[New] JJ LIN: ROAD TO JJ20

To celebrate 20 years in the music industry, the famed Singaporean singer, JJ Lin, presents his latest stage show, which aims to give hope to his fans after the turbulent times of the past few years. TPi is on-site for the artist’s Taiwan date in Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium to learn more.

For those who are unaware, the name TPi stands for Total Production International. It’s a name that we’ve always strived to live up to, covering shows from across the globe and speaking to the crewmembers responsible for making them happen. As we move into 2023, one of our goals for the year is to provide far greater international on-site coverage of shows, which is why, in late 2022, I was on board an international flight bound for Taiwan. The gig in the question I was skipping time zones to see was one of Mandopop’s biggest names, JJ Lin.

The famed Singaporean singer was celebrating two decades in the industry with a jaw-dropping production, which included such highlights as two fully automated rotating lifts and an enormous LED wall – deployed throughout five distinct acts of the show, which took audiences on an audio-visual journey to all aspects of the star’s immense 14-album back catalogue. Lin’s long-standing production team, B’in Live provided a turnkey solution, not only supplying all the audio, lighting and video, but also overseeing the entire production and overall show design.

As t he fans filled the stadium – most armed with inflatable LED batons – there was a palpable excitement within the multigenerational audience. “People have really been struggling for the past few years due to the pandemic,” began Show Director and Producer, Crystal Chuang. “Because of this, JJ wanted to throw a 20-year anniversary celebration to encourage his audience to look to the future and share a message of hope.”

Chuang was one of the many new team members to work with the artist on this latest production – a challenge that she did not take lightly. “It was a bit intimidating,” she admitted. “JJ has been in the industry for such a long time, and he’s done and seen a lot. He’s also really up to date with the latest technology from music to animation. So, the main challenge was finding new ways to impress him.”

Thankfully, Chuang had the support of several people from the wider B’in Live company with previous experience of working with JJ Lin – including B’in Live CEO, Ocean Chou as well as Stage Manager, JJ Chin – who offered advice.

Despite Chuang’s initial nervousness, she was happy to report that the artist was pleased with the show design. “One element he particularly enjoyed was the large, automated lifts we installed,” she reported. “He really likes to interact with the fans and the elevation of the lifts allows him to see more of the audience. He also enjoyed the design of the section entitled Brave New World.” During this section, the artist was raised in the air to an elevated gangway to perform several songs alongside his dancers for a section of the show that immersed the performers within the video content of a futuristic world.

The Differences

As we at TPi are more used to covering shows in the UK, Europe and the US, it was interesting to see some of the differences during the build up to a show of this scale in Asia. One interesting comparison point was that the day before the show, the entire JJ Lin production put on a full dress rehearsal of his entire set, compete with full wardrobe changes as well as all the major moments of the show from big lighting looks to automation moves.

TPi got to witness JJ Lin’s rehearsal, with the singer bringing his full live energy to a near-empty stadium in preparation for the following night. Without the distraction of a live audience, it was easy to see just how entwined the various departments were when it came to show design.

“We started working on the show around April 2022 when JJ gave his initial ideas of what he wanted for this anniversary show,” stated Chuang. “It then took me around six weeks to pull our entire creative team together.” Along with numerous B’in Live recruits, the production also brought in stage designer PLAYFUL Design Studio as well as CMS, which created several custom automotive elements of the show.

“It all comes down to storytelling,” stated Chuang. Through the duration of the gig, there was a clear narrative arc that split into five distinct acts – all of which were book-ended by various animations that were narrated in English by Lin. With many of the videos using the narrative device of a metronome as well as a younger animated version of the artist playing piano, the show explored JJ Lin’s musical journey over the past 20 years.

Chuang explained how once the storyboard was set, the creative team worked collaboratively to realise the production. “You often find with productions in Taiwan, we really care about the story and once we have our acts in place, we then plan out what part of the stage we’ll use for each song and what staging elements we’ll use. Then the lighting, video and staging team will suggest what equipment would be best to use for each section.”

Although lockdown restrictions have been pulled back in Taiwan and people can meet face-to-face again, due to very busy schedules with numerous shows being postponed in the build-up to the show, much of the planning for

Road To JJ20 was done via online meetings between departments. “Three years ago, we would have done loads of face-to-face meetings, whereas now we still do a lot of the design conversations online,” Chuang said.

Differing Roles

Although on the surface the mechanics of this production seemed very similar to a tour in the West, while being introduced to the various departments working on the show – from lighting designers, to FOH engineer, video directors and stage manager – it soon became apparent that the job functions were really quite different. For example, when I met Stage Manager, JJ Chin, it was clear that his role was more akin to what we would usually think of as a production manager, bearing responsibility for sourcing much of the equipment, resources and stage construction crews. While on stage there was a dedicated stage crew to handle the very busy show, which involved numerous quick changes as well as dancers constantly coming on and off stage throughout the show.

