The brief from show producer Julian Ward was to transform the hotel's Monarch Suite into a flexible presentation space and gala dinner venue. This would host a daytime conference for a leading international technology company, and then morph into an X-Factor style televisual environment for the evening awards dinner.
Just Communicate's concept was to use the entire stage set as a screen surface using a large LED screen as a backdrop, DBN's Stephen Page suggested utilising Martin Lighting's LC2140 product wrapping around the back of the stage with a Trevira cloth rigged in front of it for the daytime sessions, giving a dynamic moving backdrop for business presentations - and then revealed for the evening as a dramatic centrepiece of digital scenery
"We have used covered LC panels on a smaller scale many times before, and so knew it could produce exactly the effect they wanted. Using a stretched cloth in front of the LED panels really helps reduce audience fatigue during business focussed sections, and when the cloth is removed you get quick transformation into an exciting full-on LED screen look for a extravagant gala dinner and awards ceremony," he explains.
Two front projection screens were also utilised for the conference section. These were then tracked back to reveal presenter entrances for the awards dinner.
In addition to the 18m wide by 4m high LC screen, Page lit the show with eight Clay Paky Alpha 300 HPE moving lights and so was able to project complex gobo looks over the Trevira cloth to create a huge range of dynamic multi-layered looks. In addition four CP Alpha Beam 300s were positioned on the stage to create dynamic beam effects and ballyhoos for award walk-ups.
The whole system was programmed and operated using Page's Jands Vista T2 console, which in turn controlled a Hippotizer V3 to drive the LC Panels. A mixture of stock media as well as media specially produced by Just Communicate for the event was used, the cloth in front of the screen enabling video footage to be viewed clearly despite the relatively large 40mm dot pitch of the LC panels.
A complex web of rigging was required to ensure that lighting and screen hanging points could be put in exactly the right places. DBN's crew of six also flew trusses to facilitate a large generic lighting rig - consisting of ETC Source Fours, PARs, fresnels et. al - that were hung throughout the ceiling of the room.
Julian Ward comments, "DBN provided a creative and cost-effective solution to our requirements, with faultless on-site delivery and excellent technical support in pre-production."
(Jim Evans)
