Eurovision 2021: All competing countries should submit pre-recorded ‘Live on Tape performances’ to secure their participation
EBU has made public today that the 41 competing acts must record On tape live performances in order to secure this way their participation in case they won’t be able to travel to Rotterdam.
EBU has guaranteed that the next edition of the contest will take place despite the circumstances that time and has developed four scenarios to cover all cases. Within this framework the EBU announced today that participating counties must record ‘On tape live performances’ and submit them before the competition, in order to guarantee their participatin in case the delegation won’t be able to travel to Rotterdam next May.
With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting in waves and with the environment unstable until next May the EBU in order to secure that all delegations will be able to participate in the forthcoming contest, requires from all comepting act to send in by late March a recorded On tape live performance that will be used if it’s not feasible for the delegations to travel due to restrictions or a quarantine.
The EBU stated on the matter:
All the participating broadcasters have been asked to record a live performance of their act in their own country. This recording will be delivered prior to the event and will take place in a studio setting. The recording will take place in real time (as it would be at the Contest) without making any edits to the vocals or any part of the performance itself after the recording.
Regarding the framework of the recorded On tape performances EBU explains:
The Host Broadcaster’s creative concept for the live-on-tape backup recordings is OpenUp to variety. Rather than having a strict format, the Contest will fully embrace the artistic freedom, creativity, ambition and style of each of the 41 countries.
A set of production guidelines will ensure fairness and the integrity of the Song Contest. There will be no audience present at the live-on-tape performances. The recording should be unique and remain unpublished before the event in May.
Delegations are allowed to use similar technical possibilities and dimensions that would be available on-stage in Rotterdam, but are also free to opt for a more down-scaled production setup. The live-on-tape recordings should not contain any augmented or virtual reality, overlays, confetti, drone shots, water, use of chromakey or green screen.
EBU elaborated on how fair play will be secured for all comepting acts by saying:
Normally at the Eurovision Song Contest all the artists would perform on the same stage under the same circumstances providing them all with the same opportunity to shine. For the live-on-tape recordings the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest has approved additional measures to guarantee the fairness of the competition.
Before the recording each participating broadcaster will meet with a co-ordinator from the Host Broadcasters and submit a recording session schedule, studio set up and camera plan.
The Head of Delegation must be onsite during the 60-minute recording session of the permitted three takes and, either alone or together with someone who has the appropriate mandate, make the final decision on which take is selected.
A live connection will be set up during the recording to allow the ESC Executive Supervisor and a representative from an independent voting observer (E&Y) and the Host Broadcaster to observe the recording session, to provide assistance and support, but also to ensure the integrity of the Contest.
No national final performances can be submitted but each country can record on the same set. The “live-on-tape” recordings have to be delivered by the end of March.
Hopefully, all or most artists will be able to travel to Rotterdam in May but having the live-on-tape recording ensures that their performance will be seen by millions of viewers come what may.
The next Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place on 18,20 and 22 May at Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Source: Eurovision.tv
