The 'LA Now . . . Wow' event, produced by EventWorks, called for the intersection of 1st Street and Grand Avenue to be turned into a street party with a live band on stage, food and the lighting of the surrounding buildings. Production manager and lighting designer for the event was Visions Lighting's Todd Roberts. "We had two days, with the streets closed, to pull this off," said Roberts. "We started at 6am on the first day, and we were programming till 2 a.m. that night. Of course, we were back again at 10am, and we had to clear of the site by 5am the next morning."
Roberts's design called not only for the lighting of the Walt Disney Concert Hall but also for its multiple angles to be employed as projection surfaces. Sponsor information, details about the International Pow Wow and even the Lakers game going on down the street at Staples Center graced the stainless steel exterior for the duration of the event. 20 Coemar SuperCyc 2.4 fixtures provided the main colour wash with highlights and stage lighting consisting of 16 Martin MAC 2000 Profiles, 16 High End Studio Colors, 16 Studio Spots, 16 Studio Beams, 24 Color Commands and 12 Cyberlights. A Flying Pig Wholehog II, programmed by Visions Lighting's Chris Good, provided the architectural control, while a Hog 1000, programmed and operated by John Fairchild, was used to control the stage.
In addition to the lighting of the surrounding buildings, Visions Lighting also provided the main stage and the three supplement truss structures that acted as focal points for food and drink. To make up for a lack of high angles, Roberts arranged for three 80ft cranes to be placed and then used as lighting positions."The furthest fixture is 1,500ft away from the generator," explained Roberts. "We have miles and miles of cable here, and we cross the street more times than I care to remember, but it's been a lot of fun. How often do you get to stop traffic in L.A. for two days and do something like this!"
(Lee Baldock)
