Earlier this year AVU provided the full technical at the Samsung S4 Launch and their new brief was clear: To create something absolutely different from the S4 Launch as the same press and celebrities would be in attendance. With a background in interior design, AVU's in-house creative designer, Garrith Castelyn, worked closely with colleagues Victor Vermaak (project manager) and Renaldo van der Berg (lighting designer) to come up with a concept that would work in that venue given it needed multiple guest experience areas and a modern, clean look that would embrace the effective use of space.
To use the space most efficiently the guests would start off with arrival drinks and once a concealed door opened up, move along to the next area until they had progressed through to the conference and launch area, demonstration and exhibition area and finally arrive at a space where they would be entertained by live performances and enjoy drinks and canapes.
For the conference areas, six screens, five of which were projection screens and the other LED, worked as one. AVU's Guillaume Ducray and Martin Slabber, AVU's Coolux guru, had the challenge of building the multiscreen video timelines to ensure all screens played back seamlessly and in sync. An eye-catching feature was the screens placed at different depths which gave a multi layered impression.
A wow and exciting part of the conference was the Interactive video projection that required spot on timing as a live dancer interacted with the footage.
Renaldo van den Berg was responsible for the lighting design in the entertainment area. The set itself was a LED square grid behind the stage large enough for the dancers to move in and out. The decor became part of the slick lighting design.
Samsung's theme was collaboration. Just as the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear worked seamlessly together, a 1 hour, 30 minute music session saw different artists representing different styles or genres merging. The audience saw rock bands, rappers and DJs. At the back of the stage, trapeze artists used a pulley and were able to fly 50m across the middle of the venue from the one side to the other.
Of the 24 Robe Pointes in his rig, Renaldo said. "The Robe Pointes were incredible. It's a three-in-one - a wash, spot and beam light. It was a fantastic fixture, the beams, the gobos you get, the low power, the light weight."
Other fixtures used in the After Party rig included 24 Robin 600 LEDWash, 12 Robin 300 LEDWash, 12 Robe Robin 300 E Wash, 16 Philips Vari-Lite VLX Wash, 24 Robin 100 LEDBeam, 24 Martin MAC 101s, 12 Martin MAC Vipers, 12 Martin Atomic 3000 Strobes, 12 Philips Selecon 2K Fresnels and 48 LEDForce 7 (used as truss warmers).
Fixtures in use in the Conference area included 16 Philips Vari-Lite VLX Wash, 12 Robin 600 LEDWash, 12 Robin 100 LEDBeam, 14 Martin MAC 700 Wash, 32 Philips SPX Profiles, 24 Philips Selecon 2k Fresnels.
The visual aspects and all LED was controlled on a grandMA2 light. Two Coolux Media Servers were used to play back all content onto the screens, and were cue triggered. Renaldo was able to add all video content and palettes before leaving for Cape Town.
(Lee Baldock)
