Santa Monica Pier hosts one of LA's favorite summer concert series, the Twilight Concert Series, as well as a host of other events. This year, the Pier boasts a new stage with unique overhead structure; a remarkable work of art illuminated using Elation Professional SixPar 300IP color changers.
The custom stage is the creation of design and technology integration company Stereobot, an innovative building components firm that does many of the displays for Coachella and other events. Live event production company Pacific Coast Entertainment (www.pacificcoastentertainment.com) collaborated with Stereobot on the lighting design for the stage and art piece.
The one-of-a-kind structure with sweeping cantilevered spans envelops the stage and reaches to a height of 36 feet. The open structure creates a three-dimensional experience that allows for visibility from all sides and is something that can be admired even when not in action. Its truss frame is wrapped in a stretch scrim fabric and illuminated internally by SixPar 300IP color changers, one in a series of indoor and outdoor PAR color-changing lights from Elation Professional.
Pacific Coast Entertainment's Tim Hemrich serves as Project Manager for Stereobot collaborations and was tasked with selecting and installing the structure's internal lighting system. Installed and exposed to the elements for twelve weeks, the system needed an IP65 rating to ensure safe and reliable operation. For this project, PCE turned to the bright SixPar 300IP, which houses a 6-color RGBWA+UV LED multi-chip for a nearly infinite range of color choices with the possibility to express any mood or emotion.
“We use 12 SixPar 300IP fixtures mounted inside the custom truss,” Tim comments. “It is an impressively bright and reliable instrument.” Capable of strobing and smooth dimming, the SixPar 300IP consumes a low 220W of max power and has an LED life rating of 100,000 hours. Having led the design and installation team for Hotel Irvine's architectural lighting display, Tim knew the Elation fixture well. “Having installed the instruments for the property's grand opening and with a planned operation of 30 days, the instruments have now been in constant use for nine months without requiring any servicing,” he said.
Santa Monica Pier's lighting system required that same level of reliability, but with the added feature of shared lighting control. During periods of non-use, the stage lighting is controlled from playback, via an Elation DMX recorder. During shows, lighting control is transferred to the show's lighting console.
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