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Power From the People

Coldplay’s efforts to “go green” on tour had an impact on the design team, which had to pivot in how they put together a production. In this issue, we talk to the creatives about complying with the sustainability mantra on one of the most talked about tours, “Music of the Spheres.”

Creative Change

There are many articles this month of shows that include creative uses of video. Those, paired with some advice for lighting designers working with video from Contributing Writer and Designer, Craig Rutherford, set me thinking about how creative video for live entertainment has grown and changed over the years.

PLSN Product News, August 2022

PLSN’s August 2022 issue features new products from ADJ, Blackmagic Design, Claypaky, Creative Conners, Lectrosonics, Prolights, Pro Tapes, RentalPoint, and Vari-Lite.

Developing INFiLED’s Titan-X LED Panels

INFiLED’s Titan-X LED panel has an 8mm pixel pitch and a high transparency of 70% making it well suited for blow through screen applications where designers can layer lighting, effects, and even audio behind the LED screen. This newer LED panel was developed collaboratively between production and rental solutions provider, PRG and LED manufacturer, INFiLED.

Coldplay ‘Music of the Spheres’ Tour

Coldplay wanted to find a way to tour in an environmentally green way and they may have found it. With the “Music of the Spheres” tour out on the road, PLSN checks in with the creative team to learn how the tour is disrupting and redesigning the normal process of concert touring and production.

Coldplay’s Inflatable LED Spheres

The four large video spheres in Misty Buckley’s production design for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres look deceptively solid. Wonderfully round, covered in 25mm pixel pitch LED strips, they’re actually soft surfaced inflatables. Contributing a lot to the sustainability efficiencies of the tour—the spheres are lighter in weight, take up far less truck space, and require much less labor to install/dismantle. They inflate in about two minutes and deflate in about seven minutes. Each sphere hangs from one chain motor, and each has a custom dolly cart for storage and transport.Read More »Coldplay’s Inflatable LED Spheres

Coldplay’s Video and Camera Systems

Coldplay video control with the three engineers.

On Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, there are powerful video and camera systems that provide the video team the ability to take in any signal—in any flavor—and play it back where, and whenever needed on the many playback surfaces of Production Designer Misty Buckley’s massive set. Those playback surfaces include two 14m (45.93’) circular I-Mag screens—which are used constantly throughout the show; a large arched video wall—known as the Moonrise—that is approximately 44m (144.35’) wide by 6m (19.68’) at the tallest; and four large inflatable LED video spheres suspended high above the Moonrise. The I-Mag and Moonrise LED screens are made from ROE Visual Carbon Series CB8 8mm LED panels and the LED spheres are covered in PRG LED Strip with a nominal 25mm pixel pitch. [For more details on the inflatable LED spheres, go to page 24.]Read More »Coldplay’s Video and Camera Systems

Stevie Nicks ‘Live in Concert’ Tour 2022

Production and Lighting Designer Travis Shirley and industry legend/Tour Director Marty Hom looked for a project to work together on and found the ideal one with Stevie Nicks’ 2022 “Live in Concert” tour. The tour and design celebrate the iconic vocalist’s long successful career reflected in the production elements.

Woodstock: Peace & Music &…Production Issues?

This month celebrates the 53rd anniversary of The Woodstock Music & Art Fair. With festivals in their infancy at the time, on Aug. 15-18, 1969, Woodstock would make musical and cultural history. Festival production was also in its infancy at the time and Lighting Designer Chip Monck brings us back with his tales.