More details from Creative Technology/CT (www.ctlondon.com):
After the successful ESC 2011 held in Düsseldorf, Creative Technology (CT) was again chosen as partner of Brainpool TV GmbH on behalf of Ictimai TV for the realization of this unique TV stage set providing a stunning LED installation in the recently built Crystal Hall.
Thousands of spectators and fans were present at the live final in Baku on May 26th 2012, with an estimated television audience of 120 million people worldwide watching on television. The winner was Sweden’s Loreen with her song “Euphoria,” meaning the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 will travel to Stockholm in May next year.
The Crystal Hall, built in only eight months, is situated on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Baku and is an architectural highlight positioned besides a variety of modern and historical buildings in the area. The German set designer Florian Wieder and lighting designer Jerry Appelt transformed the interior and exterior of the Hall into a unique and gigantic TV set.
The Challenges:
• Concept consulting and technical solutions for the professional realization of the TV stage set with the latest, state of the art media technology.
• Technical planning of the LED, video and Encore production technology.
• Logistical co-ordination / organisation of 90 tons of media technology equipment.
• Six months planning and preparation time in Germany with almost 7,270 working hours during set-up and show-time on site.
• Coordination of 22 team members during set-up, rehearsals, both semi-finals, the grand final and for the dismantling after the show.
Highlights:
• 1.52 million video LED pixels on the central stage in Crystal Hall.
• 1,380 square meters of LED surface, built in 11 free-format screens consisting of 1,380 LED modules Spider 30.
• Illuminated Green Room with 450 metres of the Schnick-Schnack LED C-Series system.
• 1.7 kilometres Barco MiSTRIP installed in stage floor.
• 12 projections on 390 sqm screens with 12 Barco FLM HD20 projectors with 20,000 ANIS-Lumen each – broadcasting the show acts to the audience inside the Arena.
• 14 Green Hippo media servers, two Encore systems, two DVI matrix switchers • 32×32 with fibre optics connections for the Operator’s desk.
• All signal cabling with fibre optics and copper cabling, realised redundant from the Operator’s desk to the display media.
• New OLED HD Sony monitors as class A reference monitors.
• Complete monitoring in Arena, Green Room and Delegations Area utilising over 40 displays.
CT project manager Alexander Klaus was highly satisfied with the project in the remote Azerbaijan area: “I am overwhelmed with the Eurovision show here in Baku and the perfect match of the team that had previously and successfully worked on Eurovision 2011 at home in Düsseldorf. Any challenges of this major project in Baku were handled as part of a team alongside the other parties and partner companies with the overall realisation of the project being part of a long-term co-operation with partner Cape Cross Studio & Filmlichtgesellschaft mbH. CT’s next project following the show in Baku is Germany’s Next Top Model Final live at the Lanxess arena in Cologne on June 07, 2012.”
