SHOWSTARS - Crew Call Spring 2015 Newsletter

CREW C ALL T H E O F F I C I A L S H O W S TA R S B U L L E T I N

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02/SPRING 2015 SHOWSTARS.CO.UK

'TIS THE SEASON OF GONG-GIVING

CONTENTS 02 / spring 2015 3

LIGHTING UP LONDON New Year fireworks in the capital.

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CREWING THE NTAs Showstars on the telly.

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Graham Shaw portrait: Mark Cunningham • cover image © Rishi Patel

Awards... they’re everywhere at the start of every year, and Showstars is especially proud to have had a long association with two of the best events in the UK – the National Television Awards and the BRITs, both of which present their own unique challenges.

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Having launched the year in our usual way with the London fireworks, we were eager to get stuck into these projects, whilst also working on a number of others which, unfortunately, due to contractual restrictions we are not permitted to publicise in Crew Call or, in fact, via any other medium.

It’s for precisely this reason that we didn’t made much of a song and dance about our long periods spent working in Glasgow and Sochi last year. But, believe me, that leaves plenty of other project news for us to share with you. Please read on...

Graham Shaw Managing Director, Showstars

PARTNERING WITH THE PSA: A training update 8

TRUE BRITS Ten days at the O2.

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ISLAND LIFE A history trip around Showstars’ home 12

MODEL ENDEAVOURS A ‘secretive’ fashion show débuts in London.

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LOST IN A HAZE Tony Say remembers a classic night

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LIGHTING UP LONDON Showstars helps to continue the New Year fireworks tradition in the capital

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Photography: Sharif Shelly

Since it fulfilled a challenging brief for the Millennium celebrations, Showstars has remained Jack Morton’s sole choice of crew supplier for London’s New Year’s Eve festivities.

The 2014-15 celebrations were no exception and involved the usual challenges of supplying crew with the appropriate skills and experience that were prepared to work over the festive period. The nature of the project meant that the crew were deployed at different times to various locations in London including the London Eye, Big Ben and the North and South banks of the Thames.

Stuart Milne, Showstars’ Operations Director, commented: “Our team consisted of site crew, runners, flatbed drivers, plant operators and production crew working with rigging, lights, sound and AV companies.

The demands are usually the same every year except it involved a lot more fencing this year as it was a ticketed event for the first time.”

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CREWING THE NTAs How Showstars set up this year’s big TV celebration On-screen husband William Roache delivered a moving tribute, leading to an overwhelming standing ovation. But it was Corrie’s long-standing rival, EastEnders, that stole the show – hosted by Dermot O’Leary – with three gongs, one of which, the Serial Drama award, was respectfully dedicated to Kirkbride by the Walford cast.

Show photography courtesy of Indigo Television / NTA 2015

With the death of Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride still fresh in everyone’s memory, it was inevitable that the 20th annual National Television Awards, at London’s O2 Arena on February 21, would pay homage to her life as one of Britain’s most legendary soap characters, Deirdre Barlow.

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Top row: Showstars’ crew ready for action... and (above) working on setting up the PA hangs, video and staging.

Below: Before and after – the red carpeted VIP area in front of the dazzling set.

SKILLS AND LABOUR A larger affair compared to its previous edition, the production – under the helm of Technical Producer Craig Becker – was serviced by PRG, Plus 4 Audio, XL Video and scenic company Blackfriars, all of whom relied on Showstars’ skills and labour to move and rig key equipment, and generally assist with the set-up of the show.

Showstars has been providing crew services to the National Television Awards for around 10 years and for

the last four, senior crew member Tony Say has played a major part. He said: “Paul Calverley and I split the crew chief duties between us on different days this year, and I was mostly confined to the loading bay as banksman, bringing in lorries, getting them unloaded and keeping the bay clear.

“Deliveries were constantly arriving on the first two days – everything from scenic items to cases of drinks for the VIP reception – and I ensured they were sent to where they needed

to be. If the production office had any requests, it was my responsibility to take care of it.”

Two days before the show, at five o’clock on a sub-zero Monday morning, the Showstars crew began the load-in. “Eighteen of us worked on building Blackfriars’ set while 16 helped to rig sound,” explained Say. “Working through the night we had 12 crew assigned to XL Video and 10 crew who continued with the set build which included a very glitzy set of Set-up and crew photography by Paul Stich & Mark Cunningham

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Show photography courtesy of Indigo Television / NTA 2015 • Set-up and crew photography © Mark Cunningham

Above: The cast from ‘Gogglebox’ on the big screen.

Left from top: On stage at the O2; crew boss Tony Say; crew member and photographer Paul Stich.

