Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Putting Beauty into The Beast

19/01/2019

Putting Beauty into The Beast posted: 19/01/2019

It's panto time again in the UK with the slapstick, craziness and innuendos flying as fast as a foam pie in the face

At Blackpool Grand this year, putting both beauty and some beast attitude into the show, lighting designer Andy Webb specified 81 x Robe fixtures - 98 per cent of them LED sources - for a brand-new version of the classic tale produced by UK Productions for the 2018-19 season.

It's the fourth consecutive year that Andy has lit the famous UK seaside resort's panto, which was directed by Damian Sandys with whom he also worked on the 2017-18 production. This was a huge advantage to the fluidity and creative flow of this year's show, together with knowing the venue, a beautiful original Matcham house that is notoriously tight for space when installing the complex modern productions of the 21st century.

Andy chose Robe as his main lighting fixtures for several reasons. I've spec'd and worked with Robe on numerous shows and I know the products really well he explained, adding, there is a great choice of fixtures, their LED light sources are of an excellent quality and overall the kit is super reliable .

He relishes the chance to light panto as a genre which is seriously fast-paced and offers huge scope for colour, melodrama and fun - simultaneously playful, exciting and scary - all great ambiences to embellish with light. Lighting a brand-new production for the first time was also really exciting, and it offered the opportunity to set the ground rules and create some spectacular signature elements.

To give the Beast's character more gravitas and depth, Andy introduced some proper darkness and foreboding to his castle domain. That darkness was also an imaginative starting point for the lighting to evolve, as they needed to be able to flip between this state and a host of bright mischievous lighting for the comedy scenes - of which there were plenty!

Lighting was also used for other metaphors - throughout the show, as the Beast slowly but surely falls in love with main female protagonist Belle, more lights and festoons, etc, are introduced to his castle environment transforming it from a dingy, grubby den to a brighter more vivid and alive space.

Andy started with ten Robe DL4S Profiles, eight distributed between LX bars 1 and 3 with the other two rigged at FOH.

Eight Spiider LED wash beams are also on LX 1 and 2 as Andy wanted a BIG lush wash lighting effect covering the whole stage.

Three DL4F fresnels on back light bar - LX3 - create a look that has become one of Andy's classic' panto scenes; the fresnel lens as a back light really brings a different take and quality of light to the picture he said.

On the same rear LX bar are six ParFect 150s and two Robe LED Strobes used for lightening effects critical to the big fight scene, helping the audience to feel every push, shove and punch.

On the final upstage LX bar are another four LEDBeam 150s utilised for special pickups at the back of the set and for set dressing - in conjunction with two VIVA Spots and one VIVA CMY on the same bar - plus another two VIVAs on the pros perch (FOH).

Four LEDBeam 150s on the house bars either side of the pros point into the audience for blinder effects and movement cues. As with all pantos, audience interaction is fundamental to the genre. Andy also reveals he was inspired to capitalise on these side pros lighting positions after working on the Cirque Robe' live performance show at the 2018 Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt with LD Nathan Wan.

There is also an LEDWash 300 on both pros' bars for the low-cut shadow work in the castle scenes and for those featuring The Beast.

A total of 20 x ParFect 100s and four ParFect S1s are deployed in various positions including eight at FOH acting as a contrasting set wash, with the rest on side stage boom ladders for cross stage lighting and a pair upstage swooshing across the Cyc.

Traversing the stage floor at the front - in the footlights position - are four CycFX 8 LED battens which provide excellent moody shadow lighting onstage and swing around into the audience for dramatic specials that build excitement at strategic moments in the narrative.

Just offstage of these each side is a Spikie. Andy has used the Spikie flower effects to help enhance the magical moments in the storytelling, like when the good fairy is working her spells for peace and harmony to prevail. They also give a nice low cross light for The Beast's reveal and for his transformation back into a Prince!

Just two of these small fixtures were all that were needed to play an integral role in the production, as Andy needed a neat and compact source zoomed in to 4 degrees so the (performer) flying wires weren't caught in the beams!

Next to the pros arch each side was a Robe Pointe - the only intelligent discharge fixtures in the show! These were unleashed for wizardry effects and in particular - in conjunction with three half mirror dishes - what Andy calls his magic zap' effect where super-fast beams of light zap between them, ping-pong style! This was devised to create the effect without using pyro.

