Lighting designer Tom Kinane used 60 i-Pix Satellite LED ‘bricks’ to illuminate the set and stage for the third series of popular daytime TV quiz, “Wogan’s Perfect Recall”, which is being recorded in studio TV2 at Pinewood, Middlesex, UK.
Kinane has been a big fan of all i-Pix products and uses them on many of his shows. He likes the new BB range, but also still loves, and when the occasion suits, is a ‘power user’ of the original Satellite, the first product developed and brought to the market by the Manchester based manufacturers back in 2006.
The circular Perfect Recall set was designed by Dominic Tofts and consisted of a large semi-circular matrix of sharkstooth-scrimmed and open frames. This was washed with the back set of 37 Satellites, positioned around the rear section of the spherical stage floor. Fitted with 60 degree lenses for wide dispersion, they produced a rich, even coverage across the whole set area – which changes colour to denote the different phases of the quiz.
The floor-based Satellites on the camera side of the stage were tucked in close to the stage podium, and shot dramatic slices and blocks of colour across the studio floor, enhancing the depth and perceived size of the space.
The other 23 Satellites were mounted on mono-poles poking over the top of the back of the set, used as camera “twinklies”.
The Satellites were the main lighting fixtures of the show – the only others being some tight key and fill lights – and they definitely had the most impact with the saturated colour changing effects.
Kinane says, “Once again, the Satellites were a perfect, versatile, cost-effective solution that gave all the variation we needed”.
Apart from that, they draw very little power, emit no heat and are exceptionally robust fixtures that can be tucked into small and awkward nooks, crannies, corners or holes because of their expedient size.
They were supplied by Greenford-based Panalux, who were so impressed with their performance after the second series of the show, that they purchased them this time around.
The lighting director for this series of Wogan’s Perfect Recall was Mark Cunniffe, and the Satellites were operated by James Ashdown using Martin Light Jockey software.
The 45 minute shows, which are scheduled to air in late 2009/early 2010, were produced on a very fast timeline – with 3 or 4 episodes recorded each day.
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