Eran rose to the occasion, adding a generous helping of his visual magic to the occasion assisted by around 160 Robe moving lights - including 28 x BMFL Spots, 36 x MMX Spots, 24 x LEDWash 1200s, 54 x Pointes, 16 x MMX WashBeams and 16 x LEDBeam100s.
The gala opening show, directed by Amit Fisher, needed to deliver a breath-taking immersive experience for thousands of VIPs, celebrities and invited guests, and an event to establish Pavilion 2 - 'Hall of the Universe' - at the Tel Aviv Expo as a multi-purpose venue.
Cochavi & Klein worked with a hugely talented creative team including the Israeli Ballet choreographed by Ido Tadmor, video arts collective Locomotion, video / LED system designers Shay Bonder and Yahav Tenne of The Merlin Group and set designer Maya Hanoch of Forma Studio.
The vast dimensions of Pavilion 2 - 100m long by 63 wide with 19m of headroom - posed a real challenge, as the space needed to be accentuated and showcased on one hand, but also be intimate and personal so guests felt comfortable on the other.
It was decided to divide the space into two areas - taking up approximately a third and two thirds of the hall respectively.
Light was an absolutely central component to making the entire concept work successfully. It was used in an architectural context breaking down and shaping the space, whilst also generating the overall ambience, and enhancing the drama of the evening for everyone's enjoyment.
After the reception area in the foyer, guests entered the first part of the hall which featured a 30 x 10 m projection screen and a live soundscape being produced live by DJ, music producer and multi-instrumentalist, Asaf Amdurski.
This was followed by some speeches and the entertainment programme. The first act to take the stage was 30 members of the Israeli Ballet who danced in synch to giant video art from Locomotion which appeared on the screen. Then the screen started to rise to reveal the rest of the hall and the party area which was designed as a 360 degree stage by Forma Studio complete with a large roller coaster at the back.
Above the party stage a huge video cube was suspended which split into two, the lower half flying out (on a Cyberhoist system) to reveal the DJ, with more fantastic video art on that and four 'antenna' trusses clad with LED all run via Hippotizer media servers. Also performing were The Balkan Beat Box, techno-house legend DJ Sahar Z and a special collaboration between DJs Chan Yani and Gili Saar. Eli Nissan was the musical director.
With so much happening, Eran also factored distinctive and different sections of the show into his lighting, so he could flow with the mood and vibe of each moment as the action unfolded.
These structural requirements also informed his choice of fixtures - he knew he needed a highly versatile selection of tools at his disposal. "Each part of the evening needed its own atmosphere which could take the audience to a completely different place from the last one," he explained.
The first element of the evening was based on precision lighting with the idea that people felt safe and familiar along with the electronic mood. Sixteen MMX WashBeams were chosen because of their framing shutters and positioned on an upstage and a downstage truss trimmed at 12m..
The dancers were dressed only in skin tone body costumes, so the CTO and the pastels of the MMX WashBeams were ideal for picking these out subtly.
Twelve LEDWash 1200s on the floor were used to key-light the dancers and also for highlighting the low fog effect, all adding to the idea of weightlessness.
Behind Amdursky 12 x MMX Spots were used t
