GREENEVILLE, TN – High school freshman Zach Holditch was in charge of designing the school’s biggest production of the year, and the light rig of conventionals was completely uninspiring. So Holditch contacted Elation’s Eric Loader for help and an equipment loan came to the rescue, as part of the company’s commitment to support future lighting designers.
More details from Elation Lighting (http://www.elationlighting.com):
LED Moving Heads Loaned By Elation
Brighten Up TN High School’s Choral Production
GREENEVILLE, TN – What do you do when you’re a young student lighting designer in charge of illuminating your school’s biggest production of the year, and all you have to work with are some less-than-exciting conventional lights and an older dimming system?
When Greeneville High School (GHS) freshman Zach Holditch found himself in this dilemma, he turned to Elation Professional for help.
The Tennessee teen contacted Elation’s Director of Sales Eric Loader via Facebook, asking if the company could loan the school some moving lights for its annual “Dessert and a Show” production. The musical revue, put on by GHS’s award-winning Advanced Choir under the direction of Choral Director Kathryn May, runs for two public performances at an outside venue, the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. “I really want to make this one count this year,” said Holditch, “as this is my first time fully in the designer’s seat.”
Turned out Holditch had come to the right place. Elation has a long history of actively reaching out to young people who have dreams of pursuing a career in lighting design through its sponsorship of the E3 (Elation Education Experience) mock-up contest and other youth-oriented programs and activities. The company quickly came to the rescue, sending the high school four Platinum Spot LED moving heads and an EWDMX wireless DMX system for use in the show.
“Dessert and a Show” features musical selections made popular by artists ranging from Nat King Cole, to Elvis Presley, to the Beach Boys.
The compact, energy-efficient Platinum Spot LED’s many effects and features — including eight dichroic colors, 14 gobos, 3-Facet and 3D prisms, frost filter, motorized iris and variable speed strobe – offered variety for the show.
“These moving lights brought a lot to the design table,” said Holditch. “It was the first time we had ever used moving lights on a school production. Sometimes I would use them as back specials for down stage soloists. The onboard iris was especially helpful for controlling the beam. Other times, I would just go all out, and use them purely for effect. For instance, for ‘Jail House Rock,’ I had them zipping in and out of the house to emulate a prison’s search lights. I also had some fun with the ‘Viva Las Vegas’ piece too. That is how interesting each scene in the show was.”
Although just a freshman, Holditch regularly lights up other events at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center, as well as community theatre performances held at other Greeneville venues. During summer vacation, he goes “touring” with several local bands.
A self-proclaimed “total geek,” Holditch says his interest in lighting “all started with a fiery passion fueled by curiosity.” “Most of my weekends in sixth grade were fulfilled reading manuals and spec sheets,” he recalls. “I’m still tied between the art and technology of lighting. With projects such as this one, it allows me to combine both of my interests. From rigging, cabling and troubleshooting to gel selection, programming and keeping the Director’s sanity in check, Dessert and a Show is a really awesome production to be a part of.”
Said GHS Choral Director May, “I have been excited to see Zach’s interest in lighting design take flight. We knew he was serious when he memorized the owner’s manual for our lighting console here at our school.”
Holditch is exactly the type of student that Elation seeks to encourage through its youth education programs, said Loader. “As a company, we believe that it’s vitally important to recognize and support talented young lighting designers, whether it’s through structured activities like our E3 program or simply helping out by loaning gear for a school production,” Loader commented. “Young people like Zach Holditch are the future of our industry.”
