will.i.am Says The Voice Chairs are Better in Australia!

Posted by bkisbigblog on June 19, 2013

Will.i.am-Voice-Australia-BKI-chairs-are-better-2 — *Voice* coach will.i.am finds it hard to maintain a good posture because the UK version of the chairs cause him to round his shoulders and hunch over.

Coach for The Voice UK, will.i.am recently complained about the design of their version of the chairs saying they are much less comfortable than those used on the Australian version. And, as the creative realisers behind The Voice Australia chairs, we’ll take that compliment!

will.i.am told The Sun that the the roundness of the swivel chairs leaves him with a hunched back and went on to say, “I don’t know why they have them like this. They’re not like that [on The Voice Australia].

“I sat in Seal’s chair. Their chairs are different, they’re straight. Ours are curved in so they make you [hunch your shoulders] all the time.”

Fellow UK coach, Jessie J also criticised the chairs in an interview with Radio Times recently.

She said: “Honestly, as a girl, it’s not the most comfortable chair.

“While all the guys can sit back and look relaxed, I have to sit really upright and forward or lean to the side.

jessie-j-Voice — The uncomfortable curved design of *The Voice* UK chairs forces coach Jessie J to lean to one side or sit forward.

“I feel so little in that chair – but at least my feet touch the ground. Will’s don’t!”

Accommodating the varying heights of the coaches for The Voice Australia was one of the challenges Big Kahuna Imagineering faced (and overcame) when designing the Aussie versions. The ergonomics that The Voice UK chairs lack was another aspect we spent considerable time on as well as a number of subtle and yet not unimportant design features included by Big Kahuna that were extra to the generic chairs including “V-shaped” seat back support risers, custom-rolled aluminum “bum-view shields” (to avoid any celebrity cracks making an appearance) and composite brushed aluminum box plates around the button which have proved to save the day in terms of wear and tear with those enthusiastic coaches hitting the top of the box with every part of their being (including height-promoting cowboy boots, big chunky jewellery and even foreheads.)

Find out more about our unique approach in designing and constructing the The Voice Australia chairs here…

Unfortunately, the UK coaches may not be able to look forward to more comfortable chairs next season as a BBC source stated: “Plans for series three aren’t under way until this one finishes. But I would imagine the same chairs will be back again next year.”

However, with will.i.am’s vote, BKI would be happy to oblige so they can coach in comfort!

The Cloud at CeBit 2013

Posted by bkisbigblog on June 12, 2013

Client: Salesforce
Agency: George P Johnson
Brief: Bespoke Exhibition Display

Last month Sydney hosted CeBit, the largest annual business exhibition in Australia attracting the biggest gathering of business technology professionals in the country.

BKI along with Harry the Hirer (rigging) and Staging Rentals (exhibition construction) as the main construction contractor realised George P Johnson’s exhibition for featured exhibitor, Salesforce — the enterprise cloud computing leader.

Using 22 giant, white weather balloons, Big Kahuna Imagineering reinterpreted the cloud that is central to the Salesforce logo and also a nod to the tech trend of “the cloud”.

Suspended from a 6-metre rig truss, the balloons were lit by LED lighting giving it a brilliant effect. Flex cable ran up aluminum tubing from the balloon to the truss to secure the installation throughout the 3-day event.

The show floor was packed with specialists covering everything tech-related including the Cloud, data centres, Big Data, communications, financial technology, Security, mobility, Social Media and eGovernment. But this looming installation hung over the Salesforce stand at CeBit like a beacon to expo attendees.

2013 Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship Recipient — Hugh O’Connor

Posted by bkisbigblog on June 5, 2013

We’re thrilled to introduce the 2013 NIDA recipient of the Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship — Hugh O’Connor — who was chosen for displaying considerable novelty in his material science.

Currently in his third and final year of Design at a National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Hugh is deep into the production of Louis Norwra’s play Cosi, directed by David Berthold — a semi-autobiographical play depicting a young theatre director tackling the monumental task of directing Mozart’s Così fan tutte… with a cast from a mental asylum.

cosi-set-design-NIDA — Stage design for the NIDA production of Louis Norwra’s play *Cosi*, directed by David Berthold.

With themes of love, madness, art and politics, Hugh has created a totally immersive set in which the audiences experiences the play in order to convey those themes in the fullest and most genuine way.

“I believe that the basis of all storytelling is emotional connection, a shared understanding of what it means to feel sadness and joy, fear and awe, pain and ecstasy,” Hugh said. “I don’t believe that any two projects can use the same approach to achieve an empathetic connection.”

Whether it’s a fully immersive set, complete with roof, walls and floor or an empty stage with only a single actor and the imagination of the audience, Hugh’s interest lies in pushing his exploration of these varied techniques and materials to create stories without pretense which convey a small (sometimes large) part of what it means to be human.

The-Witches-Stage-Design-NIDA — Co-Production Design, The Witches directed by Lucas Jerevies

Hugh credits passion for creating work that engages and moves audiences to his years as an actor and director for Lismore-based, youth theatre company Theatre-Theatre between 1998 and 2008.

Today, Hugh’s production credits include…

Theoretical set design, Die Tote Stadt
Production Design, triple j Unearthed music video Mr Television by the Sydney-based band Toucan, directed by Pierce Wilcox
Co-Production Design, The Witches directed by Lucas Jerevies
Set and costume design for Cosi directed by David Berthold (opening in June 2013)

And, as a “big fan” of both Wilson and Waits, Hugh is also excited about his involvement in the end of year production for the Tom Waits/ Robert Wilson musical adaptation of Woyzeck directed by Imara Savage, which he is co-designing with classmate Elizabeth Gadsby (recipient of the 2012 Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship).

Receiving the Big Kahuna Imagineering Scholarship has allowed Hugh to dedicate his full engagement and concentration to his work at NIDA. As the amount of time and energy required for creative projects is immense, and without this scholarship, Hugh’s final year “would have been difficult indeed.”

As Hannah McCann, NIDA Development Officer, said: “The support of bursary provides relief from financial pressures for many NIDA students and allows recipients to concentrate fully on their studies, maximising the opportunities presented to them while they are at NIDA.”

Upon completing his studies at the end of the year Hugh is planning on working in theatre design (both set and costume) and exploring the world of film and television production design. In 2014, he is planning to travel to Berlin to undertake work in the German theatre industry with the aim of securing a position as an intern/assistant with a designer/theatre company.

Certainly a budding creative to watch! Grab your tickets for Cosi showing this June and check out Hugh’s work for yourself!

Here are a few more examples of productions Hugh has worked on…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6feN5D9494]