CONCERTS Copyright Lighting&Sound America October 2007 www.lightingandsoundamerica.com
40 • October 2007 • Lighting&Sound America Creating a dramatic fusion of scenery, video, and lighting for Rascal Flatts’ tour
By: Paul Berliner Photography: Adrienne Orilla
ooking back at the opening concert of Rascal L Flatt’s Still Feels Good tour at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena—a fascinating day comprised of interviews, rehearsals, and culminating with the band’s concert—a certain memory is unmistakably clear. When I worked on video crews for Bay Area sporting events, the chatter on the headsets would often evolve into a verbal game of “Can you top this?” The audio mixer would tell a tall tale about a client or a particularly challenging remote, then the centerfield cameraman would chime in with an even wilder anecdote—but invariably, the technical director would top everyone with one of his many farfetched yarns. Having experienced Rascal Flatt’s Me and My Gang Tour a year earlier, I knew then that nothing could ever top that remarkable set, comprised of a giant video structure code-named “the mother ship” by the crew. Combining brilliant design and video content, the mother ship constituted a groundbreaking immersive concert experience that could not be surpassed. No way, never, case dismissed. Yet, over a year later, here was another set taking shape that had the potential to prove me wrong. How could the Me and My Gang concert experience ever be topped? I was about to find out.
The 3-D video set Because it was so visually overwhelming, with over 140 points of rigging, simply describing the Rascal Flatts set is no small task. Consider a main stage comprised of 154 Plexiglas “decks,” each of which included 18 Barco MiTRIX LED tiles. This provided a solid, expansive foundation for video imagery on which the band members could perform, plus an E- shaped “dog pound” area for up-close audience contact. Next, four huge cylinders lined the rear of the stage, all custom-fabricated by All Access Staging, and each clad with MiTRIX tiles. Each cylinder was large enough to hide a band member within, and each had the ability to rise and rotate. Above the stage, in a dramatic thunderbird motif, 96 Barco OLite 510 tiles provided the palette for the concert’s main video content. Below the primary thunderbird, secondary thunderbird “wings” thrust out to the sides, up into the risers. With ease, these walkways allowed the members of the band—Gary
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LeVox, Joe Don Rooney, and Jay and directly into the realm of a 3-D appealing as last year’s set, where we DeMarcus—to perform virtually within experience. There were key definitely raised the bar.” the audience. To enable the crowd moments during the concert when I “After the Parnelli Awards show,” (both in front and in back of the wasn’t just watching a musical said Rodgers, “I sat with the band, stage) to enjoy the full video effect, performance with a video with Trey and Doug, and we talked the wings were also dressed with backdrop—I felt was in the video. about what we were going to do next. MiTRIX modules on both sides, and I’d been sketching ideas, and also the walkways were lined with Form follows function thinking what can we do that’s hundreds of Acclaim Lighting’s new The man behind the Still Feels Good awesome, that can blow this set X-Chip LEDs. set is Bruce Rodgers, president of Tribe away? So we did a design that Immediately behind the front of Inc., and winner of the 2006 Parnelli worked for 360.” house, a satellite stage provided the Award for Set Designer of the Year, “With these ideas in mind, I tried to setting for an intimate mid-concert for his work on the Me and My Gang solve all of Rascal Flatts’ needs,” set. The floor (covered with MiTRIX tour. At his offices in Venice, California, noted Rodgers. “That is, we wanted modules) rose up for the dramatic Rodgers’ “tribe” consists of three 360°, we wanted audience opening number, “Me and My Gang.” designers: Sean Dougall, Mai Sakai, interaction, and we wanted to make To enable the band to walk above and Matt Steinbrenner. As Rodgers sure that the people in back and to
Above, left and right: The band in rehearsal. Center: A computer sketch showing the full layout.
