The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are back in action– Season 2 will continue the journey of Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie). Ruth began Season 1 as an out-of-work actress living in Los Angeles in the ’80s who ends up finding work performing for a wrestling organization. The second season focuses on how each wrestler adjusts to their newfound fame.
Gaffer Pat Hoeschen took over the lighting duties for Season 2. Along with the growth of the G.L.O.W. organization, came larger scale sets and many unique backdrops throughout the LA area. “This season is vastly different in design and story than last season,” says Hoeschen. He adds, “A lot of the sets on GLOWwere challenging because often they were built without the option of pulling walls or ceilings.” So, how exactly did Hoeschen make these stylish in-ring performers glow? I recently caught up with him to find out.
Hoeschen stocked his arsenal with an assortment of LiteMats. “We used the entire line of LiteMats, and some 2Ls were actually built into some of the sets,” says Hoeschen. He adds, “They all offer a slightly different and more specific use per size. I often would build a double headed LiteMat 4 as the key light. The LiteMat line of fixtures offers an easy, light weight solution to rigging or placing lights where standard units simply are too heavy to be rigged. The flexibility and sleek profile of these fixtures allowed our crew to use them in various challenging on-set scenarios.” Often times, the only accessories Hoeschen and his team needed for a rig were a few strips of painters tape and some velcro.
The GLOWlighting team also utilized a considerable amount of LiteRibbon throughout the season as well. “We used lots of custom battery operated LiteRibbon to build smaller specialty lighting equipment to be hidden in tight spots, and quite a few of the hybrid LiteStix built into many different set pieces,” says Hoeschen. He adds, “The flexibility and options are so vast that even if a custom built LiteRibbon situation arises, it is all so user friendly, that any one of our fine technicians can quickly build something to fit into the smallest, tightest, and least accessible power situations day to day in the fast paced world of cross coverage action packed female wrestling.” With the many lighting solutions and techniques used for the show, Hoeschen and his team were able to visually capture the vibrant spirit of the legendary G.L.O.W organization.
I’m a fan of the show myself, and highly recommend you tune in if you haven’t already. If you enjoy the amazingly talented and comical Alison Brie, dazzling cinematography, and numerous awesome 80’s throwback references, you will surely love GLOW. You can catch Season 2June 29th on Netflix.