SYDNEY, Australia – Almost 60 countries worldwide host their own version of the wildly popular TV program The Voice. Although the iconic show follows a similar format throughout the world, each nation’s version of the program has its own set and lighting design. However, one thing that viewers of The Voice are likely to see from country to country are the sharp bright looks created by the Nexus 4×4 from CHAUVET Professional.

The high output COB LED panel is key part of the set lighting design on The Voice from the US to Portugal and many places in between. Grant Watson, LD for The Voice Australia, is upholding this tradition, using 28 Nexus 4×4 panels on his new set for the popular program. Joining the Nexus in Watson’s design are a collection of other Chauvet fixtures, including COLORado 1-Quad Tours, COLORado 1-Quad Zoom Tours and COLORdash Batten-Quad 6 strips, all of which were provided by Strauss Production.

“We were responsible for lighting a number of sets built to mock up recording studios, rehearsal spaces and artist meet-and-greet areas, which make up the bulk of the televised programme between the performances,” said Watson.

With several stars on the panel this year including Ricky Martin, Jessie J, Delta Goodrem and The Madden Brothers, Watson’s combination of CHAUVET Professional fixtures give the various sets a certain showbiz charm, with each light playing a particular piece within the jigsaw of his lighting design.

One of the key fixtures incorporated by Watson in all of his sets are the Nexus 4×4 fixtures. Having utilised the Nexus 4×4 fixtures for their sharp focused beams on several productions previously, Watson found the Nexus an ideal tool to give the stage that glossy showbiz look he was after, installed in this case as backlights for the different sets.

“The Nexus are employed as deep background shots for different interviews as far as the artists are concerned. And by deep background, I mean anything up to 100 metres in the background,” said Watson. “The beams are incredibly strong and punchy even at that distance, and look fantastic on camera. The directors were exceptionally pleased that we were able to create such an interesting look with a minimal budget.”

Watson also utilises COLORado fixtures to bathe the various sets in colour and ambience. “Colour has the ability to accentuate and heighten the characteristics of any given set,” said the LD. “We specified the COLORado LED fixtures with their Quad-Colour RGBW LEDs to add wisps of colour combinations and patterns to the different sets. In this sense, the COLORados are proving themselves to be highly versatile fixtures suitable for all manner of applications.”

Also providing a key element of eye candy for the rehearsal space – a set meant to take the viewer into an area where they wouldn’t normally get access to – are the COLORdash Batten-Quad 6 fixtures. While the battens are used to create a powerful wall wash where necessary, Watson also incorporates the fixtures for traditional backlighting, illuminating the cyclorama with seamless colour mixing.

“The interplay between the Nexus 4×4 panels, the COLORado and the COLORdash fixtures ensures that I can create different looks with an endless arsenal of colour and light combinations,” said Watson. “The fixtures help us create the kind of excitement and originality that viewers expect from The Voice.”