BIRMINGHAM, U.K. – Lighting designer Nathan Wan used Robe moving lights at the core of his rig for the Fifth Gear Live Action Arena at the 2011 Autosport International show. It was the third year that Wan has lit that portion of the show, working with sound and lighting contractors Network Audio. The Live Action Arena – the largest indoor tri oval racetrack in the U.K. – occupied all of Hall 5 at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, with a performance area of approximately 120 by 100 meters and grandstand seating capacity for 4,700. There were five shows a day for the two public days during Autosport International's four-day span.
Wan chose the Robe fixtures for their brightness and ability illuminate the dark and lumen-hungry environment. The rig included 30 ColorSpot 1200E ATs, 12 ColorSpot 2500E ATs and 18 ColorBeam 2500s, which were positioned along the short walls of the track perimeter for hi-impact low level aerial effects.
This year, the Live Action Arena had a Tron style look and theme, with two large central LED screens and several pillars of medium res LED surface dotted around – all supplied by XL Video.
Wan's rig also included more than 100 PixelLine LED battens hung vertically on drop bars at the end of the finger trusses, some LED moving lights, about 300 PARs and also some 4-lite blinders.
The whole system was run over ArtNet, with all lighting programmed and run by Wan on a Jands Vista T2 console using Byron software.
Wan positioned the ColorSpot 2500s on the overhead truss, which formed a 56-meter octagon in the center of the space, with three 30-meter "finger" trusses extending from the sides. The setup also included 416 meters of A-type trussing making up a series of straight front and back trusses traversing the width of the space.
The ColorSpot 1200s were on the "finger" trusses. Wan credited them for reliability – "they just keep on going without any faults" – and used them for breakup effects on the floor and for lighting and coloring the action on the race track.
Six ColorSpot 700s were positioned on the front truss to keylight the presenters and their guests. They included Jason Plato and Tiff Needell from the U.K. TV show, Fifth Gear.
Wan had been hoping to use some of Robe's new LEDWash 600 fixtures, but none could be sourced in time for the event due to high demand and limited supply. "I am so looking forward to putting the LEDWash 600s through their paces," he said, adding that he will definitely be using them for his future work.
In the three years that Wan has been lighting the Live Arena, he has introduced more theatricality and drama with the lights. "We try and keep it evolving technically and imaginatively," he said. "A show like this needs to keep moving to keep pace with all the featured vehicles."
Wan credited Robe for being "spot-on in terms of intuition and interest about what LD's want, combined with a great understanding of how the products can be used to achieve the best end results."
For more information, please visit www.robe.cz.
