Vari*Lites Down Under

Recently, lighting designer Rohan Thornton lit the 2002 TV Week Logie Awards, held April 28 at the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne, Australia. He had some enthusiastic things to say about the Vari*Lite® VL1000™ ERS luminaire.

"The VL1000 ERS is the greatest thing since canned beer," says Thornton. The LD used eight VL1000 tungsten units to light the live television broadcast, which included performances by Elton John, Destiny's Child, and Shakira, and others. Chameleon Touring Systems provided the VL1000 units, as well as 16 VL2402™ wash luminaires; Bytecraft Entertainment supplied 48 VL5s™ for the production.

When Elton John performed, program director Adrian Dellevirgin wanted a complex Steadicam move, which prevented Thornton from using followspots. What could have been a lighting designer's nightmare was resolved quickly and easily by simply swinging the VL1000 units around. The zoom combined with the shutters solved the problem. To reduce the level without dropping the color temperature, Thornton simply widened the beam angle and shuttered it on Sir Elton.

"I was astounded as to the versatility that eight fixtures gave me," said Thornton, LD for the Logies since 1996. "I used them as set wash, audience lights, and lectern specials. I have always craved a tungsten profile moving light with color mix. Although I only had eight of the fixtures, the VL1000 ERS became a workhorse."

Where possible, Thornton used the VL2402 units for "wash punch," laying a base with the VL5s and cutting through with the VL2402s. "As a TV specialist, I am notoriously anal about variations of color temperature of moving lights," Thornton said. "I am finding that a combination of VL1000TS units, VL2402 washes, and VL5s are fast becoming my weapons of choice."