Category: Productions

Business conference event

Site visit for designing event production!

This blog outlines some key aspects that you should consider when doing a site visit for your next event. Choosing the right venue or site for your upcoming event is one of the most crucial steps of any event.

We are involved in event production and mostly liaise with organisers when the site has been confirmed. Most organizers are unaware of the venue constraints until we start looking into the production requirements.

Choosing a venue with a high number of constraints can easily blow out any production budget, we also acknowledge that nobody likes to go over budget!
If you wish to stay within the budget allowance, I outline some basic technical elements that you should consider on your next site visit.

Technical considerations during a site visit –

Power

Without sufficient power, there isn’t a suitable production! The term sufficient is dependent on the scale of your event, smaller events can possibly get by with few 240V circuits, medium to large events will require 3phase power and sometimes multiple 3phase outlets.

It is normal to hire generators for events; however, you can reduce the running costs of an event if a portion of the power (if not all) is provided by the venue/site itself.

 

Loading area’s and parking

One of the biggest drivers of cost to any production is labour.

If you put on your ‘Bump-In/out’ hat (crew’s POV) for this, you will quickly realise, the easier the access to the event area the less time it is to get the equipment from the truck to the event area. The closer the loading zone to the space, the shorter the distance.

Essentially as an event organiser, you can save big on labour costs when you think like this during the site visit.
Also consider obstacles such as stairs, lifts, no dedicated loading zones, and no car parking.

 

Production design vs Venue constraints 

This is a common challenge in galleries but it is definitely not limited to just galleries. Most AV aspects can be tweaked to suit the site, when we consider projection, there is very little wiggle room. There are set parameters to work within, if the space has not considered the guidelines during the planning stages.  It is unlikely that you will achieve the desired outcome.

These parameters are dependent on many variables and are based on your event requirements. If there is an element of projection in your event, general things to consider should be –

  1. Competing light in the room
  2. Distance (from the projector to screen)
  3. Projection size (size of the image)

 

Off course there are many other things your production company will need to consider once the production requirements have been locked down. However, considering the above during initial planning stages can leave you pretty close to your desired outcome and with some spare pocket change, they will end up being fairly deep pockets too!

I hope this post helps you get better prepared for the next site visit!
If you need further assistance feel free to call RTR Productions! We can provide technical advice, production design, audio production, staging designs, and temporary structures/Rigs services.

Before I end this blog, below are some general things event planners often forget to clarify upfront.

General considerations during a site visit –

  1. Venue operating times
    • Make sure the production company bump-in/out during the allocated times.
  2. Request for site floor plans
    • Forward this to your production company at the very start, helps us quote for things accurately.
  3. Storage areas
    • We need a place to store our road cases.
  4. Essential tools for your next site visit.
    •  Get yourself a laser tape. That’s what we used to measure up the very uneven floor at Fed Square, check out this link to see the structure    http://staging4.rtrproductions.com.au/pop-up-structures-for-events you can buy one here quite cheaply
    • https://www.totaltools.com.au/109223-leica-disto-d2-100m-laser-distance-measurer-lg837031

    • Leica D2 in action during our site visit for designing an event production .
Stage set up from the In-House AV company, RTR Productions at at Encore St Kilda

AV company In-house in a venue Pros and Cons

Benefits and disadvantages of using an  In-house av company in a venue

3 nights ago I bumped into my old friend Claudio in a restaurant in Hoi An, Vietnam. (Yes, I’m on holiday and I love Vietnam and the Vietnamese people!)

After all the standard catching up questions, “how is your mum”, “is your daughter going to school”, how old is your wife.. (what? Claudio said, she looks sooo much younger than you!!!.. Yes thanks Claudio!!) Claudio asked me a question about In-house AV companies in Venues.

Claudio owns a small AV production company in Milan, Italy.

So Cris, what do you think about the pros and cons of In-house AV companies in hotels, function centres and Wedding venues?

I had to think about it for a couple of minutes as I wasn’t 100% sure.

Here is more or less what I came up with.

The benefit for the venue is that they deal with a company they know very well and because of that, they can trust that company to set up and meet all the venue standards and requirement without need of any of the venue staff to spend time answering questions and overlooking the setup.

Another benefit for the venue is that the In-house AV company has normally an account manager that deals with all the questions related to the event and knows the venue very well.

There could also be some financial benefit for the venue, but let’s overlook this point.

As per the final client, the benefits would be first of all to have one supplier to deal with (or at least 2 suppliers that are on the same page) instead of two suppliers with no affiliations to each other. Another benefit could be that the standard package set up meets the requirements for the client and that means less time spent organizing where projectors, stage and speakers would be best set up for the event.

