Robe BMFLs, LEDBeam 1000s, Pointes and other moving lights provided by leading Namibian technical production specialist dB Audio illuminated the Namibia Breweries Ltd (NBL) site in Namibian capital Windhoek for the launch of the country’s first biomass boiler. Photos : Haiko Boldt
The boiler was inaugurated by Namibian Vice President Dr Nickey Iyambo in a high profile ceremony for which dB Audio provided full technical production for Sindana Communications who delivered the project to end client, NBL owners Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group.
The dB Audio Namibia team was led by event producer Zellmari Brandt, with the event space lighting design created by Ramon le Roux and Gillroy Barmann, assisted by Natangwe Ndenge. The three young designers collaborated to produce a walk-through lighting spectacular spanning 200 metres of the ultra-modern brewing facility, leading from the main NBL reception to the new boiler building.
“We decided lighting was a perfect medium to highlight the impressive industrial architecture of the brewery and make it a memorable guest experience” explains dB Audio Namibia’s communications manager Ernst Steynberg, adding “and all credit to Zellmari and Sindana Communication’s Carin de Klerk who persuaded the NBL client to shift it from the originally planned daytime slot to evening!”
With dB’s team having stuck their necks out on this … the pressure was now on to produce something suitably awesome to WOW the VIPs, dignitaries and assessed press and media.
As the rental company with the largest Robe stock in Namibia … naturally they turned to their premium moving light brand to help achieve the goal!
The large area needing to be lit was divided up into three sections. The design for 1 and 2 was looked after by Ramon with Gillroy being responsible for the third and Natangwe assisting both of them.
Area 1, Ramon explained, was a 50 metre stretch at the start of the walk which needed to have real initial impact, so nine 20 metre high by 8 metre wide silos were up-lit with a combination of BMFL Spots and LEDWash 600s.
Five silver silos were picked out with five BMFL Spots, the brightness and scrolling colours caught the attention of the audience as they started the walk, while four LEDWash 600s trained on the four white silos pulsed through a range of pastel colours … overlaid with a huge, crisp, high-impact NBL gobo from another strategically positioned BMFL spot.
This shock-and-awe start was followed up as guests moved into Area 2, where 16 x Pointes were used for long intense beams firing down the 160 metre walkway, augmented with more LEDWash 600s for colour effects, LEDBeam 100s scanning around and another three BMFL Spots flipping through a selection of gobos across the assorted surfaces.
Four more Pointes on a slow movement chase blasted straight down lighting the goal-post entrance to Area 3 … the main presentation space where the speeches took place and Nickey Iyambo officially declared the boiler operational.
As it is a wood-chip burner, Sindara had the idea to position multiple open fires around the space fuelled by the same wood-chips to create ambience.
Gillroy’s lighting was crafted to compliment this with a red and orange fiery glow around the walls using 12 x LEDBeam 1000s, with three BMFLs creating movement by projecting logos of the three main protagonists – NBL, O&L Corporate and O&L Energy – onto the floor, also ensuring a constant tripartite brand presence.
Eight LEDBeam 100s whizzed around ‘hazard light’ style to ramp up the excitement and anticipation, positioned in pairs above the walls lit with the fiery LEDWash 1000 look.
A single Robe 600E Spot projected a flame mosaic gobo onto the metal roller-shutter door of the building which flew open amidst a manic LEDBeam 1000’s strobing sequence to dramatically reveal the biomass incinerator.
All the technology was instantly completely blacked out … leaving a breath-taking contra- moment with just the glow of the furnace as the visible ‘hero’ of the moment!
Everyone was super-impressed with the flair, panache and power of the lighting and visual effects.
The brightness and zoom capabilities of the BMFLs enabled them to fill the whole space which was substantial and dB Audio Namibia’s owner and founder David Benade mentions that the EMS stabilisation system makes for very smooth movement and its optics help create “outstanding” gobo projections.
“Seeing guests stop and take pictures along the way of the lighting effects was incredible!” stated Natangwe. Gilroy’s highlights included the satisfaction of fulfilling the brief and hearing the ooohs and aaahhs of delight expressed by the crowd building up to the reveal. This made the hard work by everyone on the dB Audio Namibia project team really worthwhile.
While they did succeed in turning it into an evening event, the VP’s schedule dictated that they started just before sundown so the brightness of the BMFLs and Pointes was essential for the lighting to still hold its own in the strong afternoon daylight … which was one of the event’s biggest challenges.
“It was so satisfying to see the buildings come alive with saturated colour even when the sun was still out,” concluded Ramon with a large grin.