The Pointes were also used for their more standard beaming effects into the crowd.

A single Robe MiniMe effects projector rigged in the upper balcony came into play during the Beast transformation scene, running sparkling video content. Andy was impressed considering the unit was over 40 metres away from the stage and focussed tightly into the Beast's chest. Again, the call was for a small and very controllable fixture to avoid revealing the flying wires.

The intelligent lights were supplied by CEG Hire & Productions from Cambridge, and Andy also used the house generics - Source Four profiles at FOH and PARs on some of the side booms.

As with all his desi
LINK: https://www.live-production.tv/news/shows/putting-beauty-beast.html...
See more stories from liveproduction

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

03/09/2026

Calrec advances EBU's Dynamic Media Facility vision at IBC 2026

With the industry increasingly embracing hybrid, software-defined production models, Calrec will preview a series of Argo and ImPulseV software enhancements at ...

03/09/2026

NAB Backs Most Proposed EAS Changes at FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

TiVo Expands FAST Channels, AI Discovery with Latest OS Update

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

Eluvio Advances Content Fabric, AI at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

Haivision Adds Bonded 5G Cellular Support to Makito ONE

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

Alex Pannell Joins Gravity Media as Chief Business Officer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

AI-Media To Feature Multilingual AI Developments At IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

Tuxera and ATTO collaborate to deliver blistering macOS n...

Recognizing the ever-increasing demands for media throughput in challenging environments like post-production, two leaders in network technology have worked tog...

03/09/2026

EVS and Matrox Video Join Forces to Accelerate Dynamic Me...

EVS, a leader in live video technology and production infrastructure solutions, and Matrox Video, a leader in software-defined media technology and IP-based vid...

03/09/2026

AJA Debuts OG-FiDO-4 openGear Four-Channel SDI/Fiber Conversion Cards

AJA Debuts OG-FiDO-4 openGear Four-Channel SDI/Fiber Conversion Cards Brie Clayton September 3, 2026 0 Comments New product family expands 12G-SDI and...

03/09/2026

Nice Touch launches V2 of its AI edit assistant for professional editors

Nice Touch launches V2 of its AI edit assistant for professional editors Brie Clayton September 3, 2026 0 Comments Built by two editors with twelve ye...

03/09/2026

Accedo and MediaKind Launch End-to-End Streaming Solution...

Accedo, a global provider of video streaming software and services, and MediaKind, a world-leading video technology company and the number one independent provi...

03/09/2026

14 Percent of live sports viewers have considered switchi...

International research from Big Blue Marble puts a consumer churn number against a technical failure, and sets out what streaming providers must fix before 2030...

03/09/2026

Broadpeak expands CDNaaS for streaming at scale with new...

High-performance points of presence power video streaming delivery to large audiences across Latin America with guaranteed quality of experience Broadpeak , a ...

03/09/2026

Dalia Delivers New Agentic Workflows Changing How Media W...

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, will unveil the next evolution of Dalia at IBC2026 (7.A43), its media-aware agent...

03/09/2026

CGI showcases AI-assisted newsroom and radio workflows pa...

CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the world's largest independent IT and business consulting services firms, will showcase CGI OpenMedia Evolve and CGI d...

03/09/2026

LiveU Joins IBC Accelerator Smart Stories Consortium to D...

LiveU is participating in the IBC Accelerator Incubator 2026: Smart Stories The New Knowledge Architecture for Content Production, an industry-wide initiative...

03/09/2026

Christer Palsson brings global experience to Broadcast So...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, has taken another major step in its...

03/09/2026

Quortex brings AI and IP transition into focus at IBC 202...

Quortex today announced that it will showcase how it is accelerating innovation and the transition to IP at IBC 2026. The company will debut its newest intellig...

03/09/2026

Grass Valley Names Ronny Van Geel Vice President Of Cameras

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/09/2026

VisualOn and EZDRM Enable Visualization of C2PA Provenanc...

The EZDRM approach to Revenue Security on streaming video can be visualized as a multi-dimensional set of solutions. A growing dimension of that approach is the...

