LONDON – Summit Steel supplied rigging services plus all trussing & motors required for the 2010 National TV Awards, which moved to London's O2 Arena for the first time. It was hosted by Dermot O'Leary and broadcast live on the UK's ITV1 channel. Summit was working for Indigo Television, the show's producers. The Kent-based company also provides all the in-house rigging services for the O2, so Summit's project managers Jon Bray and Simon Frost and three production riggers worked together with the 12 Summit-supplied venue riggers.
The process started with a set of TVA show plans, which were co-ordinated by Malcolm Birkett, detailing each technical department's rigging requirements, from which a rigging plan was drawn up by Summit. Working with the TVA production, Summit was able to add input informed by their experience working in the O2.
Frost started the pre-rig on the Sunday before the Wednesday show, during which the trusses were positioned, rigged and floated by the venue riggers. Frost and the three Summit production riggers then assisted the other departments for their get-in on the Monday.
The project involved a total of 83 points of rigging to facilitate the installation of sound, lighting and video equipment, plus draping around the building.
Lighting was designed by Mike "Sooty" Sutcliffe and supplied by Panalux. It involved the flying of five "finger" trusses over the stage, with two wider "fingers" positioned offstage and at slightly lower heights. Another 17 points were used to fly three straight trusses for audience lighting.
For video, supplied by XL Video UK, Summit rigged 13 points. These flew three relay projection screens (positioned left and right of stage, and audience-right of the FOH position), together with a large central projection screen upstage, plus all the projectors feeding the four screens.
The audio rigging involved six flown hangs of L-Acoustics V-DOSC and dV-DOSC PA – three for each side of stage – using a combination of 1 and 2 tonne Lodestar hoists. Plus 4 Audio supplied sound gear.
A total of 76 hoists were used to rig the event production, complete with seven fall arrest points.
The arena was draped and dressed by Blackout, using a combination of three extra drapes trusses and some of the house trusses.
"All went very smoothly due to both the detailed advance coordination and the fact that the different technical departments are very experienced and had worked together before," said Frost. "Knowing one another so well ensured a harmonious working environment," he added.
The production was well-received. It was directed by John L Spencer and produced by Andy Bates, with line producer Julian Meers and executive producer Kim Turberville. The set was designed by Nicoline Refsing from Stufish.
Winners included the iconic sci-fi show Dr Who, which won Best Drama for the fifth year running, with former time lord David Tennant being awarded Outstanding Drama Performance. Coronation Street won Best Serial Drama – voted for on the night by the public. The award for Comedy Program went to Gavin and Stacey, with Ant & Dec winning two Awards including Best Entertainment Presenters.
For more information, please visit www.summit-steel.co.uk.
