Scott Chmielewski of DMDS7UDIOS is employing a large rig of DARTZ 360 narrow-beam luminaires from Elation to support the mesmerizing performances of renowned magician Mat Franco at The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Chmielewski addressed an initial refresh of the show in 2021 before undertaking a complete redesign of the entire show, stage and theatre in early 2023, collaborating with Director Brian Burke, Art Director Joe Oneill and Mat Franco himself.
Since headlining at The LINQ in 2015, Mat Franco's “Magic Reinvented Nightly” has garnered accolades and captivated audiences as a must-see Vegas attraction. As the show’s name implies, it truly is magic reinvented nightly. Performing to 600 guests for 90 minutes, the show features Franco’s signature tricks, yet leaves enough room for improvisation, making each night a singularly unique experience.
Top-notch theatrical visuals
According to Scott, Franco is deeply involved in every step of the process but also trusts his team and believes in the art of organic creation. Once a final design concept was decided upon, the magician let the creative team run with the ideas. “He of course had some creative opinions through the process but where his influence is really felt is in his attention to detail. His instincts to what the audience sees and experiences are spot on and it’s amazing getting to work with someone like that who has a completely different view of the stage, show and audience.”
Evolution of looks
Compact and creative
Scott says he was looking for a fixture that was small and bright but also needed to have some unique features and tricks. “As the entire design is a dramatic forced perspective concept, we needed something that would be able to fit in tight spaces and unusual locations. We also needed something that had a very strong color set and tested quite a few fixtures. The DARTZ is one of the smallest LED color mixing fixtures out there and we were really surprised at the creative options it gave us.”
DARTZ
“We wanted to make sure we had several layers of lighting and video elements to use in the forced perspective,” the designer said, noting that some of his favorite looks are when all 160 fixtures are used. “With that many units we are able to achieve some very interesting color and texture gradients which help the show look and feel really large,” he said, adding that the design extends well into and over the audience for an absorbing immersive experience. The new design has been in place for over a year now and despite a busy schedule of nine shows a week, Scott reports no issues with the fixtures.
About Elation
At Elation, we represent the elite in the lighting industry. We design and manufacture a comprehensive range of best-in-class entertainment lighting products valued by production/rental houses and lighting designers the world over. Our dedication to extraordinary quality and creative solutions has established us as the go-to choice for professionals. With a storied legacy of brilliance, our influence extends from iconic stages to cutting-edge studios across the globe. We also offer an advanced line of lighting control products through Obsidian Control Systems, as well as a full range of dependable specialty effects called Magmatic. We invite you to take a closer look at www.elationlighting.com
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