{"id":2331,"date":"2025-06-06T10:40:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T09:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/studioinsider\/?p=2331"},"modified":"2025-06-06T16:05:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T15:05:39","slug":"from-glitterball-to-gladiators-the-bright-and-beaming-life-of-a-follow-spot-operator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/studioinsider\/2025\/06\/06\/from-glitterball-to-gladiators-the-bright-and-beaming-life-of-a-follow-spot-operator\/","title":{"rendered":"From glitterball to Gladiators: The bright and beaming life of a follow spot operator\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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On set at Eurovision from the point of view from a Follow Spot Operator (Credit: Kate Fernandes).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dangling from the rafters, wrestling with giant lights and tracking everything from glittering hosts to corgis in front of the Queen, Follow Spot Operator Kate Fernandes has lit it all. She joins Studio Insider to share what it\u2019s like illuminating some of TVs biggest shows, and how to get into the industry. <\/em><\/em>
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It\u2019s hard to imagine that after being fired from an office job, working under the likes of Liz Truss and Matt Hancock, you would end up lighting up the biggest stars on the grandest stages of TV. But over a decade later, Kate Fernandes swapped politics for pinpoint precision as a follow spot operator, casting a beam across the likes of the Eurovision stage, the ballroom of Strictly Come Dancing and even onto pop icon Dua Lipa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn a lighting rig, there are so many fixtures. Moving lights are integral to the overall lighting design but you need someone to highlight the actual performers. Enter the follow spots, who basically move a big torch that follows the action around.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Whether she\u2019s climbing 30 feet in the air or lighting performers in front of 166 million viewers, follow spotting is a role that demands intense focus, with the occasional touch of chaos. Here are her experiences working on Eurovision, Gladiators and Strictly Come Dancing\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eurovision <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s how Kate described her experience working on the world’s largest music event. Capturing every burst of pyro and dramatic high notes demand razor sharp lighting precision, which is why a team of 14 follow spots were tasked with that enormous responsibility at the 2025 edition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs fun as it is, it’s an intense experience! Long shifts and four weeks of rehearsing the lighting for the finals can be pretty tough. Between it ending and making it back home I had been awake for forty hours. Luckily, there were some songs which didn\u2019t require my light, which gave me the chance for an occasional short rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cObviously, following spotting is more than just following a target, it requires lots to think about. This was the case for Eurovision where we ended using new systems. Two of us used Follow-Me and the rest used a system called RoboSpots. This added an extra layer of complexity but allowed much more freedom within the lighting design – and looked awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more than 30 years of experience, she is no stranger to demanding shows but even for a veteran, Eurovision came with its own unique challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAustria, the song which won, was probably one of the hardest to light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the team had a tiny pin spot to\u00a0 a paper origami boat. The sheer levels of concentration that is required to ensure that her light wasn\u2019t too big or lighting anything else was immense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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