Producing an event with an expedited timeline

Producing an Event with an Expedited Timeline

curved LED Wall

Introduction

Anyone working in the live event business will tell you: no matter how much you plan, unexpected challenges are a part of putting on a live show.  At Legion we strive to plan for the unexpected and to always be able to quickly find solutions for those challenges. When we were approached by Native Experiential and Matlo Creative with a project with a short lead time and big goals, we knew we were the right team for the job, so we jumped in with both feet to make it happen.

The client wanted to level up their event from what they had done in previous years and create an immersive space for the attendees to gather in, but they weren’t sure how to accomplish that goal. They had a vision of the event, a rough budget and a venue. From there, NativeX, Matlo and Legion teamed up to create something special. Typically for this level of production we would expect a three to six month lead time. For this project, we had six weeks. There were also very tight timelines for load in imposed by the venue, so we had to design with those limitations in mind as well.

Design

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Our first step was discovering and refining exactly what the client wanted and reconciling that with what was possible in the space with the timeline available. The venue was the Ritz Carlton Bacara, which is a beautiful resort, but has limited rigging capabilities in the Baraca Ballroom and is very busy in the event season. Working with NativeX and Matlow we created three designs in Vectorworks  and presented them to the client along with each design's pros and cons. Once a direction was chosen we worked to refine the design. 

The final design was a 360° black masking of the space with a 52’ wide curved LED wall on stage with additional LED columns that wrapped around the audience as well as full stage and audience lighting. This was a cost effective way to create an immersive experience with only a 48 hour load in window.

Execution

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Since we only had 48 hours to get this show fully built, we had a very strict production schedule that coordinated crew calls, trucks hitting the dock and being unloaded, build processes and production timelines. We brought in IATSE Local 442 to help with the build and they were a huge asset that really made the ambitious timeline possible. In the first six hours we hung 300+ feet of truss, built a 16’ x 60’ stage and hung 40 lights. By the end of day one, we had all assets built, including the LED wall and columns. That left us a full day to focus on dialing in the technology and ensuring everything would run smoothly. Since we designed the physical space, we also took on creating all the custom resolution digital assets. This eliminated any sizing and scaling issues that could arise. By the end of day two, we had a cohesive space using our digital assets and physical video, audio and lighting to fully immerse you in the program. 

Results

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It was a hit! When the client walked into the space, they were completely blown away. They had all seen the space before the load in began and couldn’t believe the transformation that had taken place in just two days. Working with NativeX and Matlo on the main session and offsite programming, we had three flawless days of rehearsal and show. The client was amazed at how smooth and seamless the entire experience was, both for themselves and the attendees. Needless to say we are looking forward to doing it again next year!

 

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