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Creative Technology produced a stunning integrated stage
set for the Total Production Awards at the Hammersmith
Novotel recently, in what was the live production magazine’s
slickest presentation yet.
 With
Martin Kemp as master of ceremonies, CT seized the opportunity
to let Nick Jevons’ Electric Fly design a series
of abstract suspended media displays — in the spirit
of their groundbreaking Illuminated Video Workshop, which
so beguiled production managers and event planners when
it was originally staged at Three Mills Island several
years ago.
Total Production editor, Mark Cunningham, said, “Moving
from the Metropole to the Novotel for this year’s
event meant that the improved sightlines would lend themselves
to this approach. CT’s Mike Walker had already proposed
providing a turnkey package, and having Electric Fly on
board to design the visuals was a real asset.
“However, while we all loved the concept that didn't
prepare us for what we saw after load in. It looked staggeringly
good, and Rob Day who project managed the event, was terrific.”
For his part, Rob remarked, “It was all down to
us to make Electric Fly’s design work.” They
achieved this by suspending 60 Barco iLite 8 LED’s
in random-length columns, with some panels ‘floating’
in mid-air.
Mounted on the truss behind were a further 60 Barco iLite
10’s in a similarly-designed configuration, receiving
ambient graphics from a pair of laptops via the LED processors.
Floor-mounted at the rear of the stage was a was 10 x
6 Barco high-resolution D7 daylight screen, displaying
video and the event’s animated logo (as well as
the abstract graphics).
Stage left and right were two conventional front projection
screens in 16 x 9 configuration (respectively using Barco
SLM R10 and G8 DLP projectors) and some 50in plasma displays.
CT’s playback devices included Beta SP, Powerpoint,
Graphics machines and Doremi disk recorders. They also
fielded a three-camera (Sony D30) PPU, with Magic DaVE
digital video effects switcher.
The company’s turnkey remit included the provision
of all the staging, lighting (predominantly Vari-Lite),
followspot towers and lectern. Additionally, they presented
a foyer demo rig of their recently-acquired Barco MiPix
Modular Intelligent Pixelbloc, which is fast finding favour
with production and event managers.
Summarised Mike Walker, “We were delighted to have
been appointed as AV provider for the Total Production
Awards this year. I thought the show was outstanding and
I was really proud of what our technical team achieved
on the night.”
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