Scores of luminaires from Elation Professional’s Proteus™, Artiste™, KL™ and other lines were used by lighting designer Miguel "Miki" Molina on the latest season of “La Casa de Los Famosos” Mexico which airs on Televisa Univision. Its season four grand finale took place August 13 reaching more than 195 million viewers.

Elation, Magmatic, NETRON

The Elation package was used throughout the season across six different sets, including the grand finale, with the main stage alone boasting some 400 Elation lights. Other Elation lines used on the program included Pixel Bar, SixBar, Chorus Line, and DTW Blinders, along with Therma Tour 600 haze effect generators from Magmatic effects. Additionally, EN12 nodes and RDM10 splitters from Obsidian Control’s NETRON line were used for signal distribution. The supply of the Elation fixtures and the lighting technical production for the project was carried out by Mexican company AVIT Services Integrales under the supervision of Joel Isair Torres.

“We opted for Elation because of the versatility of the products, which we were very happy with,” explained lighting designer Miguel “Miki" Molina, who says he has used Elation gear as the basis for his television projects in Mexico and the U.S. for the last five years. “For live broadcasts, the Elation equipment gives me the confidence that I have the features and qualities needed to achieve the correct image in terms of colorimetry and exposure. Elation has a range of very interesting products and the result is in the quality of the image.”

The flexibility to adapt

When selecting key lights for a television program, the designer emphasizes the importance of finding lights with the right power output. Furthermore, when it comes to adjusting skin tones, he seeks lights that offer a flexible range of exposures, allowing him to make corrections without concerns about compromising the image quality. Molina also notes that the show's cast expressed their deep appreciation for the excellent rendering of skin tones achieved.

"I appreciate the brightness provided by the LEDs we use for the camera," he explained. "I have precise control over colors, ensuring there's no unwanted color distortion. It affords me the flexibility to adapt to the specific requirements of different projects and various camera types. You can also work with the refresh frequencies of the luminaires as needed and all Elation equipment has it.”

KL series

Molina turned to several luminaires in Elation’s broadcast-optimized KL series, the full-color-spectrum KL Fresnel 8 FC™ and KL Par FC™, along with the KL Panel™ and KL Panel XL IP™ soft lights. “Beyond its functionality and versatility, I like that the KL series offers indoor and outdoor versions, which gives us the security of being able to work under any environment. That allows us to have the same setup both in an indoor and an outdoor setting.” 

Regarding the KL Panel XL and KL Panel XL IP, Molina says he finds them very easy to program, either through the console or through each fixture’s onboard display. He highlights the brightness and fine colors of the fixtures, as well as the textures they provide and the ease of calibrating the color temperature.

Proteus Rayzor

Molina also worked with the Proteus Rayzor 760 and new Proteus Rayzor 1960, as well as the new linear Proteus Rayzor Blade, all RGBW LED luminaires with pixel control. “What I like most about these devices is the brightness and the ability to pixelate them as it gives the impression of being different luminaires. The Rayzor Blade is a marvel! It has a spectacular strobe that I not only use as a blinder but also as an effect light or for modelling.”

Light magic

The designer describes one multi-purpose space used often on the set, a 5 x 6 x 3 meter room that functioned as a movie theatre, party room and eviction area. “Viewers were made to think that there were many sets when in fact it was only one. The light is what gives you this magic. If you use good lighting and good scenery you can create that magic and all thanks to the versatility of Elation products.”

Elation gear:

80 x Proteus Maximus™

40 x Proteus Rayzor Blade L™

40 x Proteus Rayzor 760™

08 x Proteus Rayzor 1960™

16 x Artiste Mondrian™

110 x Pixel Bar 120 IP™

70 x Pixel Bar 60 IP™

60 x SixBar 1000 IP™

24 x KL Panel™

08 x KL Panel XL IP™

06 x KL Fresnel 8 FC™

12 x KL Par FC™

06 x Chorus Line 16™

24 x DTW Blinder 350 IP™

16 x DTW Blinder 750 IP™

04 x Therma Tour 600™

NETRON EN12™

NETRON RDM10™