Robert Juliat followspots first went on tour with Bruce Springsteen in 2007, on the Magic tour. Lighting designer, Jeff Ravitz, of Intensity Advisors in North Hollywood, California, wanted to use Manon and Topaze spots in the truss for their optical quality but he also needed the spots to have electronic power supplies to insure there were no frequency interference issues with the video system on the tour. Robert Juliat got together with Morpheus Lights, of Las Vegas, Nevada, the production company for the tour, and created a hybrid that married the RJ heads with a Morpheus electronic power supply - the RJE Electronic Ballast - and produced one-piece truss spots that have been a great success.
Ravitz says: "Followspots are one of the most important lighting tools" for the show. "Most of the band is on the move at all times. And the artist is very tuned into the qualities of good stage lighting - and also good cinematic lighting as portrayed on the IMAG screens. So, to solve these possibly mutually exclusive demands, we've created lighting positions for followspots that are ideal for the best lighting angles. Therefore, we need to carry our own spots for these positions."
Ravitz explains that 11 truss-mounted spots help him light the band in a way that doesn't necessarily adhere to the conventions of traditional house followspots. "The house followspots are often at low, flat angles and spill all over the surfaces behind the performers," he notes. "Our spots are used for front key light, side light and back light."
The four 4000W Lancelot HTI followspots are used on stadium shows to "capture Bruce when he comes downstage to the stage apron, out onto the thrust and when he 'surfs' the audience to a small island B stage located in the pit area in front of the stage " says Paul Weller of Morpheus Lights. "They're positioned on the sound delay towers along with additional audience lighting."
(Jim Evans)
