BMFLs for Basel Tattoo posted: 08/10/2017
Seventy Robe BMFL moving lights - 48 BMFL Blades and 22 x BMFL WashBeams were used on the 2017 Basel Tattoo, one of the most important military tattoos in Europe, which is staged for a week in a temporary structure erected in front of the Kaserne former military barracks in the centre of the city in northwest Switzerland.
The BMFLs were part of a lighting scheme by Rolf Derrer for the week long Tattoo which features 10 shows and capacity audiences of 7500 for each one. Working closely with Rolf was programmer and his right hand person Reto Engler, who has worked on the event since 2013.
The BMFLs were supplied by Winkler Multimedia Events AG from Wohlen together with the rest of the lighting kit and the full technical production. Winkler's technical director Roni Huber first started looking for new and more powerful fixtures after the 2016 show, when Reto and Rolf decided that it was time for a fresh, different look and approach to lighting the event utilizing less fixtures, but brighter lightsources!
The 70 x BMFLs made a massive difference to how they could light the parade ground, which benefitted from a large boost in lumens to cover the whole space and the featured military bands plus three dance troupes, one horseback troupe and a motorcycle display team. The two hour all-action show was directed by Erik Julliard, producer and CEO of the Basel Tattoo.
Left and right of the field-of-play were two MiTrix video screens and the front of the Kaserne building was mapped with large format projections, 66 metres wide by 11 metres high, fed by six Panasonic 31K machines.
Rolf and Reto had to ensure that lighting was kept away from the projection on one hand, while it also had to hold its own against the brightness and ambient lighting emitted by the LED screens, presenting a double edged sword' scenario for which they needed the proper multi-functionality' of the BMFLs.
Each side of the performance space three Layher lighting towers were installed and most of the 48 x BMFL Blades were rigged on these.
At the front of the parade ground, all the BMFL WashBeams were positioned on trusses at the back of the seating platforms, together with a few BMFL Blades. The fixtures were all used to illuminate the huge field-of-play and for key lighting some of the acts.
The BMFLs on the side towers were used for accurate side lighting and to create striking gobo patterning on the floor.
The most difficult aspect to lighting this show, explains Reto, was working with the weather which is never 100 per cent predictable! He reports that the BMFLs stood up to this extremely well.
The twilight part of the show is challenging, but with BMFLs on hand, they had the adaptability to really lift this section of the show and blend the event lighting perfectly with the natural lighting as the sun set.
With audience sitting 270 degrees around the parade ground and the bands marching in different formations using every centimetre of the performance space and limited lighting positions, another challenge was ensuring that light was absolutely everywhere, so both audience and performers could see and engage with all the action!
On top of that, they had to be careful lighting any of the pieces involving horses, which don't like stepping into dark patches!
The output of the BMFL is excellent commented Reto, We really need the intensity of this show. The accuracy of the pan/tilt movement is also crucial, as we're often up to 100 metres away from the point-of-focus .
He adds that the frost filter was a great help in enabling good wash and spot functionality in a single fixture.
Reto, Rolf and Roni Huber - as the second lighting operator - programmed the show over four intense overnight sessions, working closely with media server programmer Michael Kuhn who was dealing with all the video content playback.
Reto has worked with Robe products many times over the last 10 years and is intending to use the BMFLs as follow spots on an upcoming project.
He thinks Robe has had their eyes on the ball in recent years and brought some good products to the market. He likes using BMFLs on large shows and thinks the Pointe is a state-of-the-art beam fixture that is infinitely versatile and appropriate for so many applications.
The new look lighting for the Basel Tattoo has been very well received.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
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
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
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
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
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
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
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
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
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 t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
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 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
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
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
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
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
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
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
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
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 Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
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
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
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, 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, 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, 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
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
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, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
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 reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
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
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
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
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 The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
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 SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
BMFLs for Basel Tattoo posted: 08/10/2017 
