dbn in Monster Production for Derry Spectacular
28/06/2013
Showdown on the Foyle was a specially commissioned public performance written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, created by Walk The Plank and played out over 30 hours on the streets of the UK's City of Culture. Artist Francis Morgan's water bound Loch Ness monster ensured a gripping finale for the tens of thousands of spectators gathered along the banks of the Foyle River, with dbn's lighting bringing the beast to life in spectacular fashion.
The showdown saw Colmcille, a key figure in Derry's history and old enemy of Nessie, lead his townsfolk in a thrilling confrontation with the 70-metre long, 18-metre high, technicolour beast - all set against the backdrop of Derry Londonderry's famous Peace Bridge, which physically and symbolically unites both sides of the River Foyle.
dbn's brief was twofold - to design and build a rigging structure aboard The Argus', a 70 metre long sand dredger made available to the production by the Port Authority, on which the Monster could be built and operated; and to light both the Monster itself and the rest of the performance across the vast site.
The boat carrying Nessie travelled up the river, towards the Peace Bridge where it was met by Colmcille who vanquished the beast in a remarkable scene replete with drama, spectacle, pyro, special effects and fireworks.
dbn's Nick Todd project managed and co-ordinated all the Monster's rigging requirements, while Stephen Page designed lighting for this plus two other areas Queens Quay, an 800 metre stretch of riverbank which was the main viewing area, and the Peace Bridge itself.
Monster Rigging
Nick Todd's support structure for the Monster was based on a five legged ground support system made from Slick trussing. He worked closely with Francis Morgan - who designed and constructed the Monster - alongside Ian Hall and Malcolm Richards from Total Solutions on the engineering and structural calculations.
The Monster was constructed in two parts:
A 12 metre long solid head, which was mounted on a tele-handler installed in the hold of the boat, which could raise it up by 20 metres and the body, which filled the full length of the dredger and was made up of painted canvasses.
The body was supported by a 5-legged, 15 metre high black trussing structure, complete with a winch system with steels wound on to rollers at the bottom of each trussing leg, enabling the canvasses to rise and fall in sync.
Design challenges included ensuring that the structure was able to withstand wind that would get under the cloths as the boat moved along the river.
Reinforced trussing foundations were built in the bottom of the hull below deck level to give the requisite strength and stability.
The five masts were all joined together by a spine truss running along the top of the legs, which also carried the winch sets and pulleys for moving the cloths up and down. They were guy wired to 10 tonne deck-eyes welded on to the boat. Customisation of the boat was allowed in order to ensure that the installation was safe.
Rollers built in to the cloths maintained the tension and were attached to the winch bars by steel wires and moved by seven half tonne Lodestar motors and 40 pulleys.
Using the same mechanism, at the end of the show, three giant swans' heads were raised from the ashes of the slain Loch Ness Monster.
Nick Todd said: The scale of the job was colossal and that was the main challenge . It was the first time that Todd has rigged anything like this and also the first time he's installed a trussing system on a boat!
He continues: It was hugely exciting and physically and mentally gruelling, but we all enjoyed it immensely. It was fantastic to be involved in such an exceptional project .
Lighting
Stephen Page drew WYSIWYG models of the Monster's lighting rig beforehand and maintained enough flexibility in his scheme to be able to make final adjustments and fixture placements once they were actually on site and the Monster was installed. Approaching it any other way would have been impossible.
Fixtures included SGM Palco 3 LED floods, Atomic Colours and 12 of dbn's brand new Clay Paky Sharpy Washes, which arrived just in time for the event. These were all placed where they could be fitted around the boat, which had a generator on board to supply power.
In particular, two Sharpy Washes in custom dbn domes were used to backlight the Monster's eyes which worked really well to give the definition and variation required to help convey its emotions throughout the performance.
A Jands Vista S1 programmed by Pete Isherwood under Page's supervision was utilised to run all Nessie's lights, triggered by timecode broadcast site-wide from the audio track.
On the quayside, a row of 24 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700s positioned right on the edges of the water skimmed the area and shot powerful beams up into the night sky, all controlled by Page from a Jands Vista S3 console.
The Peace Bridge was illuminated with 48 x CP Sharpies attached to special brackets designed by dbn to conceal them under the bridge as discreetly as possible. Their careful positioning also gave a degree of weather protection. The lighting effect accentuated the steely elegance of the Bridge bringing a final touch of magic to the environment as the tale unfolded to the delight of the throngs of onlookers.
Page said, It was an incredible one-off event that really brought new meaning to t
LINK: | http://www.live-production.tv/news/cultural-events/dbn-monster-product... |
See more stories from liveproduction |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
15/05/2024
UKTV Ventures partners with The Farewell Guide in 1million airtime-for-equity deal
12th March 2024 - Award-winning broadcaster UKTV has today announced it has inve...
