LIGHTING
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I n the audio-visual industry, lights are… a pretty big deal. Helping to elevate live performances, enhance attractions and even boost our wellbeing, lights are a versatile tool with an infinite number of applications – we get into it on the following pages. While tungsten and other kinds of incandescent light bulbs were long the norm, LEDs have since emerged as the professional preference, able to emit bright, colour-accurate light without leaving as much of an environmental trace. Projectors are also part of the puzzle, with laser-based models proving a popular choice in sectors like corporate, education and hospitality. They can do more than light up a room; modern processes like projection mapping, for instance, will turn ordinary objects into visually dynamic displays and mundane activities into immersive experiences. When deployed creatively, lights can enhance a story, set the mood, entertain or even communicate a critical message. We dig into five examples of innovative approaches to lighting. ATHENS EPIDAURUS FESTIVAL Celebrating 70 years, the Athens Epidaurus Festival is one of Europe’s longest-running cultural events. Combining theatre, music and dance, the festival showcases innovative work by both Greek and international artists. This year, lighting designer Christina Thanasoula served on two distinct, yet equally dramatic performances – Emily Louizou’s Blindness and Phenomenon by Katerina Giannopoulou. For both projects, she used Astera’s Titan Tubes. Enjoying its world premiere, the stage adaptation of José Saramago’s Blindness tells the tale of a sight- destroying epidemic while exploring how human nature triumphs under even the gravest of circumstances. Louizou’s version is set in an abandoned psych ward, complete with fluorescent lighting to create a sense of unease. A longtime Astera customer, Thanasoula included 24 Titan Tubes on the kit list, choosing them for their versatility and colour accuracy. “Lighting played a key role in defining the location and assisting the action,” says Thanasoula, who wanted the stage to look ‘dirty, musty and dilapidated’. Because Titan Tubes actually have a clean, contemporary look, the set
CHILDREN’S MERCY BURN CLINIC Going to the hospital isn’t pleasant for anyone – let alone children. The Burn Clinic at Children’s Mercy Kansas City was looking for ways to ease the patient experience, by providing positive distractions. They landed on creating an immersive, interactive space that blends light, colour and sound, with Epson projectors playing an essential role. When patients and their families enter the Children’s Mercy Burn Clinic, they’re met with the natural environment – birds flying and singing and colours shifting – rather than an intimidating and clinical hospital space. The choice of this specific landscape was the result of a patient survey, in which children were asked what types of birds, music and colours they’d want to see in the clinic. Now a finished project, patients can choose from 125 possible combinations, customising their experience for ultimate control and comfort. “Whatever they choose is projected into the treatment room,” Daniel Marx, Burn Clinic nurse manager at Children’s Mercy, told Epson. The animations are overlaid on the walls’ existing murals of trees, mountains and sunny blue skies. Headed by design firm Dimensional Innovations (DI), the Children’s Mercy Burn Clinic display features nine Epson laser projectors – that’s six Pro L1070UNL high-lumen models and three Bright Link 1480Fi ultra-short-throw interactive laser displays. “We know burn treatments can be very uncomfortable – especially for kids – and positive distractions are a great way to connect with patients in a unique way,” says John Coovert, solutions engineer at DI. “We were brought in to think creatively about how to engage patients authentically, thoughtfully and in a way that would be beneficial to the treatment process. “We looked to Epson for this project because of the colour representation its projectors provide,” continues Coovert, “as well as the ultra-short-throw set-ups we can leverage. We were dealing with very little throw space, and we knew Epson would be able to help us create the impact we wanted.” At Children’s Mercy, many patients have to undergo multiple treatments, returning to the Burn Clinic time and
department created covers to disguise the fixtures as dingy and worn out. Thanasoula programmed nearly 140 lighting cues for the Titans, including flickering effects and flourishes of red, green and amber. Rigged in rows to enhance depth, she also included movement effects that mirrored the show’s soundscape. “It was a fine balance of creating emotion without making it too overwhelming for the audience,” she shares. Blindness was ultimately a critical and commercial success; with all performances sold out. Two weeks later, Thanasoula lent herself to Phenomenon , inspired by Wittgenstein’s philosophical study On Certainty and written for the stage by Greg Liakopoulos. Set primarily inside a car, with live camera feeds projected on screens, the show required a lighting When patients and their families enter the Children’s Mercy Burn Clinic, they’re met with the natural environment – birds flying and singing design that was more akin to a classic film production. Again choosing Astera’s Titan Tubes, Thanasoula ran the fixtures wirelessly, using them for in-car fill lighting, plus key lighting of the show’s protagonists. Thanasoula also colour-balanced the Titans in order to match the live feeds with pre-recorded video content – a ‘particularly challenging’ task. Astera’s flicker-free operation and high CRI were essential to Phenomenon , as it was a digital work as much as a physical one. Thanasoula programmed around 80 cues in total, evoking a sense of movement to represent driving down a highway. Since the actors had to handle the lights during the show, their wireless set-up also proved critical, allowing the performers to tell an interrupted story.
Customisable animated projections installed at Children’s Mercy Burn Clinic promote more relaxed experiences for patients
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