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Interesting Design/Tech Facts about Interesting Theatrical Events:

 

 

2008 Democratic National Convention
  • Production Designer: Bruce Rodgers
  • Investco Field Designer: Bobby Allen (?)
  • Lighting Designer: Bob Dickinson
  • Audio Designer: Pat Baltzell

Link Resources:

 

2008 Republican National Convention
  • Producer: David Nash, Producer of the Radio City Christmas and Easter Shows
  • Greg Lane - General Contractor
       Freeman Cos., Dallas
  • Lighting Designer: David Grill
  • Lighting Consultant: Bill Klages

Statistics:

  • 200,000 Balloons
  • Stage Height 4'-0"
  • Projection screen size: 30' high x 50' wide

 

 

 

 

 

 

2008 Summer Olympics - China
opening and closing

send additions/corrections to: rfinkels@msn.com

General Credits:

  • Dir: Zhang Yimou (noted Chinese film director)
  • Principle Choreographer: Shen Wei of NY
       (born in China)
  • Music Dir: Chen Qigang
  • Stage Design: Mark Fisher - Britain (et. al)
  • Lighting Designer: Mr. Sha Xiao Lan
  • Lighting Control design: Paul Collison
  • Video System Design: Andree Verleger from Germany
  • Technical Realization: ACE - Advanced Communication Equipment Co Ltd.
  • Stage Lifts supplied by Serapid of Sterling Heights, Michigan
    • 10 individually controlled platforms, using 62 Serapid LinkLift 100 lifting columns. They drift no more than .5cm
    • 23 feet of travel
    • 595 ton capacity for all together
    • 11,625 Square Feet
  • Lighting Control
    • 3 x grandMA full-size plus 3 x grandMA full-size as backup
    • Programmers: eng Bin, Wu Guoquing and Huang Tao

    More details can be found externally here:
    http://tinyurl.com/6556oo
     

  • REAL little girl singing: Yang Peiyi (7 years old, replaced only 15 min before the ceremony by)...
  • IMAGE of girl singing: Lin Miaoke (9 yrs old)
Statistics:
15,000 Performers at Opening
(1/3 from armed forces)
33,000 Fireworks Shells
91,000 Spectators in the stadium
2,300+ DMX controlled fixtures
45,000 Parameters of lighting control
2.3 billion TV Viewers
29 Firework "footprints". (Done live but simulation was used for TV coverage)
   
Links: Article on the lighting of the olympics

 

2004 Summer Olympics opening and closing

send additions/corrections to: rfinkels@msn.com

General Credits: (see Here for a great description of the ceremonies)

  • Producer: Jack Morton Worldwide, Lois Jacobs, President.
  • Artistic Director/Choreographer: Dimitris Papaioannou (also the conceptual designer)
  • Bob Dickenson Lighting Designer
    Andy O'Reilly, Automated Lighting Associate
  • Nick Brown - Head of Rigging
  • Flying By Foy (British Division) - Performer flying rigging
Statistics:
850 Number of production workers
8,500 Number of volunteers
7,000 Performers at closing
4,000 Performers total at opening
400 Percussionists
500 Bouzouki players
99,781 Area covered by the train of Bjork's dress on which was printed the world's largest photograph.
2,000 Lighting units
1572 Automated Lighting Units (VL)

 

Democratic National Convention, July, 2004
Fleet Center, Boston

Producers:

  • Don Mischer (who Produced the 1996 Atlanta Olympics opening ceremony)
  • Ricky Kirshner

Number of Production and Stage Crew: 450

Orchestra: 15 members

Set Designers:

  • Steve Bass (Grammy Awards) and
  • Brian Stonestreet

Set & Production Particulars:

  • Mystic Scenic Studios worked on construction
  • Chicago Scenic Studios did as well
  • Cheryl Jeffries was scenic artist
  • Set is 60' tall and 170' wide and can accommodate 200 people
  • 2 - podiums (with a third in the center for the acceptance speech)
  • seats behind the podiums to make for "human" backdrops.
  • Main video display: 90' x 17' using 5 rear screen projectors.
  • other screens: 24 - 42" and 10 - 50" plasma screens that could be raised and lowered
  • Live satellite feeds featured. 
  • Construction took 6 weeks
  • Flag hung above the stage area was 55' wide
  • 800 speakers

Lighting Designers:

  • Bob Barnhart, Bobby Dickinson
    Matt Firestone: Virtuoso Programmer

Lighting Package: Production Resource Group

  • Stage and arena lit by 1000 fixtures (but NPR reported 1700 fixtures)
  • 1 - Virtuoso VX Control system
  • 171 - VL5™ wash luminaries
  • 194 - VL5Arc™ wash luminaries
  • 30 - VL6C™ spot luminaries
  • 38 - VL7™ spot luminaries
  • 90 - VL3000™ spot luminaries
  • 181 - Martin MAC 2000 Wash lights
  • 116 - PAR Bars
  • 58 Source Four 19deg.
  • 48 Dome strobes
  • 30  1K Fresnels
  • 18  2k Fresnels
  • 12  6' MR16 strips
  • 2  2K Super Trouper II Followspots
  • 4   2.5K Gladiator followspots
  • 6 DF 50 Foggers

