In a career that began in the mid-90s, Johan Glans’ has excelled as both a stand-up comedian and a television personality and is recognised across the Nordic scene.
Earlier this year Glans underwent a 35-date summer tour across Sweden, which was powered by a seamless AV solution from Scenteknik Kalmar, underpinned by Blackmagic Design.
All outdoors, the venues were mostly big garden parks or open fields with up to 8000 attendees in the audience per show.
Operating under the Unistage Technology Group, Kalmar was responsible for all aspects of the tour’s technical delivery, including audio, lighting, video and stage solutions.
“As the tour’s production company was familiar with us from previous work
together, we were given a brief to equip 24 venues with no pre-existing audiovisual infrastructure. That included a PA system, lighting, LED screens for IMAG, camera production, a stage and technicians,” began technician and project manager Joel Sandback.
“We pre-rigged anything we could from our warehouse to help minimise setup time on location, with additional PA systems and LED repeater screens added depending on the audience size and venue. However, the video workflow stayed the same throughout the tour,” he explained.
Vision mixed on an ATEM Television Studio 4K Pro live production switcher, a mix of optical fiber and SDI was used for video depending on the required distance. That included custom multicore cables that combined signal and power for various purposes such as lighting trusses, audio cross-stage and PA towers.
The live production consisted of five video sources, including two URSA Broadcast G2 cameras positioned at the front of house to capture close-ups and full-body shots of the artist. These were equipped with Fujinon B4 lenses and used Blackmagic’s Zoom and Focus Demands, along with custom fibre converters and the URSA Studio Viewfinder G2.
An IP-controlled PTZ camera on the stage tracked the comedian, capturing audience reactions. A camera with a wireless link was utilised for the more mobile segments of the performance.
Sandback revealed: “For the opening performance, we added a HyperDeck Studio HD Plus to record the program mix and evaluate what we could improve for the rest of the tour.”
“Ultimately, we needed a simple system, as we had different people in the role of video director throughout the tour. This, and the desire to minimise our technical footprint, made us choose the ATEM Television Studio for the job. The compact design meant we could accommodate additional equipment, cue sheets, and laptops, creating a streamlined and efficient setup,” Sandback concluded.
