James Sey, Roland Greil, Patrick Woodroffe, Ofer Lapid and Duncan Riley.
While renowned Patrick Woodroffe and Roland Greil have worked on phenomenal projects together, they joined forces for the very first time to present a Lighting Design Workshop brought to the South African entertainment industry by DWR Distribution. The workshop was held at the University of Johannesburg on 21 April 2017 and both DWR and their media partner Pro-Systems, were delighted with the good attendance and positive feedback.
“From my perspective, I think Patrick and I are likeminded in certain things as well as having some shared experiences as we have worked together on multiple projects over the past few years,” said Roland Greil, who is a freelancing lighting programmer, lighting designer and lighting director, as well as an associated partner of Patrick’s company Woodroffe Bassett Design. “That experience and us knowing each other translated in this joint workshop. I think it is very important to give something back to our great industry and to motivate others who share the same passion and drive that we have. Knowledge is pretty much the only thing that grows when being shared, and therefore in my eyes, it is very important.”
The training session was attended by some 300 delegates from young varsity students to top lighting designers, from technicians to company owners.
“We both enjoyed our experience in South Africa,” said Patrick Woodroffe. “Not just the way that the workshop was received but the whole experience of being in South Africa and understanding the positive and united spirit in your extraordinary country. This optimism was also something that we felt very much in the theatre as we met and talked with students, designers, suppliers and technicians. The lighting community in South Africa is alive and well and on its way to greater things!”
The workshop was a fascinating once in a lifetime opportunity as Patrick presented a rendition of his work over years with fascinating behind the scene photos from the Olympics 2012, Adele’s concerts, Michael Jackson’s Show that Never Was and others. In turn, Roland presented drawings and described key notes in planning and designing large-scale events, both practical and inspiring information.
The event concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Pro-System’s Editor James Sey, where Patrick, Roland, Ofer Lapid of Gearhouse South Africa – who is a friend of Patrick and who was instrumental in bringing the workshop to South Africa, and Duncan Riley of DWR, answered questions from the audience.
“It was a privilege for us to welcome such remarkable industry icons to South Africa,” said Duncan Riley. “We were overwhelmed by the turnout and it was quite emotional for everyone, especially having all the young people attending. A big thank you to the DWR team who made this event possible and to the UJ team including the catering service. This was a unique workshop and I don’t think the speakers realise just how much their visit meant to us. Thank you for coming. The workshop was recorded by Silvercam and we look forward to sharing the video at a later stage.”
Panel discussion
Ended Roland, “The response was super great, as everyone was really interested. It was fantastic to speak in front of so many enthusiastic and interested fellows from our industry, which was honestly quite rewarding. There is a great vibe in this beautiful country and it has been good to see the change in the current state over the years. In regards to my leisure time during my stay, well my list of highlights could go on forever! People, food, the country, nature and the animals besides many more things. A big thank you to Duncan and the whole DWR gang for being such generous hosts, as well as giving their local industry such possibilities.”
Duncan Riley (DWR) with Patrick Woodroffe
Amanda Miranda from DWR at registration
