Laurent Chapot does the lighting for Tryo on the roof of the Olympia theatre in Paris with an Ayrton energy-efficient kit
In accompanying the French band Tryo once again on the 2012 edition of their tour, Laurent Chapot persists in his search for « cleaner » lighting, which reduces power consumption for an average kit by using energy-efficient LED sources.
In an intimate setting that showcases the roofs of Paris, he colours the iconic Olympia stage with the help of the latest generation projectors and puts his faith in Ayrton once again by choosing the WildSun 500 C moving heads, Rollapix light bars and the IceColor 500 luminaires.
Each stage component, from the scaffolding to the dormer and the lateral poles, has a clean usefulness, notably to hide or support projectors and, a rare occurrence indeed, there is no video installed, but a clear cyclorama without upstage truss. This difficulty of illuminating a large space with an empty backdrop, obscured by a cloth, was circumvented by the designer with the help of the IceColor 500s used « in strips », complemented by the WildSun 500 Cs to cover the entire area.
« And since the entire projector range from Ayrton features the same highly accurate and efficient colorimetry, there was no colour incompatibility, » admits Laurent Chapot.
Constantly in search of ecological lighting, Laurent Chapot has chosen the WildSun moving heads for their undeniable « consumption/efficiency ratio », but also for their technological qualities. « I love the precision of LED moving heads. Whenever I want to create very rhythmical manual flashes, they are unbeatable. And on some of the band’s electronic pieces, I would not be able to do what I want as meticulously using automatic lights. It is therefore definitely the precision of execution that appeals to me in these new moving heads such as the WildSun 500. »
In this arrangement, qualified as a « small travel kit » by its designer, a lot of different projectors are installed, each in judicious quantities. Laurent Chapot admits « having dug into everything that I liked based on the specific needs, but always trying to pick power sources of 700 W or less ». That is why he chose the WildSun 500 C moving heads, which he already knew as he had tested them as soon as they came out: « I find them really great. Obviously their colours are sublime and they offer numerous options, particularly in extended DMX mode. I’m disappointed that they do not open further, but their speed and their design are really amazing. »
For the same reason, he went for the Ice Color 500s to work the cyclorama in colour baths. Set up on the floor, upstage, they take pride of place.
Small and new, the Rollapix light bars also joined the tour. « Placed laterally, they enable attractive sweeping effects on the stage, always with excellent colours. »
Bowled over by Ayrton’s whites and the remarkable colours of the WildSuns, the designer tried to make the most of the qualities of each of the projectors, within a varied kit « each product has its strong points, and I like to combine them », whilst not hesitating to ask his console operator, Laurent Garnier, to use extended modes during the programme in order to, for example, « play with the matrices of the WildSun and use its central area to achieve a unique lighting point. »
And even if this show, modest on energy, relies on lower levels of luminosity than a fully automatic 1200 W setup, the designer treats light like a painting, thanks to his undeniable talent and to the clever use of the smoke that becomes his canvas.
