The annual New Year’s Eve show on broadcaster ZDF (Silvestershow) is a regular fixture in the German TV calendar. This year, Andrea Kiewel and Johannes B. Kerner welcomed the New Year in Germany flanked by numerous musical guests. Instead of the traditional fireworks display, a stage light show with no audience took place in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As technical service provider for the event, AMBION was faced with the challenge of setting up and dismantling an open-air TV show in the cold, wet December weather. The show took place in the middle of the capital under the strictest hygiene regulations and used over 800 lighting fixtures. Some 130 weatherproof Elation Proteus series moving lights were an essential part of the solution, supplied by Motion Rental.
In addition to the Proteus fixtures, 16 KL Panels with RGBWLC array were used for white light on the moderator stage. The fixtures brought an additional challenge as delivery was comprised due to the demand in combination with the logistical effects of the CPVID-19 pandemic. “It was not an easy task for manufacturers and sales,” said LMP Lichttechnik MD, Marc Petzold. “We worked between the holidays to get the goods, which had arrived just in time in December, delivered to Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.”
AMBION was also for the functional sound system optimised for the transmission, including artist monitoring and wireless technology, as well as set construction, rigging and rigging support.
Denny Arndt of BlendWerk, who developed the lighting design on behalf of production company sib Silvester in Berlin Veranstaltungen, specified Proteus lights along with Project Manager, Knut Winkler of AMBION. “Since so many lamps were hanging completely unprotected in the open, it would have been very time-consuming to provide all of them with weather protection,” Arndt said. “That is why IP65 lights were extremely important and a great help visually. So many lights with weather protection would not have looked nice on camera, especially since many fixtures were directly in the picture.”
A total of 67 Elation Proteus Rayzor 760, 43 Proteus Smarty Hybrid and Proteus Hybrid moving heads were used as show lights on the stage and on the surrounding buildings. “We were extremely satisfied with the performance of all devices. There was not a single failure,” Winkler concluded. “Despite the challenging circumstances with open-air production, tight schedules and of course the strict hygiene requirements, everything went well and was a lot of fun.”