While the centre screen was sent a feed comprising of stage close-ups, the flanking screens and plasma display took its feed from the live television mix. Hosts Trevor McDonald and Tess Daley presented the awards, screened on ITV1, while this year ITV2 also broadcast exclusive coverage from backstage and the glamorous after-show party. Graham Filmer, director and general manager at Screenco commented: "We are very pleased to be able to continue our relationship with Indigo Television and the National Television Awards. It further serves to demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of LED screens for live television productions, when correctly engineered by our experienced crew."
Providing sound reinforcement for the event, making its first-ever appearance at the event, a Nexo GEO Tangent Array system was discreetly in place, high above the lighting truss and dramatic stage set. Supplied by SSE Hire to the Awards' audio contractor RG Jones, the GEO system was flown in two arrays, each comprising 16 S805s and one S830 cabinet, with four CD12 subs each side. Front-of-house engineer Simon Hodge explained the reasons for choosing the GEO system for this event. "The set that was provided for the Awards was very high and very wide, so, in order to keep the PA system out of camera-shot and out of the audience sightlines, we had to position the arrays above the set. It was vital that the size of the hang was as compact as possible, and that's why we favoured the GEO."
"I loved the cardioid nature of the system. The PA hang was behind the lecterns and stage mics, but I could still get plenty of gain. In fact, I probably got more gain from behind the line of mics than I would have done with a central cluster. The directivity of the system worked really well, giving smooth, even coverage with plenty of level to all the tiers of the Hall. "As an engineer, I work on a lot of corporate events and shows where the objective is sound reinforcement for light music and vocal applications. For this type of work, GEO is probably the best system I have heard."
(Lee Baldock)
