Charli XCX; Summer Festival Tour 2019
-Timecode Programming Breakdown
J.G. Design was contacted about a month out from the start of the festival tour, to program an 18 song, 1 hour set. Since this tour was taking place in several different countries with different operators, management wanted to ensure that everything would be perfectly cued and achieve the same looks each time. In order to achieve this perfect set, using timecode was a crucial step. The tour had already been designed and plotted by Designer, Michael Apostolos. Our responsibility was to program his vision and set it to timecode. Over the course of 5 days we worked directly with Michael in our Pre-Viz Studio, and produced stunning and unique designs for each song.
This case study reviews each step we take in our process to a memorable show.
Step 1: Review
Designer’s Visions, Artist Needs/Opinions, Stage size, Trucking restrictions
Step 2: Inform
Now we Listen and Review each song, all the while considering the song’s narrative, emotions, and even artist origin. We also “Storyboard” preliminary designs per song, on paper; Using the verses and Choruses as starting points.
Step 3: Experiment
At this point in this process we have ideas of what we want songs to look like. Now we begin to operate the lighting console and find what looks and colors channeling the same message that the song is conveying.
Step 4: Cuestacking
This step in the process is where the real bulk of the work happens. Ideas and concepts from the “Experimenting Stage” are being implemented and organized in a way that fits the theme, direction, and flow of the set.
Step 5: Cuestack Review
After most of the cues have been written, this is the time where we sit back and review what has been created and what is still needed, making sure we are on track with the designer’s vision. From this point there will be fine tuning of cue content and timing fades.
Step 6: Timecoding the Cuestack
Now that we have created all of the content, we need to make the lighting be triggered by timecode events. The trick in this situation was that the audio engineer who designed the tracks for us was overseas, and used the timecode (LTC) protocol. So we instead used Midi (MTC) timecode locally on the same computer using Reaper. Once the show was taken overseas it was then converted back to the LTC protocol, where it received signal straight from the audio console.
After this Project was Timecoded and reviewed meticulously, Video clips of the work were sent to the artist and approved. Once we got artist approval, our work here was officially done. Michael saved his work at our studio then flew directly to London for rehearsals.
