Production Designer Jason Robinson's work for World Wrestling Entertainment. Robinson chose to use the ChamSys MagicQ 100 Pro as his lighting and media control console for the WWE. Photo Credit: © Jason Robinson / WWE
For World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Production Designer Jason Robinson chose the ChamSys MagicQ 100 Pro lighting control console. Previously, Robinson had used two other consoles, but the MagicQ had the versatility and features he needed for the grueling pace of the WWE. The WWE tours year-round with live events in two cities per week, where they tape four hours and broadcast two hours of live TV. In addition, they do twelve arena shows for pay-per-view events and the massive annual WrestleMania stadium event.
“For all these different shows we take our ChamSys systems; it is not just recording a show and programming a show, but having a console that can expand and contract to whatever show we are doing and changing to completely different shows throughout the day,” said Robinson. “The ChamSys console has handled it fantastically; it has been rock solid.”
Robinson’s team, Lighting Director Jeff Wilkin, Programmer Anthony ‘Geddy’ Kordyjaka and Programmer John Buck, each work on a pair of ChamSys consoles controlling everything from standard single channel dimmers, moving lights and LEDs to multiple DMX universe needs. The built-in bitmapping of the ChamSys is a particular favorite feature. Of Buck's use of ChamSys as media server, Robinson said, “Programming the video to the LED walls and units is something new to the WWE. Our ability to handle all of that and have a stable console that performs for us every day has been huge.”
There are three ChamSys MagicQ consoles used to control different areas of the WWE production. Photo Credit: © Jason Robinson / WWE
PRG Distribution North America supplied six ChamSys MagicQ 100Pro consoles to Upstaging, Inc., the lighting supplier for the WWE tour. John Huddleston, Managing Director of Upstaging, Inc., said, “Jason Robinson is a real pro; he knows what he wants and is very creative. I think the MagicQ is a great desk. It is versatile and it is easy to use. The gear has to be first class on the WWE tour, and the ChamSys has been just that. Also, the support from PRG Distribution has been really very good.”
Robinson added, “It has been fantastic working with PRG Distribution; 24 hour service, anytime we need help or a problem, within hours we have whatever we need. They are on top of everything. Right from the start when we changed to the ChamSys, they were at Upstaging whenever we needed them.”
For more information on PRG Distribution, please visit www.prgdistribution.com.
About PRG Distribution North America—PRG Distribution distributes entertainment technology product lines from leading global manufacturers to dealers in North America, Europe and Asia. PRG Distribution North America stocks and distributes these products and parts from a dedicated warehouse in Dallas, Texas to dealers across the US and Canada.
