Chinese New Year, the most significant of all the traditional Chinese holidays, is a time when families gather to celebrate the passing of winter with feasting and dining. In recent times, a new family tradition has sprung up in the form an all-night New Year’s TV show featuring drama, dance, music and comedy.
Once the preserve of state broadcaster CCTV, the televised New Year’s Gala is said to be the most watched arts performance event anywhere in the world with over 700m viewers regularly tuning in. This year, rival broadcaster Anhui TV produced its own New Year’s special, filmed live at its 5,000-square-metre Anhui Radio and Television Centre – the largest TV studio anywhere in Asia. The show featured acts by singers, dancers, comedians and acrobats both from China and abroad.
During the performance, the stage and set were richly lit with a lighting system comprising over 1300 lighting units. In preparation for the event, the studio decided to add 44 Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1500s to its inventory of Chinese-made moving lights. The Alphas were selected following a procurement process in which they were tested against several rival brands. In a break with tradition, the Clay Paky purchase marks the first time the TV company has invested in a brand of moving lights made outside China.
The Clay Paky spotlights were supplied through the company’s partner in China, ACE Professional Sound and Lighting.