Lichtmacht VROOOOOMS up with Robe SVB1s
Lichtmacht (Light-Force) is a broadcast technical production and rental specialist based in Hilversum, The Netherlands, active in all related areas, including television, films, commercials, streaming, XR, AR, VR, and also engaged in high-end studio installations. The well-respected company provides expert crew, creatives, and the best and most appropriate equipment for numerous projects year-round. Last year, they invested in Robe moving lights for the first time, with the purchase of 24 x SVB1s – a small, lightweight, high-impact effect, beam, and wash luminaire that looks great on camera in multiple contexts.
These were also the first SVB1s in the Netherlands at the time, explained Lichtmacht lighting designer Daan Thieme, adding that they like to keep ahead of the curve and have the latest technology available for their various projects. The SVB1s were deployed almost immediately on Vrooooom, a Formula 1 commentary show aired live every Friday evening.
Daan created two distinctive lighting looks to cover the four segments. The first look had a more centralised and cosy feel for the pre and post-practice talks, focusing on the central studio positions while the rest of the space was darker; and the other one was a more relaxed Friday night bar / entertainment setting for the café show, which also included a live audience of around 60, encouraging interaction between race fans and the presenters. This is specifically why they wanted to use the SVB1s, mainly for backlighting the audience and for cool back-of-camera effects like twinkling, bokeh and slow kinetic chases that look dynamic but subtle and interesting while not distracting.
Daan, a lighting professional of some 20 years and an expert in the worlds of feature films and broadcast, recalled how they had previously worked with other Robe products like the LEDBeam 150 and more recently LEDBeam 350s, and the original plan to vibe up the lighting for this series involved using these fixtures. However, when SVB1 was launched, Daan, together with Lichtmacht’s general manager Loet Bol and operations manager Yuri van Houter, decided that it would be better – and edgier – to purchaseand use the newer products. “We really wanted to keep the look of the show contemporary and crisp, and this was a perfect way to do it,” Daan noted. He likes the fact that SVB1 is a small and versatile fixture like the LEDBeam 150 – that it can be fitted into any space – and that it has a host of additional characteristics, including continuous pan-and-tiltmovement, and it also makes an excellent blinder. The SVB1s were part of a lighting rig of approximately 150 LED units used on Vrooooom.
Photos © Louise Stickland
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