Eurovision 2021: What happens on stage during the postcard segments?

What happens on stage during the Eurovision postcards? We filmed some of the action to show you how quickly and efficiently the crew works not only to set up props and get artists on and off the stage, but also to sweep and wipe down the floor to ensure that performers are safe. This video mostly focuses on what happens between performances, so if you want to see the actual performances just search on KZbin. We're not playing favourites with these clips. Sometimes we had our cameras on for key moments and sometimes we didn't!
00:05 The stage crew roll off the piano and other equipment from Belgium's Hooverphonic to make room for Russia's Manizha. A male crew member wears her Russian doll dress to get it on the stage before jumping out so Manizha can get in. During the opening bars of her song you see a steady-cam operator swirling around her.
01:46 Albania's Anxhela Peristeri concludes her performance before being escorted off the stage. Israel's Eden Alene and her backing dancers then move onto the stage (which is drained of smoke in a matter of seconds) as wires fall from the ceiling so that the crew can raise some equipment to the ceiling. Another steady-cam operator stands in front of Eden for her opening notes.
02:59 A crew member helps Bulgaria's VICTORIA climb onto her rock (which is really a metal frame with wooden exterior and a man inside steering it). Two camera operators get close to capture our girl in all her glory. Notice that at the end, as she shouts to the crowd, a door opens on the right of the rock. Presumably this is how the operator inside climbs out.
03:58 Ukraine's Go_A stand at the back of the stage as their wintery forest props are rolled out and put together. We count at least nine crew members who sweep the floor and assemble the main stage piece. If you look to the front of the forest, it seems they struggle to make sure that two pieces are fully joined and several people pile in.
05:43 Spain's Blas Canto sang beneath a beautiful moon, which connotes the cycles of life and the ever-changing tide. But the moon is actually a giant balloon! At the start of this clip you see what appears to be deflated rubber or some kind of sick bag that, in less than 30 seconds, inflates to create a beautiful moon.
06:10 This final clip comes from the end of the performance from France's Barbara Pravi. She doesn't have any props. Instead, she finishes the song by singing directly into a camera held and operated by a man right in front of her face. It's obvious they have developed a close bond. You can see Barbara give him a fist bump as she exits the stage for the final time.
To see what happened during Italy's postcard, watch our separate video: • Måneskin: Victoria De ...
Video Editor:
William: / williamleeadams
#Eurovision #ESC2021 #OpenUp
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[@baita895]

For those of us who are obsessed with the whole contest, not just the songs, this footage is gold!

[@Wiwibloggs]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@jagodapoberezna9428]

I am constantly obsessed. 😍

[@adsfornothing3146]

yeah

[@qwertylello]

I just can't get enough of this year's Eurovision Song Contest

[@juliadracewicz580]

Yeah me too cause Eurovision Song Contest in this year was the most special 😍🤩

[@sweetgirl070707]

Best Eurovision ever?

[@juliadracewicz580]

@@sweetgirl070707 yeah for me the best

[@inesreisx]

same

[@juliadracewicz580]

So much things happened in this year🤩

[@Daniel-bv6ig]

Very intimate moment between Barbara and the cameraman

[@TheJttv]

I noticed they used a shoulder cam and not a steady cam for that. Wonder if that just had to do with height. Edit: So I stumbled on the camera guys twitter @remco_radstaat. And Barbara wrote him a thank-you on a copy of her vinyl record for all the worked he did in the 4 weeks of practice.

[@Aviertje]

@@TheJttv I think it is to make it feel more intimate. The roughness of handling the camera adds a very human element which is very in tune with the sort of performance Barbara was giving. Steadicam would be more suitable for something that has to feel more professional, slick or modern.

[@lidia_gomez]

It seems that the cameraman is waltzing in front of Barbara.

[@tricasse31]

Great complicity between Barbara and the cameraman, the final fist bump prove it! 💙🤍❤️

[@kestutisi]

This gives more cinematic shot.