15/05/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Jianjie Lin, the Writer-Director Behind Brief History of a Family
By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
15/05/2024
De viktigaste insikterna frn Spotifys rliga Loud & Clear-rapport
Med sin rliga royaltyrapport Loud & Clear kar Spotify transparensen i musikindustrin, s att artister, l tskrivare, fans och hela musikbranschen f r en st rre...
15/05/2024
Chegaram as ltimas estatsticas: Artistas brasileiros geraram mais receita e alcanaram mais fs no Spotify - basta perguntar Anitta
Nos ltimos 10 a 15 anos, a mudan a para o streaming de udio transformou comple...
15/05/2024
The Latest Stats Are In: Brazilian Artists Generated More Revenue and Reached More Fans on Spotify-Just Ask Anitta
Over the last 10-15 years, the move toward streaming audio has completely transf...
15/05/2024
Celebrating 80 years of success in Morganton
On May 15th, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the SGL Carbon site in Morganton, North Carolina. The entire SGL Morganton family came together to celebrate t...
15/05/2024
SBS Audio marketing campaign tells the stories of new Australians, with multilingual content offerings to assist migrants
SBS Audio marketing campaign tells the stories of new Australians, with multilin...
15/05/2024
ST Engineering iDirect's SKYflow Wins 2024 NAB Show Product of The Year Award
The pioneering satellite OTT solution clinched the Hardware Infrastructure award...
15/05/2024
L3Harris CEO to Present at Bernstein Annual Strategic Decisions Conference
MELBOURNE, Fla., May 15, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik will present at the Bernstein Annual Strategic Decisions C...
15/05/2024
Netflix to Stream Live Christmas Day NFL Games
In a major example of how large streaming services are successfully battling for lucrative sports rights, Netflix has announced that it has secured global right...
15/05/2024
NAB Show: Creative Lens on Live Sports
LAS VEGAS The premise of the 2024 NAB Shows Creative Lens on Live Sports: Next Gen Video Production and Fan Experiences session was very simple to understand if...
15/05/2024
ATEME Integrates Advanced HDR by Technicolor into TITAN Encoders
SILVER SPRINGS, Md. Encoder specialist ATEME has integrated Advanced HDR by Technicolor into its TITAN video compression solution, Technicolor said today....
15/05/2024
Berklee Artists to Perform at Major US Music Festivals this Summer and Fall
Berklee Artists to Perform at Major US Music Festivals this Summer and Fall The Berklee Popular Music Institute arranged placements at top festivals including...
15/05/2024
ABC Sets The Golden Bachelorette' for Fall Schedule
ABC shared its 2024-2025 fall schedule hours before the Disney upfront presentation Tuesday, May 14. There's The Golden Bachelorette, a new Ryan Murphy show...
15/05/2024
Alicia Keys Kicks Off Amazon Upfront Show, Reese Witherspoon Wraps It Up
Amazon's first-ever upfront presentation, at Pier 36 in Lower Manhattan, got a late start due to its remote location. But the energy spiked when Alicia Keys...
15/05/2024
Disney Upfront Welcomes Back Bob Iger and Jimmy Kimmel
The Walt Disney Co.'s upfront presentation went on with a connections theme, and Bob Iger himself appeared onstage moments after it began. Emma Stone introd...
15/05/2024
Hulu's Under the Bridge' Tops TVision Power Score Rankings
Hulu's Under the Bridge moved up to take the top spot in TVision's Power Score rankings of the top shows on connected TV for the week of May 6....
15/05/2024
The CW Gets Rights to 11 PAC-12 Football Games
BURBANK, Calif. The CW Network has announced it will be the broadcast home for 11 Pac-12 football games featuring Oregon State and Washington State during the u...
15/05/2024
Nielsen: Disney Is Top Media Distributor with 11.5% of TV Usage
NEW YORK Disney has landed on top of Nielsens newly launched Media Distributor Gauge, which offers its first cross-platform view of total TV consumption across ...
15/05/2024
Max Sets a May 21 Streaming Debut for 'Dune: Part Two
Warner Bros. Discoverys Max streaming services has finally set a launch date for Dune: Part Two with the announcement that the film will begin streaming on Thur...
15/05/2024
FCC Establishes Spectrum Steering Team
WASHINGTON, D.C. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced the establishment of the Spectrum Steering Team that will lead the FCC's efforts to develo...
15/05/2024
Gary Heelas joins TSL as principal engineer
TSL said the appointment marks a strategic enhancement in the companys commitment to focusing on UK and US-designed and manufactured solutions By Jenny Priestl...
15/05/2024
Is Sony about to pull out of its bid for Paramount?
Sony and Apollo may decide to acquire Shari Redstone's National Amusements, which is the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global By Jenny Priestley P...
15/05/2024
Presteigne Broadcast Hire enters administration
The company appointed administrators yesterday (May 14th) By Jenny Priestley Published: May 15, 2024 The company appointed administrators yesterday (May 1...
15/05/2024
Matrox Video Demos at InfoComm 2024 Will Showcase New AVo...
Technology innovator Matrox Video today announced that the company will highlight its leading AV-over-IP (AVoIP) technologies including the brand-new, next-g...
