Services
ABOUT OUR SERVICES
A “bespoke” full service broadcast lighting facility. Designed and managed.
Strauss……a brand that’s synonymous with, crafted broadcast lighting solutions. The parent company Strauss Productions Pty Ltd is an Australian privately owned business established in 1981 by Grant Watson (AKA “Doc”). Even at that stage a seasoned Television broadcast professional. The business has a multifaceted culture in the acquisition and origination of studio and location based productions.
Grant’s extensive broadcast and technical background in TV operations and technical direction then segway to producing and directing TV commercials. 1981 was the start of the freelance age. Grant quickly established as a prolific DOP in TVC’s and corporates.
Late 90’s was the birth of “Reality TV”. However early 2000’s Reality had made a big impact! By nature of the name Reality was expected to be “raw”. It was soon apparent that Reality was actually “Dramality”! On early productions that Grant was brought on to light, my approach was to keep it “reality”, but give it some “eye candy” and “cinematic” quality. The response from the Networks and the US parent “licenses” was “WOW”.
The business grew with the large demand for “reality TV” and other formats. The inventory of equipment to support the growth was astonishing. The larger production formats demanded lighting and support facilities to that of a “feature film”. It became apparent there was an opening to creatively support the format. Reality budgets were not that of a feature film however demanding the same “eye candy”. The Strauss business was determined to deliver! “The package was developed” to make it easier for Reality producers to deliver “on screen looks”. Fixed cost determined on “the base brief”. So creatively if we need to add / subtract from 50 to 150 fixtures and support equipment to deliver the concept, then it was managed in the budget!
The business now supports and boasts a huge freelance team of lighting directors, rigging professionals, a tiered support team of lighting assistants and qualified electrical contractors. With the ever increasing demand for remote locations, logistics and freight considerations are taken care of. A large reality format to be serviced over some weeks or months can require over 20 Tons of gear. Strauss has become a one call and one stop shop taking the pressure of production managers and logistics.
Strauss has landed over 20 Tons of gear on remote Fitzroy Island off Cairns FNQ in 3 to 4 days of leaving Sydney. Byron Bay and Adelaide had similar demands. All remote locations requiring a lot of infrastructure. The business set up and supported a massive semi load of gear along with a base lighting truck travelling up the East Coast from Sydney to Port Douglass. First production stop being Ingham then to Cairns, Port Douglass and back to Mission Beach. A similar exercise was undertaken to Alice Springs and Darwin.
Locally back to our second home at Fox Studios, it was not uncommon to run simultaneous sets in Stages 7, 5, 6 & 8.
NEP Studios at Everleigh along with Carriage Works and Daltone House have been second homes.
Broadcast Lighting Design
Complex productions incorporating detailed creative, set design, rigging and set electrics need to be planned to within “an inch of it’s life”. Strauss is very fluent with the industry standard, Vectorworks (VWX). All design is “in house” and presented for install on A1 sheets for crew to work accurately and efficiently to deliver “right on time”.
Broadcast Lighting Facilities
Strauss team is a leader in broadcast lighting applications. Grant’s career started in broadcast. It’s in his blood being an accomplished CCU operator, TD, DOP and lighting director. We have the team, resources and passion to make it work!
Lighting Control Systems
The heart of creativity and control. Strauss work across two platforms – Trusted MA Lighting and LSC control systems. Extensive data management and networking using both ARTNET and SACN to finally deliver DMX to fixtures. Should wireless DMX be required Strauss uses Swedish “WDMX”.
Artnet and DMX Data Networks
Artnet, SACN, MA and DMX Data Networks. All managed and supported.
Wireless DMX
The Strauss team also supports a large WDMX wireless Data network. Recently a production required a large night aerial helicopter shot over the Fox Studios lot. The Strauss team had it lit and controlled with WDMX network.
Concert Moving / Intelligent Lights
Intelligent moving lights, are now becoming an accepted norm in so many TV sets. Strauss has a large inventory of these fixtures to support and deliver the creative requirement. The team is well versed in the control and data control of these fixtures. We use MA Lighting and LSC Control systems consoles.
Power Distribution and Dimming Systems
This is a very important component, not to be ignored as safety and compliance is paramount. Strauss manage power from supply point be it “mains supply” or “generator” through to the rigged fixture. Strauss rely on German “INDU Electric” for large current distribution to final supply. Final distribution and dimming is via. LSC Control systems, a trusted and established Australian supplier.
Truss & Rigging
This component goes hand in hand with most studio or location lighting systems. Lights need to be supported / rigged on a “truss system” if a 360 deg shoot is required. Strauss designs such systems and partners with many riggers. Working very closely with a long term and trusted freelance licensed rigger Malcolm Hill and his company Flick Switch Pty Ltd. Malcolm has a large inventory of truss and motors and very competitive from a budget perspective.
Conventional TV / Film lighting Equipment
In this day and age, what is conventional! Not so many years ago “conventional” was tungsten and HMI fixtures. The industry is now consumed with LED fixtures. ARRI “Skypanel”, Cream Source “Vortex” and Aputure 300 & 600X. All great tools, but just another “tool in the box” to support conventional Tungsten and HMI fixtures. Strauss has a huge cross section of all fixtures including many “Bespoke LED fixtures” affectionately called “icicles” and “wicked watsons”. Not ignoring Cream Source “Vortex” and Arri “Sky Panel”. All these fixtures are readily available, subject to demands from other productions.
Studio / Space Adaption
Studio and spaces need to be adapted to suit the creative brief. Studios or spaces are presented in many forms from the Disney / Fox studios at Moore Park to 11.5K Sq M of warehouse at Moorebank. One extreme to the other Strauss has the infrastructure and experience to deliver.
Network and Data management
The control of studio and location lighting systems has changed ten fold in the last ten to twenty years. Most change in the last five years. No longer is it one light, one channel. One light, fixture or array can require ten, twenty……fifty control parameters or more. Multiply this by two hundred fixtures in a rig and there can be ten thousand PLUS control parameters. Not a daunting task to the Strauss team, we have, in house, all the network infrastructure to manage, distribute and control all fixtures.
LED Lighting Instruments
These fixtures have inundated the film and TV industry, and welcomed! A whole new world has opened up with respect to creativity, however LED fixtures are just another tool in the box, opening up more and simplified creativity. Conventional tungsten and HMI fixtures will always have a place and value in many productions. Strauss inventory is extensive managing all formats, LED – Tungsten – HMI – Fluorescent.
Crew Management
Strauss Productions Pty Ltd is a registered Australian limited liability company ACN 002 162 781. Strauss is the vehicle which Grant Watson, the owner and company principal operates as Lighting Director / Designer / Gaffer & DOP. Not to forget a huge knowledge of TV technical operations. TD, CCU. A strange but positive combination in his craft. Grant is supported by a dedicated team of capable and experienced technicians, electricians, riggers and Lx assistants.
Complete “on set” Lighting Management
The Strauss team is not just a “rental supplier of equipment” on long form productions. Sets and locations are surveyed, assessed, and designed to deliver a creative result. Power supply, rigging and bespoke fittings where required are costed and submitted to fit the budget and creative requirement. Strauss is a “turnkey solution”.
Production Interface, Equipments, and Rates
Camera Equipment
Grant was predominately trained in the art of transferring images …
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Sound Equipment
Sound recording facilities are based around the “SQN” series of…
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Live Event Production Interface
Strauss is experienced in interfacing live event productions such as…
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Rates Information
All rates are expressed in Australian Dollars (A$).
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Lighting Truck, Equipment & Gaffer
Storage Solutions for Important Documents
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