Sweden-based Green Wall Designs has been involved in some of the most striking live events of the past few years, including Beyonce's Renaissance Tour, performers at the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, Amazon Music Live, ABBA Voyage, London, and a host of Swedish television shows including Idol and The Masked Singer.
Sweden is one of the most enthusiastic participants in the Eurovision Song Contest, having won and hosted six times and set to host again in May, 2024. The competition to represent the country at Eurovision is called Melodifestivalen, and lighting and screens designer and founder of Green Wall Designs, Fredrik Stormby, talked to Live Design about his work on the event.
Live Design: What first inspired you to become a designer for live shows?
Fredrik Stormby: As a kid, I always had these images in my head whenever I heard music. I loved music that sparked my imagination, and I spent a lot of time drawing and painting as a hobby. I was also really into technology. Then, during my late teens, I ended up working with lighting on a tour. I was blown away by how the lights added to the whole experience - the energy between the band and the crowd, the booming sound, everything. Even though I started out as a lighting technician, I always approached things with a design mindset. I cared a lot about how things looked and how they all came together in the end. It was inspiring, even if I wasn't always designing the shows myself back then. From that moment on I did a lot of shows as an operator, programmer but in parallel also worked as a lighting crew chief and tech. Around 2003, I got to work with the Catalyst Media Server for the first time. We ran it from a Wholehog II together with the lighting and I was just amazed. From then on I always enjoyed working with both lighting and video.
For over 10 years now, I've been focused solely on the creative side of it all, but I still appreciate having a strong technical background to rely on when I'm working on something new.
LD: Where did you train and what are some of your formative experiences?
FS: I started as an intern in an audio rental company in the late 90’s when I was 16-17. They didn’t want to deal with lights, so they had me doing that. I will always be grateful to the people there that brought me in, I must have been a pain in the ass.
LD: When you first started out as a designer was Melodifestivalen, the competition to pick the Eurovision contestant, on your bucket list?
FS: No, not really. I was more into touring and music and not that interested in TV back then, but Melodifestivalen had just started in the format it is now (no orchestra and more focused on the performances as a whole, the first year of that was 2002) and it instantly took off and became a success, engaging half of the country’s population in front of the TV. Of course, I looked up to the older generation of professionals that worked with it.
LD: What was the scope of work for Melodifestivalen?
FS: I’m part of the creative team and we develop it all together. My title is ‘Light and Video Designer’ so I’m definitely involved in both lighting, set and screens, together with a lot of talented people in the team. However, in production, I would mainly focus on lighting and work closely with the Screen Producers from our studio for the video. The set was developed in collaboration with long-time set designer Viktor Brattström.
LD: Eurovision has evolved from a "variety show" look that typically had an overall theme, to a series of independent rock performances. Is this true of Melodifestivalen?
FS: Yes indeed. A lot of the people involved in the “new” Melodifestivalen that I mentioned above were also involved in the early days of the “new” Eurovision. I would say Melodifestivalen and Eurovision have evolved side by side.
LD: How do you give each act its own identity?
FS: The initial contact with the artist and their team is done by the show’s producer and creative directors. They will feel them out a bit, what they want to do, and what vibe they want to have to their performance. From there on they put a first creative “look and feel” together and we work as a team from that, continuing to develop the ideas for set, lighting, and screen/projection content.
LD: How many of the acts bring their own design/designer with them?
FS: Not too many, normally 1-2 over a season. However, It’s still SVT that owns the show and has the last say. The producers ensure that there will not be three heavy metal acts in a row. Or acts who requested the same color scheme either.
LD: Can you talk us through some of your fixture choices for this year's Melodifestivalen?
FS: I wanted to go with only LED or laser in the rig for the first time, and did so for the tour. For the finals in Stockholm, we added some Sharpys but that was it in terms of discharge lights. Apart from that, I wanted robust workhorse fixtures that fitted in numbers in relation to budget. For the ‘house rig’ I designed it around a relatively large number of small LED Washes to shape the stage and the room, the Martin ERA150. In addition to that, we used Ayrton Euros S as a workhorse profile, I think it did a good job as a versatile fixture in the rig. In addition to that, JDC-1 Strobes and MAC Quantum Washes for the audience. For key lights, we used Robe T2’s and Follow Me. Then we bring in a lot of lighting specials, projectors and lasers etc for the performances and GrandMA3 in mode 3 for control.
LD: Do you have certain favorites that you always turn to?
FS: I think the Robe T2 is a brilliant fixture for key lights, the quality of light and the amount of color control you have at your hand is just brilliant.
LD: Did you use any new gear?
FS: Yes, we used Follow-Me for the first time, a great tool and I look forward to continue to refine the workflows with that system. And we have had some in for testing that will be used for Eurovision. Stay tuned!
