Go Live!   Go Professional!

Always using the same script, lyrics, and tunes, Roger Waters and his talented team of collaborators have managed to stay current in regard to the overwhelming technical modernization that the live industry has encountered in the last two decades. This is especially true when we try to compare earlier Pink Floyd’s performances, like the unforgettable Berlin concert in 1990, with the 2011 world tour which is currently travelling around Europe. Even though the latter is more complex and technically advanced than the first, each of these concerts in their own way represent a major breakthrough in the history of live performance.

Consequently, other bands such as Metallica are struggling to follow the same model: to set up a spectacular live production with mind-blowing visual effects. Although Metallica has the necessary budget to accomplish such an endeavor, the band still has to carefully select the human minds behind the design and implementation of their project.

Roger Waters on stage

Time and again, Roger Water has shown his audacity and wisdom in choosing his collaboration teams. In 1982, he combined efforts with Alan Parker to create a film ahead of its time, which featured avant-garde animations and other innovative visual techniques. For the several concert versions, Waters chose to team up with stage designer Mark Fisher, who “specializes in the architecture of entertainment” (Stufish, 2008, ¶ 1).

Similarly, the selection of competitive suppliers and technical supervisors is also a matter of immense importance. For this year’s world tour, The Wall’s production team has selected Brilliant Stages to take gigantic inflated puppetry to the next level. This company has supplied three different mechanical puppets that stand over 20.5’ tall and use fully customized control systems to accomplish their movements on stage. They symbolize the image of the Mother, the Wife, and the Teacher, who play substantial roles in The Wall’s plot.

The Teacher's giant puppet

Brilliant Stages has worked alongside Air Artists to build the inflatable skins, and has received the special collaboration of Andy Cave of Kinesys, to construct the complex mechanism of wires, electric winches and cradles. In addition, this team has also incorporated Lee Threlfall to set up RGB LED light devices to illuminate the eyes of each puppet. “Power for the eyes is derived from the automation cradle using cable reelers, with data control supplied by wireless DMX” (Lighting& Sound America, 2011, ¶ 7). In spite of being highly intricate, the design of these mechanical marionettes requires to make international transportation simpler and on-site installation faster.

In conclusion, team building is a crucial subject in the development of ambitious projects. To properly select the key participants, a production team needs to clearly define the project's goal and understand that intricate undertakings are usually performed by different subject-matter-experts, as opposed to a single supplier.  Therefore, it is also important to “define the role of all team members in terms of their functional contribution” (Heerkens, 2010, p. 95). Concerts created by Waters are always excellent examples to learn how production teams successfully coordinate, plan, and execute.