The city of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia once again played host to the the spectacular annual, free SeaFireinternational fireworks competition at Surfers Paradise Beach on June 20. The thirteenth edition of the family-friendly event, which transformed the beach with a vibrant celebration of light, color and sound, was supported by a complement of Claypaky Ultimo Sharpy fixtures sweeping the sky and showcasing the DJ turns.
This year Team Canada and Team Poland competed for the SeaFire championship, which drew tens of thousands of spectators to the beach. A grand Australian-themed finale concluded the event.
“Our creative brief was to reinforce the fireworks, provide lighting for performances between the fireworks and set a marker for the positioning of the main event space,” says Solomon Presnell, Lighting Designer, Operator and Technician with Brisbane-based AV equipment rental company IJS Productions Australia Pty Ltd.
“The design featured a square DJ stage on the beach, which we surrounded with 16 Ultimo Sharpys. We had eight more Ultimo Sharpys spread 20-30 meters apart down the beach doing searchlight pattens to help set out the event area,” Presnell explains. “We chose the fixtures for their bright beam that can shine a long distance while also being IP rated – perfect for the outdoor setting.”
Presnell notes that the Ultimo Sharpys “are unique as they still have a lamp. When compared to a laser source fixture I believe they look much nicer at all angles due to the hotspot in the beam. They performed excellently, looked great and had no issues.”
At IJS Productions Jay van Lieshout is General Manager, Nathan Coleman was Account Manager for the event, Matthew McFerran provided content capture and Josh Peltz provided technical expertise. Eventco Group’s Darren Bell and Em Biviano furnished event management.