For quite a few years over here in China we have been subject to LED walls at the back of stages. Here normally the stages are very large due to the size of the gigs. (China has a lot of people)
So what are the upsides and down sides to LED video walls? How do you use them? What can you do with them? Are
they a problem? Are they useful?
Well the answer is yes to all the above.
Let’s have a look at some of the different ways to use a back drop video wall.
Just in case you are clueless at this stage to what I’m talking about. At the back of the stage behind where the performer is working in the theater you would have a back drop, this could be a single colored curtain to a huge painted séance on canvas to almost anything else that covers the back of the stage.
In other venues it could be a pop up screen with a printed corporate logo or just again just about anything.
Well in our modern age, it’s become a lot cheaper to put either a projector screen or a LED wall which can display images or video etc.
Firstly let’s look at the most simple way of using such technology and lets looks at its problems. I’m sure by now you have realized in the world that computer images comes in all different shapes and sizes. If you display an image at one size (resolution) in can stretch and become all out of shape, with video walls you have the same problem. Every venue has their own shape and size, some square, some really wide rectangle etc this can give you the most ugly display problems.
Let’s take the most basic idea of a single static image with your name and maybe media info.
I’ve made up a very quick design and here we can see three different aspect ratio of the same design WITHOUT changing the file first and you can see a problem.
The main image is a 1920 x 1080 wide screen design
It’s only a quickie design but you can see it looks fine aspect wise.
The next is the same image on a square video screen
You can see here the social media logos are stretched and if that was someone face it would now be distorted
This next one is a very wide but short size, the kind you can find on the front of a stage or high above the stage.
As you can see here it’s much stretched
These are just three possible and trust me when I say there are MANY MANY more , you will have no control over video wall sizes so what’s the solution ?.
Simple ! get the back ground made in some different sizes . For years on single day/night when I’m not using my own crew or my audio ape music system. I have 2 UBS flash drives on my wallet with show music and show backgrounds. (Drives have both music and backgrounds, I have two, and one is a backup (just in case))
As far as what screen format the static image should be. I use JPEG you can use BMP or TIFF or any other image format really BUT you are relying on the video mixer guys equipment to play it so it’s best to be safe.
As far as the creation of the background goes remember that ALL computer generated flattened image files such as JPG / BMP etc can go smaller BUT CAN NOT go bigger, this means that if the output resolution on the video screen is FOR EXAMPLE 720 DPI wide and you give them an image at 1080 wide you have no problems BUT if you reverse that and there output is a nice HD 1080 or even 1920 and you give them a file made at 720.. It will look downgraded.
So it’s best to make BIG rather than small.
If you are not a computer person with graphic skills I’m sure you know someone who is. If NOT you can go to somewhere like Fiver.com and there will be a designer in your price range I’m sure. If you’re really stuck please reach out to me and I’ll help if I can. Really it’s no difference than getting a business card made.
OK with that said about Static graphics let’s move on to video back grounds…
Video backgrounds can become even more complicated as again there are so many output sizes and video is even more unforgiving than images .
So what’s the deal?
If you are wanting a video back ground be your show back drop and just play throughout your show, its best to keep it very simple, NOT too much movement otherwise it can take over the show and your audience focus keeps shifting .. Which is a bad thing?
Also, remember your show may last 40 minute and you wouldn’t want a 40 minute video playing… you need a short simple LOOP that repeats this needs to be a smooth transition between the end and start as it keeps looping.
For example: a fire act could have flames darting around the performers name and they start to fade and then as the video repeats the fire grows again and all looking very natural.
The possibilities are endless. BUT if you don’t have the skills to make them yourself IT CAN BE expensive.
I myself have just finished as guest magician on a Franz Harary production and we had 9 different size LED screens making up the maker of the stage and each screen was a completely different size. Franz’s video man in LA made the screens at a cost of thousands of dollars.
This was JUST my stage screen
There were side screens and valance screens in fact 9 in total.
SO do you need all these type of screens?? Of course not, BUT if you want to carry a screen video you do need to think about the following
1: Sizes and resolutions (just like static image backgrounds)
2: small looping video with smooth start and ending transition
3: File types: in the murky work of computers thing can be simple OH SO complicated 2021 keep it simple go for an MP4 files type this way anything can play it if you want a little more detail a MP4 encoded to 264 is the current standard that everything can play. DON’T Use the
new 265 encoder as many players out there cannot read it yet and there is nothing worse than going to show and have the video guy hand you back your drive and say “sorry mate I can’t play your file” your super professional look, turns to crap in a second . Heheh
As far as making the video goes, I’ll give you a few tips.
If you looking at just putting an image and your name with maybe a moving video behind it, then any video editing software will do the job. Same stuff as we make our own promos with can do it, no difference.
