Nottertal-Heilinger Höhenm DE – “Music is medicine for the soul,” wrote Plato. For the thousands of future doctors who danced on the airstrip of Obermehler-Schlotheim Airport during the MediMeisterschaften festival this fall, the great philosopher’s words ring oh so very true.

Started in 2002 as a football tournament involving medical schools and facilities at a group of German universities, “Medi,” as it’s become affectionately known, has grown into a major music and sports festival, attracting up to 30,000 visitors from throughout Europe. University football is still played at the four-day festival (Cologne Pes Piller and Tuebingen were the men’s and women’s champions respectively this year), and there are many other activities too, but much of the time at this event is devoted to enjoying electronic music in a variety of forms, with plenty of dancing.

Capturing the spirit of the music on the main stages and adding even more energy to its performance was a production and lighting design by Materie Event Production GmbH, which has been the main contractor for the festival’s entire technical planning and implementation for years.

This year the Materie Event Production design team relied on a collection of 270 CHAUVET Professional fixtures and LED video panels to contribute to the dynamic Main Stage show. Included in this  mix were 120 EPIX Strip IP linear units, 12 Maverick Force S Spots, 14 Maverick Storm 1 Washes, 20 Rogue Outcast 2X Washes, 24 COLORado Panel Q40 rectangular wash lights, eight onAir Panel 2 IP full spectrum soft lights, and 72 F4 IP LED video panels.

Defining the design was an impressive 79.46-meter semi-circle wall that allowed performers on stage to be illuminated from multiple angles. This structure also made it easier for crossing patterns of light to be layered at different depths, which lent added dimensionality to the stage.

At the center of the wall was a DJ platform riser, and flanking it were two 3m by 5m video surfaces made with the F4 IP panels. The design team relied on these walls to create a variety of mood-setting looks. At times the walls displayed various break out patters, at others they simply served as  a colorized light source. Then there were moments when the walls faded to black, giving the stage a very different appearance.

Flanking the video walls were six tower structures (three on each side). The EIPX Strip fixtures were used to form triangular patterns on the face of these  towers, with the apex located in the center of each triangle. This configuration gave each triangle a greater sense of depth. At times, linear patterns that matched imagery of the EPIX Strips on the towers were also shown on the two video walls, which created an engaging, harmonious flow-through look on the stage.

At the top of each tower were two Maverick Force S Spot fixtures, which were used to create majestic aerial effects. The other Maverick and Rogue fixtures were flown on multiple rows of truss over the stage. From these positions, they filled a multitude of roles, from colorizing the stage (along with the COLORado fixtures), to creating specials, to animating the crowd with vibrant audience lighting.

When those lights shined on the crowd, they revealed a throng of happy, smiling faces, dancing and having fun. For busy, hardworking medical students, this was just what the doctor ordered!