1656071812369

Follow-Me selected for live TV production Matthijs Gaat Door

June 27, 2022

Jeroen van Geffen is a Dutch Lighting Designer with the multidisciplinary broadcast and event specialist company Chain. With a live TV broadcasting production in a 360 degree venue, Jeroen chose to use a Follow-Me 3D SIX System. From his previous experience with the overall scalability and flexibility of the Follow-Me systems, including fixture independence, he knew that this would be the right choice for enabling his creative and challenging lighting design.

Jeroen first used the Follow-Me 3D remote follow-spot and performer tracking solutions about 3 years ago for the ZappAwards: the dutch kids television series awards show broadcast from De Vorstin concert hall in Hilversum. Since then Chain have over seen the Follow-Me 3D SIX system installation into the Studio 11 event location in Almere. It is here that Jeroen has recently been working with Follow-Me again on Matthijs Gaat Door.  This is a live broadcast TV chat show hosted by journalist Matthijs van Nieuwkerk with prominent public figures and live music optimally preformed in front of an audience in this 360 degree venue.

Matthjis Gaat Door first season began using traditional follow-spots but this limited the creative options during the season. For the second season VL2600 fixtures were used as manually operated follow-spots with the colour choice, gobos etc within the follow-spot.  This was a great improvement and when season 2 begun it was without an audience due to the pandemic restrictions.  The direction of of the follow-spots was therefor quite static but as soon as the restrictions lifted, during Season 2 of Matthijs Gaat Door, the production noticed the need for increasing follow-spot coverage to the full 360 degree performance / studio space area. Thus, as Jeroen explains,  Follow-Me 3D SIX system was implemented for season 3:

“So for the third (and most recent) season I wanted a remote follow-spot solution that I could use all around the studio, without having to choose fixtures in advance as follow-spots. FM was the best option because we could add all 58 VL2600 Profile fixtures in our Follow-Me system without compromising any choices. That gave us unlimited flexibility and creativity in the use of follow-spots and/or effect spots”.

A total of 58 VariLite VL2600 Profiles are hung around the studio. Most of them are used as effect lighting around the sets. About 10 of the fixtures where in actual front lighting / follow-spot positions. All of the 2600’s where calibrated in Follow-Me, so the team could choose any fixture on any moment since the production is very varied in terms of positions of performers and camera directions. Every fixture was controlled by the Follow-Me control channels, which Jeroen merged in to the original fixture type for the GrandMA3 control desk. Jeroen explains the reason for this set up:

“In that way the FM control channels where directly accessible from the fixture itself on the desk and that made programming different follow-spot positions during a cuelist for a performance very fast and easy!” 

Jeroen continues with enthusiasm about his experience using Follow-Me in this TV studio application: 

“We’ve had a very good experience with Follow-Me! We’ve used the set in many ways and found new creative paths, which weren’t possible in the situation without the system. Also the freedom we had in choosing fixtures to use as follow spots opened up new worlds for the entire production as well!”

Matthijs Gaat Door will continue in August this year with broadcasting season 4 and 5, and Jeroen with Follow-Me 3D SIX will be in the setup again too.

Lighting Design Company Chain

Lighting & Follow-Me supplied by Bourgonje

LD: Jeroen van Geffen

Board Operator: Benno van Merrienboer

FM operators: Sandy Bakker and Niels Carlquist

System tech for entire rig & network: Robin den Held

Photograph © Jeroen van Geffen

1656071812369

Follow-Me selected for live TV production Matthijs Gaat Door

June 27, 2022

Jeroen van Geffen is a Dutch Lighting Designer with the multidisciplinary broadcast and event specialist company Chain. With a live TV broadcasting production in a 360 degree venue, Jeroen chose to use a Follow-Me 3D SIX System. From his previous experience with the overall scalability and flexibility of the Follow-Me systems, including fixture independence, he knew that this would be the right choice for enabling his creative and challenging lighting design.

Jeroen first used the Follow-Me 3D remote follow-spot and performer tracking solutions about 3 years ago for the ZappAwards: the dutch kids television series awards show broadcast from De Vorstin concert hall in Hilversum. Since then Chain have over seen the Follow-Me 3D SIX system installation into the Studio 11 event location in Almere. It is here that Jeroen has recently been working with Follow-Me again on Matthijs Gaat Door.  This is a live broadcast TV chat show hosted by journalist Matthijs van Nieuwkerk with prominent public figures and live music optimally preformed in front of an audience in this 360 degree venue.

Matthjis Gaat Door first season began using traditional follow-spots but this limited the creative options during the season. For the second season VL2600 fixtures were used as manually operated follow-spots with the colour choice, gobos etc within the follow-spot.  This was a great improvement and when season 2 begun it was without an audience due to the pandemic restrictions.  The direction of of the follow-spots was therefor quite static but as soon as the restrictions lifted, during Season 2 of Matthijs Gaat Door, the production noticed the need for increasing follow-spot coverage to the full 360 degree performance / studio space area. Thus, as Jeroen explains,  Follow-Me 3D SIX system was implemented for season 3:

“So for the third (and most recent) season I wanted a remote follow-spot solution that I could use all around the studio, without having to choose fixtures in advance as follow-spots. FM was the best option because we could add all 58 VL2600 Profile fixtures in our Follow-Me system without compromising any choices. That gave us unlimited flexibility and creativity in the use of follow-spots and/or effect spots”.

A total of 58 VariLite VL2600 Profiles are hung around the studio. Most of them are used as effect lighting around the sets. About 10 of the fixtures where in actual front lighting / follow-spot positions. All of the 2600’s where calibrated in Follow-Me, so the team could choose any fixture on any moment since the production is very varied in terms of positions of performers and camera directions. Every fixture was controlled by the Follow-Me control channels, which Jeroen merged in to the original fixture type for the GrandMA3 control desk. Jeroen explains the reason for this set up:

“In that way the FM control channels where directly accessible from the fixture itself on the desk and that made programming different follow-spot positions during a cuelist for a performance very fast and easy!” 

Jeroen continues with enthusiasm about his experience using Follow-Me in this TV studio application: 

“We’ve had a very good experience with Follow-Me! We’ve used the set in many ways and found new creative paths, which weren’t possible in the situation without the system. Also the freedom we had in choosing fixtures to use as follow spots opened up new worlds for the entire production as well!”

Matthijs Gaat Door will continue in August this year with broadcasting season 4 and 5, and Jeroen with Follow-Me 3D SIX will be in the setup again too.

Lighting Design Company Chain

Lighting & Follow-Me supplied by Bourgonje

LD: Jeroen van Geffen

Board Operator: Benno van Merrienboer

FM operators: Sandy Bakker and Niels Carlquist

System tech for entire rig & network: Robin den Held

Photograph © Jeroen van Geffen