Astera for Fiach Drive in Drama in Ireland posted: 24/09/2020
Presenting theatre and performance in the pandemic is a truly challenging space, but it's also no surprise that our hugely talented and resourceful entertainment industry worldwide is responding with some truly imaginative and ingenious solutions for offering the public much needed opportunities for engaging with thrilling and emotional dramatic experiences! Fiach is a fantastic example! This unique new work by Philip Doherty unites the disciplines of theatre, cinema and comedy in a seat-edge live onstage and in-car drama, accompanied by vibrant large format video visuals, a thumping sound system, intense theatrical lighting all in a Covid-safe drive-in viewing environment.
It is also a great example of how a kit of eight Astera Titan Tubes, used with thought and invention by lighting designer Mick Murray can go a long way!
The ground-breaking Irish-language work was presented (with English surtitles) by F b n in association with An Taibhdhearc in a car park at Baile na hAbhann, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, starring award-winning actors Fionnuala Flaherty and Dara Devaney.
Delivering a blistering tale of love, passion and the power of the human spirit , the adrenaline-fuelled action started when local hoodlum and drug dealer Fiach staggers out of a pub high on a mind-blowing-and-bending cocktail of acid and whisky! Getting into his car, he's pursued at high speed by Garda officer, Cl ona.
An hour 20 minutes of rollercoaster action and darkly humorous comedy later, the story reaches a thrilling conclusion.
Producers F b n asked Mick Murray to create the lighting, video and staging designs. With an impressive array of idiosyncratic mixed media projects to his credit, Mick jumped at the chance and reached for Astera Titan Tubes - supplied by lighting rental and installations specialist Cue One - as a practical, powerful and aesthetically pleasing lighting solution.
Mick and Philip (Doherty), who also directed his work, discussed numerous elements and ideas. The requirement was for a mix of cinematic and theatrical lighting techniques and treatments, and for this to work properly, the quality of light was hugely important stated Mick.
This was the primary reason he chose Astera products, plus their ability to add a more dynamic feel to the show.
As Philip really wanted to immerse the audience in the show, in the stage design Mick positioned the cars - the dealer's Ford Capri and the policewoman's unmarked Nissan Primera vehicle - on staging decks with the actors inside as far as possible into the audience.
Four Astera Titan Tubes were rigged in the two cars and the other four on the four scenic' streetlights complete with custom-designed 3D printed hoods.
The four dynamic streetlights' completed the desired physical immersion effect extending from the edges of the car stages out through the lines of audience vehicles pulling them into the action.
Inside the two chase cars, Mick needed both key and effects lighting.
The two Titan Tubes were the main key lights, augmented with fill coming from LED strips placed on the sun visors and dashboards. In the police car, the Titans were secured either side along the top of the front doors, and in the Capri, one was in front and one on the left.
Live camera feeds from the cars were beamed up onto a billboard style projection screen behind the cars.
Much of the pre-recorded video content and close up shots - feet on accelerators, hands of steering wheels, etc., plus some additional optical trickery - was also shot on site during the rehearsal period, all coordinated and compiled by Mick and programmed onto a Smode media server.
The Astera units were pixel mapped for effects to run over their static show states which were varied slightly in colour and intensity, always keeping the camera image looking good, commented Mick, who was delighted with the results.
The streetlight effects threw the atmosphere and tension out in the audience / car area via slow animated pixel chases on the Titan Tubes, all helping to ramp up the energy and excitement so the audience felt they were part of the chase.
Other major lighting moments where guests needed to enjoy the narrative's fuller visceral dramaturgy included when Fiach's acid trip explodes in his head - to Mos-Def / Massive Attack track I against I - assisted by a string of psychoactive effects produced by the Astera street lights'.
Mick also found a perfect sodium colour temperature look for the Titans to match the street nearby for the drive-in state as people arrived.
The printed sleeve of the streetlight hood fitted over and protected the centre of the Titan Tube and slid into a T-shaped key-clamp fitting mounted on top of 4 metre high lighting booms. The hood also incorporated the mounting hardware supplied with the 8-way Titan Tube kits - a hole in the end of each hood accepted the M5 rigging eyelet and a slot / holes enabled the aluminium mounting clip to be screwed to two parts of the hood and attached to the Tube.
All eight Titan Tubes were run powered, via thin DC cables back to the Titan charger located in the boots of the cars, and were programmed, together with the other lights, via an ETC Ion lighting console by Ritchie Lambert who was working as Mick's assistant LD. The car headlights were also DMX controlled and run through the lighting desk for the performance.
At the end of the show, the audience replaced clapping with flashing headlights and honking horns - all in unison, proving that atmosphere can form between a socially distant / separated audience even when self-contained in their own car bubbles'!
The production was a highly rewarding experience in which to be involved elucidated Mick who lives in Slovenia and had to quarantine for
Europe Stories
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...
03/06/2026
Step sequencer-style panning tool revealed
Alongside their flagship self-titled sound-design platform, Sound Particles offer an array of creative effects an...
03/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
03/06/2026
Significant discount available until 1 October 2026
Aim Audio have just announced a promotion that sees a significant discount applied to their Essence micr...
03/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to supply CERTIUM advanced communications system to Memmingen Ai...
03/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
03/06/2026
RT confirms multi-channel and free to air coverage of the expanded tournament with enhanced digital features and the return of Total Football for young fans
S...
03/06/2026
03 Jun 2026
VEON to Release 2Q26 Earnings on July 31, 2026 Dubai and New York, June 3, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON or t...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
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...
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
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for hybrid and Next Gen...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
A little refresh can go a long way. We've been making behind-the-scenes upda...
28/05/2026
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Tod...
28/05/2026
New software-based MIDI multi-clock announced
Rapid Flow have just announced the launch of a new MIDI utility plug-in that aims to solve one of the most per...
Astera for Fiach Drive in Drama in Ireland posted: 24/09/2020 
