In support of Coldplays latest album Ghost Stories, XL Video has supplied a state-of-the-art video solution for the televised album launch and worldwide promotional shows, culminating in two sold out shows at Londons Royal Albert Hall.
Setting the Scene
The visual concept for these shows was developed jointly by Ben Miles, Paul Normandale, Misty Buckley and Phil Harvey.
The shows were managed for XL Video by Project Managers Phil Mercer and Gareth Jeanne. In contrast to their Mylo Xyloto stadium shows, the performances for Ghost Stories called for an intimate ambience, bringing the audience closer to share the new songs.
For the global album launch event at the Sony Pictures Studios in LA, XL Video were asked to create a planetarium-style 360 degree projection all around the space and across the entire celling above. To achieve this XL supplied 46 Panasonic PT-DZ21K projectors controlled by eight newly purchased AI I8 media servers (four live and four hot backup); the largest number of projectors XL have ever used on a single show.
This very first album preview featured a small central stage and the majority of the projectors were positioned on the floor around the venue, feeding a total projection area equivalent to six 4K surfaces. The resulting show created an atmospheric visual spectacle. Against this backdrop, the band played the album in its entirety, together with a selection of their most popular hits.
Promo Touring Package
The promotional tour dates, which spanned four continents, were all supported with a core video package from XL that varied from gig to gig. Says Phil Mercer, The fluid and dynamic nature of these assorted promo events meant we often had to react to special requests at very short notice, which is always an exciting way to work! Some great teamwork and communication between our various international operations ensured that all expectations were met worldwide.
The package, specified by Ben Miles, featured 6mm LED screens from XL Video in front of which Miles hung a BP screen made by Hangman to soften the appearance of the LED and make it more projection-esque.
A Catalyst media server ran all the playback footage and six mini-cams which were fed into one of XLs new Roland V1600 mixer / switchers, chosen for its small size, flexibility and power.
The cameras were three Bradley Cam-ball 2 robotic units and three Gnat HD mini-cams, the latter more commonly used for medical and military applications and which XL Video has customised to make them tour-able.
Both these types were specified for their small size because, for the original telecast, it was essential that they were discreet and virtually unnoticeable. Both also have a range of interchangeable lenses available and were dotted all over the stage, used for a variety of band close-ups and some more unusual angles on the instruments.
One of the Bradleys was rigged on a fly bar to give the fantastic over-stage shots which were a key to Miles Ghost Stories screen vision. The Bradleys were used for reverse shots of the bands guitar players when playing keyboards and synths and then in other positions to give an IMAG of the bands kit.
The Gnats were positioned on various instruments including a self-playing piano, where the camera captured shots of the keys playing whilst Chris Martin was at the front of the stage. One was used for the Reactable an electronic musical instrument with a tabletop Tangible User Interface played by moving the tangibles around. The distinctive backlit display was highlighted by a Gnat on a stand immediately above to give the audience a visual insight into how the synthesised sounds were being produced.
Royal Albert Hall shows
For the 2 sold-out Royal Albert Hall shows, Ben Miles specified that the projections would cover the venues iconic acoustic mushrooms. This was the first time that they had been mapped for a music show. Miles described the opportunity as a bit of a no-brainer, and thought it would be an ideal and very cool way to continue the immersive projection thread from the album launch show.
As that original gig was a TV show with an invited audience and therefore far more controlled, they were able to put projections in locations that would normally be out of bounds. When it came to the Albert Hall, a lot more lateral thinking was needed to find the best solution.
XL supplied 16 x Panasonic projectors for this, all offering 1920 x 1200 HD outputs and the images were again mapped using four of the latest AI S8 media servers (two live and two hot backup), chosen for their superior mapping capabilities and because each one offers 8 HD SDI outs.
The projectors were rigged in various upper level boxes and focussed into the roof. Each one covered 4 6 mushrooms and the playback content used in LA was reformatted for the RAH shows.
It looked fantastic, says Miles adding, It was great to be working with XL as always. A serious amount of hard work went into all the shows and the RAH in particular to get it looking as good as they did. All credit to Phil and Gareth and all the XL crew on site.
In addition, XL supplied a Kayak switcher and PPU for Miles to cut the mix to which seven operated broadcast-quality Sony HXC-100s were added to the six minicam feeds, making it a 13 camera shoot. The operated units were dispersed around the RAH.
Two custom-built 30 ft wide by 10ft high IMAG screens were installed either side of the venues famous organ, each fed by two more Panasonic projectors.
Miles also had a Catalyst media server in line which he used to specifically treat the IMAG feeds, applying colour, desaturation and for creating other ghostly style effects to make the images edgier and more interesting as opposed to a traditional IMAG look.
XL also installed an extensive fibre system for control data which involved an enormous amount of cabling, the management of whic
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
In support of Coldplays latest album Ghost Stories, XL Video has supplied a state-of-the-art video solution for the televised album launch and worldwide promotional shows, culminating in two sold out shows at Londons Royal Albert Hall.
