January in the Pro AV industry is alive and well. Before ISE 2026 kicks off, there were a flurry of big moves from Disguise, Daktronics, Chyron, Custom Channels, and many more.

[SCN's ISE Insiders 2026]

It was a hectic week of new hires, promotions, and partnerships. Get caught up below in your weekly Pro AV Newsmakers rundown.

People News

Analog Way Appoints Jeff Singer as Chief Marketing Officer

Analog Way appointed Jeff Singer as chief marketing officer (CMO). In this worldwide role, Singer leads Analog Way’s global marketing strategy with a strong focus on go-to-market execution, sales enablement, and ownership of the company’s product roadmap and product definition. Drawing on his extensive experience in technical product marketing and a customer-centric approach, he will also contribute to elevating the user experience across all customer touchpoints, ensuring consistent value throughout the customer journey.

With over 30 years of experience in global marketing and product launches, Singer has led go-to-market and demand generation strategies for technology-driven organizations worldwide. He previously served as executive director of global product marketing at Crestron Electronics, where he developed and led the positioning of strategic platforms across global markets.

Chyron Strengthens Support in Sports Venues

Chyron promoted Owen Seaton to VP, venue solutions. Seaton brings a wealth of expertise to the role, including both customer perspective and deep knowledge of venue display control technology. Based on input from end users and buyers as well as his own experience, Seaton contributes vital guidance to roadmaps for Chyron products.

Seaton is backed by a strong and growing team of technical, support and creative services professionals. Over the past two fiscal years, these teams of experts have consistently grown at 90% year-over-year on average.

Custom Channels Names René Arnold Senior Director of Partnerships

Custom Channels has appointed René Arnold to the position of senior director of partnerships. Arnold drives the company’s channel sales growth and deepen its integration into the commercial AV ecosystem by reaching more enterprise customers through trusted AV and IT partners.

Arnold comes to Custom Channels from audio and visual business solutions provider Rockbot, where she served as senior manager of the partner program. Prior to Rockbot, she was an account manager at AVI Systems (now Fortè). Prior to Forté, Arnold got her start in the commercial AV industry at PTG (Promotion Technology Group), where she developed a strong appreciation for the benefits of joining together music and digital signage. Arnold also credits her time there for providing her with a solid understanding of how to best support partners and their needs.

Daktronics Hires Thomas Welling to AV Channel Partner Team

Daktronics has hired Thomas Welling as an account executive in the company’s AV channel partner sales team with a focus on expanding AV market growth in the Southeastern United States. Welling began this full-time position in 2025 to proactively meet with clients to understand their project requirements and propose effective AV solutions to meet those needs.

Welling brings previous Daktronics sales internship experience and a degree in Sport and Entertainment Management to this role. This includes experience representing Daktronics at industry conferences and customer demonstrations.

OpenDrives Appoints Trevor Morgan as CEO

On the heels of investment news, OpenDrives promoted long-time chief operating officer, Trevor Morgan, to chief executive officer. Morgan has led a multi-year operational and strategic transformation of the business and brings deep experience in data management and SaaS across both early-stage companies and Fortune 500 enterprises, including Cisco and Capital One.

OpenDrives ended last week with the announcement of an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds led by IAG Capital Partners. The new capital will support OpenDrives’ continued strategic market growth as it expands its software platform across media, sports, and enterprise video production teams worldwide.

Panoptec Technologies Holding Strengthens Group Leadership

Guntermann & Drunck GmbH (G&D) made key leadership appointments at Panoptec Technologies Holding, the group uniting G&D, VuWall, and Tritec under a shared strategic and technological framework. Mark Schmidt has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO) of Panoptec Technologies Holding, and Alena Lombartová has joined the organization as chief financial officer (CFO).

Schmidt has been with VuWall since its early European expansion in 2014 and most recently served as the company’s CTO, where he played a central role in shaping its technology roadmap, security initiatives, and platform strategy. In his new role, he focuses on aligning R&D efforts across the group, leveraging synergies between engineering teams, and accelerating the execution of Panoptec’s shared innovation roadmap.

Lombartová joins Panoptec as Group CFO, bringing international experience in financial leadership, strategic planning, and operational governance within technology-driven organizations. Previously serving as CFO at Leyard Europe, she brings extensive experience and deep expertise in the AV industry to her new role.

StreamGuys Names VP of Digital Sales and Strategy and New EVP of Technology

StreamGuys appointed Dara Kalvort as VP of digital sales and strategy and promoted Eduardo Martinez to EVP of technology. Kalvort leads the company’s sales efforts for the StreamGuys Ad Network, growing digital audio revenue through relationships with agencies and brands. The move creates new revenue opportunities for publishers while giving brands access to highly targeted, premium digital audio audiences. Martinez, who spent nearly two decades at StreamGuys, previously served as VP of technology, leading R&D and helping bring many of the company’s core products to market. In his new role as EVP of Technology, he mentors and guides technical operational teams across the company.

Partnership and Events

Audinate Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Dante

2026 will mark the 20th anniversary of Dante, celebrating two decades of innovation and AV excellence that have transformed professional audio and video distribution worldwide. Originally developed to simplify the complexity of digital audio networking, Dante has grown from a bold idea into the de facto standard for AV over IP. Today, Dante is trusted by manufacturers, integrators, and end users across multiple environments, including live sound, commercial installations, education, and broadcast.

“Twenty years ago, Dante didn’t just solve a technical challenge. It redefined what was possible for AV,” said Aidan Williams, chief executive officer at Audinate. “What began as a better way to move high-quality audio reliably and easily over IP has become a platform that underpins today’s AV systems. This milestone validates our vision, the sustained collaboration of our partners, and the depth and commitment of the global Dante community.”

Dante has continuously evolved to meet the needs of a rapidly changing AV landscape. From enabling plug-and-play audio networking to expanding into video, control, and cloud-based management, Dante has ushered in an era in which AV systems are more flexible, software-driven, and network-centric than ever before.

Updates for AES Show Nashville 2026

AES Show Nashville 2026 will deliver a tightly curated three-day technical program, Friday, Oct. 30- Sunday, Nov, 1, paired with a two-day exhibition taking place Saturday and Sunday, designed to bring together audio professionals, technologists, creators, and educators for in-depth learning, discovery, and connection.

The exhibit floor will serve as a central hub for activity throughout the weekend and will feature the AES Main Stage, home to the opening ceremony, the show’s main keynote, and a dynamic schedule of interviews, insights, and appearances from industry leaders and “famous friends” across music, media, and technology.

Advanced Systems Group and Nu·Studio Announce Exclusive Partnership

Advanced Systems Group (ASG) announced an exclusive partnership with Nu·Studio, the company behind the first modular, portable studio designed for immersive audiovisual production. Under the agreement, ASG will serve as the exclusive reseller of Nu·Studio, bringing the platform to market through its global sales, installation, and service infrastructure.

Nu·Studio is a studio infrastructure designed to be adaptable as technology, standards, and workflows evolve. Built as a modular, reconfigurable acoustic control room, it allows for integrated audiovisual workflows with a portable, non-permanent framework that installs in days and can be relocated or reconfigured as needs change.

The partnership brings together Nu·Studio’s modular studio environment with ASG’s 28 years of experience in end-to-end sales, installation, training, and long-term service for media production environments worldwide.

Bergamot Asset Management Acquires 50% Stake in Augspurger and Professional Audio Design

Bergamot Asset Management has acquired a 50% stake in Augspurger and Professional Audio Design and Malekpour Design Partners. The three companies will operate under the newly created Augspurger Holdco, a new parent company created in partnership with Bergamot and Dave Malekpour, founder and president of the group.

The partnership, which was completed prior to Thanksgiving after several months of due diligence, combines Bergamot’s capital investment and operational leadership with Malekpour’s entrepreneurial vision, positioning Augspurger for new growth and operational efficiencies while maintaining its reputation for "craftsmanship, performance, and design excellence."

Disguise, ASB GlassFloor Partner

Disguise and ASB GlassFloor announced a strategic partnership that turns the arena floor into a fully customizable interactive digital surface. This will enable coaches to visualize ball tracking data as well as players’ live positions, movement speed and performance metrics right on the playing surface, allowing teams to win more matches. The technology will also enable more venues to become multi-purpose entertainment spaces by offering augmented reality (AR) floor experiences, such as interactive games, to fans and advertisers at halftime.

ASB GlassFloor’s operational system for the digital court, GLASSCOURT OS, feeds directly into Disguise’s servers. Adopting the Disguise environment means that, on top of the GLASSCOURT OS solutions, ASB GlassFloor now enables all venues to use the most state-of-the-art media servers in the industry to directly feed interactive content to the floor.

As part of the partnership, the Disguise platform will be used exclusively on all ASB Arena and Event Services floors, as well as ASB GlassFloor sports courts and activations, including the NBA All Star Weekend, FIBA Basketball Champions League Final 4 and the EuroLeague, and the company’s facility in Orlando, the ASB Athletes Lab. Developed in collaboration with the NBA, the Athletes Lab will be used to showcase the technology and allow teams and clients to see the immersive sports solution in action, as well as acting as a testing ground for future innovation. Disguise and ASB GlassFloor will also provide three full-sized, portable event rental basketball courts that will see usage at marquee sports events across the United States and Europe this year.

Playback Distribution Announces New Distribution Partnership with Vicoustic for U.S. and Canada

Playback Distribution was appointed U.S. and Canadian distributor of Vicoustic. The partnership is poised to strengthen Vicoustic’s presence in North America by targeting key growth opportunities in the Hi-Fi, residential custom integration, and pro audio markets, and uplevel the customer experience by streamlining the process from project design to fulfillment.

Founded in 2007 in Portugal, where every product is designed and manufactured to this day, Vicoustic is known for high-performance acoustic treatment that blend technical rigor with sustainable and stunning design. The company has maintained a strong presence in North America for over a decade, delivering acoustic solutions that span professional audio, hi-fi and home cinema, residential CI, and more.

“The SoundTube Showdown” Training Experience Scheduled in Kansas City

SoundTube Entertainment is hosting The SoundTube Showdown, a two-day immersive training event taking place Feb. 18–20, 2026, in the Kansas City area. Designed to move beyond the traditional classroom seminar, the SoundTube Showdown blends in-depth technical training, certification credits, and high-value networking into a dynamic, game-inspired experience where every participant walks away a winner.

The event builds on SoundTube’s Tubey Training program, named for the brand’s squeeze-ball mascot, Tubey, and transforms it into a competitive, high-energy learning environment focused on real-world AV solutions and system design.

Pro AV Around the World

LEA Professional’s commercial audio technology catalog is set to reach more Australian customers in 2026 through a new distribution partnership with Jands, one of Australia’s leading AV distributors. The Jands team has been providing technology solutions to its customers since 1970. Thanks to Generation AV, LEA Professional’s APAC manufacturer’s representative and authorized sales partner, Jands, and LEA Professional, the partnership came together.

Meet Sarah Cox, a mastermind in the "experience economy." Currently the chief commercial officer at Stage Precision, Cox is also the founder of Neutral Human—and while she loves to immerse herself in technology, she is driven by helping move creative storytelling forward.

Young Sarah Cox was always a tinkerer. With a neurodivergent brain, she had to learn through figuring out the puzzle of all things. "I think that's what drew me to technology," she said. "To try and pick it apart, put it back together, and make something so I understood the process."

Cox grew up loving to sing, so she never shied from the stage and spotlight. As she moved up the high school ladder, something else grabbed her attention: lights.

"There was a guy up in the booth and he was playing with the lights," Cox recollected. "I went up to have a look and it was literally love at first sight. He was pressing these buttons on this little board and color changing the school stage. I was just drawn to the power that this guy had with this little tech board."

Those lights led Cox, who enjoyed DJing in her spare time (she had a regular gig on New Year's Eve at the Comedy Store for years), to the world of video at the inflection point of 2D video playback. Then, she was off to Disguise, immediately immersing herself in the 3D and real-time visual experiences aspect of the industry.

It was an old co-founder of Disguise, then D3, that created the spark that led to Neutral Human. Cox had done so much for D3/Disguise when it was a startup, her old colleague said she should do the same for other startups.

"I left with a little seed in the back of my head," Cox said. "There are a lot of technologies out there that come out of creative applications that are made by artists and creative technologists, made by people who don't have any productization experience. They don't know how to get connected to users. They don't know if it's any good. But they're sitting on something that's absolute dynamite."

Through Neutral Human, Cox helps artists and tech creatives find the missing links in workflow gaps, find the right people for them to talk to, and explore commercial routes where they move their technologies forward. That's what led her to Stage Precision, one of her early clients with Neutral Human.