the audience between the stage and proudly notes, “They all have masters’ the sides had the same great show as the satellite set, a bridge (lined with degrees, they’re all younger than me, the people out front. Last year, we X-Chips) dropped from the rafters. and they’re all smarter than me.” had a vertical design, kind of a Not quite enough? Three huge I spoke at length with both spacecraft, whereas this year I knew LED “dice” were suspended above Rodgers and Doug Nichols, who, in that we needed to be super- the audience, each approximately 8' conjunction with his partner, Trey horizontal, with super-clean sight square per side, and each comprised Turner, form Rascal Flatt’s lines. And out of this came the of four Panasonic LED panels. The management team, Turner, Nichols & thunderbird vibe and the wings.” dice, symmetrically spaced above Associates. Our discussion focused “When I made that decision,” the crowd, effectively extended the on the evolution of the set, from both emphasized Rodgers, “it was form video experience into the middle of a functional and a creative standpoint. following function, because the the audience, with each side “Last year’s set was a 180° setup,” thunderbird does two things: It gets independently controllable from the said Nichols, “and, in talking with us a great shape, an iconic shape video area backstage. Bruce, we discussed how we could that burns into people’s minds, but it All told, over 4,400 MiTRIX come up with an idea that could be also opens up sight lines, allowing modules were used—perhaps the set up at 180, or 240, or even 360°, people to see clear across.” largest number employed to date for without being placed in the middle of With set design and fabrication a concert. With “surround” structures an arena. That posed some underway, an advanced video in place for video, the set went far difficulties, especially trying to delivery system was next required in beyond an immersive experience, configure something as massive and order to fulfill Rodgers’ vision. That’s
42 • October 2007 • Lighting&Sound America when Steve Daniels, owner of Nashville’s I-MAG Video, called a “meeting of the minds” at NAB. Present were Steve Scorse (Barco’s VP of sales and marketing for the media and entertainment division), Tony Van Moorleghem (product manager for Barco’s new DX-700 LED digitizer), and veteran visual designer Charlie Terrell, the man responsible for video content for the Me and My Gang Tour. As the driving force behind I- MAG’s long-standing video expertise, Daniels needed to design a playback and delivery system that could pipe the highest-resolution video throughout the set. “Because the set is so big, it posed challenges in terms of aspect ratios and playout,” explained Daniels. “Our goal was to facilitate this electronically, as simply as possible, and at the highest resolution. I got the hardware and the software people talking, and we ended up with the best solution. By using the DX-700, the first application of the product worldwide, we reduced the number of digitizers, and processed the video at a much higher bit rate.” “We were excited to use the DX- 700 on such a complex project,” said Scorse, “especially with Daniels’ and Rodgers’ grand vision. This is a The Plexiglas decks feature Barco MiTRIX LED tiles. country tour where the video elements rival, if not surpass, those of creation task, I immediately thought could edit 12 to 16 different layers of the largest rock tours, and it takes that a multi-machine “sync roll” HD content—all doing different country music to a new scale.” would be required to feed video to all things. Figuring out how to make the “With the gurus all together,” the destinations in the arena. Here, mask, using one 1920 x 1080 canvas continued Daniels, “we also explained Terrell’s thinking was way out of the to mask the regions—that was the to Charlie the scope of the set and box. Given the success of the most difficult part.” the hardware’s capabilities, in order to content created for Me and My Gang, Let’s call it “dimensional editing.” devise a completely unique video the pressure was on, but the sole When I edit a video, I’m always playout system.” proprietor of Los Angeles-based working with one screen in one And that’s when the “single Daddy Van Productions was up to dimension. But for this project, with palette” concept was created, as the task. multiple destinations throughout the Terrell was about to explain. “I wanted to avoid a sync roll,” arena, a different approach was explained Terrell, “because number required. By creating a mask, and by Dimensional editing—the one, they never quite sync, and using Final Cut Pro’s layering single-palette concept number two, it makes me nervous. I capabilities, Terrell assigned When I first learned about Rodgers’ thought, if I built all of it into one Final destinations to layers—and created design and Charlie Terrell’s content Cut Pro palette, with a giant mask, I one output file per song that
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encompassed all regions. Once the then I got a handle on it, and then it it to me and says, ‘Make me pretty file was transferred to the servers, the got really exciting and addicting. You pictures,’” added Terrell. “That’s show’s video system did the rest— can do things that you could never Bruce’s genius. He gives me the parsing one file into multiple LED normally do in one dimension. And dimensions of the canvas, and my job walls. Not only did this technique now that I’ve done it, I want to do is to make it come alive.” avoid sync rolls, but it also allowed more of it. The possibilities are Terrell’s unique approach, Terrell to create each destination’s amazing, but it does take a shift in combining movement and content with full visual knowledge of your mind.” impressionistic imagery with sweeping
The thunderbird set piece hovers over the band.
