The Money Drop (Nigeria) and The Million Rand Money Drop (South Africa) are new versions of Endemol’s high-tension TV game show and the first such series to be broadcast on the African continent by M-Net.

It is the first series for both countries. Nigeria aired in January and SA is scheduled for April, which has been brought forward from June. They were recorded back-to-back in Johannesburg’s busy Kew Studios, with technical production supplied by leading SA rental company, Blond Productions.

Blond’s Christiaan Ballot explained that they were approached by Endemol South Africa and asked to deal with all the technical elements required, based on their previous work for the producers on numerous projects, including four episodes of Big Brother, Step on or Step Out and Survivor (Maldives and Mozambique).
While Kew Studios did not quite match the exotic locations of Survivor, Blond were extremely happy to be involved.

Endemol wanted their expertise, knowledge and imaginative application of technology that had impressed them on those other shows, plus their understanding of the required modus operandi.

The search for space

Part of Blond’s brief was to find an appropriate studio for The Money Drop. This presented one of the initial challenges as they needed somewhere with enough headroom to build the studio floor – up to 2.4 metres in height, the optimum physical height required for the money to drop through the trap doors above on the stage above.

With 8.5 metres of clearance, Kew’s studio was the highest space they could find. It was also a venue with which they were familiar.
Ballot and his team developed a staging concept and also supplied full production management and co-ordination for the shows, including setting up and running the specialist game computers and software. Scenic pod screens were supplied as well as a full technical production package of lighting, video and audio.
Wayne Sproule from Pendragon Dezign was commissioned to create the set – based on Endemol’s series “bible’ and adapted for these specific regional productions – and built off site by Dream Sets.

Blond asked Julio Costa and Peter Furstenburg to come onboard to develop the bespoke software and systems needed for the game play elements which were linked to the lighting cues and triggered via MIDI control.
This included calculation of the various amounts of money that would be placed on different play areas according to weight, and how they would then be physically dropped into the bins below by the release of trap doors. MIDI signals were also used to fire 90% of the lighting cues.

Light creating dimension

An aesthetic challenge was fitting the double decker set into the relatively compact studio space even with the given headroom, and to also increase its height and depth appearance on camera – a task in which the lighting was crucial to the visual trickery.

Designed by Peter Reick, in terms of cues and operation, lighting had to be slick, smooth and streamlined as the show’s different sections segued together and the contestants bet their money on answering eight questions correctly.
Blond seized the opportunity to invest in 48 new Robe ROBIN LEDBeam 100 and six ROBIN 600E Beam moving lights for the project, as well as their first ever trussing (Prolyte 52 SV) all delivered by DWR Distribution together with a new grandMA2 light console.

Up to this point, they had always hired trussing as required, so the Prolyte joins the constantly expanding hire stock. They chose a heavy duty version of trussing because no one else has it and also as they supply a lot of video screens to shows, it made sense to go with something rugged with excellent load-bearing.
“It was a really timely opportunity to make all these investments,’
confirms Ballot, delighted at the almost immediate ROI possibilities.
With the set and lighting installed for a month in the studios, the opportunity and budget were available to ensure that the very best quality solutions were found for all the visual and live staging challenges.

There were many more Robe moving lights on the rig including MMX Spots and 600E Beams plus ColorSpot 250E ATs, ColorSpot 700E ATs and 575 XT Scans.
Reick had to follow certain style rules, however he was also able to add his own touches of televisual magic to make the show really rock.
The SA series was shot in HD, so a vivid well-balanced look was key, helped by using multiple LED sources.

It was vital that texturing, depth and definition could be added by lighting the set, so Reick and Ballot met with Duncan Riley from Robe’s South African distributors DWR to identify which fixtures might combine best with the set design.
The LEDBeam 100 caught their eyes and this is also when they decided to use Anolis ArcLink Optic 4 to internally light sections of the set. Ninety-six units of the ArcLink Optic 4 fixture from the premium LED architectural brand were chosen to provide an even wash across various frosted panels around the top storey of the set, giving a mid-air floating effect at times.

The LEDBeam 100s were used highly effectively – complete with the optional 25 degree frost filter – to light and texture the four outer set pillars bringing a real three-dimensionality to these key features.
Ballot is really pleased with the purchase, he says the units are: “Phenomenal! Especially with 48 of them, you can get serious punch and a whole range of cool effects.’

He sees an extremely busy future for them as dynamic little fixtures – easily fittable into all sorts of spaces due to their light weight and miniscule dimensions.
Twelve Robe MMX Spots were positioned at the back of the set, used for powerful beam light effects shooting forward and through the main playing areas. These were joined by 12 Clay Paky Sharpies for the Nigeria version and an additional six Sharpies – making 18 in total – for the SA show.

Sharpies continue to be hugely popular effects lights everywhere you look and even the producers – who might not normally be acquainted with the name of specific lighting fixtures – know the Sharpie, and what it does.
A total of 12 x ROBIN 600E Beams were rigged on trusses running down each side of the studio for general set coverage, together with the 12 x ColorSpot 700E ATs on the front truss.

The Robe 575XT Scans were right at the back of the space behind the audience, and another six ROBIN 600E Beams in this same position, augmented the SA show.
A variety of other lights were used, including 48 LED PARs and 48 BriteQ LED battens used to change the colour at the back of the audience for which the capacity was also expanded for the SA version.

Thirty 2K fresnels dotted around provided the white light components of the show corrected to CT blue as the show was shot in “daylight’ – a creative decision taken by Reick and director Eugene Naidoo which paid off and provided the streamlined modern HD look the producers were after.
Sixty standard PAR cans were also used to craft the different palettes of colours utilised for the two series which had their own unique colour looks decided in advance.

Endemol Money Drop Series producer, Josh Feldman, comments:
“This show is all about lighting and visuals and so it was important that we chose the best suppliers to work with us on it. Blond did an excellent job again.’
Blond supplied 48 panels of their 6 mm LED screen panels from one of the popular quality Chinese brands, which were used to make up the two side screens flanking the set.

Twenty-four panels of the 12mm version were used to form the ticker-tape strip screen surface around the back of the set which flashed up information and graphics relating to the game in progress – including the all important matter of how much money was left in the pot as the action progressed. The content feeding into these was all controlled by the games machines, run by Costa and Furstenburg.
For sound Blond provided a basic PA system for playback, comprising the compact and versatile JBL PRX612 speakers which were focused on the audience and contestant areas to deliver playback sound. This was mixed via a Soundcraft Si2 console. Blond also supplied the Shure wireless lapel mics worn by the contestants and presenters.

There were 10 Blond crew permanently engaged in the project for the month of recording, which all went very smoothly and produced a great looking show.
The Money Drop (Nigeria) was aired on African Magic Entertainment under DStv Africa, and all those eagerly awaiting the SA transmission now only have weeks to wait…

by Louise Stickland