Showtime Sound, Kevin Hart’s regular production company, recently setup for his New Year’s Eve appearance at Orlando’s 10,000-seat CFE Arena using Chauvet Professional Rogue and Nexus fixtures.
“There are different situations to deal with when you have a 360° open stage,” said Zack Bunner, Head Lighting Tech at Showtime Sound. “We were able to use the fixtures in our rig to create a sense of space onstage, surrounding Kevin with light without interfering with the connection you get from the open layout. Working closely together with Kevin’s Lighting Director Ken Delvo, Showtime Project Manager Brett Angstadt did an excellent job designing the rig so we could achieve the balance we were looking for.”
The team from Showtime used 12 Chauvet Professional Rogue R2 Wash fixtures and 16 Nexus 4×4 panels to create the look. They positioned the Chauvet Professional Rogue units on horizontal truss bars suspended 30 inches over the 24-inch x 24-inch centre stage. Drawing on the fixture’s tight beam angle, they focused light on the stage truss. They also used the Rogue fixtures for audience lighting.
“Our bread-and-butter fixture is the R2 Wash,” said Bunner. “We used this as a great crowd wash, as well as a stage wash throughout the show. The zoom is so versatile we were also able to use the light for various beam looks. As a crowd wash, it illuminated those in attendance, allowing our artist to see them and connect, without blinding anyone. We rarely have a show where we don’t make this fixture our backbone.”
The Chauvet Professional Nexus 4×4 panels were hung on stage truss facing the crowd. The COB RGB panels provided a bright and bold reference point for the stage without detracting from its openness. “We created some compelling eye candy with the Nexus panels,” added Bunner. “By pixelating them, we came up with an endless stream of images that reflected different aspects of Kevin’s performance.”