TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL
W W W.TPIAWARDS.COM
TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL
WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2013
ISSUE 172
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JESSIE J
THE BRITISH SINGER STUNS WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS ON HER LATEST ARENA OUTING
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
JESSIE J THE BRITISH POP STAR COVERS ALL BASES ON HER ALIVE TOUR, WHICH INCLUDES SHOWERS OF PYROTECHNICS, LED VIDEO SCREENS AND A COMPLEX AUDIO MIX. SARAH RUSHTON-READ REPORTS FOR TPi. In pop sensation Jessie J’s fast-paced UK arena show Alive, every beat is packed with stunning lighting, video, special effects and heart pumping sound. Working in synchronicity with the singer, the visual artistry of Vince Foster’s sleek set and lighting design, Show Director Paul Caslin’s clever mix of video production and FOH Engineer Karl ‘Snake’ Newton’s kicking audio ensure that Alive is continuously stimulating and hugely uplifting. Like Jessie J herself, the scale of the show is reassuringly ambitious. Inspired technical solutions have come from Creative Technology, Canegreen and Neg Earth among others, while John Pryer and Andrew Thornton of 24-7 Productions take care of production management. The super-wide 72ft set features a curved runway, which cleverly splits the audience into VIP and the rest. However, Jessie plays to everyone with equal gusto. Foster’s ‘widescreen’ style platform design comprises three portrait-hung LED screens positioned up-stage centre, while the rest 28
of the set is visually sculpted using 600 horizontally positioned Barco MiStrips. Either side, two IMAGs deliver live camera feeds and pulling it all together, centered above the stage, are two curved frames of vertical MiStrip, which create a significant anchor for the whole look. Caslin’s pre-recorded video content is mixed with live camera feeds, directed by Steven Price, as the whole galloping gamut serves to deliver Jessie J’s audience inspiring messages of self-belief and love - Foster explained: “The concept is built around the letters of Alive, Jessie’s latest album title. Paul’s idea was to name each section of the show after each letter in the word. The first being ‘Awake’, the second ‘Love’, the third ‘Instinct’ the fourth ‘Value’ and the final ‘Energy’. Each has its own colour, video and light theme.” LIGHTING Complementing Jessie J’s considerable stage presence, Foster’s set and lighting design is a vivid mix of lighting looks, video effects and pyrotechnics.
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
Opposite: Every beat of Jessie J’s UK arena show was packed with mesmerising visual, lighting and special effects and a heart-pumping sound. Below: Creative Techonology provided the video control and LED screens.
“There’s a lot of black in the first part of the show,” said Foster. “For me it’s as much about what’s left out as it is about what’s included.” Certainly, the black space gives a sense of perspective and presents an opportunity for Foster to layer even more beat-sharp impact into the mix. “We use Barco MiStrips in a number of ways, sometimes to transform the stage into one huge video image and at others to create various lighting effects. We add to the overall video canvas with Flexi-LED strips on the edges and steps of the thrust stage.” In terms of actual luminaires, Foster has been economical, opting for fixtures that fulfill a multiplicity of roles: “The majority of the rig comprises Martin Professional MAC III AirFX, which are amazingly versatile. They can be a washlight or a profile,” he said. “I also specified Clay Paky’s Sharpy Washes, because they’re bright and they’re lightweight. We also use Clay Paky Sharpys and a tonne of Martin Professional 3000 DMX Atomic strobes for effects.” For control, Foster uses a High End Systems Whole Hog 4 console: “It solves a lot of the issues the Hog 3 presented. For one, it’s much better at handling the LED, it has plenty of USB ports, much bigger screens and it’s stable - I love it.” Pryer and Thornton are in charge of the production design and they have, as always, delivered a spectacular, working closely with Foster and Caslin.
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
Below: Barco MiStrips transformed the stage, they were utilised to create either one huge video image or a number of other lighting effects.
