PSL has provided their screens and set building expertise at the famous gala venue on many occasions in the past, but this time their scope extended to animating the giant Welsh dragon, through which the guest speakers entered, with flashing lights, smoke and sound effects billowing from the 'mouth', which formed the door. Flanking the dragon were 16ft by 12ft projection screens. With a pair of Barco's award-winning ELM R12 DLP projectors stationed on the balcony, PSL fired the content - including archive footage and data from DVD and Betacam playback devices - interspersed with live camera work from a fixed position throughout the evening.
The company was in action again at the Grosvenor House Hotel two weeks later when Maiden Management again commissioned them to stage the Professional Rugby Players Awards 2005, which was presented by Steve Ryder. This time, PSL supplied a vast 60ft by 9ft widescreen canvas onto which were projected Barco ELM R12 projectors (set in three stacks of two). The projectors took camera and Digibeta feeds and PSL processed the images through an Electrosonic Vector. This divided the screen into three, and allowed a Powerpoint presentation to be placed on the centre module.
The stage atmosphere was generated via Mac 600 moving heads (working in conjunction with the Grosvenor House's own Vari-Lite system), operated from a Wholehog 2 desk. These were designed into a spectacular set, designed by PSL's head of staging Oliver Stewart, incorporating Clay Paky Stage Zooms, Pulsar LED battens and small Diversitronic strobes, while water-based 'Crackers' provided the haze. Barry Dennison was responsible for the lighting.
(Lee Baldock)
