When UK-based lighting supplier Version 2 invested in dimming technology from LSC Control Systems, the new equipment paid dividends on its debut outing. Version 2 purchased 12-way GEN VI dimming modules from LSC, the Melbourne-based manufacturer, to go straight onto ITV’s 2021 production of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Managing director Nick Edwards has been an LSC customer for many years, and continued investing in them when he founded his own company, Version 2. “LSC’s reliability has always stood out,” he says. “Having used them for so long, I know it’s very rare to get a call from site to say an LSC dimmer’s gone down. It’s pretty much unheard of!”
His faith in LSC’s technology – and its world-class customer support – was rewarded when Version 2 deployed 10 x 48-way GEN VI dimming racks on the production of I’m a Celebrity. As a result of the COVID pandemic, the hit series was being filmed in the UK for the first time, at Gwrych Castle in North Wales. The racks were set up on-site for the 10-week production by dimmer technician Richard Shout, with power for the hundreds of lighting fixtures supplied by hired generators.
As the date for the show’s live transmission drew closer, everything seemed to be going to plan – until lighting director James Tinsley noticed that when changing levels rapidly, some lights were giving an occasional flicker. With just days until the live broadcast, this was an urgent problem. After reporting the issue to Version 2, Shout was put in touch with LSC’s technical support in Australia. Using a video recording of the flicker and a full description of the system and power conditions, the LSC team set about recreating the entire setup – and were soon able to replicate the fault.
The flicker, they found, was caused by rapid changes in frequency of the on-site generators when the load changed quickly. Although not seen with grid-supplied power, slight frequency changes can often occur in generators. The LSC team was able to write software fixes and email them to Shout who, with the help of the team onsite, uploaded them to the modules in the seven dimmer locations across the site, fixing the problem in time for filming.
“The support we received from LSC was exceptional,” says Shout, “even with the time difference, our tight production schedule, and only days before the show was due to go live.”
“I was so impressed at the speed of LSC’s response,” says Edwards, “and the extraordinary lengths they went to, to replicate the problem and find a solution. They really saved the day!”
Of the GEN VI dimmers, Shout says, “They have lots of useful features that make them stand out, including a relay giving you the ability to switch circuits and provide true hot power at the push of a button, completely bypassing the dimming circuitry. They are also particularly good at low level, with low-current fixtures and practicals, doing away with the need for load lamps.”
He adds, “I wouldn’t hesitate to use LSC modules on shows in the future and know that if we ever had another issue, the support is there.”
Still in regular use with Version 2, the GEN VI racks, sourced from Bob Allen at LSC’s UK distributor AC-ET, have lately been in action on Strictly Come Dancing, again under the experienced eye of Richard Shout.
