Aldo Solbiati, director of photography on the show, says: "At various stages of the quiz, before the commercial breaks and when we return to the studio, the 'bamboo' camera follows along the entire length of the studio in a move that encompasses the stage of the host, the nine contestants' podiums, and the audience gallery. This 'dynamic' situation, repeated many times throughout the show, intensifies its own movements thanks to beams of light which have been studied to combine with it in the most effective way."
The lighting system consists mainly of Clay Paky projectors - Alpha Spot HPE 575s. Solbiati says: "We wanted to use projectors that were equipped with every effect, and we opted for the powerful 575s, seen the limited space available in the recording studio. The choice of the Clay Paky HPE was a must, since they have shown great quality and reliability in many other Mediaset productions". The characteristic fan-like movement of graphic effects projected simultaneously with the movement of the mobile camera, is controlled manually by the operator to enable it to synchronise with the movement of the camera.
Other situations within the program benefit from special lighting. When, for example, only three contestants remain, a semi-transparent screen appears on the TV screen which requires an orange light to highlight the contrast. Generally, every opportunity offered by the projectors to liven the set is taken advantage of, and the light is harmonized with elements of the set (televised and in the studio) and with the audience present, in order to enrich the general image.
(Lee Baldock)
