The premier gaming event in the region, hosted by ESL, saw more than 20,000 eager gaming fans brave soaring temperatures to watch global teams from ESL go head-to-head over three days, competing for the US$250,000 prize.
The Main Arena was rigged using Protec's EHD (extra heavy duty) ground support structure which held three LED screens rigged off the 18" sub-truss. The stage was considerably smaller than the arena shows that ESL regularly produces, so Protec took the challenge of making the stage look like an arena show for TV without the space of an arena. Protec's project manager Simon Travis explained: "The main issue was the width of the Main Arena rig. We had to make it smaller than we would have liked due to the width of the venue and access routes."
The event was primarily for live broadcast and had a live audience. In this situation, broadcast took priority on the lighting design. 24 Clay Paky K20 B-Eye and 8 Mythos fixtures, along with Molefays were used for the main stage. Pixel Smart RGBWA LED fixtures added some ambient lighting in the main audience area. The large cinematic set, built out of shipping containers, was subtly lit to add to the scenic surround feature.
"Our lighting designer worked closely with the TV director to make sure colour temperatures and exposures were matched across the 10 HD cameras being used to capture the event. His biggest challenge was to light the players, but not directly, as it could have distracted them during the game," Simon added.
Aaron Russ, Protec's lighting designer, used both side and bounce lighting to light the players in their booths. This made the process of eliminating shadows a little more of a challenge. Heat was another issue as the booths were small and confined. Pixel Smart RGBWA LED fixtures were used to light the booths, being perfect for the task. The colour temperature could be tuned for the cameras with minimal heat output, while keeping the fixtures in close proximity to the players.
To create an 'arena' feel to the relativity small stage, Clay Paky Super Sharpy fixtures were used to send some big beam effects into the Dubai night sky. Their powerful beams punched through the rather bright ambient light of the Dubai Marina while their compact size didn't eat into the valuable stage real estate.
Protec Video used an Encore VP System for the Main Arena stage which worked well for the event. It needed a simple system that could handle an HD-SDI Signal with minimal latency loss. The Encore System was able to prevent any lip syncing issues that may have occurred due to the fast pace action of the event.
On the secondary exhibition stage, a smaller rig consisting of Clay Paky HPE 700, Martin MAC Aura and PixelRange Q Par fixtures were used. Protec used its new MA Lighting dot2 XL-F lighting consoles.
Protec also had its own stand at the exhibition where the company showcased two of its large, single-armed robots that held an LED screen each to provide an added attraction for the visitors. The robots were programmed to perform choreographed movements with the screens, giving the video content an impactful 3D effect.
The director for SNAP, Darren Hodge said: "Being the first full-scale gaming event in this region, it was a learning curve for all of us and to have the depth of resources that Protec have to hand was a great help. As usual nothing seemed a problem and there was always help and creative assistance immediately available from Protec."
(Lee Baldock)
