-sylvania.com

Hawthorn Lighting (Dave Slater, May Lee) Head Office: 01664 821111 ~ London Office: 020 8955 6900 info@hawthorns.uk.com - www.hawthorns.uk.com

HSL Group Holdings LTD (Simon Stuart, Mike Oates) Unit E&F, Glenfield Park, Philips Road, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 5PF Tel: 01254 698 808 ~ Fax: 01254 698 835 ~ Email: hire@hslgroup.com ~ Web: www.hslgroup.com

Jands (Jack Moorhouse) Centauri House, Hillbottom Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 4HQ Tel: +44 (0)1494 838 323 ~Fax: +44 (0)1494 461 024 ~ Email: jack.moorhouse@ac-et.com ~ Web: www.jands.com/lighting

Key Light Hire Ltd (Alex Hambi) Unit 24, Sovereign Park, Coronation Road, Park Royal NW10 7QP Tel: 020 8963 9931 ~ Fax: 020 8961 236 ~ Mobile: 07949 686 802 ~ Email: alex@keylight.tv ~ Web: www.keylight.tv

Lights Camera Action (Nick Shapley) Unit 14, Fairway Drive, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8PW Tel: 020 8833 7600 ~ Fax: 020 8575 8219 ~ Web: www.lcauk.com

LCC Lighting (Lee Rickard) Watt House, Pirbright Road, Normandy GU3 2AG Tel: +44 (0)1483 813 814~ Email: info@lcc-lighting.co.uk ~ Web: lcc-lighting.co.uk

Lee Filters Ltd (Eddie Ruffell, Paul Topliss, Ralph Young) Central Way, Walworth Industrial Estate, Andover, Hampshire SP10 5AN Tel: 01264 366 245 ~ Fax: 01264 355 058 ~ Email: ecruffell@leefilters.com ~ Web: www.leefilters.com

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Society sponsors

Lighting Logic Ltd (Mick Cocker, Matt Miles) The Hopkilns Building, Goblands Farm Business Centre, Cemetery Lane, Hadlow, Kent T11 0LT Tel: 0845 260 0540 ~ Fax: 0845 260 0541 ~ Email: mick@lightinglogic.co.uk ~ Web: www.lightinglogic.co.uk

Litepanels Studio Lighting EMEA (Spencer Newbury) 16152 Saticoy St., Van Nuys, CA 91406, USA Tel: +31 629 29 6575 ~ Email: Spencer@Litepanels.com ~ Web: www.litepanels.com

LSI Projects (Russell Dunsire, Nick Mobsby) 15, Woking Business Park, Albert Drive, Woking, Surrey GU21 5JY Tel: 01483 764 646 ~ Fax: 01483 769 955 ~ Email: nickM@lsiprojects.com ~ Web: www.lsiprojects.com

Martin by Harman ( Mike Walker) Martin Professional PLC, Cranborne House, Cranborne Road, Potters Bar EN6 3JN Tel: 02030 021170 ~ Email: michael.walker@martin.dk ~ Web: www.martinpro.co.uk

MEMS Power Generation (Mark Diffey) Beechings Way, Gillingham, Kent ME8 6PS Tel: 08452 230 400 ~ Fax: 01634 263666 ~ Email: sales@mems.com~ Web: www.mems.com

OSRAM Ltd (Terri Pearson, Andy Gilks) OSRAM House, Waterside Drive, Langley, Berkshire SL3 6EZ Tel: 01753 484 175 ~ Fax: 01753 484 165 ~ Email: displayoptic@osram.co.uk ~ Web: www.osram.com

Panalux Limited (Ed Pagett, David Baker) Unit 21, The Metropolitan Centre, Derby Road, Greenford, London UB6 8UJ Tel: 020 8832 4800 ~ Fax: 020 8832 4811 ~ Email: info@panalux.biz ~ Web: www.panalux.biz

Philips Entertainment Group Europe (Amber Etra-) Rondweb Zuid 85, Winterswijk 7102 JD, Netherlands Tel: +31 611 030 083

Philips Lighting UK Ltd (Stuart Dell) Philips Centre, Guildford Business Park, Guildford, Surrey GU2 8XH Tel: 07774 122 735 ~ Fax: 01296 670 956 ~ Email: stuart.dell@philips.com ~ Web: www.lighting.philips.com