“There’s a massive gap in our experiential future,” Cox explained. “We've done audio, we've done lighting, we went into media, we went into advanced media, we went into real-time generative content. That is literally the career path that I followed. Now, we’re into this next gap, which is data and management of 3D data and spatial intelligence. How can we use technology and tie it all together to create truly interactive spatial experiences?"

Though she has yet to be inside the Vegas Sphere, there was a eureka moment for her: ABBA Voyage, the virtual concert residency in London. "Immersive viewing is here and it’s a shared experience,” she noted. “I felt a defining moment for shared immersive entertainment happening in that digital theater experience, a format that we will see more and more.”

Cox's journey is far from over, and that's mainly because she will keep tinkering. "Keep being curious," Cox advised. "We get to something truly innovative by playfulness. I know so many artists create their greatest work in the moment when they're just playing and tinkering and something really beautiful and extraordinary comes out of that playful moment. I want to think about what comes next in a way that is different to what has been done before.”

For decades, stadiums operated on a traditional, seasonal model. Their primary purpose was to support live sports, with limited secondary programming and minimal fan-facing technology. Today, this paradigm has changed. Venues such as the Sphere have redefined audience expectations for immersive entertainment, prompting a global shift toward stadiums as year-round, multi-purpose destinations.

Sports fans now expect the same level of quality and immersion found in premium concert venues and broadcast environments, regardless of where they are seated. Stadium operators are responding with large-format LED displays, advanced content ecosystems, and entirely new experiential revenue models. Communities are also benefiting from the transformation of previously dormant venues into vibrant entertainment districts that help drive local economic activity.

After structuring technology and marketing partnerships with more than 50 stadiums throughout my career—and working for brands such as Disney, ESPN, and now Disguise—I believe the trajectory of the market is unmistakable: The future of stadium AV lies in scale, flexibility, monetization, and personalization. The following five trends illustrate how the next evolution of sports venue technology will take shape in 2026.

1) The experience will begin before the entry gate.

The game day journey increasingly starts well before fans find their seats. Lengthy queues and congested concourses diminish perceived value, particularly as ticket prices rise. Therefore, stadium districts are expanding with mixed use amenities that encourage fans to arrive earlier and remain engaged long after the final buzzer.

What comes next is the extension of digital storytelling into the exterior architecture itself. Large-format outdoor LEDs, façade displays, and plaza activations will support elevated pre-game content, sponsor takeovers, and community watch parties. These assets not only improve the fan experience, but they also create new premium inventory for advertising and partnerships.

2) Large-scale visual environments will redefine immersion.

Venue operators are adopting increasingly ambitious visual canvases both inside and outside the bowl. Advances in real-time rendering and content distribution are enabling scoreboards and ribbon boards to scale to unprecedented dimensions while maintaining broadcast-quality resolution.

Stadiums are also integrating alternative display technologies. Projection mapping has matured into a reliable, turnkey method for transforming the field of play into a dynamic storytelling platform. Whether used for player introductions, real-time analytics, or brand activations, these floor-based visual layers contribute to atmosphere while generating new commercial opportunities during downtime.

3) Gamification and AR will deepen engagement and revenue.

Interactive content is rapidly shifting from a novelty to a strategic engagement tool. Integrated controls at seating positions, second-screen participation, and real-time fan competitions ensure spectators remain active contributors rather than passive viewers.

Gamification offers measurable commercial upside. Premium branded experiences tied to gameplay and audience interaction can generate significant incremental revenue while improving dwell time. Augmented reality overlays, contextual statistics, and automated content that reacts to live moments will elevate the entertainment value for every fan, whether they are avid followers of the sport or simply attending for the spectacle.

4) Broadcast-grade reliability will become a core requirement.

The convergence of live entertainment, broadcast workflows, and real-time data is driving heightened expectations for infrastructure reliability. In 2026, venues will continue to deploy scalable media servers, redundant playback paths, and centralized control systems to ensure uninterrupted performance across increasingly complex visual networks.

Operators managing staged modernization programs will leverage technologies such as projection mapping or portable LED assets to extend the life of existing systems. These modular upgrades broaden revenue-generating inventory without requiring full structural retrofits.

5) Personalization will transition from concept to implementation.

A new frontier is emerging where every fan could receive a tailored blend of entertainment, information, and game-specific context. This vision is accelerating through advancements in AI, sensor-driven content automation, and synchronized playback across distributed displays.

While fully individualized in-venue media remains aspirational, stadiums are beginning to deploy dynamic content pipelines that adjust to audience behavior, premium tiering, and real-time moments in the game. The result will be highly differentiated experiences that enhance loyalty and convert occasional attendees into repeat guests.

[NHL Champion Florida Panthers Invest in Immersive Fan Experience at Amerant Bank Arena]

The main takeaway from all this: Stadiums are becoming media platforms. The stadium of 2026 will serve as a high-capacity, data-aware media ecosystem delivering immersive storytelling at scale.

Operators investing in flexible AV infrastructure and future-proof content workflows will unlock substantial incremental revenue across sponsorship, premium hospitality, and non-event programming. The opportunity for innovation is significant, and the transformation is already underway.

Disguise has unveiled its GX 3+. Built on NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPU architecture and including a two-year Notch playback license, the GX 3+ unlocks the full capabilities of Notch 1.0 for generative content playback—enabling video designers to create richer, more sophisticated and responsive event visuals that bring their vision to life without compromise.

[Want to Drive F1? Disguise Can Make That Happen... Kind Of]

With exceptional generative graphics power and a 175% increase in Notchmarks, the GX 3+ will enable content teams, show designers, and programmers to playback Notch blocks with their intended resolution, color fidelity and frame rate, allowing them to realize the full potential of their creative vision. Creators can unlock powerful features in Notch 1.0—from advanced ray tracing and real-time global illumination to complex geometry, physics simulations and seamless multi-machine rendering—pioneering new visions for the future of live events and immersive experiences, and drawing audiences further into the performance.

The expansion to 96GB of VRAM in the NVIDIA Blackwell GPU eliminates memory bottlenecks that have historically constrained high-resolution productions. Combined with Notch 1.0's new sparse multi-grid solver, this enables vastly more detailed real-time particle systems and fluid simulations to be brought to life.

The GX 3+ also empowers users to up the complexity of their visuals, with the power to render 40% more video layers on Designer projects at 4K DCI 30fps when compared to the GX 3—meaning users can quickly build more intricate looks for their shows before compositing them in real-time on the Designer timeline. This will result in richer, more cinematic content for the audience, as well as the ability to exercise greater content control on a layer-by-layer basis directly in Designer, ultimately saving valuable production time while maximizing visual impact.

“Our GX range has already powered everything from Adele’s Guinness world record-breaking Munich residency, to Coldplay’s multi-year Music Of The Spheres tour,” said Disguise’s Tom Rockhill, chief operating officer. “With the GX 3+, we are introducing a fundamental shift with the NVIDIA Blackwell GPU that will enable creative teams to expand their horizons and redefine what’s possible when it comes to live entertainment visuals. Whatever your vision, with the GX 3+ you’ll have all the power needed to go from screen to stage without compromise. The only limit is your imagination.”

To help users experience the full impact of Notch 1.0 from the get-go, the GX 3+ will come with a selection of ready-to-use Notch Blocks created by Disguise’s Creative Services team. These visuals will showcase the latest Notch capabilities, including elevated lighting fidelity and complex particle systems.

“Notch 1.0 represents three years of forward-thinking development, built with next-generation GPU architecture in mind. Its state-of-the-art NURA rendering system brings new levels of rendering fidelity alongside vastly improved scales,” said Luke Malcolm, co-founder and COO at Notch. “The convergence of the GX 3+ and Notch 1.0 creates a pivotal moment where creative possibilities leap ahead of current industry standards. Coupled with Disguise’s full ecosystem and 20+ year heritage in driving the biggest live events and experiences in the world, this will give users the opportunity to explore the full creative potential of Notch’s new tools using an established workflow, and step into the future of generative content.”

Disguise is helping put you in the driver's seat in a new, immersive racing venue. F1 Arcade—the world’s first official experiential hospitality brand dedicated to Formula 1—and Disguise deliver F1 Box, a thrilling new racing simulator experience in Westfield Stratford City shopping center.

[Inspiration for Immersive Experiences in Three Environments]

Designed to fully immerse fans in the authentic feel of a real Formula 1 race, F1 Box includes 12 full-motion racing simulators complete with audiovisual commentary and 4K screens for gameplay. Powered by and controlled through Disguise, an LED wall and reactive LED lighting on the racing simulators and floor-to-ceiling arches add a dramatic edge to the racing showdown, where players can compete in two twenty-minute, back-to-back races before celebrating wins with real-time leaderboard content developed by Disguise.

“In today’s world, experience is everything, and audiences are looking for activations that offer full immersion from all angles,” said Alexandra Coulson, VP of marketing at Disguise. “With perfectly synced LED visuals, dramatic lighting and thundering audio, F1 Box puts visitors at the heart of the action, making them really feel like they are right there on the track. Disguise is the perfect solution for anyone looking to bring next-gen immersive experiences to life for fans, and we’re thrilled to have worked with F1 Box on this exciting new format.”

To bring the experience to life, Disguise's technical services team began by using the 3D visualizer in Disguise’s Designer software to create a real-time, pixel-accurate representation of the entire space, including visuals, lighting, leaderboard and simulators. This visualization was sent directly to F1 Box stakeholders for approval, saving days by streamlining the process and ensuring the creative vision was met in pre-production. Quick changes could then be implemented in Designer before the team even arrived on site, helping to reduce the production timeline even further.

Once on site, the Disguise team programmed the entire space, with synchronized LED visuals, atmospheric lighting and immersive audio all coming together in one multisensory hit thanks to Disguise’s video output, lighting and API controls, and DMX mapping—which linked the LED wall, arches and simulator lighting in perfect unison. This elevated F1® Box so that, unlike traditional arcade simulators, the experience expanded to fill an entire room. Anyone entering the space would be surrounded by everything from LEDs across the back wall to wraparound lights and more, with key moments including strobe lighting pulsing to the sound of a heartbeat and a nail-biting starting grid countdown to further the immersion.

To fulfil F1 Arcade’s vision and bring the competition to life, Disguise’s creative services team leveraged Designer’s data integration in Notch to pull racing data directly from the simulators in real-time. This resulted in a dynamic leaderboard that displays instant results with each competitor's name and finish time on various LED displays as soon as races are completed.

Designed to support immersive activations looking for an accessible way to utilize the capabilities of Designer and achieve pixel-perfect playback, a Disguise EX 3+ media server powers the space, including the leaderboard. This offers full content flexibility and reliability to ensure that the lighting, audio and visual elements are flawlessly synced 11 hours a day, seven days a week.

“When you’re simulating an experience as iconic as a Formula 1 grand prix, every detail matters,” said Adam Breeden, CEO at F1 Arcade. “That’s why we’re so excited to collaborate with Disguise’s team. Using their software and hardware, we could streamline our workflow to create a perfectly detailed, synchronized immersive experience that allows anyone to step into the shoes of an F1 driver.”

Disguise unveiled X1, the portable version of its Designer software. X1 lets creators run 4K visuals directly from their own laptop or hardware—no proprietary media servers required. It’s the first time Disguise’s powerful production engine has been made available in a flexible, software-only format, giving production teams total freedom to design, map and deliver wherever their vision takes them.

[Meptik Is Ready to Rumble]

Developed for professionals delivering small-to-medium live events including concerts, theatre productions and corporate brand experiences, X1 works by providing users with convenient, on-the-go access to the same, trusted software used to pre-visualize, sequence, and control headline shows across the globe.

“In order to support the world’s biggest shows and installations, we have high-performance media servers powerful enough to seamlessly run visuals on LED walls over 43,00 feet (4,000 square meters) in size,” explained chief product and technology officer at Disguise, Raed Al Tikriti. “But not everyone needs all that power—or has the space or budget for it. That’s why we decided to create X1. With X1, for the first time, anyone can harness the same powerful Designer tools used on the world’s biggest productions, all in a portable format that’s easier and more cost-effective to bring on tour or support smaller productions.”

X1 users will be able to plug their license key into their laptop to instantly access the latest version of Designer. Show visuals can then be imported into Designer from any real-time graphics tool, including Notch, Unreal Engine, TouchDesigner, Unity and more, thanks to Disguise’s RenderStream protocol.

To help users hit the ground running, X1 includes a ready-to-use and ever-expanding content pack, featuring high-impact Notch and TouchDesigner effects — from pulsing DJ-style visuals to beautifully crafted motion looks, all created in-house by Disguise’s Creative Services team. Each look will also be rendered as a high-quality video ready for seamless playback and looping, giving users maximum flexibility to elevate every show, however they choose to deliver their content.

