Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
30/11/2012

Robe Fights Le Grande Battle 2012

News Image
The 'La Grande Battle' concept brings a slightly different take to TV music talent competitions .... An orchestra performs classical pieces which are reinterpreted by a series of contemporary performers - in their own style.
Broadcast annually on France 2 it's fast become a cult 'must watch' event for popular music lovers and this year attracted over 2 million viewers!
This year, Lighting Designer David Seligmann-Forest from lite4life incorporated over 120 Robe moving lights in his design for the show, which was recorded at Le Carrere studios in St. Denis, Paris.
Seligmann-Forest is a big Robe fan, and has been a loyal user of the brand right from the start when it launched back in 2002.
Having also lit La Grande Battle last year, this time around he took the opportunity of using some of Robe's newest technologies, including the LEDBeam 100, together with LEDWash 300s and 600s and ColorSpot 700E ATs.
The fixtures were rigged all over the roof of the large studio and used as truly multi-purpose instruments. They washed the set pieces designed by Michelle Sarfati which were and based on a series of striking scenic ribs on the orchestra side, with a more open space opposite, backed by a large LED screen, where the bands performed.
The LEDWashes were also used for general washing and for key lighting the orchestra and bands.
With a very tight rehearsal schedule, Seligmann-Forest’s visual ideas for each artist had to be developed and programmed quickly and confidently – a process greatly helped by spec’ing Robe fixtures, together with the skills of programmer Jerome Claude using a grandMA2 console.
As he watched the rehearsals Seligmann-Forest chose different looks and themes for the diverse selection of performers - which ranged from blues to rock, jazz to folk and ‘trash’ to cabaret. Each had their own ident and looks.
He enjoyed lighting the 50-piece orchestra from The Paris Conservatoire as if they were a rock band - with plenty of vibrance and drama - ensuring they looked great on camera as well as to the very enthusiastic live studio audience.
Seligman-Forest specifies Robe for all his projects – the majority of which are in television, commenting: "Robe is without doubt the best moving light brand currently available".
He adds that he is constantly impressed by Robe keeping ahead on the innovation front: "Robe was the first to perfect a homogenized light engine for their LED fixtures", and he thinks that the LED range is definitely ahead in terms of output, the quality of light, colour range and smoothness.
The super-small Robin LEDBeam 100 has recently been added to his regular kit list.
He loves its smallness and brightness and also finds it infinitely useful for filling black holes in a set: "You can literally squeeze them in anywhere as they are such a handy size!" He used them for the first time on the recent series (and his third) of Masterchef, which he lit entirely using Robe LED fixtures.
He is also eager to start using the new MMX WashBeam as well as the DLX Spot and DLF Wash.
Overall, he appreciates the low power consumption of Robe’s LED and ROBIN ranges and Robe's "serious approach to making products greener and more energy conscious".
The Robe fixtures for La Grande Battle were supplied by Rental company Yes via LightCo.
The 2012 Grande battle was won by Zac Zazou from Amiens, who reinterpreted a piece from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ on an amazing array of improvised instruments made from metal saws, drainage pipes and extraneous other elements of industrial trash.
(GK)
Solidmate Ltd Memory Card Hire London

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

08/09/2023
Brompton Technology's Tessera LED Powers Sony's Crystal LED VERONA
Brompton Technology has announced that Tessera LED processing solution powers Sony Corporation's new Crystal LED VERONA. These cutting-edge LED displa
16/03/2023
Female-Centred FAST Channel Launches Using Amagi's FAST Solutions
Amagi has announced that Mainstream Media AG has launched its first-ever female-centred Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) channel, Starke Frauen (
27/01/2003
Robe Show Lighting launch Italian venture
Robe Show Lighting, the Czech moving light manufacturer, have announced the formation of Robe Italia SRL. This is a joint venture between Robe Show Li
15/04/2003
Robe launch UK operation
Robe UK, a direct sales operation of Czech Republic-based moving light manufacturer Robe Show Lighting, has been launched. The new company was set up
20/02/2023
Plazamedia Selects Alfalite's LED Panel Technology
Alfalite has supplied its Modularpix Pro VP XR panels with ORIM technology to build a 120-square-meter L-shaped LED wall in Plazamedia's new Extended
12/10/2017
BB&S Lighting Adds New LED Lighting Fixtures
BB&S Lighting has announced the introduction of 3' and 4' Pipeline Free remote phosphor LED lighting fixtures. The 3' and 4' (914mm and 1,219mm) sizes
23/05/2023
ACT Entertainment To Offer Lighting Controllers From Visual Productions
ACT Entertainment is to begin offering lighting controllers from Amsterdam-based manufacturer Visual Productions to customers in the United States. Th
09/12/2005
New look for Robe UK
Robe UK has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Robe Show Lighting, following last week’s direct management takeover of the company by its Czech Repub
27/03/2012
Robe Takes Frankfurt By The Balls
Robe lighting enjoyed its busiest and best Prolight+Sound exhibition (in Frankfurt) to date …. with a record number of deals closed, plus a phenomenal
02/02/2010
Robe Czechs-out Lighting Appointments
Czech Republic-based moving light manufacturer Robe lighting has announced a series of new appointments in a planned management restructuring exercise
03/03/2014
Dry Hire Lighting Invests In Robe Moving Lights
Dry Hire Lighting has invested in a substantial quantity of new Robe moving lights to boost their available hire stock of Robe fixtures, making them o
20/08/2012
Robe Turns Ten
Robe is celebrating its tenth birthday and ten years of ‘Working With Winners’ at PLASA 2012. The 'winners' are the firm's international distribution
18/03/2005
Eurovision winner Robe appointed as moving light supplier
Robe Show Lighting has been appointed the exclusive moving light supplier for the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. The Czech Republic based manufacturer
09/10/2023
ARRI Appoints VP Product Management Business Unit Lighting
Michael Huelskemper has joined ARRI as Vice President Product Management Business Unit Lighting. In this role, he is responsible for further developin
14/05/2007
Eurovision Stage Lighting features 500 Robe moving lights
Over 500 Robe moving lights were used on the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), which culminated in last night’s final, staged at the Hartwall Arena,