Robe LEDWash 600s on Pointless

Robe LEDWash 600 moving lights were used by lighting designer Tom Kinane to highlight the set of the latest series of the BBC's popular quiz show Pointless, recorded in Studio 8 of the BBC TV Centre in west London, UK.

The 22 LEDWashes -- supplied by Kent based rental company Automated -- were all located on the floor at the back of the set, and illuminated flown fabric sails, which were an integral part of Dominic Tolfts' set design. They shaped and defined the overall space in which the action took place.

Kinane switched to using Robe's ROBIN 600 LEDWash future for this show mid-way through the last series. Pleased with the results, he stayed with the same winning formula, which saw three episodes a day recorded for four days of the week.

The show was moved from BBC 2 to BBC 1 for the last series as it gained popularity and a cult following. Additionally on this run, they recorded eight celebrity specials.

A crucial factor in Kinane's choice of LEDWash 600 was that the LED lightsource was flicker-free for the cameras. He comments, "The wash is very efficient as you'd expect, and I also like the pretty effects that can be created with the individual LED rings - great for when the lights are in shot."

He also likes the general versatility and zoom. "They are definitely the best moving light that Robe has produced to date," he states.

From a rental perspective, Automated's James Ashdown is very pleased with his investment in LEDWash 600s which were purchased last year and have been in use constantly ever since.

The LEDWashes were operated on Pointless by Andy Dobbs, together with other moving lights, using a Compulite Vector console. Simon Braddock was the generic / white light console operator, the lighting technicians were Daniel Kinane and gaffer Richard Jarvis who worked closely with the BBC's gaffer, Gary Bryant. The show's executive producers are Tom Blakeson and David Flynn (who also devised the game) for Endemol.

The fixtures are earmarked for the next series of Pointless which will start in the summer, and Automated has also found its LEDWash 600s very handy as a cross-rental item.