“We often hear that our job roles are somewhat different to a Western pop show,” mused Chuang. “The dedicated team required for the quick changes seems to be one of the most notable differences as there is a dedicated crew whose main role is to get the artist ready for the next act, with someone from wardrobe, along with a hair and make-up artist.”

COVID-19 AFTERMATH

Like with most countries, Taiwan has seen a severe drop in the number of experienced crewmembers available, with many people leaving the industry during the COVID-19 years. “Generally speaking, in a show of this scale we would have between four and eight specialist technicians for each department –lighting, video, audio, automation, rigging and staging – who would then lead the crew working on site,” explained Chin. “However, due to the shortage of personnel after the pandemic, each professional discipline was reduced to two people, who would co-work with another four freelancers, and due to the differences in professional skills, crews spend nearly 50% more time on loading compared with the past.”

It was not just staffing shortfalls that Chin had to deal with, but also various supply issues. One notable challenge came with the custombuilt piano shell, which was to be revealed at the top of the show and prior to the encore. With the prop appearing twice, the production team wanted it to look different both times so looked for the ChromaFlair style that is often seen on cars that appear to change colour. “Finding a manufacturer that was able to produce the shell in the material we were looking for was incredibly challenging,” stated Chin. “I started looking in September but by November I’d still had no luck. In the end, I found a manufacturer in China who could make the delivery date.”

Chin and the team called upon Playful Design Studio to help design the various stage design elements. “When we were approached about the idea of Road to JJ20 we drew up around three to four designs, which we presented to the production team,” stated Senior Designer, Sam Lai. “One of our biggest considerations was factoring in the requirements that would be needed underneath the stage – the space needed for the artist’s quick change areas as well as space to allow all the mechanics needed for the various stage lifts and automotive elements.”

As TPi walked beneath the stage, it was clear that there was not a lot of head room, with it all measuring just 200cm high.

Aiding Lai with design were Monster Hsieh and Evan Lin. While Hsieh specialised more in the hardware side of the set designs with an in-depth knowledge of what products would provide the best solution, Lin focused more on the software in which Playful Design Studio mocked up the designs. “My role was to act as a go-between, between us and the overall production to ensure the concept we were working on fit in with their vision,” stated Lai.

Automation was a major feature of the show. First was a central lift, which allowed JJ Lin and the piano to make a grand entrance. There were also two long LED catwalks that emerged from the stage and rotated 360°; an upstage lift that was used to get the performer to the high rise; and finally, several movable LED screens –one of which was used to block the musicians at certain times during the show upstage.

“Many automotive elements have been handled by Kinesys motors,” explained Chin. “We brought in CMS for the elements that needed to be a bit more bespoke.”

With the show now up and running, the team at Playful described their favourite movements. “My favourite part was during the Brave New World section,” stated Lai. “It was the part of the show where everything came together from all the departments.” He also expressed his admiration for one of the final looks in which the two automated risers lifted and turned 90° to create a ‘road’ that the artist walked along.

Expansive Lighting

Overseeing the lighting design for the show was Hao-Che Shih. With the support of Lighting

Pictured above: Show Director and Producer, Crystal Chuang; Stage Manager and Technical Coordinator,JJ Chin; Senior Stage Designer, Sam Lai; Senior Stage Designer, Monster Hsieh.

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Operator, Ming-Hsun Cho, Shih explained the role of lighting within the production. “The overall concept of the lighting for this show was about expansion and building on this idea of the ‘Road to JJ ’,” began Shih. “It was all about using light to extend the stage and enlarge the performance area.”

The entire set featured a long LED wall that expanded out into the wings. The semitransparent LED meant that Shih could rig numerous lights behind the screen to achieve some creative integrated looks with the video content. “The decision to rig fixtures behind the LED wall was to create a balance between lighting and video,” stated the Shih.

The main fixtures on the rig came from Acme and FineArt. From Acme, Shih selected 69 AECO 20s, 10 XA-1000 BWs, 80 LP-14410s, 64 TB-1230s, 30 BL200WW 8 HEADERs and 30 BL200WW 4 HEADERs. Meanwhile, from FineArt, a staggering 208 156 Battens were deployed, along with 57 1536 Panels. Also present were 222 Jolly X-7 Coupes, 74 Q-6 Turbos and 44 LP-1915s.

Breaking from some more modern key light conventions, Shih and the lighting team opted to deploy a more traditional manually operated FOH followspot setup utilising six Robert Juliat Lancelot Followspot 4Ks. “Manual

Followspots give a higher level of on-site controls,” stated Shih, giving his reasoning for choosing manually operated spots. “Shows for Asian artists are often longer, and there are more positions and impromptu performances throughout shows. In addition, the artist management has a demand for recording video products for this concert.”

This show also coincided with the rainy season in Taoyuan in December. “Based on the overall considerations, manual followspots were chosen, which has created the need for more on-the-spot mastery,” affirmed Shih.

The show was operated from an MA Lighting grandMA3 using MA2 software. With B’in Live taking ownership of the consoles last August, Shin had been very happy with them so far.

“T he desks are much more efficient to design, thanks to their faster processors,” he explained. “I also really like the new interface and I’m sure it will be even more beneficial when we update to the new software.”

