"Video panels are great, and we use them all the time," said Fraboni. "But the opportunity to design a show for an artist of Pitbull's calibre in Vegas requires us to do something different. He's dynamic and the dancers are amazing, so we needed to give them an area to perform on that could convey the sleek, sexy, and sophisticated theme of the show while giving us lots of options to experiment with."
The two designers found what they were looking for in the Nexus 4x4 COB LED panel from Chauvet Professional. "The Nexus panels really reminded us of all the old-school Vegas hotel facades and signs," said Smalley. "We wanted that feel combined with pixel mapping to create a variety of looks. We used them throughout the show in a wide range of ways - sometimes to blast the audience on a big moment; at other times to creatively fill visual real estate."
Especially important to the two designers was the Nexus panel's ability to cover spill from other lighting fixtures. "We use a lot of spotlights for our dancers, and anytime you do this, the spill on the set can look messy," said Smalley. "When the Nexus panels are running, even at 10 percent, most of that spill can't be seen. It tightens up the overall stage dynamic."
Fraboni and Smalley positioned 138 Nexus 4x4 panels on the fascia of tri-level band and dancer risers. The dimensions of the panels were ideally sized for the riser heights, which contributed to the aesthetic appeal of the design. Also, even when the panels weren't illuminated, their attractive appearance made a positive visual statement on stage, according to the designers.
However, creating the fascia display was not without its struggles. "Just making everything fit exactly right in the space once we started building was a challenge," said Fraboni. "The riser setup is 80ft wide with lots of angles and staircases and such. It was tricky, but we got it done and ended up with something that made a great contribution to the overall look of the show."
For much of the show, the Nexus panels were controlled via DMX, using a grand MA2. The designers also used the ArKaos LED Mapper to create effects.
(Jim Evans)