[@cameronclarkhull]

This year was the strongest final we've had. And hats off to every single member of the production team. Incredible show ❤️

[@voloshanca]

Finally people saying this. When I said the same back in March I got argued this year is weak lol :)))

[@sugaredwater5968]

Yeah but one off topic thing is that I got anxious when they were putting up the stage things

[@lavenderammerett8277]

6:56 that fist bump was so cute 😭😍

[@Aviertje]

She actually gave the camera man a gift with a personal message for all of their excellent teamwork on stage. It was very cute. (I think I saw it on Instagram but I've forgotten by now.)

[@jeremyc4892]

@@Aviertje yeap it’s on Twitter! She gave him a signed vinyl, thanking him for his work and « dancing with her ». She also gave a signed vinyl to the guy who drove her manager to the hospital during semi-final 2, and he made a tweet saying he was very moved by her and her behaviour. She’s so precious 🧡

[@jimw859]

Yeah, love that moment. It's really classy and a measure of how much she respected his work as well.

[@froufroudeluxe]

The crew beating up the moon after Spain’s song was one of the most chaotic shit I have ever seen 💀😂

[@kmetyusz]

It is so nerve-wracking to watch them assemble the staging in such a short amount of time. I’m so worried they won’t finish by the time the postcard is over even though I know they did finish every time 😂😂 I love watching these kinds of footage sooo much!

[@NoNo-ly5kf]

When they don’t it cuts to one of the hosts to kill time

[@kumain_ng_keso]

@@NoNo-ly5kf they did that when a camera broke right sfter they finished setting up ireland's staging

[@sam-ip4su]

that happened with ireland 😬

[@enriqueali]

All this extra behind-the-scenes footage really brings home the fact of just how geared the ESC really is towards television . The live audience in the auditorium I'm sure is of immense help to the performers. But the visuals, the staging, the special effects, the camera angles, all are finessed primarily for the televiewers

[@ennythinn]

True. Imagine just seeing a greenscreen for Greece!

[@haradream7394]

At the end of the day it is organised and funded by a organisation of public TV Networks

[@zoggeris]

Pretty sure a lot of countries planned for zero audience this year so that is even more prominent than it normally is.

[@solarprogeny6736]

@@zoggeris god i'm so glad there was an audience

[@clementrapiteau604]

Seeing the guy inside Manizha's dress is so funny 😂 I miss you so much guys 🥺 Hope we see you soon with JESC 2021 ❤

[@Wiwibloggs]

Thank you Clément! Am looking forward to JESC in PARIS 🤩

[@clementrapiteau604]

@@Wiwibloggs yeaaah I'm so hyped for this ! Eurovision in my country omg 🇨🇵

[@stephanehkg853]

So cute from Barbara (France), she also signed and gave a vinyl copy of Voilà for the camera man. How sweet is that

[@rodrigoesc3747]

I like that Barbara gave the cameraman a bro fist lol so cute

[@duhullampii3731]

12 points also for camera man for France

[@spamwise249]

I'm now extra mad at the modern trend towards augmented reality during performances because it made me assume Spain's moon wasn't real, mad respect to them that it was.

[@therealdutchidiot]

Why would you assume that? Contestants are not allowed to use AR. It's really as simple as that.

[@spamwise249]

They do though, like the one performance where it looked like the guy was in a storm. It was all in camera, not on stage.

[@CoxaBranca]

The guy running to grab Anxhela's hand and lead her away is like the prince that came to save the damsel in distress. Great ending to her song's story.

[@Leshi4kin]

In an interview with the guy of the Ukrainian delegation who was in charge of staging.He says that in the semifinal, the people who assembled the Go-A platform, forgot to fix it in the center. Everything could go away at any moment.

[@leonjorgh]

those platforms are hit or miss, the wheels and secure clasps are the same as a bed, but in a industrial manufacturing, I watched one clip where lots of those wheels failed at the brakes, like in Gjon's Tears staging, the last platform was sooo loose that he almost fell in one the firsts shows, and other platforms like Hooverphonic's staging had to be lift by hand cuz the wheels broke.

