Nashville-based technical production specialist UpLight Technologies recently used the new Avolites D7 console as the centerpiece of the lighting design for the inaugural season of the Pro Cheer League.
Produced by Varsity Spirit and broadcast nationwide across the United States on ION Television, the first season of this high-energy competition reached more than five million unique viewers.
The series’ production and lighting design was led by David Surbrook, owner and creative director of UpLight Technologies. Working alongside him was lighting programmer and operator André Huff, who had the opportunity to put the new console through its paces. “David had already chosen the D7-215 for the project when I came onboard”, André explains. “But I would have chosen it too!”
As the world’s first professional cheerleading platform for elite athletes aged 18 and older, the Pro Cheer League delivers a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled spectacle. The tour visited five different cities and venues, meaning the lighting design had to serve a dual purpose: meet the precise, clean requirements of a television broadcast while retaining enough visual impact to deliver the big moments that cheerleading demands.
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The goal with the lighting was to create plenty of big visual moments while ensuring the athletes remained the central focus, David explains.
To achieve this, the team used a powerful rig comprising 164 fixtures, with a dynamic combination of automated moving lights and LED sources, distributed across 32 universes and controlled from the D7. The set design integrated the lighting with extensive LED video walls. Fixtures framed the main screens, filled the negative spaces along the back wall and blended with the motion graphics to create a cohesive visual environment with depth for the cameras.
At the heart of the rig were 32 Robe BMFL Wash fixtures, providing uniform, high-quality illumination across the competition floor. This setup ensured optimal visibility for the television cameras while reducing shadows during complex, high-level aerial stunts.
With a demanding touring schedule that sometimes required loading into an arena, shooting the show and loading out all in a single day, programming efficiency was essential. Helping designers and operators make the most of short setup windows has always been a cornerstone of the Avolites philosophy, and the D7 proved to be an invaluable tool.
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I love the speed at which you can work on an Avo. The tactile layout and intuitive workflow are areas where Avo has always excelled, and I really appreciate the way effects can be created using features such as Pixel Mapper and Key Frame Shapes, David comments.
Although the two-hour show followed a structured television script, the nature of live sports required enough flexibility to react spontaneously. Team colors, victories and standout moments had to be reinforced visually and instantly during major plays and scoring moments.
“Being spontaneous and ready to react at all times was essential for this hybrid format”, André notes. “For programming and busking lighting on the fly, this was definitely Avolites territory”.
To ensure maximum network reliability during the live broadcast, a second D7-215 was installed as a full tracking backup system, although the primary console performed flawlessly throughout the production. For David, the D7-215 offers a particularly effective balance for today’s touring productions, providing a high-performance control surface without taking up excessive space.
For me, it is the perfect combination of hardware and software. It has everything you need and nothing you don’t. It is a highly efficient work tool: super compact and portable enough for one person to handle easily, while still offering the motorized faders and high-end screens you expect from a flagship console, David says.
UpLight Technologies has been investing in Avolites since 2011 and has consistently added virtually every model in the brand’s lineup to its inventory. The team acquired the D7-215 through Avolites North America as soon as it reached the market and immediately put it into service. André has also relied on Avolites as his preferred control platform for the past 15 years.
Following the success of the first season, production plans are already expanding for the second season, and the team is exploring the possible integration of the D7’s video control capabilities.
“Avolites identified a real gap in the market when it developed the D7 range”, David concludes. “The series has generated huge excitement across the industry. It’s exciting to see so many people turning their attention back to Avo”.
UpLight Technologies currently has a growing fleet of Avolites consoles in its inventory, supporting both its own high-end design projects and rental services across the United States.
Technical photos: UpLight Technologies/Show photos: courtesy of Pro Cheer League
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