While awards were presented and world premiere video games showcased in an intimate indoor setting at Spike TV’s VGX Video Game Awards in downtown LA in December, live performances by hip hop artists took place on an outdoor stage with 40 Elation Platinum Beam 5R moving heads highlighting the event and rain showers stopping just in time.
”I had never used the Platinum Beams before,” said lighting designer for the event, Gus Dominguez.” I had actually designed the rig with Sharpy’s in mind but the vendor, Visions Lighting, asked if I would like to try the Platinum Beams. I wanted to and agreed to use them on this event. They did an amazing job and were easy to use. I really enjoyed the amount of colors you get out of them and the color quality was good. I also liked the prism.”
Gus had the Platinum Beams working from a back riser and vertical columns, as well as the downstage truss and floor positions. A few also beamed over the audience from a satellite stage. “We were looking to get some shafts of light coming from the floor and the rig, something that would bring the audience and stage closer together,” he says. “We needed some serious beams due to the fact that we were in an exterior venue.”
Weather proved to be an issue with rain coming down during load in and up until 1 ½ hours before the show but luckily the skies cleared before the start of the event.
“Despite the rain, the Platinum Beam fixtures held up just fine and we didn’t lose a single one,” said Todd Roberts of Southern California-based production company Visions Lighting, who supplied lighting, staging and video for the event. “We’ve used a lot of Elation gear and the Platinum Beam 5Rs have always been rock solid.”
Held on December 7th, VGX is an annual awards show by Spike TV that recognizes the best computer and video games of the year. Hosted this year by Joel McHale and Geoff Keighley and streamed live online, the three-hour show featured the music of “Grand Theft Auto V,” with performances from The Game, Freddie Gibbs, and Jay Rock.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the Platinum Beams,” Gus concludes. “They did some fine work and helped make the show look bigger. I''m a big fan of trying new things and I was glad that I got the chance to use them on the VGX.”