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steps and the stylised ‘medallions’ that were suspended from the roof on motors.

“On Tuesday, the sound crew dropped down to four but we still had 12 people finishing off the set, and we rehearsed the show call for which we provided a show day crew of 10 along with some runners.”

Four crew were also provided to help PRG construct truss goalpost frames on to which they attached lighting to illuminate the red carpet at the VIP entrance.

Inside, Showstars assisted Arena Seating with the distribution of VIP seats in the red carpet area directly in front of the set.

GLITTERING Music was also a feature of the glittering ceremony. As a gesture to Special Recognition award-winner David Tennant, Pixie Lott performed his favourite song, ‘(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles, with original hit makers The Proclaimers, while X-Factor winner Ben Haenow sang his Christmas No.1 ’Something I Need’.

Meanwhile, Tony Say was

preparing for the long haul. “I returned towards the end of the event, just before 10pm, to start organising the loading bay,” he said. “Then, at 11pm, just over 80 crew arrived to begin the load-out into 12 trucks, which went on all the way through to 6am.”

Production is an area that Say particularly enjoys. “It’s great to know when you’re appreciated,” he comments. “Like everyone, I get a lot of satisfaction when positive feedback comes from the production office and it’s very encouraging for Showstars when we are asked back to work on other projects. We obviously get to sample the delights of a variety of catering firms, and Eat To The Beat did us proud at the NTAs!”

Showstars’ NTA crew action captured at

Search for “Exclusive NTA 2015 Backstage Highlights”

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PARTNERING WITH THE Developing safety awareness is all part of a day’s work for Showstars’ Stuart Milne...

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It soon became apparent that there was a need for more awareness of working at height in live events and Milne decided to create an additional module that could be added to the Safety Passport course. This was not to be a course for riggers or stage builders but for anyone that might find themselves working at height.

Milne modified the existing SPA WAH course and whilst working in Sochi in 2014, he consulted some experts on the final content which was then approved by the SPA to become an official module. The course was added to the Showstars training portfolio and became mandatory for all crew.

APPROVAL Later in 2014, as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow drew near, it was realised that the crew would need working at height training and so Milne sent a copy of the course to the client for approval.

The client was so impressed they approved the course for roof access at both Celtic Park and Hampden Park and also booked Showstars to run the module for its own staff.

As a member of the PSA Council, Stuart Milne has been active in promoting and delivering the Event Safety Passport across the industry.

The Council recognised that there was a need for a Safety Passport renewal where the delegates did not have to sit in a classroom for a day.

An online renewal course was recently filmed at 3 Mills Studios, presented by Milne and co-developed with Andy Lenthall. It will shortly be rolled out and available for anyone who took the original course.

Stuart Milne photo © Mark Cunningham • Andy Lenthall photo © PSA

In 2007, Showstars was approached

by Andy Lenthall, General Manager of the Production Services Association (PSA), about the Event Safety Passport. Having been looking for a suitable training course from some time and running in-house safety training, Showstars was very keen to adopt a course that was tailored for the industry. The company then became a Safety Passport supplier and delivered the course to all crew members, and very soon began to deliver it to other companies and individuals working in live events.

In the run-up to London 2012, Showstars’ Operations Director Stuart Milne was attending a diploma course in Event Safety Management when he met and convinced LOCOG’s acting head of Health and Safety that the Safety Passport was by far the best safety awareness course for anyone working on the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies and events.

Coincidentally, the London 2012 Ceremonies team was moving in to 3 Mills Studios, where Showstars is based.

“I spoke to them about the course and offered to run a course for their management,” says Stuart Milne. “It was a great success and they decided that the Safety Passport would become the mandatory safety qualification for anyone working on ceremonies.

“Showstars was awarded the contract to supply the course for all ceremonies staff, contractors and volunteers. I then gathered a group of six experienced live event safety experts to run the courses and they literally put thousands through the qualification.”

Stuart Milne (top) and the PSA’s Andy Lenthall.

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Show photography © John Marshall/JM Enternational • Trophy styled by Tracey Emin • Set-up and crew photography © Rishi Patel & Mark Cunningham

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RULE BRITANNIA

A national institution, The BRIT Awards never ceases to find new energy... just like its crew.

A burst of white confetti rained down on the 13,500-strong live audience as ‘International Female Solo Artist of the Year’ Taylor Swift kicked off the BRIT Awards 2015 with the first of several sensational performances that featured fellow award winners Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Royal Blood, James Bay and Paloma Faith, along with Take That, George Ezra, Kanye West and Madonna.