Announcer/Voiceover: Ms. Randy Thomas

Links:

 

 

Republican National Convention, Aug. 2004

Producer

  • David Nash, Producer of the Radio City Christmas and Easter Shows

Set Designers: 

  • Joe Stewart 
  • John Schaffner

Setting, Construction, and Effects  statistics:
(According to Good Morning America & other sources)

  • 200,000 sq. ft. of lumber used to create stage, added delegate floor, camera
    stands, etc.
  • 300 pounds of confetti used
  • To create more floor space at Madison Square Garden a false floor had to be built 10 feet above the existing arena floor so as to extend into the stands. (or 9' according to other sources)
  • 70 streamer canons built into the stage
  • 100,000+ balloons from WJS Studios

Lighting Designer: Bill Klages

Lighting Particulars: 
(According to Good Morning America)

  • 1000 lights used to light delegates and stage
  • 1.5 million feet of cable run (presumably for not just lighting but also for telecom. and sound, etc)

Announcer/Voiceover: Robin Bittman

 

 

 

Miss Saigon National Tour (c. 1995)

 

600 Pounds of Ho Chi Minh Statue
18' Height of Ho Chi Minh Statue
4 Months to construct Ho Chi Minh Statue
19 Number of blinds
3 Months to construct helicopter
44 Number of performers
25 Number of orchestra members
29 Scenery and electrical systems operators
55 Crew members
375 Number of costumes
45 Number of hand-guns, M-16's, A-K 47's used
470 Number of lighting instruments
94 Total winches
91 Automated effects for scenery
20 Number of Vari Lights (some sources report 42)
6 Number of follow spots
30 Moving light curtains
8 Number of fog and smoke machines
300 Pounds of dry ice used per show
25 Number of radio microphones
30 Number of communication headsets
6 Number of control consoles
22 Number of scene shifts
18 Trailers required to transport
12 Computer controls
95 Speakers
200 Cues

 

Phantom of the Opera "A" Tour (1990s)

 

26 Tractor Trailers required to transport
$10mil Production cost
  The chandelier lighting is radio-controlled.
  The boat uses Infrared remote control
5 hairdressers
17 Wardrobe staff size
54 Motors required for the automation
  On this tour, the phantom gets to the top of the proscenium via a built-in elevator. (not the same for all tours)
154 Wigs required made from human hair costing between $1500 and $2000 each.
1500lb Weight of chandelier which required 6 shops to build
6500lb Weight of chandelier with its rigging and motors
36 Number of performers
32 Number of players in the Orchestra
60 Crew members (37 on set and electrics running crew)
181 Candles that rise from the 9" touring deck
281 Candles used altogether onstage
230 Number of costumes
479 Number of lighting instruments
52 Automated stage effects
9 Number of followspots
14 Pyro effects
10 Number of fog and smoke machines
550 Pounds of dry ice used per show
114.4 TONS of dry ice used yearly
2700 Yards of fabric in the scenic drapes
22 Number of wireless mikes
35 Headsets
11 Control consoles
22 scene shifts
15hrs Time it takes to strike BEFORE the deck strike.
1 Elephant
   

 

Sunset Boulevard "A" Tour (c. 2000)

 

52 Tractor Trailers required to transport
40,000lb Mansion weight
3200 Amps of power required

 

The Full Monty 2003-4 Tour, 
Sound/Audio Stats

 

Console:  Yamaha PM1D
Wireless: 28 wireless transmitters (on 26 receivers, don't ask :o), all Sennheiser SK-5012s
protected each month by:
544 non-lubricated condoms
128 3"x5" 2 mil poly bags (these do the same thing as the condoms, but slide in and out of spandex mic pouches easier during quick-changes)
1,344 2" cosmetic cotton squares (these get stuffed in the top of the condoms/bags to help soak up sweat)
Musicians: 8 , all on Aviom A-16 personal monitor mixers. 20 mics, 11 DIs in the pit
Amplifiers:  1 (a TOA 70v for the page system)
Speakers: 30 speakers of various sorts (all Meyer self-powereds) incl. 2 subs on the touring system, supplemented at each stop with house center clusters and delays
Video: 4 video cameras (1 color, 3 b/w). 8 video monitor locations.
Sound
Cable:
13+  500 feet of XLR cable
2+  300 feet of various types of power cable
900' 68-pin W6 digital signal cable
3,300 feet ethernet BNC cable
Batteries: Expended each month on tour (32 shows):
1,792 AAA batteries
192 AA batteries
1 9V battery

 

 
2002 Winter Olympics

Links:

 

 

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