what all other destinations were doing “I was really proud of that last color washes, clearly “topped” his at any given moment. show,” said Terrell, “but there are two previous work. Yet this time, with “By building this as one piece, I key differences here. First, I Rodgers providing an entire floor of can create it, and I can visually move incorporated a lot more motion MiTRIX video as a canvas, Terrell around the room and deconstruct it in graphics, using Apple Motion; the branched out into uncharted territory. my mind,” added Terrell. “As opposed other thing is that it’s a 360 During “Life is a Highway,” the to building one layer and then other experience—with depth. Whereas last group literally performed on a video separate layers, you’re not able to time, we had the mother ship, this highway that rolled smoothly down see it move in the arena. That’s why I time I have 16 streams that I’m the stage under their feet. During built it as one piece.” working with simultaneously. Video is “Stand,” they were playing on I asked Terrell if he had to shift playing all over the theatre as you concrete. At other times, the floor himself mentally to a different, more watch, all timed to the music, and ranged from abstract shapes, to abstract, level in order to edit in putting you within a 3-D experience. waves, to streaks reminiscent of a multiple dimensions. “Yes,” he said. “The way that Bruce and I work, is Jackson Pollock painting. Yet the “At first, I was scared to death, and that Bruce designs, and then he gives most realistic illusion was when they
44 • October 2007 • Lighting&Sound America sang on the tops of clouds—a From there, I pipe it out to the various video. When Terrell’s content was signature Terrell moment. With video destinations on stage, and trigger it subdued in a particular song, surrounding the audience and the from my laptop.” Knighton’s lighting took center stage. band performing in the midst of Lavoie had a video crew of five “I have enough horsepower to light Terrell’s imagery, this was clearly a assisting him on the tour: Brian Ress, the guys, so that they don’t disappear concert in which the so-called Colin Johnston, Eric Wallace, Mike into the set or the video,” said “cheap” seats actually had the better Drew Jr., and Evan Smith. In any Knighton, “but when the video goes view of the entire 3-D experience. case, his key to technical success is away, I can paint the façade with straightforward. “It’s the guys that are gobos, include the crowd, and make Pixel precision doing it,” said Lavoie, “the video them feel that they’re onstage. Using Apple’s new ProRes 422 crew, the carpenters and riggers that “Charlie and I talked about color codec, the video for each song was put the set pieces together, and the palettes a few years back, and it’s output from Final Cut Pro as an HD miles of cables that have to be ironic that we use very similar color QuickTime file, transferred to the assembled exactly the same every schemes. If he’s doing something that show’s video servers, and routed day. It’s the guys that put it together.” I’m colliding with, all I have to do is through the I-MAG video system to As a vital part of the team that alter the palette, go to the other end multiple LED destinations—with 1:1 produced last year’s tour, the lighting of the spectrum, and then pixel precision. designer Andy Knighton was once complement it. The tour’s video director and chief again collaborating with Rodgers and engineer was I-MAG’s Keith Lavoie, Terrell. Knighton works for Bandit the technical wizard behind the video Lites, the tour’s lighting supplier, but is for the Me and My Gang Tour. Here, exclusively assigned to Rascal Flatts. his backstage hardware realm “Bruce and I, we’ll talk four to six consisted of Doremi and Grass Valley months in advance,” said Knighton. Turbo servers, video routers, Barco’s “He’ll give me his ideas, he dictates Encore Presentation System, and the visual structure, but allows me multiple Barco DX-700 and D320 carte blanche with fixture choice and LED digitizers. programming. He knows that he can Yet the key was Barco’s Director trust me enough to be disciplined with Toolset, a software application that all the toys he’s given me.” enabled the digitizers to map video In addition to the 544 X-Chip LED pixels onto LED pixels. The modules, Knighton used 50 Vari*Lite application excels at mapping non- VL3000s, 24 VL2500s, 24 Martin standard shapes—squares and Professional MAC 2000 washes, six rectangles are easy, but thunderbirds 4.2K Syncrolites, seven Lycian M2 are not. The same HD video was spotlights, and nine 9-lite Maxi Brites “When I program, I look at the set,” routed to each digitizer, but the (two of them with Wybron scrollers), adds Knighton, “and I program for Toolset pulled out precise pixel all controlled by two MA Lighting tones and movement, so as not to take regions, based on Terrell’s