BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic – Slovakia's Q-99 supplied lighting, video and sound for the 2010 Miss Universe Slovakia pageant, a live telecast on STV 1 staged in front of 5,000 at the SIBAMAC Arena (National Tennis Center) in Bratislava. Martin Kubanka designed the show's lighting, using a rig that included Robe moving lights as the main workhorses. Miss Universe, a popular program on Slovakian TV, is organized by former Miss Slovakia, Silvia Lakatosova-Chovancova, and her company, the In Agency. This year the set was designed by Michael Klang, the show was directed by Thomas Eibner and the director of production was Vladimir Durcansky. The show was also broadcast live in the neighboring Czech Republic.
Kubanka has lit the show 11 previous times, and each year faces the pressure of creating something new that tops the previous year's visuals. He also needs to illuminate the 12 contestants for the camera and light four diverse live performances. These included Kristina, Slovakia's 2010 Eurovision Song Contest hope; Slovakian rockers Gladiator, singer Zuzana Smatanova and Czech star David Koler, plus a dance medley.
This year, the set's scenic elements were stripped back to a minimum, and instead, LED screens, panels and columns were used to create locations and atmospheres – the first time that ‘digital scenery' has been used this way on Slovakian TV. This introduced a whole new level of dynamics to the event, and also required very careful and specific lighting to complement and contrast with the video.
The Q-99 team installed 180 meters of trussing in the roof over the stage and audience onto which the lighting and LED was flown.
Lighting included 16 Robe ColorWash 1200E ATs and 48 ColorSpot 1200E ATs, 18 ColorSpot 575E ATs and 18 ColorMix 575 ATs, along with a selection of Source Four PARs, blinders, LED moving lights, 3K Falcon Beams, LED strips lighting the side of the stage, and LED blocks illuminating the set steps.
Eight of the ColorSpot 1200E ATs were upstage on the floor, used for beam effects and sweeps into the audience. The rest of the ColorSpot and Washes were distributed across the overhead rig, and used for a mix of stage washes, gobo texturing on the floor and set materials – some giant scatter cushions and a skirt around the stage made up of a special reflective and translucent material. The color mix units were positioned under this stage skirt.
The ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200s were also used for key lighting in specific positions. These rigged onto side trusses protruding into the auditorium were used for sweeping across the audience.
Kubanka has used Robe gear for many years and uses the fixtures on all his shows. "In my opinion, it's the best moving light brand on the market – the units are exceptionally reliable and just keep on going," he said.
He likes the versatility of the features, and still keeps finding new and inventive combinations to produce looks and scenes. "The color mixing is great and the fixtures are well bright enough – this was essential this year in particular with all the LED onstage – we really needed lighting fixtures that could hold their own against the brightness of the LED".
Another parameter they had to deal with was the speed at which everything needed to be programmed for this busy show, in which the contestants also had to demonstrate their musical, dancing or singing talents. "Again, Robe fixtures are very quick and easy to program," he said.
Michael Schmidt (lights) and Thomas Lecky (video) worked with Kubanka on the programming, using two grandMA full size consoles.
From a rental company angle, Marek Adamik from Q-99, which has a large stock of Robe, credited the Robe gear for being "incredibly tough and reliable – they are ideal for what we need as a busy rental operation, and are proving outstanding value for money."
For the first time, Q-99 also their new LED flooring modules from RGG in Lithuania.
For more information, please visit www.robe.cz.