Photon Beard Ltd (Peter Daffarn, Mike Perry, Simon Larn) Unit K3, Cherry Court Way, Stanbridge Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 8UH Tel: 01525 850 911 ~ Fax: 01525 850 922 Email: info@photonbeard.com ~ Web: www.photonbeard.com

Pinewood Group (Simon Honey – Head of Studio Ops, Peter Lawes – Production Lighting Manager, Paul Darbyshire – Operations Director) Pinewood Road, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire SL0 0NH Tel: 01753 785 200 ~ Fax: 01753 656 103 ~ Email: simon.honey@pinewoodshepperton.com ~ Web: www.pinewoodshepperton.com

PLASA (Norah Phillips) The Professional Lighting and Sound Association is a trade association representing companies and individuals who work in the TV, film, entertainment, installation and leisure industries. Its aim is to develop and promote all aspects of the industry on a worldwide basis, acting in the common interests of its membership. Redoubt House, 1 Edward Street, Eastbourne, Sussex BN23 8AS Tel: 01323 524 120 ~ Fax: 01323 524 121 ~ Email: norah.phillips@plasa.org ~ Web: www.plasa.org

Production Resource Group (Mick Healey,Kelly Cornfield, Jon Cadbury) The Hoover Building, Western Avenue, Perivale UB6 8DW ~ The Cofton Centre, Groveley Lane, Longbridge, Birmingham B31 4PT Tel: 0845 470 6400 ~ Fax: 0845 470 6401 ~ Email: prglighting@prg.com ~ Web: www.prglighting.co.uk

Pulsar Light Of Cambridge Ltd (Andy Graves, Paul Mardon, Snowy Johnson) 3 Coldham’s Business Park, Norman Way, Cambridge CB1 3LH Tel: 01223 403 500 ~ Fax: 01223 403 501 ~ Email: andy@pulsarlight.com ~ Web: www.pulsarlight.com

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Please mention Set & Light when contacting sponsors

Richard Martin Lighting Ltd (Steve Wells) Unit 24, Sovereign Park, Coronation Road, Park Royal NW10 7QP ~ RML Admin: Lantern House, Old Town, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0LW Tel: 020 8965 3209 ~ Fax: 020 8965 5562 Email: info@richardmartinlighting.co.uk ~ Web: www.richardmartinlighting.co.uk

Robe UK Ltd (Ashley Lewis, Mick Hannaford, Steve Eastham) 3 Spinney View, Stone Circle Road, Round Spinney Industrial Estate, Northampton NN3 8RQ Tel: 01604 741 000 ~ Fax: 01604 741 041 ~ Email: info@robeuk.com ~ Web: www.robeuk.com

Rosco (Cristian Arroyo, Tom Swartz) Blanchard Works, Kangley Bridge Road, Sydenham, London SE26 5AQ Tel: 020 8659 2300 ~ Fax: 020 8659 3153 ~ Email: marketing@rosco-europe.com~ Web: www.rosco.com

Schnick-Schnack-Systems GmbH (Erhard Lehmann) Mathias-Bruggen-Strasse 79, 50829, Germany Tel: +49-221-992019-0 ~ Email: erhard.lehmann@schnickschnacksystems.com ~ Web: english.schnickschnacksystems.com

Sony UK Ltd (Daniel Robb) The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0XW Tel: 01932 816 368 ~ Fax: 01932 817 014 ~ Neil: 07774 142 724 ~ Email: Jane.Green@eu.sony.com ~ Web: sonybiz.net/uk

Specialz Ltd (Dave Smith) Unit 2, Kingston Industrial Estate, 81-86 Glover Street, Birmingham B9 4EN Tel: 0121 766 7100 & 7110 ~ Fax: 0121 766 7113 ~ Email: info@specialz.co.uk ~ Web: www.specialz.co.uk

Stage Electrics Partnership Ltd (Adam Blaxill, Russell Payne) Third Way, Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9YL Tel: 03330 142100 ~ Tel Adam: 07799 862 652 ~ Tel Russell: 07887 824241 ~ Fax: 0117 916 2828 Email: event.services@stage-electrics.co.uk ~ Web: www.stage-electrics.co.uk

