Berlin, Germany-based full service live event and technical production specialist TSE AG has been utilising the unexpected downtime of the pandemic in a number of constructive ways including professional development and launching a new exercise for all their trainee staff and apprentices called “The Next”.
This is designed to encourage their budding new talent in the fields of event management, production and organisation, lighting, visual, production and audio design to shine through.
The trainees themselves initiated the idea of setting up and creating a lighting, sound, and visual show environment for use as a series of dynamic live streams and recordings … and TSE was – naturally – up for it!
TSE’s available technologies had to be used inventively, and the set up was built in their warehouse in Berlin’s lively Neukölln area for which the trainees used some of the large stock of Robe moving lights, including 14 x Pointes, two MegaPointes and eight Spiiders.
The installation was in place for 10 days and utilised by a succession of local artists, bands and DJs who either livestreamed shows or recorded videos for later broadcast or use as promotional collateral.
All the current social distancing requirements and hygiene regulations were strictly implemented ensuring that it was a completely Covid-19 compliant space.
The whole project was imagined, planned, and realised by 13 TSE trainees and apprentices working alongside 20 technicians and coordinated by Marcel Kuch, supervising project manager for TSE AG and Henning Grunwald, trainee project Manager for TSE AG together with fellow trainees Johannes Fritz (artist liaison), Tim Berger (LD), Ole Jacobi & Kolja Barc (sound designers) and Erik Betac & Lukas Wenzel (projection and visual content).
Said Henning, “This project gave me the opportunity to grow both creatively and in terms of planning / organisation. It was a hugely enriching experience.”
Event management trainees focussed on organisational aspects like scheduling, booking the talent and activating press and public relations campaigns, while the future event technology specialists took care of all the technical and design elements.
Robe luminaires were the primary brand of moving light, chosen for their reliability and versatility.
The lighting aesthetic was based on slopping and diagonal lines … with nothing straight-on in any one camera shot, which increased the sense of depth and added a quirkiness to the look of the space.
For general background lighting, four Robe Spiiders and one Pointe were assigned at the back of the DJ booth / performance area.
Metal cable storage units were used to build a fragmented ‘wall’ at the back. Spiiders inside the cages blasted through the metal grills for a cool industrial mood and a warehouse DIY vibe, together with ‘cage lamps’ on cables hung to the sides from one of the warehouse roof beams.
The four Spiiders and three Pointes in the storage units created moody back-light. Gobos from the Pointes blended with the Spiider’s pixel-controllability and flower effect.
Diagonally flown side trusses were each rigged with three Pointes for quick cross stage beamy effects. Structurally these side trusses worked harmoniously with a diamond shaped voile-covered projection screen flown at the back, interacting with this in every camera shot and ensuring the slick slanted look was maintained with a visual blend of lighting and playback video.
At the lighting desk, Tim Berger was supported by four excellent lighting operators Andreas Vollmer, Peter Weist, Klaus Graewert and Simon Matuszczak, and staging this event enabled him to learn many new techniques and tricks.
Several artists played creating a diverse line-up of multiple musical genres, including DJ and music producer Alle Farben, metal duo Bôse Fuchs, the Querfeldein Festival plus many other rising star Berlin bands and collectives, all of whom enthusiastically embraced the spirit and essence of the project and enjoyed their time in this well designed pop up studio.