X1 also enables users to preview the content on a 3D mini-replica of their stage or environment. Users will also benefit from the Designer timeline, a beloved feature that enables users to schedule and edit all the visuals needed to run their show or experience live. They'll also be able to rely on Disguise’s critical redundancy features, with built-in 1:1 failover for added security.

“Having this new solution doesn’t totally eliminate the need for server-run shows," said Kate Freer, projection designer on Festival Napa Valley. "There will always be larger productions that require more power. But it makes show control so much more accessible, and being able to use X1 in a festival scenario like this has been a dream.”

Disguise, which helps drive visuals for Broadway and West End hits including Redwood, Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Disney’s Frozen, is now powering the LED backdrop and stage projections for Disney’s Hercules, the new West End musical.

[SCN Insider: The Cameras Used on Disney's Upcoming Christmas Special]

“Hercules is a fun film to adapt to the stage as it’s all based on ancient Greek mythology”, explained video designer George C. Reeve, who had previously collaborated with Disney Theatrical Groups on their production of Tarzan in Germany.

“That meant we needed to convincingly create a theatrical and mythological world for our characters to exist within," he continued. "Ultimately, after many ideas and concept artworks, we decided to create this world by using mosaics. This style of art was used heavily by the ancient Greeks to reflect and depict stories of the gods and other heroic figures many years ago. We created a workflow that meant we could quickly and efficiently create a piece of mosaic content and deliver it to the stage in real time. This allowed us the flexibility to bring the mosaics to life and have them effortlessly shapeshift on stage, transporting the audience to locations like Mount Olympus, the Underworld, and Earth within seconds.”

To achieve this, Reeve collaborated with a team that included video system designer Mogzi, associate video designer Kevin Buysse, and animator Gustaf Lindström. Together, they used Disguise’s Designer software, six OmniCal cameras, and five Disguise EX 3+ media servers to create and display the show’s visuals. The audience is then able to see these visuals on a 928-tile ROE LED backdrop, floor projections, and projections on an intricate set of rotating pillars in the foreground. Together, these LED and projected visuals extended the physical set, inviting audiences into Mount Olympus and the mystical worlds of the show.

Bringing a Classic to the Stage

Reeve spent the next three months working on the Hercules visuals, collaborating with the show’s animators to create the base content for the show. “A big challenge we faced was how to create the world of mosaics, being able to manipulate them and create them quickly in tech, whilst delivering the final looks which were desired,” Reeve says. “Using a workflow in Unreal Engine and Substance, we were able to create assets made from the mosaics, light them in the 3D world, and then pass these assets back through the After Effects pipeline and render for Disguise playback.”

Next came the production period, where the final look was composited directly in Designer. Designer’s new Colored Layers feature was used to help the team easily differentiate between 24 different composite layers involved in the show visuals, enabling them to easily identify what would be projected and what would be displayed on the LED screen.

Once all the show visuals were ready, they were then exported to five EX 3+ media servers set up in a director/actor/understudy configuration, which would allow the understudy to completely take over from the director or actor in case of failure. The servers then connected directly to a Lightware MX2 Matrix, and then onward to Brompton Tessera for processing and Lightware OPTJ fibre kits for video transmission. Finally, the output was sent to two Panasonic PT-RQ35K projectors, four Epson PQ2220b projectors and the ROE BP3 LED stage for the backdrop.

As a result, the audience is able to seamlessly travel from the Underworld to the Earth above with ease, following Hercules's journey with a true sense of magical possibility.

It was a big week for the company formerly known as AVI Systems. At its Global Sales Summit in Dallas, the company ushered in a new era by rebranding to FORTÉ. We had the first interview with CEO Jeff Stoebner on what was behind the name and new logo. If you missed that, you can get caught up here.

Shortly after the official change, the company announced strategic investments in System Video, based in Dublin, Ireland, and GMS, located near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The acquisition of these two audiovisual integration businesses, strengthens FORTÉ’s global presence and advances the company’s effort in transforming the modern workplace.

System Video, a provider of audiovisual and unified communication solutions, has built its reputation delivering workplace technology for multinational organizations. GMS specializes in AV integration, managed services, and smart workspace solutions, supporting some of the world’s largest corporations.

FORTÉ didn't make all the headlines though. Let's get you caught up with everything else you may have missed.

People News

AC Americas Announces Natasha Royal as Vice President of Finance

A.C. Americas welcomed Natasha Royal as VP of finance, bringing extensive experience in driving profitable growth, leading strategic initiatives, and building FP&A processes.

Royal will oversee financial planning, reporting, and risk management, ensuring the organization's long-term fiscal health and financial performance. Her responsibilities include developing and analyzing statistical and accounting information, establishing major economic objectives and policies, and directing financial and budget activities to maximize investments and increase efficiency. She also plays a crucial role in evaluating and developing her team, fostering strong partnerships with other departments.

B-Tech AV Mounts Appoint Nam Le as General Manager North America

B-Tech AV Mounts has added Nam Le to its team as the new general manager for North America. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Le oversees operations across the U.S., supporting both the internal sales team as well as B-Tech’s new and existing customers.

Le brings with him many years of experience in the AV industry, having held national and regional sales manager positions at leading companies such as ZeeVee, QSC, Crestron, and Extron. His extensive AV background makes him well-equipped to drive sales growth and lead a passionate, knowledgeable team to expand B-Tech’s presence in the market.

Nam now guides and supports the current sales team in broadening relationships and seizing new opportunities to fuel growth in the U.S. market.

Daktronics Announces Jeremy Johnson as VP of Commercial, High School, Parks and Recreation

Daktronics has appointed Jeremy Johnson as VP of commercial, and high school, parks and recreation markets.

Johnson brings deep expertise to his new role, based on his 30 years of experience at Daktronics across multiple sales and marketing responsibilities. In his most recent position as business development manager, Johnson was responsible for market management oversight for commercial, including out of home and on-premise, as well as high school, parks and recreation.

Disguise Appoints Jake Stone as New SVP of Commercial

Disguise has appointed Jake Stone as its SVP of commercial. In this role, Stone leads the global sales and business development teams as they meet increased demand for Disguise’s offering, which drives location-based experiences like Top of the Rock in New York City and live concert visuals for artists like Adele, as well as providing virtual production services for films like “A Minecraft Movie.”

A Forbes '30 Under 30' honoree, Stone most recently served as co-founder and chief revenue officer at CHEQ, where he led the company to 10 times year-over-year revenue growth before its acquisition by Cantaloupe. Prior to that, he was chief revenue officer at Independent Sports & Entertainment, where he launched the Properties division and secured over $35 million in new business. Stone has also held leadership roles at Disney and ESPN Media Networks, as well as Infront Sports & Media and has negotiated over $2 billion in partnerships across enterprise technology and content licensing.

Stone’s experience enables Disguise to push the envelope even further in the spheres of live events and shows, virtual production and broadcast, as well as location-based experiences and themed entertainment.

Yvonne Ho becomes President of PAMA Board of Directors

Yvonne Ho has become president of The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA)’s Board of Directors for a two-year term. Ho succeeds Chris Regan (RF Venue) in the role, while Regan remains on the board as a director.

Ho is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Point Source Audio, a manufacturer of innovative professional miniature microphones and audio headsets that have been used on premier stages across the globe, including on Broadway and in other top-tier theatrical and live sound productions. Its commitment to quality and innovation has earned the company a reputation as a trusted partner for sound engineers and professionals in the entertainment industry.

Earlier in her career, she worked for an assistive hearing device manufacturer, Phonic Ear, where she uncovered a passion for both helping those coping with hearing impairment, and participating in advocacy and outreach on the topic of hearing loss. This era planted a seed of interest that she now nurtures at Point Source Audio, where she is able to merge the business of audio and her desire to help people.

VTG Announces Greg Yarrington as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology

Virtual Technologies Group appointed Greg Yarrington as chief operating officer and EVP of technology. Yarrington oversees day-to-day operations and scales the firm’s technology and operational capabilities on a national level.

Yarrington brings over a decade of experience in operations and technical innovation within the managed IT services, cloud, cybersecurity, and technology sectors. He recently served as COO at ECI, where he led a team of more than 550 people to stabilize the firm’s workforce and expand its operations into global markets.

Company News

New ADI | Snap One Store in Omaha Hosted Grand Opening Celebration

ADI | Snap One celebrated the grand opening of its new store in Omaha, NE by showcasing product offerings from the combined business for the first time under one roof. Sponsored by Episode and Samsung, the event took place on Thursday, April 10 and gave attendees an exclusive chance to meet the store team, explore the new store design concept, spend time with suppliers, and take advantage of the expanded inventory and combined assortment of ADI and Snap One exclusive brands. 

ADI and Snap One teams worked together to develop the new, modern store design, which blends a retail storefront with its warehouse, featuring products across key categories including security, networking, AV, smart home, fire safety, and more. The Omaha location replaces the previous ADI store, offering Snap One customers a convenient shopping option that wasn’t available before. 

Additional store highlights include a 15,000+ square foot space, 2.5 times larger than the previous Omaha location, an expanded product assortment featuring 500+ Snap One SKUs, increased inventory and new brands introduced to legacy ADI and Snap One customers, including more than 100 consumer TVs from top brands, a 24-hour pick up room, customer reward benefits, a dedicated training space for in-store and virtual sessions, as well as a customer coffee and comfort hub.

DMF Lighting Expands Partnership with VITAL

DMF Lighting expanded its partnership with business advisory firm VITAL, reinforcing its commitment to dealer success through a robust offering of complimentary resources and training in 2025.

Building on the success of its VITAL Affiliate Membership program, DMF Lighting is introducing a new suite of exclusive benefits designed to elevate dealer performance, sharpen sales strategies, and drive business growth. The 2025 program includes access to workshops, a one-on-one business advisory session, and a comprehensive, downloadable Sales Mastery Tool-Kit—all offered at no cost to DMF dealers.

LG Teams Up with Mercedes-Benz Stadium 

Joining forces to enhance and extend in-stadium fan experiences in exciting new ways, LG Electronics USA and Mercedes-Benz Stadium announced a multi-year partnership.

[Boston Red Sox Get Monster Display Upgrade with LG]

As part of this new relationship, LG is providing hundreds of new LG DVLED and LCD displays for installation throughout the venue, led by a robust 98-screen pitch LED ribbon-board, that provides a vivid, field level backdrop for all Atlanta United Home matches, LG’s first such implementation in the United States.

As part of an ongoing stadium-wide display technology refresh ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup, LG LED displays are now being installed across multiple areas of the venue, including the Gallagher Club and Lounge at Molly B’s, concourse areas, clubs and the most unique being the field level pitch boards used for soccer matches.

NETGEAR Revalidates Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Certification

NETGEAR has successfully revalidated its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) certification by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (DHS-CBP). This voluntary certification, which is granted to less than 5% of importers, is renewed every four years. Earning it again is a testament to NETGEAR’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding its supply chain and meeting the highest security standards.

The revalidation process involves an exhaustive inspection of the company’s entire supply chain network, requiring NETGEAR to demonstrate compliance with rigorous security protocols. NETGEAR’s recertification shows the company has successfully addressed a wide range of security concerns and implemented security measures that align with global best practices. This achievement underscores the company's dedication to collaborating with DHS-CBP to reduce vulnerabilities and improve security within its operations.

tvONE Adds Plug-In Integration for Q-SYS

tvONE unveiled its new Q-SYS plug-in integration for CALICO PRO video processors. As a contributor to the Q-SYS Ecosystem, tvONE collaborated with Q-SYS to create a market-ready control solution that integrates seamlessly into Q-SYS, a cloud-manageable audio, video, and control Platform.

tvONE specializes in video, audio, and multimedia processing equipment. tvONE's CALICO PRO guarantees delivery of the highest quality 4K60, 10-bit and HDR video no matter the aspect ratio, resolution or color space.

Lawo, developer of the RAVENNA audio-over-IP technology, welcomed Sound on Digital as the latest partner to the RAVENNA community. Headquartered in The Netherlands, Sound on Digital specializes in the development of software solutions for the professional audio market.

Sound on Digital’s most recent product is RAVENNAKIT— a cross-platform SDK designed to simplify and accelerate the integration of RAVENNA audio networking into third-party software products. RAVENNAKIT delivers a complete solution for OEMs and developers, offering low-latency audio transport, precise synchronization, and broad platform compatibility — including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Pro AV Around the World

1 SOUND has partnered with 7Hertz to bring 1 SOUND to the GCC, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Lebanon.

