The panoramic screen, which wraps around the façade of a building overlooking the Circus, was designed by Lighthouse to be capable of interactive video, with a satellite-linked control room feed that allows real-time live video to be delivered direct to the screen from a remote location. Measuring 32m wide by 6.6m high, the screen is made up of 88 standard LVP1650 panels and 170 bespoke panels that allow for the building's curvature and front access for maintenance. The whole screen's LEDs are angled down by 15° to provide ideal viewing from street level.
Lighthouse project manager Simon Taylor commented: "We're very proud that our technology allowed 'Coca-Cola' to put up messages to the team and the fans live and in real time, the screen had already attracted enormous interest from the public and the media because of its location and visual impact, and being able to use it in this way was tremendously exciting."
The parade's grand finale an hour later in the newly-pedestrianized Trafalgar Square was greeted by a live event managed and produced by London-based marketing and production agency Sledge on behalf of England rugby team sponsors O2. Ian Irving, Sledge marketing director said: "With expected numbers in the tens of thousands it was imperative that we added to the value of the experience and ensured that the entire audience had the opportunity to see their heroes, and of course the screens created a great opportunity for the event sponsors. "An estimated 50,000 fans watched on a pair of widescreen format Lighthouse LVP1650 screens provided by PSL on the square's upper terrace, showing live BBC TV footage of the team's progress, culminating in the welcoming speeches from mayor Ken Livingston and members of the team.
For the event, staged in conjunction with Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority, the two screens were suspended from 11m high trusses provided by Level Stage. PSL's portable production unit included the facility to insert onscreen text for emergency messages, crowd information and sponsor graphics, and also showed the Swing Low Sweet Chariot DVD, with the whole event recorded to Digi Beta video. PSL project manager Tim Riley said: "It was a very long day - we set up at 4am and finally left at 7pm. It was fairly complicated in organizational terms, but by the time the team buses rolled into the square an incredible atmosphere had built up and it was great to be a part of it."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
