Green Hippo 2017 Eurovision Song Contest Performance Wows Massive Global Audience

Hippotizer V4 is the Media Server of choice as it drives stunning scenic video for yet another Eurovision Song Contest.

Kiev delivered on its promise to present an awesome show and Green Hippo technology was key to the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest looking better than ever. Bringing together a crack team of skilled practitioners – see personnel noted below – this year’s Green Hippo Eurovision team’s video production heavily featured in the visual design of the show. Highlights included a large LED wall behind the stage, LED floor, Pixel-mapped lights and a projection-mapped arch over the stage. To help ensure the polished performance the MA2 and time code-driven set-up used a total 16 Green Hippo Boreal touring Media Servers, all running Hippotizer V4.2.1 software.

At any one time, up to nine of the Boreals were active, driving the below noted set-up:

  • Upstage LED wall – approximately 5500 x 850 pixels – over four outputs
  • 12 x HD projectors (6 double stacks) projecting mapping the arch with SHAPE
  • Pixel mapping 300 x LED lights behind LED video wall, plus additional pixel maps
  • 4 x HD projectors for “3D Feature” set piece
  • 3 x HD projectors for “2D Feature” set piece
  • LED stage floor
  • LED video panels in centre lighting cluster over stage
  • Feed to Outside Broadcast truck

In addition to Green Hippo itself, the below four companies supplied the legion of Green Hippo Boreals:

  • DigiGobos / Beacon Gobo Group: exclusive Green Hippo distributor in Sweden & lead supplier of ESC 2017
  • Brightgroup (Sweden / Finland)
  • Pixelfields
  • Fix8Group
  • Trust Rental (Germany)

The technical team drew from a number of Green Hippo staff and partners, with special thanks going to:

  • Jerry Appelt, Lighting Designer & DoP
  • Gravity Germany, Content Design
  • Hans Cromheecke, Technical Manager Video
  • Nick Charalampidis, Media Server Supervisor
  • Sebastian Huwig, Media Server Operator
  • Nicholas Hansen, Media Operator

The end result of this awesome collection of cutting-edge video gear and skilled operators was a show to dazzle its 11,000 spectators and a worldwide TV audience of 204 million, including a UK peak of over 8 million viewers.

‘The planet’s most watched non-sporting event.’
‘One of the most cheering in years.’

2017 Eurovision Song Contest – the Daily Telegraph

Between SHAPE, Pixel mapping, video mapping and deep integration with the MA2 control system including CITP into MA’s Visualiser, this year’s Eurovision was a tour de force for Green Hippo and its Hippotizer V4. Our thanks go out to all involved and we are already looking forward to being part of this much-loved event when it touches down in Lisbon in 2018.