Pro-Light-News Video technology & projection

Advanced video on screen at 46664 Concert in Johannesburg

Gearhouse South Africa supplied design, full technical production and crew to the amazing 46664 Concert staged in Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium on World Aids Day. The landmark show featured an address by Nelson Mandela and a line up of leading local and international performers including Just Jinger, Freshly Ground, Johnny Clegg, Jamelia, Corrine Bailey Rae, Goo Goo Dolls, Razorlight, Live, Peter Gabriel and Annie Lennox. Live high-profile personal appearances also included Naomi Campbell.
Gearhouse sister company LEDVision supplied all the LED screens, overseen by LED Director, Richard Baker. He was stationed in one of three OB trucks for the show mixing the screens via Gearhouse’s new Vista Spyder in 1920 x 1080 pixel HD. He had feeds from eight of SABC’s cameras, along with off-site pre-edited material from the production companies, stored on two EVS machines, and custom content made by 46664’s production company on another EVS. There were also the two feeds from the GrandMA digital media servers being run by Lighting.
Part of Baker’s role was to work closely with production designer and director Tim Dunn in keeping continuity between lighting and screens onstage.
All those inputs went to three sub-mixes in the van which in turn was routed to Gearhouse’s Vista Spyder controller for outputting to screen. Additionally, there was a live website feed tracking all the public text messaging which was filtered and then sent to the Spyder. Baker could therefore have control of the overall graphics backgrounds, so when Po went to a wideshot of everything onstage, he could switch to one coherent look across all the screen surfaces.
Baker also had Po’s IMAG mix (being cut in another OB truck) coming to him in the OB truck, and this was output to the two side stage 7.11 by 3.81 metre Lighthouse R16 IMAG screens rigged below the main PA hang. In addition to the stage and side screens LEDVision provided two 5.08 x 3.05 metre Lighthouse R16 delay screens positioned off the FOH tower for the benefit of the crowd further back.
Baker worked with local Operations Manager, Allen Evans and UK-Based LED Screen technician Pete Ewans alongside 11 other LEDVision crew. Their challenge was in deployment of LED equipment over the various LED–intensive events during the same period across the country, including the FIFA Preliminary draw that took place a week earlier in Durban.
The complexity of the set design – built by another Gearhouse company, In2 Structures – and integrating the various video elements within this - was also a challenge.
Click the link to read more about Tim Dunn's impressive production design. Another link will direct you to a feature about the sound setup
46664 johannesburg 2007
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