VISUALS Creative Technology provided the video control system, LED screens package, crew and preprogramming services. Caslin’s content is mixed with live camera feeds, the result of which is then broadcast across three portrait hung Flyer 12 touring LED screens centre stage. Two portrait IMAG screens, also Flyer 12, hung either side of the stage, deliver live camera close-ups. The diversity of LED resolutions used, including the Barco MiStrip and Flexi-LED, creates a spectacular backdrop that delivers some unique looks for the five different sections of the show. Kicking off with moody, widestage monochromatic looks, Foster’s design then launches into bright dance states and 30
climaxes with a glittering champagne gold finale, replete with confetti. Although rich and varied to watch, the beauty of the show is in its determined simplicity. Using intelligent video mapping, programmed on Avolites Media’ Ai Media Servers, Creative Technology’s Will Harkin and Rob Currie in association with consultant video programmer Nick Clark-Lowe have enabled innumerable, multi-dimensional video and lighting looks to be generated from a single image layer. “What made the media server particularly useful was the 3D desktop visualiser,” explained Creative Technology’s Director of Business Development, Adrian Offord. “It allowed the
creative team to see content working in the virtual world, while the set was still being built. For two weeks prior to rehearsals Nick worked in our studios programming and time coding the content.” In addition, four live cameras, directed and mixed by Price, feed into the look. The set up comprises a small custom-built PPU frame controlled by a Panasonic 450 mixing system with a multi-viewer output. This simplicity further extends to the prerecorded content, as Offord explained: “We’re using a single 1080 video image across all the screens to deliver the entire pre-created content for the show. The video strip in the floor, the 600 pieces of MiStrip and all five of the LED
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
Below: Monitor Engineer, Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson; FOH Engineer, Karl ‘Snake’ Newton; LED / Media Engineers, Jonny Hunt and Arkadiusz Wegrzyn with LED Technician, Jamie Thomson Video / Racks Engineer; Lighting Designer, Vince Foster; Video Director, Steven Price.
screens are fed a single 1080 image mapped to the hardware using the Ai servers.” In terms of live camera content, Price has control over four cameras and the output level of the screens. In order to achieve as low a delay as possible, the system has been designed to allow him to manage the Ai graphics card direct, without going through the server’s engine. Price commented: “Working with Creative Technology and Nick Clarke-Lowe is always a joy. They understand that my role is to create the look and that I have limited technical skills. They always ensure that the systems are set up so I can get on with the job without concerning myself with technical detail. I have had plenty of helpful support from racks engineer Jamie Thomson along with nonstop back-up service from CT’s Project Manager for the tour, Nic Maag.” AUDIO For Karl ‘Snake’ Newton, Jessie’s show presents a complex mix musically: “The sound has to be a true hybrid between the recorded versions and a live band. “My primary focus is Jessie’s vocal talent, but the way she interacts with the backing singers is also key,” he explained. “Jessie will throw a whole verse to a backing vocalist without 32
warning and I have to be ready for that. The challenge is to keep vocal clarity over a powerful mix.” Snake’s choice of PA is an L-Acoustics K1 system, supplied and designed for the tour by Canegreen. “The main challenge was the 72ft wide stage,” Project Manager for the company, Luther Edmonds, explained. “The B-stage thrust, which contains the VIP ‘golden circle’, had to be covered well but the brief was to keep the stage itself clear. So we designed a system of fills within the main stage as well as a centre cluster firing down into the VIP space. We had limited the floor space available for groundstacked subs and this led to us using an end on design for the SB28’s.” In charge for Canegreen on tour is Pete Hughes: “The PA comprises two main hangs of L-Acoustic K1’s and L-Acoustic Kara downfills with an array of ground end-fired subs,” he explained. “Side hangs are V-DOSCs and dVDOSCS. The K1-SBs are rigged behind the flown K1-array system either side of the stage, the reason being we needed a lot of low end and if we had put them in the K1 cluster we would have lost height. This is a visual show so we were concerned about sight lines. Putting them behind meant we could get height and easily fit those elements into the sound picture. We then
have clusters of L-Acoustics KARAs mid stage doing fill as well as some KIVA Lip fills getting the sound to the front VIP area.” In order to reduce distortion the team organised the sub-stacks into an end-fire arrangement, each stack at one-metre intervals from the next, creating a cardioid pattern for the bass sound, which gives a really good low-end throw toward the audience without killing the front row.” Snake chooses to use an Avid console: “I’m a plugin user and for this show it’s all about the plugin integration. I mix to groups a lot - the old school way - and I compress and EQ groups as well as individual channels. I’m using two TC Electronic DBMax units for external processing, one on Jessie and one on the mix, plus various plugins. I’ll use pretty much anything that runs on the Avid with one notable exception, AutoTune! Jessie, flanked by top backing vocalists, has no need for that particular abomination.” For the first time, Snake is using a UAD Apollo 16 as an outboard effects unit. “The UAD plugins are great but only when run on their own hardware, and the Apollo 16 allows me to use them on any mixing platform.” “When it comes to the show, every song is treated as a separate entity. The only thing that’s safe from automation is Jessie’s channel strip
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
Below: Clay Paky’s signature Sharpys beamed out across the stage.
