Robe’s Netherlands distributor, Controllux, recently staged a new workshop concept dedicated to television, film, studio and broadcast lighting and multi-camera environments, highlighting how specific Robe product ranges and innovations can be a huge asset for DPs, lighting designers, directors, and gaffers. The one-day event was the brainchild of Controllux’s Romec Berendsen and was hosted at Allard Studios in Amsterdam, reaching a capacity attendance of 35 comprising gaffers, DPs, lighting board operators, and technicians active in the film, television, and commercials sectors.
The idea was spawned following a Robe factory tour that Berendsen had conducted in the Czech Republic, with gaffers from all around the Netherlands. The idea was to collect everyone in the familiar surroundings of a studio and introduce products with which some would be familiar… and others not, so they could experiment with a range of different Robe technologies and interact and exchange experiences and knowledge with each other.
Also involved in developing the idea were Robe Product Development Specialist Dave Whitehouse and Key Account Manager for Europe Jeroen van Aalst, who was a Sales and Project Manager for Controllux when the idea was first floated. Whitehouse brought his vast experience of running Robe’s highly successful theatre workshop events to the table, although dealing with camera environments is completely different. While there is some crossover in products that are very versatile and designed to work in both like the T-series range.
“We knew some basic ingredients related to the format from the theatre workshop, but the recipe is very new, and none of us had too many advance expectations, but we were all very curious about who would attend and what they wanted to gain,” stated Whitehouse. During the first part of the session, Whitehouse’s talk highlighted the different products, their features and all the aspects related to product design that are happening in the background. This was followed up by a practical session in the afternoon, where all attendees could get hands on with the equipment and try out some different scenarios.
Color theory was a critical aspect for everyone, so this tended to lead the topics which included color rendition and color mixing of the products as this was seen as more critical in cinematic environments, rather than the feature counts for each fixture. The quality of the light was another ‘hot button topic’, as was how utilizing different Robe TE – TRANSFERABLE ENGINES – can affect those characteristics of the luminaires. In broadcast, cinema, and studio worlds, the HCF (high color fidelity) engine is a popular choice because the output is perfect… and color rendition is key.
“Attendees were able to examine all of this in the correct and most relevant context to their work,” stated Berendsen, delighted with the turnout and the interest in Robe’s approach to product development. A ‘what if section’ featured products like the TetraX 360-degree rotating LED bar which is a popular multi-purpose product often found in studios and a favorite with music shows.
A comprehensive list of products was available and discussed starting with the iFORTE, iESPRITE and iPAINTE moving lights, the T1 and T2 Profiles, the TetraX, the omnipresent Spiider LED wash beam and the very handy and compact LEDBeam 350.
Studio lighting control tends to be very different, but as this is being refined and changing, it is becoming far easier to integrate moving lights into studios for multiple scenarios, from the news to magazine programs to dramas, reality, LE (light entertainment) and music shows.
The Robe team boosted their own knowledge about the specific data that’s most important to lighting professionals working in studios and OB sites. “We had input from many individuals that was super useful,” commented Jeroen, which in turn offered valuable insights into their needs and wish list, related to studio and cinema lighting and visual applications. In addition to the information exchange, the event had a convivial and constructive social atmosphere which has prompted plenty of discussions about how Robe can gain greater visibility in this sector.
Further information from Robe Lighting: www.robe.cz
Photos: By Dyanne de Veen
