Tag Archive: LED Tape

1. White Light Opens a Little Shop of Horrors at Regent’s Park

   17 August 2018 09:31 Leave a Comment

   

   First performed Off-Broadway in 1982, Little Shop of Horrors has gone on to become one of the most performed musicals of all time. Composed by Alan Menken and written by Howard Ashman, it tells the story of Seymour, a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on humans. Following numerous West End and Broadway runs, the musical is now the final show in the current Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Season; a season for which White Light has supplied the entire lighting equipment.

   The Lighting Designer for this production is Howard Hudson, who also lit last season’s On the Town. He comments: “I’ve never seen Little Shop before but have absolutely loved the now iconic soundtrack for years. Having not seen any of the many previous versions meant that I was able to approach the show with a completely fresh perspective. In the build up to the show, we went to visit the Ben Kelly exhibition ‘Ruin’ at 180 The Strand which was a great source of visual ideas. I also watched quite a few B movies from the 50s and 60s which were helpful as another visual key into the world in which the musical is set”.

   Part of Howard’s brief was to work closely with Designer Tom Scutt’s set. Howard comments: “The set is very monochromatic, with most of its surfaces being a black and white print of New York buildings jumbled together at all different scales. So this was our ‘base’ world referencing a more monochromatic filmic visual language. As the plant starts to grow and take over the story and the space, the world gets more and more green – ultimately arriving at a highly saturated, more angular, green environment (a little like pouring a can of green paint over everything). The cinema billboard at the back was hugely useful to introduce a block of colour as a background for particular moments acting like a cyc. And, of course, the trees which surround the stage were also useful as a backdrop to suggest ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ which Audrey yearns for and sings about”.

   Howard liaised with WL to draw on the fixtures needed for his design. The rig consisted of VL3500 Washes, Martin MAC Viper Performances, Clay Paky Mythos 2s, Martin MAC IIIs and a range of LED tape. Howard comments: “The actual little shop itself has a mini lighting rig in its roof, complete with DJ-style LED spinning balls, smoke, fans, lots of LED fixtures and LED tape. This took some lengthy planning as it is required to track up and downstage, revolve as well as be stood on top of and house the plant. The show also had a huge amount of LED tape for the set elements; all of which had to withstand the frequent torrential downpour(s)”.

   As the Open Air Theatre is a completely outdoor space, this meant that Howard’s approach to Little Shop of Horrors differed to how he’d traditionally light a show. He explains: “The most vital part I’ve found with working outside is having your cue structure worked out in as much detail as possible prior to tech. So even if you’re teching in incorrect day light conditions (as is most often the case), you can rough in cues to at least have some lights you hope pointing in the right place. And then the tech sessions themselves are often like putting a blindfold on: you concentrate more on working with the DSM who is calling imaginary cues that don’t do anything with lights that aren’t on! It’s only when you have the first dress rehearsal that you see all your guesswork for the first time in the right light – and you spend most of that praying the lights come up in the right places at the right time in the right colour and at the right level! After each tech and preview, we will work until 2:30am in order to take advantage of the darkness. So we also work live over the previews which is gold-dust in terms of lighting time”.

   The show has now opened to critical acclaim achieving five stars from the Financial Times, WhatsOnStage, The Times and the Daily Express, with other critics claiming ‘You’d be mad to miss this uplifting revival’ (The Independent) and ‘a triumphant production’ (The Evening Standard). It has also announced an extension until September 22nd.

   Howard concludes: “It’s been amazing returning to Regent’s Park and working with WL once again on what’s an incredibly loud and fun show. I also want to thank Adam Squire, Joe Kirk and their utterly brilliant team along with Vic Brennan who programmed expertly as ever”.

   Photos courtesy of Johan Persson.

