White Light has helped to create an interactive and dynamic gaming experience with the Gfinity Esports Arena, London.
Gfinity, a world-leading esports entertainment group, delivers live experiences with high production values. The organisation recently created the Gfinity Esports Arena at Vue Cinema in Fulham to allow fans to watch head-to-head gaming competitions.
White Light worked closely with Production Designer Paul Sudlow and Stage Builder Scott Fleary to create the experience. White Light’s Project Manager Tom Cass commented: “We needed to turn an empty space into an immersive gaming environment that featured 3 custom-built stages and would house a sold-out arena of gaming fanatics. We saw the 3D model so were aware of how Paul envisaged the space. We then had to supply the technical equipment and expertise to make this a reality.”
The turn-key solutions that White Light supplied included the lighting, video and truss structure. Cass stated: “When the players enter the gaming arena, they walk through a hexagon tunnel. We lined the walls with LED video tubes and positioned LED tape on the exterior. Similarly, as the players walked to their gaming booths, we installed pixel flex on the staircase in order to perpetuate the mesmerising effect created by the tunnel.”
The gaming action was live-streamed on 2 LED video walls which were situated behind the presenter desks. The content was run using disguise’s (formerly d3 technologies) 4×4 media server. Cass added: “We used the disguise 4×4 as it is one of the few servers powerful enough for a project like this. The gamers are positioned in 10 individual units on the stage above and, for each booth, WL supplied Philips ePar 180 LED lights.”
With the Gfinity Elite Series shown on linear TV and streamed online, White Light had to draw on lighting that would be suitable for broadcast. The Phoenix LED Profile Spot by Altman Lighting was used to light both the gamers and broadcasters and Galaxia Electronics’ LED Soft Lights were used for studio lighting. Cass added: “Having worked on high-profile broadcasts such as the Rugby World Cup, Euro 2016 and the ITV Racing season, we were able to draw on our experience and offer a suitable solution.”
The main lighting rig within the arena consisted of Robe 300s and Spikies to provide even coverage. This was controlled by a LSC Lighting Systems LX300 lighting console. For the build itself, White Light had 2 weeks to work with the designers and acquire the necessary equipment. The company then had just over a week on site to install all of the technology; ensuring the arena was ready for the launch.
Cass concluded: “Gfinity is a great example of us working on a high-profile project with a very tight deadline. We were able to enter a space, work closely with the creative team and deliver the exact technical solutions required.”