The Stage

Shadow play

Published Monday 30 November 2009 at 15:45

XL Video UK supplied a PixLED screen, cameras, PPU and crew to the recent Cliff Richard and the Shadows UK and European tour.

With video and lighting designed by LD Derek Jones, the idea of the screen emerged when he decided that it would be more expedient regarding truck space to replace potentially chunky scenery pieces with a multi-functional scenic/IMAG backdrop in the form of a screen. This enabled them to run abstract and ambient effects, as well as show IMAG, adopting a new style of presentation for a Cliff and the Shadows tour. Jones was particularly keen to have IMAG concentrated centre stage, rather than on the traditional two side-screen set-up as side screens were also felt to distract attention away from the main stage.

Playback material was compiled from a variety of sources, from royalty-free online archives, the Catalyst’s on-board library and some that he created from scratch. All this was stored in the latest Catalyst - with the Active Silicon Phoenix graphics cards - and output to screen via his Jands Vista lighting console. The idea was that there was always a texturing element on the screen, with different and constantly changing camera images overlaid. A scratchy grainy black and white film effect generated from DVD was used for the Shadows in a touch of classic camera grading dating back to the fifties, when they started their long recording careers.

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