There are not too many people in the lighting industry in Australia who can recall the last time a brand new studio was completed from the ground up. The development of the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is certainly the only example most people will remember. Recent efforts in the area of "Pay TV" are probably the closest example of such an initiative, but these were certainly not on a scale to match the size of our commercial and national networks.
The new Channel 7 Melbourne Broadcast Centre, therefore, is certainly one development which is, in the true sense of the word, extraordinary. Work on the site involved a host of specialist contractors, with the lighting and dimming fitted out in a turn-key operation by Coemar De Sisti Australia Pty Ltd.
Initially Rob Coia head of Lighting for Channel 7 Melbourne contacted Coemar De Sisti Australia some 18 months prior to the project going ahead. Rob had certain ideas on the design of the lighting system, all based on the normal theory he had been accustom too, which was to save money where possible and only put in the bear minimum equipment and too keep it very basic.
When Rob first presented his ideas to us we understood fully why he had designed the system the way he had, however after much discussion in particular on what the ideas where behind the new complex for Channel 7 and the fact that management wanted it to be the latest and greatest (also bearing in mind that it was to be the first digital broadcast centre in the country) we told Rob that we felt he should propose an up to date lighting system to match the other ideas behind the whole complex. Rob's initial design consisted of box truss on chain motors with multicore weiland touring type cable system (what is normally used in our industry for one off rental projects and certainly not what we would envisage for a state of the art TV studio).
Over the coming months we worked closely with Rob to prepare a proposal based on state of the art equipment and technology for lighting in television and then we proceeded to assist Rob with presentation of the design to Channel 7 management. We are happy to say that after much work management accepted our ideas and designs and it was from this that the requirements for the studios was modelled.
The new studios feature all new full mechanicals (hoists, etc), dimming, control, DMX distribution system, power, leads & accessories and luminaires.
The Product Studio, used for drama and variety productions, features a full set-up of De Sisti hoists, with:
All hoist controls were included as part of the installation.
The News Studio features a fixed pipe grid, with droppers to suit. Lighting for the Product Studio comprises a wide range of luminaires including:
The Product Studio also utilises a similar range of De Sisti luminaires including:
In order to increase lighting coverage in the both studios, a number of De Sisti Manfrotto Avenger roller, combo, folding and wind-up stands were included in the studio fit-out. Naturally, safety chains and other accessories are provided in the luminaire equipment along with all extension leads, DMX leads and Weiland multicore leads.
Dimming within both studios is provided by Coemar De Sisti Australia's own locally made TechART Series 5000 installation dimmers. A range of 5Kw and 2.5Kw dimmers is provided, similar to those selected by the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney.
Control in both studios is courtesy of powerful Compulite Micron 4D/ME (Moving Ethernet) consoles in each studio. Already used extensively in the Australian TV scene by the ABC, Channel 9, and in the now migrated Channel 7 studios in Brisbane, Compulite were the consoles of choice for the operators at 7. The Micron features full tracking back-up, DMX merging, and Remote control, and provide state of the art control with the added ability to handle all the dimming in the studios. Additionally, they allow unsurpassed moving light control (Compulite are, of course, the makers of the original Animator consoles - one of the first ever dedicated moving light consoles). The modern age (and the console's abilities) also dictated a full CAT5e and DMX distribution system is part of the installation, allowing the full potential of the control system to be utilised.
Finally, Coemar De Sisti Australia provided full installation of all works including steel work, power, and truss.
Part of the reason, we believe, why Coemar De Sisti Australia was the successful tenderer lies not only in our competitive pricing, excellent product reputation and back-up service, but also in the ability of our team to pull together the resources of the manufacturers in developing systems which met and, in many cases, exceeded the requirements of the installation.
A brief timeline of the installation:
With receipt of the official order to commence work on the site, Coemar De Sisti Australia began operations on-site as well as behind the scenes. David Lee was appointed on-site Project Manager for Coemar De Sisti Australia, and many people will know David from his work at Channel 7 in Brisbane (BTQ 7), where he worked as Lighting Director for many years. The inclusion of specialist staff such as David ensured that the not only did Coemar De Sisti Australia have a staff member on-site with the necessary technical knowledge to administer such a large contract, it also meant that the television station's best interests were served, with supervisory staff who were well aware of the station's needs.
One of the first tasks was confirmation of the equipment required from Coemar De Sisti Australia's overseas suppliers. Given the close cooperation required in developing the successful tender presentation on the project, Coemar De Sisti Australia's suppliers were well aware in advance of the requirements for the job and were well-placed to be able to supply all equipment with no delay on their part.
In-house, the Coemar De Sisti Australia's technical staff began production of the TechART installation dimmers selected for the job. Manufactured and designed in-house in conjunction with Technical Art Solutions, the dimmers are designed to provide robust and intelligent control of the lighting. All internal components, metal work, cabling, etc, were sourced locally and, where possible, Coemar De Sisti Australia gave preference to locally manufactured product.
