Lighting designer Paul O'Brien of Rainmaker recently lit Fever, a temporary exhibit of pop princess Kylie Minogue at Madame Tussaud's in London. All lighting equipment was supplied by Lightfactor and the project was overseen by Paul de Ville.
The space is lit using ETC Source Four profiles with 50º lenses, some with custom glass gobos for a breakup effect on the floor and as additional texturing. Source Four 26º units were used as Kylie's key lighting, and 650W fresnels were used for general area specials. Four MADScans were used for movement, and as specials for two large mirror balls, which O'Brien used to great effect.
The Kylie figure is positioned centrally in the space so that people can walk around the exhibit. O'Brien had to be aware of shadows the people would cast, but the relatively generous ceiling height helped minimize this problem. To really bring the sculpture to life her eyes needed to be lit tightly from a very shallow angle from some distance away.
O'Brien enjoyed the speed at which the project had to happen, and again had the opportunity of working with "Some great people, like Steve Richly and Tussaud's project manager Scott Desborough," the designer said.
Paul de Ville, a self-confessed Kylie addict, concluded, "Although this was a small area of the exhibition, the eye to detail and professionalism shown by the creative team put together by Tussauds, as always, is a joy to witness. I am sure this adds greatly to the huge success of this exhibit within the exhibition as a whole."