Grammy nominated electronic artist and music producer Duke Dumont played a six-hour extended set “All Night Long” at The Brooklyn Mirage on August 25 where 16 Claypaky Volero Wave LED bars, each with eight independent moving heads, teamed with Panify to light up the night. Panify is Claypaky’s innovative solution that turns static, non-moving fixtures into dynamic effects.
Lighting and rigging vendor Gateway Productions supplied the products to Lighting and Production Designer Chris Thoms of Dumont’s Studio Blasé. Thoms is believed to be among the first designers to pair Volero Waves and Panify as the centerpiece of a show in the US.
“We wanted to try something new and innovative which had not been seen in this iconic venue before,” says Thoms. “We also had to cater for a six-hour performance and ensure that we had the tools to create multiple dynamic looks throughout the night.”
Thoms had seen some footage of Volero Waves in action and was eager to use them in the design. He opted for a 4 x 4 grid hung from an automated truss structure as the centerpiece. “The combination of Volero Waves, Panify and Kinesys automation meant that we could completely change the feel of the space as we wished,” he explains.
“We started the show with the rig flown in low, using the Volero Wave fixtures as a ceiling of light to create an intimate club feel for the first hour or so. Then we moved the trusses to high trim to reveal our visual content. Later we brought the lighting truss back into play building the show in layers. It was important for us to be able to create moments where our focal visual content led the show and others where the lighting centerpiece took over.”
Thoms reports that, “We were really happy with the Volero fixtures, which have plenty of brightness to punch through when needed and great vivid colors. When combined with Panify, they enabled me to program some looks that I truly don’t think I could have achieved any other way. It was a lot of fun to experiment with them, and I look forward to using them on more projects.”