At FOH, it was hard to ignore the abundance of monitors on each of the operators’ desks. Chuang explained this: “Everyone working on the show has a monitor so they can colour correct and ensure JJ is looking his best on camera,” she stated. “I also have one throughout the show, but I usually find by the time I notice anything, it has already been corrected by the team,” she said, praising the efficiency of the visual departments.

To close, Shih spoke of his favourite moment during the show. Like many within the production, he pointed to Brave New World which encapsulated the immersive capability of the lighting rig. “It was like we’d created a 3D experience you didn’t need glasses for,” he chuckled. “With a lighting setup like this, we can give a flat surface real depth.”

Integrated Video

The content played on the expansive LED wall drove the narrative between each section of the show. The production utilised multiple styles of video from a Japanese anime style to some more video game-style sections alongside some pre-recorded footage of JJ Lin. Giving a window into this side of the show was Nas Weng, one of the production’s visual content directors. “I started working on this project around eight months ago,” she began. “After we discussed the main idea and we had the big picture vision of the show, we then began having meetings with the video team to try and create something different.”

The goal for the video was to highlight the transitional moments between the five main acts, with multiple studios brought in to create this original content.

During the project, Weng was in charge of one of these moments, along with the visuals for the show’s setlist. The remaining four transition videos were sent by Crystal Chuang and the show’s other visual director. Weng and her team used a disguise 4x4pro. “We needed the disguise media server due to the huge output demands of the show,” explained Weng. “The brand is the best for dealing with this level of output and the most stable.”

Due to the sheer amount of LED and the fact it was found on some specific scenic elements, a great deal of time was devoted to aligning the content and ensuring everything matched perfectly before show time. “During the build, we took a lot of time to ensure everything was in the right configurations,” stated Chin who oversaw a lot of these fine-tuning. “We had two curved LED screens that came from the rear wall then onto the floor, which lined up with the two lifts to form two ‘J’s in reference to the singer’s name. It was a real challenge to make sure those two ‘J’s were clean. Curved screens are always tricky to work with, but seeing how great they looked on the night made all the hard work worth it.”

There were two main LED products used on the show. The main expansive video wall was made up of Gloshine 7.8mm product that was semi-transparent, which enabled the light team to rig fixtures behind the screen. For some more specific LED looks, including the screens used on the lifts and the extended LED on the floor, the production chose Lightlink 8.9mm. Finally, the last piece of the LED used on the production was a Lightlink 12.5mm, which was set up at FOH and facing the stage acting as a giant audio cue for the artist. “The goal was always to find a product that could co-exist with the lighting rig,” stated Chin.

Weng added: “The fact that the screens were semi-transparent also stopped the large video surface looking like a big black wall when it wasn’t being used; it meant we could be much more creative when it came to making layers within the set.”

One element worth noting during the performance was the number of camera sources for IMAG content. There were several on-stage manned cameras that were just as much involved in the on-stage choreography as the dancers, performing some impressive sweeping runs around the performance and producing some incredibly cinematic shots for the IMAG screen.

If t hat wasn’t enough, there was also a Spider-Cam that was providing some immense sweeping shots above the audience, which showcased the scale of the baseball stadium.

Finally – in what TPi thought was a wonderful touch – there was even a drone feed taking a shot of the venue from outside as it went over the top of the baseball stadium’s boundary to show the throngs of people below. Talk about a home run…

Road To Jj20

On top of the visual support, B’in Live also supplied the entire audio package for the show. This comprised a full L-Acoustics system with 32 K1 and four K2, along with 16 flown K1-SBs and a further 36 SK28s on the ground. For side hangs, 24 K2s were deployed, with a further 24 K2s for the delay hangs.

While all the musicians were on IEMs, there were still several monitors on the stage –mainly for the benefit of the dancers – including L-Acoustics X15 HiQ. Keeping a track of the mixes was a DiGiCo SD7 for monitors, with an SD5 mixing the show at FOH. One of the other undeniably impressive elements of this show was the bang-for-buck ticket holders got, with Lin’s set taking close to three hours with no support save a few guest appearances throughout the evening. The scale of this production was truly something to behold first hand.

As t he dust settled on JJ Lin’s Taiwan date, the production team was looking forward to the next stage of the run.

“T he scale of JJ Lin’s world tour will cover venues from 3,000 to 30,000 audiences,” explained Stage Manager, JJ Chin. “As usual, with our crew of production and technical services, we will ensure that performances in each venue of different sizes can be adjusted accordingly and present outstanding shows.”

The final word went to Crystal Chuang, who rounded up her first experience working on a JJ Lin production. “When I started researching for this show and speaking to the people in B’in Live who had worked with JJ before, it was certainly a lot to digest. However, throughout the process, he was incredibly open to new ideas and suggestions. The fact that we were able to meld all the departments to help tell the story meant we achieved our goal.” www.jfjproductions.com www.bin-live.com www.playfuldesignstudio.com www.cubical.com.tw