The show itself only lasted two hours, but the preparations had been ongoing for many months. Lighting director Mac Chan opted to redesign the stage layout from previous years, bringing the actual stage much closer to the audience.
To control all the lighting fixtures, lighting programmer Low Wee Cheng specified a grandMA system consisting of two grandMA full-size consoles, two grandMA2 lights for full tracking backup, eleven MA NSPs (Network Signal Processors) expanding the processing power and 32 MA 2Port Nodes which were distributed all over the stage.
"The reason I chose grandMA for National Day Parade is because MA Lighting is well known for its software and networking stability", said Low Wee Cheng. "Working on an event like this, there is no room for failures in the control system and the grandMA has proven to be reliable. I was able to run two network sessions in one physical network, allowing us the flexibility of setting up consoles anywhere onsite to focus and programme - as long as the consoles were connected to the network."
The network was designed as a closed ring with eight HP Procurve switches interconnected via fibre optic. Using Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol technology ensured that even if one segment of the ring malfunctioned during the show, the network would instantly route the traffic in another direction following a so called 'least cost routing' path.
Simplifying the system layout, Henry Ang (director of Showtec Communication) decided to invest in the MA 2Port Nodes. These provide an easy conversion of Ethernet based DMX-distribution to a conventional DMX-signal. The units are completely remotely configurable and can be monitored from the console itself, requiring less people to be on standby if there are any changes to the settings.
The centrepiece of the stage was a large LED wall in the shape of an eye flanked by massive towers forming part of the show. The lighting design incorporated 182 Vari*Lite VL3000 Spots, 112 DTS XM1200 Spots, 84 DTS XR8 Washes, 208 DTS Titans, 72 DTS Delta Rs, 36 DTS FOS 100s and six DTS Arc 1200s as well as Martin moving lights and other fixtures. Showtec Communication Pte supplied all the lighting equipment.
(Jim Evans)
