Heavy AV and Preston Productions Use All-CHAUVET Professional Rig to Reflect Excitement of Cal State Fullerton Spring Concert

FULLERTON, CA – The clouds drifting overhead most of the day did nothing to dampen the enthusiastic anticipation of the more than 5,000 students gathered at Cal State Fullerton’s Intermural Fields last month for the school’s Annual Spring Concert. The sold-out concert, which was headlined by Grammy-winning artist DJ Mustard and also featured performances by Rebecca Black, Danny Lux, and Wax Motif, took place on a stage that featured a 100-percent CHAUVET Professional lighting rig supplied by Preston Productions.

Excitement built at 5pm when the first headliners appeared and reached a fever pitch later in the evening when the main act, Grammy-winning, multi-platinum artist Mustard hit the stage. The West Coast Hip-Hop pioneer revved up the crowd, unleashing hits like as “Not Like Us,” and “POP DAT THING”. The show, in the words of the student newspaper “left concert goers in awe of the experience they just shared.”

The lighting rig consisted of 89 IP65 outdoor rated CHAUVET Professional fixtures including 30 Maverick Storm 1 Flex units, 20 STRIKE Array 2 blinders, 25 Color STRIKE M motorized strobe wases and 14 Rogue Outcast 2x Washes.

The Rogue Outcast 2X Washes were used for front lighting and backlighting. The STRIKE Array 2 units were used as blinders and for eye candy and were flown on the downstage truss as well as mounted on pipe and base on stage. The Color STRIKE M units were used for backlight and eye candy and were both flown and placed on the deck. “I love using the Color STRIKE M units for concerts as they allow you to get a bright color wash, strobe, or eye candy effect from a single unit,” said Preston.

While the Rouge Outcast, STRIKE Array 2 and Color STRIKE M are longtime staples of the Preston Productions inventory, Justin Preston, who served as LD for the event, was eager to try the new Maverick Storm 1 Flex hybrid units. Positioned throughout the stage, from the downstage edge and truss to the upstage truss and the top of the video wall towers, the versatile Storm 1 Flex served as the backbone of the rig. “It offered a lot of flexibility and punch in a lightweight, IP65 package – I was really impressed” Preston said of the fixture. “It gave us the ability to provide tight beams, as well as wide gobo looks, which helped us keep pace with the diversity of the music.”

The lighting rig was designed by Preston and Heavy AV. The show was programmed and operated by Marcus Mathews. The Master Electrician was Lucas Garrity. “We put a great deal of thought into the design and Heavy AV was very involved,” said Preston. “Our headliners often appear at larger venues and festivals, so it was important we match that level of production at this event.”