Fredrik was lighting his second ESC in three years, having also been LD for the 2013 edition in Malmo. He was also the lighting operator for the last ESC staged at the Globe Arena in 2000.
Significantly, the BMFLs were an essential tool for lighting the show properly. "I needed a high intensity spot with good colour rendering and a framing shutter system that enabled proper key-light from long throws," explained Fredrik. "The BFML Blade fit that specification to the mark, hence their presence on the rig."
Fredrik's production lighting design was crafted together with set designers Viktor Brattstrom and Frida Arvidsson and Mikki Kunttu who designed and ran all the playback video content as the initial 42 entrants batted it out to be among the 26 finalists.
The event once again took production, presentation and visual imagination to new heights of style, ambition and excellence under the technical direction of Ola Melzig.
When it came to key lighting, Fredrik knew that due to the height and dimensions of the Globe - the largest spherical venue in the world - he needed a fixture that was super-bright and also that could be precisely shuttered.
The bleacher seating areas around the arena are all very steep so he needed to go high with his key-light fixtures to preserve the site-lines.
The BMFL Blades were positioned to give two levels of key-light - the first row of trussing was immediately in front of the stage and very steep. A bit further back (into the arena), the second row of units was rigged further into the auditorium and also doubled as back and key-light for the extensive green room area.
These were throwing around 18m down into the Green Room, a major part of the live action as the tension mounted on the final night, with cameras constantly flipping between the 26 delegations nervously waiting in there and the performances onstage at the other end of the Globe.
The BMFL Blades were also positioned on three side ladders stage left and stage right which were on motors and moved up and down throughout the show - throwing approximately 16 metres to the stage.
"The BMFLs were really worked hard throughout the entire event in a multi-purpose context," says Fredrik.
The six BMFL Spots worked perfectly as rear follow spots with the handles added to the bodies, and all functions apart from pan / tilt were run via one of the lighting consoles.
"They are so powerful" he says, "They can be a big punchy beam light one minute and a potent soft-light the next, and the CTO and colour system are also excellent."
Fredrik was assisted by associate LD Emma Landare who also ran lighting for the opening sequence and interval acts which included a rousing performance by Justin Timberlake. They worked alongside four lighting operators Calle Brattberg, Danne Persson, Fredrik Stormby and Timo Kauristo. The BMFLs were supplied to the production by Danish lighting rental company Litecom.
As Technical Media Partner for Eurovision 2016, LSi will present a full technical roundup of the show in the June issue - out soon! To see our gallery of images from behind the scenes at the show, click here.
(Jim Evans)