Held for the fifth time at the O2 Arena in London and hosted by TV personalities Ant & Dec, this year’s MasterCard-sponsored BRITs on Wednesday 25th February was notable for artist

Tracey Emin’s elegant neon signage and a new statuette trophy, although Madonna’s remarkable recovery from a stage tumble grabbed the headlines.

As the dust settled and the VIPs headed into the after-party, Showstars prepared for a major overnight challenge. The east London firm’s work on the event began as the O2’s loading doors opened on Tuesday 17th February at precisely 08:00 – the start of a hectic 10-day schedule that has become a way of life for Showstars’ Logistics and Personnel Manager, Paul Calverley and his colleagues.

“This was my 15th BRIT Awards,” says Calverley, “although Showstars has been involved with

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the BRITs in one way or another since 1993, when it was at Alexandra Palace.

And since Stageco took over the staging in 1997, we have supplied all steel and production crew.”

REQUIREMENTS As usual, Showstars’ activities were governed by Technical Production Manager Tony Wheeler and Papilo Productions who, under the umbrella of BRIT Awards Productions, decided how many crew would be required to assist production suppliers PRG, Britannia Row, Ogle Hog, CTV, Stageco and Steel Monkey with the show build.

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Since the event moved from Earls Court to The O2 in 2011, the demands on Showstars’ crew have remained similar.

Calverley explains: “Earls Court was a bigger affair and the excess steel demanded a larger crew from us – up to 30 scaffolders on a day shift and another 30 at night for about 72 hours, and the same again on the load-out, as well as a massive crew call on show day.

“But now, with a plinth stage, it’s an easier and quicker job, meaning that our crew total has slimmed down.

“Our peak of activity was from 22:30 at the end of the show [Wednesday night] into Thursday when we had 152

Show photography © John Marshall/JM Enternational • Trophy styled by Tracey Emin • Set-up and crew photography © Rishi Patel & Mark Cunningham

Previous page: Sam Smith on stage. Above: The presentation catwalk with crew working on it (right). Bottom: Showstars crew chief Paul Calverley; the set before the event.

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Clockwise from top left: the room; Taylor Swift, Madonna, Ed Sheeran; Kanye West; Take That.

Show photography © John Marshall/JM Enternational • Trophy styled by Tracey Emin • Set-up and crew photography © Rishi Patel & Mark Cunningham

crew members [split into 72 for the night shift and 80 during the day] to work on the breakdown and load-out.”

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ON THE SPOT Showstars enlisted several departmental crew chiefs to take responsibility for specific areas. For example, Peter ‘Mavis’ Ridley headed the spot operator team, consisting of nine front of house ops and seven truss spot ops.

“Lighting designer Al Gurdon likes to use us and as he returned to his role this year after a break, we expected

an increase in our spot call this time,” said Calverley.

“We book the crew, get them all together and show ‘Mavis’ all the spot positions, and then he takes them all away to get everything worked out.

It’s the same with the PA and lighting.

Richie Gorrod, PRG’s gaffer, will tell us what he needs from us, we will allocate numbers accordingly and Tony Say or Richard Sullivan will head those teams.

“There’s always a leader of every split-off group while Stuart Milne and

I are present to oversee the entire project and maintain a management presence.”

At the request of Chuck Crampton from the BRITs Productions office, Showstars’ duties also included supplying the after-party crew with a team of 14 split over two days along with 14 for the load-out.

A further four-man crew worked on setting up the red carpet for the many celebrity VIPs in attendance, while six others were reserved for the after party show call and overnight load-out.

AND THE WINNERS WERE...

British Male Solo Artist

MasterCard British Album

Ed Sheeran

X: Ed Sheeran

British Female Solo Artist

British Artist Video

Paloma Faith

‘You And I’: One Direction

British Group

Global Success Award

Royal Blood

Sam Smith

British Breakthrough Act

International Male Solo Artist

Sam Smith

Pharrell Williams

Critics’ Choice

Int’l Female Solo Artist

James Bay

Taylor Swift

British Single

International Group

‘Uptown Funk’:

Foo Fighters

Mark Ronson

British Producer

ft. Bruno Mars

Paul Epworth

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ISLAND LIFE A history trip around Showstars’ home...

For many years, Showstars’ headquarters has been based at 3 Mills Studios, London’s largest film and TV studio, located on Three Mill Island in Bow, east London, close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The oldest surviving industrial centre in London, Three Mills Island has an extensive history with evidence to suggest that its mills were listed in the Domesday Book and date back to the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, Stratford Langthorne Abbey acquired Three Mills Island and by the time Henry VIII dissolved the Abbey in the 1530s, the mills were grinding flour for the bakers of Stratford, who were celebrated for the quality of their bread and supplied the huge London market. It is thought that the mills also produced gunpowder for a short period in the 1580s.

