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Vari-Lite's award-winning fixtures were selected for their unique ability to create the “big moments” for the 12th season of the top US entertainment show, America’s Got Talent.
Lighting designer Noah Mitz chose the VL6000 BEAMs for their versatility, their distinctive searchlight styling and their high-quality light output which allowed them to be “the brightest and boldest beams in the room, capable of cutting through whatever else was onstage and to be a ‘moment’ in the performance.”
Outlining those ‘moments’, Mitz says, “This year the VL6000s became part of the core ‘house look’ for the show. We tried to achieve a more elegant ‘ballyhoo’ effect at the top and bottom of the commercial breaks and they did a great job of standing out . . . We also incorporated them into our results sequences, where again they were brighter and more powerful than everything else onstage, adding a nice tension to the moment.”
He adds, “For the searchlight class of fixture, the VL6000 BEAM is easily the smoothest field that we have seen. The ability to throw gobos in as well allows for a great flexibility that we are not used to seeing with this kind of fixture.”
Six of the VL6000 BEAMs were placed three per side downstage left and right at the proscenium “to anchor the set”, while the other six were placed on movable floor carts, easily deployable to provide a rich variety of looks. With the show’s multiple performances and limited rehearsal time, fast access to this variety is essential for the lighting team. Mitz says, “We work to create a comprehensive, flexible design that can serve our needs regardless of what gets thrown at us from production and which allows us to build the looks in a rapid fashion.”
Mitz, who worked closely with Lighting Directors Michael Berger, Ryan Tanker, Andrew Webberley and Charles Dabezies on the show, concludes, “We often find on this show it is difficult to find something to register above the brightness of the screen content and to stand out as a big lighting moment. The VL6000 BEAM does a spectacular job of being that big beam.”
Martin Palmer, Product Manager for Vari-Lite, says, “Our latest generation of stage lighting tools, including the VL6000 BEAM, offer a variety of benefits because of their versatility and high-quality, powerful light output. Our understanding of show requirements means that we are able to deliver lighting tools that offer valuable solutions for lighting designers.”
