The above picture are the curtain calls for the show The Yellow Wallpaper which is currently in rep at the Schaubühne Theatre Berlin. We spent 3 weeks in rehearsal in Berlin then 2 more weeks in the theatre space but still didn’t seem to have enough time, Jon, Grant, Giles, Helen and Jack did a great job of pulling the technical and visual elements together and previewed to a very happy audience!
Around Berlin whenever me and Meg’s went on a random wander we woud see loads of Lamp shops selling second hand antique table lamps and general light which was pretty cool, and one particular one which we would pass on our way to work called Berliner-Lampenwelt which has proved an inspiration for a long term project I’m working on with a couple of colleagues which will involve a few hundred channels of 12v dimming all custom made of course, keep checking back here.
Straight after coming back from Berlin I was booked to go stage one and work on some things for a large up and coming project, its almost been a year since i was last down but was glad to see the owners do Boo, happily lying in the middle of the floor!
It was also nice to see the Automation playback wing i helped design and build was still in use and hand a nice new facia. I was told these got used extensively on the Olympic opening ceremony which was nice to hear, although Smithy still doesn’t like the colours on the wheels ;).
The following week consisted of getting some measurements from cads and 3D modelling what I can only describe as a roller-coaster track for some visualisation. A few mods to the PCB for the Automation Playback wing, finding spares for the overhaul of the Priscilla london bus which was coming back for a refurb, and also sitting down with Neil and help come up with a solution for a job he was putting together for a Zaha Hadid designed shop!
Fast forward 2 weeks and I was in the other hangar working with Ian, Ben, Parky, Simon and Iain presented with the huge task of rebuilding the Priscilla London bus which had been in Brazil for a year and had came back in a bit of a state. To get the 8ton monster across the world the whole thing comes apart but not without allot of unplugging unbolting and pulling. Now that it was in the hangar for a reasonable amount of time we decided to do a major LED rewire and re run most f the cabling to make the install easier on its next outing which will be Sweden!
So, then, somewhere along the chain of wiring the 24volt and 0volt wires got accidentally reversed on one of the led panels and we discovered what happens. Funny enough the capacitors don’t like the reversed polarity and decide to explode, below is the aftermath.
We eventually stopped blowng up thing and made real headway getting the bus into shape. Thinking back, since the insane build and install in the Palace Theatre in london in 2009 nothing had changed so it was quite a challenge to try and update and make things better. The pixel mapping is done using vvvv software split across 2 computers translating video colour data into art net spread across around 400 universes. Looking at the vvvv patch it is actually quite a monster and quite often I wonder, how on earth I managed to make it work! What I’m really happy with is that the patch is still going strong now and works a treat. Iain sent me the below picture after i had left the job, good work Iain!!
Finally, for this blog update I have to share that i have, after much delay, installed the pull out keyboard tray into my GMA2 Wing custom flight case. Its been a long time in happening but I’ve been meaning to do it for ages instead of having my bluetooth keyboard balanced precariously on the desk, baby steps but things are taking shape!
Thats it for now, quite a relatively short post considering all the theings whch have happened imbertween but ill aim to fill the gaps and quite soon!
Andy