Starnacht (Star Night) is one of the more popular televised live music programs in German-speaking countries. Broadcast from Austria since 2000, the program has several editions and is known for its diverse mix of national and international artists who perform amid a festival-like atmosphere against majestic backdrops like the Giant Ferris Wheel in Vienna or the spectacular peaks of the Alps.
Austrian-based full-service event technology supplier Droneberger Showtechnik (www.droneberger.at) specializes in television productions and has been lighting Starnacht shows since 2005/2006. The company, which operates from the town of Klagenfurt, sought a flexible luminaire to enhance the Starnacht stage in color and effect and last summer purchased Elation Professional Paladin™ multi-effect lights to use on Starnacht am Wörthersee, Starnacht aus der Wachau and other events.
“The Paladin have played a very dominant element in Starnacht,” stated Droneberger Showtechnik head Friedrich Droneberger, who handles lighting and set design for the Starnacht shows and has been working on them since their inception. “We chose the Paladin because of its multiple pixel zone control. It was crucial for us that each LED segment be controlled individually so that we can customize the look across the face and pixel map video across them. Furthermore, the zoom range was crucial as was the fact that they are IP65 rated as these events are open air shows and you can always risk poor weather.”
Paladin is Elation’s versatile strobe/blinder/wash light with zoom that houses 24 high-power 40W RGBW LEDs. Its hybrid qualities give it the ability to deliver impactful strobe/blinder effects, powerful washes, or, because of its multiple pixel zone control, pixel map and eye-candy looks, even warm or cold light twinkle effects. Elation has recently expanded the Paladin line with three new fixtures - Paladin Cube™, Paladin Brick™ and Paladin Panel™ – all also with IP65 protection.
For Starnacht am Wörthersee last July Droneberger dressed the stage in a dynamic roof of Paladin fixtures. Broadcast live on Austrian national TV channel ORF, last year’s Starnacht shows were again a big success. While this year's shows have been postponed due to Covid-19 regulations, the popular festival style music program is set to return in 2021 better than ever.
Effect lighting operator: Chris Moylan and Raphael Demonthy
White light: Markus Ruhnke and Tobias Heydthausen
Disguise Server: Ing. Friedrich Droneberger