03/09/2026

Kiloview Brings Hybrid AV-over-IP to Life at IBC 2026 wit...

From field capture to management, control and production, Kiloview will demonstrate one connected Hybrid AV-over-IP workflow including a complete 4RU producti...

03/09/2026

Mediagenix Curation Unlocks Greater Catalog Value Through...

Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced Mediagenix Curation, a new...

03/09/2026

LucidLink brings distributed media into active workflows...

LucidLink, the Emmy-winning cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, today announced the next step in its vision to make ...

03/09/2026

Fraudulent communications purportedly from Screen Australia

Fraudulent communications purportedly from Screen Australia 3 September 2026 Screen Australia is aware of scam attempts involving fake emails and promotional m...

03/09/2026

AJA Introduces FS8, Next-Gen 12G-SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 Media Processor

AJA Introduces FS8, Next-Gen 12G-SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 Media Processor Brie Clayton September 2, 2026 0 Comments AJA Video Systems unveiled FS8, a video a...

03/09/2026

Shooting Deadheading with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

Shooting Deadheading with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton September 2, 2026 0 Comments Bringing a small story to the big screen with dark com...

03/09/2026

OOONA Launches OOONA Go: Professional Localization Management for Small Companies

OOONA Launches OOONA Go: Professional Localization Management for Small Companie...

03/09/2026

East of Texas Opens at American Tobacco Campus, Bringing North Carolina's First Tex-Mex BBQ Concept to Durham

DURHAM, N.C. - East of Texas Durham has officially opened its doors at American ...

03/09/2026

Comscore Expands Its AI Intelligence to Measure Sponsored Chat Advertising and Its Business Impact

Comscore Expands Its AI Intelligence to Measure Sponsored Chat Advertising and I...

03/09/2026

Is Six-Seven over? Comedian Tony Cantwell gets the low-down from kids in new RT KIDS series, First Class Take

First Class Takes is a new six-part series for RT KIDS that captures funny, hon...

03/09/2026

NBA 2K27' With NVIDIA DLSS 5 Leads 26 New Games Coming to GeForce NOW

September is here with 26 more games streaming on GeForce NOW this month, led by a slam dunk: NBA 2K27 with the NVIDIA DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering feature...

02/09/2026

SVG Venues & Teams Summit 2026: All Sessions Now Available To Watch on SVG PLAY

Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...

02/09/2026

SoFi Stadium Completes Broadcast Infrastructure Upgrade

SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...

02/09/2026

IBC 2026: Comcast Technology Solutions Unveils AI-Powered Workflow Applications

Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...

02/09/2026

NABA and APWPT Announce Partnership on Wireless Spectrum Advocacy

The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...

02/09/2026

Prime Video Lands Exclusive In-Market Streaming Rights for Six NHL Teams Beginning This Season

Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...

02/09/2026

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Goes Mini: Nine-Year-Old Venue Continues to Innovate With Control Room Mini Halo Board

New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...

02/09/2026

Keeley Electronics launch the Tube Drive

Combines the Phat Drive with high-voltage valve circuit The latest pedal from Keeley Electronics combines their popular Phat Mode drive pedal with an all-ne...

02/09/2026

Lewitt introduce Space Replicator Free

Free version of virtual mixing room plug-in introduced Lewitt's Space Replicator plug-in provides users with a virtual monitoring environment that aims ...

02/09/2026

Stereophonic Bundle from AIR Music Tech

Two new mixing & mastering plug-ins revealed AIR Music Tech have just introduced the Stereophonic Bundle, a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide ...

02/09/2026

Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving feature SSSG for 5G NR

Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving f...

02/09/2026

AgileTV and Fiend MTS Complete CDN Watermarking Integration to Fast-Track Anti-Piracy Protection for Operators

Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...

02/09/2026

Agentic AI in the content supply chain

Why agentic media supply chains need experience design built around visibility, reversibility and human authority When AI can generate a functional interface ...

02/09/2026

Gracenote study: 85% of sports fans want TV home screens to show when and where to watch favorite teams

Six-country survey finds 26% of sports fans frequently unable to determine where...

02/09/2026

Manfrotto Showcases New Video Support Solutions at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Mediagenix Rebrands Spideo as Mediagenix Curation

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...