VWV invests in new lighting
Published: MEA
SOUTH AFRICA: Johannesburg-based production company VWV has purchased a number of Robe’s new Robin MMX Spot moving light fixtures. The units were supplied by Robe’s South African distributor, DWR.
‘They are currently building up a carefully selected stock of their own lighting technology, which is starting to expand,’ explained VWV technical director Jonathan Royston, who co-ordinates all the company’s technical requirements.
Mr Royston first saw the MMXs in action at Plasa 2011 before making the company’s first Robe purchase. ‘I believe that you don’t need so many of them to produce a really great lighting show, either using them as front projected gobo effects or punchy back lighting – or a combination of both.’
DWR and Robe turned the delivery around in quick time, so the eight new units could immediately be used on a ‘Save The Rhinos’ event for the Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Rhino Conservation Project staged in Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg.
Here, they were mounted on vertical trussing ‘totem’ towers concealed behind a wooden hide. Six of the MMXs were used to project a selection of patterns and animations on the front face of the Sandton Library building at the end of the Square, with two units swirling around a couple of Rhino logos. The nightly show was programmed by lighting designer Sean Rosig, and ran for three weeks.
‘They are great for dazzling aerial effects as well as more moody things like fire, water and snow effects,’ said Mr Rosig who was using the MMX spots for the first time. He reportedly found features like the DMX controllable hot spot extremely useful. Although he didn’t really use this for the Save The Rhino’s show, he stated it would be ‘amazing’ for music gigs.
VWV’s MMXs were the second batch to be delivered in South Africa. Pretoria-based retail company Blond Productions took delivery of the first to add to its rental stock.