Compulite’s Vector Green drive the giant X-Factor (UK) show

Ari Senator January 14th, 2009

Compulite’s Vector Green runs the 5th series of the gigantic X-Factor.

A set of 3 “Vector Green” run a complex lighting rig that included: moving lights, media servers, LED screens and conventional lights, the final episodes run LIVE.

Few facts about X-factor

• The X Factor is the biggest television talent competition in Europe.

• 182,000 people (…) auditioning for series

•    The prize is a £1,000,000 recording contract with record labels Sony BMG and Syco.

•    The fifth season ended in December 2008.

•    The X Factor (series 5) officially averaged 10.5 million viewers per episode, becoming UK most watched talent series of the 21st century.

•    The final episodes were broadcast LIVE.

•    Versions of The X Factor have also appeared in a number of other countries.

• The show has become a major success throughout the world, most notably in Denmark, Spain and Colombia.

• The show ran on Vectors for the last 4 series.

Lighting Designer: Dave Davey

Programmers: Bill Peachment, John Ford, Russ Grubiack

Peachment said: ” The lighting and media servers were all once again controlled from 3 Vector Green systems. John Ford looked after the lighting of the people with the Compulite dimmers, VL 3000 wash lights and S4 Revolutions. His vector Green controlled this 4 DMX streams via a ePort. I my self controlled all the set and effects lighting. I had 9 DMX streams via 3 ePorts controlling VL 3000 spots, VL 3000 Wash, Vl 3500 Wash, Nova flowers, ACL par bars and all the LED in the set ( around 500 RGB fixtures ). Russ Grubiack controlled 3 Hippotizer Media servers for all the screen and O_lite images”.

“X-Factor is a big live show with over 500 cues on my console alone. The Vector has taken everything we have thrown at it and been a joy to use throughout the show. All 3 Vector systems performed very well on this fast moving show. We used a vector PC to back up the systems but this was never needed. I think that the Vector is a very fast and flexible desk to program on these complex TV shows. “

Lighting rig included:

4 Vari-Lite VL 3500 wash

18 Vari-Lite VL 2000 wash

29 Vari-Lite VL 3000 spot

22 Vari-Lite VL 3000 wash

2 Nova flower

18 Vari-Lite VL6c spot

36 James Thomas PixelPar 90

46 James Thomas Pixel line 1044

12 Vari-Lite 1K Tungsten

3 Chroma 12 RGB Pulsar

20 ACL par bars

14 ETC Source 4 revolutions

3 Hippotizers media servers v.3

Compulite CompuDim 2000 dimmers

4 Compulite ePorts (Ethehernet –> DMX)

160 Conventional lights

X-Factor Information based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X_Factor_(UK_series_5)

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