The high impact, clear cut, red and blue branding of Cage Warriors – Europe’s biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion – is instantly recognisable for fans who watch the live broadcasts to over 30 different countries as well as via social media, and now as a highlights show on the UK’s terrestrial programming on Channel 4.
Production manager and lighting designer, James Quigley, with chief LX, Dan Young, uphold the visual brand using Chauvet DJ and Chauvet Professional fixtures to tone the truss and maximise light in the cage.

Positioned eight-per-side on booms, 16 Chauvet DJ COLORband PiX linear pixel-mapping fixtures shoot colour through the cage. 24 Chauvet Professional COLORado 1-Tri Tour units, the most recent additions bought for the show via Yorkshire-based R&M Productions, warm the truss from the top of the cage.

The lighting provides the theatre behind the performances and the drama between rounds according to Dan Young, "The theme is strong and repeatable and the colour scheme is very important. Between rounds the colour-chases and pixel-mapping through the show colours of red and blue is recognisably Cage Warriors."

The colour scheme though simple, is extremely challenging. "We chose the COLORados because of how well the Chauvet lights mix," says Young. "One of our key briefs is not to get pink, which is almost impossible mixing red and blue. It was quite an achievement and we achieved it with the Chauvet fixtures because they’re so responsive."

However, the size of the units was the prime selling point. The truss above the fight cage, within which the lights are enclosed, is constructed from slender 30cm truss and, as James Quigley confirms: "Specifically, they fit inside the truss we use. We’d been using larger lights and disguising them but with a small crew and short load-in times that’s just not practical." Having used fixtures from the Chauvet Professional COLORado range previously, Young was enthusiastic, "As soon as it was mentioned they would fit, I said ‘go for it, they’re great – and more than capable of the job’."

An unexpected but much appreciated side effect of the move to the COLORado 1-Tri Tours is the reduction in space necessary for lighting. As Young puts it, "They’re so punchy but so small you can fit hundreds on one meat rack!" Explaining the significance, Quigley adds, "Using one lorry is really important when we’re doing European shows. We’re not generating huge profits so every penny is a prisoner."

Summing up, Quigley says of the Chauvet DJ and Chauvet Professional fixtures, "They’re bright, light and very easy to control." And Young concurs, "They have all the features if not more of products in a higher price range."