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Jimmy Olausson creates theatrics for Avatar tour with Chauvet

On the just-concluded EU-leg of Avatar’s “Dance Devil Dance” tour, Jimmy Olausson of Illumity AB, the Swedish metal band’s lighting designer, used 38 Chauvet Professional fixtures owned by the band, including sixteen Rogue R2X Washes, ten Rogue R2 Beams and twelve Colorado Q40 Panels.

“Our set on this tour is two hours long, which provides ample room for creativity”, says Olausson. “This set is unique in our touring history because we incorporated more theatrical elements, which provided us with another way to engage and captivate our audience. This show was timecoded. A big reason why is that this allowed me to focus more on the dynamics of the lighting, so I could create a tighter bond between each song and the light show.”

Olausson relied on special light angles, atmospherics and an ever-changing balance between brightness and shadows to reflect his client’s theatrical performance. “In my view, dynamic lighting encompasses more than just the intensity of the lights”, he says. “It also involves the direction, movement, and colors of the lights. I always strive for a balance between darkness and illumination, considering what is not immediately visible.”

“One of my preferred techniques for creating high contrast looks is to use my lighting rig statically from various angles and directions”, he continues. “By positioning my R2 Beams to stage right and using side lighting on stage left to illuminate the band, I heightened the contrast, because to the fans, it felt as if their brains were perceiving directional light more than straight lighting. In particular, I find this approach perfect for the tour’s song ‘Scream Until You Wake’.”

Helping Olausson and his tech crew David Dipswitch and Jacko create this directional effect were his Rogue R2 Washes. He positioned twelve of the RGBW fixtures on pipes attached to 8-foot trusses, which were extended upward to maximum heights of 15 feet. This provided coverage of each band member, while also providing space to showcase pixel effects. The four remaining Rogue R2 Wash units were positioned on vertical trusses on stage left and right for side lighting.

The twelve Rogue R2 beams used on the tour rig were mounted on the same 8-foot truss as the wash fixtures. Olausson used them to shoot light straight out into the audience. “I purposely wanted to have the beams mounted in a vertical angle this time around to be able to create more interesting motions with them”, he says.

Providing the backdrop for the band’s theatrical show were the twelve Colorado Q40 panels. “I arranged them to go on the same trusses as the R2 beams, as well as behind the band entrances on the stage”, says Olausson. “One thing I utilized way more during this production than on previous tours is individual pixel control. So, having these fixture face the audience opened up endless possibilities to create patterns and chases.”

Operating the board for the upcoming North American leg of the tour will be lighting designer Tilda Berghäll.

(Photos: Jens De Vos)

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