Robe MegaPointes for X-Factor UK posted: 29/11/2017
For the second year running, Robe's newest moving lights - including the just launched MegaPointe multi-purpose moving light - featured prominently on the UK's much anticipated 2017 X Factor final series. Six weeks of nail-biting live show excitement with lighting designed by Tim Routledge will reveal some incredible singing talent and culminate on the final at Wembley Arena this weekend.
The show was staged for the first time at LH2 Studios in Park Royal, north-west London, and joining the 43 x MegaPointes on Tim's rig were another 270 Robe fixtures 112 x Spikies, 52 x Spiider LED wash beams, 37 x BMFL Blades, 34 of the brand new LEDBeam 150s, 35 x onePATT single cells which are also new and a BMFL RoboSpot adding up to a grand total of 314 x Robe lights.
Another stunning set by Florien Wieder of Wieder Design included multiple LED screens and a strong video presence defining the space, building on the look that was such a big hit with everyone last year. The set occupied slightly more space this year, incorporating a series of balconies and a mezzanine level.
A new creative team from The Squared Division came on-board for 2017 alongside series director Julia Knowles. The executive producers wanted an immersive feel to the show, so the 3mm high definition LED screens gave a wide and apparently continuous look, with some discreet breaks in between that were filled with concealed lighting.
A trough beneath the main screen and the slim gaps in between the LED surfaces were the starting points for Tim's lighting design. His goal was to keep the hardware largely hidden but carefully positioned, so powerful and dramatic surprises could be revealed and blasted through from nowhere when needed.
It was a case of diligent balancing and complimenting between the two media of lighting and video.
The base production' lighting package - primarily made up of the 300 plus Robe units - was used for each weekly live show, supplemented with different specials that were added for each song.
Additionals this year have included 48 x Robe Halos for Week 5, used for Irish brothers Sean and Conor Price who performed their own version of the Jimi Hendrix classic All Along The Watchtower'.
MegaPointes and Spikies were the main feature lights for 2017.
As soon as Tim first saw the MegaPointe demonstrated earlier in the year, he was really struck with its possibilities as a Swiss Army knife' of a light and immediately thought they would be ideal for X Factor.
Above the stage this year was a large circular screen, with 20 x MegaPointes rigged around its perimeter, while the other 23 were dotted around the main lighting rig
The massive brightness and functionality of the MegaPointe helped evoke the pacey dynamics and diversity demanded of the house' lighting system as Tim and programmer / operator Tom Young kept the fresh new looks coming relentlessly as the series unfolded!
Tim is always happy to work with new technologies and was delighted to be able to incorporate MegaPointes for the first time on a UK television show and one of ITV's prime time hits at that!
The Spikies were installed in the gaps in between the screens they enabled a myriad of cool big looks and scenes. On some sections of the set, they were alternated with old-skool tungsten pars.
A major X Factor challenge is always to keep the visuals pumping throughout the series, and making sure they don't get repeated or tired, and to achieve this properly, several different layers of multi-purpose effects are essential.
Last year, Tim debuted the then just launched Robe Spiider on the X Factor live shows and finale which he loved and the move was a massive success. He used them again this year as he still absolutely loves the light!
Fixtures like Spiiders and LEDBeam 150s were positioned strategically and optimised for being in both background and foreground camera shots.
BMFLs covered all the key lighting and also kicked in with epic hi-impact looks when needed. Tim was again among the first LDs to specify BMFLs on a major spectacular with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Shiny and new on X Factor were a series of onePATTs, rigged in the mezzanine and balcony areas of the set and around the audience, where their vintage style accentuated the functional, slightly industrial setting complete with exposed brick walls and steelwork.
onePATT is the latest in Robe's growing PATT family of scenic' retro-styled luminaires, a high-powered, multi-coloured RGBW multichip LED lightsource housed in a slim brushed metal frame characteristic to the PATT series.
Tim and Tom worked closely on site with gaffer Keith Duncan, and lighting equipment was supplied by multi award winning rental company Neg Earth, where the account is handled by Damien Jackson.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Robe MegaPointes for X-Factor UK posted: 29/11/2017 
