Eurovision 2018 News!

[QwaarJet]

So all songs have to be like Salvador's too? Great "diversity" there... I'm awaiting another sleeping pill next May then... maybe we should just make it a radio show then?, certainly cheaper as there will only be room for ballads anyways and everything will be stream-lined like in a North Korean factory...

As written previously, if you want a diverse show that is also entertaining, you need to leave room for different way of presenting entries, one can see LED-screens as only distractions, but it depends on how and when (if) they are used. Sometimes they fit and add more dimensions to the performances, sometimes they don't fit and look like distractions... but it's a very conservative and backwards way to see them "just as evil" and also this idea of "fast-food"-music (as if we can't have some fun and entertainment in our lives aswell) certainly isn't helping either... ESC is certainly loosing alot of its entertainment value lately (and no I don't refer to silly joke entries here, don't get me wrong), it's just the show is simply turning very boring and standardized lately.

I agree. Lack of an LED screen is very disappointing. It doesn't affect any acts that wouldn't want to use it having it there, but removing it is simply removing an artistic element from the show. Part of the renewed popularity of Eurovision is the visual element. Large LED screens are par for the course on most entertainment events, so it wouldn't even cost that much. It's just an expected part of the show.

This pretty much guarantees larger countries will the money will bring their own LED set-up, which will give them an immediate advantage over the smaller countries.

 

[tuorem]

So all songs have to be like Salvador's too? Great "diversity" there... I'm awaiting another sleeping pill next May then... maybe we should just make it a radio show then?, certainly cheaper as there will only be room for ballads anyways and everything will be stream-lined like in a North Korean factory...

I'm not sure why you think ballads will necessarily benefit from the lack of LED screen Nations who have other plans always can bring props: as much as I appreciate the good use of LED screens, it's not the only way to stage a song.

Oslo 2010 didn't have any screen, yet the final top 4 was filled with uptempo-ish songs: Germany won without anything particular on stage, and Turkey, Romania and Denmark brought their own material to create an atmosphere (while the ballads from Belarus, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus and Norway all flopped). There is no reason why it should be any different in 2018.

 

[Ezio]

The LED visualizations of 2017 were the worst ever. It was truly distracting and bizarre.

The year before already was LED on acid crack, with too much blue and teal and pink on an epilepsy-inducing frequency, resulting in a visual pile of meh.

Maybe it is time to dump them at least for one year and come back with a better use a year later.

Eurovisions should be memorable, and Lisbon surely will be remembered.

 

[A-lister]

Eurovisions should be memorable, and Lisbon surely will be remembered.

Yeah, maybe when we fall asleep after half the show like in 2017...

 

[A-lister]

I'm not sure why you think ballads will necessarily benefit from the lack of LED screen Nations who have other plans always can bring props: as much as I appreciate the good use of LED screens, it's not the only way to stage a song.

Oslo 2010 didn't have any screen, yet the final top 4 was filled with uptempo-ish songs: Germany won without anything particular on stage, and Turkey, Romania and Denmark brought their own material to create an atmosphere (while the ballads from Belarus, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus and Norway all flopped). There is no reason why it should be any different in 2018.

Oslo 2010 was one of the most boring stages of the last decade of ESC, and like [MENTION=4958]QwaarJet[/MENTION] mentioned, now broadcasters will be forced to pay even more if they want something "extra" on stage, because all are forced into this stream-lined thinking.

 

[tuorem]

Oslo 2010 was one of the most boring stages of the last decade of ESC, and like [MENTION=4958]QwaarJet[/MENTION] mentioned, now broadcasters will be forced to pay even more if they want something "extra" on stage, because all are forced into this stream-lined thinking.

I agree with you on that: I didn't like Oslo 2010 stage-wise either, mainly because it was too dark overall, the floor was blinking like crazy and there weren't proper sets of spotlights to set different atmospheres. We'll see once this is all set up, but I don't think Lisbon 2018 will have these defects.

Still, even with a flawed stage, an act can be staged properly with a little bit of creativity. Whatever the year, there are good and bad stagings, so it's not just a matter of technology.

Regarding the fact broadcasters will have to pay more to have a presentation that stands out, I'd say it is business as usual: with a limited budget, one can only afford basic graphics (if there is a LED screen) and standard camerawork. Flames, fire curtains, smoke, fireworks, special effects, more elaborate visuals... all these things are optional and costly. I don't think a sole screen has ever bridged the gap between nations that spend lots of money in this department and the ones that can't.

