A special edition of the Eurovision Song Contest: although there may be an audience for the Fieldlab tests, there is a chance that some artists will be missing this year. To compensate for this, the organization had to come up with something new this year: all artists record a video in advance with the performance that they actually have in mind in Rotterdam Ahoy.
“The videos are a back-up: if everything goes well, no one ever sees them. If someone cannot come to the Netherlands or has to be quarantined, we always have something to fall back on. The match can continue anyway. something we all yearn for after last year, “said head of contest Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen in conversation with NU.nl.
Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light is still fresh in the memory of Van de Nieuwenhuijzen: in the special program the Eurovision feeling was brought forward, but it was not a competition. “But it did contain a lot of elements of which we said: we could now also include them. If everything has to be changed because of corona, why not use it? So the videos that are now recorded are not all the same. way, every country really turns it into its own party Shine a Light also very nice to see. “
The videos are recorded under these conditions
- Each country may record the song three times in an hour and ultimately choose the best version; in that version there is no cutting or doing anything to improve the voice
- Via Teams, someone from the Netherlands watches along, a notary checks whether everything is going according to the rules and the European Broadcasting Union keeps an eye on things
- The video is not a clip, but a recording of a live performance
- The use of virtual reality, confetti, drones or water is prohibited: only what is possible in Ahoy is also allowed in the videos
–
–
–
A fair match
The budgets of the 39 participating countries differ considerably: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, for example, spend so much money in advance on the broadcasting rights that they are always placed for the final. Where in Ahoy everyone has the same options with regard to light, cameras and effects, this is of course not the case in their own country.
“Of course it is fairer if everyone can just come to Ahoy. But we want to offer everyone the opportunity to be there, and with the current circumstances we cannot help but think about a backup. And in general this video comes. just added it, it’s not as if there is extra budget available in countries to make this. Although I saw one entry of which I thought: ah, there is a piggy bank taken. Haha, no, I’m not going say which country that was. But believe me: this was a challenge for every country, “said Van de Nieuwenhuijzen.
For the real fan there is good news: the videos will be available anyway via the YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest. In any case, all the work has not been in vain.
– .
