BACKGROUND
Le 2 Pierrots is a well-known bar in Old Montréal, and features live band performances on Friday and Saturday nights in front of hundreds of people, including tourists.
Le 2 Pierrots’ stage was previously wallpapered with event promotions and “2 for 1” drink special promotions. Last November, the bar owners decided to take the stage’s background digital. A part of Le 2 Pierrots’ historic character is the mezzanine that overlooks the stage allowing people to dance right on top of the band. There was no better place to install a six-screen horizontal video wall than on the face of this mezzanine. Content featured on the video wall is a mix of promotional, entertainment and ambiance animations.
CHALLENGES
Groupe Viva faced several challenges during this project, including:
- Physical installation: The building dates back from the 1700s. It came as no surprise to Groupe Viva that the face of the mezzanine was not leveled.
- Protection: The mezzanine stands at about six feet in height, meaning a high-flying guitar solo or drumstick could damage the displays. In addition, many stage lights were causing strong light reflection off the LCD glass.
- Environment: The company did not know if the digital displays would fit into the historic building well with its stone walls and wooden floors.
- Content: There were initially two schools of thought regarding the content. The owner wanted the displays to mainly drive promos so he could sell more beer and alcohol. The daughter, however, who is in charge of operations, didn’t want to overload the video wall with promotional content. She believed in using a well-balanced mix of promotional, entertainment and ambient content.
- Content management: Budget didn’t allow for an extra employee to operate the video wall during live shows. However, live shows require a real-time content management.
SOLUTIONS
- Resurfacing the face of the mezzanine to level it before installing the wall mounts
- Adding custom, anti-glare lexan sheets in front of each display for protection while still allowing for maintenance access
- Installing the video wall right above the stage where the musicians perform, making it a part of the show
- Using a “trial and error” approach in order to pace the content loop to the desired promotional versus entertainment ratio
- Choosing Watchout by Dataton, a multi-display production and playback software. The content loop is scheduled by the hour and real-time messaging (such as anniversary information, live countdowns, karaoke) can be triggered with an MIDI controller facilitated by the on-stage musician.
From qualitative feedback, the results thus far have been pretty good. From visitors, Le 2 Pierrots has heard that the high-quality video animations improve the live entertainment and general atmosphere. From the performers’ perspective, the video wall is a great new crowd animation tool, giving a new dimension to songs.
From Le 2 Pierrots’ management, the positive impact is obvious. First, the owners have seen a significant alcohol sales uplift in the last six months. The ratio of revenue dollars per visitor increased by 8 percent on Friday nights and by 12 percent on Saturday nights, according to the bar owners. Plus, coincidence or not, attendance on special opening nights are better than the prior year, up by roughly 15 percent. In addition, the positive feedback heard from visitors, staff and performers adds to its success story.