Popular Belgian /
Dutch girlband K3 are on the road again for an extensive live schedule through
2017 reaching out to their young and enthusiastic fanbase with a completely
new lighting and video design originated by Luc Peumans of Genk-based creative
practice, Painting with Light.
This is the first full
tour with the ‘new’ K3, since a TV competition staged last year found three new
faces to take over from the previous band members, two of whom had been part of the foundation of the
K3 phenomenon in 1998! This
was followed by a transition tour featuring all six K3 girls performing both together and in their two
separate line-ups.
Painting with Light
has worked with K3 – known for their colourful, high-octane
power-pop stage shows – for the last 15 years. The band is managed by Studio
100 and the staging concept for this tour was developed by Stefaan Haudenhuyse,
with Painting with Light being asked to create the touring production design.
This involved
translating Stefaan’s initial mood boards into an energised and tourable
technical production scenario, achieved in conjunction with equipment vendors
PRG Belgium who also co-ordinated the show’s automation elements.
As with all K3 live
shows, there is a story which plays out on screen in the video content as well
as with the action onstage.
Referring to K3’s
‘classic’ rainbow branding, the 2017 story starts with the theft of these magical colours
from the show by unknown
extra-terrestrial beings entailing the girls having to travel through space,
visit three different planets, engage in some alien interaction, make friends
and seek enemies out to try and find the perpetrators and the colours!
After this they have to safely return them to
their own world!
These narrative
building blocks brought a touch of hallucinogenic sci-fi fantasy to the table
which “was a great starting point for us” explained Luc.
“We seized the chance
of making the opening section a harsher and starker monochrome environment,
with some clearly defined lighting treatments as well as contrasts in style. The same ambience provided a strong
basis for commissioning the video content to meet Stefaan’s scenographic
vision”.
Setting the show in
‘other worlds’ gave the whole creative team plenty of latitude to make it fun
and cool for K3’s young audience. The idea also underlined the
great-value-pop-exceptionally-well-done theme inherent to K3.
For the show flow, it
was essential that lighting and video were integrated, and being involved in
both mediums from the start enabled Painting with Light to control the process
with great effect.
Painting with Light
worked with Jos Claesen to create the video content. They collaborated on the
last K3 tour as well as on recent shows for illusionist Hans Klok, musical
spectacular Beauty & the Beast and a number of other projects. Jos created
all the 3D worlds for this show,
taking Stefaan’s visuals as a starting point.
The LED video screens
are vital to create the different planets and experiences, starting with a
large – 16 metre wide by 7 metre high – 6 mm surface upstage that opens in the
middle for the entrance / exit of K3’s
space ship. This is supported by an impressive 20 metre wide, 9 metre high show
portal, positioned four metres downstage and
made up from the same LED surfaces.
This dual layer of
video increases the perception of depth, together with a set of wide
show-stairs fronted with 10mm Barco O-lite LED, custom built by PRG Belgium,
which connect the upper and lower sections of the stage.
Having this much LED
enabled Luc and the team to apply some complex visual layers. Some parts of the opening scene
resemble a 3D model of the show, complete with virtual (digital) trusses and
lighting effects which are scaled and fitted precisely to match the real stage
dimensions.
At a glance, it’s near
impossible to tell that these digital production elements are an optical
illusion! Each layer of the digital trussing and metalwork can be coloured and
treated just as if it is actually there in the venue and part of the rig and
this idea was followed through for the rest of the show content.
The three different
planets all have their own characteristics, with digital scenery providing a
highly graphic way of visualising
them onstage. Components like signs are integrated into the footage which can
be tweaked via the three Christie Pandora’s Box media servers.
Luc highlights the
importance of the lighting fixtures and their placement in relation to the LED
surfaces as one of the main challenges.
It was the first
opportunity for Painting with Light to utilise the new PRG Icon Edge hybrid
moving light fixture – a spot, beam and
wash unit in one housing and consequently highly versatile. Fewer lights go a
lot further and just 36 fixtures offered a wide enough range of options as the
rig workhorses.
These are augmented
with 36 x Claypaky A.leda
K20s fitted with B-Eye lenses running
in wide mode for full pixel control, and their excellent moonflower effects are
perfect for some of the more spacey moments.
Sixteen Martin MAC
Vipers Profiles on the front truss take care of all the key lighting for K3 and
their dancers, and 24 x Chauvet STRIKE 1 LED blinders on the front truss blast
boldly out into the audience in combination with strobes. Luc really
appreciates the authentic looking STRIKE 1 amber shift which brings a vintage ‘blinder’ vibe.
Completing the
lighting picture are 16 x GLP Impression X4 LED washes for side lighting and,
naturally, three follow spots
– Robert Juliat Victors – for the three girls. A major task for lighting is to
ensure the girls ‘pop out’ amidst a frenetic mix of highly animated backgrounds
and lots of action, info and detail.
All lighting is
controlled from the grandMA2 console programmed and operated for the show by
Jeroen Opsteyn, with the media servers programmed and operated by Katleen
Selleslagh, both from Painting with Light.
http://www.paintingwithlight.be
Photos : Luk Monsaert & Frank
Lambrechts
