XL's project managers Jo Beirne and Phil Mercer have been involved with supplying the band's video needs throughout 2007, and the latest leg of their hugely successful Neon Bible tour is the largest yet in terms of production.
"Working with Richard is always interesting and brings visually stunning results as the show is constantly evolving and growing" says Jo Beirne.
Stembridge was brought into the equation by lighting designer Paul Normandale, who was looking for a specific style and approach to facilitate what he anticipated would become a video-driven show. Normandale is well known for his offbeat designs and imaginative daring. He wanted someone with a fresh and non standard approach to video to match the band's richly textured music and intense performance.
The two Christie 20K machines supplied by XL Video are positioned at FOH and doubled up to produce one large image. They project onto a 20% filled heavy burgundy coloured curtain. The majority of content going onto this is black and white footage which produces a series of subtle and slightly mysterious effects.
Stembridge's design specifically avoids large white expanses of video screen onstage, "I find them really unforgiving and somewhat dictatorial, and basically I wanted to get right away from that conventional 'boxy' video look."
The six robotic cameras supplied by XL are Sony BRC300s, and they are fixed at strategic points across the stage from where they can track various band members. They are operated by Damion Gamlin and Steve Falconer sitting at the side of stage. In addition to these, Stembridge has 20 lipstick cameras scattered all over the place, plus four wireless cams attached to mics, megaphones and other odd places - giving a total of 30 camera feeds for him to mash up and route to the pods, the screen or the burgundy drape.
Stembridge routes everything, including both cameras and playback video content, via a 32-way Kramer Matrix - and into three Catalyst digital media servers. He's using serial control from the Catalysts to control a lot of the camera switching, all of which is triggered from his Hog PC lighting desk.
(Jim Evans)
