The purchase – the first iFORTES to be delivered in Poland – underlines TRANSCOLOR owner and boss Lucjan Siwczyk’s trend setting policies by purchasing innovative equipment. This will often set new investment directions for other companies in the Polish rental market, which is always a big boost for the brand concerned in Poland.

Lucjan explained that they looked carefully at some different options when sourcing high powered IP rated luminaires before deciding on the iFORTE, although the company already has a consistent track record of investing in Robe over the years, among other brands, so it was always a strong contender.

“Lighting designers and show producers are often wanting to work with IP rated products now. Obviously for any outdoor work and for various other circumstances,” Lucjan commented, adding that a great advantage of iFORTE is that it resembles the standard (non-IP rated) FORTE in aesthetics and almost all features, and this is a great advantage for TV and broadcast applications where fixtures in shot all look similar on camera.

He also mentioned the close cultural and historical similarities between Poles and Czechs, and he is delighted that “our Slavic brothers have created such a company”. Lucjan believes that they should support each other in their business. “We were separated from the Western world by the Iron Curtain for 50 years, and today people from the West work at Robe.”

Lucjan has great respect for Robe CEO Josef Valchar, his vision and his dedication to product design and development, but what’s more important is that “the company truly has a human face”.

TRANSCOLOR’s willingness to invest in and promote Robe products has had a knock-on effect and sends a strong and clear message out to other companies in the active Polish rental market.

With over 1000 Robe fixtures of various types in stock from the ubiquitous MegaPointe to the popular LEDWash 800, which is a particular favourite at TRANSCOLOR, especially for the many TV productions which are serviced at their studio complex in Warsaw.

Among the first projects for the new iFORTES were the recent state visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – his first pre-announced such event since the war started in February 2022 – which took place at Warsaw Castle. The iFORTES were used to illuminate the courtyard outside the Castle which was packed with onlookers watching the speeches onscreen. They were also on the 2023 Męskie Granie tour of 8 cities in Poland, a long running arts concept which presents creative Polish music and unique and one-off collaborations by major Polish artists.

During the summer they will be utilised on the various music festivals for which TRANSCOLOR is supplying lighting.

Their five full sized studios and production rehearsal rooms are busy and in action for television and movie productions, promos and commercial shoots and Netflix commissioned films although Lucjan notes that most productions have become a lot more price driven since the pandemic.

Two of TRANSCOLOR’s studios are among the largest in Warsaw, and these host regular TV productions – the Polish version of You Can Dance, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Lego Masters, Got Talent, and Top Model among others – and a have also attracted some new clients producing digital and streamed events.

Lucjan himself, who is a bit of an industry legend in Poland, recently won a high profile "Stage Wizard of Tomorrow" Award for lifetime achievement presented at the 2023 Scena Jutra (Stage of Tomorrow) conference. He was picked as one of four extraordinary people – innovators and practitioners – who are creating and shaping the contemporary industry and influencing the real ‘Scenes of the Future’. It was the first time that the conference has conferred any awards, reflecting the importance of contributions made by Lucjan and his contemporaries.

Photo Credit: Louise Stickland