There are other differences in the individual elements Solotech provided , and the layout of the display screens , Moro adds : “ In Nashville we have three upstage LED screens with logo banners below . So , if the client wants to brand that , or the artist wants to put their content up there , they can . Those are used for a variety of things . In L . A . it ’ s a similar setup , but they use one big upstage screen . Then , at both venues , in front of the band , there are three rear-projection screens , which is where the Yoop audience goes .”
Granted , displaying an audience on a screen in a virtual gig isn ’ t unique in and of itself . “ Early on in the pandemic , in streaming shows where you saw an audience , they weren ’ t live because of the latency . They ’ d mix it so it looked and sounded live , but the audience and artist couldn ’ t interact in real time . Latency is a big deal when it comes to streaming this sort of show . It is the biggest thing , because if you want to have real-time interaction , it ’ s all about latency ,” Moro continues .
To further that interaction , in addition to using broadcast cameras to shoot the show , Yoop ’ s “ perspective cameras ” are laid out in front of the stage to capture the show from what an audience ’ s perspective would be live . “ So , if you ’ re an audience member and you ’ re on the left screen [ from the band ’ s perspective ] that can be your perspective of the show . When an artist is looking at you , whether you ’ re on the left , centre , or right screen , you ’ re looking back at them from the same perspective . That ’ s what ’ s unique . But you can also choose [ a different ] perspective if you like ,” he adds .
BENOIT FREDETTE
As for the artist : “ They can pick people in the audience and say , ‘ I want to speak to the person on the top right .” That audience member ’ s image can , if desired , be routed to the centre screen or elsewhere and the performer and fan can have a real-time conversation just as they could if they were in the front row at a club .”
The L . A . and Nashville spaces offer a tangible benefit to artists in another way , by reproducing the familiar workflow and schedule of a normal show day , Moro says : “ The same gear on stage , a monitor engineer and console , big sound through the house PA . Yoop chose real theatres because they want artists to feel like they ’ re in a performance space .” Additionally , it allows the artist to access all the other spaces and amenities that are , normally , a routine part of a regular show day ; dressing rooms , wings , a backstage area to walk through on your commute from the green room , bus , or wherever to the stage .
Small things ? Maybe , but they help in reproducing the feel and flow that whoever is stepping into the lights is familiar with and , by extension , helps performers slip into a frame of mind that helps them feel more natural and , consequently , put on a better show .
Of course , just like it was pre-pandemic , in any venue where a broadcast is being captured and an audience is watching in real-time , there are some challenges …
“ The big thing was to have the lighting encapsulate the artist on stage while being careful about the cameras . Between the standard broadcast cameras shooting the show , and the Yoop perspective cameras , there ’ s a lot of them ,” Moro says . “ The lighting was designed specifically with the broadcast setting in mind , but it also had to be versatile ,” he explains . “ That was the big thing , because you want to be able to have what you need for , say , a keynote speaker or a corporate client , but you also want to have the ability to put on a full-on rock show , so we made sure to provide a good mix of fixtures ; a lot of good options .”
Another issue , he continues , “ is how do you treat the venue to make the people on stage as comfortable as possible . Even with the screens in front of the band , they can still see the seats . Do you want to light it up and see that or not ?” All of that plays into the larger question of , what ’ s the best way to capture the highest degree of that rarified live energy so core to an in-person show ? “ That ’ s the toughest thing ,” Moro says .
Granted , if anyone is uniquely positioned to help Yoop meet that challenge , it ’ s Solotech . Not only because of their deep experience in all facets of the live event industry , but because – like so many other companies who depended so heavily on that industry – after the industry came to a grinding halt last March , they had to pivot to keep the doors open , the lights on , and to employ as many of the folks whose livelihoods have been virtually wiped out in the interim .
In addition to their work with Yoop , Solotech has been exploring the virtual space themselves and bringing their huge inventory to bear on this type of application with other firms like Fanslab , as well as creating similar offerings themselves . “ We ’ re doing a lot in our facilities in Canada ,” Moro says . But Solotech has really tapped into offering virtual solutions for business , government , and other applications , and is doing quite well with that and using a variety of different platforms depending on the job . Like every company , we ’ re trying to figure out what else we can do . Namely , Solotech recently announced the upcoming acquisition of Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound to strengthen its live productions and systems integration divisions in the U . S . “ It ’ s seeing where we can push the limits . But it ’ s all entertainment and so it ’ s all tied together ,” says Moro .
Virtual and hybrid live events aren ’ t going to go away when the pandemic is over , Moro notes , “ But , honestly , in my heart , I think it will fade a bit in the live music business because we ’ re so hungry for the live experience . All of us want to be there , to feel it . We don ’ t want to be looking at screens . But in so many other facets of the event industry – gaming , corporate , government – they ’ re booking through September 2021
28 | Spring 2021