XL Events' Rich Rowley says: "This is the fourth year that I have been involved in this project and every year brings a new set of challenges. This year we were looking at big rear projected images with the addition of a 'lifesize' giraffe and elephant to contend with. As you can imagine some pretty creative keystoning was needed to allow the beasts to move around backstage."
Ade Moore is looking after the video for XL Events, which consists of a 32 by 24ft centre stage projection screen being fed by a triple stack of rear-projecting Barco ELM R18 'Director' machines fitted with 1.2 wide angle lenses.
These receive content programmed into two Coolux Pandora's Box digital media servers running the latest software, which are independently triggered by show caller Erica Southon from FOH, who activates all the VT cues from Pandora's Box Media Manager control.
Video runs constantly throughout the show and is used to create dynamic backdrops and as digital scenery, allowing the stage to be kept clear and clean for all the action. All video content has been supplied by the BBC and was programmed into the Pandora's Box's by XL Events technical director David Mulcahy, with show director Ian Loughlan deciding the order of the cues.
Craig Pryde is mixing FOH and monitors, both from the FOH position. The main arrays are 4 hangs of 12 dVDOSC elements positioned for 270 degree coverage around the arenas, plus 6 flown dV subs. They're using eight of the new L-Acoustics 108P speakers for front-fills. There are also two D&B B2 subs a side to enhance the elephant in the African section of the Treasure Hunt.
The PA is powered by LA 48 amps, and the system is processed with XTA 448s loaded with all the L-Acoustics presets. Pryde mixes the show with a Soundcraft Vi4 console.
Lighting is being supplied by PRG. The LD is Mark Cunniffe, and the show is being operated by Markus Robinson using a grandMA full size console.
(Jim Evans)