Lawo, developer of the RAVENNA audio-over-IP technology, welcomed Sound on Digital as the latest partner to the RAVENNA community. Headquartered in The Netherlands, Sound on Digital specializes in the development of software solutions for the professional audio market.Sound on Digital’s most recent product is RAVENNAKIT— a cross-platform SDK designed to simplify and accelerate the integration of RAVENNA audio networking into third-party software products

It's the last day of NAB Show 2025. There's still time for some booth visits, so get caught up on what you may have missed and then take a look at Panasonic, Ross Video, Audio-Technica, Disguise,

3/31—NAB Show 2025 Notebook: 5 Booths to Add to Your Must-See List

4/2—NAB Show 2025 Notebook: Make Sure You Visit These 5 Booths in Las Vegas

4/4—NAB Show 2025 Product Watch: Why You Need to Visit Sony, Christie, Audinate, Miri Technologies, and ENCO

4/6—NAB Show 2025 Product Watch: LEDs, Cameras, and Sports Enhancements, Oh My!

Audio-Technica Exhibits Its Range of Broadcast Audio Solutions

Audio-Technica is exhibiting a wide range of solutions for the broadcast market booth N1631. First is the BP3600 Immersive Audio Microphone, a premium broadcast audio tool capable of capturing stable, three-dimensional sound beds at sporting events, concerts, festivals, movie sets, and more. The microphone has eight compact capsule assemblies with excellent high-frequency characteristics integrated into the body while remaining compact and lightweight enough for single-operator usability and easy setup.

A-T’s wide range of dedicated broadcast microphones will also be showcased. Prominently featured are the BP28 14-inch (355.6 mm) and BP28L 22.4-inch (569 mm) Line + Gradient Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones. These microphones combine a large-diaphragm condenser element with a 28 mm diameter shotgun design for exceptional low-noise performance.

Also featured at the booth is the new AT-UMX3 Livestreaming USB Audio Mixer, a compact, feature-rich desktop audio mixer equipped with all the functions needed for livestreaming. Even first-time users will find the plug-and-play AT-UMX3 easy to operate, with no need to think about equipment settings or install any special drivers. And don't forget A-T’s range of headphones – many designed with the recording studio in mind but equally at home in broadcast situations. On display are models from A-T’s M-Series and open-back R-Series: ATH-M30x, ATH-M50x and ATH-M60xa Professional Monitor Headphones; alongside ATH-R50x and ATH-R70xa Professional Open-Back Reference Headphones. Broadcast headsets (including boom mic) on display include the BPHS1, BPHS2S (single-ear), BPHS2a and BPHS2C models.

Blackmagic Design Unveils New Blackmagic 2110 IP UpDownCross 12G

Visitors to booth SL216 will get to see the new Blackmagic 2110 IP UpDownCross 12G. The new standards converter for live production and broadcast lets users convert between any SD, HD or Ultra HD video format via 12G-SDI, HDMI, and SMPTE-2110 IP video connections. This new converter has a rack mount design with a front panel LCD for video and audio monitoring plus menus.

The Blackmagic 2110 IP Converters have been designed to integrate SDI equipment into 2110 IP broadcast systems. The rack mount models can be installed in equipment racks right next to the equipment users are converting. Adding converters means customers get a low cost way to transform all their video equipment to SMPTE-2110. Simply add a Blackmagic 2110 IP Converter to live production switchers, disk recorders, streaming processors, cameras, TVs and more.

Disguise to Showcase Immersive Sports Programming Technologies

Disguise is showcasing the latest trends and technologies enhancing visual experiences for this year’s NAB Show.
Any broadcaster, sports franchise, or filmmaker who wants to captivate audiences using virtual production, extended reality, augmented reality and more can see demos of Disguise technology across partner booths at the show.

Visitors who want to see Disguise’s technology for themselves can visit the following partner booths:

• B&H Booth N2427—Head over to B&H’s booth to see an immersive sports broadcast setup in action and gain hands-on demos of the Disguise platform.
• Planar Booth N2629—Delivered in partnership with 4Wall, here you’ll be able to see a broadcast setup equipped with VX 4+ and RX III for scalable real-time rendering and high-FPS frame-remapping.
• ROE Visual Booth N2839—The Disguise VX range has been chosen to power ROE’s entire product showcase, including the new Denali 0.7 Micro LED In Package display.

Panasonic Connect Explore Latest Trends Shaping Broadcast Technology

Panasonic Connect came to Las Vegas enabling attendees to explore the latest trends shaping broadcast technology, including the upgrades necessary to future-proof production workflows and drive the future of visual storytelling. At booth N1311, visitors will see:

• The AG-CX20 4K Professional Camcorder: A lightweight 4K 60p 10-bit camcorder that enables production crews to meet growing broadcast and distribution needs across broadcast, sports, and house of worship environments. Its compact chassis design gives users superior mobility and portability for quick setup in various environments.
• The AK-UCX100 4K studio camera. The camera supports everything from simple studio applications to IP-based live production. The latest addition to Panasonic Connect’s line of studio cameras, the AK-UCX100 gives operators the flexibility to create unique, engaging content while streamlining operations.
• The AW-UB50 and AW-UB10 4K multi-purpose cameras are compact box-style cameras equipped with large-format sensors to meet the demands of broadcast and live entertainment with exceptional image quality that capture impressive detail.
• The KAIROS Live Production Platform combines the creative control of a production switcher with the flexibility of a screen management system to simultaneously output multiple unique versions of a broadcast or streaming production. In January 2025, Panasonic Connect announced new software, Version 1.8, which includes Multiple Core Controle features, integration with graphics platforms Singular.live and Viz Flowics, and support for more diverse resolutions such as 16:10 and 5:4.

Ross Video Celebrates New Solutions, 33 Years of Growth

Ross Video unveiled a host of new solutions and improvements to its offerings, highlighted many successful deployments, celebrated 33 straight years of growth and entertained the audience with some fun spoofs on Area 51 and Ross Socks, which are now in their ninth iteration.

In what has become a tradition, Ross’s chairman and CEO, David Ross, began by discussing company results for the last year, reporting: “I’m proud to share that 2024 was our best year ever. Thanks to team Ross, we achieved 33 consecutive years of orders growth and yet again, we’re twice as big as we were just five years ago [in 2019].”

During its keynote, Ross demoed a number of products, including Carbonite HyperMax, XPression, Ultrix, Media I/O, OverDrive and RPM openGear UI and the work of its Rocket Surgery design operation, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Solutions relating to cloud-based production, graphics, motion graphics, weather, robotics, switchers, newsrooms, augmented/virtual reality and other products were also demoed and used in the lavish keynote production.

The company also rolled out the ninth interaction of Ross socks, using its graphics and virtual reality technologies to depict an Area 51-style landing of a UFO. Several executives dressed as “Men in Black” modeled the socks. David Ross declined to say if the new socks are made of extraterrestrial materials. The socks and other Ross solutions are on display at SL206.

Copyright 2025 NAB

Disguise has invested in a new LeaderPhabrix LPX500 and multiple PHABRIX QxP, QxL, Qx and SxE T&M solutions from test and measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe. The new equipment will be used to validate the video outputs of Disguise’s hardware products, as well as supporting the development and operation of automated test suites, with regard to the SMPTE SDI and ST 2110 IP standards.

The need to test and ensure the compliance of a variety of Disguise hardware products against the SMPTE SDI and ST 2110 IP standards was the primary impetus for the purchase of a new LeaderPhabrix LPX500 waveform monitor. A four simultaneous input Waveform Monitor with 100G-IP and 12G-SDI toolsets, the LPX500 is the first in a significant new family of video analysis and generation instruments under the new ‘LeaderPhabrix’ brand. Supporting four fully independent analyzers, the LPX500 enables the simultaneous display and monitoring of four IP/SDI, HD/UHD and/or SDR/HDR video source inputs. Disguise’s LPX500 also has added support for UHD and 4K HFR (High Frame Rate) extended video formats in ST 2110.

[Leader Brings Clarity to NDI Troubleshooting]

Within R&D, alongside its new LPX500 waveform monitor, Disguise now has multiple PHABRIX units, including a QxP portable waveform monitor and QxL rasterizers for 25G IP ST 2110 analysis, Qx rasterizers for hybrid IP/SDI analysis, as well as several SxE portable 3G/HD/SD generation, analysis and monitoring devices. In addition, its manufacturing team uses several Qx devices in service centers and on production lines.

“We use PHABRIX products extensively throughout our R&D and manufacturing teams," said Disguise senior embedded software engineer Jack Cripps. "Notably the QxL sits at the heart of our network rack and has been used to benchmark and test our IP Video Format Conversion (IP-VFC) 12G-SDI and ST2110 cards throughout the development process. Our QA team also performs hardware-in-the-loop testing on some of our VFC and capture cards using the Qx range analysis and generator tools along with the API to verify that our inputs and outputs conform to industry standards across a huge range of formats and scenarios."

In addition, the PHABRIX units have made it possible to “develop and run automated test suites to establish where our products are not compliant with the SMPTE standards before we release them, thereby allowing us to rectify any discrepancies before they cause our customers a problem,” said Disguise principal FPGA engineer Peter Brown.

Content creation studio TRG Multimedia has expanded its facility with an LED stage powered by Disguise’s turnkey virtual production solution, Studio Pro. The stage features a 50x16-foot-tall LED volume with the latest ROE Obsidian panels, an additional mobile 10x10-foot aux cart and a portable hardware rack for mobility and ease. It brings Hollywood-caliber production to the Midwest, offering brands, agencies, and filmmakers an advanced, full-service production environment under one roof.

[The Evolution of Virtualized Production]

While TRG’s 40 semi-permanent sets have solved the need to source costly and time-prohibitive locations for brands and films, the new virtual production stage will bring detailed exteriors, dynamic environments, and cost-prohibitive specialized builds to life with creative flexibility. This will allow brands and filmmakers to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds, eliminating location constraints while delivering cinematic-quality visuals in a controlled, production environment.

After evaluating different virtual production solutions, TRG selected Studio Pro by Disguise for its advanced technology, reliability, and comprehensive support. Cinematic integrator AbelCine brought Disguise Services into the project to implement the turnkey solution, which provides cutting-edge virtual production capabilities, training, installation and 24/7 support—enabling TRG to expand its production capabilities with a fully integrated LED stage.

Disguise is powering a new video projection show and multimedia theater experience at New York City's Rockefeller Center. The immersive projection, which was set up by Disguise partner Electrosonic, an audiovisual and technology services company, features a six-minute video show mapped onto a 10-foot-tall 3D representation of the center and the surrounding New York skyline. This attraction is now being used to welcome new visitors to the Rock and describe its history. 

To enable Electrosonic to deliver this projection at such a granular level of detail, Disguise developed an update to its unique camera-based projector calibration system, OmniCal, called RigCheck API. The RigCheck API update enables AV teams to complete calibrations from a third-party show controller without having to access Disguise's Designer software, ensuring imagery can be projected onto complex architectural structures in minutes, rather than days of disruptive, in-house mapping. 

“When we improved the OmniCal workflow, specifically the RigCheck API, we wanted to ensure the calibration process would be as smooth, repeatable and reliable as possible,” explained Shae Langley, head of location-based experiences (LBX) at Disguise. 

Meanwhile, the Disguise team also improved the usability of OmniCal. This included detecting if the OmniCal cameras—which are used to map the distance between objects—are out of focus. A user can define the thresholds when creating a simulated camera plan, and these can be checked against during the RigCheck. This allows much more precision in 3D modeling, as video content can be seamlessly mapped onto structures of any shape or size—creating a far more immersive experience for guests. 

As well as the six-minute projection show of the Rock, Disguise powers the multimedia theater experience within the Rockefeller visitor center. This is a five-minute immersive audiovisual media show that showcases the history of New York City, using a combination of archival footage and animation. 

This new immersive theater experience is powered by Disguise’s EX 3 media servers. The use of the high-powered servers allows for high-definition display, as well as a spatial audio-surround system to create an immersive, multisensory experience. 

“In addition to an incredible creative design, we knew we needed a robust technical solution to ensure the projection model could run smoothly for up to 15 hours a day," said Phil Hettema, founder and CEO of THG Creative. "Disguise worked with us to develop a custom auto-calibration solution for the model, overcoming several technical challenges. Their expertise was critical for the model’s ongoing performance. Thanks to their collaboration, we successfully launched a visually captivating and operationally reliable feature in the Welcome Gallery, orienting guests to the entire Rockefeller Center complex."

From iconic body slams at the Pontiac Silverdome to whimsical tirades from The Rock, World Wrestling Entertainment has constantly reinvented itself to keep its millions of fans entertained. Recently, the WWE unveiled its new 30,040-square-foot production facility, The Studios at WWE, located at WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT. The five-studio venue has the production capabilities to further enhance the storylines of its beloved heels and heroes, including a new virtual production stage created in collaboration by AbelCine and Atlanta-based virtual production experts Meptik.

[The Integration Guide to Video Walls 2024]

Though The Studios at WWE were an ongoing project, Meptik joined on last fall to design the virtual production set in Studio 3. Brought on by its partners at AbelCine, the project seemed like a perfect fit.

