TPi_February 2010 - Issue 126

NEWS FOCUS: Taylor Swift & CT
CT MAKES SWIFT WORK
STATESIDE’S CT TOURING PROVIDES “BRILLIANT PACKAGE”
FOR JONATHAN SMEETON-DESIGNED TAYLOR SWIFT TOUR...
Her 2006 début sold three million copies and — to make sure technology could keep pace with
fans have been ﬂ ocking ever since to see this imagination. The team met at the design studio
teenage country crossover artist in concert. over the course of several weeks.
Growing up fast, U.S. star Taylor Swift’s most Said Otto: “He would say things like, ‘I really
recent album, Fearless, went triple platinum want to do this, this and this’ and I would explain
and cemented her place among some of music’s how we could get it done. I don’t think most
most popular and talented performers. designers are completely versed in the actual
Before her Fearless tour kicked off, she told fans operations and limitations of the equipment, so
that she was designing a show that was “as multi- by sitting together I was able to steer the design
dimensional as possible,” featuring “an incredibly in the right direction to take full advantage of the
theatrical presentation of graphics, sets and visual technology as well as deliver the best value. It was
elements”. really a collaborative process.”
Bringing Swift’s dreams to the stage fell to Ultimately the ﬁ nished set included a 60’ x 20’
legendary production designer Jonathan Smeeton, LED back wall built from 56 Martin 40mm LED
who commented: “Taylor told me right away that panels, a middle ground with ﬁ ve towers and two
she wanted a theatrical setting for the show. “It ﬂ ying screens made of Transformit fabric and a
made perfect sense, because she’s a songwriter foreground that boasts a 10’ square drum riser
that tells stories that have a place and a setting.” at stage left and a 20’ diameter circular riser at
Smeeton began to dream up concepts. “I was stage right. Both risers are 8’ tall, giving another
freed up in that I didn’t have to create a set that projection surface right off the stage itself.
had to convey a message,” he said. “The message is Every piece of the set was manufactured white
in the song and the kids all know the songs. It was to maximise the impact of the images being
all about presenting the people on the stage in a projected by the Barco FLM HD projectors. “Our
place.” idea was to paint the stage by multiple points
As the ideas went from concept to execution, of projection with masking and pixel mapping,”
the production turned to Barry Otto of CT Touring Smeeton explained. “The real trick was giving the
— the U.S.-based arm of Creative Technology stage depth and always making it three layers.”
“CT Touring came to the table with a can-do and will-do attitude before
they ultimately did-do...” Jonathan Smeeton
06 • TPi FEBRUARY 2010
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