CONCERTS Copyright Lighting&Sound America January 2013 http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/LSA.html Belief Systems A top design team pulls out all the stops for Justin Bieber’s Believe Tour By: Sharon Stancavage 44 • January 2013 • Lighting&Sound America The far left and right LED screens are often used for full-body IMAG of the singer. At times, they take on the feel of a full-length mirror, says Nick Jackson, of Chaos Visual Productions, the video gear supplier from Los Angeles. he phenomenon that is sophomore effort, the situation first outing, My World Tour, and were Justin Bieber can be easily changed considerably. “This time all integral to the creative meetings. summarized by the voice around, Justin wanted to involve New to the Bieber team is Jon M. of an anonymous woman— other people whom he had grown Chu, who directed Never Say Never not a girl—on a YouTube fond of in his time on the road, as and serves as creative director while T video of the opening of the well as several individuals involved in Marzullo continues as production star’s current Believe Tour. his film [Never Say Never],” Marzullo designer and tour production As a barrage of effects is unleashed explains. The list of collaborators manager. Other key members of the before Bieber’s appearance on stage, also included many of his vendors: team are Chu’s associates Cristobal a woman says, in a voice awash with staging suppliers Brian White, of Valecillos and Isabel Aranguren. The awe and amazement, “Oh, my God.” Burbank-based Show Group directive for the show’s theme came It’s only the first few moments of the Production Services (SPGS), and straight from Bieber. “Justin said, ‘I show, and she doesn’t realize that Robert Achlimbari, of Torrance, want it to be fun. It’s going to be a lot many more amazements will follow. California-based All Access; Nick of people’s first concert, so I want it The man behind the production Jackson, of Chaos Visual to almost feel like a Disneyland design of Bieber’s first touring Productions, the Los Angeles-based adventure,’” Chu says. venture is industry veteran Tom E video gear supplier; Robert Roth, of Marzullo says he begins designing Marzullo, the self-described “chief, Christie Lites’ Atlanta office; and by focusing on “the physical footprint cook, bottle washer, and everything Mark Grega, of Chicago-based of the stage, and then I build from All photos: Todd Kaplan All photos: Todd else” on that production. For Bieber’s Strictly FX. All were part of Bieber’s there.” The tour’s stage is a combi- www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • January 2013 • 45 CONCERTS nation of prefabricated and custom end. The stage has three levels: 6'6", another big effect,” which became the elements. Key to the process was co- 14'6", and 22'6". The video wall at the telescoping stage arm. It appears set designer Achlimbari. Marzullo top level extends 18'. during the “Fall” and “Be Alright” explains, “He’s just a really brilliant The thrust includes a 40' medley. Based on a Bryan Hartley guy and understands so much about telescoping stage arm integrated into inspiration, “Eric Pearce [owner and how to make that stuff work.” its floor. It was supplied by ShowRig, lead engineer at SGPS] designed the Photos don’t really represent the a division of SGPS. White explains, “It telescoping stage arm,” Marzullo stage’s massive size. Overall, it is 60' started with Tom wanting an elevator reports. The arm is invisible until the by 48', with 12' wings on either side. at the end of the thrust. We integrated sides of the basket appear and are The layout also includes a 40'-long one of our 5' telescoping elevators. attached to the arm’s platform. thrust with an 18'-wide stage at the Then, as the design grew, Tom wanted Marzullo explains, “We have five toaster lifts [from All Access], as well Justin said, ‘I want it to be fun. It’s going to be as a center lift that goes from stage “ level down to the floor, which we use a lot of people’s first concert, so I want it to for the piano and a couple of other almost feel like a Disneyland adventure.’”