Behind the lights and television broadcast, the Viña del Mar Festival operates with a precision that allows for no errors. Utilizing technology nearly unique in Latin America, and software not even used by global artists in their shows, the event positions itself as one of the most modern musical events in the world thanks to its technical production.
Leading the technology team is Jaime Laval, who has directed operations at Bizarro Live Entertainment since 2019 (though he’s worked with them for over a decade), the year the production company also began working with the Viña del Mar Festival. Laval emphasizes that his extensive experience in production is demanding.
This year’s festival has showcased its international prestige and technological prowess with performances from Gloria Estefan, NMIXX, and Pet Shop Boys. The British synth-pop duo presented the same show from their Dreamworld tour, designed for arenas with a different stage composition than the Quinta Vergara, which created unique demands for the production team, requiring them to modify the historic stage for the first time in the festival’s history.
Despite some tensions—which Laval says primarily occur with Anglo-Saxon artists—the director clarifies that the event has gone well and he’s pleased with their efforts. He emphasizes that the Viña del Mar Festival is a unique event and a technological benchmark for international shows, though Chileans may not fully realize it.
Pet Shop Boys and Other Artists
-What were the main technical demands you faced in organizing the festival so far?
This year, Pet Shop Boys brought a show that included scenery they didn’t want to change. They weren’t willing to adapt at first, since they couldn’t create a modern show for the Viña del Mar Festival. What we had to do was merge the design they already had with the Quinta Vergara’s existing setup to put on their performance. Essentially, it’s a screen that moves up and down in front of another screen to create 3D effects with depth.
We have 60 tons of weight hanging from the stage’s ceiling and had to add a significant amount of tonnage to make this work. It took us a couple of weeks to figure out how to do everything safely. After that, because the setup was relatively large, we had to continue with the other artists who were coming after Pet Shop Boys, who needed the stage clear. We had to take the screen down in 20 minutes with 40 people, with all the lights and extras.
-Was it incredibly complicated to dismantle the large Pet Shop Boys stage in 20 minutes?
The setup took much longer, eight to nine hours. The dismantling was simply about organizing to remove the equipment safely, without destroying it or causing any human accidents. We organized ourselves into teams with color-coded vests, where people in audio are blue, those in lighting are yellow, and so on.
First, we held meetings with each team to explain exactly what they needed to do. I think that’s where the magic and success lies, because we’ve improved communication with the professionals. We now have the experience to organize these stressful situations. It’s part of the work we’ve been doing for the past few years at Bizarro, because we do many shows a year and train the people who work with us.
-Was the Pet Shop Boys show the most technically demanding of the festival so far?
Yes. It was one of the most complex shows we’ve had since Bizarro began working on the festival.
-Was there a similar setup in previous years?
I think one of the most complex setups was Andrea Bocelli’s, due to the number of musicians. Because everything was live and nothing was playback, mistakes would have been very noticeable. However, the structural part of the Pet Shop Boys show was greater than that event, making it more complicated.
-Did any artists have demands that couldn’t be met this year or in previous editions of the festival?
Yes, particularly with Pet Shop Boys. They wanted to bring a show that included scenery they didn’t want to change. They didn’t want to adapt at first, because they couldn’t create a new show for the Viña del Mar Festival. What we had to do was merge the design they already had with the Quinta Vergara’s existing setup to put on their performance. Basically, it’s a screen that moves up and down in front of another screen to create 3D effects with depth.
-Was dismantling the Pet Shop Boys’ large stage in 20 minutes very complicated?
The setup took eight to nine hours. The dismantling was simply about organizing to remove the equipment properly, without destroying it or having any human accidents. We organized ourselves into teams with color-coded vests, where people in audio are blue, those in lighting are yellow, and so on.
First, we hold meetings with each team to explain exactly what they need to do. I think that’s where the magic and success lies, because we’ve improved communication with the professionals. We now have the experience to organize these stressful situations. It’s part of the work we’ve been doing for the past few years at Bizarro, because we do many shows a year and train the people who work with us.
