The Juno Awards started to move into GM Place yesterday.
A crew of 60 worker bees buzzed around the floor of the home of the Canucks, constructing a massive stage that will present the likes of Russell Peters, Bryan Adams and Great Big Sea across the country Sunday.
Peter Faragher, production designer for the Sunday's gala event, said the city gave inspiration to a "Zen like" stage strongly influenced by the psychedelic aspects of the novel Alice In Wonderland.
"Vancouver is this gleaming glass city," Faragher said. "It's this little glass and steel jewel in the middle of nature."
A video screen, 60 feet high by 26 feet wide, framed by shiny metal leaves, will stand tall over the stage that juts out to cover most of the arena floor.
For Faragher, it's easy to get carried away watching teams construct his vision, which was finalized in September.
"I have so much anxiety over whether or not we've done it all correctly. If it doesn't fit in the arena someone's head is going to roll," he said, pointing at himself. "But, when we're in the moment it's really hard to be objective about it. You've got 17,000 people screaming for two hours so it's really hard not to be affected by that."
NUMBERS
The Juno Stage
- 1 million watts of electricity consumed
- 300 lights total
- 160 computer-controlled moving lights
- 300,000 watts of audio power
- 160 speakers
- HD mobile
- 10 cameras
- 100 inputs into two audio trucks
