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The XL-Factor Live
XL Video UK again supplied video equipment and crew for the X-Factor Live UK arena tour for Production North.
The year the tour was larger and longer then ever before and is enjoyed a considerable buzz created by chart-topping winner Leona Lewis.
XL Video has serviced all X-Factor live tours since the concept started, and this year the account was handled by Phil Mercer and Jo Beirne. Mercer comments: “The LED technology and the level of production has stepped up this year, reflecting the increased popularity of the TV show. ”
Video director was Dan Ormerod – on his first X-Factor tour – and working closely with chief engineer Anthony Cairns.
As always, the biggest creative challenge on a show like this was keeping it looking interesting and varied for each of the artists, explains Ormerod – the show featured the 10 series’ finalists. The audiences are primarily young and also used to seeing the show as a large TV spectacular, so he had to reproduce that atmosphere as closely as possible onstage.
Three high-resolution LED screens graced the stage, the central one made up of Barco I-Lite 12 panels, splitting in the middle for stage entrances. This was flanked by two slightly smaller stage left and right screens, both made from 48 panels of Barco i-Lite 10.
Two side projection screens were each fed by Barco R12+ projectors, and lined up to be at the same level as the stage screens.
The front truss was bordered at the top by a 22 metre wide by 2-metre deep strip of chequerboard style Barco O-lite low-resolution surface. This was used highly effectively for scrolling text introducing each artist, fed from one of the two Catalyst digital media servers that XL also supplied. These were both being mixed by lighting designer Matt Jensen and sent to screen via Ormerod’s PPU and mixer/switcher. The second Catalyst dealt with creation of all the wallpaper effects, and the storage of some pre-recorded video clips including ‘beauty shots’ of the performers.
In addition to the Catalysts, screen content stored on Doremi hard drive and VT was also integrated into the video system. Most of the content was commissioned and compiled by show producer Tim Byrne.
XL supplied three Sony DF50 cameras – one at FOH with a long lens and two in the pit on track-and-dolly, and these were cut into the mix by Ormerod using a GV1200 mixer. “It was a relatively straightforward show” he says, “I kept it snappy, fast moving and tried to give it a televisual edge, and get the performers faces up on the screens a lot as that’s what the audience want to see.” It was a busy show for him in terms of stings, cues and footage inserts from the TV series.
XL’s three other crew members were Oli Derynk, Grant du Plessie and Andy Warwick, with Gareth Morgan looking after the screen tracking and movement. The support from XL was “Excellent as usual,” states Ormerod.
X-Factor Live was production managed by Sarah Hollis, with sound from Wigwam and lighting from Bandit Lites UK.
23rd March 2007
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