For the 2018 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular Michael Berger of LA-based Full Flood, Inc., utilized Claypaky Scenius Unico and Mythos 2 fixtures, supplied by 4Wall, to support the production. ACT Lighting, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Claypaky in North America.
The creative brief for the show was to “enhance the natural beauty of the location and to light a concert that starts in full sun and concludes in darkness for the fireworks display. We needed to make the orchestra the star of the show and provide opportunities for the guest artists to shine as well,” said Berger, a Boston native who marked his third year as Lighting Designer.
“This was a combination symphony orchestra concert and arena rock show held outdoors in the middle of summer,” he noted. “It’s a great opportunity to get to come home to Boston and work on this calibre of show.” The Spectacular was telecast, carried on radio and live streamed by Bloomberg. Berger utilized Claypaky Mythos 2 fixtures and Scenius Unicos for the production. “Mythos have become an important part of our repertoire,” he said. “For this show they outlined the arch of the Hatch (bandshell) and have developed into a pretty iconic image.”
“Mythos are a staple as a beam unit,” said Lighting Director and Programmer Ryan Tanker. “For the Spectacular the fixtures held up well when hung out of position to create the signature look of the shell.”
Berger used Scenius Unicos for the first time on the production placing the six fixtures in a skytracker position. “It was really important to have their brightness and effects package for this show. I’m eager for a chance to play around with them a bit more to see how else we can use them.”
Tanker cited the speed of the Unicos’ shuttering as a big advantage. “They move so fast, there’s no reaction time,” he said. “They’re great!” “It was a very smooth show,” Tanker reports, “with no network glitches. Everything held up fine.”