As per the cons what I can think of, is that to achieve a great and flexible set up in a venue could be very costly for the In-house AV company and they will rely on the venue to “sell” their services to their clients. As per the venue they want to make sure that they choose a professional AV company that does not only do in-house event but also event productions so at any time they would be able to satisfy any request from the client for custom set-ups, extra last-minute gear or a totally different set up from what is on offer as a standard in-house package as they will have stock and knowledge on how to set up and run a successful event outside of that particular venue.

As per the client, the cons could be a more expensive option as the cost of labour will increase. (be aware that this may not be true in some venues, so do your own research).

Another downside could be that if the client hires a “Non-professional” company the venue could be very frustrated with issues like Test and Tag etc etc and the event could suffer, but this is also true for every event in and out from venues.

 

In conclusion, I think you have to do your research and weigh the pros and cons but one thing is clear, make sure you employ a professional AV company as your event depends on it…

 

By the way, this conversation with my friend Claudio was in Italian, so I may have missed or suggested something a little different to him but that’s ok I’m sure he got the idea.

 

Here is an example of RTR In-house AV venue, Encore St Kilda a premier venue on St Kilda Beach.

https://encorestkilda.com.au/

BMW launch
RTR Productions the In-House AV company at Encore St Kilda helps BMW launch the latest cars

And here is another read with regards to stage and sound systems, if you have a spare 5 minutes:

http://staging4.rtrproductions.com.au/speakers-facing-band

 

At RTR Productions we can help with your event or venue set up. For over 15 years we have supplied staging, audio, visual and lighting to the entertainment industry.

 

Claudio, thanks for dinner, was great seeing you again…. and BTW my wife is 1 year and 1 month older than me!!!

Truss built . Draping and staging

RTR specialty rigging g at Dulux Colour Awards

Creative Ways to Build

The 8th of May saw a creatively spectacular event put on by The Valentina Group Agency at the National Gallery of Victoria.  RTR Production assisted with the production for the first time this year.  Custom and specialty rigging is a cornerstone of the services that RTR provides to its clients.

RTR specialty rigging
Adnate’s beautiful portrait hanging from RTR’s custom double arch

Amazing and immersive events that always surpass any of the attendees’ expectations are what The Valentina Group Agency is known for.  This year’s Dulux Colour Awards at NGV’s Great Hall were even bigger.  This was in thanks to amazing event design and a HUGE mural by famed Australian muralist Adnate painted onsite.

 

The NGV Production department and The Valentina Group asked RTR Productions to provide specialty rigging that would form a giant easel.  Adnate specialises in very large-form fine art portraits carried out as murals on the sides of buildings.  He actually has created the tallest mural in the Southern Hemisphere on the Wellington Street flats in Collingwood, Victoria.  For the Dulux Colour Awards, he created a 7.6m x 4.8m portrait live during the actual award presentation.

 

RTR Provides Specialty Rigging for Artwork

RTR Productions used Euro Truss 300mm box truss to create a double truss arch to support the massive painting.  Their riggers put together a 9m tall structure, with additional bracing. Then, this structure framed a custom aluminium tube grid, which in turn held the giant painting.  The experienced riggers than mounted individual panels to become a composite structure.  Adnate actually had to paint from a scissor lift to reach the whole painting it was so large.

 

One of the most amazing feats of the evening was that the NGV’s Great Hall was open to the public until noon that day.  The crew unpacked the entire structure and built it in just a few hours.  This had to happen to allow time to rig the individual panels on the custom grid.  RTR chose to paint this custom grid Dulux Duramax Gloss Hot Lips red to match the design of the event. Giant red velvet drapes framed the event space and a very creative custom stage as well.

The Valentina Group’s Marisa Sabljak said:

“To have that structure up so quickly and to have it look so spectacular was an incredible feat. The client and the artist were extremely happy with the finished product.”

Check out some more of Adnate’s amazing work here:  https://www.adnate.com.au/

AFL Event hits the mark!

The AFL Season has begun!  And RTR Productions are happy to have been part of the North Melbourne Football Club’s jumper presentation.  This AFL event is a big part of the sporting calendar.   

March 6th saw a large number of the North Melbourne faithful on hand to witness the new players of the 2019 Kangaroos get their first NMFC jumpers.  RTR was chosen to supply audio, lighting, vision, and additional rigging to the Melbourne Pavilion to assist delivering the evening to North Melbourne’s AFL members. The Kangaroos’ Events team wanted to wow their membership with their new team members.  So RTR’s creative staff came up with a bespoke design that would complement the industrial aesthetic of the Pavilion.

The Plan

There were two parts to the evening.  The first part of the evening was an acoustic performance in a side area, while club members came in and got situated.  There was also a media wall as members entered and some external activations. Then the evening proper began with much enthusiasm in the main area of the venue.  

