candy for television and live shows .
“ When something big happened , we needed the ability to blow the roof off ,” Wichansky says . “ Tom was able to be very responsive to the environment because Solotech brought a lot of toys to the party . By the time Tom came in , we ’ d accounted , notionally , for where fixtures were going to be , but weren ’ t looking at particular technologies or products . Once Tom got involved , we relied on his expertise .”
Again , the objective was that no element – lighting or video – feel unnatural for players or fans at home . And even though recorded crowd noise was used , Wichansky notes : “ Because the content was so visual it made that feel natural .” The audio was tied in closely to the digital content and lighting cues . The players , in fact , requested crowd noise after trying to play without it . Ultimately EA Games provided samples from actual games featuring the teams playing in Edmonton and Toronto .
Lighting , video , and audio had to play exceptionally well together and the expertise of WorldStage ( who also have a long history of providing cutting-edge technology and technical support to the NHL ) was critical to that synergy . “ It was really about having gear that we wanted and being able to be flexible with the timelines ,” Wichansky says ,” and they really leaned into the moment . They were fantastic from the beginning in terms of just throwing everything at it that they had , which is what made this possible .”
That included a huge amount of video infrastructure in each venue – “ Identical designs for each host city that required a similar complement of equipment ,” explains Shawn Oatey , WorldStage ’ s director of
marketing in Southern California .
Eight LED screens were deployed in each arena to wrap each rink almost 180 degrees and to display a variety of content . Six screens were built using ROE CB8 semi-transparent ( 23 % transparency ) 8.3- mm low-resolution carbon fibre LED tiles . The other two , which were highlighted at the centre line of each rink , used World- Stage ’ s custom 1,200 x 600-mm carbon fibre c3ONE 3.1-mm high-contrast / high-resolution LED tiles and Brompton SX40 processing . In all , over 520 LED tiles were deployed in each city to construct two 12 x 19-ft ., two 2,530-ft ., and four 15 x 30-ft . LED walls across which the NHL ’ s graphical and video content stretch seamlessly .
Primary and back up Disguise d3 4x4 Media Server systems were also provided for each system along with Streamdeck XL controllers and a series of programmable routers to enable operators to easily cue up content from sources including the servers , the scoreboard control room , and social media .
The geometry of the two arenas was quite different , and the lighting package and placement of video and lighting elements had to be adjusted accordingly to ensure the look and feel in each venue was cohesive and on-brand . However , Kenny says : “ The lighting team in each did their own thing . I gave them a pallet and a focus , but I wanted them all to be themselves .” In summing up the direction he provided , he adds : “ I said , ‘ big , colourful , and in-your-face lighting .’”
The WorldStage crews began working in mid-July in each city and , like Kenny and the other teams on site , were all part of the long-term and highly-successful effort to ensure a safe and secure “ bubble ” for everyone involved , from the venue staff to the players themselves . But the way the bubble worked in each city was also different . “ In Edmonton , the crew were there from the end of July until September ; they stayed in a hotel and had a fenced-in walkway to get to the arena – it was like a science-fiction movie . And it was challenging thing , but they did it with a smile every day because they were just so grateful to be there .”
Conversely , in Toronto , local crew could leave the venue but were limited to specific areas within the arena to avoid contact with others , and in each city the testing regimen was comprehensive and ongoing . “ Even though everybody needed work , it ’ s a tough place to put yourself in ; especially in July when you didn ’ t know what was safe , so we want to acknowledge those people that were out there . They deserve it ,” Moro says .
Beyond those constraints , everyone involved knew that capturing the kind of excitement and immediacy of a normal live game in an arena filled to the rafters with rabid fans was no easy task . “ But we weren ’ t hiding the fact that there was no audience ,” Kenny says . The lack of a live crowd would be hard for everyone on and off ice to get their heads around . Consequently , tweaking their approach was an ongoing process , which required a lot from Kenny , and ultimately the LDs and operators he chose to work the games . “ They ’ re all brilliant in their own world and they know how to react really quickly ,
LIGHTING LIST
• € Solotech provided all lighting € fixtures , control , and roughly € 110 motors .
• € Clay Paky Senius Unico – 24 per venue
• € Robe Pointes – 32 ( Edmonton ) & € 104 ( Toronto )
• € Clay Paky Sharpy – 96 ( Edmonton ) € & 24 ( Toronto )
• € Vari Lite VL3500W – 4 per venue
• € Vari Lite VLX-3 – 4 per venue
• € TMB Solaris Flare LR – 136 per € venue
• € Robe 1200 – 19 per venue
• € GLP Impression X4 - 70 per venue
• € Robe Tarantula – 36 ( Toronto )
• € Clay Paky B-Eye K20 – 36 ( Edmonton )
• € GLP Xbar 20 – 88 per venue
• € TMB Flare Q – 12 per venue
• € Elation PAR 180 RGBWA – 32 per € venue
• € MA Lighting GrandMA 2 – 2 per € venue
20 | Winter
2020