Two Avolites Quartz consoles running the latest Titan 10.1 software were used by Scottish lighting, sound and AV specialist Black Light to control the ‘surprise’ lighting spectacular at the ceremonial handover of the new £1.35 billion Queensferry Crossing, the UK’s tallest bridge. The ceremony took place one week before the bridge’s official opening on 4th September. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led the ceremony, thanking the workers for their dedication and skill in constructing the crossing. JMP Productions designed the event and contracted Edinburgh-based production specialists Black Light to provide the lighting fixtures, control network, pre-production support and on-site team.
“Black Light works regularly with Jon Pugh from JMP to fulfil many of their events,” said Thomas Ramage, Project Manager at Black Light. “Our team created visualisations for the project, finalised the fixture choices and locations, and delivered the project on site. We faced a tight turnaround for installation, working alongside the construction contractors to enable us to access to the site.”
To control the ambitious lighting design, Black Light specified a pair of Avolites Quartz consoles on a dual redundancy fibre network, as the primary and backup control systems for the event. Thomas cites the Quartz, Avolites’ most compact console, as the perfect tool for the job due to its small footprint, powerful processing capabilities and built-in visualisation – all features which, he says, made his control choice a ‘no brainer’. “To keep the lighting a surprise at the event we were asked to have no more than 10 fixtures open at any one time during the programming of the show,” said Thomas. “The palettes and programs were recorded in batches along the bridge, while operator John Rodgers controlled via wireless link from the adjacent Forth Road Bridge.
“The Quartz’s on-board visualiser’s meant we could see the whole effect coming to light on screen,” said Thomas, “while unsuspecting members of the public didn’t know what was coming.” Control was then moved back to the Queensferry Crossing site for the switch-on by Sturgeon who, along with the invited audience and crew who worked on the project, saw the 2.7km span of bridge illuminated for the first time.
Commenting on the Quartz, Thomas said, “The consoles have already been utilised in a wide variety of Black Light’s events, from music, corporate, and outdoor illumination to theatre, education and touring. Coupled with a Titan Mobile wing, which we also stock, the Quartz is a fantastic choice for jobs where space is limited and powerful features are required.”
Black Light holds a large stock of Avolites products for both hire and sale. “For Black Light, holding Avolites products in stock, whether it be dimming or control, is a sign of trust,” concluded Thomas. “The name is a well-known, go-to choice, both on our own projects and for our dry hire clients. The support when required from the Avolites team is impeccable and the flexibility in the products is second to none.”
The Queensferry crossing is a three-tower cable-stayed bridge built alongside the existing Forth Road Bridge and carries the M90 motorway across the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh at South Queensferry, and Fife at North Queensferry.
About Avolites:
Avolites is a British manufacturer of state-of-the-art lighting control consoles, dimmers and media servers for the entertainment industry, all hand built in London. Synonymous with quality and technical innovation, Avolites’ products are specifically designed to be as powerful, yet intuitive as possible. The company’s products have been instrumental in the success of some of the biggest events in history and continue to be used on some of the biggest tours, festivals, corporate events and cutting edge installs around the world. To find out more, visit www.avolites.com.
