There are few times in the course of events when history teeters on the brink, as it braces itself for events that will not merely change things but sweep away all that is familiar and turn reality on its head. Germany’s Weimar Republic took place in one such period. Stradling the two world wars, it lived and died during the decade-and-a-half when democracy gave way to Nazism, and the world, as most people knew it, changed forever.
Like all such times this one was marked by compelling imagery that can never be forgotten by those who lived through it or studied it. The haunting aura of the Weimar era is palpable in Babylon Berlin, the acclaimed series on Sky Deutschland that is set in the German capital in the waning days of the republic. The gripping power that has made the TV series so unforgettable runs through the three Babylon Berlin Live in Concert performances that took place earlier this fall at the renowned Theater des Westens. Part of the TingelTangel concert series, this stirring performance by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, transports audiences back to the Weimer era musically and visually.
Amplifying the impact of the concert for live audiences, as well as for those who watched recordings later on television, was a nuanced and beautifully colored lighting design by Jerry Appelt of Appelt Lichtdesign that featured 12 CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 fixtures arranged across the edge of the downstage deck.
Appelt used the pixel mappable batten with 12 individually controlled RGBW heads to fill a variety of roles in his design. “We needed a fixture that was capable of lighting the orchestra from a downstage edge border lights position in addition to providing show- effect lighting in the direction of the audience and cameras at the same time,” he said. “The individual tilt and zoom capabilities of this fixture gave us that exact opportunity.”
Not surprisingly, given the historical theme of the concert, Appelt paid careful attention to selecting redolent hues that evoked images of the Weimer era. “We focused on using a period correct and period inspired color palette,” he said. “We went with amber, lavender, and steel blue tones. The goal was to convey an “analog” feeling, while still having modern punch and clarity.”
Working closely with production and multi-camera director, Sven Haeusler, as well as his own JALD Lighting crew: Jonas Horney, Manfred Nikitser, and Torsten “Icke” Berger, Appelt ensured that his design translated well for those who watched a video of the performance after the concert.
“In order to ensure a good-looking camera image result, we relied on our decades long experience in television and concert recording production,” he said. “Also, the careful selection of the fixtures we used, was a big part of guaranteeing good lighting for the broadcasting department. Then, of course, there was the hard work of our team.”
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Appelt and his team, the visual dimension of Babylon Berlin Live was even more effective at transporting audience to a time and place that remain as evocative today as they were a century ago.
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