Pierce Manufacturing’s dealer event in January marked the first event held in Fox Cities’ Exhibition Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. To facilitate the production’s creative and power requirements, leading production company Studio Gear LLC specified a cornucopia of High End Systems’ LED based automated lighting products, including 22 SolaFrame 1500, six SolaFrame 750, 24 SolaWash 19, and a dozen SHAPESHIFTER C1 fixtures.
LD Brendan Watts of Studio Gear comments, “Even though Fox Cities is a new venue, there are some power constraints in the hall. We were given a 100 amp tie-in, so I immediately realized we had to go all LED, which we easily accomplished with our extensive HES Sola Series inventory.”
Watts’ design incorporated three main trusses: two on either side of the room used for effects and house lighting washes, and a main truss positioned 20 feet off the front of the stage, which was employed primarily for his stage wash. Two additional trusses hung over the stage for the video wall. Watts also used a small ground package of beam fixtures, as well as pipe and base between the screens. Lighting requirements included audience and stage washes for the keynote address, illuminating Pierce’s fire trucks for demos, and the event’s dinner and awards show, where Watts says, “We had to have some flash and trash up our sleeve.”
He explains, “I used 12 SolaFrame 1500s as my stage wash on the main truss and five per side on my side trusses. The ten 1500s on the sides were used for texturing the audience during the show to create atmosphere – I love how bright and reliable these fixtures are. I’ve been using 1500s for two years now and still haven’t had any issues with them. The bright white light engine is incredible; it’s where the market is going, and High End Systems is on the leading edge.”
Similarly, Watts used the SolaFrame 750s for multiform tasks. “The 750 excels in everything – from specials around the room to bar station lighting. I love this fixture! We took first delivery in the USA, and they haven’t stopped being used since day one. The compact design and expansive feature set is bar none, and it has incredible punch for such a small footprint. HES really hit it out of the park with this fixture.
“The variable color temperature in the Sola Series is very useful, especially when lighting for camera, as the values are very true to what the camera sees. Another thing I love about these fixtures is that they just don’t break! I’m also a HES certified tech and do repairs in our shop – these lights are very reliable and have zero down time, which allows us to keep them out working on shows.”
The design also called for eight SolaWash 19s on each side truss, used to light the fire trucks during the opening general session; eight additional fixtures were used as back light. Watts says, “The SW19s are a ‘go to’ fixture on every show. They give great flexibility as a wash light as well as for eye candy effects. The C1s served as house lighting; I used them in mapping mode and positioned the cells to light individual tables in the venue, and they also served as effects lights during the award show. It’s a dual threat fixture with incredible output.”