TECHNOLOGY LIGHTING YOUR EVENT


Botanic Lights included original music, projection, interactive elements and detailed production. Photograph by Grant Ritchie


All things bright and beautiful


Te man who dazzled thousands of visitors with his design of Edinburgh’s Botanic Lights 2015 reveals the secrets of light entertainment


BY GRANT ANDERSON T


he days of smoking, magenta gelled uplight- ers lining every pillar in a room, from weddings to conferences, are pretty


much behind us. Grand production values today are no longer an after- thought but are expected. Te entertainment industry,


through TV and arena tours, has impressed audiences with stagger- ing light shows, making lighting a fundamental component to produc- ers looking to achieve their own polished events, no matter the scale. Using lighting as the cornerstone


of an event allows for versatility. Whilst it must be well presented


during daylight - be it rigged on an impressive trussing structure or fitted discreetly into the corners of a 17th century building - come evening, it must also illuminate the surroundings sympathetically. Producers want their events to


be unique, from huge, intelligent lighting rigs to small vintage style fixtures where it is about the look of the light itself rather than what it emits. Ultimately, lighting needs to be bespoke to the event; this is reli- ant on a clear brief, well thought- out concept and proficient team. I was privileged to design Botanic


Lights 2015; Seasons In Colour. Being a young event it needed to build on the success of its first year and establish itself as a major event in an already busy Edinburgh calendar. Te audience arrive to an otherwise dark Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and venture into an illuminated journey through the gardens, an environment normally only seen in daylight. I wanted to design a trail that had


something different around every corner but that focused on the


40 | EVENTSBASE | MARCH 2016


garden itself and put it at the heart of the design. Whilst impressing audiences with


a fully lit, stunning natural setting I also wanted to amaze them with shows and interactive elements that were unlike anything they had seen before. For me, events are about an ex-


perience and whilst lighting can be the focal point, to get the best out of an event requires collaboration. For Botanic Lights 2015 we had


13 original pieces of music from composer Claire McKenzie; stun- ning projection content from Ross Blair; wonderful interactive ele- ments from Andy Stentiford; highly detailed production work from Black Light - achieving maximum impact with minimum disrup- tion to the open gardens during


“WHEN ALL ELEMENTS ARE SYNCHRONISED AND THE AUDIENCE IS IMMERSED IN A COHESIVE, DESIGNED ENVIRONMENT; THAT IS WHEN LIGHTING IS AT ITS STRONGEST”


Grant Anderson, lighting designer


the day; and produced by Unique Events, working closely with the clients, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, making the audience experience on the ground engaging and personal. When all elements are synchronised and the audience is immersed in a cohesive, designed environment, that is when lighting is at it’s strongest. I feel the future of events has to


be about the experience as a whole. Like every industry, trends change so it is important we are open to new ideas and continue to progress. Tis can be, but not exclusive


to, new technology development. Companies are listening to creative people to find out what the enter- tainment industry is looking for from the next generation of light. We have had the ‘bright paral-


lel beam competition’ and now it seems to be about getting every- thing in one fixture. Lighting and video integration is


another current fashion with the content being equally key to the event’s success. Next, it looks like the old will


become new again but with modi- fications, such as Par Cans with encompassed LED rings or refur- bished lights of days gone by. Sim- ply put, events willing to embrace the potential of light will continue to draw the crowds and impress audiences.


www.grantanderson.design


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