The screen was integrated into Mark Fisher's scenic design. It split apart vertically into two sides and both sides tracked off-stage utilizing a Kinesys movement system for millimeter perfect accuracy. It was the third year running that XL has been the supplier of video screens for the show to MJK Productions and production manager Mick Kluczynski. It was the second year running that automation specialists Kinesys were called in by show production riggers Outback, to co-ordinate the moving of the screens.
The project was managed for XL by Paul Wood and for Kinesys by Dave Weatherhead. Kinesys attached two variable speed winches to staging company StageCo's 46m wide ground supported heavy duty truss. The winches were moved by two Kinesys Velocity drive units - one for each side of the screen - which traveled between several different positions, depending on various band set ups. It was also used for between-act scene changes. Automation control was via Kinesys' proprietary Vector PC-based software.
Chris Saunders managed the show's camera and VT nomination system, directed live by Nick Fry. XL supplied their OB truck, plus a full video playback system that was designed and operated by Richard Turner. XL also supplied one camera for the live IMAG mix, sent to the two Barco S10 side screens, with Fry also having access to feeds from the six broadcast cameras brought in by CTV to record the show.
Sitting in a Portakabin next to the OB truck, Turner ran Dataton control for all the playbacks. He worked with Lee Lodge from Hello Charlie who created special visuals and content, and some artists also supplied their own sources all of which appeared on the centre screen, Storage devices included three hard drives and a Final Cut Pro suite, two Magic DaVE effects devices, and the truck also carried an Aston caption generator - all supplied by XL.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
