The set for Reazione A Catena is based around a spherical auditorium with a small stage and curved seating. The studio walls are white to optimize color wash effects and gobo projections, and a series of curved, ribbon-like LED surfaces are threaded around the space. The lighting is rigged on three circular overhead trusses measuring 5, 10 and 15 meters, respectively, and on about 90 meters of linear truss also in the roof, which serves as a versatile hanging framework.
Scenographer Marco Calzavara came up with the original concept for the studio’s rounded design elements, and Castrichella has made the most of the rounded shapes and curves with his trussing design and fixture specifications.
The rig includes 40 LEDWash 600s — which Castrichella is using for the first time — along with 18 Robin 600 Beams, which are positioned on the floor onstage behind the contestants and used for beam looks and other decorative effects.
For general and task lighting, 36 Robe ColorSpot 700E ATs are hung at the back and around the sides of the studio. The gear list also includes four Robe Haze 400 FT machines for atmospheric enhancement. Castrichella also is using other moving lights and large areas of GLUX 10 and 6 mm pitch LED screens.
A significant change from rigs used on last year’s series is the LEDWashes, which replace ColorWash 1200E ATs. “They draw about half the power, but give me almost the same light output,” Castrichella said.
The LEDWashes are stationed on the rear trusses and point forward towards the stage, washing the back and side walls. Castrichella is also using their true white capabilities, replacing some of the conventional studio white lights he had relied upon in the past.
Castrichella, who has lit six Reazione A Catena series so far, credited Robe for helping in the perennial effort to come up with new lighting aesthetics and looks, year after year.
For the 2011 series, he’s working with two lighting operators, Quintino Caci (moving lights) and Maurizio Ranaldi (catalyst media servers playing out content to all the LED surfaces), who are both running Compulite Vector Blue consoles.
The Robe units have been supplied by Rome-based rental house PR Electronic, supplied through Robe’s Italian distributor, Robe Multimedia.
PR’s Roberto Presutti has over 80 LEDWash 600 fixtures. Since they’re frequently out working, he said he’d soon be adding more to keep up with demand from TV LDs.
For more information, please visit www.robe.cz.
