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Scharff Weisberg recently worked
with Batwin & Robin Productions and Radio City
Entertainment to provide a very large video switching
and control package for the much-anticipated live
theatrical production, “Sinatra: His Voice. His World.
His Way”. The system utilizes 17 projectors, 7 HD
servers, live wireless cameras, a six-screen Watchout
system, Medialon show control and a 12-input, 8-output
Montage switching system.
“This was a rewarding and challenging project to work
on”, commented Scharff Weisberg President Josh Weisberg. “We
not only needed to exhibit the technical prowess to
implement many new technologies in a complex environment,
but had to work within the structure of the theatre –
where creativity takes precedence over convention and
flexibility is a necessity.”
Sinatra: His Voice. His World. His Way. produced by
Radio City Entertainment, utilizes a treasure trove of
never before seen film and television footage to create
a multi-dimensional, larger than life image of Frank
Sinatra within the context of a live performance.
Premiering at Radio City Music Hall in October 2003, the
Production is scheduled to have a two-week run.
“The video system requirements for the production were
extensive and challenging”, continues Weisberg. “Imagine
a Radio City Music Hall extravaganza– 40-piece
orchestra, jazz band, singers, The Radio City Rockettes,
extensive lighting system and animated set pieces. Now
add multiple, moving projection screens, each a
different size and configuration, all displaying
high-resolution images that run in frame-synch with the
performance and you have some idea of what the show is
about. The result is a tightly integrated piece that
pushes against the boundaries of what has been done
before. From a video perspective, this is particularly
true. Although many other productions have been
dependent on electronic visuals for script support, in
this case, the video is the prominent performer in the
show. It is the element that everything else in the
production plays off of”.
The show features six video screens: two 19’ x 19’, two
25’x 35’, a monster 35’ x 50’ rear-projection screen and
an 18’ diameter circular screen. To address all the
screens, combinations of high-output video projectors
are used in different configurations. Mainly Digital
Projection Lightning 28sx’s, the projection system also
relied on Digital Projection Thunder 10000sx and Barco
SLM R-10 models.
The projectors are configured to place imagery on the
various screens as soon as they track on-stage and they
continue to display the image as the screens move across
the stage and settle into position. The screen tracking
automation, provided by Scenic Technologies, allows the
screens to move horizontally and vertically as well as
diagonally. Scharff Weisberg worked intensively with
Scenic Technologies to develop coordinated movement
programming to match video movement to screen movement.
For dramatic effect, more 28sx projectors are used to
place 60’ tall images on the walls of the historic
theater, creating an immersive experience for the
audience. To top everything off, a 56’ wide strip of
10mm Lighthouse LED video tiles are suspended over the
stage to provide animated text messages that accompany
the other media.
To ensure that the projected images are crisp and
detailed, the system uses a variety of high-quality
sources. With one exception, pre-recorded video material
is high-definition, 1080/24p format and is stored and
played back on Doremi U-1HD units outfitted with a total
storage capacity of 4-terabytes. High-resolution still
images are manipulated and served by a Dataton Watchout
system using six clients; while on-stage action is
caught live by five Sony video cameras located
throughout the Music Hall. Two of these cameras are
compact DV camcorders outfitted with RF links and
operated by two members of the cast performing on-stage.
Another camera is used in conjunction with a set piece
to create a video composite of live and pre-recorded
material – the first time this has been attempted live
in a theatrical performance. Using a Chromatte
blue-screen system, the live performer, John Pizzarelli,
joins Frank Sinatra for a stirring rendition of “One for
the Road”.
The
complex display processing, required to layer multiple
images over multiple screens, is handled by a Montage
switching system, manufactured by Vista Systems. Montage
is used to switch sources, size and crop display windows
and move those display windows across the image map,
while maintaining image quality. To make all this
technology work together, Scharff Weisberg selected a
Medialon Manager timeline-based show control system. The
Medialon system is programmed to control source decks,
as well as the Montage switcher and all of the
projectors.
The show utilizes a selection of
various types of media including original 35mm film,
early Kinescope material and video footage from various
television appearances. All the media has been
painstakingly rotoscoped and transferred to 2k x 2k
image files, yielding a high-quality reproduction of
Frank on a black or white background. Using the
rotoscoped visuals, as well as other full-frame images,
the show designers packaged each Sinatra performance in
the show with its own specific look, sound and feel. The
look is identified by the choice of projection screen
(or by using multiple screens), the type of background
that is added to the foreground video layer and by
additional video images added via windows on top of the
background layer.
The Production merges live music performance, along with
scenic and lighting effects, with the video in a highly
synchronized, seamless manner. In many scenes,
performers and the live orchestra accompany the playback
track. “The reliance on synchronicity among live
orchestra, dancers, scenery automation, performers,
lighting and video required a high level of coordination
among the many technical and creative team members,”
concludes Weisberg. Scharff Weisberg credits include
John Ackerman, Technical Director;Derek Holbrook,
Associate Technical Director; Barry Grossman, Engineer;Bryan
Dominck, Engineer; Juan Matteo, Projectionist; Randy
Briggs and Greg Byrne, Montage Programmers; John
Sacrenty, Medialon Programmer;and John Kiphart and Lars
Pedersen, Watchout Programmers. |
