|
Preceding all NASCAR race telecasts on ESPN,
ESPN2, and ESPN on ABC is an opportunity to see TV
lighting history. ESPN's NASCAR Countdown studio
show will originate from one of the most technologically
advanced traveling studios ever used in sports television.
The mobile pit studio, which weighs nearly 78,000
pounds and will travel to 26 NASCAR tracks this
season, has been entirely outfitted with state-of-the-art
LED lighting. Situated near the pits at every track, the
studio elevates 14-feet while in use and has 30 feet of
glass windows along the one side giving viewers a look
at the cars, grandstands, and pageantry prior to the start
of the race. “ESPN2 and ESPN on ABC's coverage
of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR
Busch Series will be the most technologically advanced
programming in the history of televised motor sports,”
according to Jed Drake, senior vice president and
executive producer for ESPN.
ESPN's mobile Pit Studio marks a new direction in
TV studio lighting as designed by Lighting Designer
Bruce Ferri of New York City Lites. This was intentional
according to Ferri. “We all know that we could have
done things the old fashioned way, but the mandate was
to be cutting edge and to think outside the box,” he says.
The expanding truck had
|
very little room. Also, the side of the truck is all glass so viewers can see the track.
A concern was first having enough light on people
to counteract the background as well as being able to
change color temperature as they went from day into
night.
“Early on, I probed my mind for what source could
change color; I needed a color-changing source,” says
Ferri. “I was looking around and I saw Selador, I got a
demo, and it looked interesting, so I arranged to do a
camera test in Bristol, CT where ESPN is located. The
test made up my mind.”
Ferri used a mix of LED units, but chose the Selador
X7TM12-Square as his key light. “The nice thing about
the Selador is that with the lens system I was able to
really use it as a key light,” explains Ferri. “It is kind
of a crazy use for the light but using 30-degree lenses
on some of the lights and 20 degrees on others kept one
light from spilling onto another person.”
The entire idea of going the LED route solved several
problems that mobile TV studios often face. “Heat and
power were big concerns in the truck,” explains Ferri.
“With the Selador we can mix any color temperature,
there is virtually no heat, there is very little power
consumption, and I don't need dimmers.” He controls
lights directly through DMX.
CONTINUED
>>
|
Print
this page
