Lighting designer Durham Marenghi chose Robert Juliat followspots for the Rio 2016
Summer Olympic Games, employing 10 Robert Juliat Lancelot 4000W HMI
followspots and 4 Robert Juliat Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots for the spectacular
Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The long-throw RJ Lancelot units were rigged on the highest ring of the tribunes
covering more than half of the stadium’s perimeter and provided strong key lights
for the camera shots on the main performers as the much-anticipated event was
broadcast around the world. With the stage positions changing in both of the
Ceremonies, and the Box City set at the far end of the stadium during the Opening,
the top spots were required to perform at throw distances between 100m and
300m.

The four RJ Cyrano followspots were sited at field-level on the four “corners’, and
used where the critical angles of the top spots would have created unacceptable
shadows on the projection floor surface. The Cyranos were positioned on dollies that
allowed them to be moved clear of cast movements and to be retracted into the
shelter of tunnels during heavy rain. These dolly mounts were also used during the
Closing Ceremony to move the Cyrano spots into position for specific cues whilst
clearing the athletes’ seating located in the central Field of Play.

Chris Henry, the spot captain employed by Marenghi, worked alongside Agora, the
Italian-based lighting supplier for the Ceremonies, and was very happy with the
Robert Juliat performances: “The Lancelots and Cyranos did just as well as we
expected them to, even at the longest distances,’ she says. “The light was
seamlessly blended throughout the whole illuminated surface and the glass frost
filter in the Cyranos at field level proved very useful during Closing. We were also
able to use this effectively, in addition to a light frost in the magazine, to light the
tree as it was raised during the Closing Ceremony. We were able to balance the
spots for colour and light output which was vital given the level of projection in the
show.

“I was sure of the good qualities of Robert Juliat spots and I was not disappointed.
The operators felt comfortable with the followspots, the controls are ergonomic and
spots are well balanced.’

Following their work on the Olympic Ceremonies, the Lancelot and Cyrano spots
were brought back into action for the Paralympic Games which were held at the
beginning of September.

Marenghi was assisted by his Brazilian associate lighting designer, Joyce
Drummond, and programmers Andy Voller and Ross Williams from the UK and
Paulinho Lebrao from Brazil. The Brazilian followspot operator team was
coordinated by Chris Henry from the UK, and overseen along with several Brazilian
technicians by lighting team manager, Jennie Marenghi. The TV lighting director was
Nick Collier, and Nicola Manuel Tallino and Giulio Ravelli headed the Agora team.

To find out more, visit www.robertjuliat.com