Engineering and automation specialist WIcreations is supplying multiple automation
elements and control to the massive “Rester Vivant’ tour by French megastar
Johnny Hallyday, who is known for impressive and spectacular live shows and a
great rapport with fans which has spanned a remarkable career stretching back
over six decades.

Belgium-based WI was approached to produce an automation solution for three
distinctive digital and scenic set elements – a huge skull, six moving video screens
and five moving lighting pods – by Hallyday’s production director Roger Abriol.

WI’s project manager is Koen Peeters. Chris Das is out on the road with the tour,
co-ordinating and operating the automation using Kinesys K2 software running on a
WI optimized control desk, working alongside WI motion assistant, Rick Peeters.

In total, over 50 motorized elements are fundamental to the show – something
shifts in every song – an impressive undertaking involving 38 chain hoists, 28 of
which are zero speed-full torque models, 10 x non-zero speed hoists and 14 x
active WI-motion tracking carts.

The dynamic multi-layered set and lighting was designed by Dimitri Vassiliu. It is an
elegant fusion of classic and modern styles blended into a timeless rock “n’ roll
aesthetic, which provides both technical wizardry and theatrical magic and
straightforward full-on WOW factors to help Hallyday draw his audience right into
the action … and keep them enthralled for the 2.5 hour show.

A giant scenic skull – through which Hallyday makes his entrance onto stage – is
flown in from the roof … and also tracks up and downstage on 18 metres of WI
Touring Track. It is attached to four half-tonne zero speed chain hoists.

Six video screens – of three different sizes – are flown and tracked – using another
108 metres of WI Touring Track to glide them seamlessly into over 20 different
looks and positions – from a flat horizontal roof – where they are used highly
effectively as a big block lightsource – to a large dramatically angled single surface
backdrop which then fragments in different directions to several different shapes.

The screens are made from a special new super lightweight 6 mm proprietary LED
product provided by the tour’s video contractor, Swiss and French based Skynight.

The three pairs of screens measure 7.4 metres wide by 2.9 high, 7.9 metres wide
by 3.5 high and 8.4 metres wide by 4.0 high respectively, and all are slightly
tapered at the offstage edges, maintaining the finesse and clean lines of the stage
design.

Twenty-Four Clay Paky Mythos moving lights are also hung on scaff bars sitting on
top of the screen tracks.

Das also has two hawk-eyed spotters onstage looking out for any anomalies, so he
can take action immediately should anything odd occur with the motion system.

Five lighting pods upstage accommodate a total of 192 Ayrton Magic Panels and are
automated by 10 motion controlled chain hoists – moving up and down constantly
throughout the show, creating an incredible variety of looks.

All of the movement tracking and rigging components pack down neatly into 14
touring dollies for transportation, which is integral to the design of all standard WI
tracking systems, and one of the reasons it is so fast to rig and de-rig.

All the automation was fully set up and prepped in the WI warehouse at Heist-op-
den-Berg beforehand, so all the important details were planned up front.