OTR II 2018
Concerts & Touring
WI was asked to work on two specialist elements – a moving video wall and a star lift – for the Jay-Z and Beyoncé On The Run II stadium tour, part of an epic and spectacular set design concept designed by Stufish. This followed a successful collaboration working for the same production team on Beyoncé’s 2016 Formation world tour where WI’s engineering expertise was called on to move the massive Monolith set piece.
OTR II sees the touring debut of WI’s new proprietary WIMOTION automation control system controlling both the lift and a series of video panels which move around an oval shaped track.
MOTION GEAR
- VIDEO WALL
Upstage a large structural ‘performer wall’ is a major part of the StageCo constructed stage set, and this offers a series of integrated boxed spaces - with various performers inside – that are revealed and concealed by a large 13 meter high video wall just downstage.
- ARTIST LIFT
EFFECT
UPPER STAGE
- Tracking, rotating
LOWER STAGE
- Performer elevating
PERFORMER VIDEO WALL
The video wall is made up of 12 different shaped and sized sections, running on a complete oval shaped WITRACK, and by these shifting into different positions along sections of the track, the whole stage architecture can be changed.
Some of the smaller video screen sections travel around the curved WITRACK while the two largest sections have a series of set positions. This curved WITRACK is installed in the roof of each of three universal steel systems which are being leap-frogged on the tour.
The 12 different video screen pieces are built in different columns on standard video lifting truss, and as each one is completed it is transferred to the curved WITRACK and makes up the automation system.
Each column of screen runs on the standard WITRACKING dolly system, however these are fitted with hydraulic pistons to even the screens out - to the eye - as they move along their tracks.
This ensures the movement and shaping can be infinitely varied, and the video screens can also be all run together as one complete continuous ‘flat’ video surface for certain parts of the show.
ARTIST LIFT
The artist lift – in which the two stars make their dramatic stage entrance, and also use several other times throughout the set - runs on an I-beam vertical tracking system which is attached to the performer wall as part of the structure.
Boogie wheel pulleys on steel wires are connected to the cradle of the lift and two double-chained WIHOIST drive winches located the other side of the wall that move the cradle up and down safely and smoothly.