“Many of us at Meptik are passionate WWE fans, which added an extra layer of excitement to the project,” said Nick Rivero, co-founder of Meptik. "The Studios at WWE boast a gigantic WWE championship belt at the entrance—a perfect photo opportunity that our team eagerly took advantage of after the project was wrapped. Plus, the lobby features an actual wrestling ring, placed right at its heart. The entire space is truly incredible."

For Rivero, one of the highlights of the project was the panel discussions at 2024 NAB Show last April, where the company joined forces with WWE, Sony, and AbelCine to unveil the project for the first time. "WWE generously provided two championship belts for photo opportunities throughout the event, which were a huge hit with the attendees," he recalled. "We’ve kept one of the belts at our office in Atlanta, and it’s been a constant source of excitement.”

Continued Commitment

Fanboying aside, the project has brought new possibilities to WWE storytelling. The project installation took some time to complete, but Meptik’s work is never done.

"Our work on Studio 3 spanned eight months from inception to completion," Rivero explained. "At Meptik, we view our role not just as builders of virtual production studios, but as true partners committed to the success of our client’s projects. That commitment doesn’t end with construction. We’re still actively involved with Studio 3, working closely with the WWE team to ensure they are fully equipped to use the virtual production stage effectively. 

"Currently, we’re focusing on training sessions that cover everything from optimizing lighting setups to mastering the Disguise platform. Moving forward, we will continue to provide support for the WWE team, ensuring they have all the assistance they need for upcoming shoots and to utilize the studio to its full potential."

AbelCine equipped the WWE production team with the Sony VENICE 2 camera complemented by Fujinon Premista lenses. According to Rivero, the choice of VENICE 2 cameras came down to image quality and flexibility in dynamic lighting conditions found on a virtual set.

[History on Display]

To showcase the storytelling on Studio 3, Meptik stayed with Sony technologies for the LED stage. "Our decision to utilize Sony’s Crystal LED VERONA panels was driven by their established relationship with WWE," said Rivero. "The WWE broadcast team had been using Sony technology for a long time, which made it a logical choice to continue with Sony for their virtual production studio."

Rivero said Studio 3 is the first in North America to utilize Sony’s new LED panels, which "perfectly matched what the WWE team needed." Ideal for in-camera VFX applications, the setup at WWE includes a main wall comprised of 128 Crystal LED VERONA cabinets, plus two mobile LED carts that can be repositioned as needed.

"It provides them with a flexible and high-quality solution that perfectly complements the dynamic nature of WWE’s production requirements," he noted. "This innovative technology was precisely the missing piece that completed the visual experience WWE aimed to achieve."

When it came to powering the content, it was a no brainer. The Disguise platform is one of the solutions that brings the Vegas Sphere's visuals to life. Meptik began its working relationship with Disguise long before the two became part of the same company. Now the creative and technical division for Disguise, Meptik took to Studio 3 to bring the WWE's creative visions to life.

[Every Day Is Game Day]

"An important reason we went with Disguise is flexibility," Rivero said. "Their platform is highly adaptable and content-agnostic, which means the WWE team can throw pretty much any type of content from different software into the mix without a hitch. It just makes everything smoother when you’re trying to produce something great.”

Keeping It Unreal

With Sony and Disguise behind the virtual production, WWE can generate all its content right there. So, how does that content come to life?

"WWE has previously used Unreal Engine for their content creation, and they will continue to use this platform extensively," Rivero explained. "Their in-house content team is quite familiar with it, and it's well-suited for the dynamic and immersive experiences they aim to create. However, since the Disguise system we've implemented is content agnostic, WWE isn't limited to just Unreal Engine. They have the flexibility to incorporate other content creation software as well." 

At NAB, Russ Kornstein, SVP of on-air promotions at WWE, said the company generates 5,000 pieces of content a month. "WWE is already well-known for its dynamic range of content production, from live broadcasts and major events to engaging social media posts," Rivero said. "I expect that the new content being produced in Studio 3 will naturally build on this strong foundation."

Without giving away too much of the future surprises for WWE fans, Rivero said the WWE already has a lot planned, and Meptik is providing support for future productions. On top of that, WWE designed the studios not only for its own content productions but also with the vision of opening their doors to external sports and media organizations. " Their needs are very broad. One day, they could shoot a live TV interview, then the next day have a wrestling show, and then they might shoot a commercial the day after that," he said.

['Meet Us' in DC]

Focused on the story arcs of its wrestlers as much as the action itself, the WWE content team is no stranger to detailed storytelling with innovative technologies. Meptik and AbelCine have now created an environment that is versatile and dynamic, much like the WWE heroes and antiheroes themselves. Whether it is an up close and personal look at a Stone Cold Stunner or a conversation with undisputed champion Cody Rhodes, the possibilities from Studio 3 are endless.

"With an LED stage, WWE’s team will now be able to quickly switch out locations so that they can capture people against any backdrop faster than ever before," Rivero added. "They can get their talent in there for branded IDs, and they can use the stage to really lean into the wrestling characters—so if a persona is from the backwoods, they can capture them in the middle of a swamp and make a mini-movie if they wanted to. A virtual production studio is the perfect solution for WWE’s team."

Disguise has launched its new generation of EX media servers, following the recently launched RX III real-time render node, opening up even wider access to the world's most advanced live visual experience platform.

Providing a ruggedized solution for pre-rendered video playback at any scale, the new generation of the EX range comes in the form of three different media servers—EX 2, EX 2C and EX 3+—providing an entry point to the Disguise ecosystem for mid to small-scale productions looking for a powerful playback machine with all the benefits of Disguise hardware. 

Engineered to seamlessly power permanent installations in museums, theme parks, cruise ships, and immersive spaces, with advanced software integration and best-in-class support, the new EX machines also provide a perfect playback solution for live events such as theatre shows and corporate presentations, thanks to their new, more compact and low-noise 2U chassis design. 

[The Road to InfoComm 2024: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go]

Featuring components like the latest PCIe Gen 5 motherboard, the new EX machines enable users the freedom to choose a solution that is best suited to their project needs, with either two or three 4K video outputs and video capture flexibility. They are also fully scalable and can run as a network of machines for redundancy and failover with other Disguise EX range machines, or as dedicated directors and editors with the VX and GX range.

Designed within the same 2U chassis as the EX, the Disguise RX III allows users to create complex real-time scenes with their content engine of choice and trust the RX III to render them with pixel-perfect accuracy.

NAB Show 2024 opens its doors at the Las Vegas Convention Center tomorrow, so be sure to add Planar, swXtch.io, Visilink, JVC, and Disguise to your must-see list. 

MORE NAB SHOW NEWS:

NAB Show 2024 News: 5 Booths You Won't Want to Miss
NAB Show 2024 News: 5 NAB Debuts to See in Last Vegas
NAB Show 2024 News: Updates of What to Expect from the Show Floor
NAB Show 2024 News: JVC Zooms In on PTZs, Plus 4 More New Products
NAB Show 2024 News: Generative AI and A Slew of Product Debuts to See
NAB Show 2024 News: A New Hitachi Kokusai Production Package and More
NAB Show 2024 News: A New Sony PTZ, Lessons in the Cloud, and ENCO Gets Faster

Planar, OptiTrack Demonstrate Extensive Range Broadcast and Media Technologies

Planar and its affiliate company OptiTrack will demonstrate their most comprehensive lineup of broadcast and media technologies at Booth SL2038. Along with indoor and outdoor LED solutions, Planar and OptiTrack are teaming up with Zero Density to showcase virtual production solutions. 

• OptiTrack PrimeX Motion Capture Cameras: Delivering the blend of range, speed, and field-of-view for studio environments, OptiTrack premium PrimeX cameras showcase precise 3D video camera tracking for smooth on-screen content without parallax error.
• New PrimeX 120, PrimeX 120W, and SlimX 120: Users can now benefit from OptiTrack’s highest resolution, most-advanced motion capture cameras. Featuring 12 megapixels and increased field-of-view, the cameras enable larger tracking areas for a wider variety of large virtual production studios or volumes.
• OptiTrack Motive 3.1 Motion Capture Software: The latest version of OptiTrack’s proprietary motion capture software simplifies high-quality, low-latency performance motion tracking. Motive 3.1 is compatible with all OptiTrack motion capture cameras with new features including trained markersets for tracking markerless objects, refined sensor fusion and continuous calibration in case of camera bumps.
• OptiTrack CinePuck: The purpose-built, active marker tracking tool for studios, CinePuck mounts directly to cinema or broadcast cameras, enabling studios to know the camera’s movement and continuous field-of-view with leading-edge tracking accuracy and precision. CinePuck can be seamlessly integrated into any production workflows, including crowded rigging configurations. 
• A Planar Venue Pro VX Series LED Video Wall in a 1.9 millimeter pixel pitch. 

swXtch.io to Showcase New Enhancements to cloudSwXtch

In Booth W4429, swXtch.io will showcase new enhancements to its cloudSwXtch product, and demonstrate how broadcasters can quickly realize the adaptability, reliability, and agility benefits of the cloud:

• Reliability (Content Delivery and Playout): swXtch.io will demonstrate how lossless UDP provides additional protection for media streams across dynamic bridging (ground-to-cloud) and multi-cloud networking applications. Lossless UDP optimizes packet delivery for high-bandwidth streams with minimal latency. cloudSwXtch also offers stream protection through SMPTE ST-2022-7 hitless merge, offering network path redundancy as parallel streams move through the cloud or across multi-cloud networks.
• Agility (Media Monitoring & Transport): swXtch.io will demonstrate Network Media Open Specifications (NMOS) workflows in cloudSwXtch networks, streamlining the management and orchestration of media workflows in the cloud and ensuring they align with on-prem systems. 

Vislink to Launch DragonFly V

Vislink Technologies will debut the DragonFly V, an ultra-compact HEVC HDR COFDM transmitter. This transmitter is engineered for live video capture from Point-of-View (POV) cameras, UAVs, body worn devices, and more, offering high-quality, real-time video transmission in a miniature package. Vislink will debut DragonFly V at Booth W3632.

Key features include:

• Innovative Miniature Design: DragonFly V offers portability (weight under 55 grams) and ease of use without sacrificing quality or functionality.
• HEVC HDR Encoding: capable of handling up to 1080P HD video, it provides crisp, clear images that are essential for modern broadcast workflows.
• Flexible Connectivity: equipped with either HDMI or SDI inputs, it ensures compatibility with a wide range of cameras.
• Ultra-Reliable Transmission: with a 50mW COFDM output power, DragonFly V enables stable and secure video even in the most challenging conditions.
• Low Power Consumption: for efficient and extended use.
• Comprehensive Control: features like Wi-Fi control and RS232 remote control add convenience and flexibility to operations.

JVC to Showcase New KM-IP12S8 Series vMix 4K Video Switchers

JVC Professional Video releases its new KM-IP12S8 Series CONNECTED CAM vMix Studio Switchers, complete live video production solutions that provide live mixing, switching, recording and streaming, at Booth C4720. Comprised of both the KM-IP12S8 and KM-IP12S8PRO, the series is ideal for a variety of multi-camera, fast-paced applications, such as live sports and event productions. The switchers come standard with licensed versions of either the vMix 4K or vMix Pro Live Production and Streaming software, which are among the industry’s most popular production solutions. Additionally, the resolution and imagery are optimized for live programming in SD up to full 4K 60P, across an array of traditional and personal viewing devices. 

[It’s Here: NDI Launches NDI 6]

The KM-IP12S8 includes the vMix 4K license and supports up to 12 NDI/SRT and eight SDI video inputs, as well as multiple output options, including 12G-SDI, 3G-SDI, HDMI and DisplayPort. Additionally, three 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports are available for NDI, SRT, Dante and RTMPS internet connectivity. The switcher also offers concurrent outputs to three CDNs, Multiview and ISO recording, all in a quiet 4RU case with liquid cooling. The KM-IP12S8PRO has the same hardware specifications, with the addition of the vMix Pro software license, which enables eight-channel instant replay.

Disguise to Give Early Preview of Porta Broadcast Graphics Controller

Disguise will showcase its latest broadcast and virtual production (VP) solutions at six different NAB Show booths. Show visitors will be the first to get an early preview of Disguise’s latest Porta broadcast graphics controller release, which has been upgraded for Unreal Engine 5.4, and get hands-on with Disguise’s end-to-end xR and VP technology at six exhibition stands across the show floor. 

A show highlight for Disguise visitors will be an early preview of the latest Porta graphics and media controller, which makes it easier to manage LED xR and AR productions without extensive technical expertise. With Porta, broadcasters can control all their Unreal Engine graphics and LED studios through a single user interface—on the cloud or, thanks to the latest update, on-prem.

