Tait has worked on many projects in the past with the team members who worked on the new One Direction On The Road Again 2015 Tour, which includes creative director Lee Lodge, set designers Stufish, and lighting designer Paul Normandale. Conversations for the tour design started in 2013, and that's when Tait got inovled. We caught up with Matthew Hales, senior project manager for Tait, about the tour.
LD: What did the team at Tait engineer and build for One Direction’s latest tour?
Tait manufactured a scenic fascia surround for the offstage and onstage video screens, so effectively, the scenic fascia that outlines and frames the entire production. We also provided the B-stage video lift that is integrated into the end of the runway. This consists of two large hydraulic lifting platforms with video rollers that deploy and retract a video system on all the out faces of the lifting platform. The system was built reconfiguring existing Tait rental components allowing us to provide some really large unique looks at a more cost-effective price point. Any time we can integrate existing equipment form our rental inventory into a new configuration for a production, it is a win-win for everyone involved.
LD: Any motion control that involved your stuff?
Tait Navigator is controlling the B-stage video lift that consists of eight hydraulic scissor lifts that are all synced to run together. The lifting platform has video modules that connect to the lifting platform. As the lift elevates, it pulls a video screen up with it. This video screen is wrapped around a roller that is integrated into the lift surround. Each roller is spring-loaded so that is auto retracts the screen when the lift is on its way down, essentially making it a large inverted roller blind.
LD: How did you work with the designer to achieve his vision?
For this particular “rebranding” of the show, we worked a lot with Kate Moross, the artist responsible for all the graphics on the new look. There was a lot of back and forth in the beginning used to define a common language and approach, but ultimately, all of the panels had a large-format, digitally printed finish, so what she created is exactly what they got. There was no room for artistic interpretation because we were literally printing her files. Then it was all about getting it installed and integrated in the correct locations throughout the equipment so there was no compromise to the overall look.
LD: What software you use to build, and how does that translate to the client?
We draw everything in 3D in [Autodesk] AutoCAD. This allows us to very clearly communicate to the productions exactly what they are getting so there aren’t any surprises upon delivery. There was also a lot of [Adobe] Illustrator used in the printing of the artwork.
LD: How granular do you get, working with lighting and video teams, and integrating everything?
We are typically on-site for the first couple weeks of rehearsals to help integrate everything, but we don’t have any staff on the road with the show. Once the show is up and running, and the production staff is comfortable with the day-to-day operation of the gear, we leave them to do their thing. We do supply 24/7 service and support if there are ever any problems out on the road.
LD: Tell us about any challenges when it came to rehearsals.
This was basically a rebranding of the [previous] tour, so the last time we were at rehearsals was early in 2014. This time around, we changed all the artwork and loaded all the gear onto containers that headed to Australia.
Video content for the tour is by Geodezik. Upstaging is providing the US lighting system, with Lite Alternative supplying lighting in Europe, as well as the control system worldwide. Sets and staging are by Tait and Brilliant Stages, with Kinesys for motion control of the moving light rig, and pyro and lasers are by Strictly FX.
Check out our full coverage, sponsored by Upstaging and Kinesys, at our Project In Focus on One Direction here, and check back often for continuing updates.