The Total Production International (TPi) Awards 2018, produced by TPi Magazine, partnered with Robe lighting, to illuminate Battersea Evolution, utilising almost 300 Robe fixtures in the main room, including additional fixtures, in the venue foyer, and Robe VIP Area.
Nathan Wan put together a stunning lighting design that supported the TPi Awards 2018’s visual theme of 1980s / early 1990s New York ‘golden age’ rap / hip hop; complete with eye-catching cityscape video design, reflecting the musical diversity and innovation of the era.
Wan worked alongside Lighting Director – and regular FOH team collaborator – Andy Webb and assistant LD Jordan Tinniswood. The calibre of the Next Robe Generation applicants for the assistant LD post allowed Wan to generate extra roles, with the NRG crew extended to a further 5 applicants – who worked on lighting and tech’ing the main bar and reception areas; including the Robe VIP afterparty lounge.
The architectural starting point for lighting included 4 grids of trussing, with 2 at either side of the room; each loaded with 15 Robe Spiider LED wash beams, tilted at 40 degrees. In addition to the grid, the setup included ‘horseshoe’ shaped trusses traversing the room and an upstage truss, with 5 2-metre high vertical trusses each side of the stage, extending out to the corners of the room, each with a Robe Pointe on top and a PixelPATT on the front.
Forty Robe MegaPointes provided the main effects lighting, rigged on 3 horseshoes, utilised extensively for the aerial elements of the event. 48 LEDBeam 150s were arranged in groups of 4 on the horseshoes and used for ACL-style finger looks – ideal to match the period feel. The upstage truss utilised 6 Robe Pointes, which provided back-light on TPi Awards 2018 host, Russell Kane, who was mirrored by a further 6 upstage fixtures on the deck.
A pair of Robe DL7S profiles were supported with DL4F LED fresnels doing the side / cross stage filler, featuring a pair of Robe Spiiders, which boosted the lumens at the back, allowing for an intense video backdrop. For additional stage key and front lighting, 2 Robe BMFL Spots with motion cameras, operated remotely via 2 RoboSpot base stations at FOH.
Seventeen Robe ColorStrobes spread across the trusses kicked in high-powered, great quality LED flooding and also specials to boost the light levels in the room, with an MDG Fog Generator theOne ramping up the atmosphere and haze.
All the lighting was programmed and run on 2 Avolites Arena consoles with a couple of days pre-vis at Robe UK in Northampton the previous week. The other NRG crew were Adam Davis (Robe VIP Lounge LD / operator), Alex Merrett (Main Bar LD / operator) James Matthews (assistant LD in the Robe VIP Lounge & RoboSpot operator), Owen Yelland (Avolites systems tech) and James Marshall (tech crew and RoboSpot operator).
In addition to supporting the show, Robe’s UK and International teams and guests had a fantastic evening and Robe again sponsored the Favourite Lighting Rental Company Award, which was presented by Robe CEO Josef Valchar and won for the 5th year running by Neg Earth Lights.
The TPi Awards remembered many ‘absent friends’ who have departed in the last 12 months, including Robe’s Kevin Loretto from the North American sales team. The TPi Awards 2018 honoured some of the best, creative, innovative and technical achievements of 2018; a fitting celebration to their incredible characters’, lives and contributions to the industry.