Broadcasting 24/7, the international news channel France 24 reaches an impressively large audience of almost 500 million households around the world in French, Arabic, Spanish and English. However, as is the case all over Paris, space is quite limited, so France 24 has to make the best of its available capacities, with its largest studios being just under 100 square meters with a grill height of 3.5-meters.
Given the varied programming broadcast by France 24, cameras on this set are arranged very differently, depending on the show. Indeed, sometimes camera axes are reversed by 180-degrees. Also, since various news and editorial teams require their own looks during broadcasts, the studios have not one, but five different sets, all of which are rolled on wheels.
Working within this set of circumstances, Jean-Louis Rousseaux, Director of Photography for France 24, was seeking a compact and very versatile projector, with a relatively wide focal length, as well as the ability to illuminate several subjects at very short distances. Additionally, he wanted a projector that delivered the precise control necessary for isolating a subject on the set, an essential requirement for any TV broadcast light.
Looking for a lighting solution that could meet these requirements and modernize the studios, Rousseaux turn to his trusted advisor, Alain LHERITEAU from Dushow. LHERITEAU provided him with the ideal answer, a fixture that offers the performance features he was looking for in a compact size: the Ovation E-2 FC ellipsoidal from CHAUVET Professional. A collection of 168 of these RGBA-Lime color-mixing ellipsoidals from Dushow were installed on the two sets, with an equal number of projectors in each studio.
“Alain and Dushow have always been extraordinarily helpful,” said Rousseaux. “The fixture I wanted had to be, above all else, compact, since the sets are small with low grill heights. We also work within different lighting situations, so I had to be able to install a lot of them all around the set. It’s true that installing small moving heads would have been a more judicious choice, but in the context of France 24, it was an impossible choice because there are no console operator positions on the teams.
“Another detail on this ellipsoidal that was very useful to us was the possibility of reducing the height of the fixture, thanks to the various adjustments provided on its bracket,” continued Rousseaux. “The precision of this ellipsoidal also enabled me to isolate a subject. So, the Ovation’s cutout was very welcome. Its possibilities in terms of color temperature presets, as well as the use of all its LED modules for more power, work wonderfully well.”
The infinite color possibilities offered by the Ovation E-2FC are also useful on the special programs broadcast by France 24. In addition to its award-winning news and documentaries, the network will sometimes feature live music on its broadcasts. When it does, an abundance of colors is often called for, giving its Director of Photography another reason why he is happy he consulted with his adviser Alain LHERITEAU from Dushow.