Review: Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm
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Aquabeam Dazzles on Eurovision Song Contest
Supplied by Litecom, 67 Aquabeam fixtures were used to illuminate the high-tech stage and interior of the world famous Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, where Eurovision 2016 took place. The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition. The Contest has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in 1956 and is one of the longest-running television programs in the world. It is also the most-watched non-sporting event in the world, with 2016 audience figures exceeding 200 million.
Clay Paky dazzles millions on Eurovision 2016
Award-winning lighting designer Fredrik Jönsson applied a vast number of Clay Paky Mythos, Sharpy, Sharpy Wash 330 and brand new Scenius to create the broadcast-ready, glittering extravaganza that was the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. Now in its 61st year and themed ‘Come Together’, Eurovision was sponsored by OSRAM and hosted by last year’s victor Sweden at Stockholm’s Globe Arena and watched by millions around the world. Jönsson, who was the lighting designer for Eurovision 2013 and created the visual look of Swedish winner Måns Zelmerlöf’s performance at last year’s contest, specified 120 Mythos, 308 Sharpys, 166 Sharpy Wash 330s and 58 Scenius to create each delegation’s uniquely spectacular visual story.
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Eurovision 2016: NEWTON Brings Added Stability and Efficiency to Live Broadcasts
NEWTON gyro-stabilized camera heads helped capture live action from the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 for NEP Sweden and Rail & Tracking Systems (RTS). The NEWTON heads were used for the broadcast of the semi-finals and final of the competition, which ended on Saturday. Camera operators now have a compact, affordable stabilized head providing precise control of camera, lens, and gimbal movement by a single operator. “The NEWTON performed flawlessly for us during the Eurovision broadcasts,” said Daniel Hjalmarsson, an independent special cameras and remote head operator who worked one of the cameras in front of the stage. “Until now I haven’t been able to operate both the head and the movement of the tracking rig by myself.”
Eurovision Flex success at Song Contest Grand Final
Eurovision Flex was successfully used at the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm last Saturday. The Flex equipment was deployed at 26 EBU Members taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest to provide yet another network layer to the voting transmission infrastructure. Used in the Members’ control rooms, the Flex IP technology ensured that each participating Member was provided with maximum reliability by being connected to at least two independent networks: satellite, combined with the robust Eurovision FiNE network and/or public internet. Broadcasters were guaranteed delivery of live content over multiple networks in a fast, secure and reliable manner.
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Eurovision Song Contest voted again for grandMA2
grandMA2 control was once again considered the only choice for lighting and video control at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) staged in the Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden. Four weeks of intense technical, production and artist rehearsals and two televised semi-finals featuring 42 participants preceded the final itself featuring 26 performances, which was broadcast to an estimated TV audience of 180 million worldwide by host broadcaster STV, explained lighting designer Fredrik Jonsson. Jonsson, a freelance LD with a vast fund of experience in lighting the highest profile live TV shows, worked with a team of four lighting programmers utilising 8 x grandMA2 light consoles. The grandMA2 network was running over 15 x MA NPU (Network Processing Unit) and 28 x MA 8Port Nodes and was controlling around 1, 600 lighting, LED and effects fixtures, consuming approximately 26,000 control channels over 60 DMX universes.
FIX8Group delivers awe-inspiring video content on Eurovision 2016
Visual production expert FIX8Group was part of the team operating the stunning video content for all 43 competing acts as well as pop megastar Justin Timberlake's performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 (ESC 2016). The 61st edition themed 'Come Together' was held at Stockholm's Globe arena and hosted by last year's Swedish champion Måns Zelmerlöf alongside returning host Petra Mede. It's reported more than 200 million viewers around the world tuned in to watch the grand final. This total included the USA, where the show was broadcast for the first time in history. Managing director Neil Trenell led the FIX8Group team, working with Eurovision 2016 content designer Mikki Kunttu and lighting designer Fredrik Jönsson to create a cohesive, broadcast-ready visual picture.
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Philips Vari-Lite immerses the audience on Eurovision 2016
Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, announces that award-winning Eurovision 2016 lighting designer Fredrik Jönsson incorporated 40 Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash luminaires into crucial audience lighting for the musical extravaganza's grand final. The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was held at Stockholm's Globe Arena and saw a live audience of 15,000 international fans, journalists and celebrities. Also, Eurovision announced official global viewing figures for the grand final reached 204 million. The Philips VL3500 Wash luminaires were supplied by Eurovision 2016 official technical supplier [LITE]COM. Jönsson made fantastic use of their powerful output to flood the audience with stunning color. Each wash reflected the on-stage action, embracing the crowd for a truly immersive experience.
Robe BMFLs are a Key to Eurovision 2016
Nearly 100 Robe BMFLs – 88 x BMFL Blades and 6 x BMFL Spots – proved invaluable to Fredrik Jonsson’s lighting design for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest which was staged in the Globe Arena, Stockholm with a capacity live audience of around 10,000 plus an estimated 180 million television viewers worldwide. Nothing like a bit of pressure ... which Fredrik took in his stride, lighting his second ESC in three years, having also been LD for the 2013 edition in Malmo. He was also the lighting operator for the last ESC staged at the Globe Arena ... in 2000. Significantly, the BMFLs were an essential tool for lighting the show properly. “I needed a high intensity spot with good colour rendering and a framing shutter system that enabled proper key-light from long throws,” explained Fredrik. “The BFML Blade fit that specification to the mark, hence their presence on the rig”.
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XLNT CyberMotion's CyberHoist II system delivers crucial automation on Eurovision 2016
XLNT Advanced Technologies' industry-leading CyberHoist II™ system has delivered seamless and reliable automation across the colossal live production of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 (ESC 2016). Europe's biggest televised event, which was reportedly seen by 200 million worldwide, was staged at Stockholm's Globe Arena. Technical director Ola Melzig, who is nothing short of a Eurovision expert with extensive experience managing the event since 2000, specified the CyberHoist II system from ESC 2016 official technical supplier [LITE]COM. [LITE]COM, which invested in 32 units and four MotionCue3D control systems prior to the event, supplied a 88-hoist system, supported by Ampco Flashlight Rental. Melzig worked alongside [LITECOM] CyberHoist II project manager Mathias Sonntag and Martin Hoop of Ampco Flashlight to design the complex moving arrangement for this year's automation-heavy show.