To create
a spectacular opening for the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival, and to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, 59 Productions,
with the Edinburgh International Festival, created The Harmonium Project.
The free
outdoor event drew in crowds of approximately 19,500 people and combined the
music of John Adams’ choral work Harmonium,
made especially by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Edinburgh Festival
Chorus conducted by Peter Oundjian, with visually stunning projection mapping
onto the Usher Hall in central Edinburgh.
The 34
minute performance of The Harmonium
Project integrated scientific data captured with the support of the Centre
of Design and Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, who collaborated on
the project to examine the effects singing has on both the performer and the
listener.
Having
worked with them successfully on Sinatra
in the West End, and wonder.land at
the Manchester International Festival, 59 Productions sought out XL Video to realise
their video design for The Harmonium
Project.
XL Video’s
Head of UK Theatre, Ed Cooper liaised with the team from 59 Productions – Creative
Directors, Leo Warner and Richard Slaney; Technical Associate, Maximilien
Spielbichler; and Production Manager, James Roxburgh – to create a technical
specification for the exterior projection mapping of the beautiful Usher Hall
building.
To cover
the intricate columned façade of the Hall, XL Video employed fourteen of their
Panasonic PT-DZ21KE projectors, with content fed by five of XL’s d3 media
servers.
The show
control, including triggers to the d3 servers, was all handled via a grandma
MA2 Light desk and NPU, with back-up from a MA Command Wing.
The media
server racks and set-up were managed by XL’s in-house Technician, Erica Frost,
with on-site projectors and media servers handled by Craig Harrower.
A team of
animators from 59 Productions, under the direction of Nicol Scott, created the
content for the show, which was designed to perfectly fit the building.
XL Video’s
Ed Cooper commented: “It was lovely to work with Leo, Richard and their team so
soon after Sinatra. 59 Productions’
technical briefs are always very exacting, and provided our team with a range
of challenges which they ably met. The show looked fantastic, and the crowd
were delighted by the spectacle!”
