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Eurovision Finals Fly with CyberHoist
A huge Cyberhoist motion control system was used to animate the dynamic set created by lighting and screen designer Mikki Kunttu for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) semi-final and final, broadcast live on May 10 and 12 from Helsinki’s Hartwall Arena and for a 350 million international TV audience.
The set comprised over 400 square metres of Barco LED modules which formed the stage floor, a catwalk out into the audience and left and right screens. The screens, and a total of 16 lighting trusses, were lifted and lowered by four ultrafast Cyberhoist CH250 (250kg load capacity / 0 to 40 meters per minute, variable speed) intelligent chainhoist motors and 34 Cyberhoist CH500 (500kg capacity / up to 20 meters per minute variable speed) motors.
The complete system, programmed by CyberHoist-operator Joeri Swagemakers, operated by Cyberhoist technician Chris Sabelleck and supplied by Flashlight from The Netherlands, was under the control of an InMotion3D full production system, providing split-second, millimetre-precise co-ordination of all 38 motors, allowing dozens of different stage set looks to be created with precise repeatability from rehearsal to live broadcast.
Four Cyberhoist CH250s powered the show’s spectacular opening as last year’s ESC winners, the elaborately costumed band Lordi, played their wining song Hard Rock Hallelujah to a backdrop projected on to a FogScreen that flew in and out under Cyberhoist control.
LED’s, Syncrolite B52s, moving lights, ACL bars and mirror balls adorned the lighting trusses which Kunttu used the Cyberhoist system to reposition between each song, to give all the songs from the various countries’ finalists a different dedicated ‘identity’ connected to the song’s atmosphere or lyrics. In some cases objects were moving during the course of a song – the smoothness of Cyberhoist’s object-oriented movement making in-shot movements not only feasible, but a dynamic element of the visual production.
Production manager Ola Melzig (for Spectra Sweden and Eastway from Finland) commented: “The Cyberhoist system gave us great flexibility – by moving all the trusses with large lighting elements on them as well as the video screens, we could create hugely different looks throughout the show with the confidence that every part of the rig would be precisely in position before, during and after every move.”
Mikki Kunttu, ESC 2007 Helsinki Lighting and screens designer, commented: “The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki is successfully behind us and I'm still receiving an overwhelming stream of amazingly positive feedback on the design. It is really something sensational and truly remarkable for us all.
“If something really blew me away in this project, it was the Cyberhoist system. The accuracy and the ease of programming together with the fantastic Cyberhoist crew Joeri and Chris was just perfect! The stuff we were able to do with the Cyberhoists created a very important visual layer into the show. It is the Cyberhoists that gave life to the transparency of Barco MiTrix. All in all this was a fantastic production.”
photos: Louise Stickland
6th June 2007
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