[@ssgiancarlo]

The moment of Barbara and the cameraman reminds me Freddie Mercury at Live Aid with the cameraman

[@Presidentofthe024]

What a camerawork this year 🔥🔥

[@tavolaluija]

I really hope next year I’ll be able to see the staging preparation live 😂

[@Camillalifeflopped]

That actualy could be cool, with like things happening on screen but you also have a look qt the stage

[@a.m.rifkia.3rd493]

big salute to all the sweepers for their hard works!!!

[@Luca-ed8dz]

This was quite an interesting perspective:) Can't wait for the 2022 Edition from Italy

[@erictimm]

Love that fist bump at the end between France and the steady cam operator!!

[@christineb.655]

Love the quick fist bump Barbara (France) gives to camera man 💚

[@SleepyNoah15]

I love Barbara she is so nice.

[@andrineslife]

You'd already mentioned the fistbump so I knew it was coming, but still, my heart, she's so cute ❤️

[@alisameyer3804]

it must have been so annoying for france to always have this camera man right infront of her face😂

[@irissupercoolsy]

they could have used a drone

[@TheLastEgg08]

@@irissupercoolsy The level of noise these do, would have Barbabra and the public feeling like she's singing in front of a giant industrial fan.

[@jannik6147]

well afaik the artists are heavily included in staging which includes the camera work. also a other comment mentioned that ''Barbara wrote him a thank-you on a copy of her vinyl record for all the worked he did in the 4 weeks of practice'' so it seems she wasnt bothered

[@jannik6147]

@@irissupercoolsy no way. biiiig safety concerns, noise, and wind would rule that out imediatly. also they used a shoulder cam and not a steady cam ( a drone would be more like a steady cam) so the drone probably couldnt deliver that rough-ish look

[@irissupercoolsy]

@@jannik6147 thank you for explaining! I was also thinking about the noise, but could they used a voice recorder a bit above her head? But then you still have a vague recording from the drone

[@gillianp1]

Thank you William for always keeping the Eurovision light alive! We appreciate it so much💗 Love seeing behind the scenes.

[@meltayy]

Thank you for all your updates!!! Even after the Eurovision!!!

[@lidia_gomez]

Have you ever found the one who controls Manizha's Russian Doll Roomba dress?

[@tigervv6437]

It could very well be computer programmed, so no one actually sitting somewhere with a joystick.

[@leonjorgh]

I think it's just a cage with wheels and Manizha just walks and the weight and build of the dress gives the illusion of gliding.

[@alvita639]

Thank you for keeping us afloat in the sea of post-eurovision depression 😘😘💕

[@jackieheather7447]

Manizha ❤️❤️❤️

[@calliara4957]

I already miss eurovision. I can't wait for the next year. 🎉🎉🎉

[@DominoLarry]

Barbara's fist bump with the camera man is epic

[@elellf2252]

Thanks for sharing this with those who were not in the venue

[@Sjivje]

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this

[@keisyuu1713]

Always want to see these things!! Big respect to all staffs💗

[@rogercook9693]

What a lovely insight.

[@nynke0110]

i was live at the Family Show and i have to say the people who work behind the scenes should get wayyyyy more credit!!!! It all happens so fast but they work so precise!

[@swetLana3006]

thank you for the side view and technical preparations, it was interesting to find out how the preparation went between the performances of the contestants, class! ☺️👍

[@fab199105]

Thanks so mucht for putting this online. I was there during thie first live show, I was seated across from the stage halfway on the second ring, I had a blast and an amazing view of the whole arena but it's nice to relive it from upclose.

[@froyodor]

the person talking is such a mood

[@nerminbagirzadeh6832]

Thanks for sharing this video .I've always been wondering about the backstage

[@kjetilhartveit]

Love the insight, wiwi

[@guilbert5815]

Been waiting for this kind of footage. Thank you @wiwibloggs.

[@WiWillemijn]

My favorite part is when they punch the air out of the moon (in another video)

[@sarinakbl]

yeah same. do you maybe kniw which video it was? i can not find it anymore :/

[@VampireHeart518]

@@sarinakbl me neitheeeer, it should've been in my 'watched' / history, but I think they took it down... perhaps some copyright issues? i found it super fascinating and it was a lot more of these in-between moments

[@haraf8]

I love it! It's so cool!

