Started as an award for shows and everyone who is part of the Zapp television schedule, the first editions were part of the morning show ZappLive and were recorded in the associated studio. In 2018, the Zapp Awards were transformed into an independent award show.
At that time, Jeroen van Geffen got involved as lighting designer on behalf of KRO-NCRV. The first two shows were broadcast live from De Vorstin, a music venue in Hilversum (NL). “The Zapp Awards should feel like a big award show, but at the same time it should maintain the character of ZappLive. This talkshow-like setting is characterised by its looseness and speed. We tried to translate this into a more structured award show,” says van Geffen.
Decoration of Zapp shows should feel tough and industrial. That’s why the CLF Apollo has been part of the lighting design since the first edition in 2018. Van Geffen comments: “These fixtures match the tough look and feel. Moreover, the warm white centre LED approaches a tungsten light source, which really beefs up the the industrial look. Finally, the RGB sections make it a real eye-catcher.”
This year, the Zapp Awards should be even bigger and better, so Studio 21 was chosen. “This impressive location is very glamorous, however it lacks the tough, industrial look and feel that was created during the previous editions. That’s why we immediately included the so called ‘Zapp fixtures’ as a decorative element around the LED screens. Also, CLF LEDbar Pros were added to emphasise the shape of the LED screens and to connect the video with lights. Due to its output, the LEDbar Pro is a simple but effective tool for this purpose. In addition, it can also be used with low output levels and the big reflectors resemble conventional lights.”
Over 40 CLF Aorun beams were used to highlight the size of the studio. Van Geffen adds “The house rig of Studio 21 consists of Vipers and Spiiders, so I was looking for a fixture with enough output to match. Besides, the Aorun features a punchy, tight beam, which is exactly what I was looking for. In terms of camera use, we recorded at high colour temperatures. This brought out the colours of the Aorun even better and the beams really stand out on screen.”
Whereas big award shows schedule several days of rehearsal and preparation, the Zapp Awards show was both programmed and technically rehearsed within a few hours. This not only requires a fast, flexible team, but the fixtures also have to keep up. “We don’t have time to search through many modes or channels for the right effects. This is one of the big advantages of CLF fixtures. No nonsense, but a lot of results! ” concludes van Geffen.
CLF Products:
41x CLF Lighting Aorun
28x CLF Lighting Apollo
28x CLF Lighting LEDBar Pro
Venue: Studio 21, Hilversum
Client: KRO-NCRV
Supplier: Chain / Rent-All
Technical Pre-production: Dennis Kok
Project management: Dennis Kok & Koen Fontein
Light Design: Jeroen van Geffen
Programming/Operating: Thijs Brouwers en Jeroen van Geffen
Photos: Bullet-Ray & Jeroen van Geffen
