thirty transmitters zactrack (trackers) placed on the 15 cast of the musical ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ controlled 60 moving lights provided by flow

Italian company lighting designer K5600 design, Valerio Tiberiresponsible for the specifications of the tracking system in real time Smart zactrack for new production Let’s gomusical ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’represented in the theatre The Delicias Room in Madrid until February 2023.

It was one of the first musicals in Europe to use this technology, and was very well received in the UK’s Gardens Disney in France and production Starlight Express in Germany. Valerio was introduced to the system after a demonstration by Italian distributor Zactrack, Multimedia MRI.

For Valerio, zactrack is a creative tool that “really opens up new and different possibilities in lighting”.

The idea to use zactrack’s flexibility and creativity to control multiple spotlights came to Valerio during the production design phase. Because he knew that the artist’s positional lighting would be limited and inaccessible at some point in the Espacio Delicias theater tent, he thought that real-time tracking could help create a certain light dramaturgy.

Thirty zactrack transmitters (sniffers) attached to 15 cast members control 60 moving lights provided by Fluge. Thanks to this technology, Valerio is able to replace the classic spotlight with a much more flexible and aesthetic option, as well as lighting several actors simultaneously.

The system consists of 30 trackers (transmitters), 8 anchors (antennas) and 2 Smart zactrack servers. Each actor received two transmitters, which were placed over his shoulder, beneath the stage clothing.

This configuration provides optimal stability, as the antenna always has at least one visible transmitter, regardless of the actor’s position on the stage.

Thus, Valerio was able to light up the production’s dance numbers evenly by using zactrack to precisely follow the moves of several artists simultaneously.

At one point of the show, the zactrack system follows a performer flying across the stage at lightning speed, creating lighting movements as he jumps and spins, repeating exactly the same for each performance.

This zactrack setup, with the transmitter positioned at the shoulder, also makes it easy for the player to accurately track very narrow and narrow beams, sometimes shining only on the face, perfectly concentrating the beam on the character’s face.

If stunts need to fill in for a character in any performance, the transmitter position can quickly and easily be recalibrated for that character.

The main difficulty was getting actors to wear other accessories besides wireless microphones, but the ability to control the tracking system directly from the lighting table “opens up new options that were nearly impossible before,” explains Valerio.

For example, some spotlights can be programmed to follow characters very precisely, and also add many special and dynamic functions, such as changing color, changing shape and other effects.

All eight antennas were not visible to the public and two were placed on the FOH frame, two directly behind the stage, two on the mast above the stage, and two on the first mast (below the stage) to cover the entire area. stage, as well as certain other points in the room that are used to tell stories.

As described Emanuele Agliataassistant lighting designer and lead programmer Valerio, “Finding the right position for these components was a challenge, as various elements of the stage could interfere with the setup.”

The lighting console located in the FOH is connected to a nearby laptop that is used as the main zactrack manager, and this proximity is useful during programming and during show development, as all functions are verifiable, from the active emitter to the various masks and scenery created.

Onstage, follow-up technician Maria Elena Alejandre uses a tablet to identify any faults reported during the performance by the lighting desk operator.

zactrack distributor in spain, Earpro&EESwith the help of the company, take care of finding technicians in Madrid, such as Himar Santana Saraisto assist in the coordination and mentoring of installations in Madrid.

Asier Susothe product manager for the Lighting and Rigging area at Earpro&EES, is also involved in the entire process, providing technical support to Fluge (along with zactrack) during assembly and collaborating directly with Himar to get everything right.

Zactrack’s fast and intuitive interface allows adjustments to be made during rehearsals and technical tests without actors. As described Alejo Arcedirector of Fluge’s lighting department, “being directly involved in the field is essential and we think the dedication and support received was key to being able to incorporate the system into this production without a hitch.”

With the help of multiple scenes included in the zactrack software, in just one morning automatic lighting elements like fading in and out, iris opening and closing, etc., are created by positioning the pucks (another component zactrack multi-use system) on the stage and with the crew lighting moves them back and forth to detect different zones within the coverage area.

This scene is then reloaded and run through the lighting table during playback.

For assembly and technical tests, Valerio has collaborated with Emanuele Agliati, assistant lighting designer and programmer, and Manuel Garzattalighting assistant Lighting assistant Susanna Romero He is in charge of carrying out daily functions.

Valerio’s main challenge and goal was to create an aura of magical ‘hope’ with visual storytelling, and try to move the audience in and out of the chocolate factory and metaphorically in and out of dreams of a better future. It achieves this goal by applying highly contradictory visual effects that contrast a real-life, poor, cold, yet hopeful scene, with a factory setting that is magical, very colorful, and looks amazing, yet also deceptive.