The event, staged at the New Luxor Theatre in Rotterdam, honoured the best of Dutch Musical Theatre. Technical production was coordinated by De Meern-based Sightline Productions, and production managed by Erwin Rintjema for producer The Musical Awards Foundation and Eyeworks.
Complex site measurements were needed to calculate the required perspective correction. E/T/C UK's Ross Ashton says: "These were the most complicated line-up grids we have ever had to produce." Each projected image had to be corrected differently and on three dimensions to fit onto the four differently aligned elements - floor, walls, ceiling and proscenium portal - of the set.
Projectors were hung in the ceiling pointing downwards, on the sides shooting across stage and out front, shooting across each other onto the massive false proscenium portal - which itself comprised three different planes of distortion. They utilized an assortment of lenses: the two PIGIs covering the ceiling used the ultra-wide angle Barco 0.9s, the two for walls used Barco 1.2s and the two for the proscenium used Reichmann 40cm lenses. The two doing the side panels were tipped at 70° and mounted on special side panels.
The Belgium-based scenic and visual designer Bart Clements first used E/T/C UK and large format projection on another show in Holland last year, and was keen to use the company again for this project. Clement created over 80 original scenic treatments for the stage set, using Maya, a 3D design and rendering software, resulting in 39 pieces of actual artwork.
Clement handed the finished artwork files over to CAD specialists James Probert and Wyatt Enever, who worked with E/T/C's Paul Highfield on the perspective correction, producing the PIGI scrolling artwork and working out the projector maskings. "The projectors moved positions several different times during this stage," said Ashton, "and believe me, it was a lot easier to move them in CAD than it would have been in situ!"
Once the projectors were rigged, loaded with the scrollers and fired up, only minimal adjustments were needed. Everyone had done their homework thoroughly! E/T/C's crew chief for the event was Andy Murrell. The PIGIs were programmed by Karen Monid using PIGI's OnlyCue software.
Clement also worked closely with lighting designer Henk Jan van Beek to produce the show's final looks and scenes for each performance section. Lighting equipment was supplied by Flashlight Rental, video including an eye-catching LED staircase and sliding door stage entrance at the top, came from JVR Audiovisual. Frontline Rigging Consults did all the rigging and StageCo Holland supplied the stage, with the scenery and set built by Stagebrothers.