If you want to get crazy and have awesome animation, such as I mentioned before, fire text etc, then you will need to use something like After Effects, that’s the industry standard.
You can again find a designer in your price range in places like Fiverr.com.
Now remember that these types of screens can come in generally two formats, projector screens or LED walls. Here are some images from some different venues on my own show so you can see the differences in types and sizes etc.
This is a projector screen where the projector was NOT powerful enough for the size of theater so my screens look weak and dull.
This again is an under powered projector and it’s almost square.
Here we have a wide LED wall which is nice and bright.
Here is a HUGE full stage LED wall of the highest quality.
Here is a LED wall in a shopping center.
Now this a corporate dinner show where the PR Company didn’t want to use my UK flag background for political reasons, so they sued this blue which doesn’t complement me at all. Also you can see the side screen is red so this blue just is wrong.
In this last example of how a screen can help make a very small stage become your own. Here I couldn’t put a set up or any staging on so the screens helped a lot.
So screens can help make a stage look great, BUT there are a few issues, most venues have different forms of control over their screens.
Some are great and they can do whatever they want at any time, these are a dream.
Others, not so much
Some venues have lighting and video control in different rooms from there sound and the sound and light/visual guys
have no communication with each other so you can forget about smooth transition cues etc, if you need them
If you are using screens and music synced (which we will talk more about later) if they two operators cannot talk with each other how can they start video and music at the same time?? They can’t.
You can’t put your audio track into the video so it’s a single file BUT MANY MANY venues are set up independently for sound and video. Meaning there video screens are NOT hooked into their sound system so problems there.
There is NO standard for this and unless you want to carry your own cables for every situation and DI boxes and adaptors etc, then you will run into a problem. TRUST ME I KNOW… in my tour show I have a 1 meter flight case dedicated to just this ..
Another HUGE issue with video screens of any type is they cannot always go to a black out and his can be an issue if you are a LED juggler of have a magic routine in a pin spot etc. Here is an image where, this screen should have gone out and myself and my dancers are in a nice colored lighting state with pin spots, there is lots of haze in the air so the lights should look great, they don’t because the whole stage is being LIT up by the video wall.
So in the technical age of LED walls etc, we do have pluses and minuses with them, I’ve had also 15 years over dealing with them on a daily basis over here in China but now most venues around the world are starting to get in on the act.
Hope fully from what I’ve written above you should have a good base knowledge now of what it’s all about.
This final section is about creativity with screens, what CAN YOU DO with them, in your act.
Well the simple answer is anything you can imagine, I’m sure by now you must have seen some acts on the BIG talent TV shows doing LED wall synced dances etc. Well if you can dream it, you can do it.
BUT
Remember what has been said above.
1: if you create a piece that’s timed to music and video, can they both be played and synced? (I carry video and music separate and music/video track combined in my trusty USB)
2: How do you need the other lighting at this time? If you need to start off in a black out, can your stage do this? If NOT, is it a HUGE problem? Etc.
And all other it’s that are relative above, no need to repeat myself.
So as far as creative ideas go, here are a few I have done and I have seen.
1: I had an actor friend of mine create a video interactive card trick, where HE instructed me to do each section. He delivered the gags at me, so it put a very unique dynamic on the routine.
2: I have ended a LED D-lite routine by throwing the lite at the screen it starts an animation sequence on the screen that ends back in my hands
3: A deck of card in thrown at a screen and cards start to fall down the screen in slow motion and I am able to pull a chosen card for the screen
4: during a juggler routine a matching pattern of balls/clubs etc combine in the routine, giving a form of river dance line dancer up juggle
5: LED multi dancers… having many dancers doing the
same routine as the stage dancers can make a small routine HUGE. Ive seen it done where there were four other dancers on the screen but placed in different positions again and again on different platforms on the screen, give the illusion of 30 plus dancers, where in reality there were only 6.
6: An LED juggler can incorporate LED elements into the video
7: An escapologist can use a video screen with an animated countdown timer for the escape etc.
8: A fire cat can have fire dancing the screen which increases the act size. Just as a routine such as snow storm in China can have snow falling on the screen etc. All these elements make a routine BIGGER.
9: Of the above is only ideas using the screens as an additive, you can create a routine that is only the screen, such as difference forms of forced prediction effects using images on the screen. The audience is now instructed to only look at the screen. Making it the main focus rather than just a stage element.
These are just a few basic examples of things that can be done .
So I end like I started… You are only governed by your own imagination and sadly to say your budget (if you can’t do it yourself.)
Hope you got something useful out of this and if you do need any help or advice, please reach out. Happy to help
Geno signing off .