 

[Alaska49]

You mean everyone that is not going for the "less-is-more" approach need to bring their own "giant" to the stage?

it just means every single country should step up and be as good as ukraine. as should all of us, in everything, forever.

but really i don't think i have a horse in the led screen race. as long as staging improves and we get more legit gimmicks and less lisa ajax-esque selfies as backdrops i am happy.

 

[JonnyWest]

I'm just happy that RTP wants to try something different and leave its print cause in the past few years it kinda felt like it was the same country hosting every year.

I like LED screens but the delegations have been very lazy and uninspired lately... we will probably have them back in 2019 anyways if or wins

 

[FilipFromSweden]

2010 was so bad. There just wasn't that much diversity visually between the performances. Red lights, blue lights, yellow lights, white lights, some used the chandelier etc.

 

[marty]

i think it is good if every year is different from another. the stage looks good to me. anyways it is a matter of taste. there have been huge LED walls with bad visuals (like in germany) and very good light shows without LED. i appreciate the countries who try to present something different (like copenhagen or vienna) even if some people dont like it. more of the same every year is boring.

 

[Ezio]

A problem with stages in general is, that the offer so much and delegations use so little.

Germany had a huge LED wall, but it was very incompetently used. The only act that looked good with the backdrop was Lena.

The stage of Copenhagen is considered a fan favourite, however, the Top 3 totally skipped the cube.

Vienna offered holograms, that no one used, and an interesting "eye" concept, that looked great with some acts (Israel, Greece), but was mostly ignored and the winner brought his own videowall.

In Stockholm, delegations chose from the same colours and effects, making them indistinguishible, and the backdrop was mounted by interval acts but not by Eurovision acts.

And in Kyiv, no one seemed to warn the delegations, that selfies and aqua themes won't help elevate an act.

It's utter incompetence and neither RTP should be blamed, if acts look bleak.

 

[FilipFromSweden]

In Stockholm, delegations chose from the same colours and effects, making them indistinguishible, and the backdrop was mounted by interval acts but not by Eurovision acts.

Name two acts with similar staging (except for the falling ground technique)

 

[A-lister]

A problem with stages in general is, that the offer so much and delegations use so little.

Germany had a huge LED wall, but it was very incompetently used. The only act that looked good with the backdrop was Lena.

The stage of Copenhagen is considered a fan favourite, however, the Top 3 totally skipped the cube.

Vienna offered holograms, that no one used, and an interesting "eye" concept, that looked great with some acts (Israel, Greece), but was mostly ignored and the winner brought his own videowall.

In Stockholm, delegations chose from the same colours and effects, making them indistinguishible, and the backdrop was mounted by interval acts but not by Eurovision acts.

And in Kyiv, no one seemed to warn the delegations, that selfies and aqua themes won't help elevate an act.

It's utter incompetence and neither RTP should be blamed, if acts look bleak.

This is true, but it goes both ways, the broadcaster is responsible for the stage itself, not only how it looks from a representative point of view (good visuals, entertainment value, originality, functionality etc.), but also giving opportunities or not to the entries, then of course it's up to the delegations to do the best they can for their particular entries and sometimes it fails, but sometimes they really make great work. Some use of LED-screens were pure crap, but then we have some really great examples aswell like for instance Jamala in 2016, it was a ballad and it could have worked on its own surely, but the effects really added to the overall impression and added to the atmosphere.

 

[JSSArcos]

One more photo from the stage:

 

[Sabiondo]

At OGAE Rest of the World fb group, the president told us that yet again the resale sites are having a field day with Eurovision 2018 tickets prices below are USD by the way

 

[Gabe]

They sold thousands of tickets to less than 400 people. Again.

Fucking disgraceful. No other way to put it really.

 

[Dark]

There still tickets to the finals (I know someone that bought one now), just be patient! Some people purchase like 4 tickets but end up not paying them/don't have the money/wherever, so the tickets go back to the market. DON'T LEAVE THE QUEUE AND KEEP REFRESHING THE PAGE.

Btw, there's also physical stores in Portugal selling tickets (with major lines), so that's why it looks like only sold 600 tickets

 

[JonnyWest]

I don't understand why they aren't selling more tickets... is like they wan't fans to suffer :? I think in other years things went better with smaller venues which is weird

 

[CaraMia]

I have 55939 people in front of me. Maybe next week the process will be concluded.

 

[Dark]

TRY HERE: http://worten2.byblueticket.pt/Purch...?revt=1&E=3431

(keep refreshing)