Lighting designer Fredrik Jönsson used wysiwyg for the lighting of 32 songs from all over Sweden, with a total of six live broadcasts by SVT (Swedish Television) from Växjö, Gothenburg, Leksand, and Malmö, a second chance head-to-head in Nyköping and the final 10 duelling at the finals in Stockholm. Pre-programming was done in Jönsson's office, Eyebrow Designs AB, in Stockholm starting in December.
"I use wysiwyg to design the rig and simulate the camera shots so I can be confident that I have coverage in all angles. The camera production of this show is almost 360 degrees and we have a lot of positions out in the arenas so it is very important that I have all the angles under control when the deadline for the design comes. During the tour there is no time for major changes in the rig. Moving a truss is not an option once in the arena. We also do shows in ice sheds were we usually have weight issues, so it is crucial that the rig is 100% correct when time for load-in arrives. Without wysiwyg I wouldn't have the control on these issues that I have today."
He continues, "We also do a preproduction week with both console systems connected to wysiwyg just before first load-in so the operators get to know the rig and sort out any patch issues. Since I divided the rig into two systems, where in some cases, two operators are controlling different lights on the same truss, there can be some address and patching problems to eliminate.
"During the preproduction we also create identical cue lists for all 32 songs in both consoles, which are extremely helpful when we're getting out in the arenas and start programming for real. Without the wysiwyg sessions in preproduction, we wouldn't sleep at all during the tour. It's a lifesaver."
Sweden has been competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 52 times since its inception in 1956, with its most famous entry in 1974 with ABBA's Waterloo. The production standards have always been high and the bar is raised every year.
The final performances get a percentage of winning votes from an expert jury and the rest from call-in votes from the Swedish population. In the end, Loreen won with her song Euphoria.
(Jim Evans)
