Maestra Gets the Cannes Buzz Event technical production specialist Maestra Group, working for Premier PR, supplied full sound, lighting, and video / AV infrastructure to the UK Film Center at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Located right on the beach, Pavilion 119 featured a busy schedule of meetings, seminars, talent talks, special screenings, and film related activities. It was a vibrant meeting place and networking environment for film producers, directors, and actors as well as potential investors and a hub for all the UK film contingents involved with works being presented at the festival. It's the second year for which Maestra has facilitated the technical elements, and managing director Justin Hammond's association with the event goes back further. "The buzz of Cannes is always incredible," he comments, "and we really enjoy working with the team from Premier PR including Katie Ringer, who looked after all the content and motion graphics onsite and ensured that this aspect was sorted for us." The Pavilion was part of the International Village and featured a main conference / presentation space, breakout areas, and a cool outdoor terrace with a bar. The sound system was a white d&b audiotechnik E3, specified for its quality, clarity, and compact sized speakers which were dotted around the main conference space and divided into five different zones, all of which could be individually controlled via a Yamaha QL1 console. A selection of different sized LED and plasma screens were supplied for the main area, where they were inbuilt into the set, plus four of the break-outs including the partners room and for behind the reception desk. These enabled camera and audio relay into all these areas so they could be utilized for overspill audience attending the most popular talks and presentations. The screens were in use constantly, showing a host of different content in addition to the camera feeds for which Maestra supplied a raft of laptops. Maestra coordinated all the video content on site -- motion graphics and additional elements from Premier PR were received in advance, while other material was sourced shortly before a talk or discussion ... all adding to the pressure and excitement of the different events being properly "live." Two robo-cams were part of the package for the main space, operated from the technical booth; set up so selected footage could be quickly edited and uploaded to the www.weareukfilm.com website for on-demand viewing. The video switcher was one of Maestra's new Analog Way NeXtage devices. All the events were either recorded / edited or streamed live, so they needed to be appropriately lit, for which white Robe LEDBeam 100s were fitted with diffusing lenses and fixed securely to the walls. An LED solution for lighting was proposed because of the low heat emission in an already warm marquee, and the miniscule power consumption of the lights was an extra benefit. The LEDBeam 100s were used as static white light during the day and then in the evening as the atmosphere became more lounge-like, or if there was a party, they could provide color, movement, effects, and a flourish of razzmatazz. Twenty-four CORE ColourPoint LED up-lighters were also at the ready for rapid deployment as the space transformed into its evening ambience, complete with bar and tray service. Much attention was devoted to all the cable routing which had to be neat and hidden from view to maintain the integrity of the space -- that was one challenge. "The other main one was the schedule," says Hammond. Seminar footage had to be edited quickly on site then uploaded to the website, while the rest of the crew were invariably rehearsing for or running the next one. The Maestra team was led on site by Carlos Marcus who ensured that a slick, streamlined technical operation helped make the UK Film Center one of the busiest and most sought-after pavilions of the festival. 
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