With Elle Macpherson as its new host and executive producer, the show's production design was ramped up, too, and for the first time this year's final was broadcast live, in a 90-minute HD spectacular from BBC TV Centre's Studio 8 on 4 October.
The show was staged on a specially designed stage set with a complete set, lighting and LED video screen production package from Stage Electrics, working with Thumbs Up on the show for the third year running.
The company had earlier built the studio stage set and lighting for the pre-recorded eliminations, filmed earlier in the year with Elle Macpherson. "This was the first time a live final was planned," says Stage Electrics account manager Russell Payne, "and we were asked to build a much more elaborate stage set incorporating a studio audience and large LED screens."
A two-day build for the one-day shoot saw the Stage Electrics team construct the glamorous set designed by Dominic Tolfts, complemented by a 20m catwalk and large seating blocks for the 300-strong studio audience on three sides of the catwalk.
The key visual elements in the production package comprised 150 lights, including the lLED fixtures specified by lighting director Warren Hodge, and a pair of Stage Electrics' 6m x 4m LED screens and 36m of scenic LED panels.
Jonathan Barden, studio resources manager at BBC Studios and Post Production, commented, "Working with Stage Electrics was a revelation. To have one point of contact for staging, lighting and video wall made for an unusually smooth operation, expertly run by account manager Russell Payne. Nothing was too much trouble and the joined-up approach to the technical delivery made everyone's life easier. As the man responsible for the technical delivery of the studio I look forward to working with them again soon and can't recommend them highly enough."
(Jim Evans)
