Case Studies: Lu Han's Concert Tour

― the director of this concert's directing team, the founder of Hippo Vision Studio: Ms. Luo Luo.

Background

When talking about a "director", people usually think of the person behind the scenes of a "TV show" who sends the best angle of view of multiple images to the screen. With the rapid evolution of multimedia display forms, "concerts" from overseas to domestic have become more and more diverse in terms of the forms of performance and on-site "visual performance".
With the ultimate linkage of sound, light and electronic performances, "directors" who can handle the needs of diverse and multi-dimensional image output have become the goals that the performance industry is scrambling to seek cooperation with.

Overview

Looking back at the Chinese entertainment market in 2023, among the many concerts, Lu Han's third national tour concert "πDAY", which has been frequently searched, has attracted our attention.

As the organizers, Fenghua Qiushi and Lu Han Studio strive to bring a benchmark performance to the Chinese concert market, using top domestic and international teams in every aspect, and at the same time giving full and complete trust to these teams.
The high standards required for this performance created a perfect stage, and some media even said that this was an exceptional concert with zero negative reviews.

As a top idol and all-around artist, Lu Han’s three-tour concert "πDAY" was a hit in five cities, and the last performance was streamed as an "online live broadcast". The linkage between online and offline enhanced the atmosphere. What’s even more rare is that whether it’s the live footage seen on the big screen or the live footage seen by online users, the audience is very satisfied with the artist’s presentation and the quality of sound, light and electronics.

Behind the Scenes

After the live broadcast of Lu Han's concert "πDAY" was released not long ago, we also contacted the director of this concert's directing team, the founder of Hippo Vision Studio: Ms. Luo Luo, we want to take a look behind the scenes of this high-quality concert live broadcast.

Background interpretation:
The subversive challenge to "directors" after the stage design upgrade - "Incorporating stage design and unconventional composition requirements."

The presentation of the content of the program for Lu Han’s first concert tour “RELOADED” and his second tour “RE:X” were both designed by Ms. Luo Luo’s Hippo Visual Team. Although they are already very familiar with Lu Han's songs and dances, this year's upgrade in stage design has brought subversive challenges to the directing team.

Challenge

From a three-sided stage to a four-sided stage, the stage structure has a 360- degree full viewing angle, plus four liftable large screens in the air (the north- south large screen is 29 meters long and the east-west large screen is 16 meters long), as well as a ground screen and a flat facade. Full coverage means that the PGM screen has been completely integrated into the stage beauty.

In addition, in previous tours, generally, there were two types of screen size ratios for the PGM screen. This time the request was increased to 12 types. In addition to the conventional horizontal screen shooting, some tracks also added vertical shooting. A large number of response parts for simultaneous switching of dual screens have been added, and the last scene was required to be broadcast live. This made Director Luo Luo think about how to plan the system and division of labor from the beginning to satisfy both on-site presentation and online production, and to complete upgrades and transcendence in terms of picture quality.

Is the exponential growth in demand a conservative operation? Or is it a brave attempt? After repeated and a lot of preliminary work, Ms. Luo Luo made a decision for everyone to "play" together.

That is to say: the 12 cameramen on site need to be under the same system and at the same time take orders from the two pairs of main and deputy directors and ADs to shoot the four-sided stage. During the last online live broadcast, a third group of live broadcast directors and ADs and four camera positions will be added, and they will also enter this large system; when entering the system's camera, you will listen to the instructions of three directors plus three ADs, and the three directors and three ADs can also talk to each other.

Why Panasonic?

At the same time, in order to take into account the composition, texture, and on-site screen and live broadcast needs, Ms. Luo Luo tried to use Panasonic’s newly launched PL mount movie channel AK-PLV100. This device is equipped with a super 35mm large sensor, allowing online live broadcast The picture quality has reached a new level.
As a result, Ms. Luo Luo became the first director in the world to use Panasonic’s AK-PLV100 to shoot a concert.

New challenges, new tasks: The number of broadcast composition requirements has increased sharply, and whether one set of execution systems should be expanded, or multiple sets should be run in parallel.

