Io Canto (I sing) is a Canale 5 talent show. It was broadcast live at prime time during the first few months of 2010 from studio 20 at Cologno Monzese (Milan). The transmission, hosted by Gerry Scotti and directed by Roberto Cenci, was based on finding new talent, and hosted 5 to 16-year-olds who could sing well.
The winning song for each programme was chosen by the audience at home through televoting.
A qualified jury in the studio, consisting of two fixed members (Claudio Cecchetto and Katia Ricciarelli) plus other show business celebrities who changed from programme to programme, assigned an award for the best interpretation. The prize was a study holiday in the United States with David Foster, who was a guest on the programme and was able to witness the children’s talent.
The winner of the 2010 edition of Io Canto was Cristian Imparato.
The Director of Photography, Franco Fratus, used over 100 Clay Paky moving heads to illuminate the show. The special shape of the stage and studio, the alternation of transparent materials (the central part of the stage and the access stairways) and highly reflective surfaces, the large curved ledwall at the back of the studio and the two huge columns of light, all helped to create a magic atmosphere, where the “young artists” moved with a professionalism typical of the adult world.
The lighting operator, Andrea Mantovani, explained the exact location and positioning of the lights: 45 Alpha Beam 300s along the entire upper perimeter of the studio, 24 Alpha Spot HPE 700s on the circle and on the stage for the special effects, 10 Alpha Wash 1200s on the audience, 10 Alpha Spot HPE 1200s for front and backlighting the audience, and 20 Mini Scan HPE 300s under the ledwall for backlighting the performers.