Popular TV lighting fixtures from Martin by HARMAN were firmly to the fore on the main rig at BBC Television Centre’s flagship TC1 studio when lighting director Oli Richards set to work on designing the rig for the second series of Sounds Like Friday Night. He turned to TV lighting rental company Version 2 to source inventory which included 24 x Martin MH7 Hybrid, 24 x Martin RUSH Par 2 Zoom, 24 x Martin Viper Performance and 24 x Martin Mac Aura XB.

The show was broadcast live on BBC One in a series of five half-hour episodes featuring live performances from some of the biggest names in global music. 

A core feature of the show was its stage architecture, designed by the creative Misty Buckley. The mammoth set took up the entire footprint of the flagship TC1 studio, with its trim height soaring up into the impressive grid level at some 34 ft. above. The design provided an amphitheatre for the audience with its contours drawing influence from the iconic doughnut design of the Television Centre building.

Using Buckley’s installation as his canvas Richards utilised Martin Viper Performances to give shuttered animation to the vast set.

At the same time, Martin RUSH Par 2 Zooms were utilised in place of traditional floor cans, while Martin MH7 Hybrids were among the fixtures deployed across the four stages to give a diverse array of beams. Martin Mac Aura XB Wash lights were used to wash both the set and the 520-strong audience.

The rig of 155 intelligent fixtures was installed, programmed, rehearsed, performed and struck in a 24-hour period along with the colossal set. This sizeable task was undertaken in an efficient manner headed by crew chief Paul Evans and BBC gaffer Bob Bandoo. Richard’s gallery team was rounded out by console operators Russel Grubiak and Alex Pocock, alongside Daryl Bidewell on vision supervising duties. 

“It’s a pleasure to be working alongside the Fulwell 73 and BBC Studioworks
production teams again delivering this large scale live entertainment show,” said Nick Edwards, managing director of Version 2. “The lighting team worked incredibly hard to a challenging production schedule, the end result was a strong, bold looking show.”
 
Of the Martin fixtures he said, “The brand remains as popular as ever with our LD clients and we are constantly reviewing their new releases as they come onto the market with a view to bolstering our inventory. In fact we used one of the new MAC Encore Performance to key light both Kylie Minogue and Florence and the Machine on the final episode of Sounds Like Friday Night.”

Martin by HARMAN is distributed in the UK by Sound Technology Ltd. For more information please call 01462 480000 and visit www.soundtech.co.uk/professional-lighting/martin