12 December 2011
The first season of the brand new television musical competition, Varstrap, aired on KykNet (DSTV), has just come to an end. Set in a cellar at Lourensford Wine Farm in Somerset West one can almost imagine the oak wine vats combined with fruity aromas adding a distinct ambience as the contestants compete for the best boere orkes (band).
Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier designed the set and lighting, which had to be appropriate for television viewing. Travis Yeatman programmed and operated the show on an Avolites Tiger Touch. He flew to Cape Town every weekend where rehearsals were followed by a recording of the show.
Set in a wine cellar where four bands compete every week, two stages were erected on either end with the judges and audience seated in the centre of the room. The lighting comprising of Robe Colorspot 575s, parcans, Philips Selecon Profiles and LED strips, was fairly simple and mostly to light up the props and create the warm, traditional type atmosphere to compliment the music genre.
Boeremusiek is a type of South African instrument folk music and a Boermusiek band (orkes) would comprise piano accordions, button harmonicas, accordions, guitars and the likes.
Equipment List:
8 x Robe ColorSpot 575
24 x LED parcans
24 x Par 56s
12 x 575 Wash Parnels
12 x Philips Selecon Profiles
12 x 2K Fresnels
LED Stripping
PowerQube – dimming and distro
1 x Avolites Tiger Touch
