In 2017, iLight, a Hong Kong based rental company which specialises in supplying lighting design, started purchasing Robe products from Hong Kong distributor ArcSource, and now has Robe BMFL Blades, Spiiders, DL7S Profiles, DL4F Washes, CycFX 8s and ColorStrobes in stock which are all being used regularly. iLight plan to make more purchases later this year.
Founder Wheel Lo, graduated as a theatre lighting design major from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, then worked as a lighting technician and stage manager at the famous Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
In 2013, Hong Kong Cultural Centre had its first introduction to Robe when one of the regular lighting rental companies arrived for a show with Robe LEDWash 1200s.
After being introduced to Raymond Wong at ArcSource, Lo looked closer at the Robe product range.
Raymond highlighted the innovation and crafting and functionality that went into every Robe product’s design. “It was very clear that things had moved on substantially in recent years” stated Lo, who was interested with the Robe BMFL Blade and the Robe DL7S Profile.
“These two products were exactly what we were looking for – properly geared to theatre and sophisticated – in the quest to find new and inventive moving light technologies for performance,” he explained, starting to get excited by the whole prospect.
Discussing the fixtures, Lo found that in the Robe BMFL Blades, the brightness is far greater than the previous products. Lo also applauded the good gobo design and the smooth shutters, features essential for any self-respecting theatre production. The six facet linear prism is “cute and different” he quipped.
The Robe DL7S Profile, he appreciated as a luminaire designed specifically for a demanding theatre/performance environment. As a low power consumption LED light source it’s also ideal for some of the older venues in Hong Kong where power is limited. The fixture also stays cooler than discharge lamp moving lights, so generates less heat which can become an issue in some smaller venues.
The Robe DL4F Wash, he declared, is the most “Theatrical” wash on the market. “The smooth edge of the beam is really like a typical Fresnel lantern” he enthused, adding that the inbuilt barn door means the DL4F “can completely replace” the original tungsten fresnel in theatre.
Regarding the Robe Spiider Lo stated: ‘The wide angle, the colour saturation, its incredible 13.3Kg weight, small size and effects are super-impressive,” adding that it can be used as a general wash, where just four pieces in an upstage position can cover as much as a 12 metre wide by 10 meters deep stage for a standard theatre production. As an effects light, it can be used for engaging audiences at concert and events.”
On his discovery of the Robe ColorStrobe Lo declared: “The output is amazing” and apart from the strobe function they are using it regularly as a rock-style blinder. Lo observed that two ColorStrobes will effortlessly illuminate an entire 2500 seat auditorium.
Lo also purchased the Robe CycFX 8s which are great for back lighting and shooting up – or down – scenery and soft/cloths.
iLight’s Robe fixtures are constantly in use on a diversity of shows and events. Lo recently designed lighting for singer K.C. Lee’s “Share with You” concerts at the MacPherson Stadium and for cult hair-stylist and guru Guy Tang who recently toured Hong Kong to showcase his coolest new hair products.
LD Gabriel Fung lit “No Place Like Home” by the Windmill Grass Theatre Company at the Kwai Tsing Theatre and LD Leo Sui will use BMFL Blades and other lighting supplied by iLight for an upcoming production, In Time of Turmoil staged at the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and there are numerous others as the company fulfils a hectic schedule.
After a year of utilizing Robe products in the field and getting them in front of a lot of people, the iLight team concludes, “The feedback has been very positive and we’re looking forward to investing further and to seeing more interesting products in Robe’s future pipeline.”