Brigada Tech is an innovative television program hosted by Luján Argüelles, directed by Eva Castillejo, and lit by Manuel Ricoy, broadcasted during prime time on La 1 of RTVE.
This is a space for the dissemination of digital knowledge and skills, featuring digital mentors and popular influencers who assist individuals with limited access to the information superhighway in overcoming various digital challenges to better navigate the digital environment in their daily lives.
Each episode has been filmed in various locations across Spain, including Avilés (Asturias), Laguna de Duero (Valladolid), Tudela (Navarra), Canas de Morrazo (Galicia), Altea (Alicante), Torrelavega (Cantabria), and Puertollano (Castilla la Mancha). A mobile set, where Manuel served as the director of photography and lighting, was set up in each location.
Manuel opted for a selection of Robe moving lights, specifically 12 FORTE, 8 MegaPointe, 12 Pointe, 16 LEDBeam 150, and 12 LEDBeam 350, supplied by the rental company Use Sonido from Valladolid, acquired through Robe's distributor in Spain, EARPRO&EES.
These moving lights contributed to creating a modern aesthetic with avant-garde touches, meeting the production's visual expectations. Manuel combined lighting techniques and disciplines from concert tours and television to craft a spectacular setup in various filming locations, typically theaters and cultural centers. In essence, it was a "touring studio" project.
Manuel worked closely with the set designer Joaquín López, whose design played a crucial role in shaping the program's lighting. It was their first collaboration, and according to Manuel, a very positive experience. The collaboration, along with director Eva Castillejo's vision and the diverse locations, defined the program's lighting design.
When setting up the set in different towns, 80% of the lights were hung using available bars, along with additional production trusses, whether flown or in totems, mounted on the stage to complete the design.
Seven of the twelve FORTE were flown on available bars to cover stage entrances and exits, sofa areas (especially for cameras positioned at the foot of the stage), and in front of the audience area.
The remaining five were placed on additional truss in front of the set and were used as fill lights for the central sofa area, to complete the general lighting, and to create lighting presets when the host and guests are standing.
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The FORTE lights provided the main lighting for the host, guests, and some audience members who also played a prominent role in the program.
Manuel appreciates the FORTE lights' high CRI, zoom capabilities, and power, which are crucial for larger stages to project light over a considerable distance. "Thanks to the quality and consistency of the FORTE lights, distance has not been a problem", he acknowledged.
The MegaPointe lights were placed on the first bar, and the Pointe lights on vertical truss sections on each side of the stage. The Pointe and MegaPointe lights added depth to the space and were also used to create "motion presets" to accentuate presentations, guest entrances and exits, and the final minutes of the program. Manuel maximized these two models, especially when camera shots required a lot of light.
They offer so many options for different effects and can be used in such diverse stage setups that, for me, Pointe and MegaPointe are the best choice for any type of lighting,
He expressed a preference for the ability to choose between fixed and rotating gobos, prisms, colors, etc. The LEDBeam 150 lights were placed on various bars above the stage to add touches of color to the set and effects that enhanced its three-dimensionality. These effects highlighted and made the set appear more futuristic with just the push of a button, aligning with the content and concept of Brigada Tech.
The LEDBeam 150 lights were chosen for their intensity, light quality, and small size, ideal for sharing space with other lights, much like the LEDBeam 350. The latter were hung on bars and also on horizontal truss sections above the central seating area for the audience (their small size was also advantageous in this case), effectively illuminating the audience and even visible in wide shots.
According to Manuel, who has been working with Robe products for several years:
After comparing them with other luminaires and brands, Robe offers more quality lights than any other. I have always preferred Robe for my designs because the results are consistently good and reliable.
While Manuel focused on lighting for the cameras and cinematography for Brigada Tech, he was assisted in production by Óscar Marchena Herrero, console technician and gaffer, and Jesús Esteban Pelayo, table technician.
The major challenges included adapting the recording of each episode to the space where it took place, but "thanks to a fantastic lighting team and the creativity and flexibility provided by Robe products, everything went smoothly", Manuel concluded.