During the 16th century, the three mills were reduced to two and in the 17th century they became a major supplier to the alcohol trade. Ownership changed relatively frequently during the 17th to late 19th centuries, until 1872 S H O W S T A R S C R E W C A L L s p r i n g 2 015

when the Nicholson family, already well established as a gin producer, acquired the site.

Distilling ceased after the mills sustained severe air raid damage during World War II, but the site continued to be used for bottling and warehousing by Nicholson, and from the early 1970s until the early 1990s, by Charrington and Hedges & Butler. This would normally be the end of a typical episode of London industrial history, however, the opposite happened at Three Mills Island.

In the 1980s, the majority of the island became a dedicated centre for film and television production with the establishment of Bow Studios, 3 Mills Island Studios and Edwin Shirley Productions. In the mid 1990s, the three studios merged to become 3 Mills Studios under the management of Workspace Group plc.

In August 2004, the London Development Agency (LDA) acquired the studio complex, with ownership transferring to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (now London Legacy Development Corporation) in 2010.

With thanks to 3mills.com 11

MODEL ENDEAVOURS Working on Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show...

Until Victoria’s Secret brought its lingerie fashion show extravaganza to London for the first time, it had been a strictly American phenomenon – one whose live viewing figures are second only to the Super Bowl. Just the kind of success one would associate with one of the most recognised brands on the planet.

Staged in December as one of the last-ever events at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show featured a stellar cast of models, dramatic scenic changes and live music performances from Hozier, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

With barely time to catch breath before returning to work on the BBC Music Awards (see last winter’s Crew Call), Showstars’ crew was on-site from November 10th until December 5th to fulfil requirements such as the load-in, rigging and load-out for technical suppliers across the whole production spectrum, namely Stageco (staging), PRG (lighting and rigging), Set Square (scenic), 12

Blackout (drapes), Solotech (live sound), Ogle Hog (video) and Templine (power).

Showstars’ numbers peaked at 92 production crew and 46 steel crew on a single day, totalling 138.

Taking the staging element as an example, Showstars picked from 10 trailer loads of Stageco equipment to build 30m long, 20m wide and 9m high seating blocks on each side of the 34m long substructure for the catwalk, the main stage, the control tower and the 1,323 square metres of backstage area.

Stuart Milne was Showstars’ on-site Operations Director and was the company’s interface between the on-the-ground crew and Anthea Roy of OBO, the international creative and production management group that works on behalf of Victoria’s Secret.

Said Milne: “This was our second-to-last job at Earls Court after many years of the BRIT Awards and it was one of the last occasions when we would see and use the famous blue clock.”

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LOST IN A HAZE Tony Say remembers a classic night...

I’ve been lucky to work on many incredible events but one that really sticks in my mind was Childline Rocks, held a few years back [2008] at indigO2, and all the details were kept extremely hush-hush before the night.

For this one, I was called in to unload all the equipment, including backline from John Henry’s, but there were no artist names stencilled on anything so we didn’t have a clue who was going to perform.

Later in the day, I was asked to do spots, so some of us went up to a spot deck, and it was only at this point that I started to realise who was playing. One by one, all these fantastic acts came out on stage to play their hits: Blondie, Sting, Roger Daltrey, Brian May… the list went on and on.

Towards the end of the gig, there was a bit of a row going on about the smoke machine. One artist wanted smoke, another – I’m presuming it was Roger Daltrey – really didn’t, but the machine started to go crazy. Smoke was billowing out across the stage to the extent that no one could see a thing.

Brian May was playing guitar and as he walked back, he tripped over someone’s cable and fell right on to his back, but continued to play while laughing his head off. The S H O W S T A R S C R E W C A L L s p r i n g 2 015

sound engineer called over to the lighting guy, ‘If you can see anything up there, just light it all up!’ It was hilarious.

Seeing all those artists performing on one small stage was brilliant, but the chaos that ensued was hilarious. I won’t forget that one in a hurry.

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showstars S TA G E & E V E N T CREW SERVICES BRIDGE HOUSE • 3 MILLS STUDIOS THREE MILL LANE • LONDON E3 3DU T 020 8215 3333 • F 020 8215 3355 E info @ showstars.co.uk • W showstars.co.uk CREW CALL is produced quarterly by Liveculture Group for and on behalf of Showstars Spring 2015 cover image © Rishi Patel

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