With support for the upcoming Unreal Engine 5.4 release, including the dedicated Unreal Engine motion graphics toolset, Porta will bring broadcasters optimized performance including data feed integrations and media asset management.

disguise has partnered with Smart Monkeys to advance the scalability and accessibility of its solutions. Now, Smart Monkeys AV monitoring and management tool ISAAC will integrate to the disguise platform, enabling creatives to deliver the next generation of immersive location-based experiences.

“Location-based Media Experience has become a huge market in recent years, and the ISAAC platform is providing the perfect balance between CMS and system monitoring for that type of application,” said Smart Monkeys CEO, Stephan Villet. “The integration with disguise is one of the most highly anticipated additions to our ecosystem partners. We can’t wait to see what architects and producers will create with that combination.”

ISAAC is a multifaceted platform that aims to redefine the way AV systems are deployed, monitored and managed. From lighting and audio to video projections and displays, it allows users to monitor and manage all elements of an AV system from a single on-premise portal without the need for internet connection. Users can also manage, distribute and schedule content playback remotely using ISAAC. 

By integrating ISAAC with disguise’s Designer software, both technical and non-technical users alike will be able to remotely monitor and manage the disguise platform alongside their wider AV system—removing the need for 24/7 on-site monitoring.

[An Immersive Education]

While the integration is currently in development, upon its upcoming launch, users will enjoy a more simplified and unified experience when running their fixed installation projects. Some of the key benefits and outcomes include:

• Users with little to no experience with Designer can control and monitor a complex, integrated system powered by disguise.
• Scheduling content playback from pre-defined playlists, providing complete flexibility when outputting video from disguise to specific screens and surfaces.
• Monitoring the hardware status and project information of disguise and the wider AV system from ISAAC to minimize the need for scheduled downtime.
• Highly customizable alerts and notifications for changes in system behavior for troubleshooting and analytics.

4Wall Entertainment, a full-service lighting, video and rigging company, and ZeroSpace, a next-gen production and creative studio specializing in the integration of virtual and live content, are partnering with disguise to bring the disguise Virtual Production Accelerator training program to the heart of New York City. This initiative will empower aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals with the skills needed to excel in the rapidly evolving world of virtual production.

The Virtual Production Accelerator will provide an immersive and comprehensive on-set learning experience for participants of all skill levels. Leveraging the expertise and facilities of 4Wall and ZeroSpace, the program will combine classroom training with practical principal photography, enabling trainees to gain hands-on experience and an accurate simulation of the demands faced on real film sets.

[We Went for an Off-Road Adventure with Vú at InfoComm 2023... and It Was Awesome]

"Our goal is to revolutionize virtual production and equip the next generation of filmmakers with the necessary expertise to harness its full potential," says Addy Ghani, vice president of virtual production at disguise, who spearheads the program. "Currently, finding experienced professionals in this field is a challenge. We are confident that, with our in-depth understanding of the technology and studio workflows, we can empower participants to become proficient in virtual production."

Participants of the Virtual Production Accelerator program will have access to production facilities at ZeroSpace’s headquarters in Brooklyn. Over the course of a week, the program will offer unique learning opportunities that are not readily accessible to most, providing trainees with the tools and knowledge to create cinematic content on a large scale. By the program's conclusion, participants will possess the expertise required to leverage virtual production techniques, granting filmmakers complete creative freedom and control over their projects.

[Here's One Way to Boost Virtual Production in Esports and Gaming Events]

"We are thrilled to collaborate with disguise and ZeroSpace on this pioneering initiative," says vice president of special projects at 4Wall, Mathew Leland. "By bringing the Virtual Production Accelerator to New York City, we aim to cultivate a thriving community of virtual production professionals, enabling the city's entertainment industry to thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape."

With their shared commitment to empowering the next generation of virtual production professionals, 4Wall and ZeroSpace, in partnership with disguise, are poised to revolutionize the way storytelling and filmmaking are approached. The Virtual Production Accelerator will play a vital role in preparing participants to navigate the ever-expanding possibilities of virtual production and shape the future of the entertainment industry. This is the third deployment of the Virtual Production Accelerator, after disguise launched the program in Los Angeles in November 2022 and the U.K. in May 2023.

disguise releases Porta 2.1, an update to its integrated software solution that lets anyone easily manage Unreal Engine graphics directly within their existing workflows—now with their latest News Room Computer System (NRCS) integration through MOS protocol.

With its new NRCS integration, Porta 2.1 users can control real-time graphics more intuitively than ever before through enhanced data sharing. Easy template creation tools mean journalists can build unique graphics from the newsroom without a designer’s help—even if they’ve never used Unreal Engine before. Both in-house and remote teams can also take advantage of precise scheduling features that take the guesswork out of production while automating manual tasks with macros, previewing Unreal Engine live using Pixel Streaming, and much more.

[Here's How disguise Takes You Back to School]

With the disguise platform also being Unreal Engine “Avalanche ready”, anyone in media production can now move to a disguise ecosystem with confidence that it will support their journey to a new and exciting aesthetic.

“This latest Porta release ticks NRCS integration off the wish lists of many of our users, including NBC, TUDN, and TV Globo,” said Grigory Mindlin, broadcast general manager at disguise. “With it, broadcasters can now easily control all show graphics and live content, as well as LEDs, tracking systems, tickers, and score bugs—all from a single interface that can be used by multiple operators simultaneously.”

Whether it’s for augmented reality or virtual production, broadcasters can also use Porta 2.1 to take advantage of the tools of the future. Porta 2.1 is fully compatible with disguise’s Emmy-Award-winning xR solutions, which can display realistic 8K content onto an LED set the size of a football stadium. disguise’s creative services teams at Meptik and disguise Labs are also available to Porta users around the globe that want to design fully integrated extended reality workflows.

[Pro AV 2023: Trends to Watch] 

“Audiences increasingly expect more impressive experiences, and with Porta 2.1, broadcasters will be able to deliver these more easily than ever before, both now and in the future,” said Mindlin. “Porta 2.1, which is pre-integrated with Epic Games’ upcoming Project Avalanche, will position Unreal Engine 5 as an end-to-end live broadcast graphics tool. The integration will be ready to use on day one when Avalanche is officially released and is one of the many ways disguise and Epic Games are working together to take broadcasts to the next level.”

Additional benefits for customers include:

• Stress-free teamwork: Journalists, producers and directors can all collaborate and create graphics in their newsroom rundowns, which can then be approved for graphics operators to play out from Porta.
• Easier workflows for operators: Operators can easily customize their workflow and automate their show with new visual macros and scheduling widgets. They can customize their Porta UI even further by color coding their playlist and workspaces. Through macros, they can even create playlists from data and reduce manual entry.
• Faster deliveries: Broadcasters can search particular graphics and allocate them to the right part of the story, cutting out repetitive tasks and making delivery times faster.

disguise has reengineered its learning program to a new offering named disguise Learn. disguise Learn’s new in-classroom and online courses provide an improved experience offering dedicated learning pathways for virtual production, extended reality, broadcast graphics, location-based experiences and live events so users can pick a learning pathway most relevant to their chosen industry application.

"Within the last three years, we've helped power more than 600 real-time productions in over 50 countries. With disguise Learn, we want to share all we've learned with our 20 years of industry expertise and make it as easy as possible for anyone to become an expert in disguise workflows. With our new, industry-tailored learning pathways, learners can apply newfound knowledge to whichever projects they work in including xR and virtual production as well as location-based experiences and live shows,” said disguise training manager for EMEA, Alex Lapthorne.

[New School of Thought]

disguise Learn offers a blended approach with both online and classroom learning for all levels of experience. The online offering comes free of charge and now includes more easily consumable learning content presented in different formats. Users of disguise Learn can also enjoy easier access to trainers in different regions, with disguise providing classroom learning in their key locations across EMEA, APAC and the Americas either through their own trainers or through certified disguise Training Partners. Users can now easily learn in their preferred medium, on their budget and on their schedule.

“While virtual productions, live events and location-based experiences are quickly adopting next-generation technology platforms, all these industries need people with the knowledge to put the technology to use. With the launch of disguise Learn, we have expanded our existing catalog of courses so our users can easily learn new skills that will enable them to transition into new working environments and discover exciting opportunities,” said disguise training manager for the Americas, Vickie Claiborne.

disguise Learn offers certification in the form of printed certificates and digital badges that get posted to the attendees' LinkedIn network upon successful completion of each module. With this, attendees can showcase their skills, making it easier to land their next gig.

 [JUST RELEASED: SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2022] 

“We are proud to launch disguise Learn and offer an easier and better way for users to begin their learning journey with us. Now, both new and existing users can get the best out of our software and hardware solutions and feel fully supported within the disguise ecosystem,” said disguise chief experience officer Alex Wills. “The pace of innovation within the media and entertainment space is increasing exponentially and we want as many people as possible harnessing the disguise platform to stay at the very forefront of these industries.”

DWP Live was recently engaged to provide projection support for the U.S. premiere event of “The Way of the Rain (TWOTR): Hope for the Earth” on October 22, at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, TX.

The DWP Live team projected TWOTR’s “Mother Earth” film onto the stage, choir, and orchestra throughout the performance of “Hope for the Earth” with disguise media servers and Barco projectors. Specifically, DWP Live used two Barco UDX 4k32 projectors and two disguise 4x4 media servers for the event.

 [9 Large-Venue Projectors and Key Features Experts Recommend as Live Events Return] 

“We’re grateful to this important partnership for allowing us to be part of such impactful performances and events for the last six years,” said Whetstone. “As a member of TWOTR’s advisory board, this presentation was particularly meaningful in promoting public awareness and support for the protection of our Earth, and we are proud to help bring another memorable TWOTR event to life.”

[DWP Live leverages Epson Pro Series for 'Night Visions' at the Nashville Zoo]

Presented by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and EarthX Film, the performance tells the artistic story about the formation of the Universe and Planet Earth while calling attention to the earth’s vulnerability brought on by climate change and included spoken word by Robert Redford. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra accompanied this multidisciplinary environmental performance and was conceived and directed by Sibylle Szaggars Redford in collaboration with composer Tim Janis and performance film artist Floyd Thomas McBee.

disguise announces the launch of r22, a new software release that will help users scale their disguise-powered projects unlike previous launches. Developed to save hours of time on manual processes such as media distribution or spatial calibration, r22 introduces new features that will help enhance content resolution, production set-ups, and media file management.

[Disguise’s Latest r21 Software Release Enhances Production Workflows]

Some new features and improvements include:

• Intelligent Media Distribution: built to help users save time on manual media file distribution and maximize on server space, Intelligent Media Distribution helps users synchronize and distribute only the media files within the video layers that are needed across each disguise server.
• Single Large Canvas (SLC): SLC seamlessly combines multiple video fragments into a single view output when used alongside multiple projectors. This creates a single, gigantic canvas that can be used for everything from live event projections to immersive installations, without limitations to the overall resolution of the video.
• Faster Spatial Calibration: r22 enables spatial calibration to be completed in less than half the time of previous releases, helping users save hours setting up their extended reality stages.

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights] 

With r22, disguise is also growing its platform integration capabilities by adding support for a new major real-time engine. disguise’s proprietary RenderStream infrastructure, enabling bi-directional data transfer between disguise and third-party render engines, now supports the integration of TouchDesigner. This integration, made possible thanks to RenderStream’s new support for Vulkan API, will allow users to bring a real-time 3D scene developed in TouchDesigner into the disguise software and build it into their final project.

disguise has received an Engineering, Science, and Technology Emmy Award for its Extended Reality (xR) technology. Established by the Television Academy, the 74th annual Engineering, Science, and Technology Emmy Awards (formerly known as the Engineering Emmy Awards) were created to highlight individuals and companies that “materially affect the production, recording, transmission or reception of television.” This marks disguise’s first Emmy win.

“Receiving this award is a huge win for disguise and a testament to our efforts to redefine the world of production through our xR solution. We are grateful for our team who keep on pushing boundaries and our community of users who partner with us and use our technology to create amazing productions,” said disguise CEO Fernando Küfer.

[disguise Unleashes vx 4+ Media Server: Everything to Know]

In the past two years, the disguise xR platform has helped generate over 600 real-time productions in 50 countries, including LED-based virtual productions for Netflix and Amazon Prime. disguise’s advanced image processing capabilities allow for the seamless integration of computer-generated elements and environments with physical props and performers, creating a blended world where the physical and digital exist in perfect harmony.

For production teams, that means going beyond green screens to capture visual effects, lighting, reflections and shadows—all completely in-camera. Multiple locations can be filmed from a single studio in real-time, leading to a production environment where creative decisions can be made quickly and with improved collaboration from all crew on set. xR technology also provides the ability to extend sets digitally, giving creatives a limitless canvas to explore their vision.

