Robe LEDBeam 350s play the TV game

Left to right: Marc Frijters (Controllux), ), Stefan Bensch (Eventec), Bas van der Poel (lighting designer, Wijnand Mol (Eventec) and Jeroen van Aalst (Controllux)

Lighting designer Bas van der Poel from design practice Light Image used Robe’s brand new LEDBeam 350 moving light fixtures for the recording of a new series of German games show “99 ‐ Eine:r schlägt sie alle!” (99 ‐ One Beats Them All!), which was recorded in the Netherlands at the fabulous circular Westergas venue – part of a former gasworks now sustainably reimagined as a popular event and cultural space – in central Amsterdam.

The 32 x LEDBeam 350s – the first to arrive in the Netherlands – were delivered to lighting rental company Eventec which specialises in supplying lighting for the television and broadcast sector by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux. Eventec works regularly with the show’s production company, Fabiola BV, and was asked to supply lighting and rigging for the series’ three-week shooting period at Westergas.

Bas and director Bastien Angemeer discussed initial ideas for lighting, and Bas created the design based on this plus having an adaptable and versatile rig to be able to quickly cover multiple requirements of the fast‐paced show and tight recording schedule.

Bas had already produced a kit list for the lighting design when Eventec’s owner Wijnand Mol and operations manager Stefan Bensch mentioned that they expected to have the LEDBeam 350s by that time… and did he want to try them out? Naturally, Bas jumped at the chance of being the first LD in the Netherlands, and indeed Europe, to use this cool new tech on a TV show!

A 20‐metre diameter circular truss was installed in the roof space of Westergas mimicking its impressive circumference, and this was surrounded by a series of 21 x ‘arm’ trusses of two different sizes that alternated around the circular shape of the venue, in the space between the truss and the perimeter wall.

The LEDBeam 350s were positioned at the top end – nearer the outside – of each of the 21 x sticks of ‘finger’ truss, with a MegaPointe at the other end, and two Spiiders in the middle. In addition to these, also on the lighting rig were another 82 Robe fixtures – 40 x Spiiders, 20 x MegaPointes and 22 x ESPRITES – plus other lights.

The Westergas floor had to be kept relatively clear of kit and set allowing the games to be set up, played, and filmed, so the ESPRITES were on trusses hung in the middle of the circular truss and were optimised for key light. The remaining 11 x LEDBeam 350s were deployed on the floor in different positions … used as punchy and flexible lightsources around the back wall that could be moved to wherever they were needed according to the shots.

LEDBeam 350

Bas was “super‐excited” to be using the LEDBeam 350s and well impressed with the brightness and speed of the fixture. “It’s a large space and they are right at the furthest lighting points from the centre of the room, and they throw really nicely and brightly into that area,” he commented whilst on site.

He rates the white LED source of the ESPRITES and the fact that the luminaire also has multiple uses, making it a “truly versatile workhorse” fixture and great for television or theatre front lights as well as show effects for multi‐camera and festival environments.

He worked alongside lighting programmer and operator Thijs Benschop also from Light Image using a grandMA2.

The ESPRITES were another new addition to Eventec’s inventory in 2020, and the initial order was quickly followed by another one as they were specified like ‘hot cakes’ and they also discovered ESPRITE is great in combination with their RoboSpot remote controlled follow spotti ng systems!

They now have over 200 of the newest Robe fixtures in rental stock – LEDWash 600+s, BMFL Blades, LEDBeam 150s, LEDWash 300s and MegaPointes, ESPRITES and now the LEDBeam 350s – and are expecting the LEDBeam 350s ‐ like the rest of the kit ‐ to be in constant demand going forward.

www.robe.cz

Photos © Louise Stickland