21 November 2013
LIVE broadcast on SABC (South Africa Broadcast Corporation)
By Ryan Dunbar (Lighting Designer at Gearhouse SA)
The 6th SABC Crown Gospel Awards was filmed live by the SABC for the first time this year. The event was held at a packed Durban ICC Arena and all the big names in gospel music in the country were in attendance
A stylish and modern looking set design was needed for this; something that would wow the audience and look good especially on TV. Shiny gloss stage surfaces were used to reflect light and give the show a glittering effect and large amounts of LED were used to light up all the stairs and set elements.
For the first time I decided to use almost 80% LED on the lx rig, which was a big gamble especially as it was for LIVE TV.
16 x Robe DLF LED wash lights were used as primary white light for the stage. These fixtures worked well, their rich colours are extremely impressive. 6 x Robe DLS LED profile fixtures were used as key light for the presenter positions. This was a great timesaver as it meant no time was spent on climbing the truss and focusing generic profiles. The Robe DLS’ built-in cutting blades ability to remove unwanted light in areas is a great feature.
30x Robe Robin 600s were used as back lighting and for eye candy on the circular trusses. The 600s were run in mode 5, which allowed me to maximise the fixtures LED rings making for stunning lighting looks. 24 x Robe Pointe were used for beam effects giving the show the” big room look”. Lastly, 70 x Robe LED Force pars were used around the set and as truss warmers. These LED pars are great, I just love how you can connect them to other fixtures and they do not give any DMX interference as I have experienced with so many other LED units. They also have a powerful light output.
The choice to go almost completely LED was exciting and risky at the same time, but Robe’s new LED moving light fixtures are awesome fixtures. They held their own and provided a tough and powerful light output. I’m looking forward to incorporating them in upcoming shows.
All technical supplied by Gearhouse Group South Africa
Set design: Ryan Dunbar
Lighting Designer: Ryan Dunbar
