The
Olivier Awards are a glittering celebration of the very best of British
Theatre, recognising actors and productions alike for stunning performances
across a range of genres.
For the
3rd consecutive year, XL Video sponsored the Award for Best Set
Design (won by Bunny Christie and Finn Ross for ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime’)
as well as supplying video equipment for the awards ceremony.
At London’s Royal Opera
House, XL supplied the centre-stage LED screen, built from Pixled FX-11, 12
tiles wide by 7 tiles high, which linked up with the ITV broadcast feed and
displayed live camera relay, VT clips and nomination packages.
The main
screen was matched on either side by two dynamic portrait orientated screens
measuring 5 x 6 tiles and 5 x 8 tiles respectively, which showed nominee logos, special guest awards and
Olivier logos.
Content
for the side LED
screens was fed by XL’s Catalyst media servers (main and ‘hot’ backup) programmed
and operated by Dan Bond with the main screen fully operated by the ITV
Broadcast team.
XL Video
also supplied scenic LED for the band risers in the form of Barco MiStrips.
These were controlled via an additional dedicated main and backup lighting
Catalyst unit, triggered from a grandMA2 console supplied by White Light.
For the
presenters, Sheridan Smith and Hugh Bonneville, XL supplied a 65” Panasonic plasma screen for
autocue, supported by several more plasma screens providing relay feeds to the
press office, winners’ area and Royal Box.
All of
XL’s LED at the Opera House was managed by Graham Vinall, Jolyon Oliver, Rob
Smith, Steve “Spooky” Parkinson and Dan Bond, led by Project Manager Ed Cooper.
In
addition to the Opera House ceremony, XL supplied video for the live outside
broadcast site in Covent Garden Piazza.
During
the ceremony the broadcast feed cut to the Piazza for the announcement of the
special BBC Radio 2 Audience Award – to Billy Elliot The Musical – and for a
one-off performance from the cast of ‘Loserville’.
In
Covent Garden two 4 tile by 3 tile IMAG screens,
formed from Lighthouse R7, showed a live relay of the ITV feed. Prior to the show
XL’s Catalyst media server, running via a Roland V-800HD mixing desk, supplied
the screens with footage of the Olivier Awards’ nominees interspersed with
advertising from the Society of London Theatre.
XL’s
screens and Catalyst in Covent Garden were
managed by Ed Goddard, Catalyst Programmer Ingi Bekk and LED technicians Jan
Van Geet and Gary Burchett.
Ed
Cooper comments: “To be a part of the Laurence Olivier Awards is a great
honour. It is fantastic to see colleagues in the industry and projects we have
worked on receiving recognition. It is always tricky managing the two sites whilst
fitting in around the busy Royal Opera House repertory schedule, but with a
hard working crew and great teamwork, the ceremony was a huge success.”
