LONDON — Projection specialists ETC UK supplied Christie video projection and an OnlyView multi-screen control system onto a 24-meter curved screen for the BT Digital Music Awards, a Ballistic Events project staged at London’s Roundhouse.The event honored the best in the fast-moving world of music-related digital innovation and communications.
ETC UK’s Andy Joyes was approached by Paul Corrick, from production company Reality, to supply projection for the event. It was the first time the two companies have collaborated, and Reality’s Creative Director Alice Lindars worked closely with Joyes and the ETC UK team to design and program the widescreen Awards nominations/winners graphics package plus live screen inserts.
The projection screen was curved around the rear of the stage in keeping with the natural architecture and charisma of the venue — once a Victorian locomotive tuning shed. The eight projectors were run as four doubled up pairs, edge-blended to produce one long rounded image and perspective corrected within OnlyView.
The Awards package and VT insert playback material was all stored on the OnlyView servers. Due to the spontaneous nature of award shows, much of this was not available until the afternoon of the show, involving some intense programming by OnlyView Operator Richard Porter and Engineer Simon Pugsley.
Luckily, the quick operation of Onlyview — with no rendering time involved — helped them achieve everything in time for doors. “We edited and added a good 25 percent of the show in the final period before doors opened,” explains Joyes. “It was a high pressured environment in which to work, and everyone rose to the occasion. I don’t think we could have done it so well using any other control system.”
In addition to all the walk up and announcement graphics, the ETC UK team switched four live windows around the screen for the show’s opening sequences, choosing footage from one full broadcast mix and three ISO camera feeds made available from Channel 4’s OB unit. They also played back a wide selection of artist and organizers’ VT inserts throughout the show for which OnlyView handled audio as well as video. “Yet another area making this system so versatile,” comments Joyes.
Much of this VT content also arrived on site during the afternoon of the show, needing editing, conversion into MPG 2 format, which is the optimum for OnlyView, and integrated into the show mix.
Paul Corrick states, “The service and flexibility offered by the ETC UK team was excellent — they really pulled out all the stops to make it happen.”
Live performances included Natasha Bedingfield, The Rakes, ex Sugababe Mutya Buena, The Hoosiers, Newton Faulkner and Amy MacDonald. Of the 21 awards, 13 were voted for by music fans and seven were judged by a panel of experts. Winners included Natasha Bedingfield (Best Pop Artist), The Chemical Brothers (Best Electronic Artist), Lemar (Best Urban Artist), Muse (Best Rock/Indie Artist) and The Rakes (Best Artist Promotion).
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