On-site, work commenced with the roughing-in of the required cabling. Pre-planning deemed that it was important to ensure that preparation was optimal and that the electricians and crew working were well aware of the task at hand. Coemar De Sisti Australia worked closely with all the installation crew in ensuring that they had a full understanding of the scope of the work well before they actually set foot on the site itself. Pre-installation meetings were arranged once the tender was let and regular on-site meetings ensured that work proceeded smoothly.
The pipe grid in the News Studio was pencilled in for installation in early/mid October and pre-preparatory work was well advanced on the grid to ensure all associated components were available and ready to be utilised.
When the News Studio wiring was almost complete, with all power and data ducts installed and wired, installation staff were at the stage of fitting-off wall boxes at Studio floor level for 3-phase power, dimmed and contactor circuits, and data. All wiring to the News Production area had also been run and the box truss for this area was prepared and scheduled for installation in the next week. Installation of safety rigging lines had also commenced and, following this work, the installation of the fixed pipe grid commenced.
Steel droppers for the grid were pre-constructed and submitted for break-testing certification prior to installation commencing. The testing noted that the dropper failed at 9.2 tonne, which was extremely pleasing, given the requirement for the fixed grid is a SWL of only 40 kgs per square metre (due mainly to the steel roof structure of the building).All hanging brackets and other such equipment were also fully certified prior to their installation.
Equipment for both studios was, as planned, steadily arriving from overseas suppliers and all equipment was pre-tested by Coemar De Sisti Australia technicians at our warehouse. Fit out of the dimmer room for the News Studio had also commenced, with the TechArt dimmer racks already on-site. As work proceeded, considerably more equipment was delivered to site in preparation for fitting.
At this stage of the installation, a number of technical matters had also been resolved, with Channel 7 signing off on detailed construction drawings for the De Sisti hoists and the hoist control system. The system features the latest in computer-based control technology and a full redundant back-up system is incorporated into the control.
Work in the News Studio progressed extremely well with the pipe grid installed and fully fitted and all studio mains power outlets terminated. The section of box truss designed for the News Production area was also subsequently installed. In the dimming area installation work for the dimming system proceeded on schedule and the data distribution rack, which was designed and manufactured totally in-conjunction with Technical Art Solutions, was fully tested and delivered to the site for installation.
Termination of data lines was scheduled to commence on the 19th of November, 2001 along with the commissioning of the dimming system. This proceeded ahead of schedule.
Peter Kemp Managing Director of Coemar De Sisti Australia flew to Italy to inspect Channel 7's hoist prior to them being packed in a container for shipment to Australia. Whilst work continued on-site and at our warehouse, overseas shipments of equipment continued to arrive on schedule, with almost all equipment delivered and tested by the first week of December.
Manufacture of all ancillary equipment and accessories, extension leads and dmx cables was carried out at this stage. Whilst it was slightly more expensive to manufacture this type of equipment in-house, the company felt that, in line with its commitment to purchase locally where possible, it was the responsible choice to be supportive of local industry rather than purchasing low-cost alternatives regionally.
The scheduling of shipments from overseas suppliers was a critical issue from Coemar De Sisti Australia's point of view, as full testing by our staff was standard procedure prior to delivery. The timely delivery of equipment was not only sensible, given the contractual obligations of the installation, but they also allowed for new Coemar De Sisti Australia staff who were unfamiliar with some of the equipment to be fully trained in service and maintenance procedures. As a company, we believe that this attention to detail was critical to our success in completing this installation well ahead of schedule.
Final steel work drawings and computations were completed by De Sisti for the hoist steel work and local manufacture began in readiness for installation into the Production Studio. Work in this area was completed ahead of schedule, with local manufacturers proving once again that tradesmen in this country can manufacture to the highest quality standards and meet strict deadlines. In December 2001, after full testing and commissioning of the total system was completed, the News Studio was handed over to Channel 7, a full 7 days ahead of schedule.
The Production Studio continued to progress extremely well, with all cable tray installed in the studio along with all mains, data and control wiring for the De Sisti hoists and the completion of the steelwork infrastructure for support of the hoists.
A full container load of hoist equipment from De Sisti was delivered on-site on Jan 4th, 2002, and this delivery completed the consignments of all hoists, hoist control system, luminaires, stands, etc. for this studio.
The first hoist was installed on Jan 8th and the on-site team subsequently progressed well, completing their task well on time. As final installation tasks were being completed, the range of TechArt dimmer racks were also delivered on-site and installed. With commissioning of all hoists and lighting undertaken, Coemar De Sisti Australia's installation was complete.
Having been involved in the project right from the initial stages of planning Coemar De Sisti Australia's tender submission, Project Manager David Lee was particularly pleased with the results. Peter Kemp, Coemar De Sisti Australia's Managing Director, also expressed his pride in his staff's efforts. Additionally, Coemar De Sisti Australia wish to acknowledge the work of the technical and installation staff, and a range of subcontractors, all of who showed professionalism in undertaking their tasks to extremely high standards of workmanship.
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