Photo: Cory Kelly
NIAGRA FALLS, ONTARIO – When designing to create a wide array of big looks on a small stage with a limited rig, what are the most important things to consider? Versatility quickly comes to mind… and while having fixtures that can do multiple things (and do them well!) is certainly critical, Andrew Dawson always keeps another factor firmly in his mind: intent!
For this Toronto-based LD, it isn’t enough just to know all of the things that a fixture can do when working within a limited rig, it’s equally important to know precisely what you want to do with each of those features. This principle served him and colleague Matt Chambers well earlier this fall when they lit Grammy-nominated Icelandic rockers Kaleo’s headline show at the Misty City Music Festival.
“I approached the operating part of the show with a mind to versatility and intentionality,” said Dawson, who is not Kaleo’s normal LD. ”I focused on creating impactful moments rather than simply filling the stage with light. I was careful not to over wash the space, but also made sure every fixture was used purposefully with intent. Fixture reveals played a key role for me. I wanted each element to have its time, rather than giving everything away at once.”
Photo: Cory Kelly
Working with a rig supplied by Production Service Industries (PSI), Dawson built his show around specific features of the lighting fixtures in his rig. For example, the impressively wide (8° to 66°) zoom range of his 32 Rogue Outcast 2X Wash units helped him achieve his goal of maintaining a fresh vitality to his looks on the 40’x40’ mobile stage.
“Going into the project, we had definite ideas about how we could use the Rogue and its wide zoom range to our advantage,” he said. “We relied on that zoom range to move from tight, punchy, focused beams to a wide full-coverage wash.
“The Rogues really held their own against the 12 Color STRIKE Ms and four STRIKE 1s in our rig,” continued Dawson. “Our rig consisted of a video wall truss with Color STRIKE M units. We also had Color STRIKEs mixed with Rogue Outcasts on upstage, downstage and mid-stage trusses. Plus, there were four STRIKE 1 blinders that we used for crowd lighting. This fixture placement provided consistency throughout the rig even as we varied looks.”
Photo: Cory Kelly
To help ensure that his transitions from one look to another went smoothly, Dawson paid close attention to his position presets, taking the time to dial in looks that either framed the band visually or worked well as bold aerials. Dark space and shadows also played a key role in his plan to introduce more texture and variety to the stage.
“I used plenty of shadows to create depth, and silhouettes to direct the audience’s focus during the set,” he explained. “I’ve found that using dark space intentionally can be just as powerful as filling the stage with light. With this set, my focus was on creating big ‘look’ moments rather than having the entire rig on all the time. That approach naturally led me to play around with subtracting light from the space and being more selective with what I revealed and when. Throughout the show, I played around with intensity and color hits across different fixture types, letting each one have its own moment to shine.”
Following this design vision, Dawson and Chambers created a continuous flow of subtle but powerful looks for their client. Among the most impactful were those with a cool blue and white palette that captured the sound and persona of Kaleo.
Photo: Cory Kelly
“The Color STRIKEs stayed subtle during this, allowing the focus to stay on the band while still creating strong visual depth with lighting rig’s layers,” said Dawson. “The simplicity of the look helped amplify the mood of the song without overpowering it, before leading into a punchy bright look from the Color STRIKE strobe cells on the song’s chorus.’
It was one of those moments, noted Dawson “where the rig’s versatility really paid off”…It was also a tribute to the power of intent.
Rogue Outcast 2X Wash
Color STRIKE M
