Blond Productions invests in Robe ESprite

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Over the past few years, Blond Productions has established a strong reputation as a leading supplier of turn-key technical solutions for the live events, television and film industries across Africa.

In line with the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest technical standards, company owner, Christiaan Ballot, and the Blond Productions team have recently taken delivery of twelve Robe Esprite fixtures from DWR Distribution, Robe’s African distribution partner.

“Blond Productions services a niche clientele, and the industry has come to rely on us to bring the latest and best in production lighting to the table. We always try to invest in technology that ensures that we not only meet, but exceed our client’s expectations, and which sets us apart from the competition,” Christiaan points out.

According to Christiaan, Blond has been looking to replace its ageing discharge fixtures for some time, as their existing inventory of Robe MMX Spots was becoming less economical to run. “With lighting in a studio setting, you need to run fixtures for hours on end. Older units consume much more power in comparison to newer LED-based light sources and have bulbs that need to be replaced more frequently. As such, while the MMXs still offer high-quality lighting, they are a lot more expensive to run than newer products on the market, which we wanted to address with our latest acquisition.”

Blond Productions’ lighting department had a stringent list of requirements in mind ahead of their purchase. “We needed a fixture with an LED light source that has shutters and would fit in with our existing inventory. As we do a lot of work in a studio environment, we also needed a fixture that was quiet on set, and would provide hours of uninterrupted, consistent performance,” says Ryan Lombard, head of the lighting department at Blond.

Christiaan goes on to state that he and his team did extensive market research before deciding on the Robe Esprite. “We looked at products from various manufacturers. However, when we attended Mediatech in July of this year, Harry Von Stemmen and Josef Valchar of Robe invited us to an exclusive preview of the prototype of the Esprite, and we immediately felt that we had found the right product.”

Robe’s newly released Esprite is a fully automated LED luminaire that is specifically designed to extend lifespan and performance. The Esprite’s self-referencing, data capturing white transferable engine (WTE) LED light source enables rapid and economical exchange, which has a direct effect on both the operating costs and the lifespan of the fixture. “Purchasing new fixtures represents a sizable investment for Blond, and we wanted to be sure that we would be getting workhorse lighting that is still beautiful and versatile. The Esprite ticks all those boxes and more and, as a result, was a no-brainer for our lighting department,” says Christiaan. He adds that the aftersales service and support that he receives from DWR Distribution ensures that his team can guarantee reliability on set and that any fixture that they purchase from DWR will stand the test of time.

Director of DWR Distribution, Duncan Riley comments, “We have a long-standing relationship with Blond Productions, and it is a great privilege to see the company grow and expand its reach across the entertainment and live events markets.  The Esprite is yet another market-leading product from Robe, and I have every confidence that the twelve units that Blond have purchased will be a welcome and valuable addition to their already impressive lighting inventory.”