Robe backs Red Bull Batalla in Bogotá
- Details
Edu utilised over 200 Robe moving lights to realise an eye-catching show design for the tournament which was attended live by a 14,000-capacity audience and streamed worldwide.
On Edu’s lighting plot were 105 x Robe MegaPointes, 66 x Spiiders and 53 x BMFL WashBeams, all delivered by Bogota-based rental company, Linea Estratégica, who also take care of all things technical for the venue and were picked to deliver specific results for this spectacular show.
Edu has previously lit Red Bull Batalla tournament finals in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the previous one in Madrid, in addition to several national finals in Spain, so he knows the brief, and was very excited to be working with a great team in Colombia on this one.
The 2022 event featured an LED screen and video heavy design, so in 2023, he wanted to turn this around and produce an equally dazzling environment but this time with “light being the main protagonist”.
The set design was - similar to 2022 - a collaboration between producers Babbla Studio, the Redbull Batalla team and Experiencias Visuales. A long and slightly quirky shaped runway stage allowed contestants to strut their stuff and connect with fans in the audience.
Apart from the demands of live show lighting, the multicamera shoot - directed by Paulí Subirá - and global telecast meant he had to light efficiently and effectively for camera, all the time not losing that critical connection with the audience that is so fundamental to rap shows and live broadcasts.
The distinctive runway design was fundamental to Edu’s lighting strategy. His aesthetic involved two types of ‘base’ light, one covering access to the runways filled with harder, more dramatic key light, achieved using overhead BMFLs cutting across the runway, working in conjunction with the second, a perimeter of MegaPointes creating a ‘beam corridor’ matching the movement of artists as they entered the battle arena.
The 105 MegaPointes were located around the stage and the runway, and used for a myriad of dynamic effects and to emphasise key moments.
The 66 Spiiders were used to enhance ambience across the bleacher seating areas and on the arena floor as well as providing general room lighting, while the BMFL WashBeams were the event’s primary key lighting.
Linea Estratégica is well known for its quality and service for the Balatta. They supplied all the lights plus trussing / rigging, audio and a full show video package. Also being technical supplier at the Movistar Arena and very familiar with all its nuances, “everything went wonderfully smoothly,” noted Edu.
Audience LED wristbands were also integral to the overall illuminated effects, providing a very homogeneous yet dynamic and constantly changing background.
Edu worked alongside a team including three production managers - Javier Svietozar (Red Bull), Enrique Garcia (Babbla Studio) and Yalesa Echevarría from local company Duir - plus Fabio Cuellar from Linea Estratégica; lighting operator David Carrasquillas, lighting programmer Juan Manuel Lazaro, sound engineer Felipe Lara and video content director Jaime Dusan from Nativo.