[@QELIEN3]

So cinematic! Everything!

[@Kennyraider]

love it!

[@Angelina-nh3bq]

Ukraine was so impressive 🔥💚

[@kmf3594]

I love how Barbara fist bumps the camera man so cute

[@onewxrldmusic7303]

Very interesting for all those helping on stage.

[@alessandrosavocco2682]

Very interesting!

[@mfrj846]

Love to watch all these footages! So sad eurovision finished already ....

[@anna5083]

This is SO COOL!! thank you! Also I should be studying...

[@mnorbert]

It's nice to see some behind the scenes stuff like this, but I don't understand why one of the crew grabbed the Albanian and the French singer by the arm, and pulling down from the stage? I guess the artists should know that as they finished their performances they have to leave the stage as soon as possible.

[@sumiyaillustrations]

I'm assuming it's for support, as Albania's entry is wearing high heels and the stage is covered in smoke. As for Barbara, the stage is really dark and she was just looking into spot lights, so she probably couldn't see well. It's mainly so they don't trip.

[@parktanya]

Also leaving a stage filled with light and going into dark makes it hard to see anything (your eyes need a moment to adjust to the darkness) so the crew helps them and makes sure they leave the stage safely.

[@Aviertje]

I forgot which ESC series showed it (there were so many backstage stuffs this year!) but one of them had an interview where it is explained that there is indeed a team that is purely responsible for the removal of the artist after the act. In part because of vision hazards, but also because time comes at a premium, and the stage changing crew needs the full 25ish seconds they have to get things ready for the next entry. In this video you could actually see that the moment Albania lady (I'm blanking on her name, sorry!) got pulled away, other crew were fussing around with gear exactly where she stood moments earlier. So it isn't disrespect for the artist, but just someone doing their job. Artists are well aware that if they linger for too long, they will be helped to unlinger. Such is the pressure of a live show.

[@abrielrobertsson4160]

@@Aviertje There is no need to grab them by their arm like that. You can go there and tell them to leave asap. They will be happy to comply.

[@markeinstein5630]

@@abrielrobertsson4160 You must be from the USA. Europe sees things much simplier.

[@nourahnielson6204]

Nice to see some new uploads after The ESC Rotterdam ❤️ (in my country) has ended.

[@Knabberfritz]

3:00 Cinan and William screaming 😂

[@PK-xr1gb]

Voilà ❤️

[@1234smileface]

Amazing

[@ruseneca90]

Vicky, yaaaas girl! 💓💓💓💓

[@Shannonmusic]

I want to go back to eurovision 😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@DianaSubscribe]

5:38 Come Oh Go_A You Can Do This Come On!!!!!!!!

[@shimarisu9472]

Manizha walking dress 👗👍

[@leighsaunderson9203]

Cool video, as an *extremely* amateur lighting geek, I love seeing any behind-the-scenes stuff (tho, I guess this isn't really 'behind' , it's just not on broadcast!) Was the problem/delay with Go_A's staging just literally "slotting the pieces of a giant , snowy, foresty mobile jigsaw together", or were there prop problems?

[@leonjorgh]

The clasps and brakes to keep everything together, those are tricky to handle, and kinda dangerous, but it seems that everything was okay in the end.

[@leighsaunderson9203]

@@leonjorgh I saw another video only 2-3 days ago ,close-up on the stage crew where you can see them even more clearly trying to lock the stage sections together, and with Go_A waiting to climb onto it. It is so cool to see all these of-camera moments, thankyou.

[@joebleasdale5557]

Cinan at 3:00 😂😂😂😂

[@shnaa_L]

being the proud ESC parent that he is

[@fanofhiro808]

Wonder if anyone got Ireland's camera fail?

[@jakubkubiak8488]

3:36 Polish 🇵🇱 : dawaj viki !!!

[@bernard1313]

What happens on stage during the postcard segments?: Crew swearing a little bit.

