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Blinding them with science: White Light manages tight logistics for next-generation web launch

The launch event took place in the Energy Hall and the Making of the Modern World Gallery at the Science Museum in London, one of the many London venues for which White Light is an approved supplier. Complicating proceedings was the fact that the Science Museum was open to the public on the day of the event, and no equipment could be visible until the public had departed for the day – just an hour before the guests started arriving for the event itself!

Running proceedings for White Light was project manager Steve Richardson, who worked with the Science Museum to squeeze as much extra time into the schedule as possible, and then ensured enough staff were on hand to allow everything to happen in the time available. He explains how it was done: “With this event, we called a team of fourteen for 6am to allow us to unpack two trucks and to pre-rig as much as we could before the museum opened. The Science Museum was very helpful in allowing us to use an unused gallery for storage; we built the set and projection screens then moved them intact into the storage area.”

For the evening session, Richardson called a 32-strong crew to re-instate the set and complete the installation of the lighting, sound and video rigs. Designed by event lighting designer Jason Larcombe, the lighting rig included Martin Mac2000 Spots, Par64s, and ETC Source Four profiles for gobo projection work. White Light worked with Delta Sound to supply the audio system and Hamilton Rentals to supply the video system that included front and rear projectors, laptops for PowerPoint presentations, cameras for live relays and an AutoCue system.

“At 18:15 the galleries were cleared and we got the go; within the first half hour most of the work was completed leaving us twenty minutes for tidying up ready for the guests. With approximately 120 lighting fixtures and 18 people on the lighting crew, that equates to each crew member rigging about six lights and running 200m of cable in an hour! It is amazing how quickly things can happen when they’re planned and staffed properly – even if there is always a hint of nervous energy around when the schedule is that tight.”

Once the presentations and the dinner were completed, the White Light team had their equipment cleared and out of the building in less than an hour and a half.