When world-acclaimed lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe designed a new set of gobos for the MAC 2000 Profile, his aim was to give a new lease on life to the well-loved and familiar fixture, and in doing so, allow designers to rediscover its potential.

”We were determined that each gobo had to work on its own merits, either as a simple projection or as a kinetic effect when looking back down the light,” said Woodroffe. ”The three-dimensional depth and mesmeric effects as the designer combines different gobos in their various permutations should be seen as a bonus!”

In designing the gobos Woodroffe has been mindful of the need for the images to work for a variety of disciplines and designers - for theatre, for television, for live performance and for installations.

Staging Rentals annual party
When lighting designer Ziggy Ziegler was asked to light the Staging Rentals annual party for the production industry he was delighted to get his hands on the Woodroffe Gobo Collection. Lighting supply company Chameleon Touring Systems supplied the gobos as well as a Martin dominated lighting rig of 22 MAC 2000s, 8 of which housed the new Woodroffe Gobo Collection, and 24 MAC 250 Entours. Both the Woodroffe gobos and Martin lighting gear were distributed through Martin’s Australian representative, Show Technology.

The Woodroffe gobos were concentrated onto two circular cycloramas either side of the stage, across Styrofoam cut-out letters spelling ‘Staging Rentals’ as well as a couple more swinging around the room.

Lighting Designer Ziggy Ziegler
“I really like the Woodroffe gobos, “stated Ziggy. “Not just for the gobos themselves, some of which are pretty and some are bold, but what you can do when you mix them together. When you mix the different gobo layers together you can get patterns and textures that are far better than the standard gobos.

“You can get more theatrical looks out of these gobos. I find the standard gobo collection to be a bit nightclub-orientated whereas these gobos offer more theatrical and rock ‘n roll looks. I particularly like the fire gobo as it is very bold and saturated. The big yellow flowers are also a favorite. There is one gobo made up of small dots and when you mix it with other gobos, it looks fantastic.”

Ziggy was so rapt in the Woodroffe gobos he is busily specifying them for future shows. “I definitely want to use them on upcoming productions as they offer you so much more flexibility,” he added. “These gobos are all very different so that you can produce completely different looks from one light.”

Mixing it up
With many production industry people and Staging Rentals clients at the party the gobos were showcased to many potential customers.

“Many people commented on the Woodroffe gobos, especially those from event companies,” said Ziggy. “They really liked the looks happening on the cycs and the lettering. In fact, they mentioned that more than anything else. As Martin lights are so popular in Australia, many people are very used to seeing the same gobos time and time again. Several asked if they could have the Woodroffe gobos on their event.”

Ziggy was also very impressed by the Martin MAC 250 Entours which he described as incredibly bright for their size. “They’re a really nice, flexible, little light with nice gobos and colors in them,” he said. “They did all the color and movement through the room whilst the MAC 2000’s lit the surfaces.”