In-The-Round Production For Co-Op’s Good With Food Awards

21 December 2009 19.33 BST

Co-operative Retail’s ‘Good With Food’ awards and gala dinner pushed the envelope for large-scale corporate productions with an unusual format that challenged suppliers A to V, DBN and Audio Alliance.

Staged at Manchester Central (formally the G-MEX) in late October, the event’s organiser wanted an in-the-round presentation rather than a traditional style and had already looked into placing screens around the periphery. They also wanted to create an extra ‘wow’ factor, so in conjunction with lighting company DBN, A to V conceived a circular screen and stage idea. The Manchester-based rental staging company’s concept was approved and a set company was tasked with custom building the rig, which was supplied in segments and seamed, covered and finished on site before being flown.

Back in March this year, A to V became one of the first customers for the new Christie Roadster HD10K-M 3-chip DLP projectors, which were immediately pressed into service on a major product launch for Bosch. The company originally purchased six projectors but doubled that quantity, principally to service the Good With Food awards. Nine of the Christie units formed a pivotal part of the production, and at the same time A to V debuted the new Spyder X20 processor from Vista Systems (a Christie company).

Using the Co-operative’s slogan ‘Good with Food’ as the theme for the event, six of the M Series projectors were directed onto a 360° screen, measuring 10 metres in diameter and 3.5m high (9500 x 1080 pixels). This featured a single image, with blending carried out in the new X20. The screen was custom made in rigid canvas material to optimise the computer, DVD and media server feeds.

The main screen projectors were flown from the middle of three concentric circles, which formed a 38m diameter quad-rig truss, via Unicol poles, with spigots enabling the devices to be inverted.

A 10 metre diameter circular stage in the middle of the room was the central point, with 150 tables arranged in concentric circles radiating outwards to the edges of the room. Above the stage was a cylindrical projection screen rigged by the DBN crew on a 10m circular truss.

A 9m truss was flown inside of this providing stage lighting positions. Further out in the room were two more circular trusses measuring 21m and 38m. These, together with straight trusses above an entertainment stage at one end of the room, were used for lighting, video projection and PA positions.

Another truss ran around the complete perimeter of the space, hung with a fibre optic starcloth.

In total, A to V fielded nearly 2,000 sq. ft of screen — since in addition, three 21ft x 12ft repeater displays, set at 120° intervals, distributed an identical image around the auditorium on the outer walls.

A to V drove the X20 to its limits, using all eight outputs — seven on the screens and one on the preview monitors — and seven inputs (with up to 14 layers at one point, pushing it to near capacity).

Allan Hindley envisages a bright future for the new processor. “It drastically reduces the number of processors required, in fact to have achieved what we did for the Co-op with other processors would have required eight 4U rack-space devices, so a single X20 represents an eighth of the real estate. The provision of an inbuilt router makes the system even more compact, while there are also some useful features in terms of the transition and keying processes,” he noted.

Christie’s compact 3-chip DLP M projectors displayed a similar degree of flexibility, with their dual mercury lamps providing optimum performance, efficiency and cost of ownership. A further advantage of the M Series is that it includes four resolutions, WXGA, SX+, HD and WUXGA and compatibility with a broad range of high-quality lenses, all with true Intelligent Lens System (ILSTM) capabilities.

One of the challenges facing Allan Hindley’s team had been to get the DVI signals up to the rig and along the truss, which represented a 120m distance from the control; hence, A to V turned to their own bespoke optical fibre systems.

“We have been using fibre for a long time but we also needed to make sure there were no issues in terms of latency,” said Allan Hindley.  “Since we needed six identical systems — one for each screen — we opted for six sets of CSI TX/RX units utilising single-mode fibre, made to our specifications rather than the multi-mode system we already have. Not only have our Tx/Rx hardware systems changed, but we have also changed the physical fibre as well.” The CSI units were provided by True Colours and the fibre by Wren.

Allan Hindley said the show was an unqualified success and commented: “The Roadster HD10K-M’s performed magnificently, and combined with lasers and pyrotechnics, contributed to a memorable show.”

Pete Robinson from Manchester based lighting company DBN was given the brief to create a refreshing, vibrant environment including scenic elements, as an ambient background to the event. DBN supplied all lighting, production trussing and rigging for the one day event. Working closely with A To V’s Jim Hadfield and Co-Op event organiser, Dave Griffiths, they suggested staging the show, which Robinson had lit before, in the round for the first time to make a visual impact and a departure from previous years.

Robinson’s lighting rig had to illuminate the room generally and highlight the Awards action on the central stage and the live performances on the end stage. He used 60 Clay Paky Alpha Series moving lights in total, a mix of 24 Alpha Spot 575s over the central stage and Alpha Beam 300s, Alpha Spot 1200s and Alpha Wash 575s for the end stage and main space.

Studio Due CS4 bars were used at the back of the end stage, which also featured an 18m rear cyc lit with ChromaQ ColorBlock 2 LED fixtures. A host of Source Four Profiles and ADB fresnels were dotted all over the room, and each of the 150 tables was individually lit with a single Source Four PAR.

The starcloth was fed by Martin QFX fibre optic sources, enabling spectacular colour changes. The Co-Op has recently merged with Somerfield’s, so they were also able to do combinations and different looks, mixing their respective corporate colours of blue and green.

All lighting in the main area was controlled via a Jands Vista T2 console, operated by Andy Kennett.

The DBN team also created a totally separate drinks reception area in the hall with trussing and drapes, featuring a 40m cyc, lit with CityColors and some projection. This and other generic lighting was run from a second Vista T2.

To connect the two areas and produce an aura of ‘anticipation’ as guests entered the main hall, Robinson created a 5m tunnel, which jumped into life with rear projections from ‘outside’ and lighting from more ColorBlocks and SGM PALCO LED floods. These effects were also controlled from the second lighting desk.

The get-in schedule was hectic, with three and a half trucks worth of kit leaving DBN’s premises in central Manchester, which was tipped at the venue on the Wednesday morning, with a rigged-and-ready deadline for the Thursday evening show. DBN worked with 15 lighting crew on the in and the out plus 12 locals and a show crew of eight.

Robinson also undertook some of the production management role. Co-ordinating the get-in schedule was a major exercise to maximize the short get-in time, and entailed ensuring that the different areas were clear to allow the assorted production elements like lighting, sound, staging and AV access to work in an efficient and logical manner.

This was the latest event in DBN’s ongoing working relationship with the Co-Op, for whom they have also done previous Awards shows and several other events at this venue.

Also Manchester based, Audio Alliance were contracted for their audio expertiseby the Co-op to provide a sound system for the event. Neil Hughes, who was assisted by Pete Stanbank and James Silvers, designed and project managed this event around four carefully aligned hangs of Alcons Audio line array for the central stage and two hangs of Meyer Mica Line array for the end on stage.

Control was all based around a Yamaha M7CL-48 and with over 12 playback sources, 14 channels of radio mics and a band to mix, it was a busy show, made even more challenging by the winners of Britains Got Talent, Diversity being stuck on the motorway and a last minute substitution at 6pm of X-Factor act JLS who were performing locally that evening and stepped in to cover Diversity's absence!

Hughes said: “Many comments have been received by people amazed at the quality of audio possible in this ex-train station renowned for its acoustic issues. Additional challenges from the venue included it being double booked, resulting in an unexpected noise curfew during the day of the show.”

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