A Very Scottish Mini Tattoo Event!

Published on February 21, 2019

We were recently approached to produce a very special event, by a client with a vision…

The vision was to host a private mini Tattoo event (Royal Edinburgh Military style) to entertain guests and to top off a week long celebration in Scotland.�The planning and delivery was to be a collaboration between 2BUK who had the vision and 21CC who had the design and technical skills to produce the event. It was a perfect combination.

Company Director, Geoff Crow said:

Our creative teams here at 21CC Group love a challenge. With the vision in mind, we set about designing what we think turned out to be one of our best events yet!

After many weeks of planning, designing and programming, the scene was set…

Event Design & Technical Production – by 21CC Productions

The technical production for this event was a particularly exciting opportunity for our team at 21CC Productions. Armed with a vision and a budget, we designed an event set piece that would be a fitting celebration to end the client�s week in Scotland and their Gala Dinner finale – Scottish Style!

Inside the Ballroom: The Dinner

The evening started with drinks in the house, followed by a dinner and performance within the beautiful ballroom at Hopetoun House. Our production team had created an internal lighting design that lit up the room perfectly, with all equipment suspended on a bespoke truss frame to maximise the floor space for the client’s activities and guests. The legs of the frame were socked in white to match the ballroom tapestry frames, to minimise the impact of the frame within the space.

Our technical team also designed the staging, AV, screens and event branding. Our intention was to create an event space that was high quality and performance ready, with branding that was clean, subtle but very visible. We built branding panels into the room and even colour matched the carpet and stage dressing to the colour of the paint on the ballroom walls, so that the stage and set fitted the space perfectly.

Outside: The Mini Tattoo event

As the mini tattoo element of the event was due to take place in arena in-front of Hopetoun House, one of the most important aspects for us was lighting up the building in a way that highlighted and enhanced the exterior without becoming the main focal point of the event. For this we used our outdoor LED RGBW lights spaced evenly across the venue exterior along with IP65 LED RGBW wireless DMX up-lighters to pick up all of the columns around the colonnades. Each light was individually addressed for complete control.

We also knew from the beginning of this project that we wanted to include a special projection set piece, to form the focal of the main entertainment space. We used our brand new 15K outdoor projector, which was perfect for the job. Our team created magnificent tartan backdrops and coordinated colour scenes around the house, to compliment the 25 minute piper and dance performance.

This was to be followed by a stand-alone 6-minute finale set piece to music, once the dance and piper performance had finished, all set to �The Greatest Show�. The night before the event, the whole show was rehearsed with all of the lighting, sound, projection and special effects. Our technical team worked late making final tweaks to the show and timings, to make sure everything was just perfect for the next night…

On the night, we opened the mini Tattoo performance with one of our signature set pieces; a gigantic animated saltire, that was ‘fluttering’ in the wind, with a sole piper playing the opening set piece from the roof of Hopetoun House. We included a shadow of a piper in our animated projection, which was very effective and added something special to the set piece.

We programmed the colours of the exterior lighting to match with the images projected onto the front of the house, creating a seamless and striking visual spectacle, including 3D marching elephants and tigers.

Entertainment

When curating a bespoke entertainment package for our clients we look to incorporate set pieces to compliment the acts, that will leave a lasting impression on guests and make sure the event is one to remember. This event was no exception! Working with the Entertainers Agency, who put together 2 pipe bands and 20 highland dancers, together we created a spectacular 30-minute performance that, when combined with the exterior lighting and projection to the front of the venue, created a one of a kind ending to the client�s week in Scotland.

Pyrotechnics, Flames & SFX – by 21CC Pyrotechnics

In order to maximise the impact of this amazing event, our team at 21CC Pyrotechnics provided unique and exciting chasing flame effects courtesy of our new G-Flame units and high pressure CO2 jets. All of these effects were coordinated with the music, the projection and the fireworks using cue-stacking software. It was a sensory excursion!

Attaching both of these effects to the truss uprights enhanced the overall atmosphere of the performance and ensured this was truly an unforgettable experience for the audience.

Fireworks – by 21CC Fireworks

Our team from 21CC Fireworks designed and delivered a spectacular firework display to finish off the event in style. Our team created a 6-minute display, choreographed to music, that was fired from behind the Hopetoun House and framed the exterior lighting and projection to create a lasting impression for the client. The fireworks were also precision timed to the music.

The Finale

The finale of the whole event was a climax of projection, music, flames, CO2 jets, pyrotechnics and fireworks. All parts of 21CC Group were in on it! Multiple computers, control desks and software systems were programmed and synchronised to make this special set piece work – and it was seamless.

The sky was filled in spectacular style, ensuring that this was an event that our client, their client and their guests would never forget.

Working together with the amazing team at 2BUK, the Entertainers Agency and our friends at Hopetoun House, the client knew we were the right team combination for the job.�#TeamWork

Angela Inglis, Director of 2BUK said:

“This event had been a dream of mine for years. The fabulous team at 21CC brought it to life.”

Video Showreel

We had a camera crew on site, with 5 cameras and 2 drone cameras in an effort to capture something of the scale, the design and the impact. To see highlights of the Scottish ‘Mini’ Tattoo event showreel as it was on the night,�click here.

Make it an event with 21CC Group Ltd

Contact us today on 0131 331 4509 or via [email protected] to find out how our technical team here at 21CC Group Ltd can work with you to make your event become a reality and a special one to remember.