Client: | Phantom Of The Opera |
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Service: | Custom SFX |
Date: | 2018 |
To re-imagine a range of special effects to make touring easier and safer
We were approached by the technical design team to re-imagine a range of special effect moments within the iconic show that would maintain the wow factor but not involve any heat, flame or pyro to make touring the show easier and safer in a variety of complex worldwide territories.
This brief was even more challenging given how well established the existing effects were and any new solutions needed to maintain the creative look and feel of the show without losing impact. In addition, the stage was a touring construction, so the proposed systems needed to seamlessly integrate with the existing tech and be rapidly set-up and struck during site relocations with minimal setup and de-rig time.
Our team prototyped a variety of alternatives to existing hardware, rapidly producing working prototypes for review by all creative, technical and commercial stakeholders. The ability to quickly communicate our proposed systems with demonstration videos was hugely valuable to the production given that the musical was well established and a re-design was moving them into unfamiliar territory.
With creative sign-off, we worked closely with the technical team to offer a fully integrated solution to include the new products built into a bespoke stage mounting system which also accommodated lighting fixtures. LUMINOUS devised a control solution which would feed into the existing front-of-house system, but with added safety features to prevent accidental triggering.
LUMINOUS produced 3D models of the products in order to conduct finite element analysis of the load bearing stage plates to ensure the safe movement of heavy-duty scenery. Our team devised a fast and efficient mounting system to work within the very limited stage void that could be fitted by a single technician, and supplied 2D technical drawings for all these systems. A compressed manufacturing timeline meant the team had just 2 weeks to manufacture and ship the products to the technical rehearsal site in New York. A LUMINOUS technician was dispatched to fit the products, commission and provide training to touring staff. When the touring show went live, LUMINOUS continued to provide technical support to technicians on the ground until they were confident in delivering the show daily.
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