Robe presented part two of its “Lost Worlds” exhibition live show trilogy concept at LDI (Live Design International) in Las Vegas, with another jaw-dropping booth design and an edgy, hi energy 8-minute live dance extravaganza designed to illustrate its latest technologies in the context for which they have been developed.
This included the just launched T1 Profile LED moving light. Over 200 new and current moving lights and LED fixtures - including the SuperSpikie and the MegaPointe, Spiider and Tarrantula LED wash beams, BMFLsand the RoboSpot remote follow spotting system running with MDC (multi device control) – were central to the show.
Robe’s new iParFect - the first in a series of upcoming IP rated luminaires – was utilized in two rain curtains that were integral to the fully immersive and highly detailed show environment.
The show narrative followed the intrepid Explorer character, having journeyed from London fighting her way through the jungle, encountering hostile Ninjas and other obstacles, arriving at a clearing in the dense forest and discovering a lost temple. The storyboard was originated by Robe’s own creative team led by Nathan Wan and Andy Webb.
Robe has raised the bar in entertainment technology expo stand design and presentation over the last two years, showcasing its products in ‘real life’ scenarios, as well as providing a fun and entertaining story in which all can engage. Massive anticipation preceded LDI as people wondered what Robe would produce, and once again the show drew hundreds of people to the booth - complete with elaborate set, props and scenic elements – to enjoy the hourly show.
Five dancers thrilled audiences with their incredible athleticism, break-dancing and B-Boy skills in the all-action performance, also produced by Nathan, Andy and choreograhed by Jaye Marshall. “The bottom line is always that we are showing off the lights and effects in the best possible way, as well as building our overall brand identity and commitment to the world of live entertainment” stated Nathan.
They needed this LDI show to be physically starker that the one at PLASA, where the trilogy was launched, and on top of that, the drama needed to reflect the different culture, dynamics and demographics of the audience. Being in Las Vegas – famous for razzamatazz alongside prolific and epic spectacular shows, the pressure was also ON to produce something slick and appropriate.
The soundtrack came first. Nathan and Andy are both very familiar with the products being used and features needing to be highlighted, so they then programmed the lightshow to the soundtrack using a visualizer. Once on site at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, the booth, set and lighting installation build was overseen by Nathan and stand production manager Josh Williams, Robe’s international exhibition manager Tomas Kohout and the “fantastic” technical and service team from Robe North America “without which we could never have achieved this ambitious project in such short timeframe” confirmed Nathan.
Simultaneously, Andy and Jaye rehearsed with the dancers, and collectively they developed their moves to suit the soundtrack and their specific dance and movement talents.
The new T1 Profile was the main feature light, so this was used for all the key lighting illustrating how its MSL™ (Multi-Spectral Light) LED lightsource combines brightness with smooth CMY color control and dimming to meet the challenges and demands of three very diverse disciplines – theatre, television and touring - all in one comprehensive fixture. SuperSpikies were rigged in prime positions either side of the temple for powerful back lighting, and there was a grid of Tarrantulas above center stage, with MegaPointes dotted all over the rig including around the two water curtains, used for general lighting, texturing and effects. BMFLs were contributed to the more complex stand dressing and breakup looks and three RoboSpot systems controlling three BMFL Follow Spots reinforced the key lighting.
Vertical lines of LEDBeam150s were embedded in the set for ‘blinder’ moments and other aerial effects, with Spiider LED wash beams and CycBars providing some of the interior scenic illumination. CycBar UVs working in conjunction with Divine 60 UVs highlighted the detail and intricacies of the external printed drapes around the main booth, and the separate but conjoined Anolis area which was dedicated to previewing new products from Robel’s architectural LED brand. The Anolis external drapes were lit with a combination of Divine 160s, Spiiders and more BMFLs, showing their capabilities in an architectural context. At the back of the booth were two dark demo areas which were constantly busy throughout the three-day expo, and off to the side to the front were two rooms dedicated to private meetings.
Robe CEO Josef Valchar commented, “This was without doubt our highest-impact LDI booth yet, and I would also honestly say the busiest and best LDI expo for us in terms of visitors – both quantity and quality! LDI has a great reputation for attracting ‘serious’ people, and this year we were delighted to see so many top-level designers and creatives as well as a lot of industry professionals who are starting or early-on in their careers and hungry for innovation! It was really most impressive.”
Robe North America COE Bob Schacherl stated, “Planning for a booth like this starts a long time in advance and involves a lot of time, effort and collaboration between Robe North America and the international team … and the results just keep getting more spectacular. We’ve met a lot of new contacts this year from a diversity of sectors which I think reflects the success of our long-term brand strategies, commitment to inventive products and the general postitivity associated with Robe in the North American market”.
Products installed in the show
T1 Profile
Robe’s latest luminaire, the T1 Profile, is specifically designed to fulfil the challenging requirements of three very diverse disciplines – theatre, television and touring - in one comprehensive fixture.
The revolutionary new MSL™ (Multi-Spectral Light) LED light source is impressively bright, yet the T1 Profile is full of theatrical subtlety.
With CMY color control, and a radical new custom color creation system and wide ranging CCT control from 2700K to 8000K, all variations of color are possible!
