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Avolites D9 selected for “Carols by Candlelight” broadcast

Lighting designer Daniel Saveski, the current head of lighting for Australia’s Channel 9 (GTV9), used an Avolites D9 console (with a D7 for backup) to light the broadcaster’s “Carols by Candlelight” Christmas special. The event has been an annual Australian tradition since 1938, staged this time at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.

Owned and co-ordinated by Vision Australia, a national non-profit organisation providing services for those with blindness and low vision, “Carols by Candlelight” is their largest annual fundraiser and is produced and broadcast by the Nine Network. Saveski has worked on the event for the last nine years in different lighting related roles, and this was the second year he has been the lighting designer.

Saveski had initially rediscovered Avolites and the D9 during the Covid lockdowns, although at that stage there were no D9s available in Australia. After Avolites became a Robe Business in late 2023 and LSC Control Systems became the new official distributor, his interest was renewed and he started actively looking at the brand and its products, especially the D9.

LSC and Avolites business development manager Clare Springett introduced Saveski to the T3 console, and he immediately purchased one. For the 2025 “Carols” event, he used the D9 to control a lighting rig comprising 65 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 fifty Impression X4 XL wash lights, 24 ACME Tornados, 46 ACME Pixel Line IPs, fourteen Martin Mac Aura XIPs, twenty ShowPro Fusion Wash 48s and eight Claypaky Scenius Unicos.

On top of that were Creamsource and Creamsource Mini LED soft lights, twelve CK ColorBlast 12 TRs, twelve ETC LED PARs, seventeen sections of Starcloth drape, together with several hundred metres of LED festoon and LED tape around the set. All lighting equipment for the event was supplied by PRG. The set was designed and built several years ago and is stored and maintained by Nine Network’s staging department.

In addition to the lighting, a large upstage LED screen handled a variety of visual content. The set design further enabled Saveski 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. These were all supplied by CT Australia. Saveski also included a roof feature in the design, made up of ROE Vanish that was not visible from the front, but added depth and visual interest from the low and upward angled camera shots.

Beyond the technicalities, “Carols by Candlelight” is a special project with enormous meaning for Saveski, and together with all involved, he is hugely proud to be part of delivering it. “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 states. All the money raised goes towards supporting specialist services for children who are blind or have low vision.

Working closely with Saveski on the 2025 edition were lighting directors Lynden Gare and Hamish Lee and screens director Matt Jones. Saveski adds he has already slated Avolite’s D7-330 and D7-215 consoles to run the 2026 Australian Open broadcast.

(Photos: Clare Springett)

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