XL Video on REM

The video concept and the very specific look that REM wanted was originally developed by lighting designer Susanne Sasic in close conjunction with the band. They particularly wanted to avoid a ‘conventional IMAG’ look, seeking something more imaginative, abstract and genuinely integrated into the lighting and stage visuals. The video did however also have to work as an enhancement for those at the back of the arenas.

Sourcing the right video director was also vital to this equation. Blue Leach first mixed a show for REM when they headlined the 2003 Move Festival in Manchester. It was a magical moment, explains Leach, when the chemistry came together through improvisation and just totally ‘hit the spot’, with him producing a fabulous camera cut. He and REM’s management kept in touch after this with a view to getting him onboard as and when they decided to use live video production.

This technically and creatively challenging tour is being project managed for XL Video by Accountant Director Des Fallon.

Leach and Sasic worked really closely together to produce the idea of a portrait format stage, ‘crowned’ with a strip of video screen at the top. This is comprised from 14 panels of Lighthouse LV102 LED SuperScreen.

With just the one screen, they also wanted the choice of outputting multiple cameras in any permutation, or just a single camera if they wished. Des Fallon asked video control guru Richard Turner onboard to design, engineer and programme a system that allowed this flexibility.

Using a combination of Dataton Trax, two Magic DaVE digital Video effects machines and an Apple I-Book laptop for create an intuitive and easy-to-use selection and playback system, Leach can have up to 8 cameras appearing simultaneously across the screen. One of the DaVE’s is also used to produce a variety of very cool camera ‘looks’.

Cameras as characters

Leach’s quest for ‘anti-popism’ led him to want each of the 8 cameras to have a character of its own onstage – just as a band member would. He wanted a variety of output qualities to mix-and-match from as desired, from grainy CCTV images at one end of the spectrum, to crystal clear high definition at the other.

He describes his exciting, edgy mixing modus operandi as a “Warhol on speed” approach, the basis being “no uniformity whatsoever”.

The eight nihilistic cameras consist of a 3-chip DV cam that’s used onstage, complete with its own menu of camera effects and can operate downstream of the DVE effects. An onstage Polecam – one of Leach’s favourite devices – is used to achieve different looks and angles from upstage. Then there’s three Toshiba minicams, all with different qualities, feeds and looks, and the camera package is rounded off with three of XL’s broadcast quality Sony Digital D50s, one at FOH and two in the pit on track and dolly, one on a ped and the other with a Cartoni “Dutch” head.

Each song has it’s own individual video look that relates to the meaning and musicality of the song. The video is sometimes coloured to mix in or compliment certain lighting cues.

VT content is stored on three Doremi V1D hard drives. This changes daily and is shot by Leach with his own DV cam, so it’s a fluid and organic element of the show.

Control Freaks

The miscellany of screen looks and ideas from Leach’s head were programmed by Richard Turner onto a series of E-Mems on an I-Book for playback. The DaVE camera effects sit on the same user-friendly page as the Dataton controlled screen looks and VT triggers.

This enables Leach to select the specific effect or look from a touch-screen palette specially optimised for instant access and to suit his highly improvisational method of live operation, more resembling a lighting desk in operational architecture than a video mixer. He also has a GVG1200 mixer/switcher for the camera feeds.

XL Video’s crew of four are Johnny Shrimpton (crew chief/cameras), Freddy Debaillie (screens/cameras), Rob Wick (Polecam and onstage DV cams), Richard Parkin (engineer and programmer).

Des Fallon says, “REM are one of the truly great bands of my generation, and I feel extremely fortunate to be working with them. It’s a very good looking show the vibe on the tour is fantastic. Manager Bertis Downs, tour manager Bob Whittaker and Dick Adams are excellent to work with”.

The tour completes an extensive European itinerary before coming to the UK in mid February and then going on to Japan, South Africa, Asia and Australasia.

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