Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Robe Helps Play It Forward with Oooth

03/07/2020

Robe Helps Play It Forward with Oooth posted: 03/07/2020

Play It Forward an incendiary new live show by South African rockers Oooth - well known for their love of high production values and visual stage presentations - was part of a dynamic live stream designed as a fundraiser for tattoo artists across the country and freelance technicians via #FeedOurCrew who have been left high and dry and without any income during the Covid-19 lockdown. The broadcast - on YouTube and Facebook Live - also included interviews, features and panel discussions, and was staged at leading SA rental company MGG's Studio B facility, one of two such facilities at their HQ in Johannesburg, complete with a full Robe lighting rig.

Reaching around 6000 fans, whilst Play it Forward' was airing, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the following day tattoo artists and studios would be able to re-start their businesses. On hearing this fantastic news, they in turn made a collective decision to donate the proceeds to #FeedOurCrew, an NGO which is providing basic needs and essential relief for event industry freelancers whilst large gatherings and shows are still banned.

MGG's Johannesburg Studio B is the largest of the two at around 16 x 16 metres - allowing for a good amount of social distancing - and has been set up in their structures warehouse since the lockdown, as the company has reorganised and re-purposed itself to deal with radical changes in its current business. With a decent amount of headroom, its ideal for rock n' roll style streamed shows ... which have been produced there since SA instituted level 3 lockdown on June 1st.

MGG's talented and resourceful resident lighting technicians Sipho Kekana and Hein Str h worked together to design the lighting for both Johannesburg studios (MGG has a third at its Cape Town branch), and their input included specifying the 50 x Robe moving lights.

It includes six of MGG's new Robe ESPRITE Profile LED units with the transferrable engine, purchased just before Covid-19 brought the industry to a standstill, together with Pointes, Spiiders, Spikies, LEDBeam 150s, LEDWash 600s, DL4S Profiles, CycFX 8 and Tetra2 moving LED battens ... all of which were picked for their versatility and multifunctionality.

Most of the fixtures are LED light sources to save on daily running costs and assist with keeping temperatures lower and more comfortable without having to crank up the AC excessively.

The ESPRITES are the principal key lighting and are used for accurate framing and sharp shuttering work, and their range of colour temperate whites works superbly on camera.

The LEDWash 600s are the studio's workhorse wash lights together with the Spiiders which can also add extra pixel effects and work as both beams and washes.

The CycFX 8s provide front fill light and footlights to help eliminate eye and nose shadows, while the little Spikies are upstage on the floor punching away with vibrant, dazzling beam effects projected behind the artists.

The Pointes are rigged in the roof grid alongside the LEDBeam100s for additional beam effects and gobo to evoke the vibe of performing on an authentic live stage.

All of these are controlled via a grandMA2.

There has been no better choice of light for us here than the Robe LED-based fixtures, commented Sipho.

Studio B has four Canon HD camera kits installed to catch every angle, all mixed on a Barco FSN switcher with the band all utilising Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitors engineered via a DiGiCo SD12 audio console in a totally separate control room together with a pair of L-Acoustics 108Ps for the reference mix.

MGG's studio technical crews are working in bubbles so they are fully Covid-19 compliant, and as with all employees and in fact anyone entering the building, there are regular temperature checks, social distancing imposed, compulsory mask-wearing and abundant sanitising facilities throughout.

Oooth are a 4-piece band with some serious attitude, fronted by Jason Oosthuizen ... who is a multi-instrumentalist and a drummer in several other bands which he also manages. In Oooth, he swaps his back-of-stage comfort zone, adds a guitar, and struts his stuff front and centre! The change in perspective keeps him fresh and energised.

Not that there are many dull moments in his schedule! He also has his own wine, coffee, and clothing brands and plenty of tattoos which is where this project started - to highlight the incredible skills, creativity, and philosophy of body art.

Jason also takes a keen interest in production and ensuring that his bands always look and sound fantastic, it's all part of the audience experience . Oooth have their own PA and some lighting and are hoping to invest in further lighting when the industry gets moving again.

He was delighted with the results of the stream.

It looked and sounded amazing, he commented after the show, really appreciating the skills and professionalism of the MGG crews and technicians plus all the energy and enthusiasm that everyone put into making it memorable.

Not having played properly for a couple of months, after an animated set, he admitted to a few aches and pains the following day!

As well as MGG supporting this fundraiser, Robe's South African distributor DWR was extremely proactive in the realisation of Play It Forward and has also been an avid contributor and supporter of Feed Out Crew.