2. White Light Goes Inside Pussy Riot at Saatchi Gallery

   24 November 2017 10:45 Comments Off on White Light Goes Inside Pussy Riot at Saatchi Gallery

   Created by the Olivier-nominated Les Enfants Terribles, Inside Pussy Riot is inspired by the all-female punk rock group who staged a protest inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012. This immersive theatre experience is currently taking place at the Saatchi Gallery to coincide with their Art Riot exhibition. Having supplied a range of immersive theatre projects already this year, White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   Inside Pussy Riot invites audience members to pull on their balaclavas, stand in the dock and experience the realities of imprisonment. The lighting designer for the show is Charlie Morgan Jones. He comments: “Inside Pussy Riot takes its audience through the complete experience of Nadya Tolokonnikova’s trials and tribulations as the founder of Pussy Riot. At only an hour long, it’s extremely ambitious; as are all Les Enfants’ projects”.

   The show takes place across two galleries inside the Saatchi Gallery within a multi-purpose set. Charlie explains: “There are numerous locations used throughout the piece, such as the Cathedral, the police station, the courts along with the prison. Part of my role as the lighting designer was to help define each location. Similarly, after speaking with Les Enfants and the set designer in the initial planning stages, we decided to create a sense of heightened reality. There are a lot of scenes that are deliberately absurdist (reflecting a lot of the situations the Pussy Riot group found themselves in) so this felt like an appropriate choice”.

   Prior to the show opening, Charlie made two site visits in order to assess the space and begin formulating his design. He comments: “Whilst I knew what feel I wanted to create, with a lot of shows like this, it’s about adapting to what is being created. As we had an empty space prior to the tech, I had to wait until the set was built and then adapt my design as we moved forward”.

   Working closely with Production Electrician Paul Walmsley, Charlie approached WL to supply him with the kit he required. He comments: “I drew heavily on the ETC Source Four Minis, which, for me, are a fantastic replacement for birdies as they have that extra ability to focus. I also positioned a series of light bulbs throughout the space along with fluorescents (in particular for the police scene) and a range of LED tape.

   He continues: “Behind the stain glass window in the Cathedral there are a range of EvenLED panels. For the window in the prison, I used a range of ETC Source Fours with beam benders. I also drew on ETC Source Four Lustrs to provide additional colour where needed. We can’t actually rig from the Saatchi ceiling so we had to implement our own rigging points in order to position the fixtures as required”.

   Despite the ambitious nature of the show, Charlie and the LX team had a very limited time in which to set up the equipment. He comments: “From the first time I stepped into the space to the opening night, we had a week and a half to bring everything together. It was an extremely intense period but I thankfully had a brilliant team working behind me, which included a lot of Rose Bruford graduates. Similarly, the guys at WL were once again fantastic, offering suggestions and insight whenever we needed it”.

   The show has now opened and will run until 24^th December.

   Jonathan Haynes, WL’s Business Development Manager, comments: “We are delighted to work with Charlie and the rest of his team on Inside Pussy Riot. Like the previous immersive shows we have supplied, it’s an extremely unique production that required a very specific technical set-up; something we were able to support”.

   Photos courtesy of Kenny Mathieson.

3. White Light Oversees Mission Control Room Installation for Marine Company

   4 September 2017 09:25 Comments Off on White Light Oversees Mission Control Room Installation for Marine Company

   Based in Portchester, ASV Global is a world leading developer of autonomous vessel technology. With their work stretching across both sides of the Atlantic, the ASV team has specialist expertise and experience in autonomous control system development as well as platform concept design, build and commissioning, operation and maintenance. The company recently decided to build a Mission Control Room facility from which it could control and monitor the numerous autonomous boats a.k.a. drones it builds as they operate all over the world. The company approached White Light to supply and install the complete technical set-up within the space.

   The systems that ASV Global create are used across the scientific, commercial and military sectors. Building the Mission Control Room was a natural progression for a company that has delivered over 80 systems to more than 10 countries in the past 7 years. WL’s Huw Godfrey oversaw the technical installation. He comments: “ASV had a very specific brief for us: they wanted a Mission Control Room that could not only be used to control the drones they create but also display data from these back into the room in order to monitor their performance”.

   WL worked closely with Hills Design who were tasked with the physical construction of the control room. Huw states: “Greg Hills, the Main Designer, showed us his plans and how he envisaged the layout of the space. The main focal point was a wide format screen on which content could be relayed. For instance, if there were numerous drones currently active, the idea was that all of this information could be transmitted onto the screen. There would also be various control stations located within the space feeding back to a control rack, on which would sit both the presentation PC and main control system for the room”.

