White sandy beaches, a mosaic of inspiring music, and a reliable lighting package that can weather anything—that was the recipe for uninterrupted fun at this year’s Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Production company TMS chose to go with the proven IP protection of Elation’s PROTEUS line of multi-environmental luminaires for the Shoreline Stage at this year’s Hangout Fest held on Alabama’s southern Gulf Coast. With summer heat, frequent thunderstorms and a windy salt-spray setting to deal with, TMS sought the robust durability and weather-resistant performance of the market’s leading line of IP-rated luminaires. 

Held May 17-19 on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, with production management provided by Lambda Productions, the annual 3-day music festival serves as the perfect kick off to summer with both established artists and emerging talent playing on five different stages. The event is produced by AEG/Hangout Music Fest. 

Non-IP not an option

TMS has handled lighting production for the festival for many years and this year chose a nearly all Elation PROTEUS rig for the Shoreline Stage. TMS’s Ben LoPreto collaborated with festival techs on the design, utilizing feedback from some of the festival’s past lighting designers to refine the setup, while staying within scope and budget. He says that although the festival did not specifically specify IP-rated gear, for TMS’s own peace of mind, it was the only way to go. 

“There is no way we were going to send non-IP rated fixtures to a stage that’s quite literally at the shoreline,” Ben stated. “If we had sent a bunch of non-IP gear to the festival and had it return all broken before the summer even really starts, that doesn’t help us. We needed something we could send out that could withstand the elements, return to the shop for a quick cleaning, and then do more shows.”

Located right on the water’s edge and subject to considerable weather, it was also the stage itself that necessitated the use of IP-rated equipment. Ben explains, “Festival organizers wanted to keep the view to the ocean behind the stage so there were no sidewalls or curtains to the stage, which meant only the roof structure provided protection from any weather. That meant if rain came from any direction other than straight up, the fixtures got wet. When we saw the stage and where it was positioned in relation to the ocean, and knowing we were using torms and dropdowns to hang fixtures, we knew the rig had to be IP rated.”

Downstage positions

Ben had heard from previous LDs that the front light options on the mobile stage were subpar so he went with four vertical trusses and cantilevered those out as much as possible, an extended position that meant lighting fixtures were exposed to weather. “During the daytime when we didn’t necessarily need front light, we used the PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960’s sparkle effect and fun eye-candy macros out to the audience and had the PROTEUS LUCIUS doing fun gobo looks into the audience as well. When it got dark, we had the 1960s washing the stage along with the LUCIUS spot fixtures to light up the band like a regular front light. It was nice not to have to worry about losing those frontlight fixtures if it rained.” 

Upstage

Moving toward the upstage in the vertical truss configuration, Ben had to figure out how to arrange the fixtures in a way that would allow LDs—many of whom were accustomed to horizontal truss setups—to easily clone their designs. “We went through a lot of iterations but came up with a scheme that worked for both the headliner bands and the other acts,” he comments. “We ended up laying out the fixtures in a type of horizontal pattern on those vertical trusses—PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960, PROTUES LUCIUS, and beam lights—in a mid-stage and upstage configuration to make the cloning process easier.”

Another consideration, he says, was the absence of video in order to not hinder the natural Gulf of Mexico backdrop. Festival organizers did, however, want something upstage to partially fill the void behind the acts. The solution involved a series of vertical torms where Ben could position lights, and fortunately, the PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960s fit inside. “We had to hang them in a specific way and make sure it was perfectly level but they just fit!” Hanging from the bottom of each torm was a PROTEUS LUCIUS.

Shipping containers

Somewhat last minute, Ben and his team were asked to light signage and provide aerial looks from shipping containers placed on either side of the stage and the choice fell to the PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960. When the stage wasn’t in use, the fixtures projected searchlight-type effects into the sky while during the day it gave LDs more audience eye candy. Lighting the container signage were Elation PALADIN, another “tried and true” IP fixture that TMS uses regularly for building lighting or signage. 

This year’s Hangout Fest experienced inclement weather as it often does but the IP-rated Elation fixtures lived up to their reputation. Ben concludes, “They got a good amount of weather and all came back to the shop covered in a coating of salty sea spray. Our guys washed them down, cleaned them up and they were good to go.”

Note:  Elation PROTEUS MAXIMUS, PROTEUS RAYZOR 760 and DTW BLINDER 350/700 IP fixtures also featured on Hangout’s Boom on the Beach Stage with design and lighting supply by Music Matters Production.

Crew

Jason Witty - Crew Chief // FOH Lighting Programmer

Alex Bechdolt - Dimmer Tech

John Finical - Lighting Tech

Gear

22 x PROTEUS RAYZOR 1960

16 x PROTEUS LUCIUS

4 x PALADIN