The latest in Talpa Media’s string of hit TV talent shows is about to hit the screens
this Autumn when The Next Boy / Girl Band is broadcast by SBS6.
The imaginative stage set has been lit by Light-H-Art designer Bas de Vries and his
assistant, programmer Joost Wijgers.
Having collaborated on a number of similar TV talent shows for Talpa in the past,
including The Voice, Dance Dance Dance and It Takes Two, the two men this time
turned to 12 of GLP’s GT-1 hybrid Spot / Beam to dominate the set, which has been
built at the giant Studio 24 on the Media Park in Hilversum. The fully-featured
fixture — the only spot used in the set —contains a high powered 470W discharge
lamp while the high quality optical system produces a light beam that features an
enormous 22:1 ratio zoom range from 2.5° to 55°.
“We got to test a GT-1 when we were recording Dance Dance Dance and thought it
would be a great fit for The Next Boy / Girl Band,’ admits Joost.
The show itself is recorded in front of a live audience. The main elements of the
scenography are three big elevators rising up from the floor, revealing the three
candidates auditioning for the boy or girl band. “Therefore, the entire stage and
audience needed to be raised 3.5 meters above the normal studio floor,’ he reports.
“As a result, this left restricted height for the remainder of the set, instead giving it
a real feeling of width.’
As the only spot fixture used in the rig, the GT-1 has a leading role in setting both
the look and feel of the show. “Using both the beam and gobo function of the spot,
we have been able to create very different looks with a limited number of fixtures,’
he reveals.
Supplied as part of the overall lighting package by Ampco Flashlight, the GT-1s are
placed in a single straight line behind the stage — in a simple, but highly effective
deployment, according to Joost. “We use both the Spot and Beam mode, which
gives a nice variety to the looks. We also use the different prisms fairly
extensively.’
Of the fixture’s attributes he states, “The GT-1 is a very versatile, powerful and
elegant fixture, with gobos, beam, various prisms, wide zoom range and fast and
high output. Also, we really like the design of the fixture — the small base is a
really nice touch, making the GT-1 very suitable for sitting on a stage floor. These
features make it ideal for a production such as this, involving a number of different
songs and looks.’
Following the six recorded audition episodes, two live shows will be screened by
SBS6 in October.