Production-wise, a large truss arch was erected at the rear of the stage to rig the large projection screen from.  The events team wanted to deliver their creative content in a projection that fit along with what was happening on stage, rather than take over.  Additional lighting was set on truss uprights across the stage as well as under the industrial roof trusses. The PA system was set up around the room to work in with the many columns in the building and not visually impair on the event.  This AFL event was all about the players, and the production was there to support that point.

North Melbourne Greats

The end result was an evening with impact:  One that members felt included in, rather than just presented to; and came across great in all the social media photos and streaming videos.

Another great sports event with RTR Productions.

https://www.nmfc.com.au/video/2019-03-07/jumper-presentations-season-launch-2019

NMFC Season Launch
The Season has begun!

Your Partner in Events

 

 

HUBLOT CELEBRATES FERRARI’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY IN MELBOURNE

written by Hours And Minutes Australia

It’s the one partnership in the watch industry that goes beyond just simply sharing logos. It’s an amalgamation of two cultures. Two cultures with one vision – ‘To design unique creations that generate a world of dreams and emotions’.

This year Ferrari celebrates its 70th Anniversary. Hublot announced its diamond partnership of Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary weeklong celebrations, during Motorclassica, from 9th – 15th October 2017, in Melbourne.

10 October: National Rally; where Hublot Ambassador, Michael Clarke drove from Albert Park to Cruden Farm with the largest collection of Ferrari’s ever in Australia

A new collection designed by Ferrari and crafted by Hublot clearly stole the show: The Techframe Ferrari 70 Years. A team effort that began with Ferrari in Maranello and ended in Nyon with Hublot, this new line in Hublot’s collection is intended to offer a watch that is deeply rooted in Ferrari’s DNA—combining strength, performance and agility—while being produced and perfected by the Hublot manufacture.

RTR Productions was extremely happy to supply and install a truss arch for Jacquie at Pages to make this awesome structure look this good. Thanks Jacquie and thanks Pages!

NGV Summer Sundays

The National Gallery of Victoria’s Summer Sundays were an initiative put on by the Gallery that includes free performances by local musicians and DJs, food and pop-up bars in the NGV Garden and a free drop-by activity for kids. RTR Productions being the NGV preferred supplier for audio, visual, staging and productions designed a series of ground support structures, staging and audio visual solutions for the series of free concerts.

The events were a success even though there was a couple of weekends where last minute bad weather caused some re-arrangements to the structures. The RTR crew were able to quickly work around the inclement weather for a great result.

2017 Eurovision Stage & Drape Setup

RTR Productions were asked to work with the TV station SBS for the reveal of Australia’s 2017 Eurovision contestant. RTR Productions were involved in the setup of the performance stage and euro truss with draping to create theatre effect coupled with screens and had an onsite operator to ensure the effects were seamless and the night was a success.

The event was live streamed on SBS and on social media and the selected contestant Isaiah Firebrace was revealed. Isaiah sang for the audience and was then interviewed. Firebrace said he struggled to keep his nomination a secret after he was told by his manager that he had been selected.

RTR Productions are extremely happy with the success of the reveal and wish Isaiah the best of luck in taking out the 2017 Eurovision Contest!

Melbourne Writers Festival Bookshop 2016

Our team at RTR Productions again provided the pop up bookshop for The Melbourne Writers Festival, located inside the atrium of Federation Square the bookshop had a new design this year with a new entrance facing Flinders Street and all new banners. Built on a floor with multiple planes of fall, our Nivtec staging is ideal with adjustable legs to create a level surface for the bookshop floor and our eurotruss box truss is ideal with its elegant looks and high ratings. If you need a temporary structure for an event why not get in contact with our team on 03 9331 6522.

Nivtec Staging Hire from RTR Productions
Nivtec Stage
Pop Up Stage Hire
Staging Hire for a pop up bookshop

New Product Review – 6×4 Outdoor Stage

RTR Productions have just added a new structure to our ever growing range of outdoor stages, coming with a standard stage size of 6mt x 4mt with an option to increase to 6mt x 5mt the new stage is an elegant solution for events of any size from community and council events through to entertainment zones at major events.

If you need a stage structure for your next event why not speak to our team about our range of stages on 03 9331 6522.

Event Review – E Class Reveal

RTR Productions produced and executed a project for 3 Point Motors – Mercedes Benz to launch and reveal the all new E Class Sedan.  The key feature of the project was a moving truss box that covered the car until reveal time, during arrivals and pre reveal the box was projected onto with custom content made for the evening. Come time for reveal we used high tech lighting and lasers to create a reveal sequence that helped set the scene for the technology that is packed into this car. Check out our short video of the event and gallery below: