Lighting designer Gunnar Loose uses a JDC1 matrix for Pop Culture Awards

For the second time, the Verein zur Förderung der Popkultur e.V (Association for the Advancement of Pop Culture) awarded prizes for pop culture. Aware that there are now so many awards ceremonies that celebrate established artists they decided to launch their own similar event for emerging talent.

The show took place in the Berlin Tempodrom, and the list of show performers could be seen alongside the list of nominees: Joy Denalane, Kraftklub, Marteria and the newcomers of Van Holzem. This gave a framework for the awards themselves, with Marteria, the Beatsteaks, Casper, Die Beginner, Jim Pandzko (alias Jan Böhmermann) and the newcomer Alice Merton. The incomparable Rio Reiser received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Contrary to the first year, where it was only decided at very short notice to send the recording of the event to ARTE at a later date, it was clear from early on this year that the TV station would be involved.

Gunnar Loose has taken over the lighting design on behalf of the production company Landstreicher to great effect. "Last year the ‘looks’ were hardly TV-compatible and I wanted it to be quite different this year," he said. Easier said than done, because the production framework was anything but helpful. "First of all, the club does not have an unrestricted budget, so we had to look carefully at the equipment." Gunnar Loose was referring to the inventory of the Berlin company Complete Audio, which supported the awards event as a technology partner. "Then we needed a solution that would also work logistically — because the restricted backstage area meant that we had to handle the entire logistics over the middle of the stage. And there had been a real black hole in the stage design last year. And last but not least, the set design should respect the different context of seven live acts and the winners of the awards. "

Gunnar Loose's choice finally came down to a number of JDC1 hybrid strobes from GLP. A total of 27 pieces were installed on a grid as a matrix in the stage centre. "The lower edge was about two and a half meters, so that the drum risers and artists backline could be rolled on and off under the fixtures, but at the same time, the bottom edge was not noticeable in the TV picture" — a fact he described as a win-win situation in the Tempodrom. "Even though this award is still very young, the scope is considerable,” he continued. “Seven bands took part, partly with using their own operators at the light desk. Combining this with the requirements of the TV cameras and the ideas of the agency, with regard to equipment placing in the audience area, provided a lot to think about. For this reason, we had handed over the white light responsibilities to the TV production camera man early on so that I could concentrate fully on the stage."

The JDC1 is definitely a super-flexible lamp with the washlight option on top.

Gunnar Loose

The fact that this dividing of responsibilities worked so smoothly was not only because of the JDC1 according to Gunnar Loose. "I could adjust the tilt mechanism really easily and also make a little fine tuning during the show, so that the camera image and the lighting effect created optimum impact," he concluded after the show. "The JDC1 is definitely a super-flexible lamp with the washlight option on top. And it was fun to test these hybrid strobes under real conditions. At a conventional show there is hardly that possibility and with demos it is always somehow different than doing it live.

"It will definitely not be the last time I use these," he promises, with a reference to the coming Tour by Kraftklub. "We will also have a very special backdrop and lots of impression X4 Bars in use as well!”