Illusions in the spotlight – magician Maxim Maurice tours with Cameo

The magician Maxim Maurice is one of the best magicians in Germany and has already demonstrated his skills on TV, at festivals and on the biggest cruise ships. Like any good magician, Maxim Maurice manages to amaze with the smallest of means. However, the special illusions are only created on the big stage by use of many effects, for example in his current show “Las Vegas Illusions”, which celebrated its premiere at the end of March 2023 in front of 3,000 spectators in the Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken – together with 180 spotlights from Cameo.

Lighting designer Philip Fuchs has been on the road with Maxim Maurice for many years and knows what an impressive magic show needs: “Powerful key lights that are usable for both the live audience and the numerous cameras.” Moreover, since the production – in contrast to the great role models from Las Vegas – does not take place permanently at a fixed location as a residency show, it was important to stage the artists’ large radius of action efficiently on the main stage, B-stage and the connecting footbridge without “tearing up the whole stage with an excessive number of spotlights.”

The central part of the lighting is provided by the Cameo OPUS X Profile moving heads in combination with a Follow-Me 3D remote followspot system. Using the camera and control console integrated into Follow-Me, the OPUS X profiles were remotely controlled via the Follow-Me software and used as white light followspots. For “Las Vegas Illusions”, Philip Fuchs defined two goals/stage personas and pursued each with six OPUS X profiles. “In this way, we were able to ensure optimal lighting for every position on stage at all times,” confirms Maxim Maurice. “In addition, the OPUS X profiles with their high light output easily won out against the many video surfaces and effect lighting.”

The OPUS H5 Beam-Spot-Wash Hybrid Moving Heads were mounted in the effect lighting trusses above the main stage and were able to make full use of their 3-in-1 functionality: in addition to powerful beams and precise spots, the team also used the flexible moving heads for wash effects. Furthermore, the OPUS H5 accompanied the actors on their way over the footbridge to the B-Stage.

For lighting designer Philip Fuchs, the hybrid spotlights offered even more advantages: “We always wanted to accommodate only one type of moving light in the respective trusses to achieve a clean look. Accordingly, the spotlights should be as versatile as possible – not least because budget limits also play a role in a pilot project like this.”

Moreover, for the camera images, not only the action on stage but also the audience had to be illuminated in colour. For this purpose, the Cameo ZENIT B200 LED Outdoor Wash Lights were used, which are convincing in outdoor operation as wireless floodlights (battery operation + W-DMX), but in the Saarlandhalle they were controlled conventionally via mains cable and DMX.

“The Cameo AZOR B1s were a positive surprise,” Philip Fuchs concludes. Although the compact LED beam moving heads are only equipped with one 100 Watt LED, the lighting designer says that the energy-saving spotlights were able to easily assert themselves against the moving lights, some of which are significantly more powerful, thanks to their enormous illuminance.