EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2021 • Behind the Scenes • Lighting Design, Audio, Signal Distribution

This year's EUROVISION SONG CONTEST (ESC) in Rotterdam was one of the first major European music events after many, many months of stagnation in the event industry. The creation of the popular event was a shining sign of hope for the whole industry. EventElevator spoke to the professionals behind the event via chat and live. We learned exciting production details first hand from Head of Production Erwin Rintjema, Lighting Designer Henk Jan van Beek, Set Designer Florian Wieder and Head of Live Sound Jeroen ten Brinke. As further interview partners, CEOs Thomas Riedel (Riedel Communications) and Marcus Graser (Claypaky) will speak about the importance of this signature event and how to deal with the time of the corona crisis.
After a long tendering phase, the Dutch company Ampco Flashlight was selected as the technical service provider, who perfectly equipped the 65th ESC in the areas of audio, light and rigging. Faber Audiovisuals was responsible for the technical support in the area of video this year.
► More informations and photos on our website EventElevator: eventelevator.de/storys/esc-r...
► Eurovision Song Contest: eurovision.tv
► Ampco Flashlight: www.ampco-flashlight.com
► Light-H-Art: light-h-art.nl
► Sightline Productions: sightline.nl
► Claypaky: www.claypaky.it/en/home/
► Fieldlab Evenementen: fieldlabevenementen.nl
► Riedel Communications: www.riedel.net/de/
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© EventElevator 2021

[@davideberle4552]

Absoluteley insane! I would like to have a 200h dokumentation that explains everything and how it is done...

[@EventElevator]

Thanks David, we are so happy that we were able to get even a few statements from the team during these times. It was ultra-difficult because the Netherlands were still hard hit by the Corona numbers during the time of the ESC shows and the long preparation phase. It's soooo nice to see that there was an event of this size in Europe happening. We all hope for better times!

[@Sam-ss6yn]

I could watch this for hours. There should be a documentary from start to finish showing how it started, how they build it, how they solve the problems. Look on the backstage during live, setting up the pyros, everything basically. I would love to have that. Thank you for this

[@scrammusic2618]

Same!!

[@zapatauk]

I guess the Italian organisers should've watched this video before the flop they produced in Torino.

[@lightkingdomknights]

The ESC in such a hard times ain't just a large scale event, but the kind of a sign, a message to the show production industry all over the world: "Cheer up and start action! The enemy (COVID 19) is huge but it ain't strong enough.We did it, so WE WILL SURVIVE"! Many thanks for your efforts in doing this video!

[@patrykmarek3029]

Iceland's "Give us the fucking rainbow" won 😂 Huge, huuuuge congratulations to each and every person in the team. Great, creative, inspired minds. Greetings from Poland!

[@cataclysmic_eas]

wait where

[@joshjl6850]

I went to a rehearsal when Iceland was already in quarantine so it was shown on screen, but without the light plan in the arena. Then the next day the rehearsal was done with the full “rainbow” light plan and the audience went wild, even though the performance was still on screen only. It was such a big difference. Amazing job 👏🏼

[@achnix3167]

Italy 2022 can learn from this

[@agentbenai]

How much I was looking forward to this video !!! 😊👍🏻

[@JoannaHolman]

this was so interesting. I wish there was more coverage of the technical elements of Eurovision like this

[@TJF97]

We need a Eurovision for Eurovision Tech

[@aitorroblesmorillas1386]

Definitely this brilliant documentary is the best boosting thing all Eurovision Fans need!!! THANK AMPCO FLASHLIGHTING!

[@mischiefmakers548]

Spectacular coverage and so awesome to hear from each of the many disciplines involved. So much resilience, creativity and comradery. Mind blown by the level of design and production sophistication and just how well this was orchestrated through all of the factors against it. Bravo to all involved, what a show!

[@doanthuhien13]

the show is absolutely amazing. Thank you 💙

[@MarvinNeumannOfficial]

Thanks so much for this video. I LOVE to watch what goes on behind the scenes! THANK YOU

[@FernandoBermudezLD]

wow 😭very exciting to see this great project, thank you for sharing, it moved me !!

[@EnriqueArellanoM]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Am working my ass off to become the best Art Director out there, and this kind of documentaries means SO MUCH TO ME. Thank you again!!!

[@stefanot.vilardo1556]

That's incredible! Thank you for this video!

[@diefloppers]

Great video! Something I’d be interested in learning more about is how the tracking worked during the connecting act after the public voting. That was pretty amazing.

[@samjimenez8713]

Amazing stuff as always

[@kieranedmunds2936]

The Xylos beams looked absolutely stunning. I hope they come back every year.

[@jasperpeters474]

Insane!

[@janindurajapaksha5465]

I could watch this for days. Great video. please include camera department as well. Thank you!

[@RiyaSDesai]

7:25 give us the rainbow

[@astrophysics6326]

Looks straight out of the future.

[@Iam_Gen_Zae]

That stage... now thats what im talking about

[@darylarellano1871]

So much better than 2022 contest

[@daanhoogeveen2609]

Nicely done !

[@nenye.s_tears]

As a Dutch it sounds so weird to hear a lot of people with such a Dutch accent 😂😂

[@TheHennotaams]

I saw you used some maps of the venue and stage and lighting plots, would it be possible to look at those separately please? would love to take a much closer look.