   WL drew on a range of the latest AV and projection equipment to ensure that the Mission Control Room received the exact technical solutions required. To deploy the content, the company drew on the Christie Phoenix system which is an open content management system specifically designed for control room environments. Huw states: “With the Phoenix, you have a system that can share accurate information quickly. It allows multiple users to share, view and interact with data – all the while being controlled from a single control room location. We knew it was ideal for the ASV content sharing required”.

   The content itself was projected onto a 4.7m screen using two Christie QC Projectors blended together. For master control within the space, WL drew on a Crestron control system. This meant that those operating within the space could select which footage they wished to relay either to their local or the main screens. In the control rack area, there is a touch-screen presentation PC which is used to control the Christie Phoenix system. The PC also has external inputs should further information need to be relayed to the system.

   Huw states: “It was important that we supplied a system that was easy-to-use as well as allow the space to become multi-purpose. Alongside its everyday usage, ASV want to use the facility for client demonstrations along with internal presentations so it was important that the space had flexibility. Similarly, on the rack area, we installed a HDMI input which means users can plug in an additional machine. We also ensured that each of the stations within the control room had external USB points along with iPads, on which users can control the Crestron interface.

   Throughout the space, WL also installed Yamaha MRX7 Speakers for sound reinforcement along with LED tape to provide atmospheric lighting. The company drew on Clear-Com Headset Microphones which allow those in the space to control who they speak to, both internally and externally, using the iPads at each station. An LED Halo was positioned around the main screen and LED Mini Profiles were used to light the control desks and presentation space. WL also created five lighting pre-sets which can be altered depending on the room’s usage.

   The consultancy phase of the project lasted five months, whereas the on-site installation took two weeks.

   Huw adds: “This was a very interesting project for us and marks the first time we’ve worked with a marine technology company! It comes as a result of our established reputation for supplying a range of specific, high-end technical installations, as seen with our recent work at the ATT interactive health and safety training. As a company, we relish working within a space and being able to deliver a system that provides the exact technical solutions for our client”.

   Photos courtesy of Will Hesse.

4. White Light Over the Rainbow at Yvonne Arnaud

   13 July 2017 14:07 Comments Off on White Light Over the Rainbow at Yvonne Arnaud

   The Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre is the largest in Surrey. It offers classes and workshops in order to inspire and develop creative minds within the region. Throughout the year, the group produces a range of plays and musical which are performed in The Mill, which is Yvonne Arnaud’s studio space. Once a year, the company produces a large-scale musical in its main theatre with a cast of 50 Youth Theatre members. The show this year was The Wizard of Oz and White Light was asked to provide the lighting equipment.
   The lighting designer for the show was Sarah Sage. She comments: “This is the second year I have lit the summer production for the Youth Theatre, having previously worked on Oliver. It was the first time I’d lit The Wizard of Oz and, having not seen any stage adaptations, I was able to approach in with a fresh pair of eyes”.

   As part of her preparation for the show, Sarah attended all of the initial design meetings where she was able to get an insight into the show’s themes and overall concept. She states: “Being part of the early discussions gave me and Set Designer Dan Gent enough time to design the big front portal that would be used in Oz. I was asked to light Kansas in sepia colours and really go wild with the colours in Oz; which is when the cync and portal became very useful to me”.
   Having a set-up which would allow such a change in tone was an important aspect of Sarah’s rig. She comments: “I drew on the ETC Colour Source Spots as my front and side light. Their colour mixing is fantastic and gave me versatile face light. To counter this, I drew on the Martin MAC Auras to provide colourful backlight, as these would match my portal and help create the magic of Oz. In terms of the effects, SFX Wheels were positioned on the circle front in order to cover the whole stage with moving storm clouds. I also drew on the Martin MAC 700 Profiles which we used as overhead units to offer enough options for all the effects and specials during the course of the show”.