Exclusive interview with Director Luo Luo

Cinehello.com: How is this year’s third tour different from previous years?

In addition, the previous regular requirements for the on-screen composition of the director were 16:9 or 9:16. This time there are 12 types of requirements (16:9, 16:6.62, 14.54:9, 3.86:9, 15.5:9, 16: 3.31, 16:8.33, 16:6.8, 16:6, 10.24:8.1, 16:5.548, 16:6.64). Some tracks also require two sets of switching images to be on the screen at the same time, while some cameras are changed to vertical screen shooting.
Therefore, a dual director plan is designed for each performance. As the main director, I am responsible for the full performance of the north-south long screen and the east-west short screen, and the assistant director is responsible for the presentation of the north-south long screen and the ground screen when dual screens are needed.

Cinehello.com: If cameramen listened to three group directors, will the filming sound smooth? The director coordinates so many compositions at the same time. Will there be a conflict between the two directors over grabbing material?

Luo Luo: Our Hippo Vision Studio was established in 2011, and some of my friends have been with me throughout these 12 years. In recent years, I have participated in many live broadcasts of large-scale galas on major TV stations and platforms, the recording of major programs, and the recording and live broadcast of many artists' concerts. We came from seemingly impossible tasks to successful completions for many times. We have accumulated a lot of practical experience.

Next, you must find the intersection of the main and deputy directors, and distinguish the odd and even numbers according to the task number on the camera positions. When the intersection occurs, the priority of the call will be handed over to the deputy director. After a run-in, I think there is basically no problem. Two camera buddies still have enough time to change the support plate and lens for vertical shooting.

The last step is to follow the desk work carefully and review these routine operations for each concert. Of course, we had also imagined adding more camera positions and making the main and auxiliary systems completely independent. However, when I sat in the auditorium and thought about the seats that needed to be added, I really felt that it would create a strong sense of fragmentation for the audience behind the cameras.

After repeated demos on how to satisfy the needs of the scene without disturbing the audience, within a controllable risk range, and to maximize the use of crew and equipment, I made the decision to share cameras and switch synchronously between the two directors. Maybe this is not the perfect solution, but the directors and camera crew were willing to cooperate with me in enthusiasm, and they fully understood my ideas the first time they cooperated. I would like to express my gratitude again.

New tasks, new methods of shooting: concert performance + live broadcast, preparation of director, actual cooperation

Cinehellow.com: How long do you have to prepare before the official performance starts at each stage?

Luo Luo: There is only one day of rehearsal with the camera in advance, which is very different from the TV show. In the party project, it is normal to rehearse each program one by one, and the rehearsal with the camera lasts for three to five days.

It is necessary to go to the rehearsal room in advance to experience the group training, get a lighting preview, a large-screen visual preview, and have detailed communication with the director. It’s also interesting to fully mobilize your spatial imagination ability, put on headphones, close your eyes and imagine a stage, and wait until you enter the stage to see how similar it is to your own imagination. Directors have to consider a lot of things, from hardware to software and from technology to art, but the most important thing is what you want to express and accomplish, and how to effectively communicate these expressions and accomplishments.

Cinehello.com: There are five cities in the third tour, and the last city has increased the demand for live broadcast. What challenges does this add to your work?

Luo Luo: I have repeatedly considered the live broadcast requirements from the beginning, because most of the horizontal screen live broadcasts have a 16:9 composition, but our main composition is 16:6.62, and dolly shot is different. If I restore the cropped part of the live 16:6.62 composition and place it directly in the live broadcast with a 16:9 ratio, it is technically feasible and the most trouble-free, but is it emotionally correct? Can you feel the same atmosphere online?

If a team is reorganized and the camera positions are reorganized to be responsible only for live broadcasting, it is of course technically feasible, but whether there is room for cameras on site and who should occupy the best position among the two sets of cameras all need to be considered.
The most important thing is time!

If we can only use the last two days of rehearsal and the first day of performance to adjust the live broadcast of the last show, why not use the model of 12 days of rehearsal and performance of the previous four stages to live broadcast directly? In this case, just add a group of directors and several cameras into the system.