15/05/2024
RMi Amplifies Connectivity and Clarity at Major 2024 Musi...
Riedel Communications today announced its pivotal role in bringing unparalleled audio clarity and connectivity to one of the U.S.'s biggest 2024 music and a...
15/05/2024
Chyron Unveils Significant Updates to Chyron LIVE Cloud P...
Chyron today released a series of significant updates to its Chyron LIVE cloud-native live production platform that were demonstrated at the 2024 NAB Show in La...
15/05/2024
VisualOn to Showcase Revolutionary Optimizer Content-Awar...
VisualOn, a leader in video software technology, is set to unveil its groundbreaking Optimizer suite at Broadcast Asia 2024. The unveiling will take place in th...
15/05/2024
StreamVue announce exclusive parnership with DigiBox
StreamVue, one of the global leaders in IPTV and digital signage solutions is excited to announce an exclusive distribution partnership with DigiBox, one of the...
15/05/2024
Vega Project Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow for XR Studio in Hilton Tokyo
Vega Project Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow for XR Studio in Hilton Tokyo Brie Clayton May 14, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design announced today that...
15/05/2024
Chaos Releases V-Ray 6 Benchmark
Chaos Releases V-Ray 6 Benchmark Brie Clayton May 14, 2024 0 Comments Popular Rendering Benchmark Brings Back CPU/GPU Stats in a Minute; New Benchmark...
15/05/2024
Rose City Futsal Sets New Standard for Community Sports Venues with AI-Automated Sports Production & Streaming Solution
Rose City Futsal Sets New Standard for Community Sports Venues with AI-Automated...
15/05/2024
That Station Artist Notes Series Returns This Summer
Artist Notes is back! Join That Station this summer for the conversation and concert series where you get to hear an artist on stage to not only play music, but...
15/05/2024
Assembling Disney's Upfront: It Takes More Than Magic (Video)
A lot goes into making The Walt Disney Co.'s upfront presentation....
15/05/2024
Madhive Names Premion Founder Jim Wilson President
Madhive, which provides technology for local connected TV advertising, said that it named Jim Wilson as president....
15/05/2024
Amazon Prime Video Swings With Nicholas Cage Spider-Man Series
At its first upfront presentation to advertisers, Amazon Prime Video announced new series and renewed some of its hits....
15/05/2024
Nielsen Crowns Disney in New Ranking of Media Distributors
Nielsen released a new ranking of companies in the media distribution business, including broadcast, cable and streaming, and The Walt Disney Co. was at the top...
15/05/2024
Latin Culture Is Key at TelevisaUnivision Upfront
TelevisaUnivision told advertisers at its upfront presentation Tuesday about more ways they can connect with Latin culture, including through music and live eve...
15/05/2024
VEON Publishes Annual Corporate Governance Report for Financial Year 2023
15 May 2024 VEON Publishes Annual Corporate Governance Report for Financial Year 2023 Amsterdam, 15 May 2024 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEO...
15/05/2024
VEON and Beeline Kazakhstan Partner with GSMA and Barcelona Supercomputing Centre to Support Use of AI in Local Languages
15 May 2024 VEON and Beeline Kazakhstan Partner with GSMA and Barcelona Superco...
15/05/2024
TRIBECA FESTIVAL AND CHANEL HOST THROUGH HER LENS CONVERSATION, JUNE 7 AT CROSBY HOTEL
May 15th, 2024 Press Materials Available Here TRIBECA FESTIVAL AND CHANEL HOST...
15/05/2024
Thuraya unveils groundbreaking next generation IP NEO terminal developed in collaboration with Cobham Satcom
Abu Dhabi, 15 May, 2024 : IP NEO is a Thuraya 4-ready lightweight portable sate...
15/05/2024
Thuraya unveils groundbreaking next generation IP NEO terminal developed in collaboration ...
Abu Dhabi, 15 May, 2024 : IP NEO is a Thuraya 4-ready lightweight portable sate...
15/05/2024
MAGYAR TELEKOM RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024
MAGYAR TELEKOM RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024 Budapest, May 15, 2024 17:35 Magyar Telekom today reported its consolidated financial results for the...
15/05/2024
Tech Focus: Production Music, Part 1: Changes Come to the Sports Sector
Tech Focus: Production Music, Part 1: Changes Come to the Sports Sector Spurring the changes are increased custom-music demand, RSN turmoil, legal issues, AI B...
15/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: Diversified's Justo Gutierrez Explores the Evolution of Sound for Sports Venues
SVG Sit-Down: Diversified's Justo Gutierrez Explores the Evolution of Sound ...
15/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: Audiotonix' CEO James Gordon on Utilizing the Company's Brands for Smart Investment
New deal: Audiotonix' CEO James Gordon on utilising the company's brands...
15/05/2024
Commentary Revolution: DAZN's Technical Production Manager Max Mosgraber Talks Doing More With Less
Commentary revolution: DAZN's technical production manager Max Mosgraber tal...