Family favourite Strictly Come Dancing is back for an incredible 8th series! The BBC1 prime time Saturday night show, hosted by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly, sees an array of celebrities and their professional partner’s dance the dark and cold winter nights away in a bid to be crowned champion!
So far this season we have already seen Paul Daniels do a disappearing act, Anne Widdecombe gracefully gliding through the air in her tantalising tango, Scott Maslen score a victorious 39/40 for his Viennese Waltz and with a list of injuries, chicken pox and costume foe pars – who knows what else is in store for us?!
Lighting Designer Mark Kenyon continues to originate the show; Richard Martin Lighting has supported Mark and his team from the beginning.
The RML spec includes Chroma Strips, VL3500 Wash, VL1000TS and Nova Flowers; which RML were the first company in the UK to buy back in 2006.
The VL1000TS are used predominantly for the results show – there sharp and clear light is an ideal spotlight for studio use of each dancing couple. The VL1000TS luminaire combines the functionality of one of the most popular conventional lighting tools – the ellipsoidal reflector spotlight – with the versatility of an automated luminaire. Automated functions include CYM colour mixing, rotating gobos, variable diffusion, and a zoom lens that ranges from 19° to 36° for normal imaging and a super zoom function that ranges to 70°.
The VL3500 Wash luminaire features internal zoomable beam optics with either Fresnel or Buxom options, an interchangeable front lens system, or an aperture wheel. The fixture provides CYM colour mixing, variable CTO colour temperature correction, dual five-position colour wheels, a separate dimmer, and an independent dual blade strobe mechanism.
When asked about his choice of lights, Mark told me “the VL3500’s have an extremely strong look which is now an integral part of the design of the show”.
So as we ‘waltz’ through winter and ‘cha cha’ on the countdown to Christmas, ‘foxtrot’ into the Festive Season, we can expect lots more sequins, spray tans and sultry sensuousness from the team! And if that wasn’t enough – maybe even the odd little dance and song from Brucie - and so with that in mind I think there is only one more thing left to say – Keeeeep dancing!!
Gemma Jaques
Marketing Coordinator