John Curtin College of the Arts, nestled in Fremantle, Western Australia, recently embarked on a mission to modernise their Cyclorama lighting system for the esteemed 456-seat Curtin Theatre. With a diverse lineup of performances ranging from dance and musical theatre to dramatic productions, as well as serving as a sought-after commercial venue, the decision to upgrade their Cyclorama lighting demanded meticulous consideration and testing.
Tasked with the evaluation and selection process were Terry Wedding and Ben Davis, key members of the Curtin Theatre staff.
“At the close of 2023, we began exploring viable options for Cyclorama fixtures, surveying a wide array of offerings in the market,” explains Terry Wedding, Venue Manager for the Curtin Theatre. “While there were several contenders, a few models distinctly stood out to us.”
After a thorough evaluation, their choice crystallized around the CYC3 from Chauvet Professional.
“We were drawn to the CYC3 due to its compact design and exceptional optics, enabling us to effectively cover our expansive 12m-wide cyclorama with just four ground units and four flown units,” Terry shares. “The RGBAL colour mixing capabilities were impressive, but what truly sealed the deal for us was the Redshift function, which we now rely on extensively. The combination of dimmer curves and Redshift was a game-changer.”
Ben Davis, Theatre Technician, underscores the multifaceted benefits of the CYC3. “Beyond simply illuminating our Cyclorama, the CYC3s have optimized our performance space. Previously, our older fixtures encroached upon the stage, but with the CYC3s, we can position them closer to the cyclorama without sacrificing coverage, effectively reclaiming 0.5 meters of valuable performance space.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. Transitioning to a fully LED solution for our Cyclorama lighting has been a long-desired aspiration,” adds Ben. “Showtools Perth played a pivotal role in making this vision a reality, delivering installation and operation ahead of schedule and within budget, a definite win for us.”
“The CYC3s are just as at home lighting our sets and as footlights as they are covering our cyc, their versatility has been amazing for us,” concludes Ben.
