Blinding Light was working for live experience company Sledge on this three-month project - the only indoor digital laser tag facility in the UK. The aim was to build a dramatic, atmospheric and stimulating environment for the high octane experience in which two teams battle to succeed in their mission. The Hangar was one of a series of ongoing long term temporary installations designed to offer additional entertainment value to anyone visiting the O2.
Blinding Light asked Mark Mumford to create the lighting design for the all-action game, which featured its own soundtrack and was housed inside the O2's inflatable "Bubble" structure. His task included ensuring that there was sufficient ambient light levels for participants to clearly see where they were and what they were doing whilst embroiled in the inflatable maze and its connecting corridors.
Equipment wise, Blinding Light supplied Source Four Profiles, a variety of PARs and Pulsar ChromaStrips, all of which had to be evenly distributed around the Bubble's roof structure. There were also 16 Studio Due MiniCity units set on slow colour changing chases. The competing team colours of red and blue were represented in appropriate set washes and chases, and The Hangar logo outside the venue was highlighted with MBI fixtures.
All lighting was programmed onto an Avolites Pearl console, which also controlled two of the new GEM ZR247 smoke machines that were supplied along with a palette of smoke fluid to last for the duration of the installation.
(Jim Evans)
