Eurovision 2011 - 10/12/14 May 2011

I'm sure these aren't the final finished graphics- I can't see them having "Bosnia & Herzeg" as the name throughout the voting.

Can anyone tell me if they still do the stream of the gallery during the show as they did some years ago, and if so, where would one locate this?

I wasn't aware they did that. Was it not on the official website?

For anyone who doesn't mind be spoiled, just look at the trick Estonia had near the start of their rehearsal! I had to rewind it, I couldn't quite believe it!

I've got an EBU technical document here that confirms the broadcast will be 1080/50i.

(Also, the voting will be in 16:9 this year)

That was 2003 and was only available via the ESC website.
It was also the year of 'Tatu' and Sven the director was getting increasingly tense as the perfomance went on, devating from parrot reading the shooting script out aloud (which he was rigidly sticking to in the other songs) and directing on the fly from the monitor stack.

The threatened rebellion during the song, never happened and he could'NT wait to cue the next act postcard vt!.

It's never been done since though, which is a shame as it added a new dimension to the coverage, and both picture and sound were very clear and didn't break up once.

Re: Estonia.

Hopefully one small (and very easy to work out and perform) slight of hand trick won't stop in the viewers mindseye when voting.

That said it is a catchy little number, but the foldback speakers appear to do no favours in the arena itself.
Pity the audences ears by midnight a week on Saturday (at least mine were not pummled a great deal in Birmingham in 1998)

And here's another thing - just what is the chap walking close behind the steadycameraman actually doing?

To rework a Chris Moyles joke - has there been an increase in steadycam muggings in Dussledorf recently, so they are starting to go around in pairs?

Sorry for being stupid, but how is it done? Does it telescope from her palm like a radio antenna?

You can see something small in her hand just before it happens, the scarf must go inside the cane as it extends. I assume it'll be less visible on the main camera on the night.


As for the stedicam, I always assumed it was the equivalent of a banksman.... being the eyes of the operator making sure they don't bump into anything

They are the focus puller for the stedi-cam. Plus they're also watching to make sure he doesn't run into anything and to watch his back, but mainly they are the focus puller.

There is a small spring-loaded extentable 'cane' hidden in her hand (called 'palming' in the magic trade), which the scarf is attached to (similar to attaching the pocket clip of a pen, around the corner of a hankerchief), rapid movement of the hand, extends the cane and the scarf retracts into it.

On the night, the angle of the performance trick will be much better, as the one posted on youtube is side on, so you can see things trying to be hid out of view better than intended.

Yes. Some Steadicam operations have a focus puller, with a radio remote, running with the Steadicam operator, others have the focus puller off-stage (but with a clear view of the action so that they can judge relative distance), and in some cases I think there isn't a separate focus puller.

In the UK you don't often see the focus puller running with the steadicam on TV shows.

The first semi-final is on BBC Three tonight. Who's looking forward to it? I am.