These were moved throughout the show creating different looks for the live performers, which included Coldplay and Paul Weller and separated the stage area from backstage. They were also used as stage entry and exit points for artists. Kinesys were brought in to handle this specialist aspect of the production by main rigging contractors, Outback Rigging.
The automation consisted of three Barco ILite 6 XP video screens supplied by XL Video, each of which measured 5m wide by 7m high, weighed 2.5 tonnes and tracked horizontally along a 55 metre wide StageCo 'goalpost' construction. This had an I-Beam fitted on the underside, onto which tracking beam trolleys were attached to hang the video walls. Kinesys rigged three winches on the floor that were diverted into the main structure, and moved the screens into different configurations.
The winches were driven with Kinesys' Velocity drives and controlled by their Vector motion control software, operated by Erlend Webb.
The use of winches for the screen tracking allows very smooth movement to be achieved while at the same time permitting millimetre accuracy which ensures that the screen line up is spot on, crucial with the high resolution video panels being used for this show.Kinesys' Dave Weatherhead says: "It is great to be working for Outback again on the Brits, this is the second year we have used the winch system on the show and it always delivers the right result for all concerned."
The show was production managed by MJK Productions.
(Chris Henry)
