Toby Keith - American Ride Tour - Mobile Production Pro

Corp. EventsGearhouse SA Supplies BidvestChairman Awards 2010Gearhouse South Africa supplied design and technicalproduction - including rigging, lighting, visuals, AV setand audio - to the 2010 Annual Bidvest Chairman’sAwards, one of South Africa’s highest profile corporate events,staged at Sandton Convention Centre (SCC) Johannesburg.Tim Dunn designed the spectacular set, visualsand lighting for the 3 day event, which encompassedthe strongly feminine 2010 “BidvestEve” theme and comprised a curvaceous, completelywhite 73 metre wide set with multiplesynchronised revolves and dramatically sweepingspiral staircases as its centrepiece.Dunn lit the environment almost entirely withenergy saving LED lightsources. At the essenceof his design was the ability to colour, textureand transform the space with lighting andvisual effects - utilizing the very specific qualitiesof light that is output from LED fixtures,fused with beautifully fluid ambient videoprojections, making it dynamic, interesting anddifferent.He collaborated closely with show directorsand co-producers David Bloch and DebbieRakusin, plus all Gearhouse’s different disciplinesand departments, creating detaileddrawings and technical plans in advance toensure that everything ran smoothly and efficientlyon site.According to Rakusin, who also choreographsall the show’s dance and movement elementsand has been onboard for many years, “Itis always a great pleasure to work with theGearhouse team. They have become friends,which makes for a very comfortable and productivespace, allowing us to overcome thedeadline stresses and deliver a beautiful show.”This is Dunn’s fourth year of working onBidvest. Each year, it is a major pressure tocreate a new, completely different, visuallyprovocative space in which the clients canstage their own slick presentation, which thisyear featured numerous live performers and afashion show in addition to the gala dinner for1000 international guests each night.SetGearhouse’s set building specialists SDS constructedall the set elements in an operationco-ordinated by Pieter Joubert and CraigPretorius. This year, all technical departmentshad 2 days less build time than previously, acompressed timescale that added to the manychallenges whilst producing some class teamwork.The main performance stage was an 18 metrerevolve supplied by Gearhouse In2structures,on top of which were two 7.8 metre revolves,each with a huge spiral staircase measuring 3metres wide by 3.1 metres high.These spiral staircases were linked to a staticcentral staircase, so the movement of the smallerrevolves had to be 100% precise so all pieceslined up correctly at the required moments.The revolves were used for artist and presenterentrances and exits and for the numerous scenechanges running throughout the event.The main stage was flanked with two 18 metreby 4 metre secondary stages; each featuringa set of majestic Romanesque columns at theback. Tensioned between the headers of thesespillars and the centre stage area was a 6metre by 24 metre white sharkstooth gauze.This was front lit to give additional depthand dimensionality, and backed with a 24metre by 6 metre LED starcloth.A massive “U” shaped fashion ramp/runwaycurved out from the stage into the front sectionof the audience, which was seated on an1800 square metre seating platform, so theperformers could get close up and interactwith the guests. The ramp was finished in animported high gloss Marley, creating an additionallighting surface within the audience.Sightlines around the room were integral toDunn’s design. When drawing up the finalversions, he meticulously checked the viewingangles from all the tables in the room toensure that every guest would have an excellentview of the action for their maximumenjoyment.Three printed oval screens were suspendedabove the centre revolve, each angled backwardsand edged by an integral printed “3D”picture frame. Dunn commissioned theGearhouse Media team to create special AVcontent and masks that made these “windows”constantly shifting 3D visual illusions. Left andright of the main stage were two 10 metre by 7metre 16:9 format projection screens, used forcamera I-MAG footage, with the same printedeffect as the oval centre screens.Suspended over the audience were 7 opulentchandeliers, graciously swagged in silks andinternally lit. These were also custom designedand built by SDS, and functioned as eye-catchinghouse lights.LightingA matt white painted set finish can be a difficultsurface to light, but it gave Dunn a8 mobile production monthly