Professional Lighting & Production - Spring 2022 | Page 31

THE GRANDMA3 LIGHT AT FOH

CONTROL :

1x Martin grandMA3 Light - Mode 3 4x Luminex sACN Nodes 1x Arkaos Media Server ( running graphics for the sceptrons ) - Triggered using Art-Net and output feed back in MA3 using NDI

1x Resolume Server ( running graphics for LED Walls ) - Triggered using OSC from the MA3

PREVIS SKETCH ; NOTICE THE PRACTICE STATIONS BEYOND THE MAIN STAGE AREA

we ’ ll bring in the risers , and carpet that ; so , a lot of the carpet team and rigging team come in next . Then we ’ ll move onto sound , lighting , and video , and that ’ s usually done during the second half of the first day or the beginning of the second day . So , the first half of the first day is very much power structuring and carpentry , and the second half is when we ’ ll start on the technical side . So , dealing a lot with lighting plots , video schematics , and audio plans , getting all that stuff in order , and that usually lasts about another day and a half . So usually , we have about two days to install – for this show and on larger festivals it ’ s usually about three days , and the fourth day , which is either the Wednesday or the Thursday , is a rehearsal day , and that ’ s usually a full day . And that ’ s where we ’ ll test out all the special effects , all the cues , and all the lighting for the broadcast , because obviously that ’ s a big part of it . And then that will roll into a two- or three-day show , and then we ’ ll start tearing down the night-of and then usually have that full next day to load out .

Another cool thing that we do a lot on these shows is the custom fabrication . So , anything scenic , or the player stations , the broadcast desks , trophies , and all that stuff . It ’ s a very creative part of it that we enjoy , and we deal a lot with carpenters , CNC machines , custom LED integration , those kinds of things . That ’ s a really neat part of it .

PL & P : How much are the competing teams themselves involved in the rehearsals ?

Sciortino : Not at all , actually . When we do our rehearsals it ’ s usually just the broadcast and technical teams present . The teams sometimes arrive the day before that , or the day of rehearsals , and they usually just come and check out the site . The teams also have separate setups at all these where they can go and practice and familiarize themselves with everything prior to the event . When you ’ re dealing with larger global tournaments , you ’ re dealing with players coming from a lot of different time zones , so they need some time to acclimatize . Rehearsal is ultimately directors calling cues and making sure everyone ’ s aligned .

“ Honestly , [ it was ] a fun and smooth show ,” Sciortino summarizes . Though , it ’ s hard to imagine how it wouldn ’ t be fun , even as a closed-door show , not to mention viewing the broadcast . “ It went very well ,” Marin corroborates . “ It was nice for us to be back doing a physical event .”

I can speak from personal experience as to the excitement of an esports production ; last September , after Waveform was acquired by event production colossus Solotech , I attended the Solotech & Waveform Esports Showcase in Toronto , which was of a very similar ilk to this event – as it was a showcase , it was limited to smaller audiences , which delivered an up-close-and-personal , immensely engaging experience as it presented a live championship match in the popular shooter Overwatch . It was this showcase that made me realize just how all-encompassing and wildly intersectional this avenue of event production actually is . The comparison I drew in my conversation with Sciortino is that of premiere professional wrestling promotions ; the middle of a Venn diagram of live competition , bespoke stage production , high-quality broadcast , and raw entertainment value .

“ You know what , though ? That ’ s probably the most comparable thing , to be very honest with you ,” Sciortino responds to that theory . “ Just for the fact that the technology , the showmanship , the fight that ’ s going on – it ’ s very similar to what esports is , and what it ’ s all about .”

I suppose the main difference is that in esports ( to its credit ), the competition is unscripted … And I say that as a huge fan of professional wrestling .

Andrew Leyenhorst is the Assistant Editor of Professional Lighting & Production .

Spring 2022 | 31