Eurostar

We recently produced the launch of the new Eurostar E320 train. This change in rolling stock was a historical development for the legendary transport brand.

The Brief

The E320 rolling stock was a huge technological development for Eurostar. This development was of significant interest to industry, press and train enthusiastics. SXS were chosen as the lead production company on the event due to our extensive experience of working in secruity-critical environments and on high profile events. Delivering a high quality and reliable solution was critical to the event.

Location

Held at St Pancras Station we undertook creative development and event design for this high-profile press launch.

"The space to be used for the launch was on the platform at St Pancras train station" says production designer Johnny Palmer. "This presents various logistical, technical and safety challenges. For a start the platform is treated very much like an airport from a security perspective which is due to it being a conduit for international travel. This meant that a lot of our equipment and tooling needed to be x-rayed prior to entrance. Trust from the venue and client were also key as much of the equipment and tools we use are items that would not be allowed on an international transport vehicle - but having worked at some of the UK's most secure sites we were able to navigate this".

Event Management

"In terms of safety, the team were working in close proximity to high-voltage and potentially lethal train power lines. To mitigate risks with this we had a stringent exclusion zone around the high-voltage lines in place."

Core Elements to the Event

Video Content

Video content was a key element to the event so we provided our new Lumio LED screen. Due to potentially high light levels conventional projection equipment was not an option. The limitations around video projection can be seen in this video:

The LED screen provided bright, crisp images for all video content and live camera feeds.

Creating a spectacle around the reveal of the train was essential. There are many ways this is done using drapes, special effects and lighting. However at the venue we were dealing with high ambient light levels, a total ban on pyrotechnics, limited space and stringent rules on where lights can point. As such it was decided to use the video screen as the reveal feature. This was done by using a high-speed Kinesys motor system to lift the screen overhead at speed; thereby revealing the new train.

Audio Visual, Rigging, Lighting & Staging

As well as the exciting feature pieces we also provided the core production elements of rigging, staging, flattage, audio, vision mixing, flooring, stage lighting and effects lighting. In addition to this SXS also provided a high-tension graphics rigging system was used to create one of the cleanest graphics finishes available.

The event launch went smoothly and the press coverage was excellent. We invite more opportunities to work on future launch events. Find out more about our services in this area here.