Polish lighting and production rental company Transcolor has invested in new Robe moving lights and remained busy throughout the pandemic with its five full-size studios and rehearsal rooms which have been utilised for television and movie productions, promo and advertising shoots and other assorted events.
Two of the studios are among the largest in Warsaw, and these have continued with regular TV productions and clients as well as hosting a range of new clients producing digital and streamed events.
Transcolor’s head of technical Szymon Kosicki explained that, like everyone, they have faced major challenges, but Transcolor has always been well run, with a relatively compact administration setup for such a large operation. Simon is responsible for the kit and its prep for the various projects and shows.
The demand for the studios has soared over the last two years as media and TV companies scrambled to meet the need for new and different content, and this led to the purchase of additional Robe LEDWash 800Xs. The LEDWash 800X – featuring 30% brighter LED chips and a removable beam shaper module with motorized rotation which produces an ovalised beam for precise positioning – is a perfect combination for theatre, TV, automotive exhibitions, etc.
“The continuity provided by this fixture for TV in particular is excellent,” commented Szymon, adding they also contribute to the green footprint as there is increasing pressure on productions to be as sustainable and carbon-conscious as possible.
It brings their total stock of LEDWash 800s to over 300, together with 200 x Spiider wash beams, 100 x MegaPointes and 12 x RoboSpot remote follow spot systems.
Company owner and boss Lucjan Siwczyk has insisted that Transcolor set trends by purchasing innovative equipment, in the process establishing new investment directions for other companies in the Polish rental market, and also helping promote given brands in Poland. He very much wanted to keep this process going throughout the pandemic.
“The LEDWash 800 is a Robe product that has worked very consistently for us in recent years,” confirms Szymon. “It’s a powerful luminaire with great colours,” he said, explaining that all the shows in the studios consume numerous washes – productions like “We Can Dance” which featured 60 x LEDWash 800Xs, and the most recent “Got Talent”, on which prolific Polish lighting designer Jacek Chojczak used 60 x Spiiders. He also lit the latest “Top Model” finale.
Szymon elucidates that, for Transcolor, there are two essential elements to Robe in addition to the fact that all the LDs, lighting directors, DoPs and gaffers etc., are happy to work with the products.
Firstly, the company is owned and run independently. “This ‘real person’ and people aspect is extremely important for us, and the fact that management is not faceless and interchangeable.” The second point he makes relates to the Czech Republic’s geographical border with Poland and their physical proximity, which is extremely handy. There are also many parallels between Czech and Polish culture and life.
Szymon has liked Robe products right from the start when the brand was officially launched in 2002. “They were small then, and now they’ve grown to be very big and a world leader – all of it without losing the personal touch – which is very impressive,” he comments.
With high hopes and a cautious optimism for 2022 in terms of shows and events being able to re-start, Szymon thinks companies will be able to flourish once again and offer crew sufficient work. He believes that there’s going to be so much activity when things fully ramp up that there will be the usual peak time shortages of kit and crew, and plenty of competition over budgeting and clients. “I think we are all looking forward to this as it’s a good ‘issue’ to have to solve,” he concluded.
For more info about Robe lighting, you can visit www.robe.cz