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights] 

"Back in 2019, we saw the promise that xR held for improved collaboration on sets, added time control while shooting and the ability to capture realistic lighting and reflections from CG graphics in-camera. In the past two and a half years since we launched our xR solution, we have seen wide, global democratization and uptake of xR. The appetite for virtual production is only growing and so is our commitment to listening to customers, building a virtual experience and technology platform and helping our partners create experiences that defy expectations,” said Küfer.

The Engineering, Science, and Technology Emmy Award caps off an exceptional year for disguise. In April, the company received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation. disguise has also won a Cynopsis Sports Media Award for Innovation during the pandemic and has been shortlisted for a CSI Award for “Best Sports Broadcast or Streaming Innovation”, a Growing Business of the Year Award, and a Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Award for Technology Innovation.

Nightscape’s new venue uses real-time rendered Unreal Engine graphics powered by disguise to transform Nashville’s former 12th & Porter space into a state-of-the-art entertainment facility.

“To us, projection-mapped spaces aren’t just about what’s on the walls," explained Nightscape CEO Mike Weinberg. "It’s about what that environment creates for the experience people have inside the walls. We are pioneering this approach, which wouldn’t be possible without Unreal Engine and of course, disguise."

[Epson Projectors Create Innovative 360-Degree, Immersive Experience in Nashville]

The venue’s main room is wrapped in 360 degrees of projected Unreal Engine content, powered by three disguise vx 2 media servers and four rx II render nodes, and displayed with the help of 21 Epson projectors. Cues from Spatial (a real-time audio rendering solution), 34 d&b speakers and corresponding custom scent diffusers build out extra layers of realism—all to reinforce the narrative that venue guests have entered a different time, place, or world.

"disguise was absolutely crucial to the success of our project as the turnkey solution for taking our highly complex real-time visuals and projecting them in the space,” said Nightscape vice president, Kevin Longwell.

In order to achieve a constantly evolving and diversified space and calendar of events, the Nightscape team needs to constantly pivot from one concept to another. 

“The Nightscape concept works best when the space is extremely modular, both physically and digitally,” explained Weinberg. 

Nightscape started with five different concepts staged within 30 days of the venue’s launch: college basketball’s March Madness and Masters golf watch parties, golf and underwater-themed nightlife events, as well as a first-of-its-kind immersive dining experience called “TASTE, A Culinary Series: Italian Villa.” 

[disguise Acquires Creative Studio Meptik]

TASTE took guests on a two-hour journey through a castle built in Unreal Engine and designed with sophisticated audio and visual movements throughout.

“From the larger-than-expected sales to the significant positive response and interest from guests, clients and potential partners, TASTE has been a major success on every level,” said Weinberg.  

The venue’s ability to showcase varied capabilities custom-designed for each event has sold clients on hiring Nightscape for a variety of new activations and installations outside the venue—taking the incredible turnkey experiences on the road. The creative services arm of the company has, in fact, been using disguise to produce events and activations across the country, at events like SXSW and Coachella.  

“Having disguise as our end-to-end server solution for all projects has streamlined our internal process to work efficiently without sacrificing on quality,” said Longwell.  “Not to mention that the support we’ve received from disguise, both technically and developmentally, has been second to none. We are infinitely excited about moving in lockstep with disguise as we continue to evolve in this space together.”

With new disguise locations opening up around the world and a software interface available in multiple languages, disguise is accelerating the democratization of its xR workflow to meet the expanding appetite for xR, virtual production and virtual studios. Its acquisition of Atlanta-based immersive entertainment specialists Meptik will bolster the expansion. 

As a rapidly growing global player in the events, media and entertainment space, disguise is well placed to support a similar growth trajectory for Meptik, bringing their creative and technical expertise to all. Customers can expect a Meptik team with the latest technology in their back pocket, and an ever-growing global team of experts to support them on their creative journey.

While both companies will continue to operate as separate entities, disguise will be leveraging Meptik’s expertise to expand its global reach, helping creatives build the next generation of extended reality and metaverse experiences. Meptik’s teams will work with disguise to workshop new solutions, create product roadmaps and drive new standards in entertainment technology.

[ Disguise’s Latest r21 Software Release Enhances Production Workflows ]

Defining What’s Next for xR, AR, MR and VP

Meptik specializes in creating dynamic virtual worlds that blow audiences away—and keeps them coming back. Their clients range from film studios to lifestyle brands, Fortune 500s, musical artists and more.

Combining creative chops with technical skills, Meptik is always working behind the scenes to define what’s next for extended reality (xR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual production (VP). Led by Sarah Linebaugh and Nick Rivero, their team of experts deliver groundbreaking projects for filmmakers and broadcasters as well as remarkable corporate and immersive installations.

xR technology unleashes storytelling potential by delivering photorealistic, three-dimensional, real-time graphics that immerse performers and audiences alike in a virtual world visible on set and in-camera.

disguise’s market-leading extended reality (xR) workflow has, in the past two years alone, enabled over 600 xR productions in over 50 countries, powering live entertainment productions for music artists such as Katy Perry and Billie Eilish, film and episodic TV productions for Netflix and Amazon Prime, corporate presentations for Siemens and Verizon and live broadcast programs from Eurosport, MTV and ITV.

Meptik will also use its unique combination of creative and technical expertise to aid disguise in its mission to empower game-changing virtual experiences at the intersection of physical and virtual worlds.

Left Brain / Right Brain

“We have always prided ourselves on our ability to service both sides of the xR equation the creative and the technical—and we love creating dynamic virtual worlds that blow audiences away,” said Nick Rivero, co-founder of Meptik. “Joining forces with disguise will enhance our ability to continue to serve our clients from start to finish while maintaining our down-to-earth spirit.”

“Meptik has been a trusted partner of disguise for many years, growing to excel at bringing out the very best capability for disguise solutions. Given that we have both been, in the past two years, bringing extended reality and immersive entertainment to the world, this acquisition would expand on these efforts and lead the next era for extended reality and metaverse experiences,” said disguise CEO Fernando Küfer.

Visual storytelling technology platform disguise unleashes a new era of infinitely scalable, immersive entertainment with the release of its new flagship media server: the vx 4+. Purpose-built for the world’s largest and most technically demanding productions, installations and shows, the vx 4+ is designed to ensure maximum content quality and playback performance, enabling productions to push boundaries and captivate audiences like never before.

Today, requirements for spectacular visual content in shows and productions is skyrocketing. Film studios and broadcasters are turning to extended reality and virtual production for an improved production process for creating compelling filmed and live entertainment. Museums and theme parks want to wow audiences with larger, immersive and more interactive attractions. Live events including music concerts, Esports events, and theatre productions are requiring high-quality video playback and are even pioneering the use of real-time content within their productions. All these high-stakes production environments have one thing in common: They need a rock-solid solution supporting high-performance video processing at scale with minimal latency.

[Disguise Solutions Create Breathtaking Projections at Dubai’s Expo 2020]

“Production teams are perpetually seeking to push the boundaries of what is possible, with many experimenting with new technologies and workflows, using real-time content or using video content at unlimited scale and complexity. As these ambitions grow, playing back large-scale content reliably without latency remains a challenge,” explained disguise chief product officer Raed Al Tikriti. 

With the capability to handle twice the amount of video layers versus its award-winning predecessor, the new disguise vx 4+ machine ramps up storage performance and significantly improves video throughout, with up to 100GbE in bandwidth for higher resolution live video.

“disguise vx 4+ addresses the pressing need for an ultra-reliable high-performance server capable of handling the most demanding bandwidth-hungry, data-rich video processing," Al Tikriti added. "Built on our team’s deep understanding of the needs of today’s productions, installations and large-scale shows, the vx4+ offers our customers cutting-edge technology, that works with the disguise modular ecosystem of solutions and offers the most reliable and effective solution for your production.”

Integral to the disguise modular ecosystem and working with disguise VFC cards, rx render nodes and preconfigured network switch fabric, the vx4+ is designed for projects in need of a robust and scalable solution. The inclusion of two 100GbE network ports and 12G video capture as standard enables the vx4+ to be used for 4K xR compositing alongside a cluster of rx render nodes. The integration of a new PCI-Express 4.0 motherboard, CPU, GPU and RAID storage, ensures that the vx4+ video playback and compositing performance is unrivalled. When combined, the vx 4+ enables additional capacity to meet performance expectations while also keeping video latency to a minimum.

[AV Network's Top 5 Trends from InfoComm 2022]

As disguise continues its mission to ensure that next-gen visual experiences are delivered to audiences everywhere, the vx 4+ is compatible with disguise’s upcoming IP Video Format Conversion (VFC) cards to be released in the second half of the year. IP-VFC is an industry-first and patented technology that enables users to change the video output signal from their disguise media server to a SMPTE 2110 video output.

After over seven years of planning and preparation, Dubai’s Expo 2020 opened its doors to millions of visitors from around the world from October 2021 until March 2022. System integrator Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) were awarded the contract to deliver the AV system in the Al Wasl Plaza dome. CTME chose disguise to power the breathtaking 360-degree immersive projection, while engaging workflow specialists Bild Studios to build the advanced content workflows that allowed artists to create the stunning visuals to excite the record-breaking crowd.

In a massive 4.3-square-mile plot in Dubai South, near Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai Expo had 192 countries contributing towards a part of the exhibit—each with their own independently designed pavilion. The Expo featured breathtaking exhibitions and 60 daily live shows complete with interactive technology and dazzling performances. The permanent works of art were set out within three themed districts: Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity—all celebrating globalization and the international community. 

[Disguise’s Latest r21 Software Release Enhances Production Workflows]

The centerpiece of Expo was the Al Wasl Plaza—a 65-meter-high, 130m diameter dome, with the world’s largest 360-degree projection mapping. Christie  D4K40-RGB pure laser projectors along with LED pixel displays and interactive content delivered the spectacular immersive visual experience—all driven by disguise. 

“As the Official Projection and Display Partner for Expo 2020 Dubai, Christie’s had the opportunity to work closely with its partners to bring Expo’s vision for the dome and several pavilions to life," said EMEA director of sales, entertainment at Christie, Joe Graziano. "We are honored to have taken part in such a monumental and memorial event."

Creative Technology’s System Integration team brought Al Wasl dome to life, deploying 16 disguise gx2 servers that integrated with disguise rx machines and disguise’s camera-based projector calibration system, Omnical, maintaining high pixel accuracy throughout the Dome’s surface.

[Disguise Acquires Polygon Labs to Enable Cloud-Based Workflows for Broadcasters]

“We are very proud of our AV system integration delivery at the Al Wasl Dome," explained managing director of CTME Andy Reardon. "We were confident using disguise as their platform seamlessly delivered the vision of Expo 2020 and allowed the content creators to produce the stunning content which makes the 360-degree immersive visuals an unforgettable experience for all visitors. The entire journey has been incredible, and we thank our partners at disguise for coming on this amazing journey with CT, not only on Al Wasl but on our other pavilions—USA, DP World, ENOC as well as the live Jubilee and the DMA stages making this an unforgettable experience for CT, too.” 

Bild used their extensive knowledge of disguise, real-time workflows, video engineering, and creative design to deliver the advanced content pipeline used daily in the Al Wasl dome. They created a system that merged 2D and 3D content workflows and split the 27K x 6K canvas into 11 regions. Each region represented a video file which was played back by a corresponding disguise gx 2 Actor server.

“As all servers played in perfect synchronization, the regions blended together into one gigantic and seamless canvas. It was an extraordinary moment when we saw the Al Wasl projection canvas coming together as one joint surface for the first time,” explained Bild Studios co-founder, David Bajt. 

As the epicenter of the Expo, besides the projections, the dome had various elements coming together to form a spectacle, some of which include mapped LED pixels on the Plaza’s architecture delivered by SACO Technologies. They worked in collaboration with Bild Studios who created a workflow that auto-mapped the projection content onto the LED pixels. The mapped pixels were made up of 2620 SACO V-Pix LED fixtures, integrated into the dome structure and powered by a disguise solo server. The solo server was integrated with the gx2 servers to make the projection and LED pixel work as one canvas.

[In Record Time, Turner Sports Unveils Hybrid NHL Studio Powered by disguise]

"We worked in close collaboration with Creative Technologies and Bild Studios to elaborate a workflow to have our LED pixels included in the video projection content and powered by disguise. Commissioning and integration have been successfully done remotely with our local partner 3S Lighting, who managed the installation phase," explains Benoit Soucy, Video Integrator Lead at SACO.

The Al Wasl Plaza even included the use of real-time technology empowered by Unreal Engine, Notch and disguise. Taking place on 1 October 2021, Expo 2020’s opening ceremony produced by international events agency Five Currents, included augmented reality to add another dimension to the broadcast experience. Delivered by the team at Bild Studios the AR-enhanced performances from hundreds of artists, dancers and acts including Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, English pop star Ellie Goulding, Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu and Emirati pianist and composer Hussain Al Jassmi. 

