AUCKLAND, NZ – New Zealand LD Ben Cooper chose 24 Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWash moving light fixtures for the 2011 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. This was Cooper’s second year to handle the award show design, and his first time to use the LED fixtures in a major event – the first being a charity gig in a hotel ballroom. Spot-Light Systems Ltd., of which Cooper is co-owner, supplied all the lighting equipment.
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Leading New Zealand lighting designer Ben Cooper used 24 Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWash moving light fixtures – amongst others – for the 2011 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards (VNZMAs), which honored established and emerging talent spanning a diversity of genres.
Produced by J and A Productions for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) , the event was staged in the Vector Arena in Auckland. This 46th edition of the VNZMAs featured live performances from a host of stars including Brooke Fraser, The Naked and Famous, Ladi6, Six60, Tiki Taane and Avalanche City and legendary Kiwi band Supergroove. It was telecast live on national Channel FOUR.
Cooper lit it for the second year, with all the lighting equipment supplied by Auckland based rental company, Spot-Light Systems Limited.
Cooper is also the owner of Spot-Light Systems, which specializes in supplying international music tours and events and has a long history of involvement in the local music scene. The company has been involved with the lighting and/or design of the VNZMAs event for nearly two decades.
This year’s set, designed by Robin Rawstone, contained multiple video elements and LED screen surfaces, which were raised off the ground to allow artist entrances / exits and rolling risers to be pushed on and offstage at the back for quick changeovers. Cooper, Rawstone and Production Manager Peter Grumley worked closely to ensure that all the lighting, set and digital scenic elements worked in harmony and with a shared aesthetic.
The LEDWashes were specifically positioned to provide back and ‘black hole’ fillers beneath the LED screens for specific camera shots.
The fixtures were configured in 37-channel mode with all the LEDs individually addressed, allowing the creation of lots of kaleidoscopic patterns on the rings – one of the special eye-candy and camera candy features of Robe’s LEDWash series.
The LEDWashes are a relatively new edition to Spot-Light’s rental stock. The first batch was purchased in May, and that was followed up by more just prior to the event, as they were pleased with the performance and scope of the units. The Robes were supplied by Robe’s Australia / New Zealand distributor, ULA.
Cooper had used LEDWashes only once before spec’ing them onto the NZMAs – which was in a completely different context –a charity gig in a hotel ballroom for front light. “I like trying out new and exciting technology, so this was the perfect chance,” he explains, emphasizing that lights positioned in the ‘back-of-camera’ are absolutely crucial. Needing fixtures with power, punch and impact to fulfill the role, he chose the LEDWash 600s.
“They were awesome, extremely bright and delivered exactly what was required, plus the flexibility to run them in zones and program so many different shapes and effects was amazing,” he says.
He adding that as a new product to Spot-Light’s inventory, they are all still at the start of their creative learning curves with the LEDWash 600.
The LEDWashes and the rest of the lights for the 2011 VNZMAs were controlled via three Avolites Pearls running Expert Titan software running and the latest Touch Screen Wings. Cooper and Chris Browne programmed the show.
Spot-Light’s LEDWashes are also out on two Coca Cola ‘Christmas In The Park’ shows, which will have a combined audience of approximately 250,000 and are shown on national TV during December.
