High End Systems Zeo Adds Dramatic Effect at the Halftime Show

On Sunday, February 9, High End Systems Zeo fixtures lit up the much-anticipated halftime show in New Orleans. Among the talented crew who put on the world-class show were Lighting Designer Al Gurdon, Lighting Director Ben Green of 22 Degrees, Gaffer Alen Sisul, Moving Light Programmer and Lighting Designer Mark Humphrey of TruCreative Design, and Moving Light Programmer and Lighting Director Eric Marchwinski of Earlybird Visual. The lighting package was supplied by PRG. 

“We had a very clear aesthetic approach to this year’s halftime show, which was very much aligned with the wishes of the artist’s camp,” says Gurdon. “This was to always aim for contrast and lighting angles different from those of conventional television lighting. We wanted to prioritise drama over ‘beauty light.’ It needed to feel monolithic and synchronised to the heavy beats, without the ‘sparkle.’”

To support this approach, 88 Zeo automated luminaires were placed on the mid-audience rail upstage of the main camera point of view. Zeo features a unique, square face design, highlighted by a central LED monolith, four reflectors, and four RGBW engines. For high-intensity moments, Zeo is capable of delivering 30,000+ lumens. Humphrey says, “The Zeo has good color range, zoom, and versatility. You can treat it as a simple wash fixture or an effect fixture with its multiple pixels. I like the ability to have the fixture with the frosted lens or without, as it can create an entirely different look.” 

“Given that the show was lit with an emphasis on heavy directional gestures, the row of Zeos offered a versatile option to make effects with and wash a large area, along with the smoke in the air,” notes Green. “Having the pan and tilt also made it a good option, as we were able to sweeten it for camera more than a static strobe fixture. It works well as both a space filler seeing the lens on camera and as an aerial effect light which we leaned on heavily here.”

Both the face design and output of Zeo proved beneficial for the televised event. Marchwinski adds, “The Zeo gave us a dense system of light with a large aperture and noticeable visual footprint on camera. The distinct look the face of the fixture has on camera lends itself to camera backgrounds for a smaller scale show. On this show, the density and throw of the fixture were showcased, as well as the excellent output.”

Wrapping up the high-profile event, Gurdon says, “The Zeos were a great asset in creating the show’s heavy dynamics. They are a bright fixture with good colour, and worked well as a dramatic in to camera effect. Because of its scale, we have used them on the halftime show in a fairly simple way, but can imagine they would have a lot of versatility in other contexts as well. I would definitely spec them again.”

Zeo is available to rent through Main Light.

Photo with some of the design team from left to right: Wyatt Mailloux (ETC Product Support Specialist), Nick Couaette (Pre-Vis Tech), Mark Humphrey, Harry Forster (Lighting Director), Al Gurdon, Bobby Hale (ETC Regional Sales Manager), Ben Green, and Eric Marchwinski