For Canada Day, a national celebration on July 1, our northern neighbors went virtual. Matthieu Larivee and his Luz Studio worked on a TV event for the holiday. Designed for home viewing on CBC, Canada Day Together featured virtual collaborations from Canadian artists Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan and others. A firework montage from past displays replaces any live pyro that would normally be planned.
This is the third year Luz Studio handled production, lighting and video design, and this time, they’ve added another dimension: augmented reality. “We are adding AR to the show to avoid having footage from people’s homes (looking) like most live streams,” Larivee says. “So we are creating a 3D set extension, integrating live footage, but we are using real lights to make it come to life.”
Because some artists can’t travel, a local film crew captured footage for use in an AR frame. “For example, Sarah has been shot in Vancouver, but we will have an augmented reality frame (to create a real world environment) in the venue,” Larivee explains. “To enhance the crowd-less show, we will do floor and bleachers video mapping to evoke an audience, to create graphics to enhance the performance as well as stage lights. It’s using all the stagecraft to create a unique experience.”
He adds, “AR is becoming tangible. We’re working on fall TV shows with AR to help enhance the emotion with no audience.”
In-Person Independence Day
While other Austin, TX Independence Day events have canceled — including Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic — LD Sean Semler is preparing for a live crowd for country artist Granger Smith. Round Rock’s Dell Diamond baseball stadium is just northeast of the Austin city limits. Now that large outdoor events are permissible under a new state order in Texas, this event is capped at 50 percent of its normal capacity of 11,631.
For social distancing, seating areas on the outfield will be portioned into square pods measuring six feet by six feet to accommodate a group of about six to eight people. Bleachers will also be segmented with spacing between guests. Staff requirements include face coverings, gloves, and temperature checks on arrival. While a fireworks display ends the evening with spectacular lighting effects, Semler won’t have his touring usual bells and whistles in his rig, so he’ll be punting the show.
“Many of my peers out there are struggling to find work again, and all I can say is that we are excited and blessed to go back to work again in front of a live crowd,” Semler says.
To “knock off the cobwebs,” the band performs live streams for online fans a few times a month, mostly outdoors on the farm headquarters outside of Austin. They’re now planning a fall/winter tour.
All Politics Aside…
“There is some production work out there in this new world,” says LD Myles Mangino. He reports he’s been lighting some political events lately, including a June 17 socially distanced press conference for Joe Biden in Philadelphia. He says, “We used one ‘press pool’ camera fed to the networks to reduce the number of people in the room.”
Jim Tetlow of Nautilus Design continues a long career of lighting political events, divulging little because of NDAs. “I’m still designing the presidential debates and was actually on site surveys three weeks ago. Next week, I may be on surveys at two corporate clients’ headquarters for streaming events. I can’t say who they are and, of course, after the show I won’t be able to share any pictures…”
Bruce Rodgers and his Tribe reveal that they are designing the upcoming Democratic National Convention 2020 in August in Milwaukee. “This is my fourth DNC, and we’re looking forward to a great televised live event,” Rodgers says.
Back to the TV Studios
Max Conwell of Naked Eye Lighting gets back into the TV studios July 4 with the U.K. game show, Catchphrase. Conwell says, “The 20th season has been adjusted for the current situation with not having an audience and greater spacing between the contestants to keep to the six-foot/two meter rule. It’s certainly a challenge. We have learned from a couple of recent shows that it’s very hard and debilitating to work in a mask all day.” While it’s the same crew size, they’ve added more time for the build to keep people and departments apart.
Fire Island Pines Party
LD Guy Smith of The Free Radical Design Group is designing a July 25 fundraising event for social media broadcast involving multiple houses on New York’s Fire Island.
“There will be 10 parties in private homes with either 25 or 50 people max in each,” Smith explains. “Those houses will be donating a sum to the event to participate. They will each get a lighting fixture on the roof to serve as beacons for a drone to follow and a small party lighting package inside.
“Not the usual large scale event, but more of something we are inventing to hybridize Zoom parties with small in-person events limited by the governor’s guidelines,” he explains. The Party will be broadcast on multiple platforms.
Brickman’s Playing Games
Marc Brickman of Tactical Manoeuvre is known for his dazzling displays on the Empire State Building. Now his team has a new outdoor game up their sleeves. “We have recreated the game Simon to play live on the building for the residents of New York City,” he hints. “Hopefully going live across the country soon!”
In all seriousness, Brickman declares, “We are the luckiest team in the world, as we haven’t stopped working during the pandemic. We are busier than ever, along with creating new ways to experience live entertainment. We have been a remote team for years, so there was nothing to get used to as far as meetings. Our hearts go out to the entire industry and the world, as we have been faced with many challenges. Here’s to a bright future!”
Reach Debi Moen at dmoen@plsn.com.
