LONDON – DesignScene, a production company, provided the creative concept, technical production and the sourcing of artists and performers for Superdrug, a U.K.-based company involved in health and beauty products. The event was modelled on televised talent competitions, with Superdrug head office staff members and vendors vying for the chance to be among the six finalists chosen for the live event.
The hopefuls initially recorded their audition pieces in a video booth at Superdrug's headquarters in Croydon before the six finalists were chosen.
The Starstruck finalists performed at the event, staged at London's Grosvenor House Ballroom. Some 700 top Superdrug personnel and suppliers attended. The event also raised more than $320,000 for three charities – Cancer Research UK, Childline and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
DesignScene was working in conjunction with CL Events, who took care of all the administration, sponsorship deals and selling elements.
British comedian and TV personality Justin Lee Collins presented the event, which, in addition to the Starstruck talent competition, included a sit-down dinner and live auction, with a silent auction running throughout the evening.
DesignScene recruited the All Stars Collective as the house band for the night, and sourced dancers and a leading chorographer.
The talent show finalists were each given 10 hours professional coaching – singing, dancing movement, stage presence – before making their appearances on stage, backed by the house band and accompanied by the dancers.
They were voted on by the attendees, and that approach increased audience participation and donations for the charities.
DesignScene's Attila Keskin created the production design and coordinated the technical production – including lighting, sound, AV, rigging and draping, working with other companies that served as technical partners.
A key challenge was the tight timeframe for all the equipment to be got into the venue and rigged. There was only a half day available for pre-rigging and then a full day that went straight into the show.
The room design featured an end-on stage – inspired by a recent MTV Europe Awards event – an unusual configuration for the Grosvenor Ballroom, where the side on stage is more commonly used.
Concept Staging from Manchester installed a T-shaped stage, with a catwalk coming out from the center front to bring the action right out into the audience.
This setup also added a hint of fashion to the show, reflecting Superdrug's role as a purveyor of beauty products. For the after-party, this also became part of the dance floor.
Safe Sets provided the high gloss finish stage floor covering and also made up graphics boards which were distributed around the venue, displaying information, sponsors logos, etc.
Lighting equipment was supplied by Essential. The rig had to be flexible and dynamic to provide plenty of variety and to light the different sections of the evening appropriately.
A trussing grid was installed over the stage matching the shape of the stage and catwalk, which was rigged with an assortment of fixtures. Onstage, there were four vertical trusses behind an 85 panel Pixled F25 LED semi-transparent screen onstage, with another two trussing columns onstage.
The vertical trusses were loaded with 2-lites and Atomic strobes with color changers. Having these upstage of the screen allowed light to be blasted through so the screen disappeared, introducing a new look and feel of the space, and also enlarging it considerably. When not on, the lighting and metalwork were completely concealed.
The moving lights included 17 Vari*Lite 6Cs and 17 V*L5s, hung all over the trussing grid and above the catwalk. Eight PixelPARs were used for room uplighting, and 24 ChromaQ ColorBlock dB4s were positioned along both edges of the runway.
There were a total of 20 Atomic Color strobes and 30 2-lites including those on the behind-screen trusses, with 16 Source Four profiles that were used for key lighting performers and band.
Twenty Four source Four PARs were used for up-lighting the drapes around the venue, smoke was provided by two DF50 machines, and the lighting rig was completed with two Stark long-throw followspots.
All of this was operated by Alex Passmore using a grandMA full size console.
XL Video supplied a three-camera PPU and the screens, including the Pixled F25 LEDs backing the stage. Keskin selected the Pixled F25 LEDs in part for their transparency, which allowed for several key special lighting effects.
Content – graphics, ambient footage, etc – was stored on a Catalyst media server and output to the F25 screen. The side screens, fed by two Panasonic 12k projectors also received this footage, together with an I-Mag mix directed by Paul "Eggy" Eggerton.
To finish the evening, DesignScene arranged for the Guilty Pleasures band to provide the after show party.
DesignScene had special removable handrails fabricated for the catwalk that were put in place for the VIP reception in the Ballroom at the start of the evening, removed for the show and then reinstated for the after-party when the runway became part of the dance floor.
For more information, please visit www.designscene.co.uk.