The Hospital Club Studios (Samantha Dunlop) 4 Endell Street, London WC2H 9HQ Tel: 020 7170 9112 ~ Fax: 020 7170 9102 ~ Email: samd@thehospitalclub.com ~ Web: www.thehospital.co.uk

The London Studios (Dave Stevens, Jerry Kelleher) Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT Tel: 020 7157 5555 ~ Fax: 020 7157 5757 ~ Email: dave.stevens@londonstudios.co.uk ~ Web: www.londonstudios.co.uk

Tiffen International Ltd (Kevan Parker) East Side Complex, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Bucks SL0 0NH Tel: +44 (0)870 100 1220 ~ Fax: +44 (0)1753 652776 ~ Mob: +44 (0)7545 440973 Email: kparker@tiffen.com ~ Web: www.tiffen.com

TMB (Paul Hartley, Bill Anderson) 21 Armstrong Way, Southall UB2 4SD Tel: 020 8574 9700 ~ Fax: 020 8574 9701 ~ E-Mail: tmb-info@tmb.com ~ Web: www.tmb.com

TSL Teknique Systems Ltd PO Box 3587, Glasgow G73 9DX Tel: 07860 290 637 ~ Web: www.tekniquesystems.com

Unusual Rigging (Mark Priestley) The Wharf, Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire NN7 3QB Tel: 01604 830 083 ~ Fax: 01604 831 144 ~ E-Mail: mark.priestley@unusual.co.uk ~ Web: www.unusual.co.uk

White Light Ltd (Bryan Raven, John Simpson, Jason Larcombe) 20 Merton Industrial Park, Jubilee Way, London SW19 3WL Tel: 020 8254 4800 ~ Fax: 020 8254 4801 ~ E-Mail: info@WhiteLight.Ltd.uk ~ Web: www.WhiteLight.Ltd.uk HireTel: 020 8254 4820 ~ Hire Fax: 020 8254 4821 ~ Sales Tel: 020 8254 4840 ~ Sales Fax: 020 8254 4841

Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Please mention Set & Light when contacting sponsors

XL Video Ltd (Jeff Bailey) 2 Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 7DU Tel: 01442 849 400 ~ Fax: 01442 849 401 ~ E-Mail: info@xlvideo.tv ~ Web: www.xlvideo.com

SPONSORS DIRECTORY

XTBA (Chris Cook, Fiona Fehilly, Simon Peers) Unit 2, The Old Curatage, The Street, Caston, Norfolk NR17 1DD Tel: 020 8882 0100 ~ E-Mail: dmx@xtba.demon.co.uk ~ Web: www.xtba.demon.co.uk

The STLD interactive Sponsors Directory has been available for sponsors’ use for over a year now. It is proving a very useful tool for the STLD and, we hope, for those of our sponsors who now use it. Its main advantages are that it enables the STLD to display up-to-date and accurate information about your company on its website. In doing so, it also helps us update our records and ensure that we have accurate mailing and invoicing details. STLD sponsor companies can make use of this facility by contacting Bernie Davis at sponsors@stld.org.uk with the name and email address of the person who will become the company’s ‘sponsor user’. They will be registered on our secure database and will then be able to modify their company’s information within the sponsors directory. Please note that the directory can now enable companies to be searched for by category and area. Bernie Davis – STLD Sponsor Liaison

Index of advertisers ARRI Aurora Cirro Lite Clay Paky 64

Set & Light | Summer 2015

21 BC 18 37

Doughty ELP ETC Lee Filters

28 IBC 29 IFC

Plasa Unusual Rigging White Light

9 19 30

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Set & Light | Summer 2015

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Set & Light | Summer 2015

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COMING TO MANCHESTER? TA L K T O E L P F I R S T

If your studio or location lighting production is heading for Manchester, Media City or the Sharp Project, then who better to supply your equipment than the crew with the best local experience. • • • • • •

Flexible dry hire and great value production packages Energy saving LED lighting systems State-of-the-art digital lighting and controls Own fleet of mobile power generators and trucks In-house structural design, rigging and staging expertise Local production office, local crew and local knowledge

Contact Darren, Sinbad or Matt on 0161 300 2922 or email darren@elp.tv

w w w. e l p. t v ELP Manchester Gold 60 The Sharp Project Thorp Road Manchester M40 5BJ •

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