Fortress Sydney is a one-of-a-kind esports and games entertainment venue located close to key locations such as UTS, Central Station, and the University of Sydney.
Fortress offers a fun and engaging experience for social gaming enthusiasts and others. The venue boasts Alienware PCs, licensed bars, private function rooms, and a large basement Tavern restaurant featuring VIP video game booths and designated board game areas.
Additionally, it features a purpose-built 200-seat esports arena/conference space and a LIVE broadcast production facility.
The AVIT Group were given the brief to create a dynamic, immersive, and technologically advanced AV system, that sits somewhere between an entertainment venue and a broadcast studio. The vision was to set a new benchmark for eSports venues not only in Australia but across the globe. It was essential to provide seamless and high-quality AV experiences that would engage audiences, whether they were on-site or connecting digitally.
“Our goal was to ensure that the AV infrastructure was flexible and robust enough to accommodate a variety of events and broadcasts without compromising on quality or user experience,” commented Adrian Davis, Operations Manager at AVIT.
The lighting solution at Fortress Sydney was designed to be as dynamic and flexible as the rest of the AV system, accommodating a wide range of events from eSports competitions to live broadcasts. The solution incorporates a mixture of spotlights and wash lights to create an immersive and adjustable lighting environment that can enhance the mood, highlight specific areas or players, and provide high-quality lighting for broadcasts.
“We chose the ShowPRO LED Profiles for their superior light quality, flexibility, and efficiency,” commented Adrian. “The RGBAL colour engine allows for an immense range of colours, enabling us to not only create distinctive atmospheres for different events and situations but to also or shaping the light to be colour balanced for the cameras to provide true-to-life skin tones. Moreover, these LED profiles are energy-efficient and offer an impressive lifespan, making them a sustainable choice for a venue with diverse and demanding lighting needs.”
AVIT contracted lighting designer Darcy Cook to assist with the venue’s lighting and he has used ShowPRO in a range of scenarios, adding that they have never disappointed.
“Seeing as they have ticked the boxes for me in previous experiences, I knew exactly what product I wanted to handle face, key and hair light,” he said.
The ShowPRO LED Profiles are strategically placed throughout the arena to provide optimal illumination of both the players, the stage and the audience. Their placement was carefully planned to offer maximum versatility and impact.
“We have six units covering what I’m referring to as the “presentation zone”, an area for hosts to introduce teams, and chat about the various goings-on throughout an event,” explained Darcy. “I assigned four units to the big, important job of handling the key light, and two units looking after the hair light. The remaining 14 fixtures are dealing with player light. Each of the 10 players has a tight square of light surrounding their game station giving a slightly shadowy and moody downlight when a broadcast enters gameplay. I added an extra four further down the room to fill in the face light for the camera to pick up any reactions at other times throughout an event.”
ShowPRO R3 Beam Wash fixtures are installed to provide a broad, adjustable wash of colour with Adrian noting that they are incredibly versatile and can produce a narrow, intense beam or a wide, soft wash.
“I needed a budget-friendly fixture with a solid RGBW chipset for eye candy that is suitable for both the room experience and on camera,” remarked Darcy. “I was thoroughly impressed the first time I saw the R3 in a demo room and knew these would be ideal scattered throughout the room to create and enhance the atmosphere for those watching in the room, and on the screen.”
The control setup involves an MA3 onPC command wing, ArtNode Pro8 (running in sACN mode), and a switcher. The MA3 onPC command wing offers a powerful yet compact lighting control solution, providing the versatility and adaptability Fortress need. The ArtNode Pro8 is used to convert the ethernet-based control data to DMX for the lighting fixtures, while the switcher allows easy management and change between different lighting setups, improving the efficiency of the venue’s operations.
Adrian and Darcy agree that the support from Show Technology has been fantastic.
“They’ve provided us with continuous assistance throughout the installation and integration process, ensuring we have the knowledge and resources to make the most of the lighting solutions,” said Darcy. “Their ongoing support has been invaluable in helping us create and maintain the dynamic, engaging environment at Fortress Sydney.”
