ARRI’s ALEXA 35 Live – Multicam System went on a concert tour for the first time, used with Fujinon Duvo lenses to capture German rapper Shirin David’s dynamic showS over 14 dates.
Shirin David, German rapper, singer and entrepreneur, has earned a reputation for the vibrancy of her live shows. Her recent 14-date ‘SCHLAU ABER BLOND’ tour across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, gave audiences a cinematic view of the artist’s exciting 5-act performance. Developed in partnership with 24/7 Productions, Tim Routledge Lighting Design, Adlib event production, ARRI and Fujinon, the Shirin David tour deployed the ARRI ALEXA 35 Live – Multicam System for the first time on a concert tour.
The brief was to bring the glamour and energy her shows are known for to the big screens at each venue. Early conversations between the production, design and Adlib teams identified the technical challenges they would face, including the demanding dynamic range of the concert’s aesthetic, with dark blacks and bright highlights. The team agreed that a cinema camera would be the best choice to deliver a rich, distinctive visual experience for the audience.
The Adlib team had worked previously with ARRI’s ALEXA 35 camera to shoot a concert and had been particularly impressed in post-production with the camera’s performance. When ARRI announced the Live Production System LPS-1, built to enable real-time colour correction and image adjustment, and to support the specific broadcast parameters, the Adlib team was extremely interested. They were keen to take the system to an environment that hadn’t been explored before – a concert tour.
Looks and Controls
The ALEXA 35 Live – Multicam System brings a cinematic look, accurate HDR and new creative controls to live productions in a dockable set-up for multiple cameras. The system combines the 4K ALEXA 35 Live camera, the Live Production System LPS-1 comprising a Fibre Camera Adapter and Fibre Base Station, a remote control panel and specialised Multicam accessories.
The camera’s Super 35-sized 4K sensor enables shallow depth of field and captures 17 stops of dynamic range, giving it the ability to handle extreme lighting situations for a good result in SDR and HDR.
The system’s professional live production shading controls can be extended using cinematic looks from the ARRI Look Library, which is built into the camera. To help save time, several Multicam looks have been specially developed as presets for typical live production scenarios.
The Fibre Camera Adapter and Base Station can be connected either with a hybrid fibre cable that carries both power and uncompressed 4K video over distances up to 2 km, or with tactical fibre up to 10km.
When attached, the Fibre Camera Adapter extends the ALEXA 35 Live body into a manageable form factor, and features standard interfaces for setting up familiar connections and controls. The Fibre Base Station integrates directly into live production environments, supporting diverse simultaneous outputs from HD to UHD.
Anticipating Challenges
Ashley Ball, Video Technical Manager, Adlib, commented, “We knew the challenge we’d face using a cinema camera on a tour. On a film set, there’s usually an entire team dedicated to rigging and de-rigging the camera each day. On tour, that simply isn’t an option. So being able to deploy the camera quickly and efficiently is non-negotiable. That’s why our work across the technical planning, testing and preparation was so critical in creating a dependable solution for the camera operator.”
The Adlib and ARRI teams combined their technical and touring experience with care, identifying challenges quickly and finding resolutions in real time. Early preparation began at Adlib and ARRI offices in the UK and Europe, after which the close working relationship continued through rehearsals and opening night.
“We were very pleased when Adlib chose ARRI as technical partner for this concert tour. It has been a fantastic experience,” Jannik Abelt said, Technical Specialist Multicam, ARRI. “The scale of the production is vast, the logistical requirements are demanding, and the audience expectations are high. Shows are built up quickly, and so the pre-planning of each interconnected technical function is really where the project begins.
“That was especially true with elements that the ALEXA 35 Live – Multicam System wouldn’t normally be integrated with, for example, a teleprompter. That called on the team to work through these new systems alongside their partners, with different software and connectors.
“On site we were particularly satisfied to see the response from operators regarding ARRI’s web user interface, where they could control the whole system remotely – every button, every volume control and even the zoom demand controls for the lenses.”
On the Road
With over 40 years of experience in the touring environment, the Adlib team is well aware of the constant challenges faced in moving complex technical equipment from venue to venue. Beyond the physical demands of rolling flight cases on and off trucks every day, there’s also the strain on gear that runs for hours at a time, often in hot and dusty conditions. Adlib created a packing solution to ensure the camera system, supplied and supported by ARRI Rental, could withstand the rigours of a multi-date tour.
Creating a camera system that feels familiar and is straightforward to use is a priority for camera operators on a concert tour. As team members, they are often expected to switch regularly between different camera systems. The ALEXA 35 Live camera system handled an impressive range of environments, delivering striking results across skins tones, saturated colours, LED lighting fixtures and pyro. The level of system integration that was achieved with partners, including Fujinon with their Duvo lens, was a benefit.
Luke Cartwright, European Product Manager at Fujifilm UK, said, "We talked to Adlib about the need for cinematic delivery in a manageable package, which is where Fuijinon’s new Duvo range became interesting. These lenses have super 35 and full-frame coverage but work within the broadcast workflow for integration and familiarity for operators.”
ARRI Duvo - Light Weight, Cinema Quality, ENG Zoom Range
Because there is no time to swap lenses and operators only have one chance to capture a shot, these lenses are built for versatility. Duvo lenses stand out for their combination of light weight, cinema lens quality and ENG zoom range. The shallow depth of field gave a different, emotional storytelling ability for the show as it went up on the screens, bringing the audience closer to the performance.
Light and compact, with wide focal ranges, the lenses allowed the operators to shoot wide and close when they were on stage, or move further away to achieve a long, tight shot. Having this much versatility in each lens made a difference ergonomically when shooting a concert for hours on end.
“We were fortunate to be on site during rehearsals to make sure everyone was happy with the lenses and their functions, and we continued our support throughout the tour. This collaboration with ARRI and Adlib is an example of what can be achieved, even in the rigours of of touring, with the right kit and the right people,” Luke noted.
Ashley Bal saidl, “In partnership with ARRI and Fujinon, our goal was to bring together a technical solution for the crew, the camera operators, the artist and the audience. The crystal sharp cinematic images from the stage beaming across ROE’s LED walls were a real sight to behold. As awareness grows for the future standard of delivering stunning cinematic images on a touring show, I’m looking to see where we can take it next.” www.arri.com
