Gladiators

[WiLL]

I think the show was doomed frankly from the moment when someone at Sky opened their mouth and said ;

'hey, how about we rehash the old gladiators show to try and squeeze a few more drops of blood out of a withered old idea?'

 

 

 

As someone said earlier 'you can't polish a turd'. IMO the whole thing would have been better in the dark. But hey, we can't always pick our jobs by quality of material, hell I'm definately NOT the 2nd best moving light programmer in the country (don't know which website to check to see where I'm ranked :** laughs out loud **:) but if I was offered good money to work on a piece of poo like gladiators I'd still take it. Money is money, a job is a job. Can we move on now?

[Belerophon]

Hopefully I don't get looked down upon too much from this post, but hey ho, these are my views...

 

I belevie that lighting a TV production can either enahnce the show really well and delivers a great atmosphere or it can be really over done and destroy it. I haven't seen "Gladiators" so I cannot comment. Others though like Friday Night with Jonathon Ross I really dislike. This is purely because I hate the transformation that goes from simple and civilized (sp?) straight into the band/singer. I feel that there is too much here, yes it does look good, but doesn't suit the show, in my opinion. Similarly with Dancing on Ice (at least I think it is), they have way too many fixtures and I think it takes the audience away from the show itself, well it took me away probably because I wqas more intrested in the lighting than the skating/dancing :** laughs out loud **:.

 

Two shows/TV programs that I really like are X-Factor and MPH 07 (isn't really a show, but I thought I'd mention it). X-Factor's LD seemed to have done a really good job last series because I feel that he/she used the fixtures to their full potential, it didn't seem to be too busy and the use of video projection enahnced each performing act further. Similarly with MPH 07, they didn't have loads of fixtures and they used different types of lantern, but created an explosive effect when it was needed and wasn't over done. The best part was the pink at the beginning, kind of the 'Preset' which looked very nice!

 

Maybe a bit off topic, but I thought I would insert my views into the discussion!

[Just Some Bloke]

It's interesting how people react to citicism, not just of their own work, but of others'.

 

I don't have a problem with people saying to me they didn't like the lighting of a show I've lit, as long as they can give a reason. In my book everyone's opinion is valid (though some opinions are more valid than others :** laughs out loud **: ).

 

I see no problem, for instance, with someone saying they'd seen a production where they thought the lighting was inappropriate then the LD coming on and either explaining that he lit it the way the director wanted it to be lit, or giving his own reasons for why the design was the way it was. The director's or LD's artistic view of the show may not have concurred with that particular viewer's, but it wouldn't necessarily mean the director was a bad director, the LD a bad LD or the viewer a person who's opinion doesn't matter.

 

So, to sum up:

Those people who in this case didn't think the lighting design appropriate are not necessarily "dissing" the LD.

Those who saw the show are entitled to an opinion. I didn't see it so I'm not.

We got into a very interesting discussion, above, about "it's not what you've got but what you do with it that counts", an opinion I've always felt appropriate. Equally, I'm sure the LD could have done an excellent job with less equipment but if the production company wanted to have lots of visible LX effects then it's his job to use them.

 

Anyway, enough of my "people-watching" and on with the discussion. :P

[tobybennett]

Well; I'm a GCSE student. I work on lighting projects around Cambridgeshire, using moving fixtures, and LED lighting -among other things. I am usually in awe of some of the primetime TV lighting, however, I can bring myself to agree with this comment, even though slightly patronising! I can think of quite a few improvements to this design, and even if it was something a bit less -in your face- and distracting, it would be fresh, and could certainly use a few less fixtures than in the Gladiators arena!

 

Toby

[EasilyLED]

Well; I'm a GCSE student. I work on lighting projects around Cambridgeshire, using moving fixtures, and LED lighting -among other things. I am usually in awe of some of the primetime TV lighting, however, I can bring myself to agree with this comment, even though slightly patronising! I can think of quite a few improvements to this design, and even if it was something a bit less -in your face- and distracting, it would be fresh, and could certainly use a few less fixtures than in the Gladiators arena!

 

Toby

 

Having worked on many prime time TV shows I'm interested to hear your suggested improvements? And why would you want less fixtures at your disposal? Are you really saying you would spec less for a production so vast?

[chris-top-ld]

Others though like Friday Night with Jonathon Ross I really dislike. This is purely because I hate the transformation that goes from simple and civilized (sp?) straight into the band/singer. I feel that there is too much here, yes it does look good, but doesn't suit the show, in my opinion.

 

 

I am surprised by Belerophon(?)s comment.

I always thought the essence of theatre was to transport the audience to a different place. That moment when the lights change from a tv show to a music performance is tv gold!

 

Actually I'm the LD on the show, so I'm quite flattered by the comment, it's what we were trying to achieve.

[Piers Shepperd]

I worked on the Athens Opening Ceremony (sorry for name dropping). I wasn't directly involved with lighting but....

 

The build was long and the lighting rig was huge. A massive amount of movers were hung.

Every night we watched the programming going on...and on...and on.

However there didn't actually seem to be much exciting lighting being programmed. No massive chases or sweeps.

The general feeling during the rehearsals (from a very experienced crew) was that this huge lighting rig was being completely underused.

We were frankly disappointed.

 

The show came and went.

 

We later watched it back on TV.

 

Others may disagree, but I thought the show was lit very well. It was allowed to happen without getting distracted by obvious big lighting effects. It just simply didn't need it. It did however look very classy and some of the camera shots looked staggering. One of the keys to looking classy was the restraint shown by the lighting team.

 

It was the crews background to expect big flashy effects from the lighting rig. In this case we were wrong.

 

I learnt that lighting a show technically is one part of the equation, but lighting a show with good creative direction is as important.

 

Todays productions can become overwhelmed with solving the technical aspects of a show (short load in, massive rigs, limited programming time) and can fail to provide a considered artistic / creative response.

 

Large shows consume vast amounts of money when you move onto site. If you can cut three days from a schedule, then this has a massive budgetry implication. It also means that the artistic / creative aspects of live productions ultimately lose out.

 

Cheers,

 

Piers

[Andrew C]

Having worked on many prime time TV shows I'm interested to hear your suggested improvements? And why would you want less fixtures at your disposal? Are you really saying you would spec less for a production so vast?

That comment smacks of a "Never mind the quality, feel the width!" It surely must depend on what you are trying to achieve; if it is "Wow, everything waggles!" then chuck up lots of movers. It's not for me, but each to their own.

 

Cards on the table; Gladiators or gouging my eyes out. Pass me the hot needles!

[EasilyLED]

If you really watched Gladiators and thought "Wow, everything waggles!" without being impressed by the scale and polish of the product achieved I guess you're probably a part-timer.

[mark_s]

If you really watched Gladiators and thought "Wow, everything waggles!" without being impressed by the scale and polish of the product achieved...

 

But that's what everyone is saying. Okay, there's hundreds of movers, but the general consensus seems to be that they weren't doing anything remotely useful, creative or interesting. Who cares how many there were and how polished all the effects and chases were if all they did was distract people?

 

(I'm not trying to say I could do better, I'm just expressing my opinion)

[Bryson]

Shame.

 

This was going to be an interesting thread initially, but no-one can be civil. Including people who should know better.

 

It's ok for people not to like things: especially if they qualify their opinion. But it's just an opinion. No-one dies. It doesn't matter that much.

 

 

Smell something? That's the smell of this thread being done.

 

;)

 

As usual, direct your complaints about the closure to the round filing cabinet by your desk. Thanks.