CPL Adds Glam Rock Production for Tropic Event

CPL Adds Glam Rock Production for Tropic Event posted: 08/04/2019

Technical production specialist CPL provided a production design plus sound, lighting and video equipment to Pandora Events for Tropic's massive spring 2019 glambassadors' event, staged in Hall 9 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK.

Tropic Rocks offered a hi-energy festival / rock theme to energise the 2500 delegates, for which a look and feel to match was needed. This was delivered by CPL's Mike Radford who led a crew of 40 for the get in / out and show sections of the one-day event, for which they had one rig day and a second for tech and rehearsals.

The event's format encompassed a lengthy achievement recognition and awards section, new product launches and upcoming incentives, wrapping up with a lively evening party, so the design had to cater these various requirements and practical enough to transform from the conference elements into the evening party in just one hour.

An 18 metre wide by 8 metre deep festival style stage and canopy was built by CPL with a 28 metre long by 4 metre wide runway going out into the audience enabling presenters to move through the arena and get closer to the audience, and the numerous award winners to walk up to the stage, collect their award and then walk down the runway and back to their seats in the auditorium.

At the end of the runaway was an elevated triangular shaped B Stage - the catwalk split and passed this on two sides - on which the event band The Air Guitar Band played, delivering all the stings and walk up riffs together with powerful renditions of four rock n' roll classics - a Queen medley; I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meatloaf; Alone by Heart and I Love Rock n' Roll by Joan Jett which were presented as production numbers' accompanied by custom video content & 27 dancers performing on stage and along the catwalk.

Pyro and CO2 effects were also used to accent moments in the production numbers, with 10 x Impact FX CO2 jets positioned on the front edge of the main stage and 8 x Sparkulars positioned around the central triangular stage. The climax of the final number featured a showstopper with 36 x confetti canons fired from the overhead trussing which blasted out, covering all the 5,525 square metres of floor space in a roof-raising effect!

To ensure everyone had a great view of the stage, four large IMAG screens were installed, all made up from CPL's Roe CB5 5mm surface. The screens measured 6 metres wide by 3.6 high and were positioned either side of the stage, with the two delay screens halfway down the hall.

At the back of the stage were six 4.8-metre-high by 1.2-metre-wide columns of the same LED screen providing abstract back drop throughout.

Playback video was fed to all 10 x LED surfaces via a disguise one 4x4 media server via a Barco E2 Event Master / processor, disguise providing the background layer and E2 managing PIP'd screen outputs. Disguise was selected to seamlessly map video content across all screens whilst PowerPoint was used to provide flexibility for last minute changes.

A four-camera system was also fed into the E2 which outputted a TX to the IMAG screens and there was also a selection of PowerPoint presentation elements which were displayed on the four IMAG surfaces and LED drops rear of stage. The idea was that the disguise server ambient content ran live and the E2 was utilised to PiP over that as needed.

The four cameras comprised three Sony HXC-100s were deployed at FOH centre (with a KJ20x8.5 lens); one at the back of the room fitted with an HJ40 lens for pick ups on the main stage and the front part of the thrust, and the third was on a MOY Dolly track running around the front edge of the stage, fitted with a CJ12ex4.3 wide angle lens.

The fourth camera was a hand-held Sony FS7 fitted with a BOXX Meridian wireless broadcast system used for roaming.

The band and dancers were all covered fully for the production numbers, and all the awards winners were also picked up and their faces displayed on the screens (as requested by the client so they could enjoy their recognition to the max) and the product presentations with the company's CEO onstage. Two live makeovers were filmed via the wireless camera.

The cameras were mixed by Derek Gruszeckyj utilising a Panasonic HS400 PPU, and the camera operators were Darryn Kibble-White, Matt Barlow and Phil White, Bernard Rees completed the camera team as racks engineer.

The Video Team comprised of Anthony Condon on E2 with Nick Diacre programming and operating the disguise server. CPL commissioned Paul Brierly to create all the event's graphics, artwork and slides in After Effects, which were co-ordinated on site by Jordan Pitcairn, whilst the LED screens were tech'd by Jack Sykes and Phil Goldsmith.

CPL also created all the bespoke video playback content for the four production numbers, each of which had their own visual' looks. These were timecoded and ran alongside the five-piece Air Guitar Band's click.

The band went down a storm, coordinated by the lead singer who had his own mix in one ear and the show caller and click in the other!

Having the scope for us to create the video content as well as designing the system really worked well commented Mike. Where possible, that's how we like to work, and it ensures we can deliver a really harmonious looking show .

Lighting

As an essential part of the visual equation, with lighting, the idea was to create lots of big, bold, colourful and dramatic festival rock looks explained Mike, for which CPL rigged over 150 lighting fixtures - a mix of movers and generics - on trussing over the stage and above the audience.

The moving lights were a combination of Claypaky K10s with B-Eye lenses and Axcor 300 Spots, Robe Po

LINK:	https://www.live-production.tv/news/shows/cpl-adds-glam-rock-productio...
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