Visual design studio Tenfeet’s longstanding relationship with Dutch rockers BLØF resulted in some dazzling effects as the much-loved band played two sell-out gigs at Rotterdam’s 16,000-capacity AHOY Arena.
Tenfeet video programmer Pim Elberse specified and supplied two Hippotizer Boreal+ Media Servers – one main and the second as a full live backup machine – to handle pre-made content mixed with multiple effects and live feed blend. The content ranged from sweeping landscapes to computer-graphics, lyrics and pictures.
“We needed a system that could cope with various live feeds and feed a variety of content that was mixed with live, as well as control an SDI-matrix with 10 cameras on stage surrounding the band,” explained Elberse. “The Boreal+ provided total flexibility in combination with our Hog4 lighting console.”
Despite the large venue, BLØF’s stage was only 10 metres wide, designed for an intimate feel. The stage floor was transparent, with lighting fixtures beaming up from underneath. Behind the band was a large LED screen, rising from the stage to a height of 16 metres – almost to the ceiling. At each side of the stage, multiple trusses held the lighting and worked in collaboration with an LED strip around the LED wall to enhance the sense of height.
“The staging and rigging structure gave us the freedom to create unique looks for every song and unite set, light and video,” Elberse continued. “During shows, besides running the programmed cues, I’m always controlling content and effects to integrate the video with the show and make it more dynamic and intense. With the Boreal+ machines and Hippotizer, it’s quick to program multiple cues for each song and adjust and control in real-time.
“In addition, it’s easy to build your own personalities, to design what you want to control in Hippo and how. And because it’s so simple to make the ZooKeeper interface look how you want it, it all gives you a very flexible and clear view of what you are programming and playing back.”
Working alongside Elberse was stage design and video content creator Bart van Rooy of BigVis; lighting designer Patrick Kramer; and lighting operator Andre Beekmans from Art of Light.
BLØF played the duo of gigs to celebrate 25 years of hits in their homeland.