Chameleon Touring Systems, based in Sydney, Australia, has invested in 15 new Robe iFORTE LTXs and iFORTE LTX FSs – follow spots with integrated cameras – which have been delivered over the past six months.
Headed by Tony Davies, Chameleon Touring Systems works across entertainment and event production sectors, including concert and theatrical touring, festivals, musicals, corporates, broadcast, and television. Chameleon was among the first to invest in RoboSpot after its launch and now has the largest stock of RoboSpot remote follow systems in the country, currently with 20 BaseStations. These are used primarily with its stock of Robe iFORTE LTXs and iFORTE LTX FSs and also still with Chameleon’s BMFL Blades and BMFL FollowSpot LTs, sometimes using their LightMaster handle sets, which are still popular for certain shows and events.
The RoboSpot systems are out constantly on Chameleon’s own shows, as well as in demand for a healthy cross-rental market. The latest RoboSpot software update makes it possible to adjust fade times between presets and includes a colour picker that is set by numerical values; colour and position buttons to increase preset storage; a dedicated LT button; dynamic cross setup for iris and many more cool features to make follow spotting even more flexible and dynamic.
The first RoboSpot systems joined Chameleon at the end of 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The remote follow spotting concept was becoming popular, and Davies wanted to stay ahead of the curve and offer his clients the most flexible and reliable remote follow and key lighting systems.
Immediately after the industry bounced back post-pandemic, demand for RoboSpots accelerated spectacularly. All purchase decisions are based on multiple factors, including what Davies and the team think will be most useful for rentals and what is being requested on riders and technical specs, so the investment continued as Robe launched its iFORTE series.
Servicing numerous international artists visiting Australia, it is important to have the tech that they are demanding. Additionally, the LTXs can be used without the cameras as standard lighting fixtures, as was recently the case with Oasis’ Sydney shows, where they were part of the floor package for Paul Normandale’s design.
The iFORTE LTX Follow Spots have also been used recently on a RoboSpot system for Ricky Martin’s Australian tour. “iFORTE LTXs seem to be the follow spot of choice right now,” stated Davies. “They are nice and bright, have a great CRI and all the LDs are happy to use them!”
He thinks RoboSpot is a great piece of technology from multiple perspectives: “There’s no climbing involved, and they are extremely quick and easy to set up, especially when the luminaires are stored and transported in pre-rigged truss sections.”
He notes that on television shows, the floor electrician can also tech and operate a RoboSpot system, so having one person there on standby who can also run a follow spot makes it expedient in terms of people power, which is a real benefit in the TV world.
Other creative advantages include the ability to light an artist from all angles with fixtures in different positions for greater three-dimensionality, more effective lighting and less shadowing; plus reducing unsightly light spill onstage by being able to hit the target from much more acute and convenient angles up on the rig.
The RoboSpot fixtures can also be utilised as part of a standard rig for certain parts of the show, if required. Parameter control from the console can handle as much functionality as necessary, leaving operators free to focus on basics like iris and actually following the artist!
Being active in every sector of Chameleon’s business makes RoboSpot a hardworking and excellent value investment, noted Davies. “A bit like consoles in this respect – something of a ‘must-have’ for so many different productions. You can basically deliver a much slicker show using RoboSpot and it’s been an important catalyst in moving the whole art of follow spotting into a new era.”
Over that time, Chameleon has built a reputation for delivering quality and expertise, as well as taking a creative approach. There has been a steady trend in the purchase of different Robe lighting products since 2017, starting with MegaPointes, Spiiders and BMFL Spots and Blades. Recently – and since it became a Robe business – Chameleon has also invested in Avolites, with the purchase of two D7-215 consoles to service LDs who enjoy working with the legendary UK-manufactured brand, which has a strong history in Australia.
Davies observes a new energy in Avolites since the Robe acquisition and believes that the portability of Avo products like D7 and the just-launched D3 series will expand its scope, with other advantages like being able to easily fly consoles gig-to-gig with the backline or even as personal luggage.
