The opening event for Edinburgh International Festival was the The Big Singalong, led by Stephen Deazley. The Phoenix Choir, the Maryhill Integration Network Joyous Choir and the Westerton Male Voice Choir and Dougie MacLean who gave us the iconic anthem, Caledonia.

Erin was commissioned to create a one hour animated pre show video programme and then multi-camera direction for the big screens cuing providing a “front row seat” for the audience by cutting the live broadcast vision mix to screen.

The motion graphics pre-show was designed and animated in After Effects utilising their thematic graphic element for 2025: The Truth We Seek - a powerful search light metaphor for putting the spotlight on arts and it’s imaginative power to reveal truth in a time of great misinformation.

This animated programme below showed the audience the upcoming August festival programme and intimate introductions to parts of the programme by Nicola Benedetti.

For the main programme I stepped into our little OB truck and my role as camera director for the big screens cuing these gorgeous visuals and providing close ups and details and general views of the choir, Dougie, graphics, lyrics to the people all around singing in the sun. A beautiful day in Princes Street Gardens and a vibrant start to the festival.

Photo: Jess Shurte