Lighting designer Mariano de Tassis reports: "The original idea for the lighting design came directly from the artist and was then developed jointly by myself and Fabrizio 'Bicio Marchi, production and designer manager. We needed to interpret this album concept with different colour schemes, paying great attention to the succession of individual scenic moments. The basic input aimed to confer maximum emotion to the characters and elements telling the 'story', with just a glimpse of the silhouettes of the musicians."
Much of the lighting system was branded Clay Paky: Alpha Spot HPE 700 to demarcate the space on the stage (arranged on the main structure and on the ground), Alpha Beam 300 vertically stacked on supports behind the screen at a height of between 9m and 5m to give an 'in line' effect, Alpha Beam 1500 behind the screen to convey a safe and powerful visual impact element.
"What I was most surprised to see was just how small the HPE 700 are compared to the huge power they manage to provide: they have the same light as a 1200W product, a wealth of effects and colours and very fast movements. The use of such compact and lightweight projectors on stage is revolutionary because it allows you to reinvent the composition of the lighting elements, offering many more opportunities in practical and creative terms," says Mariano de Tassis.
The show was divided into three parts: the first was theatrical and cinematographic, with extensive use of mega-screens, playing considerably with shades of black and white; the second part had brighter tones, with an evocative use of colour, a more lifelike characterization of the ambience, and a third part - the last three tracks - where movement become the star of the show in all its forms.
"Live, theatrical and architectural elements blended into a single art project, with the use of the most advanced technologies in the lighting-video sector. Among the many shows that I have worked on as lighting designer, this was one of the most comprehensive and challenging from a creativity point of view," concludes Mariano de Tassis.
(Jim Evans)