After understanding this, I started to rehearse. It was actually very simple. During the review, I reduced the computer screen to the size of a mobile phone and put into the emotions of the online audience to see if I would be distracted. After confirming that there is no problem with such a composition for live broadcast on mobile phones, I went to the host company Fenghua Qiushi and hoped that they would communicate this requirement with the live broadcast platform.
I would like to express my special thanks to our friends at Fenghua Qiushi and Luhan Studio, because their trust gives me confidence. I didn’t need to give a long explanation, just explain visually why, how to do it, and what the effect is. I understand that there are concerns about this 16:6.62 screen size in terms of platform, because the top and bottom of the mobile phone screen have become smaller, whether the amount of information will be insufficient, whether the feeling will be uncomfortable, etc. They have to take these into consideration for the user. Afterwards, I learned that when our friends at Fenghua Qiushi were arguing about this point, they tried their best to fight for me to a great extent and reassured the platform partners: “We trust the director’s judgment.”

After the live broadcast, I received pretty good feedback from both the organizer, the platform, and the on-site and online audiences.

New challenges are not just an increase in the number of camera positions.

Cinehello.com: How many camera positions were there in the last live broadcast, and how did the director divide the work?

Luo Luo: There are 16 camera positions in total. The main, assistant, and live broadcast director can use these 16 cameras if they want. It may feel like a lot of pressure to be a videographer at first. However, during the first four performances, there were 12 cameramen who were used to having two directors directing at the same time. If it was a little more difficult during the live broadcast, their abilities would be no problem. And with the cooperation and proficiency of our several directing teams, the four cameramen will be able to integrate very quickly.

Concert Camera Position Map of the Luhan 2023 [πday] Tour –Wuhan

Cinehello.com: How are the four camera positions responsible for the live broadcast director assigned? Under what circumstances would he use the other 12 channels?

There are only few moments when we need to do this, very rarely. But I want to make some attempts for this very little feeling... I still wanted to try, so on the day of the Wuhan stage rehearsal, we put all the director, AD, and camera calls into one system. Three directors could control the 16 cameras at the same time.
In other words, the cued cameraman must understand that even though the tally indicator light is not on, there are still live or online viewers who can see his footage.

The intercom system can actually switch for different zones, so that only one director's command can be heard in the camera's earphones. But many decisions are made in a split second, just I push a key to call what is really need to say, I think it is not necessary, the talk of our three groups of directors and Ads can be the switch key. After all, while the directors are notifying each other, the cameramen are also receiving them simultaneously.

Deducing the time point for this situation in advance, we will conduct a preview on the first day of rehearsal on the Wuhan stage. If it really doesn't work, or the system is changed, we can also use the first day of performance as a live broadcast rehearsal.
How can you dare to be the woman of dauntless courage when it comes to new challenges and equipment selection?

Cinehello.com: What are the configurations of the 16 cameras on site?

Cinehello.com: At that time, the Panasonic PLV100 was a brand-new camera, a studio camera with cinema camera quality. When did you start to have the idea of adding a cinema camera to the live production?

Luo Luo: This goes back to the 16:6:62 composition. This ratio of composition requires upper and lower blocking in the live broadcast. I have also been thinking about how to achieve breakthroughs in other aspects while the camera movement is limited.
After the performance on the first day in Beijing, I saw some photos taken by fans online. Their telephoto cameras produced very good results, with shallow depth of field and a full cinematic feel. At this time, I thought about how to present such an effect in the lens. If I directly add a cinema camera outside the system to the live broadcast venue, would it be feasible? Would the hue tone be unified?

In addition, if the cinema camera is used directly as a broadcast, problems such as signal transmission, calls, tallies, and power supply must be considered, and the control method of cinema cameras is also different from that of broadcast studio cameras.
Coincidentally, a friend from the equipment supplier Galaxy Star (Beijing) Communication Co., Ltd told me that Panasonic had just launched a set of equipment that should be able to achieve this effect and solve my concerns. I immediately asked them when the equipment would arrive and if they could coordinate a few units to test the effect.

