In its first incarnation, the Pet Shop Boys production drew on uniquely-designed mobile 3-D cubes supplied by PSL which could act as projection screens, light boxes and dancers' props. In the interests of reducing the weight of the travelling set and making it more tourable, the cubes have gone. Instead, there's a bigger role for the central projection screen, directed by video designer Julian Hogg from PSL.
Having designed the video format of the first shows, Julien Hogg was asked to rework the content for the 2007 dates. "I re-edited all the tracks to make them more dynamic and lively, and re-shot several new ones." The result is seven different looks, each creating its own vibe, which are spaced throughout the show so the audience doesn't get swamped by video effects.
"What we have is very flexible, often I put out only one or two projectors," says Hogg. PSL has supplied three Barco R12+ projectors, running off two Doremi hard drives, which are overlaid to produce the brightest images. The screen is usually 12 x 4m, but can be made smaller for more intimate venues. "PSL has looked after us very well; when this show was first specified, we asked for the newest Barco projectors, and PSL bought the 'It' product, the R12+, for us to use. They've given us excellent service, wherever we've gone in the world," adds Hogg.
Julian Hogg first worked for the Pet Shop Boys in 1997; since that time, he has specialised in video design and camera direction, touring with Athlete, Madness, Feeder and Supergrass, as well as dance acts like Orbital and Faithless. Carl Burnett of Negative Earth has designed the PSB's lighting, Colin Boland has mixed the sound, on systems supplied by Britannia Row. The production is managed by Joe Sanchez, and Andy Crookston is the tour manager.
(Jim Evans)
