BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – For a series of live TV shows staged to select the Slovak Republic's 2010 Eurovision song contest finalist, LD Martin Kubanka once again specified Robe moving light fixtures supplied by lighting rental company Q-99. "Robe products are very reliable and offer all the creative scope and functionality I need to make a popular light entertainment show like this look dynamic and interesting," said Kubanka, who has lit Slovakia's Eurovision song competitions on several previous occasions. Thomas Eibner directed the shows.
Kubanka chose 24 Robe ColorSpot 1200E ATs and 12 ColorSpot 575E ATs for the six preliminary rounds of the song selection process, which narrowed the competitive field of contestants down to 12 finalists.
The challenge for Kubanka was to design a rig to complement Daniel Šithman's set with enough flexibility to offer each contender a unique and distinctive look and feel for their big stage moment.
The ColorSpot 1200E ATs were rigged in six rows over the top of the stage, hung on slightly raked upstage/downstage trusses and sandwiched between six strips of Schnick-Schnack video surface, forming a roof.
The Robe fixtures were used to illuminate the seated audience members at the back and those in special "fan pens" who were standing and dancing nearer to the front of the stage.
The ColorSpot 575E ATs were hung on trusses above two LED video walls that were offset stage left and right, and used to provide side and back lighting and effects for all the performers.
The overall design concept was to produce an "arena" of light across the whole stage and performance space where the numerous LED surfaces were matched with corresponding rows of moving lights.
Kubanka relied upon the Robe fixtures for strobing, stings, saturated colours and frost filter effects. He also used the ColorSpot 1200E ATs for beam effects and "contra" lighting for the contestants and presenters from behind, using the hard-edged beams to cut through layers of fog.
"In my opinion, Robe is definitely the best moving light on the market right now, and that's why I keep specifying them time and time again," Kubanka said.
The rig was controlled by a MA Lighting grandMA full size console, programmed and operated by Michael Schmidt. Another grandMA full size operated by Thomas Lecky was used for running video through all the LED surfaces.
Kristina won the Slovakian 2010 Eurovision Song Contest competition with the song "Horehronie," and she will represent the Slovak Republic at the final in Oslo on May 29.
For more information, please visit www.robe.cz
