Adriano Candeloro is a founding director and technology guru at Sightline Productions – a busy and successful NSW-based AV and rental company specializing in delivering the very highest technical production values to a range of corporate and B2B clients across Australia, New Zealand and much further afield with a variety of international work. Joe Murray is also a founding director, and they and the team are all big fans of Astera, having first started hearing about the brand a few years back when the neon lighting look was very popular in Australia.
The first Astera products to arrive at Sightline were AX1 PixelTubes that joined the inventory in 2019, a figure that’s now jumped to over 50 fixtures. In addition to these, they also have AX2 LED battens, AX3 LiteDrops, AX5 TriplePARs, AX9 PowerPARs, as well as the 2 meter Hyperion Tubes and the half meter Helios Tubes, totaling over 200 Astera battery-powered LED products.
These have become invaluable for all types of event scenarios and the continuing commitment has recently seen 2 cases (16 total) of AX3 LightDrops added to stock – joining 80 domes for the AX5s which can be used as set enhancements. They are now looking at Astera’s Fresnel series.
Sightline’s biggest project to date using Astera involved over 200 x AX1 tubes that lined an interactive entrance tunnel to an event for software and graphics brand Canva, at The Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Technically Directed by Sightline’s Kim Louey-Gung.
AX1 tubes were also used for the Netflix season launch of the newest Stranger Things series where they – together with other Astera fixtures – help to create an actual “upside down world”. It’s almost become an in-joke at Sightline in terms of how often AX1s are used, as Astera products are perfect for so many applications and as ultimately useful creative tools, frequently requested on different jobs. The Sightline team feels the tubes in particular are a brilliant ‘gap filler’ for streamed shows or presentations with cameras and is impressed with the selection of rigging and mounting accessories that come with an Astera package making the lights “super quick and convenient” to deploy pretty much anywhere.
AX3s are super-handy and were recently used on a corporate event fitted to the top of a set piece due to their tiny size, and they are regularly dropped into stage as they are so easily concealed yet have great visual impact. Being able to use this many battery-powered fixtures on a show, event or stage set is amazing and so practical… allowing for quick and cable-free looks,” explained Murray. Mostly the Sightline crew will use the Astera App on an iPad for controlling the fixtures.
The quality of the light output from all the different Astera luminaires “is excellent” notes Candeloro, especially the AX5s and AX9s which are frequently used for set and key lighting on stage and in studios. They appreciate the colors, especially the pastels and the warm whites and AX9s can produce an excellent stage wash. “The batteries will last all day, so combined with the very organic look that blends in so well, the accessibility and incredible versatility of the luminaires – they are good for anywhere and everywhere,” says Candeloro.
When LDs, lighting directors, operators or clients know that a company has Astera onboard, “everyone takes you seriously – the name has proper kudos and industry standard status,” he enthused. On average, Sightline will supply equipment to around 30 projects a month of different sizes, often including the lighting design, and Astera fixtures will invariably be somewhere on the event.
A vital element of investment in any kit is the service expected from the supplier, and Astera’s Australia and New Zealand distributor ULA Group is “second to none. For any busy rental / production company, knowing you have great service, support and backup when needed is all important,” Candeloro concluded. They look forward to continuing their symbiotic relationship with Astera.
Further information from Astera LED: https://astera-led.com/
Photos courtesy: Sightline