and the mains,” Snake continued. “I use snapshots as I would in the studio. It’s a powerful way of working but dangerous too. If you don’t know what you’re doing this approach can kill your show at the touch of a button.” For local monitoring, Snake uses the Neumann KH310 active studio monitors. “I read a review and had to try them,” he explained. “We got them in on demo and I didn’t let them go. The three way un-ported design means they go right down in the bottom end very accurately. The mid-range is sweet and the low end extension is really true and translates well to the PA.” At the other end of the arena, Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson takes care of monitors on his DiGiCo SD5. “Providing monitors for a show of such high calibre is extremely rewarding,” he said. “The line up of Jessie, Phebe (BV), Louise (BV), Kelli (BV), Jonathan ‘Ginger’ Hamilton (drums), his brother Mike ‘Smoove Groove’ Hamilton (bass), Lewis Allen (guitar) and Hannah Vasanth
(keyboards) plus a few other bits and bobs has me using up to 64 inputs,” he said. “The bits and bobs include a talk matrix so the band and I can communicate during the gig. In total this DiGiCo desk offers around 124 faders and I believe - in my usual style - that I’ve used all but six.” For Baggy, the DiGiCo SD5 is the only choice: “DiGiCo consoles sound the best and are the most flexible. I love the SD5 for its intuitive layout and compact size. The fact that I can sit down and still reach all the controls, including the macro buttons, which I use a lot, is great.” Baggy is also using a DiGiGrid MGB box to record the show so that he can tweak as he goes. There are no wedges or side fills, instead Baggy uses 12 sets of Sennheiser 2000 Series IEMs with 24 packs comprising a mix of Ultimate Ears UE11, JH Audio JH16 and Westone UM2. “Sennheiser’s IEM system is the best for RF and sound quality,” he said. “The
KINGS OF LEON
BEYONCE
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
MUSE LORD OF THE DANCE
ELTON JOHN ED SHEERAN
RUSH
CHEMICAL BROTHERS
BEADY EYE PETER GABRIEL
MILOW
ALICIA KEYS FLEETWOOD MAC All filmed with Bradley Engineering equipment
+44 (0)1590 622 440 www.bradeng.com Picture courtesy of Blackcamsystems
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
Below: Special effects were provided by Quantum and were designed to create a variety of different pyrotechnic looks throughout the show.