   Following on from her initial talks with Dan, Sarah also approached WL to help create her version of Oz. She states: “For the big front portal which was supplied by Junction Inc, we used 40m of LED tape which was controlled across six LED drivers. This wouldn’t have previously been possible on other Youth Theatre productions but thankfully WL provided a solution that was achievable and within budget”.

   An integral part of any production of The Wizard of Oz is the iconic yellow brick road. One of Sarah’s tasks as lighting designer was to create this. She states: “I knew that a generic gobo wash wouldn’t give me the versatility I needed. Therefore I called WL and spoke to Simon Arnold to discuss other options. I knew that the best chance on creating this would be through moving lights. Therefore, drawing on the Martin MAC 700s, Simon helped me find 12 matching gobos which could resemble the brick texture. When it came to plotting, I was able to put each moving light in the correct position with the young cast and build up the opening sequence for the Yellow Brick Road opening number. It took a lot of programming work but the final result looked fantastic!”.

   The show recently closed after a week’s worth of performances.

   Sarah adds: “I was really proud of this show. I had a fantastic team surrounding me, from the programmer Jon Stacey to the Deputy Stage Manager Vicky Jules to the amazing cast who were able to showcase their brilliant talents to friends and family alike. I am also very grateful to Simon and the rest of the WL team for their guidance throughout”.

   Photos courtesy of Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre.

5. White Light Supplies The Ugly One at Park Theatre

   12 June 2017 08:27 Comments Off on White Light Supplies The Ugly One at Park Theatre

   Following its initial run at the Royal Court Theatre a decade ago, The Ugly One has recently returned to the capital in what is its tenth year anniversary. Currently running at the Park Theatre, this revival is being directed by JMK award-winner Roy Alexander Weise. As one of the leading lighting suppliers to London theatres, White Light has provided the lighting for this production.

   The Ugly One is written by Marius von Mayneburg and the lighting designer is Amy Mae, who has recently returned from New York having lit the critically-acclaimed Sweeney Todd at the Barrow Street Theatre. She comments: “The Ugly One is about identity, beauty standards, morals and technology. The technology aspect was really helpful in shaping our approach. The writing has a way of blending scenes together so a big question for the creative team was how to support these shifts. There are also a wide range of locations and contrasting situations featured in the piece. Therefore I needed a cover of light that could achieve all of these and have the ability to balance levels and colour as required”.

   

   Amy worked closely with Loren Elstein (Designer), Louise Rhoades-Brown (Projection Designer) and Giles Thomas (Sound Designer) to create a feel that encompassed their collective visions. Amy states: “The show is being performed in Park Theatre’s 90 space which is in the round. Therefore my biggest concern was ensuring I covered all areas as well as not wash out the projection! Similarly, during time in the space, Roy and I found that the lighting should help define the stranger, more surreal moments of the show from the more realistic lighting state that pervades throughout”.

   To achieve this, Amy approached WL and drew on the company’s extensive hire inventory. She states: “Moving lights were very useful for this design. The actors cover all areas and once we got into the space blocking needed to be changed so having something versatile was brilliant”. This versatility came from the GLP X4 Impressions which WL has invested in extensively. Amy comments: “The Impressions have a useful built in mode which allows you to change the pattern on the front of a light. This meant for certain scenes that took place in more corporate settings, I could create some interesting patterns to link with the feel of a particular scene. They also go from 7 to 50 degrees, which is perfect for small spotlights and stage washes where required”.

   Amy’s design also relied heavily on the use of LED tape. She states: “The tape was inspired by an image that Loren showed us of a rectangle with light coming from underneath which created a floating effect. It’s also been useful for transporting the audience across the worlds of the surgery, hotel, conference room and even in the surreal transitions. It’s been a great way to add saturated colour into the design”.

   Whereas this is the first time that Amy has lit a show at the Park Theatre, it also marks the first time that she has worked with projection. She adds: “Balancing light and projection has been a new experience for me but one I’ve really enjoyed. Louise has done an amazing job and her projections bring a whole new element to this classic piece. All of the creative team have been really open to one another’s suggestions and thoughts and I think that shows in the finished product”.

   The show opened last Friday to rave reviews. It will run until 24^th June.

   Photos courtesy of Helen Maybanks.