Lighting and Production Designer Mitchell Schellenger has been using an Elation Professional Lighting rig to put a unique mark on the Imagine Dragons worldwide Evolve tour throughout 2018.
Mitchell, who joined the tour early in 2018 in time for the first European leg, has been lighting several dates of the tour using EPL Platinum Beam 5R Extreme moving heads, ZW19 LED wash lights, and EPL Protron 3K Color strobes supplied by Christie Lites.
Inspired by artist Beeple’s colourful Evolve album art,” Mitchell’s setup features eight angled video screens of varying sizes, five high res upstage and three blow-through screens on the floor. Lined vertically along the sides of the upstage video screens, on finger trusses, on wings and on a free-standing B-stage used for an acoustic set are EPL Platinum Beam 5R Extremes, which Schellenger calls the workhorse of the gear. “They are a great base for the lighting design and formed the structure of the lighting looks,” he said. “The prism is sharp and the frost is one of my favourite features. With the prism and frost engaged we get a nice wash type look out of them.”
Mitchell used EPL ZW19 LED moving head beam and wash effects from a number of positions, which he says gives him lots of ways to light the stage. For the opening, he lit the band as they come on stage using the EPL ZW19s and in another application creates a nice moment with them in red for a piano number. Positioned between video screens, lined on the floor and masked behind the scenic blow-through screens on the floor are EPL Protron 3K Color strobes, which Mitchell said he used as both a blitzing effect and atmospheric low glow effect.
“It may not be the latest Elation gear we’re using but it has worked really well and was a good choice for the budget. It’s been effective for the looks we wanted to achieve and the quality has been excellent,” said Mitchell, who designed the set and lighting while also taking on the new role of creative director. “The creative direction role has allowed me to work closely with the band in other ways like directing the performance and being involved with aspects like determining the set list, content decisions and musical changes. It was nice to work with all those elements along with the lighting to put together a cohesive show.”