mask. In grandMA consoles, with three away from the performers. And, by this manner, one file was distributed grandMA NSPs. As Knighton admits, being a little disciplined, when I finally to multiple regions in the arena. his skill is in taking a little and making do something killer, it’s obvious— “The show’s a little more complex it look like a lot. “There are many instead of wearing you out with the this year because of the type of groups with much more gear than constant ‘big’ look. I feel the colors, product,” said Lavoie. “We’re using a this,” explained Knighton, “but with based on what I’m hearing, and based system that allows us to put images this amount, you can actually pay on the attitude of the song.” in different places. Charlie did a great more attention to your exact spacing, Knighton strongly echoed Keith job on the content pre-production, so all your peels are symmetrical.” Lavoie’s thoughts about the crew. and that saved us a lot of trouble. He On last year’s tour, Knighton’s task “Everyone’s got the same gear, the hands me an HD QuickTime file, was to complement rather than same product, but it’s this group of which plays out from his system,” overpower the mother ship’s video. people, your network of touring explained Lavoie. “I transfer that The same theme was at play once personnel, that makes me hungry to uncompressed to the Doremi, with a again, but here there was also an come back. We’re not department- compressed backup on the Turbo. elegant interplay between lighting and stingy—we’re show-oriented and
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Pyro for the production was supplied by Pyrotek.
tour-oriented.” He also had high, and people, and you usually come up with “which is greatly anticipated. Because humorous, praise for Rodgers: “Well, very creative solutions. of the things that have happened, the let’s look at the skill that guy has, “People push the envelope, and entire music world will be watching right? He just goes to bed, lies down, when you do that, you get a better this time. We went under the radar in closes his eyes, wakes up, and draws product,” continued Bishop. “Charlie ‘06, and everyone was like, wow, it out on a napkin. The next thing you disperses the content very well, and where did that come from!” know, you’re hanging it.” he connects all the video elements Nichol’s concluding thoughts on together. And when you see this show, the band’s success were very “Think tanks” of with the dice, the wings, the elements, insightful: “There are multiple layers professionals you’re not just looking at artists, you’re of reasons—and some of it is Scott Bishop, account representative looking at artists doing great work.” because of digital access—but, from for I-MAG Video in Nashville, was “We’ve had great support on this a touring aspect, the one thing that instrumental in arranging the show,” said Bishop, “from the you can never digitally download is logistics required to acquire, software to the technical guys. It was the excitement of being in that arena configure, test, ship, and install the a huge order on a short timeline, but when the show’s going on. And that’s tour’s massive video system. He’s supporting the product is what it’s all why we put a lot of emphasis on the worked numerous prior tours with about. With applications this big, it’s live show. I don’t care what kind of Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, good for everyone: Barco, I-MAG, equipment you use, you can’t click on Nickelback, and many others, but Rascal Flatts, Bruce, everybody.” it and re-create that energy.” this is by far the largest he’s done. I Clearly, the Still Feels Good set My hope is that the same spoke with him about the challenges was purpose-built for a number-one collaborative and creative team will of mobilizing this much equipment. act—and, as Doug Nichols notes, the re-group once again for Rascal Flatt’s “Video is becoming a very large band continues to rack up statistics: next tour—Rodgers, Terrell, Lavoie part of every show at this caliber,” The only country group to ever have and Knighton. The question is, Mr. said Bishop. “You can change your three singles with a million-plus digital Rodgers, can you top this? scenery per song easily, just because downloads, the number-one digital its video, from a rainy day to a cloudy selling artist for all genres in 2006, Paul Berliner is president of Berliner Productions day. But for the people that put the and the largest debuting record in Davis, California—a company providing set in each day, if you take their input across all genres. video production and marcom services to the on how to do things faster, you create “We have another album coming broadcast and entertainment industries. He can small think tanks of professional out in September,” said Nichols, be reached at [email protected].
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