engineer mode features are great, as is the Wireless System Manager. It’s a real time saver, allowing me to remotely monitor and control the whole system from one place. I can set up and coordinate the frequencies of microphones and personal monitors and see the most important parameters of each on a single screen.” Wireless System Manager is also good for pre-planning. “Theo Holloway does our frequency management,” said Baggy. “He sent me five sets of frequencies at the beginning of the tour and a list detailing which to use in which venue. I wirelessly and remotely pre-programme the receivers as opposed to programming each one individually. The support
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from Sennheiser is second to none. Tim Sherratt was brilliant throughout production rehearsals and Mark Saunders ensures we get everything we ever need in a hurry and fixes everything we break within 24 hours.” Jessie, the backing singers and guest artists all use Sennheiser 5235 microphones. In fact 90% of the microphones are Sennheiser, with some Neumann and a smattering of Shure thrown in. “Sennheiser have got the best RF,” added Snake. “Jessie’s vocal is really dynamic, from a whisper to a scream, sometimes in three seconds flat. They are the closest things to a cable microphone in RF world.”
To keep the audio sharp, SSE uses a Lab. gruppen Lake system with Dante protocols. “It means we have a fully digital signal chain straight from the mic to the amplifiers where it’s converted back to analogue,” explained System Engineer Perrtu Korteniemi. “This ensures that there’s no buzz or hiss to waste time chasing.” SPECIAL EFFECTS The show is punctuated by Quantum Special Effects, in the shape of fog from two LSGs, CO² jets and G Flames, which are predominantly used in Do It Like A Dude. Quantum sent Dan Ivory-Castile out as Crew Chief with Jackson Wheeler, Technician, who
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Jessie J
Below: The shows sold out across UK arenas, which were adorned with fans; Jessie J and her entire touring crew.
explained. “My brief was to use them in the whole song but as with many effects I went for the ‘less is more’, choosing certain points throughout the song like a guitar scale riff of nine notes where I use the flames to do a chase across the stage with a flame a note.” As the guitar breaks into a solo, there is a hit of three flames for a one second burn and ahead of various other points on the number that are accented with flames. To open the show, Quantum was tasked with creating a powerful atmosphere for the singer. During Thunder, the lights come up to a silhouette with thick fog from the LSGs. These are intermittent through the following songs to keep some movement on stage, while maintaining a powerful ambiance. Breath has four CO² jets on on the main stage and 14 on the thrust. The latter chase into the middle, where Jessie sings with hits on the word ‘breath’, the other four start a chase sequence as a backdrop for the singer. The highlight comes at the finale, during the song Gold, as a gold pyro waterfall, controlled by the Galaxis firing system, runs along the 38
back of the stage for approximately 30 seconds. Other effects for the song include four confetti blowers firing 5kg of gold confetti from each machine. Two are at FOH, one stage left and the other stage right to get the best crowd coverage possible, submerging the audience in the party atmosphere. Elsewhere within the special effects department, ER Productions supplied lasers to the live shows, allowing for another dimension to be found in the tour’s visual design. As a very last minute addition to the technical rider, ER Productions was able to come onboard at the eleventh hour and join the rest of the crew without delay. Lasers supplied included two 21W white light lasers rigged on an upstage tunnel riser, two 5W gold 577mm lasers rigged high up on the lighting truss to project down at the extended stage section thus creating a gold backdrop. Additionally, two 12W green lasers either side of the stage were deployed to widen the look of the lasers. All lasers were controlled by Pangolin Showtime. ER Productions also supplied two Look Solutions Unique Hazers.
Said ER Productions’ Marc Webber: “We jumped into action and were able to deliver the following day with a respectable 76W of laser power! All health and safety paperwork was submitted and signed off in due course.” The tour’s Laser Programmer was Ryan Hagan, who worked alongside Laser Operator, Michael O’Driscol. Eat to the Beat provided tour catering, while Stardes and Phoenix supplied trucks and buses respectively. All in all this show was a stunner, every element combining to deliver a beautifully tuned, fun packed performance that looked and sounded spectacular, wherever you were watching or listening from. TPi Photos: Sarah James, Sarah Ruston-Read, Jenny Potter and Emily Hutching www.24-7productions.co.uk http://uk.ct-group.com www.negearth.co.uk www.canegreen.com, www.q-sfx.com www.er-productions.com, www.stardes.co.uk www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.globalinfusiongroup.com