The annual gala Christmas TV show Hodina Detom (An Hour for Children) is organised by the Children of Slovakia Foundation to help raise funds and awareness for the charity, which works to empower children and young people nationwide who are living in and dealing with difficult circumstances.
Top lighting designer Martin Kubanka brought his style and expertise to ensure it was a memorable live broadcast, and specified nearly 100 Robe fixtures including Spikies, Pointes, BMFL Spots and BMFL WashBeams, plus LEDWash 600 moving lights, together with the retro PATT 2013’s.
The show was staged at the RTVS TV studio in Bratislava from where it was broadcast live and people could make donations online.
Kubanka has lit the telecast for several years, although this was the first time he had incorporated PATT 2013’s and Spikies into the design. Both fixtures have been recently purchased by Q-99, with the PATT 2013’s ordered specifically with Hodina Detom in mind.
“PATTs bring simultaneous flourishes of retro and contemporary to any set,” he explained, rigging them in a 3×4 upstage matrix which created a wall of luminosity visible in all the full stage shots.
There were four large LED screens either side of the PATT matrix, and 28 x Pointes were arranged over six above-stage trussing fingers that fanned out from back to front. These were used for all the beam-technology and aerial effect work.
Twelve BMFL WashBeams and 16 x LEDWash 600’s were used to light the 30 piece orchestra that backed the artist performances.
16 of the 24 Spikies were positioned around the curved stage lip in the footlights position where they were highly visible and effective, where Kubanka employed the continuous rotation feature. The other eight Spikies were dotted over the finger trusses.
Six BMFL Spots located towards the upstage edge of the two most offstage finger trusses were used for a variety of in-camera effects, utilising prisms, gobos and more.
“Having such a diversity of Robe fixtures to hand meant I had endless flexibility. I could ensure that each singer and star had their own individual looks as well as creating consistency and a series of signatures look for Hodina Detom 2016,” stated Kubanka.
Slovakian rental and production company Q-99 supplied lighting, video and sound equipment and crew. Kubanka programmed and ran lights working closely with video programmer Marek Krasnan, with backstage support from Michal Brna.
The Children of Slovakia Foundation is dedicated to energising children and young people through special aids, rehabilitation, a range of therapies and psychological assistance, entertainment and learning.