NEWS FOCUS: Alice Cooper
Below: Alexandra Palace’s Managing Director, Rebecca Kane; Production Manager, Cesare Sabatini; Go Audio Systems Technician, Michael Wirth; Lighting Director, Andy May, with MA Lighting’s grandMA 1; FOH Engineer, James Wood; 3D Director, Marcus Viner; Monitor Engineer, Paul Bostic, alongside the Yamaha PM5D.
Frankenstein monster running around the stage, which acts as another cue.” All lighting equipment for the ghoulish gig
was provided by Go Audio, including a total of 21 Martin Professional MAC 2000 fixtures, which were hung from Tyler GT truss using T bars of 4ft and 6ft in length. “These were used to create the big rock looks and all of the little details that brought the rig to life. I like the Martin MAC 2000 because it’s proven itself time and again, and I’m very comfortable with the quality and color of light it produces,” explained May. Five LED Martin Stage Bars were used as
uplighting on the backdrop and a further five were placed on the downstage edge. “These LED lights on the floor produce a cold uplight effect, which works great for Alice and the band,” commented the LD. Elation Impressions moving green LED
fixtures were positioned on the floor, with two downstage left, two downstage right and four upstage back to light the mesh screen. Also incorporated into the lighting design were 120 Par 64 fixtures, which often form the base of old school rock shows. Avolites ART 2000 dimming system completed the lighting set-up. Additional lighting equipment and screens
for the foyet area were supplied by Neg Earth to create an eerie atmosphere for the fans before they entered the Great Hall.
QUICK TURNAROUND FOR BROADCAST To allow Cooper fans who missed out on getting a ticket to the haunting production to enjoy the show, the performance was broadcast on Sky Arts just two days after the event (on
08 • TPi JANUARY 2012
Halloween). The night of fright was also taken to the third dimension by being filmed for Sky 3D using 3ality digital stereo 3D camera rigs provided by outside broadcast company Telegenic. The rigs have been used increasingly for live events since last year, when 3ality was busy outfitting the UK’s first dedicated 3D truck for Sky with up to seven of its stereo 3D rigs. Alice Cooper’s Halloween Night of Fear
was the first production from newly formed Toucan, a joint venture combining the talents of Touch Productions and specialist 3D production capabilities of Can Communicate. With Duncan Humphreys taking on the role of Lead Producer, the high definition show featured over 20 hits from the 100-minute set such as Welcome To My Nightmare and Poison. The production team, led by Cooper’s
longtime Manager Gordon and Production Manager Sabatini, worked closely with Can Communicate and 3D Director, Marcus Viner, to ensure suitable 3D camera positions were achieved. Viner has directed multi-camera live music coverage for the past 16 years. Prior to that, he worked for five years in a variety of roles within the live music industry including Backline Tech and Production Manager. Said Viner: “Alice’s theatrical stage show
really suited 3D, his extensive use of props, including a guillotine, swords, blood and a python, being just some of the highlights.” The show was captured using five mirror
rigs, which included 3ality’s TS5 rigs on a jib and towercam. A further pair of 2D cameras converted to 3D completed the coverage of the performance, with one acting as master close-up and the other as an onstage handheld.
“The main challenge was to turn the programme around very quickly for broadcast on Sky soon after the event. The line cut was taken into post straight after the show, a few convergence errors were fixed and then it was sent to Sky for broadcast,” said Viner. Live video coverage and image magnification
of the show for the benefit of the audience at the venue was carried out using two 20k Barco projectors and a pair of 20ft by 15ft Fastfold screens positioned either side of the stage. Instead of an additional video surface, a selection of backdrops created by Image Technologies and Drops-Everything were positioned at the back of the stage. “Alice has never really had video in his tours
throughout his whole career. One of these days maybe we will, but we’ve always used backdrops because it’s an old school rock show. At the Halloween show, we added the sidescreens for the audience and for the 3D camera crew to look at,” said Sabatini
CLASSIC HEAVY SOUND At Cooper’s FOH was James Wood, a Sound Engineer with 21 years of experience. Initially starting out in his local Albuquerque, New Mexico home, in 2002 Wood began touring America with heavy metal band Dokken, Ratt and Warrant. Said Wood: “I already knew the tour’s
Production Manager, Cesare Sabatini, and several other crew members from earlier tours, so when they made a choice to hire a new FOH sound guy I was considered. I was finishing up a tour with Ratt and was looking for more work.” A timely move for Wood meant he joined
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