I thought that since the stage is a rectangular four-sided platform, the distance between the camera position and the artist at different angles and the direction of the light are different. Is it possible to find the angle, distance, and track that are most suitable for creating a cinematic feel to match this type of camera and the corresponding lens, and then achieve the best results? Therefore, in each subsequent concert, we will swap a Panasonic PLV100 for debugging to find the most suitable time to present it. During this process, Panasonic engineers provided a lot of help and solved many problems. Finally, at the live broadcast venue, we upgraded the studio camera system and added the Panasonic PLV100.

Cinehello.com: In China, you were the first director to use the Panasonic PLV100 to shoot a concert, and it is still used in important live broadcasts. Do you feel the pressure about the risk?

Luo Luo: Since you want to do better, you should make more efforts. Risk pressure needs to be eliminated through various field tests.
When the supplier partner recommended this set of equipment to me, I directly asked my questions. “What is its system logic, what do I want, what can it do for me, and under what conditions can it be done? What will happen if the conditions are not up to standard?”
After they answered my questions and made me put aside my initial doubts, I said, "Then try it, I want to see it with my own eyes."

In the first few tours this year, after we fully tested the picture quality and system stability of the PLV100, the output results were still satisfactory to the team. It should be said that it was based on my trust in the equipment team and the Panasonic brand, as well as the tacit cooperation of the team members, that allowed me to use the PLV100 extensively at the last stop. And the final results also showed that there were no problems, and I could get extra points.

Cinehello.com: Just now you mentioned that two Panasonic PTZ cameras UE150 were used in this broadcast. How did you set up these two cameras?

Have they brought you any different experiences?

After the "πDAY", I have more picture inspiration, such as high and low places that large camera housing cannot reach, and even movable props. In future projects, it should be able to give me guidance pictures that provide more interesting perspectives.

What I want to say regarding the "director"

Cinehello.com: Many people may have a stereotype of directors who work in an "excited or even irritable state". What is your working state like on set?

Cinehello.com: What other ideas do you want to try in the future?

Luo Luo: Actually, I have always wanted to shoot a live broadcast with a live audience. That is using cinema cameras and cinema lenses, and cinematic lighting and camera movements. Moreover, the presence of the camera equipment is extremely low, but the shooting angle is excellent. I've had the experience of shooting a purely cinematic concert, and I haven't tried it in real time with a live audience.

Of course, this is difficult and requires cooperation from all aspects and finding the right fit for the hardware device to integrate into the environment. I haven't encountered such an opportunity yet. But I’m not in a rush, as I just want to stay curious and have fun.

Editor's postscript

After three years of silence due to the pandemic, the Chinese concert market finally experienced a blowout this year. New and old artists are firmly grasping the current performance opportunities, not only in song selection, but also in on-site choreography, sound, light, electronic coordination, and other performance enhancements. One of the most obvious features is that the function of concert program screens is increasingly emphasized by the industry and audiences.
Faced with the ever-increasing demand for video content, the usual solution is to seek a solution by “increasing camera positions”. However, in large-scale commercial performances, ideal shooting locations often compete with commercial seat sales for resources. This seems to be an "irreconcilable" contradiction.

In the performance of Lu Han's third tour concert "πDAY" in 2023, the two directors shared 12 camera positions to shoot the four-sided stage, but they satisfied 12 different proportions of the picture and the combination and superposition of these proportions. Only four cameras were added to the live broadcast venue, allowing three directors to share 16 camera positions to meet the simultaneous output of online and offline. In addition, Director Luo Luo also pioneered the Chinese entertainment market by adopting Panasonic’s cinematic Studio Camera AK-PLV100 for live video shooting of this concert. It can be said that Ms. Luo Luo's implementation plan for the 2023 Lu Han Third Tour Concert “πDAY" is based on "reasonable use of equipment and personnel allocation, maximizing the functions of each equipment and each person". I sincerely wish that Ms. Luo Luo and her studio can continue to launch more and more exciting high-quality performance projects.

Equipment Installed

• 
  4K Studio Camera
  AK-PLV100GSJ
• 
  4K Integrated Camera
  AW-UE155*
  * This is the model number for AW-UE150 for China.