Black Coffee serves Brutal Fruit
Published: MEA
SOUTH AFRICA: A television lighting solution comprising Philips Selecon Rama and Arena fresnals was deployed by event production company Black Coffee as the Durban Ice Arena was temporarily transformed from an ice rink to a Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League venue. Shaun Brickell from event organiser Umlilo Brands selected Black Coffee to take on the project.
Black Coffee needed to find an LED sports arena floodlight system that would eliminate globe failure and maintenance during a fortnight of continual use and possessed an acceptable flicker-rate for HD Cameras. Most importantly, the system could not add to the list of circumstances affecting the temperature of the netball court.
‘Because it is in an ice rink with a special sports wooden floor covering, there is a moisture and condensation problem that makes the play field very slippery,’ explained Black Coffee owner Brandon Bunyan. ‘Many factors such as the Durban humidity and the near proximity of the ocean or the floor having sat in a hot container for a week has resulted in the vertical temperature migration from the ice to the surface of the wooden floor causing a climatic meniscus on the surface of the floors’ primary coating.’
It was eventually decided that an LED system would have added to the condensation issues, with a professor of physics even called in to consult on the event. The Selecon solution that Black Coffee opted for comprised 30 Arena and six Rama fresnels. Also deployed were three Avolites Power Cube dimming, mains and distribution boxes, nine Lodestar motor hoists and three Prolyte H30V truss bars, as well as a Strand 200 Plus lighting console. The nine rigging points had been permanently installed in the arena by Roy and Kerry Wood from Riggology.
‘We are leaving the lights on at 15 per cent overnight which is just enough to keep the floor evenly dry,’ added Mr Bunyan. ‘The branding team are relieved and the players are happy. We added a few Selecon Rama fresnels to fix up dark spots, and at 80 per cent intensity, the camera guys are happy too. We have also set the dimmers to 5 per cent pre heat to keep the fixtures and globes warm for the entire two weeks.’