Lighting consultancy Projects Department has designed and installed a new lighting infrastructure to help convert a Pinewood soundstage into a fully functional television studio.
Pinewood’s new TV Three, which goes into operation next month, measures 16x14m and the Projects Department-supplied infrastructure includes a lighting grid, lighting barrels, distributed IgbT silent dimmers, Non-Dim relay packs, a DMX network and electrical distribution system provided by Photon Beard.
“The existing infrastructure of the soundstage we wanted to transform was not strong enough to take the load of the professional lighting grid we needed for television production. Projects Department produced a design that not only enables us to handle the lighting grid but easily reposition its fixtures for any production requirement,” said Pinewood director of broadcast, Paul Darbyshire.
Photon Beard’s DMX-controlled Non-Dim Relay Pack, which enables individual sockets to be controlled from a lighting desk, means that individual lamps can be completely powered down remotely, without the usual power drain even a fully dimmed light consumes. The Non-Dim package designed specifically for Pinewood is now available as a standard Photon Beard product.
“One of the beauties of researching and resolving issues for specific projects is that so many new ideas emerge, not only in terms of creative problem solving but in developing new procedures and products from which other television, theatre or photographic studios can benefit,” said Projects Department MD, Peter Daffarn (pictured).
By David Fox
