Popularly referred to as India’s equivalent of the Academy Awards; the 64th edition of the Filmfare Awards, presented by The Times Group, continued its legacy of honouring artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi film industry of India, through an elaborate ceremony hosted on 23rd March 2019 at Mumbai’s iconic Jio Gardens. One of the oldest and most prestigious film events in India, the Filmfare ceremony also features other Indian sub-language Awards like Filmfare Awards South for Cinema of South India, Filmfare Marathi Awards for Marathi cinema, Filmfare Awards East for eastern Indian cinema.
In addition to the glitz and glamour that entails this historic ceremony, the event this year proved to be a visual and aural spectacle as the show witnessed a slew of breath-taking performances from actors, musicians, singers and dancers – all of which create a world of wonder for the audience. The amazing performances were ably reinforced by state-of-the-art professional entertainment technology, with India’s foremost rental outfit – Electrocraft – commissioning the spectacular sound architecture, trussing and automation solution for the gig.
First up, Electrocraft played a key role in ensuring that the magic created on-stage by celebrities and their stellar performances, was efficiently delivered by using a comprehensive system of automation solutions which were deployed with great precision. India’s very own mega-star Shah Rukh Khan made his grand entrance on-stage in a magnificent looking moving ‘Cocoon’ which essentially comprised revolving rings that travelled on-stage along a rolling platform, controlled remotely through automated panels. Another key highlight involved a breath-taking on-stage performance that took place on a ‘floating’ platform, which was powered through state-of-the-art hydraulic lifts and again, was controlled remotely. Plus, the team also installed on stage a slew of variable speed controlled large frame travellators and a massive Turntable section with 2 individually controllable rings – both of which played a key role in dance performances by various Bollywood celebrities. Additionally, high speed fully automated and individually programmable Movecat motors enabled the upward and downward movement of the six massive LED screens, which made the show even more flamboyant in its visual appeal.
Electrocraft also lived up to its reputation as the country’s leading live sound specialists, as they deployed an elaborate audio infrastructure with the primary system comprising an all L’Acoustics solution wherein the supremely dexterous K2 system formed the FOH, while the ever reliable dV-Dosc systems formed the In-fill and Out-fill systems, along with the Arcs system covering the venue as side-fills. Multiple units of SB28 subwoofers and KS28 subwoofers provided the crucial low-frequency fidelity that rocked the event, with amplification of the entire system provided through multiple units of power amplifiers from L’Acoustics. Owing to the massive expanse of the venue, the team also deployed an additional delay system comprising multiple elements of the Y-series line array modules from d&b Audiotechnik. The team worked tirelessly during setup to ensure perfect alignment and tuning of the entire loudspeaker solution as a whole, which ensured that the audience experienced an almost ambisonic soundscape that was in perfect harmony. A slew of top-notch wireless systems from leader brands Shure and Sennheiser to comprise the microphone solution, with the ULX-D wireless system from Shure and the D6000 wireless microphones and series 2000 IEMs from Sennheiser rounding up the solution. Multiple numbers of headset microphones from Roger Drego’s signature series of products were used by performers and presenters during the event. Additionally, the team also ensured that the same impeccable sound experience was normed backstage as well, as they deployed multiple units of loudspeakers from Roger Drego’s signature series of products to act as green room speakers and backstage monitoring. The VIP room was reinforced with a neat and compact EVOX system from RCF. At broadcast position, the team deployed the sleek and efficient S6L-24D console from AVID along with multiple numbers of Rockit 8 near-field monitors from KRK.
Commenting about the sound experience, a prominent personality from Filmfare commented, “Filmfare is all about lineage and a rich history of recognizing the best. Naturally, we would only settle on delivering the best experience to our audience; which is why we chose to work with Roger and his team at Electrocraft. And we must say, they absolutely lived up to all our expectations. The sound experience was absolutely fantastic and extremely captivating. And to add to it, the brilliant work that they commissioned with the automation of the moving stage elements – that was amazing. Their hardwork and skill helped bring the show to life and make it magnanimous – true to Filmfare’s legacy!”
