The annual Miss Finland pageant was broadcast live on TV from Helsinki’s Valkoinen Sali hall in September, with contestants strutting their stuff backed by LED screens driven by Hippotizer Karst+ Media Servers.
The glitzy event, which crowns a winner who will go on to represent Finland in the Miss Universe competition, is a prestigious event in the country, drawing healthy viewing figures and sparking conversation on social media. It is keen to promote not only outer beauty, but mental strength and charity work showcasing the women of today.
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Helsinki-based Capital AV was commissioned by Miss Finland organizer, Finnartist Ltd, to create and operate the visuals for the event and design the staging inside the Valkoinen Sali venue, which was built in the 1920s. Capital AV’s Capital Creative arm designed and constructed a triangular catwalk from the hall’s existing stage, allowing the contestants to walk out into the audience and use the space effectively. Upstate and in shot for the TV cameras were two Absen T5 LED screens in a left-right formation with a central entry point space for the participants.
“We knew that the contest was going to be shown on live TV, so it was important to have the LED screens form a camera-ready, beautiful and soft backdrop for the contestants,” explained visual designer Max Lapinsuo-Sylwén from Capital AV. “The screens had to work both in wide shots and close-ups and we mostly ran pre-made, branded graphics but the pre-shot inserts were displayed on the screens simultaneously for the live audience.
“To achieve this in the most powerful yet simple way, we used a Hippotizer Karst+. It is our workhorse for events of this scale and it has never let us down. It certainly managed this event without breaking a sweat.”
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Lapinsuo-Sylwén said the easiest solution was to utilize the SDI input on the Karst+ with the TV production company providing them with the insert feed. The Hippotizer was controlled via Capital AV’s grandMA console, using a pre-programmed cue list.
In addition to Lapinsuo-Sylwén, the visuals were operated by Antti Huusko, and the lighting operator was Toni Mustikka. The winner of Miss Finland 2022, Petra Hämäläinen, was crowned live on AlfaTV against a sparkling LED backdrop.
