AMSTERDAM – Kinesys automation was an integral element of Sean Burke’s elegant production design for Mariah Carey’s ‘Sweet Sweet Fantasy’ tour, which headed to South Africa in late April after completing a substantial UK and European leg earlier this year. It was the artist’s first trek through continental Europe and the U.K. in 13 years. The Kinesys system was operated by Jonathan Wood of Event Automation & Lighting Services and supplied to the tour by lighting contractor, Neg Earth Lights.
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For the arena shows, four 8-meter-high by 2 meter wide projection columns glided on and offstage with video content mapped precisely to them as they moved, a stunning result achieved using an interface between the Kinesys Vector automation control system and the VYV Photon media server. The media server was operated by Ellie Clement from Lucky Frog with projection equipment supplied by CT.
Just upstage of these, four lighting ladders also moved into different positions related to the configuration of the screens at the time, allowing the moving lights rigged on them to beam through the gaps. The moving screens flanked a static circular screen center-stage and worked either as four striking individual columns or as two larger screen areas, with VT and ambient projection running through most of the show.
These and the trussing ladders immediately upstage were rigged on new Litec DST52, a 52 cm stacking truss product developed by Litec with Kinesys supplying the trolleys that run within it. Neg Earth Lights connected these two innovative products to ultimately produce a solution for the client.
The DST system operates using an inbuilt rack-and-pinion drive and the Kinesys Elevation 1+ powered DST trolleys can move up and down its entire length – in this case 24 metres for screens and the two 10 meter lighting trusses.
Each beam trolley has two lifting points used to pick up the lighting ladders – each ladder containing a mix of Clay Paky Mythos and Martin MAC Viper AirFX fixtures.
It was Sean’s first tour with Mariah Carey, although he worked on some large one-offs and TV specials for her before being asked to create the touring production design, which was energized in a very short timescale with a few practical requirements to consider based around available truck space.
Sean planned automation in the design from the outset because “visually we needed THAT something extra, and being able to move the screens and the lighting ladders added a whole new layer of choice and new perspectives to the space”. Around 15 different movement looks that changed throughout the show were programmed into Kinesys’ Vector control software.
They also needed a compact system to fit into the trucks space and Kinesys, utilizing the DST52, proved a perfect practical as well as aesthetic solution that upped the drama and dynamics of the show.
