Industrial Sessions, a new live streaming and recording studio in Queenstown, New Zealand, has equipped its space with Claypaky HY B-EYE K15 and Mythos 2 fixtures. The studio marks a collaboration among TomTom Productions for lighting, video and set design, Soundpeople for audio and multi-track recording, and Shotover Media for camera and direction. It is in the TomTom Productions warehouse.
“Our purpose is to bring high-quality live streaming to Queenstown and the world by giving local and national musicians a space to perform and connect with their audience in a time when they can’t perform as usual,” says Hamish Edh, Managing Director of TomTom and Co-Creator of Industrial Sessions. “The space is also used for corporate meetings, a pretty popular usage given the COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. We do one or two Industrial Sessions a week and convert the space for multi-track recording, webinars and virtual conferencing.”
Edh notes that he and his collaborators have had to be very creative in carving out the studio from warehouse space with low ceiling heights and second-floor support pillars. “We built a 3.6 x 5.4m stage inside a 4×5.5m truss structure as we don’t have the ability to fly from the roof. The video design has a back wall of Martins VDO Sceptron and VuePix DB2.6mm LED panels. The lighting design is from the stock we own in the warehouse, with 12 Claypaky HY B-EYE K15s and five Mythos 2 comprising the base rig and more K15s and Mythos 2 available to create slightly different looks each session.”
Six K15s are rigged forward of the top chord of the truss on pipe, another six K15s on the bottom front chord and five Mythos 2 in the spaces on the US chord. “We’ve had the Mythos 2 fixtures for two-and-a-half years,” Edh reported. “We chose them for their light output, weight and flexibility on a variety of shows – they’re a true hybrid fixture.”
His company bought the K15s after they were introduced in 2019. “We were looking for a new wash unit and were impressed with how little the fixtures spill light compared to other washes,” Edh noted. “The macros on the K15 have been a game changer, too, particularly on daylight festivals: They offer a whole new way of lighting design. We’ve found them to be great in the studio as eye candy for low-track camera shots, as well.”
Edh has also been pleased with the lighting support he’s received from Show Technology NZ, his Claypaky distributor. “Any problems or questions we have are sorted right away,” he said.
