Discover how CuePilot benefit the

CUEPILOT

Lighting Designer, Manfred Nikitser explains how CuePilot can seriously change the workflow of live video on tour.

Words: Stew Hume Photos: CuePilot

If you look at the changing working practices of crew over the decades, one clear trend is the amount of offline work that happens between shows. From audio engineers using virtual sound checks to hone their mixes to lighting designers using pre-visualisation software – and more recently VR – to ensure that their show looks perfect before an artist even walks on the stage. One department where this level of preparation outside show hours doesn’t exist to the same extent is within video – specifically when it comes to live camera feeds for IMAG content. However, this may be about to change with CuePilot – a pioneering production workflow for planning and delivering live camera cuts.

CuePilot helps show designers ensure the coverage of a live performance is as precise as an edited music video with all cuts predetermined, providing consistency from show to show. Much like most lighting workflows, CuePilot projects are planned in a timeline by adding cues for each planned shot. During a live production, integration with timecode ensures audio and lighting departments are synced with CuePilot. Meanwhile, the CueApp can be used to cue camera crew and staging staff to ensure the right shots are caught.

CuePilot has already been utilised with live televised events such as the Eurovision Song Contest along with other shows including The Voice, Dancing With The Stars and The Masked Singer. It has also been picked up by several awards shows including the MTV Video Music Awards, and used for opening ceremonies for large-scale events such as League of Legends. The company is now looking to make similar inroads into the live touring industry.

One Lighting Designer who has bought into the workflow is Manfred Nikitser, who has now made CuePilot a permanent addition to the Scorpions’ live setup. “I heard of CuePilot from a colleague for its use during Eurovision,” he began. “I had never used the software, but when we were preparing for our campaign with Scorpions, I got in touch with the company directly. I originally wanted a solution where I could give the audience multiple perspectives of the show with the camera cuts.” Nikitser was originally planning on using CuePilot as a cue sheet for the camera operators, but he soon realised the software presented many more options. “Thanks to CuePilot along with a piece of software called Universal Control, I’m now able to control and oversee all the camera cuts from the lighting desk,” explained the LD.

“What’s great about CuePilot is that once you’re several shows into a campaign and the band gets into the groove of shows, you can go into the camera cuts and move elements that either don’t make sense or don’t have as much impact,” continued Nikitser. “For example, we were on a flight from Europe to the US recently and we downloaded our show file from the Cloud and were able to move around our camera cuts so when we landed, we reuploaded the show file, which was then ready for the next performance.” Nikitser explained that the Scorpions tend to travel light, opting to use local suppliers for many elements of their production, so having this confidence in the camera cut meant there was one less variable to deal with from territory to territory.

“It is refreshing to be able to plan your camera cuts in the same way you would your

lighting show,” enthused the LD. “Also, the software is incredibly easy to use and lighting designers will be able to get their heads around it in an hour.” Although during the Scorpions’ show, all the camera cuts were automated, the LD was able to manually override the cuts from his lighting desk, which gave him more overall control of the overall visual canvas.

Nikitser also highlighted how CuePilot was equally beneficial to the camera operators in the pit who can follow along with the cue list and therefore know when they had some downtime between shots rather than having to shoot the show constantly.

Clearly striking the right chord within the Scorpions’ camp, Nikitser is already encouraging others to consider CuePilot for their next project. www.the-scorpions.com www.cuepilot.com

CuePilot being used on the Scorpions’ latest tour.