LD: What was the scope of work for video design?
FS: Our studio, GREEN WALL DESIGNS, is the provider of most video content for the show. We collaborate with the wider team and artist teams to find the right vibe for the various performances. Over a season we produce content for around 45-50 songs + the home look for the show in collaboration with SVT.
LD: What comes first for you, screens or lighting?
FS: It varies - sometimes I get the lighting ideas first and sometimes the video. Of course it also depends if there is a creative brief or other input, but I try to not be so focused on the technology at an early stage, more what we want to achieve creatively and then see how we get there with the tools we have at hand.
LD: In previous projects of yours, the designs are very architectural. Is this a conscious decision to create spaces for performance, rather than just lighting the performer?
FS: That sounds like I messed up completely if I didn't manage to light the performer. But yes, I do enjoy working with strong shapes, forms and playing with perspective.
Lighting Main System
150 x Martin Mac ERA 150 Wash
101 x Aryton Eurus S
062 x GLP JDC1
098 x Martin Mac Aura XIP
207 x Martin Mac Quantum Wash
060 x Robe Robin T2 Profile
078 x Clay Paky Sharpy
004 x Arri Skypanel S30-C
024 x Astera Titan tubes
006 x MDG Kit
004 x Grand MA3 Fullsize
001 x Grand MA3 Light
001 x Grand MA3 Extension
004 x Grand MA3 PU L
006 x Grand MA3 PU M
026 x Grand MA3 8-port Node
018 x Luminex Gigacore 16XT
001 x Luminex Gigacore 30i
006 x Luminex Luminode4
648ch Stage smart PDUARTIST Extras
008 x Aputure MC Pro
008 x ARRI LC10-C Fresnel
013 x Astera AX3
008 x Astera Hyperion Tube
020 x Astera Titan Tube
003 x Ayrton Cobra
008 x Ayrton Eurus S
033 x Clay Paky Tambora Line
005 x GLP Impression X4 Bar 20
032 x GLP JDC-1
020 x LDDE Nanopix Slim FR 1440
007 x Martin MAC Aura XIP
003 x Martin MAC Quantum Wash
048 x Martin VDO Atomic Dot CLD
020 x ADJ Encore UV
024 x Par64
008 x 4-LightsLASERS007 x Laserimage DL42 RGB
003 x Laserimage DL24 RGB
006 x Laserimage DL15 RGB
003 x Laserimage Line Module RGB
002 x Pangolin Ultimate Work Stations
Smoke for Lasers
8 x Haze Base High Power
8 x Snail FansVIDEOLED Products
90m² Absen Polaris 2.5mm LED
72m² ROE Black Marble 4mm LED Floor
Mediaservers
3 x Disguise GX3
SVT
Executive Producer - Anders Wistbacka
Showrunner - Christel Tholse Willers
CREATIVE TEAM
Creative Producer - Lotta Furebäck
Multicamera Director - Robin Hofwander
Multicamera Diector - Fredrik Bäcklund
Creative Director - Sacha Jean-Baptiste
Creative Director - Keisha Von Arnold
Creative Director - Jennie Widegren
Light and Video Designer - Fredrik Stormby
Associate Lighting Designer - Ishai Mika
Lighting Programmer - Isak GabreLighting Programmer - Linus PansellDisguise Programmer - Viktor SkoglundScreen Content Producer - Peter SundkvistMotion Designer - Olivia Ramviken
Motion Designer - David Carvajal
Motion Designer - Nisse Westfelt
Motion Designer - Andreas Strömquist
Set Designer - Viktor BrattströmStage Manager - Tobbe BergProps - Alexander Ankarberg
Laser - Johan Lindell
Laser - Love Karlsson
Laser - Pieterjan RuyschFollow Me Operator (Lead) - Kevin MoorehouseFollow Me Operator - Maja FernlundFollow Me Operator - Kim Andersson
Follow Me Operator - Jimmie SoneliusAUTOMATION Riggingworks - Johnny Mac
LIGHTING CREW
Lighting Crew Chief - Pontus RydebjörkLighting Crew Chief - Linus Österberg
Lighting Tech - John Edeborg
Lighting Tech - Elof Bergkvist
Lighting Tech - Gustav Rahm
Lighting Tech - Pontus Thoren
Lighting Tech - Johan Hedin
Lighting Tech - Pär Lundholm
Lighting Tech - Mattias Hansen
Lighting Tech - Felix Strömberg
Lighting Tech - Annelie Nanji
Lighting Tech - Benjamin Whalström
Lighting Tech - Johan Linden
Lighting Tech - Fredrik EklövVIDEO CREWVideo Crew Chief - Fredrik BjörklundLIGHT AND VIDEO VENDORCreative Technology Northern EuropeKey Account - Johan Ekblad