LONDON — It’s the band that provides the entertainment during a
live concert, but a show’s aesthetics are often as important as the sounds. So
when members of the British progressive rock band Lifesigns decided to make a
live show DVD, they called on Lighting Designer Chris Curran to make them look
as good as they sound, a feat he accomplished with the help of HARMAN’s Martin
Professional MAC Quantum Wash light and M6 controller.
Lifesigns’ two-night performance at the London rock venue Under
The Bridge in January was selected for the DVD to be filmed because of its
location, an LED screen at the back of the stage and the presence of existing
Martin fixtures. Curran, however, was eager to make the performance a true
experience for both attendees and fans, the latter of which crowd funded the
DVD’s production. So he got in touch with David Stewart, Key Account Manager
for Martin Professional UK, who sourced Curran with the M6 and 12 Quantum
Washes for the shows.
“Under the Bridge had an array of Martin MAC 401s but I’m not a
huge fan of wash lights,” said Curran. “Stewart knew this but still recommended
the Quantum Washes. After two shows with them, I can officially say I’m a
massive fan!”
Curran, who generally prefers a tightly focused show, was won over
by the Quantum Wash’s three rings of light, beam twister and easy manipulation
of colors. He has become a big fan of the beam twister and colors effects,
which allow a lighting designer to quickly transition from a large to narrow
wash, giving each show a versatile and dynamic look. “It’s a whole new world,”
he said. “Even during the performance I caught myself thinking, “Wow, that
looks amazing!’”
Curran considers himself “old school” and prefers to light the band
rather than the audience. This made him especially appropriate for working on a
filmed performance. The directors set up eight action cameras around the stage
for quick cuts and close-ups, which required Curran to comprehensively light
the band members in a variety of ways to give the editors plenty of options in
post-production.
“The audience didn’t come to the show to see the house lights,
they came to see the band,” said Curran. “They should see the same show that
everyone else sees on the DVD. To me, you have to capture the dynamics of the
live show and not just the music. Luckily, I had a lot of control to do this.”
He programmed the show at home with his own Martin M2GO console
using Martin Show Designer for visualization and then operated the show
lighting from the M6. He chose the M6 because of its 44 playbacks, allowing a
more hands-on approach that could be as reactive as Curran desired.
“With the help of the M6, I was able to provide a very diverse
array of effects and looks for the DVD,” he said. “I only wish I had had more
time with the Quantum Washes. I had an absolute field day and can’t wait to use
them again!”
For more information on Lifesigns, please visit http://www.lifesigns.me/
For more information on Under the Bridge, please visit http://underthebridge.co.uk/
For more information, please visit: www.martin.com
As a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions
for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting
and video systems are renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of
advanced lighting controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of
smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the
industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in
nearly 100 countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is
the lighting division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN
International Industries. For more information please visit:
www.martin.com.
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