— Chu props that appear during the show. Upstage, we have a scissor lift that goes up to the tallest level of the set.” Those moments on the lift aren’t just production moments. “When Justin pops out of a toaster, musically we all have to consider how long after he lands do the vocals start,” notes musical director Dan Kanter. Video, in the form of LEDs, is the basis of the entire stage. “From the beginning, the concept was to have a strong video LED product element to the set,” Jackson says. “Once Jon Chu joined the creative team, this evolved into a more cinematic design, incorporating large video walls for content and IMAG display. There is a total of six main video walls—the 51'- wide-by-18'-high WinVision 9, a 9mm wall upstage center that can split in the center, as well as two rectangular WinVision 1875s, 18mm walls upstage left and right. The far left and right LED screens are often used for full- body IMAG of Bieber; at times, they take on the feel of a full-length mirror. There are also eight 4'W x 7'H, 9mm panels on rolling carts moved by dancers throughout the show. “[Chu] directed all the content, edited that content, and supervised Mat Hale, of imag8nineteen, of Los Angeles, who did the graphics for the screen,” Jackson says. The images include vintage Bieber footage and brief inter- views as well as video VU meters, a coral reef, sepia wildflowers, trees at The giant Whirylgig from SGPS has a double rotating system with a 16' outer ring and an 8' inner diameter, an upgrade from the smaller one that first appeared on Bieber’s 2011 tour. 46 • January 2013 • Lighting&Sound America The show emphasizes the party atmosphere during “All Around the World,” with pyrotechnics, confetti, and airbursts. sunset, and a complex sequence where stage, wearing Vacuform wings, flying “The bottom of the Whirlygig has Bieber is chased by ninja-esque out over the audience, via a propri- one Martin [Professional] MAC III paparazzi during the song “She Don’t etary SGPS product called a Profile, four Mac 2000 XBs with the Like the Light.” Whirlygig, which first appeared on the beam kit, and 12 Clay Paky Sharpys, The imagery is controlled live by a singer’s 2011 tour. “Last time we had while the top has six Sharpys,” media server system put together by a small Whirlygig, now we have the explains lighting co-designer and the Chaos team. “We custom-built the giant Whirlygig, which is 16' in director Chris Kuroda. The Whirlygig [Green Hippo] Hippotizer media server diameter,” Marzullo notes. moves up and downstage on a double system, incorporating the Vista The Whirlygig is more than just a run of SGPS medium-duty KB Effects [Systems] Spyder to allow full flexi- flying machine. It consists of a double track truss. It also rotates and has bility of routing of any media content rotating system—a 16' outer ring and hidden powers, as Kuroda discovered. or IMAG to any display surface,” an 8' inner ring. “Each unit rotates “The bottom of it goes up and down Jackson explains. “Since this was independently of the other—the same like a yo-yo,” he notes. “When we put such a huge visual element of the direction or completely opposite,” the Sharpys, which have those nice show, we built in an extensive array of White says. “The 16' ring also has four little beams, in a nice aerial position backup devices so that the video independent winches for the design and the Whirlygig spins around, it would always continue to run in the team to hang whatever they wish looks great.” event of any hardware failure. We underneath. The unit had been used Based on the original concept by brought in Loren Barton to supervise before as a flying platform for other Marzullo, White says, “[Pearce] all content programming and to be tours; Tom asked to have the lower designed six custom tracking lighting part of our team to create the content section replaced with a circular lighting sleds that are pretty heavy with all delivery system.” On the road, Mark truss. We’re also using a new state-of- power supplies; lights, including Stutsman directs the IMAG. the-art RF control system, so you don’t several Syncrolites; and tracking Bieber first appears from behind have to worry about lighting control trolleys, all in one small space.” The the bifurcated LED wall high above the cables while the unit is spinning.” sleds allow Marzullo and Chu to break www.lightingandsoundamerica.com • January 2013 • 47 CONCERTS the invisible wall between Bieber and the key lighting, because they’re the band Phish, has created an the audience, turning the arena floor quite a distance from the stage,” intricate, cue-intensive show. He into one giant dance club. Two sled Kuroda says. programmed it on his personal MA tracks run 120' from the downstage The production also has two Lighting grandMA2 console, with the edge of the stage. The 10'-long-by- parenthetically shaped trusses over assistance of his longtime 4'-wide units travel on an SGPS Buss the stage. Kuroda notes, “On each programmer, Andrew Giffin, who is Bar KB Effects track truss. “The lights side, there are 12 Mac 2000 XBs with also out with the show.