Tag Archive: Lighting Equipment

1. White Light Helps Bring Frankenstein to Life

   10 February 2020 13:19 Leave a Comment

   

   White Light has supplied the lighting equipment for Frankenstein which is currently touring the UK. 

   Produced by Selladoor Productions, Frankenstein is based on the classic novel by Mary Shelley, telling the story of a young scientist who manages to breathe life into a gruesome body. This new production is adapted by Rona Munro and features a lighting design by Grant Anderson. Grant comments: “I had several aims with my design on Frankenstein. On the one hand, I had to create something that was dynamic, fast-moving and helped create a sense of multiple locations. We wanted to be able to create moments of real darkness and horror in Frankenstein’s lab but also capture beautiful vistas of the misty, cloud covered Alps. From a practical standpoint, we knew we had to make something that could tour in one truck, load in first thing at a brand-new venue and be able to perform that evening”.

   As this was a brand-new production, this meant that it was constantly evolving throughout the rehearsal process. Grant explains: “As this version of Frankenstein had never been on its feet before, I was in development constantly with the rest of the creative team throughout the R&D process. That was another reason why the rig had to be dynamic. I didn’t want to hinder the process of creativity in the room by constraining us to set looks. We were very fortunate as creatives to have a playground in which to work and let the play evolve into what it eventually became”. 

   

   Following the development process, Grant approached WL to supply him with the fixtures that would fulfil each of his specific requirements. He comments: “I wanted to be able to create the feel of ice and the deep Artic so relied heavily on the arc sources of the Martin MAC Vipers and white chipped Martin Aura LEDs.  I specified these units as they are naturally within the ballpark of the colour temperatures I planned on using and, with the set being whites and greys, it gave me a very clean place from which to start.  ETC Source 4 Lustrs are the workhorse front out house alongside an additional two auras in the box booms. The design is particularly effective in its use of practicals as they help bring the space alive and allow me to delineate really clearly for the audience where we are in the play.”

   Grant continues: “In terms of touring, having an all moving light rig overhead means there is no focus time required from ladders for the team from venue to venue. Whilst you still have to update the presets, this can be done from the comfort and safety of the production desk, which in turn allows other departments valuable stage time. Similarly, having an all LED front of house allows for a more dynamic palette from fewer sources within the time constrains of the tour”.

   

   Frankenstein opened last February and will conclude its year-long tour in Aylesbury next month.

   Grant concludes: “I’d just like to say thanks to all of my lighting team and the team at Perth Theatre who helped with the practicals. Massive thanks also to WL for their help supplying me with the fixtures I need”.

   Photos courtesy of Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.

2. White Light Puts on Horror Show with Toxic Avenger

   23 October 2017 08:38 Comments Off on White Light Puts on Horror Show with Toxic Avenger

   Based on the 1984 cult classic, The Toxic Avenger tells the story of the citizens of Tromaville who are crying out for a hero. Enter Melvin Ferd the Third who is tossed into a vat of toxic waste and transformed into The Toxic Avenger, New Jersey’s first superhero! Following sold-out runs at Southwark Playhouse and Edinburgh Festival, the show is making its West End debut at the Arts Theatre. White Light has been called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

   The Toxic Avenger is written by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan who are the Tony Award-winning team before the hit West End musical Memphis. It is lit by Nic Farman, who has worked on the show since its first London run. He comments: “I’ve worked with the director, Benji Sperring, many times before and my brief for this production was to have a lot of fun and be brave with my design. We often like to create bold stage pictures filled with colour and, for this show, it was especially important to create the cartoon style world in which the musical is set”.

   The show first opened at the Southwark Playhouse last year and Nic believes that the musical still embraces its B-Movie origins. He comments: “For the West End version, we wanted to ramp up the rock feel of the show and add more gig lighting to a rocky soundtrack. Similarly, the Southwark version was in thrust, whereas the Arts is in a proscenium arch, meaning we had to think about how to keep the audience as fully engaged as they were in the smaller space. As a result, takis, the designer, gave us a low apron to help get the cast down to the audience levels and I was allowed to light right out into the crowd”.

   This change in space meant that Nic had to make some additions to his previous rig. He comments: “I have drawn on a lot of Chauvet Professional units, who have been particularly supportive of me and the show. We have Maverick Mk2 spots, Maverick Hybrids, Ovation FC profiles and Ovation battens which all allow us to create great impact with colour and beam work. We also hired in some GLP X4s and X4 Bar 20s, with the bars working really well as backlight blinders. I also spec’d Elation Six PAR’s which have become my go to LED par because of their high output.

   He continues: “The other facet of the design is that we inlaid sections of the floor and pipework that makes the set up with pixel tape. Clancy Flynn, my Production Electrician and Programmer, built a system around my design”. Clancy explains: “We have 50 universes of Enttec pixel tape in the set, all controlled over ArtNet from a HippoCritter triggered by the lighting console. The control system was designed to maximise animations over the tape while keeping DMX channel requirements to an absolute minimum. WL supplied the Hippocritter media server that manages the images played over the tape, as well as the Pixelators that act as the LED drivers. They also sorted out the sale of the tape, PLink injectors and drivers we required.”

   The show, which has now opened to critical acclaim, marks Nic’s official West End debut. He comments: “Seeing the show grow from the fringe to the West End has been brilliant and doing that with a great team around me has been a joy. I couldn’t have picked a better show to be my first West End musical as the lighting plays an important role in the story telling, as well as reinforcing the music and managing to do a couple of jokes of its own.

   He adds: “I couldn’t have got the show off the ground without Clancy, who oversaw all of the load in, prep work and designed the network to run the pixel mapping. David and Jamie at the Arts were incredible at facilitating putting in a tricky show and couldn’t have been more helpful, as were Chauvet Professional who helped make the show look how I hoped it would. As always, a massive thanks to WL for their support, especially Jonathan Haynes and Jim Dewhurst, who helped us spec the show from the pixels through to the rig”.

   Photos courtesy of Irina Chira.