Production Design and Manufacturing

Production Design and Manufacturing

Phil Collins

Phil Collins motorised louvre system

The centrepiece of the Phil Collins Farewell Tour is a motorised louvre system, designed as part of the stage set and giving the whole show a very distinctive look. Five large louvre panels, set at 15 degree angles. provide spectacular movements revealing banks of lighting beneath them. To add to this, the reverse side of the panels is mirrored and can be used to great effect reflecting the lights from below or from above.

 

Technically, the brief for each panel was straightforward, 360 degree rotation, DMX control - with the usual complication of having to be made in two halves for transportation. The Panels where fabricated from aluminium, with particular attention to the thickness of the material, knowing that everything had to be as lightweight as possible.

 

A DC servo motor was housed in the base of each panel and individual louvres coupled through a tensioned chain drive. this in turn was powered by a DMX servo control card.