Reimagined Light: As the pandemic lockdown moves into its ninth month, a redefined reality has taken root in virtually every corner of our industry. With old ways of doing things cut off, practices that would have been unimaginable a year ago have become new standards. Here’s a look at how some lighting pros are adapting.

Drive-in shows are more than an occasional project for the owner of Life Is Art Studios in North Carolina. Traveling throughout the southern USA, he and his business partner Soup Williams have been lighting multiple “No Parking On The Dance Floor” concerts since the earliest days of the lockdown – and there are no signs that they will let up any time soon.

Clients like Bassnectar and Snoop Dogg, plus festival appearances, kept the owner of Helms Projects busy last year. When COVID-19 brought his work to a halt, he turned a section of his warehouse into a learning lab. As the lockdown dragged on he expanded his vision, and built it into a more sustainable part of his business.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong has always maintained a relentless touring schedule that has seen them play as many as 100 show a year. This number of live appearances is out of the question today, but the quartet continues to reach fans with numerous drive-in shows and livestreams. Lighting Designer Manny Newman, the “fifth member of the band,” talks about how they keep the fires burning.

Crossfade Design was looking for a good audience light last year when it purchased the Rogue R2 Wash for Top Rank Boxing. However, when the ESPN program returned to the air after the lockdown, the matches were held in a crowd-free “bubble.” This led the design team to repurpose the wash fixtures to meet a new demand created by lighting a sports event without a fans in the stands.

The street scene has always been an integral part of Montreal’s Italian Week festival. Gil Perron couldn’t duplicate this when the festival went versatile this year, but he used his LSM Ambiocreateurs supplied rig to create an engaging ambience at the week-long event.

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