More details from High End Systems (www.highend.com):
The Verizon Philadelphia University Evening of Innovation is an amazing platform for advancing the importance of higher education and innovation and the impact they have on the global economy. The event paid tribute to students, faculty, alumni and friends who contribute their talent, creativity and determination to meeting current and emerging social needs through innovation. The celebration included the Annual Fashion Show at the Academy of Music, followed by the Spirit of Innovation Gala and Awards Ceremony in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt at The Bellevue Hotel.
Lighting Designer Bill Murray of Pro Vision Production Inc. worked with freelance LD/programmer Richard Dunn to create a magical space for the gala, incorporating High End Systems DLVs, TechnoArcs and Hog 4 control. The most formidable challenges to the design team were time and space. Dunn explains, “For me, the biggest constraint going into this event was the timeline. We had a 6am load in with projected scenic, area lighting, custom content, movers and rehearsals leading up to 6:30 doors!” Murray adds, “The facility is one of the oldest ballrooms in the city, and as such it has a lot of plaster ceiling details – but no rigging points. Thankfully, the balcony – when not in use – provided an adequate position for lighting and projection.”.
Murray says Pro Vision used Vectorworks with Spotlight & Renderworks to plot their lighting design. “I calculated throw distances along with the height of the balcony to determine the image size. The basic premise was achieved in the last event in 2012 with DL2s. The client was happy with not only the ability to project theme graphics, but to have a multitude of effects to enhance the environment.”
Provision built an all white set with white returns on stage to provide entrances. All of the surfaces were utilized as projection surfaces that the team covered with DLVs. Four of the DLVs were employed for a 2×2 collage that covered the main facade and dropped in two black masks to provide blackout for the stage right and left screens. “Set the mask, park the layer and forget about it,” explains Dunn. “Then I was free to paint without concern of the screens. The other two DLVs were used to cover the returns and the back of the set. Using the ‘inside corner’ correction and keystone correction, I was able to dial in the contour of the set pretty close. There were times we used all six DLVs in a cohesive look, and there were times we used different content to bring some fun depth to the set.”
The programmer elaborates, “Although I brought a number of additional content pieces, and built a ‘show and tell’ type reel for the client to pick from, they were really drawn to the stock content off of the server. I did bring in the theme logo and manipulated it with the onboard visual effects and was able to create a striking ‘entrance statement’ on the set that was extremely complementary to the program and the promotional material that proceeded the show. It was great to be able to do that within the time restraints of the load in.”
Murray and Pro Vision topped off the design with six High End Systems Techno Arcs. All the gear was located around a balcony rail and made for perfect positions on this event. Dunn says, “When I first saw the specs for the Techno Arc, as pleased as I was with the power specs and the list of internal features, I thought that the front facing indigo LEDs were a little unnecessary … until I got them onsite. They were exactly what I needed to keep a non-invasive, “safety” wash on the audience during walk in/out and during video rolls. I was also close enough to the white ceiling to use the bounce from the indigo LEDS, with a breakout pattern, to bring the whole room together.”
Pro Vision Productions brought in a Hog 4 console for the event; Dunn ran the Hog 4 with a Hog 4 PC backup with super widget. Richard says, “I was fortunate to have been one of the first LDs in North America to have the Hog 4 on the road, and I was pretty much blown away from day one. High End was very responsive to my concerns, and actually sent a programmer to a show site to make sure I had the support I needed. We networked the DLVs to the CMA and networked the Hog 4 and the Hog 4 PC/widget.
“The Hog 4 was really important for me to get this show going in the time we had. It took me a couple shows to correct my muscle memory from the faceplate of the 3, and now I find that I’m reaching for Hog 4 features when I’m back on a 3! Three of the biggest time savers for me are the center monitor and buttons, and the scrolling collar around the trackball. When I’m doing media servers, or DLs, I assign the “File” and “Folder” attributes to the center buttons, and it’s a breeze to reach my content fast. My center window is parked on the color picker 99% of the time. These are all features I wasn’t sure how I was going to incorporate into my programming, but now, when I’m on another desk, I truly miss them.”
Evantine Design was the event producer, and Pro Vision’s Dave Guerin served as Production Manager. In closing, Murray comments, “The client loved what we were able to achieve for this event. Since we were building on last year’s event, we were able to achieve an equal if not better result. We certainly hope they will have us on board for the next round of innovation. As always, High End has excellent lighting products and control. And the digital line is certainly one of a kind. Aside from that, it’s the service that really stands out. They make it very easy to access the technical support you need. Any time of day or night. And many of the names have been there for years. It’s nice to talk to a familiar voice!
