Onedot Calls on Over 230 CHAUVET Professional Fixtures at Escapade Festival

	The Color STRIKE M fixtures were positioned on the main stage, above and below each the video screens as well as between them.

Scientists tell us that the earth tilts at an angle of around 23.5 degrees, relative to its orbit around the Sun in the summer. That number wasn't likely at the top of mind for the 25,000-plus fans who descended on the RA Centre Grounds for the 15th annual edition of the Escapade Festival this summer, but it's the reason why they got to enjoy extra hours of sunlight during Canada's largest outdoor EDM event.

Being relatively far north (450km above Toronto), Ottawa enjoys long summer days. For anyone trying to light a major festival, featuring stars like The Chainsmokers, Excision, Kaskade, Gryffin, Jessica Audiffred and Liquid Stranger, all that sunlight can present a challenge, especially if you want to serve up the intense, searing looks that their music demands.

The team at Quebec-based Onedot succeeded in setting the stage for sizzling looks even during day light hours, thanks to some adroit fixture placement and a carefully curated rig, which was supplied by Solotech, Entexx, Auci-C.

A key part of that rig were its 114 Color STRIKE M motorized strobes on the main stage, and the 38 COLORado PXL Bar 16 motorized battens on stage B. "The Color STRIKE M and PXL Bars were deliberately chosen for their brightness," says Jean-Sebastien Guilmette of Onedot, who oversaw the event's design. "We liked their brightness as we wanted lighting to remain visible even during daytime sets. This was an important factor, since around 75% of the festival takes place in sunlight. Additionally, all the (IP-rated) CHAUVET fixtures were selected because they're waterproof, which is crucial for a large outdoor festival."

The Color STRIKE M fixtures were positioned on the main stage, above and below each the video screens as well as between them. "These fixtures brought a powerful punch to the stage," says Guilmette. "They functioned not only as strobes and blinders, but also as immersive color washes. The PXL Bars were mounted above and below the video on the bass stage and followed its curve. They transformed the stage by delivering bright dynamic pixel effects day and night."

However, the Color STRIKE M, COLORado PXL Bar 16, and other CHAUVET Professional fixtures (48 Maverick Storm 1 Hybrids, 18 Maverick Storm 4 Profiles, and 18 Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWashes) did much more than provided a solution for dealing with ambient light and the possibility of inclement weather. Thanks to their rich array of performance features, as well as their bold output, the fixtures helped transform the stages throughout the festival with intense color washes, audience blinders, distinctive light angles, and other flourishes, the company says.

"We kept our fixture layout relatively simple and relied on the versatility of our fixtures to gives us a continuous flow of new looks throughout the festival," says Guilmette. "An example is the Maverick Storm Storms in our rig -- LDs used them as spots or beams, depending on their creative needs."

Guilmette estimates that about half the acts during the festival brough their own lighting designers, while half relied on Onedot's three on-site lighting directors Thomas Gentilhomme, Erik Lamoureux, Cory Graham) to run their shows. The Onedot team also included Louis-Xavier Bonneau, Marc-Antoine Pelletier, Christina Nadolu for drawings.