Hungarian lighting design studio Highlight Studios used more than 150 Robe moving lights to create an eye-catching show for a sold-out concert by pop-rock band Valmar, at the 12,500-capacity Budapest Arena, in Hungary. Máté Lukacsovics and Ale Geszler, from Highlight Studios, chose a combination of iFORTES, Pointes and Tarrantulas from Robe to energise the show.
The starting point was an idea from show director, Roland Mák, who imagined the stage as a gigantic time machine, with the concert designed as a two-hour gameplay session hosted by an AI character lurking on the outer IMAG screens. The game involved performers and the audience completing various challenges and moving up to the next levels, and the 96 x Pointes on the lighting rig were an integral part of this gameplay visualisation.
The set, video and lighting designs were all based around Mák’s vision which Lukacsovics drew proportionally into the Arena’s own 3D model. A V-shaped structure – the largest part on an automation system – was flown above a runway coming off the stage, enabling over 40 lights to move above the audience.
The LED wall setup followed Mák’s time machine, with an LED floor providing gameplay visuals with instructions and cards appearing on it for the performers. The AI character alternated with a live mix on the two IMAG screens, and the time machine interface also appeared on these same screens. The rear V-shaped main screen mainly featured textures and more informal background gameplay visuals.
It was agreed at the outset that beam style fixtures should fill the space and emphasise key moments of the game narrative. “It was important to choose a multifunctional light, with weight also a crucial factor due to the additional dynamics of the largest V-truss, which moved throughout the show. Pointes in this quantity are always impressive,” said Lukacsovics.
The 96 x Pointes were the essence of the show, he said, and used extensively during the choruses. “The speed was beneficial, especially for the faster and rockier songs in the set list, allowing us to create high-impact effects with this number of lights,” he added.
The Pointes were primarily used in beam mode, but for slower songs, they deployed a combination of prisms and gobos. The beam reducers boosted the visibility of performers, especially when using brighter colours.
The 18 x iFORTEs were rigged on the rear trusses and kicked in as powerful back beams and effects, with the 40 x Tarrantulas lining both sides of the catwalk on 20-metre straight trusses flown directly above. “LED profile lights featuring precision gobos and such deep saturated colours was once unimaginable, but iFORTE has completely changed that perception,” said Geszler.
Despite the relatively small quantity of 18 x iFORTE luminaires, their substantial brightness “was more than sufficient” confirmed Lukacsovics. iFORTEs were used for spot effects and highlighting the musicians.
The Tarrantulas were used for washing the stage and the catwalk. It was vital for the dancers and musicians to be well-lit, especially with saturated colour as the production was also recorded for TV. At times, up to 100 dancers were onstage simultaneously, and the 40 Tarrantulas ensured key lighting for the broadcast and recording crew.
