Arpege choose Vista for the César Awards

Leading French lighting production company Arpege selected a Jands Vista console to provide lighting control for the 32nd César Awards, the biggest annual film awards ceremony in France.

The star-studded event, which is French cinema’s equivalent to Hollywood’s Oscars ceremony, has been running for over 30 years and is televised live from the iconic Théâtre du Châtelet in the centre of Paris.

Lighting designer Jean-Bernard Favero-Longo and programmer Didier Dast had worked together lighting live television shows many times before, and recently tried out the Jands Vista to great success on several events. So when Didier suggested they use the Vista for the high-profile Césars live awards, Jean-Bernard had complete confidence in his decision.

The awards ceremony’s trademark set featured white suspended panels moving up and down, with the lights colouring and projecting gobos onto these elements. The impressive rig supplied by Arpege featured over 150 moving lights, including Vari-Lite VL2500 washes, VL3000 spots and VL3500 spots, Martin MAC2000 washes, and Studio Colour 575 washes, all controlled by a Jands Vista T4.

Summarising his experience using the console, Didier commented: “In my trial sessions using the Vista, I was often surprised by the simplicity and logic of the interface. The visuals and the timeline make programming rapid and fun. The decision to use the Vista for this high profile, televised awards ceremony could only be taken because I was absolutely certain of the reliability of the console. Having proven itself at this level, we (himself and Jean-Bernard) are now convinced that the Vista is part of the professional lighting landscape, as it is a tool that is perfectly adapted for this purpose.”