The 15th Annual Golden Giraffe Awards, honoring the best event in the Dutch market, were held in March at the Schouwburg Almere, with concept, design, and content by LiveLAB from The Netherlands, who collaborated with XL Video, Ampco/Flashlight, and Showtex as sponsor partners.
The show was designed around the theme of crisis. “Walk-in started with an empty stage, working lights on, all theatre tracks flown up, and an actor, dressed as a stage manager, who held a conversation with the audience about the economic crisis,” says Michel Buchner of LiveLAB. “This was followed by a flashy opening; all flown properties came down at once, and we proceeded to the awards.” Content was via two SAMSC Catalyst media servers, with video playout on a Hog PC. XL Video provided Spyder 40mm LED screens and F-LED 11mm modules, as well as a Barco Encore system with a FLM20 projector, two R12+ projectors, and a three-camera chain.
Buchner notes that all the gear was donated to support the event. Lighting designer Vincent Kops Hagendoorn used Barco/High End Systems Showguns, Martin Professional MAC 700s, and Vari-Lite VL5s for moving lights, with ACLs for conventionals and curved truss to create three circles, all supplied by Ampco/ Flashlight. Showtex Netherlands provided a Spaghetti Events string curtain, high-gloss black flooring, and three circular projection screens held by the circular truss. Prolyte Products Netherlands supplied the Stagedex rotating podium.
The LiveLAB team included set design by Buchner and Rolf Kuipers; technical and creative production by Buchner and Ad de Haan; and content design and Catalyst playback by Buchner, Kuipers, and Titus Brands. The lighting was preprogrammed using ESP Vision and triggered from a Barco/High End Systems Wholehog 3 console, and original content was shot with P+S Technik Pro 35 lenses.
“I think this show is unique because all the sponsors did their maximum to make it crisis-worthy content,” adds Buchner.
Check out some of LiveLAB’s draft footage for the opener:
LiveLab’s draft version of the opening content.