Avolites powers Australia’s Carols by Candlelight broadcast
Avolites powers Australia’s Carols by Candlelight broadcast
Channel 9’s (GTV9) annual Christmas special Carols by Candlelight featured a lighting design by Daniel Saveski featuring an Avolites D9 console, with a D7 for backup. The event has been an annual Australian tradition since 1938, staged this time at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
Carols by Candlelight is owned and co-ordinated by the non-profit organisation Vision Australia which provides services for those with blindness and low vision. It is the organisation’s largest annual fundraiser and is produced and broadcast by the Nine Network. As GTV9’s head of lighting, Saveski has worked on the event for the last nine years in different lighting related roles, with the 2025 instalment being his second year as an LD for the production.
Saveski said he thought that Avolites’ D9 would be especially appropriate for this show as he sought a powerful and intuitive control platform that could be programmed quickly and easily.
The D9 was utilised to control a sizable lighting rig for the Christmas event. The rig comprised Ayrton Rivale Profile moving lights – three Ayrton Domino LTs running on a remote Ground Control system for follow spots – together with 21 GLP Impression X4s and 50 Impression X4 XL wash lights, 24 ACME TORDNADOs, 46 ACME PIXEL LINE IPs, 14 Martin Mac Aura XIPs, 20 ShowPro Fusion Wash 48s and eight Claypaky Scenius Unicos.
There were also Creamsource Mini LED soft lights, 12 Color Kinetics ColorBlast 12 TRs, 12 ETC LED PARs, 17 sections of Starcloth drape, together with several hundred metres of LED festoon and LED tape around the set. All lighting equipment was supplied by PRG.
In addition to the lighting, a large upstage LED screen handled a variety of visual content supplied by CT Australia. The set design further enabled the LD to incorporate ROE Visual CB3 panels into the set of windows on the left and right stage wings and the rosette in the centre of the scenic pros arch, as well as the mid stage low fence in front of the house band. The design also incorporated a roof feature made up of ROE Vanish panels that added depth for low and upward angled camera shots.
According to Saveski, he found the D9’s Locate options for specific fixtures particularly helpful during programming. The Attribute Editor was another key programming tool for the designer, particularly for managing framing shutters and maintaining RGB control over the CMY engines in the different fixture types. Saveski also praised the Set List feature, stating: “Set List allowed me to rapidly reorder tracks while retaining all the specific notes and programming attached to each list, so last-minute schedule changes were seamless,” he explained.
In addition, the LD highlighted the importance of maintaining a clean and organised workflow on the desk and in the rig, giving his crew the clarity they need to perform at their best. “I lead from the front, ensuring that even in high-pressure national broadcast environments like Carols by Candlelight we can operate as a team with precision, mutual respect and a shared passion for the craft,” added Saveski.
Beyond the technicalities, Carols by Candlelight holds significant meaning for Saveski. “It is also a cherished yearly reunion with my crew ‘family’ and the show carries a profound weight as so many Australians are watching with their friends and loved ones, and our work is bringing smiles to children’s faces nationwide,” he said.
