Coemar De Sisti Sheds Light on Reality TV

In August 2002, UK-based Granada plc chose an Australian rainforest at Tully in northern Queensland, as the setting for its reality TV production I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!
When it came to producing a series of I'm a Celebrity… for America's ABC network, followed closely by a second series for the UK, Granada set up a rainforest production facility to service both productions.
Granada has taken a one-plus year license over a privately-owned area of rainforest near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales. In late November 2002, work began on what would temporarily be one of the largest TV production facilities in Australia wiith 42 cameras, 13 Avid edit suites, and a staff of around 390.
According to Coemar De Sisti Managing Director, Peter Kemp, the US and UK productions were illuminated by Schusters Lighting and Fleet Lighting using a variety of Coemar De Sisti rigs.
"In particular," he says, "we made up a lot of specially adapted products for Schusters."
The adapted products included:

• Adapting standard De Sisti electronic ballasts for ON/OFF operation via DMX control
• Adapting standard De Sisti electronic ballasts for dimming operation via DMX control
• Stadium type 1800W Metal halide fixtures adapted to take standard 4K
• Par accessories such as scrims, lens sets, barn doors etc.
• Tech Art dimmer racks
• Custom cable runs for combined power and dmx on cable drums

The designs and features of these products were put together by Leon Schuster and Peter Kemp after many meeting and ponderings on the most effective solutions for the customer requirements.

Standard product supplied to Schusters included:

• Interactive radio dmx system
• De Sisti Remington 1200W par systems
• De Sisti Remington 2500/4000W par systems
• De Sisti Leonardo 2000W TH fresnels
• De Sisti Magis 650W TH fresnels
• Outdoor IP rates Par 64's
• Doughty Zenith winch up stands
• Doughty Nebula winch up stands

The project was a collaboration between Fleet Lighting and Schusters Lighting with Fleet Lighting purchasing the following equipment:

• De Sisti Remington 1200W par systems
• De Sisti Remington 2500/4000W par systems
• De Sisti Remington 6000W par systems
• De Sisti Remington 6000/12000W par systems

According to Kemp, "As per usual ridiculous delivery schedules were required and Coemar De Sisti Australia came through after many sleepless nights and calls overseas to ensure equipment would be in time."
Kemp traveled to the Rainforest Production Facility on a number of occasions to ensure all was okay with David (Dizzy) Scandol (Lighting Designer) and Schusters and Fleet Lighting.
Kemp was recently in the UK for The Production Show and spotted a double page spread in The Mail newspaper with a lot of controversy on the UK production of the show and how it it purports to be a "reality TV show". The papert stated "celebrity contestants and the audience were manipulated mercilessly in the drive for ratings and profits".

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