The precise needs of theatrical dimming are catered for with Robe’s ultra-smooth 18-bit dimming system, while the high CRI provides the natural and harmonious skin tones so fundamental to theatre and television / film applications.
For television work, there are other features like a plus / minus green channel and a special flicker-free management for use with multiple vision systems and recording formats.
All this is combined with accurate framing shutters, a dynamic focus-tracking zoom, variable frosts, bespoke breakup and aerial gobos, animation wheel and prism, offering total control for finessing and fine-tuning the most demanding of designs for theatre, television and touring.
SuperSpikie
The SuperSpikie was launched at PLASA last month and has already been trailblazing…
Bigger, brighter and bolder, the SuperSpikie takes the single beam light look to another level!
It is four times brighter than the original Spikie – launched in 2016 - and with the addition
of aerial rotating gobos, it becomes a neat little effects machine with even more looks to blast through its substantial high quality 165mm front lens.
The zoom is wider, going from a tight 3.5° beam to a nice soft wash at 42 degrees and the CMY or RGBW color mix options both offer a rich array of shades and hues.
In a fraction of a second the SuperSpikie can change from a razor-sharp beam to a fabulous rich wash light producing a single shadow light output - vital for TV and theatre productions.
A range of in-air effects using different combinations of the aerial gobos, prism or flower effect feature make it a versatile stage, set or studio luminaire which can be mounted in any position, while the fast and continuous 360°pan and tilt rotation adds yet another dimension for all to enjoy.
iParFect
The all-new iParFect 150 FW RGBW is loaded with cool features starting with an exceptionally-wide zoom of 3.8° to 60°.
It is completely silent due to passive cooling and the IP65 rating makes it ideal for any outdoor application!
Other characteristics include both CMY & RGBW color control, 18-bit dimming and tungsten emulation with both selectable & variable color temperatures providing total output control.
The powerful, punchy beam combined with a Fresnel style beam edge, results in a smooth, beautifully homogenized shaft of light emanating from this compact, lightweight fixture.
Tarrantula™
This is Robe’s most powerful LED beam/wash/effects fixture to date …
Building on the advanced technology of the popular Spiider, Tarrantula is designed for multiple environments, from concerts to car shows and everything in between, and particularly for large venues and spaces!
It is powered by 36 x 30W and one 60W high powered LED chips, providing a jaw-dropping 20,000 lumens of output!
A versatile optical system offers adjustable beam angle from a tight 4° spot to a super-wide 50° wash, all with the highest quality of light.
The LEDWash 800 inspired Beam Shaper accessory creates a traditional oval beam that can be indexed for precision coverage of the stage or performance area.
Central to the Tarrantula’s advantages is Robe’s exclusive “Flower Effect” adding yet another eye-catching visual dimension. Driven by the 60W RGBW multichip, this creates sharp, speed-controlled spikes of light that can be rotated in either direction.
Intense, fully saturated colors plus a fantastic range of subtle pastel tones with ultra-smooth transitions are possible due to the integrated 18-bit LED dimming system.
Dynamic video-driven effects can be easily achieved by mapping the Tarrantula’s individual pixels via a DMX console or a media server and utilizing the on-board sACN with internal HTP merging via DMX or Kling-Net protocols.
RoboSpotTM
This is a modular remote follow spotting system comprising several different elements that can be used in a variety of combinations to control up to 12 units of Robe’s newest fixtures including the BMFL range, MegaPointes, DL7 and DL4 series luminaires and Pointes.
At the heart of the remote-control element is the ergonomically designed, comfortable to operate RoboSpot BaseStation which can be located anywhere in a venue or show space. The BaseStation has a large 15.6-inch HD touch screen display, so the operator observes the performance space from a “first person” perspective – like most video games.
A live video picture relays visual and positional information from the MotionCamera/s that are either integral or rigged adjacent to each individual remote spot fixture on the rig. The operator’s commands are instantly transferred to the luminaires via DMX allowing them to perfectly motion track across the stage or performance area. A full range of hand controls are available for operating the fixtures such as pan, tilt, intensity, focus and many others. These controls are all fully customizable for the operators’ benefit. The remote lighting desk retains control of all the internal fixture parameters of the fixtures like intensity, gobos, colors and other effects. The console operator can also switch those fixtures designated to the remote follow spotting system between that and the main rig throughout the performance if they wish. The benefits of running a remote follow spotting system like RoboSpot are numerous.
LDs can choose multiple fixtures – and different types of luminaires – to use for this role in the show, instead of being restricted to having two, four or however many fixed FOH follow spot positions.
They can now highlight an artist with multiple lightsources or with just one or two that are most appropriate when using a certain section of the stage or set, all helping in the creation of optimum drama and the most fabulous of stage looks.
LDs have the chance to use positions over the stage / in the air which might have previously been inaccessible, even for operated truss spots.
On the health and safety front, using a RoboSpot system means that operators don’t have to be at height in the rig throughout a show, creating a safer and much more comfortable working environment.
BMFL FollowSpot LT
This is another new fixture that was launched last month.
It is a brighter ‘Long throw’ version of the standard BMFL FollowSpot, with all the same features as the standard BMFL FollowSpot, but also benefitting from a different reflector and optics with a tighter beam spread optimized for extra brightness over long distances.
