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Slovenia’s Eurovision search finds its Forte

Lighting designer Crt Birsa created two different lighting setups – offset by 90 degrees to one another – on the same stage, allowing the cameras to simply turn for each performance

Lighting designer Crt Birsa employed 66 moving Robe moving lights during Radiotelevizija Slovenija’s (RTV SLO) search for its entry into this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Birsa employed 13 of the new high-powered FORTEs from Robe for the first time, as he was tasked with creating 24 unique environments for each of the performers who hoped to be named Slovenia’s Eurovision entry.

These were supplied – together with all the supplemental show lighting which also included 53 other Robe fixtures – by Slovenian rental specialist, Event Lighting. Birsa’s design also took advantage of lights in the TV studio’s house rig.

Working with the show’s scenic designer Greta Godnic, video content creator Den Baruca and director Nejc Levstik, Birsa created two different setups – offset by 90 degrees to one another – on the same stage, allowing the cameras to simply turn for each performance.

The first look had a large upstage LED screen, with all the light sources present but hidden from view, with the other side more defined by lighting beams.

The FORTEs were positioned on the floor, filling the background area of both spaces providing powerful beams and gobo looks from upstage. As the only lights deployed on the floor, they also had a very strategic role, hidden behind the horizon of the 1.8-metre-high stage.

“I loved the beams, the intensity, the colours as well as the general smoothness, and they worked very reliably and accurately through all the broadcasts,” said Birsa. “For live events I think they are a brilliant moving light.”

Also on the rig were 19 x Robe MegaPointes and 15 x Pointes, which were positioned on three vertical sections that provided side lighting on one stage view and strong bursts as a central vertical for the second one. Nineteen MegaPointes were rigged and hidden above the LED screen on three slightly asymmetrical trusses. 

“Shows like this can easily slip into being formulaic, so we needed to ensure that it was a totally stand out production,” said Birsa.

Slovenia’s winning entry Disko by LPS will represent the country in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy in May.