Harry the Hirer Productions (HTH) has invested in 80 Robe iFORTE units, which have been added to its extensive lighting rental inventory. These fixtures will be used primarily for the company’s touring and event work and will move between HTH’s three major branches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The units were delivered through Robe ANZ, part of distributor LSC Control Systems, which is the new distribution structure for Robe in the ANZ region, headed by Darren McLanders.
Harry the Hirer Productions’ General Manager, Simon Finlayson, explained that as a company they like to set trends, but were also very aware of established products already in demand, particularly in the United States. For this reason, they wanted a fixture that was frequently specified on international riders and could therefore help generate its own demand. They were also generally looking for a long-throw profile fixture.
After evaluating the options, Simon confirmed that the iFORTE was the best current choice in terms of brightness and durability. He added that their return calculations are based on a minimum of three years of continuous use to recover the investment (ROI), with an ideal lifespan of up to six years to achieve maximum value. From previous Robe purchases, they knew the equipment is built to last.
The fixture’s versatility is also taken into account when calculating ROI, which was another advantage of the iFORTE, as it is equally suitable for both the events and touring sectors.
A significant part of Harry the Hirer Productions’ work involves servicing international artists on the Australasian leg of their tours, as well as delivering numerous corporate and large-scale high-profile events.
We invest time and resources into analysing every purchase and consult our international contacts to understand trends in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe, markets where many touring technical requirements are defined. That information helps guide our purchasing decisions, stated Simon.
Eddie Welsh, General Manager of the New South Wales branch, added that the iFORTE’s IP65 rating was important, given that a substantial portion of their concert and major event work takes place outdoors. He noted that not having to pressurise the unit is another major advantage, helping to reduce maintenance time and speed up turnarounds, which they prefer to be fast-paced as well as thorough.
“The lumens-per-kilo ratio is another consideration”, said Eddie, as roof load limits are often restricted in venues. He added that the iFORTE’s crisp output across its wide zoom range was impressive and ideal for both their rock ‘n’ roll and corporate event work.
Harry the Hirer Productions’ iFORTE fixtures have been in constant use since their delivery by Robe ANZ, which is, of course, the ideal scenario.
Recently, 50 iFORTE units were used on a project for a major Australian bank at ICC Sydney, designed by lighting designer Ziggy Ziegler of ZZ Creative Australia, as part of a lighting rig comprising 250 static and moving LED fixtures, primarily rigged on overhead trusses.
The event combined an environmental technology expo with plenary sessions, breakout rooms and product demonstrations, all set within a contemporary theatrical environment. The plenary featured a natural ambience inspired by the Australian landscape, while one of the themed rooms recreated a waterfall setting with translucent mesh walls allowing visibility inside when sessions were in progress. Overall, it was a production that merged theatrical scenography with technology-driven lighting, including numerous internally lit freestanding walls and scenic elements, with the iFORTE fixtures acting as the main workhorses of the lighting system.
“It was easy to assign multiple tasks to the iFORTE fixtures”, explained Ziggy. Some units were used to create a precisely focused front stage wash, taking advantage of the integrated shutter system and its soft-focus capability. Those same fixtures were also used as specials for seating areas and fireside-style talks, as well as for keynote speaking positions, being repositioned and refocused throughout the day as needed.
The brightness was incredible – we mostly ran them at around 60% – and they worked well in contrast with the projection surfaces in the room, he added.
A large group of iFORTE fixtures was used to create effects, gobo washes, scenic lighting and shutter cuts, with colour tints tailored to each expo stand. One unit was powerful and flexible enough to deliver a wide, zoned gobo floor wash as well as a tight focus on signage, making patching, system design and maintenance simple and straightforward.
Another group of iFORTE fixtures was used as effect lights in the waterfall-themed room, creating a sense of curiosity and magic in the space, together with low fog and water sound effects. The waterfall itself was created through projection, and Ziggy noted that the iFORTE’s colour temperature adjustment enabled precise and even colour correction to match the waterfall imagery.
This was Ziggy’s first time using the iFORTE: “I was delighted with the results, really enjoyed using them and look forward to the next opportunity”.
Both Simon and Eddie consider Robe to be a solid and reliable brand. They appreciate that the company is co-owned and led by Josef Valchar, an engineer who is directly involved in product design.
You can tell these lighting products are designed by a lighting engineer who is passionate about his products, understands the fundamentals of lighting and is in tune with what lighting designers and rental companies need, he concluded.