[@LeandroJansen]

www.livedesignonline.com/news/video-crew-gear-and-lighting-plot-for-eurovision-part-2

[@mielus1986]

Great video! I only missed some more technical details. Like how did the revolving Screens work? Or some more information about the lighting network.

[@EventElevator]

Hi Mielus 19, thx so much for your positive feedback. It's just so much technical detail in the whole show ;-) You can find a bit more facts, Fotos and details on our website eventelevator.de (it's in German so you have to translate it). The motion stuff is done by Stage Kinetik. The wall is divided into four sections, two side wings and two rotating walls in the middle.The rotating walls are 9m wide and 12m high. The four elements can be closed without gaps using a magnetic locking system. Together, the four motors can turn the wall by 180 ° in around 16 seconds at a speed of up to 0.9 m / s (or 3.2 km / h). This makes the back of the LED wall visible, which is equipped with a matrix of 70 head-moving Ayrton MiniPanel-FX. In front of and behind each rotating LED wall, around 60 m² of stage floor is also rotated. The side LED wings hang with their brackets on a steel chassis, each of the 18 steel trolleys can accommodate four rows of LED modules. Further on Stage Kinetik was responsible for the 40 drop-arms in use: a telescopic headlight holder that can be moved vertically out of the ceiling with the Ayrton Huracán-X and GLP JDC1 strobes. In the field of video technology, the experts from Faber Audiovisuals installed the impressive screens in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam. Among other things, the hall was equipped with a mighty 508 m2 LED screen backdrop (ROE Visual, BQ4, LED 4.6mm). For the magical appearance of the transparent screen on the runway, 110 m2 ROE Visual Vanish 8 panels with 8.9mm pixel pitch were used. Since this was not always completely filled with content, this screen was perfect for really cool transparent like effects. ROE Visual BM4 (4.8mm pixel pitch) were used for the floor LED modules.

[@rickbiessman6084]

@@EventElevatorYou guys are insanely awesome.

[@mielus1986]

@@EventElevator Thank you! Of course its hard to cover every aspect of the show ;) Thanks for the extra details.

[@Aviertje]

Is there any explanation for the strange glitches that were on the output during semifinal 1? Some acts (Ireland, for example) were impacted a lot by it, and even my personal favorite interval act involving Davina Michelle suffers from them right at the crescendo. I haven't seen anyone explain why those were able to happen, and whether or not untainted versions of those exist somewhere as they definitely aren't on the official Eurovision page.

[@therealdutchidiot]

These were only in the local broadcasts to the countries themselves. The base feed wasn't impacted as seen in the videos on the Eurovision channel. Davina's performance only glitched on the Dutch output, so on the local KZbin channel it's also glitched.

[@gaspode8]

Very interesting.

[@gonzalezlopezalejandro2122]

1:06 Roxen❤

[@michelemontefusco737]

in the preview of the stage before it was built there were luminous lines attached to the ceiling, which in the TV show were used to indicate the flag of the state that was about to be exhibited, but then in reality I noticed that they were not mounted in the arena. So my question is: did they have to be mounted but then they weren't anymore or was it never planned to put them in the arena and make them appear digitally on television as it did then?

[@therealdutchidiot]

A lot of what you saw on TV was augmented reality.

[@svenlakemeier]

Except for Florian Wieder and Riedel I didn't see many familiar faces from earlier ESCs. Is that a change because of Corona (to not run into travel restrictions) or was it planned with mainly local companies for last year already?

[@robertkuijpers8537]

Actually ampco/flashlight has been providing big part of the equipment for the past few years and Dutch production crews and creative are pretty common on a production this size, apperently we're good at it

[@EventElevator]

Hi Sven, as far as we know, all participating technology and creative companies have to apply for the ESC every year via a pitch. The companies with the best solutions, offers, most creative concepts for the respective location are then selected. It starts all over again every year. Even companies like Riedel or longstanding professionals like the Wieder Design Team have to submit new concepts and face the competition. The Dutch companies naturally had an advantage in terms of logistics. And in the Netherlands there are pretty good companies in the TV sector and really perfect live event teams, programmers from the many EDM raves ... the show was amazing this year - all companies involved did a perfect job in Rotterdam.

[@jlhabitan50]

AFAIK, many of the regular faces from past ESC's are no longer involved, or at least have not put their names forward, this year. It's crazy the some of those who left have been doing this for the past 20 years.

[@thanasisnakis4914]

It would be great the producers to comment about Greece's difficulties with the green box.

[@cameronclarkhull]

I think it's difficult to get the lighting right with green screens, it's fairly straight forward in a studio, but much more difficult in an arena environment.

[@tinkarobert]

Eurovisionsongcontestcellent

[@soheilasonne9893]

Diana anruf von Dir, Diana ffm, Diana bam bam. Diana microphone never lie 2 me . Diana Star. Auswandern nach Japan Geschwister Aghdas und Saeed.

[@kevin_spanish]

Reject led video wall. Embrace Lisbon 2018.

[@maxhouseman3129]

Great insight to this big production. Besides the rotating stage elements, imho the stage is not very special and for me it feels like a common festival stage. Often there is too much light and effects at the same time. Especially the signature light is way to much.

[@chr04]

The stage was one of the worst ever. The Dutch production is million years behind Israel 2019

[@TheKickboxerr]

And where you from if I can ask

[@ESCJaden]

did Israël have to deal with a pandemic as well? I think with the whole situation and all the limitations they had the staging was absolutely epic.