Access All AreasThe back catalogue of composer Hans Zimmer reads a little like a review of some the best films of the last twenty years. Academy Award winner for The Lion King in 1994; Grammy Awards for The Crimson Tide and The Dark Knight through to the WAFCA Award for 12 Years a Slave in 2013.
So the opportunity to see the man in action with a live orchestra at a venue like the Hammersmith Apollo is one not to be missed.
Lighting such a unique event fell into the hands of designer Marc Brickman and it was PRG who were contracted to supply the rig.
Part of the spec included units for a strobe effect light; PRG opted to supply the brand new Clay Paky Stormys to fulfil the request as PRG’s Rich Rowley explains, “We purchased the units from Ambersphere Solutions and the Hans Zimmer show was their first outing. PRG supplied forty eight units in all to this show; they offer a huge saving in power consumption which is bonus for production costs but also the excellent colour selection and the super bright output makes them a great choice from a designer’s perspective.”
The Stormy combines components of the traditional strobe with the latest LED technology. Using a parabolic reflector means the light source does not project directly forward as other LED strobes do. Frequency, duration and intensity are fully adjustable through DMX controls and the CC model is equipped with RGBW LEDs allowing for coloured strobe effects without the need for gels or colour scrollers.
Gordon Torrington was PRG’s event coordinator and crew chief at Hammersmith: “We set the Stormys up between the layers of the orchestra risers. The colour change facility allowed us to strobe light each riser in different colours. Being able to adjust the frequency and intensity allowed the effects to be as subtle or dynamic as the designer required,“ he said.
“It was a pleasure to be able to use these units,” continues Torrington. “I found them to be extremely reliable and the colours really are fantastic especially the blue and orange. The crossfade is perfect. I love the fact they don’t “time out” so they can be used as a Cyc light or wash as well as a high power colour strobe making them a really versatile and cost effective investment.”