Steve Dolan, senior project manager, said: "This project provided a very interesting graphics challenge, as from the basic visual artwork we needed to produce graphics that met the constraints of television advertising standards and that weren't blatantly advertising the programme's sponsor."
Advertising agency Stream commissioned Stage One to build the sets, which covered the space of one entire indoor football pitch, at the David Beckham Football Academy in London. Each game required its own distinct area, so Stage One constructed nine room dividers (9m long x 2.5m high) consisting of a curved truss frame in the shape of the new Wembley Stadium arch, inside which hung a graphic.
A total of 13 podiums (3.5m long x 2.5m wide x 1.2m high) were constructed for several of the games, each made of 18mm and 4mm birch ply, and then covered in graphics. The podiums had either half or full handrails and were used to shout directions from for the game, Human Ball, and throw balls from for Dodge Ball. Stage One also constructed seven 2.5m diameter graphically printed plastic balls, inside which blindfolded competitors received directional instructions.
A further game (Timed Goal Trial) required the contestants to dribble round 12 giant ply studs (2m high x 2.5m long x 1m wide) positioned over four lanes. The contestants then had to shoot at a silhouette target of a footballer. Lane dividers were also produced for this game by cutting long, swirling shapes from MDF and covering them with a printed digital canvas.The final sets for the games consisted of Stage One laying three areas of MDF flooring with polycarb tops, internal electronics and pressure pads (Memory Game) and producing an enormous (15m wide x 3.5m high) backdrop (Penalty Shoot Out), printed on thick digital canvas.
Finally, an awards podium (10m wide x 1m high) was constructed of ply and scenically painted white, with two printed gauze backdrops hung to the side and two plain ones to the rear along with two camera platforms (3m high x 2.5m wide x 2.5m long), which were fully draped in black cloth.
(Lee Baldock)
