This year’s electrifying Nobel Peace Prize Concert saw Philips Vari-Lite VL3000 Spot luminaires, supplied by AVAB CAC, star as the power luminaire of choice for lighting director Nick Collier.
“The main issue with the lighting design for this particular show is the variety of performers,” explains Collier. “The design has to bring out the best in Peter Bingemann’s excellent set, as well as allowing us the ability to bring a unique look to each of the tracks. To this end, the VL3000 Spot is the obvious candidate. It is a very bright lamp, with excellent zoom optics.”
Respected lighting designer Al Gurdon originally lit the now three-year-old set design, created by set designer Peter Bingemann. However this year’s lighting spectacular was taken care of by respected TV lighting director Nick Collier assisted by PRG’s head of event services Richard Gorrod, programmer Alex Passmore and Catalyst and content programmer Nev Bull. American actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Scottish actor Gerard Butler hosted the annual event held at the Spektrum Arena, Oslo while performances came from Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Hudson, and Seal amongst others.
The set consisted of three circular stages, each featuring an equally sized, lampshade style projection surface above, along with the centrally positioned Norwegian Radio Orchestra, conducted by Nick Davies and ten unique acts. All this meant that Collier certainly had his work cut out for him.
He continued, “The length of show and variety of acts means that the lighting rig really has to work hard to add individuality to each of the show’s ‘looks’. I need to know that the fixtures can act as fast, powerful ‘rock’ lamps one minute, and accurate, steady focused lamps, the next. The VL3000 Spots can do all this, plus the mixture of textured gobos and beam gobos gives plenty of variety, and the speed of all the attributes within the fixture, really help the transitions between scenes. Their accurate color rendering of the lamp also gives the VL3000 Spot the edge when using it as a key light source.”
Not only did Collier have to create uniquely appropriate looks for each act but he also had to impress the near 7000 capacity live audience, while satisfying the millions of TV watching public from over 100 countries worldwide. To do this, the entire arena became Collier’s canvas and lighting not only added sparkle and beauty to the acts on stage but also reached out into the audience making them an integral part of the show, blurring the line between performer and observer to give a rare sense of intimacy in such a large stadium.
Although AVAB CAC supplied Lighting equipment, PRG’s Richard Gorrod oversaw the logistics of the project. Gorrod explains, “The VL3000 spot as a workhorse is bright and reliable. The fast color mixing and a broad choice of colors in the designer wheel along with the variable CTO wheel make it ideal for keying. All three wheels of rotating gobos are great. The excellent zoom optics and fast Iris make it the best spot in the market at the moment.”
The VL3000 Spot features 6:1 zoom optics, CYM color mixing, variable CTO color temperature correction, a six-position color wheel, three gobo/effects wheels, a beam size iris and separate dimmer and ultra-fast strobe mechanisms. A standard pallet of gobos, effects and colors is provided with the unit. Custom gobos, effects and color are available.
As a leading designer and manufacturer of premiere automated lighting systems, Philips Vari-Lite provides equipment and services to the entertainment industry, serving such markets as concert touring, theatre, television, film, cruise lines, houses-of-worship, and corporate events. VARI-LITE automated lighting systems are available through a worldwide network of independent professional dealers. www.vari-lite.com.