Special Olympics World Summer Games Largest Single MAC Event Ever

One of the year’s largest events took place in early October in Shanghai, China and like all events of this magnitude the numbers were staggering. Perhaps the most impressive figure though was 950. That was the number of MAC™ luminaires that American lighting designer Bob Dickinson used to support his lighting design for the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games.´

Held from October 2-11, the Special Olympics World Summer Games saw 7,500 athletes from 160 countries compete beneath the Olympic Flame of Hope. An army of 40,000 volunteers were called upon to make sure the Games ran smoothly.

Opening Ceremony
Perhaps bigger and better than anything staged before in China - until next year’s Summer Olympic Games that is - 80,000 spectators at the Opening Ceremony in Shanghai Stadium witnessed an awe-inspiring display of traditional dance, music, lighting and pyrotechnics.

In terms of color and visual effects, the Opening Ceremony was spectacular. LD Bob Dickinson (Academy Awards; Grammy Awards; Athens, Salt Lake and Atlanta Olympics) incorporated approximately 850 MAC 2000 Washes and 100 MAC 2000 Performances, the majority of which were supplied by PROCON Event Engineering of Germany. The 950 MACs is a new record for a single event. Also in the rig were 93 Martin Atomic 3000 strobes and other automated fixtures.

MAC 2000 Wash
The approximately 850 MAC 2K Washes were the workhorse of the system and were used to light the audience, field and performance stages for the Opening Ceremony, says LD Bob Dickinson. Behind the camera shots was a sea of audience which Bob lit throughout the performance.

“Instead of ambient light we controlled the visual by illuminating the audience with MACs,” he stated. “The MAC 2K Washes were chosen for their extremely high output and ability to throw long distances when used with the PC Lens option. This, in conjunction with the superior reliability of the fixtures, made them the only choice for the project. The MAC 2K Performances were chosen for the template and framing abilities and reliability.”

Lighting locations
Shanghai Stadium provided three good lighting locations in the roof that allowed for a high density of MAC 2K Washes. Approximately 350 of the 2K Washes were placed on ‘inner array’ trusses that lined the inside edge of the roof structure with about 250 placed on the ‘outer array’ trusses that lined the outside edge of the roof at the top of the audience seating area. About 225 MAC 2K Washes were placed on the balcony rail pipes that were installed in between the lower and upper seating areas in the stadium. The remaining 25 2K Washes were used on the floor to light different scenic elements. The approximately 100 MAC 2K Performances were located on a balcony rail pipe that ringed the stadium above the suite level boxes and were primarily used as eye candy.

“The MAC Washes performed superbly,” Bob commented. “They met and exceeded all of my expectations. The MAC 2K Wash color options and consistency between units was extremely uniform which is always a big concern on televised projects. Because of their intensity and long throw abilities they allowed me to light more of the vast areas that this show took place in at one time.”

Long throw, high control
Bob explains why he relies on the MAC 2K Wash for large televised events. “It is the only instrument I’ve found that can survive long distance throws and allow for a high degree of control as far as where the light is placed while still getting enough intensity to survive the process of television. We were using lights effectively at distances of about 150-175 meters. At this point there is no way anyone could do a production of this nature with these kinds of throws without using the MAC 2K Wash. It allows for the level of control and dependability that is essential to be able to survive a broadcast of this nature. It has really become the workhorse of these types of events.”

Challenges
A production of this size does not come without its share of challenges, among them inconsistent electrical power, rain, dust and much more. “Shanghai is a growing, dynamic place with a developing infrastructure and we found that power is not as consistent as we are familiar with in the U.S. or Europe. Still, the MAC 2Ks were completely tolerant of the power inconsistencies,” Bob stated.

The Special Olympics World Summer Games was on scale with other Olympic Games that Bob has been involved with. “This was not only on par with those but perhaps the largest single lighting undertaking I have been involved with in my career, he says. “From my perspective this was the largest moving light system I have ever assembled and it was rather successful.

“It was a challenging environment and we enjoyed working with the Chinese creatives, staff and crews. Without the work of lighting directors Noah A. Mitz and Ted Wells however it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Support
Martin provided on site technical support headed by Product & Application Specialist Claus Jensen. “Both PROCON and Martin were extremely supportive of this project. Having on-site technical support was a great help as almost 2/3rds of the moving lights used on this project were manufactured by Martin,” Bob concludes.

The Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organized by Special Olympics. Like the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, the Special Olympics World Games include summer and winter versions and are held every four years.