Focus Group introduces the advantages of lighting with robotics in the theater

With more than thirty years of experience, this company is a benchmark in the performing arts sector and the main private operator in four theaters in Barcelona and one in Madrid.

As manager of the programming of four theaters, as the Teatro Condal, Romea Theatre, Villarroel Hall and Goya Theater (in Barcelona) and La Latina Theater (in Madrid), Focus Group has developed a project called Onyric-, which has as protagonist the first of these scenic centers to turn it into 'the house of the musical'.

Like this, and with the experience of managing for twenty years the Teatro Condal, The company not only bets on this project for its specialization and exclusive dedication to musicals, but to change the way of thinking and designing the lighting of this type of shows.

Many illuminators are not used to operating robotic systems in the theater, But little by little this type of foci are being introduced in an environment where the cuts, Gelatins and dimmers have been the fundamental elements.

According to Xavi Costas, member of the Association of Lighting Authors (AAI) and lighting designer, "Robotics offers a versatility that cannot be left aside", So he is an advocate of these systems in the design of shows and break the schemes of the 'old school', in which theater illuminators are usually very traditional.

Like this, the professional tandem formed by Xavi Costas and Moi Cuenca, technical director of Grupo Focus, the technology of Martin Lighting (brand that markets Seesound in the Iberian market), taking into account the level of light quality, The reliability of the equipment, The various options offered and the prestige that accompanies this brand, to which is added the technical support provided for a long time by Eduard Muñoz who, as stated by Costas, "He's a problem solver".

Other valued elements of Martin's systems, in this case by Moi Cuenca, is its traditional filament lamp and Led technology. "Sometimes, The traditional lamp is important visually, What we call the filament vision, so a combination of both types of lighting is good".

currently, The Teatro Condal has a fixed supply of Martin lighting equipment composed of twelve MAC Encore Performance Cld; twelve Rush MH 7 Hybrid and equal number of MAC Aura XB, plus an M1HD system and another Mtouch as backup.

An example of the effectiveness of the use of lighting with robotics in the performing arts is the design made in this sense by Xavi Costas for the musical Fun Home, which premiered in September last year and is nominated as a finalist for best lighting at the Musical Theatre Awards 2019.

In this work, MAC Encore Performance is used, "to recreate on the scenery the various frames of the drawings of the protagonist (Alison), generating perfect vignettes thanks to the definition and cutting possibilities of these systems", explains Costas.

The Par Zoom Rush was also used to ensure the light base of the entire show and create atmospheres with the chromatic range agreed with the art direction..

currently, The bet is the musical Rent, focused on the struggle of a group of young people who face each other in the 90 to a disease as feared and unknown at that time as AIDS. This work combines MAC Encore Performance systems, Pair Zoom Rush and MAC Aura, creating environments of color to define the various spaces imagined on the same scenery.

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