A unique and immersive, hybrid performance space safely connecting artist,fan and host for an intimate live music experience

The FLUX set featured real and virtual lighting, quality audio recording and XR content, all powered by disguise technology. MalfMedia Creative Director, Michael Al-Far and Director of Photography and Lighting Designer Chris Hollier both dialled in remotely for the entirety of the production process. Al-Far comments: We were working in camera tracked environments, so following a different set of rules compared to traditional 3D rendering. A certain render speed must be achieved in order for the tracking to work seamlessly. The scenes must be dynamic, so using Notch as our render engine gave us flexibility to make instant changes and anticipate any live demands from the director or artist. It also allowed us to accommodate the remote viewers in a more stylised way than a traditional video conferencing view. With the artist at the centre of the geometry, using a combination of front plate and backplate graphics and video content as an ambient or naturally reflective light source is much more effective than a green screen workflow. I am excited to shoot many more shows in this set and see what further heights we can take this to.” Hollier adds: “All pre-production was conducted remotely and this was the first time that I have ever delivered a shoot for a client or artist I had not met in person. I worked closely with Michael Al-Far to ensure that the virtual world was proportioned correctly for the camera shots I was hoping to achieve. Elements that required interaction from the artist on stage to the fans were all positioned on the LED canvas rather than in the augmented set extensions that could only be seen on camera.”