Bart Slijkerman, Operational Unit Manager, EMG / Gravity Media writes;
While audiences enjoy watching their favourite bands perform on the big screens at music festivals, or on the small screens at home or on their mobile devices, I would bet that the vast majority of viewers have no idea of the amount of work and equipment that has gone into delivering such incredible audiovisual experiences.
As specialists in live broadcast facilities, production and content services that span the entire broadcast spectrum, EMG / Gravity Media has worked on more than its fair share of music festivals across the UK and Europe, ensuring that everyone from the latecomers at the back of the crowd to the overseas fan who couldn’t make it in person gets to see an amazing show.
Our work generally begins around two to three months before the festival, with the first contact with organisers, artists and (where appropriate) broadcasters. We need to understand the schedule for every performance stage and what the content requirements will be – will it be streamed and/or broadcast live, is a daily highlights package required, what are the social media requirements and so on. We can then act as technical liaison between the stakeholders, with all questions concerning camera and video feeds coming through us.
We always want to be as prepared as possible for every eventuality that may arise on-site, so we are in contact with all technical partners such as the providers of LEDs, PA and effects, as well as those in charge of production logistics like power, cable ducts and roadplates.
One of our most recent festival projects was the three-day Pinkpop held in June at Landgraaf in the Netherlands. According to the Guinness Book of Records, Pinkpop is the oldest continuously organised pop festival, having produced 52 editions to date. It nurtures new talent as well as attracting superstar performers – this year’s line-up included Ed Sheeran, Royal Blood, Yungblud, Calvin Harris and Sam Smith.
We work on events of all sizes, and Pinkpop is definitely on the larger end of the scale. This year, to cover four stages, we deployed 88 crew and provided 13 outside broadcast vehicles 30+ cameras including Eagle Eye, Steadicam and other RF cameras for a 1080p50 production. Our DiPloy trucks were connected via a fibre ring available on the production site. Production for IMAG video projection on each stage is as important as the broadcasts, and we handled both simultaneously from our trucks. Festival highlights were broadcast via NTR NPO3 and 24 hour streams were transmitted via the VPRO portal “3voor12.nl”.
Pinkpop is just one example. The EMG / Gravity Media Belgium team is also behind Tomorrowland,one of the world’s largest dance festivals. As well as the famous summer festival the team work on the winter edition held in the scenic Alpe d’Huez. For Tomorrowland, our services are comprehensive, encompassing not only the OB (Outside Broadcast) trucks but also camera operations, streaming, playout, audio, and intercom systems.
We work directly with the production house CK Productions, who entrust us with the responsibility of bringing their vision to life. And what a vision it is! Last year, we’ve achieved a significant milestone by broadcasting the entire concert from multiple stages in UHD HDR using large sensor cameras, as well as a dedicated feed for TikTok, which garnered an impressive number of viewers. Our team is constantly working towards new trends and the success we’ve achieved with Tomorrowland with this platform will definitely have an impact on future events.
As we continue to push the boundaries of festival production, we look forward to enhancing everyone’s experience;from the people who are watching from home to the ones that are on the ground. Utilising cutting-edge technology and creative solutions, we are excited to set new standards in the world of live events.