[@nahdanorma2251]

the moon was a ballon yall 😭😭

[@patrikpetko6743]

So Spain's moon wasn't the real moon? 🤯

[@OfficialSpencer]

Were the flag lights on the title cards real?

[@irondasgr]

Where is Greece?

[@saskia2727]

the guy walking on in manizha's dress----

[@aartie1999]

the way they escort the performer

[@marcosmontegar]

What did they hang before Israel's performance?? A black tube?

[@BartekKowalski-qi4rj]

👍👍👍

[@marinagh7797]

Do you have a video of Tix? I'm wondering how they managed to bring a 160 kg coat on and off stage haha

[@luka_8]

I'd also like to know if they took his wings off on stage or off stage

[@naomidaremblum6356]

does anyone know if the live on tape show will be available in the US?

[@AthrunZala47]

you can still watch the whole show on the Eurovision official channel here on youtube.

[@markeinstein5630]

@@AthrunZala47 No, you don't understand. Americans are looking for ways to pay. It's how they're trained to do in life.

[@robdevent6080]

You might need a vpn connection to watch the whole show if you are outside Europe

[@naomidaremblum6356]

@@robdevent6080 thanks!

[@AthrunZala47]

@@robdevent6080 nope southeast asian here. I watched it live here on youtube. it's 3am - 7am and so happy that Italy won.

[@redunicorn9452]

Lmao the man moving russia dress

[@arthurmezacasa1021]

What was the crew lifting for Eden's performance? Was it the overhead camera?

[@KaleidoSTARPH]

Ukraine's platform lights up in the SF, but on Finals it didn't

[@utubeozpat]

No longer a song contest.

[@nehdar]

Et voilà you lost!!!! Looks good on you!!

[@adriancruz1507]

YOU NEED TO REACT TO AURORA, PLEASE!!

[@raemoriarty800]

Where are the crimes???

[@ESCMusicfan]

I need to get something off my chest: I’m a straight male Eurovision fan and sometimes I see people on social media say that Eurovision should only be for LGBTQ+ people and that it’s not for straight (male) people and that bothers me a bit. Any opinions on that?

[@dasmysteryman12]

I'm a straight male Eurovision fan as well. While most of the fanbase is from the LGBTQ community, I do think that the contest is not just for the LGBTQ community but for everyone as well. Of course, this is not to exclude that community, but to emphasize that Eurovision is all-inclusive. Eurovision brings all kinds of people together. It's first and foremost a celebration of music and of Europe. It's supposed to be, and it is, for everyone!

[@GaliosUA]

@@dasmysteryman12 " While most of the fanbase is from the LGBTQ community," that's debatable. They maybe the most vocal but in the terms of sheer numbers I doubt that.

[@zdravkozagorscak569]

Croatia !!!

[@dalibormilojevic2861]

SERBIA PLEASE HURRICANE LOCO LOCO PLEASE PLEASE

[@Mariano933]

Europeans thank you for your votes.Last week one of the best in my life. i love you all, welcome to Italy. Land of capuccino,pasta,pizza,sun,land of art and culture 🥰💙🇮🇹🤘

[@pridden76]

I voted for Italy like crazy, you had the best song and the best band! Can´t wait for next year´s Eurovision in Italy, such a lovely country!

[@robertdegroot8302]

Mainly just known as the land of pizza and sambuca though.

[@rumborak2057]

I am really sad about Victoria. I understand it not winning because the song isn't everyone's cup of tea but 11th place - that was hard to accept.

[@voloshanca]

In such a strong year, every place in the top 15 is a win on itself. I'm way sadder about nul points of the 4 countries, Senhit's 22th place, Belgium 19th place and almost all the NQs.

[@ben44700]

FRANCE WINNER 2021

[@simonagiraldo2330]

Nei sogni...

[@MistralLove]

For me too. She's the real winner of this Contest.

[@intarc0giotto]

frech singers pretentious as always

[@lokatina20]

6:12 for me it's like to Edit Piaf and PADAM, PADAM