The (augmented reality) elephant in the ballroom
TVBEurope gets an exclusive insight into how the Strictly Come Dancing graphics, lighting and audio teams have introduced augmented reality in this year's series.
BY JENNY PRIESTLEY, TVBEUROPE
PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 10, 2020
It may be 16 years old, but this year’s Strictly Come Dancing has been as popular as ever. Viewers have taken to social media to express their joy at the show that’s brought sparkle back to our screens, and helped lift everyone’s spirits.
It’s not been easy to bring the ballroom back in the year of the pandemic, and the production team deserve all the plaudits they’ve received for their hard work to get the show on air. But rather than sit on their laurels, Strictly’s production team have been particularly innovative by bringing augmented reality into the mix. From the racing cars in week one, to the elephant that appeared during Bill Bailey’s Quickstep, augmented reality has featured every week during the live shows.
The use of AR has been a real team effort, involving both the lighting and audio teams, as well as companies, Mo-Sys and Potion Pictures. While this year is the first time AR has been employed in the show, it’s something the team has been considering for a while...
