I WILL NEVER FORGET the FaceTime call arranged by production manager Giorgio Ioan in early 2011 with singer, rapper and artist Lorenzo Cherubini. His stage name “Jovanotti” (which is more or less used for the name of the band) is a unique play on the Italian name for young men that replaces the “G” with a “J”, which is a letter not used often in the language. I had been researching his work in preparation for this moment by watching the music videos available on YouTube. On tour with another artist at the time, I was having trouble with the arena’s wifi signal and decided to splurge on the international data roaming charges to get my iPhone 3G connected for a video call. The first thing that I mentioned to Lorenzo was that I appreciated his cinematic approach to music videos, and his reply to me was “then I guess we will see you in Rimini!”

Rimini is the birthplace of Federico Fellini that is a sleepy seaside town of about 150,000 persons that balloons in population during the summer vacation months to well over a million temporary inhabitants. The 105 Stadium would be the venue for three weeks of production rehearsals upon a unique stage designed by Giancarlo Sforza. The completely whimsical curved stage with the button-topped thrust had no symmetry whatsoever. Two major elements were already in Giancarlo’s head: the 8X8 wall of Jarag blinder fixtures behind the band stage right and the large projection screen stage left that could be completely covered with an automated blackout curtain that could move in from the top, bottom or sides of the screen.

I devised a system of trusses that grew from vertical spikes upstage that then curved up and over the heads of band and audience alike - three from behind the band stage right and one from the far end of the stage beside the projection screen. The placement felt perfectly natural to me, yet the design took everyone by surprise and was immediately approved. Upon entering the arena with the lighting rig in place for the first time, Lorenzo remarked “I feel like i’m Gepetto inside the whale!”

The entire collaboration was exhilarating and rewarding. Truly a “fish out of water” tale, our lighting including programmer Seth Robinson and LD Will Anglin were immersed in an otherwise completely Italian production and we forged lifetime friendships with the entire Jova crew while we created some of the most unique production looks ever seen.