With overall direction by Dan Ridd and camera and humour direction by Andy Cox, the multi-camera broadcast included two drone feeds plus assorted visual highlights from the last year of #LightItInRed campaigns. These have focused on keeping the entertainment, production, and performance industry visible and relevant during the pandemic and consequent shut down, and this content was eloquently wrangled by #LightItInRed’s Sarah Berryman.

Working alongside Steven on lighting were two fellow Rose Bruford College students, Sam Jones, who programmed and operated the grandMA console running the lighting, and technician Daniel Bow, who were joined by George O’Connor of Dragonfly Lighting in Banbury … all dedicated to making this an awesome looking livestream to remember!

Also assisting the Clearsound livestream on the night were drone pilot Danny Gibbs and Matt “Toff” Roff.

Seventeen Robe Spiiders were at the heart of the matter, set up in the yard in front of the Clearsound warehouse.

It was during the drawing and pre-vis stage that Steven and the lighting crew realised just how complex it is to create a heart shape accurately!

The Spiiders marked the outline of the heart contour, with the intervening spaces filled by LED battens and the DJ console right in the centre. The rig was imagined with all the different camera angles in mind, with specific attention paid to the overheads.

Surrounding the heart was an outfield of powerful and intense beam lights made up of 16 x Robe LEDBeam 150s and 12 x MegaPointes, with some LED PARs used to light along the side of the warehouse.

Steven chose Robe fixtures because they were perfect for the job, he loves using them, he knew they would create excellent results … and they were all available from Clearsound’s stock!

Using Robe also followed the trend of Steven’s previous #LightItInRed event designs which have included eye-catching installations at Delapre Abbey in Northampton, Magazine LONDON on the Greenwich Peninsula and The Wing building at Silverstone Racetrack.

He commented, “We are on the cusp of the live event industry being able to re-start and come back big … and it will be BIG! It’s a crucial time for everyone and especially important to keep #LightItInRed out there, together with all the other brilliant campaigns from different industry sectors that have collectively energised people and kept spirits up.”

Steven, also a first year on Rose Bruford’s Creative Lighting Control course, has a special word for students taking industry-related courses.

“I understand it’s been incredibly hard for many to get through this year, but there WILL be an industry when people graduate and there will be so many new and exciting opportunities! Meantime students should try and engage as much as possible with the various initiatives and keep their name out and about. I want to encourage everyone to keep going, keep networking, take advantage of the many additional learning and technical courses available for free right now, etc. In just a short time – in the greater scheme of things – I absolutely believe the industry will bounce back and be busier than ever!”

Staging the event at the Clearsound warehouse both maintained the Covid working guidelines and was also a ‘full circle’ moment for Dan Ridd and Steven … who, although they didn’t realise it at the time, started 2020’s penchant for direct action lighting events with #OurShiningLight, which was in support of frontline workers during the first UK lockdown.

Their very first campaign installation was Robe MegaPointes on the Clearsound warehouse roof – which is in a prominent Shipston location – and this created a local buzz leading on to numerous other things including the genuinely grassroots and highly effective #LightItInRed movement which was founded by Steve and Dan together with Philip and Sarah Berryman of the Backstage Theatre Jobs forum.

Theresa Gibson, head of marketing from Robe UK, commented, “The Light It In Red live stream event was an awesome conclusion to an immersive week of activations and inspirational heart creations that flooded our social media feeds with so much joy, hope and cheer!

“The visual representation and engagement the Light It In Red campaign has generated over the last year has been incredible. Seeing thousands of buildings and landmarks illuminate globally has been testament to the power and unity of our amazing industry at such a challenging time, bringing people together and amplifying awareness captured in the array of wonderful images showcased during the live stream.

“The #LightItInRed heart logo was a perfect representation of the love for the industry and each other, coupled with the heartfelt and tireless efforts the Light It In Red and We Make Events teams have delivered over the last 12 months.”

Photo Credit: Louise Stickland, Steven Haynes, DJ Benji