About Feed Our Crew

#FeedOurCrew was established during lockdown by MGG's Tamsyn Strydom and Kagiso Moima from Blackmotion. It is a non-profit organization that has distributed hundreds of grocery vouchers to assist theatre and technical freelancers left stranded by the government's current relief programmes. The SOS Charity fund, an initiative started by Robe's South African distributor DWR, has al
LINK: https://www.live-production.tv/news/shows/robe-helps-play-it-forward-o...
See more stories from liveproduction

Most recent headlines

28/11/2025

Brides Asks for Compassion for Our Youths

Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...

28/11/2025

4 Reasons Why Keeping Your Spotify App Updated Matters and What You Might Be Missing

It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...

28/11/2025

FCC to Vote on LPTV Rules at Dec. Public Meeting

WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...

28/11/2025

Professional Fighters League Packs a Domestic, International MMA Punch (TV Sportsplay)

The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...

28/11/2025

Fubo Launches Multiview Beta on Roku

Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....

28/11/2025

WNBA Playoffs Continue: What's On This Weekend in TV Sports (Sept. 28-29)

The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....

28/11/2025

Freeze Frame: B+C Hall of Fame 2024

The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...

28/11/2025

Next Text: As DirecTV and Dish Try to Seize the Remains of the Day, Does It Even Matter?

We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...

28/11/2025

DirecTV Acquires Dish, Unifying Struggling Satellite Business

DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...

28/11/2025

B+C Hall of Fame Announces Its Class of 2025

The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...

28/11/2025

Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey that unlocks a month of free content from the home of sport

Friday 28 November 2025 Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...

28/11/2025

Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds three billion euros for the first time

Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...

28/11/2025

Changing children's lives for good: Donations for the RT Toy Show Appeal 2025 open tonight

Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...

27/11/2025

Vizrt Launches Viz One 8.1 With AI-Powered Features

LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...

27/11/2025

Prime Video Debuts AI-Powered Video Recaps

Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...

27/11/2025

Netflix's 'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Marks a Grand World Premiere at IFFI Ahead of Its Global Release on 19th December

Back to All News Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...

27/11/2025

Sky unveils first look image from high-stakes action thriller Prisoner, coming 2026

Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...

27/11/2025

Sky Arts Reveals the Nations Greatest Basslines and Queen Reign Supreme

Thursday 27 November 2025 Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...

27/11/2025

Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With Our Final Season Coverage Guide

Back to All News Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...

27/11/2025

Elastic Compute for a Sustainable Media Industry

The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...

27/11/2025

Arqiva Achieves Five-Star GRESB Rating

Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...

27/11/2025

Retail Media Audits Explained: What Networks Need to Know

What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...

27/11/2025

Katie Taylor, Rachael Blackmore and Arthur Gourounlian among the guests on this week's Late Late Show

World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...

27/11/2025

Tonight on RT Prime Time, serious child protection concerns emerge over online gaming platform, Roblox

Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...

27/11/2025

The Ultimate Black Friday Deal Is Here

Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...

26/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Featuring NFL, NBA, and Golf

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...

26/11/2025

Inside the Archives: Winter Is in the Air and in Our Festival Films

A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...

26/11/2025

10 Book Podcasts You Can't Miss

Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...

26/11/2025

JioStar and Nielsen Unveil Breakthrough Cross-Screen MeasurementStudy, Redefining Advertising Effectiveness in Live Sports

Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...

26/11/2025

ITN Deploys IP-Based Production Control Room

LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....

26/11/2025

YouTube TV, TelevisaUnivision End Lengthy Blackout

MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...

26/11/2025

OpenDrives Bridges the Gap Between IT and Creatives with...

OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...

26/11/2025

Disguise to Showcase Future of Event Visuals at LDI 2025

Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...

26/11/2025

HighField AI Expands Global Channel Partner Network to Ac...

HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...

26/11/2025

Mono Streaming selects PlayBox Neo to manage English Prem...

As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...

26/11/2025

Bell Centre arena in Montreal elevates fan experience wit...

Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...

26/11/2025

Vizrt launches AI-powered advances for speed and accuracy...

Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...

26/11/2025

ITN Launches Low-Latency IP Control Room Powered by Teche...

ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...

26/11/2025

Ikegami Maintains Initiative in Broadcast Systems Develop...

Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...

26/11/2025

Fubo, NBCUniversal Trade Barbs in Carriage Dispute

Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....

26/11/2025

Global Sports Rights Spending to Top $78 Billion in 2030

LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...

26/11/2025

Vubiquity Earns AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status

LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...

26/11/2025

Comcast Pays $1.5 Million to Settle FCC Data Breach Probe

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...

26/11/2025

Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List

Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...

26/11/2025

Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on Romance Between Aristocrat and Exchange Student in London

Back to All News Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...

26/11/2025

NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator

Back to All News NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator Social Impact 26 November 2025 United States Link copied to clipboard The National Assoc...

26/11/2025

YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for Sustainability

YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025 YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...