Winter Fairytale was a popular large-scale special production performed by Ansambel Saša Avsenika at Ljubljana’s Stožice Arena and the first live music show in Slovenia to feature Robe iESPRITE LTL moving lights, acquired by rental company Intralite.
Lighting designer Crt Birsa of Blackout Lighting Design had the honour of integrating the iESPRITE LTLs into the rig for this Slovenian traditional folk music show, with lighting programmed and operated by his Blackout colleague Anže Trstenjak. Crt also designed the stage set together with Greta Godnic.
The 24 iESPRITE LTLs were part of an impressive Robe moving light rig. In addition, the rig included 16 FORTES, 30 MegaPointes, 24 Pointes, 24 LEDBeam150s, 24 ParFects, 57 Spiider LED wash beams and 8 MMX WashBeams, a classic Crt favourite (before MegaPointe, ESPRITE and FORTE), which he often includes and which, in this case, were used to highlight the audience.
The event introduced a new show concept and marked the first time it had been staged in an arena. The first Winter Fairytale had taken place a year earlier in a much smaller venue, so this significant step up also required a corresponding increase in production scale and value.
Anže had worked on most of the group’s recent concerts in recent years — they are very popular in Austria and Germany as well as Slovenia — bringing continuity, while Crt contributed his extensive experience in designing and shaping arena and stadium shows.
Greta’s set design spanned 29 metres in width, exceeding the venue’s standard dimensions and creating a strong visual presence. Both she and Crt aimed to create an engaging, distinctive and innovative environment; however, the Winter Fairytale concept also conveyed a sense of warmth and softness, leading Greta to develop a design based on circular forms.
Crt — well known for incorporating architectural shapes into stage designs — set to work on this, resulting in a series of interlocking circles and semi-circles. He and Greta also proposed a 10-metre central circular screen after convincing the artists that a larger one would not deliver the same visual impact. After 64 rigging points — a high number for Slovenia — this stagecraft masterpiece began to take shape.
One of the challenges was sourcing angled truss connectors to create all the circles on which Anže and Crt would place the luminaires. Combining art and mathematics, they calculated the optimal positioning from an architectural perspective, as well as how the fixtures could operate with maximum flexibility.
When Crt created the initial plot, Intralite’s Ales Pirman was not sure the LTLs would arrive in time, but Crt included them anyway with enthusiasm: 12 prominently positioned in the central ceiling circle and another 12 on four short trusses on either side of the screen.
During Anže’s pre-visualisation, they were also unsure how bright the fixtures would be in the venue, but as soon as they were powered up, the answer was clear: extremely bright!
I was actually surprised by how bright they are, even compared to the standard FORTE fixture, so we were pleasantly surprised. The quality is excellent, as expected, and they are also very fast.
He used the iESPRITE LTLs extensively for backlighting the band, orchestra and choir, often at full intensity.
The 16 FORTES were deployed in strategic positions around the stage. More than 40 trees were incorporated into the set, backlit with 3 FORTES per side from the floor. One FORTE was placed at the rear of the stairs and five on the mid truss, ideal for backlighting, while the remainder were positioned on the front and delay trusses for key lighting.
The 24 Pointes were rigged in the central circle and on the left and right semi-circles, and all the circular trusses were toned using a combination of 24 ParFects and other LED PARs. The ParFect is one of the few fixtures that can fit into 30 cm truss.
The LEDBeam150s were positioned on the floor around the stage, used both as general show lighting and to provide subtle backlighting for the band; their compact size makes them ideal for this task.
The Spiiders were distributed across the trusses and circles, with the front fixtures used as the primary front light for the orchestra and choir, while the rear units served as the main stage wash.
The MegaPointes were positioned along the sides, complementing the Spiiders on the rear truss.
Two BMFL WashBeams fitted with LightMaster handles were used as manual follow spots on the left and right of the venue, in typical sports camera positions.
Robe luminaires made up 85% of the rig and were used for the main stage lighting, supported by a range of strobes, blinders and other effects fixtures.
The Blackout team, including Anže, arrived one day before the show and worked an intensive 18-hour shift during setup, with one night of on-site programming; however, by then they had already completed extensive pre-visualisation, which was key to delivering such a smooth and impressive show with limited on-site time.
The main challenge was working with the curved and circular forms — a complex and meticulous process that allowed no shortcuts. Once on site, each luminaire had to be individually adjusted to its final position. The show, lasting over two hours, required continuous visual development, conveying the intensity and emotion of the moment while ensuring that energy reached every audience member.
Crt highlights the way Robe designs fixture modes with clear and well-structured channel lists, making them easy to work with and avoiding issues when switching between modes:
Consistency is key: with Robe you always know what you are using and what to expect, which makes working with demanding production schedules much easier.
Anže concluded by thanking the entire Intralite team, whom he describes as “hardworking and great to collaborate with”, also noting that the company is always forward-thinking and willing to invest in quality equipment.
Photos: Luka Kotnik and Zan Zajec