Various elements such as waterfalls and butterflies were layered onto the performance to be viewed by those watching at home as well as attending VIPs viewing the performance through screens. Bild Studios supported Five Currents using six disguise vx 2 servers, eight rx II render nodes and two disguise fabric pre-configured network switches in their system to deliver the real-time augmented reality content created in Unreal Engine. 

 [The Nine 2022: Meet 9 Pro AV Superstars] 

Five Currents technical director Nick Eltis was impressed at what the team were able to achieve. “For the opening ceremony, we had to deliver augmented reality for six cameras, rendering real-time in 4K at 50 frames. Throughout the process, the knowledge of the Bild team and the power of disguise technology was invaluable—so much so that we asked the team back for our closing ceremony.”

“AR, just like xR and virtual production, represents an incredibly integrated environment where the dependency level between technology and human beings is immensely high," Bajt added. "We essentially operated the world's largest virtual production shoot, using six tracked cameras, live, for millions of live viewers."

The team at Bild deployed disguise systems to deliver these elements for both the opening and closing ceremony at Expo with the closing ceremony on March 31 of this year. 

"For the opening ceremony we worked with Unreal Engine and used disguise rx and vx 2 servers to achieve photoreal content, which was more in line with Five Currents creative ambitions," said Bajt. "For the closing ceremony, our workflow included Notch and disguise gx 2 servers which allowed us to be incredibly agile and make changes in real-time during rehearsals, which was imperative for the limited timeframe we had before the dome was open to the public.”

If visitors had a taste for real-time content, live experience creators Artists In Motion (AIM) with the support of Australian-based agency S1T2, delivered an interactive experience named ‘Become a Guardian of Al Wasl’, where visitors can have their photo taken in a booth and then, within seconds, see their photo entwined into the content being projected out onto the dome in real-time. Four disguise rx II rendering units powered this unique experience. To support AIM and S1T2, disguise and Bild Studios provided consultation for integrating the rx servers into the installed gx2 server system responsible for the Al Wasl projection. 

[SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2021] 

"The robustness of the rx units to synchronize the real-time application straight onto the dome proved the difference in being able to deliver such an ambitious idea. Together with the flexibility to interconnect live data from the booths and control of audio and lighting brought the whole experience together," explained AIM technical director, Hai Tran. 

Beyond the Al Wasl dome, disguise’s powerful hardware solutions for content rendering and compositing, coupled with its Designer content pre-visualization and mapping software is used by a range of disguise partners on various elements of the exhibit. This includes many of the Expo pavilions representing the countries of the world such as the United Kingdom, USA, Russia, Belgium, China, and Hungary pavilions, as well as the MasterCard pavilion, the ENOC pavilion, the Jubilee stage, and the DMA stage. 

“Working on the ground in Dubai and seeing these spectacular visions come to life has been incredibly rewarding. Expo 2020 is a testament to what we can achieve when we combine leading technology and technical skill with an ambitious creative vision. At disguise we want to empower our community of certified partners and users to create the impossible. What we have seen at Expo is a huge testament to that,” said disguise technical solutions manager, Peter Kirkup. 

The visual storytelling platform and a market leader in extended reality (xR) solutions, disguise, launched its latest software release, r21, unlocking improved functionality of its Designer software interface and RenderStream workflows, as well as introducing new tools for managing color workflows. The release promises enhanced performance of the disguise software for productions across all of disguise’s wide-reaching industry applications, from live shows to virtual productions, broadcasts, and fixed installations.

Developed throughout the last 20 years as a pioneering solution to previsualize and deliver show stopping concert visuals for some of the world’s biggest artists, disguise has always held its community of users, customers, and partners at the heart of its development pipeline.

[Disguise Acquires Polygon Labs to Enable Cloud-Based Workflows for Broadcasters]

disguise’s award-winning xR workflow, officially launched as part of software release r18 last year, is a case in point. Developed in close partnership with a select group of disguise users around the world who field tested the release and shared feedback and improvements to the disguise development team over the course of two years, disguise xR has since become a leading global solution for extended reality and virtual production.

r21 is no different. Built on feedback from industry experts and practitioners, as well as insights from disguise’s Live and Color Insider groups, the new release has been tried and tested on various live productions—from Hans Zimmer’s much awaited 2022 European Tour, and new theatre shows around the UK such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The 47th—as well as virtual productions by La Planete Rouge in France and XR Studios at their new Hollywood studio location.

[In Record Time, Turner Sports Unveils Hybrid NHL Studio Powered by disguise]

“What makes r21 stand out from previous releases is that it allowed our team to test it with our user community on site for various productions—an extremely valuable opportunity that previously couldn’t happen due to Covid restrictions," said disguise head of software engineering, James Bentley. "The ability to work alongside them and see first-hand what challenges they face is hugely insightful for us as we develop solutions and features to address them."

r21 introduces a suite of new features to its core software interface, allowing its diverse range of users, which include workflow specialists, screens producers, creative designers and technical producers, to work with disguise more efficiently. The release also brings significant improvements to disguise’s RenderStream infrastructure—a core element within its workflow that integrates the disguise hardware, software, content engines and camera tracking to deliver seamless productions.

[Disguise’s New xR Workflow Powers Katy Perry Performance]

Finally, r21 also includes new features that improve color management within the disguise workflow. Color management is at the core of every production, so with help from the disguise color insider group, the team took a closer look at its existing color workflow end to end and developed new features that enable color grading with accuracy, while also introducing support for widely used color formats.

disguise r21 is available to download for free from disguise’s homepage and available in seven languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. As part of the company’s mission to lower the barrier of entry to its production tools and better serve its growing global community, users have been able to enjoy free access to disguise’s software licence for the past two years and more recently even use the software in their local language.

The visual storytelling platform and a market leader in extended reality (xR) solutions, disguise, announced its acquisition of broadcast data and content-visualization solutions platform, Polygon Labs. This marks another milestone in disguise’s move towards cloud-based production that will enhance its workflow to better address user needs in the fast-growing media production and broadcast markets.

[In Record Time, Turner Sports Unveils Hybrid NHL Studio Powered by disguise]

With 20 years of experience in powering the world’s biggest and most complex live shows and concert tours, disguise broke new ground two years ago when it released its extended reality (xR) technology platform, efficiently removing many key challenges faced by broadcasters today. The disguise xR platform, together with LED screens, graphics engines such as Unreal Engine, and camera tracking, combines augmented and mixed reality elements to deliver spectacular, photorealistic virtual graphics during live broadcasts. This new and award-winning workflow has already elevated the virtual production quality and capacity of broadcasters such as Turner Broadcasting, Eurosport, ITV Sport, CCTV China, KBS and TV Tokyo in Japan, and KBS Korea to bring immersive visual experiences to captivated global audiences.

Through its suite of software solutions and creative services, Polygon Labs offers a powerful cloud-native platform and turn-key services that have been trusted by world-leading broadcasters such as CNN, Univision, The Weather Channel, and TV Globo. Polygon Labs dynamically controls and delivers high-end Unreal Engine graphics with real-time data visualization via their cloud or on-prem solutions for some of the highest profile events including the U.S. elections, Olympics, and World Cup.

[Disguise’s New xR Workflow Powers Katy Perry Performance]

By adding Polygon Labs to its award-winning workflow, disguise will build integrations that enable xR studios to have access to a wider range of broadcast workflows which empower remote production and cloud-based collaboration. Users of both disguise and Polygon Labs will be able to benefit from easy-to-manage, data-driven graphics workflows while running fully native Unreal Engine, as well as extended design and production capability for graphics.

“We are very proud and delighted to welcome Polygon Labs to the disguise team," said disguise CEO, Fernando Kufer. "This is a key turning point for both our user communities, partners, and customers, and a huge step in our direction towards cloud and new media production workflows. The future is cloud-based remote collaboration and our work with Polygon Labs will unlock a whole new level of productivity and connectivity for all our users."

[Les Misérables Revived into West End Staged Concert with disguise at the Heart]

“Over the years, Polygon Labs has helped some of the biggest broadcasters turn data into engaging stories through powerful graphics and data visualization," said Grigory Mindlin, CEO at Polygon Labs. "Joining forces with disguise will take us into the next chapter of accelerating our journey towards graphics production workflows in the cloud. Our shared vision and passion for delivering the most engaging visual experiences will help us empower our users with a much more comprehensive solution to deliver the world’s most engaging storytelling graphics.

In the months to come, disguise and Polygon Labs will be working closely together to build out an integrated workflow that gives value to users across both platforms. Soon, users can expect to achieve unified cloud-based data aggregation and graphics control that allow easy integration of broadcast workflows, as well as extended design 29.

Today, a truly unified communications infrastructure including endpoints, software, and agnostic platforms is essential.  The new role of room scheduling, people counting and device usage, to revamped ideas of unified communications and standardization, and digital signage. What AV/IT solutions are available, and which ones can be migrated to work in the cloud.

+ The new endpoints – all-in-ones, phones and more

+ Managing audio and video in the cloud

+ Ensuring intelligible audio near and far

+ Auto-tracking video cameras

+ Conferencing platforms

+ Collaboration & presentation systems that shine in the cloud

+ AV over IP – the time has come

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Disguise, a leading technology platform enabling visual experiences at the highest level, and award-winning multimedia production company, Moment Factory, launch a collaboration to combine their groundbreaking expertise in extended reality (xR) experiences and enable new storytelling possibilities in the music, live entertainment and broadcast industries.

[ The Art of AV: Experiential Projects that Elevate ]

As the pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual production across the world, it created new opportunities with new technologies connecting virtual and real worlds. These technologies are influencing many types of experiences and are even enhancing the live shows that have returned post-pandemic. Moment Factory and disguise’s mission for this collaboration is to create and deliver a multitude of immersive experiences for musicians and artists in broadcasts, live streams, concerts and other live events, as well as boost innovation initiatives within extended reality.

Extended Collaboration

The collaboration will focus on Moment Factory’s use of disguise’s state-of-the-art hardware and software, in-depth technical expertise and global community of partners and users, whilst promoting Moment Factory’s conception and production of wide scale creative, innovative and immersive experiences. Customers of both can expect new technology, better tools, a more integrated production process when working with both and greater opportunity for the community and users within the xR ecosystem.

Moment Factory co-founder Dominic Audet is excited about disguise and Moment Factory’s collaboration and mission to create amazing xR experiences. “By creating this collaboration with disguise, we will enhance our common delivery capacity for live xR events around the globe. Following a ten year-long relationship, sharing common DNA in music and live events, it is only natural to combine our visions to continue bringing amazing experiences to life all around the world.”

Disguise CEO, Fernando Kufer agrees, “We have a pipeline of joint initiatives lined up that will push the boundaries on what experiences we can create for people using extended reality. After working with Moment Factory for many years and seeing the amazing projects they have delivered using our technology, I am confident that we will push each other to break boundaries in music and entertainment. With Moment Factory, we will bring new meaning to the disguise motto of create together,” said Kufer.

Garena marked the fourth anniversary of its mobile battle royale game Free Fire by partnering with Limelight Projection Mapping and WorldStage on a Guinness Book of World Records event at the Tropicana Las Vegas Resort on the night of Aug. 19.  Limelight and WorldStage teamed to create a massive video display that was projected onto the entire façade of The Club Tower of the Tropicana. It covered more than 60,000 square feet and featured more than 1.6 million lumens of light.

Free Fire is played on iOS and Android devices in a battle royale format with players seeking to survive on a remote island location. The Club Tower of the Tropicana was selected for the Free Fire celebration for its large white palette and surrounding open space—the perfect canvas for a magical celebration.

An artists collective that has created 3D projection mapped artworks and light installations worldwide for more than a decade, Limelight created the content for the event’s five-minute main show. It featured a unique combination of Limelight’s signature architectural mapping and Free Fire’s game characters for a one-of-a-kind marriage of original 3D artwork and 3D video game design. The content delivery resolution was 3840 x 1800 pixels.

The main show was followed by a display of eight short artworks made especially for the event by Limelight Masterclass artists and Limelight in-house artists. The artworks were based on the theme of “Revival” after the long disruption by COVID-19.

There was a collective holding of breath during the live Free Fire gameplay, as an attempt was made to establish a new world record. It succeeded when Limelight and WorldStage covered 46,733.65 square feet of The Club Tower with the game imagery, shattering the previous Guinness Book of World Records record by more than double and creating the largest projected videogame display ever.

[ The Latest Projection Mapping Solutions for Pro AV ] 

“Being an artists collective charged with creating artwork on this scale, it was refreshing to collaborate with the professionals at WorldStage, whom we could trust to execute the technical side,” said Scott Hallock, director of operations, North America for Limelight Projection Mapping. “This was our first big post-COVID project, and it required a lot of people and a lot of 20-hour days. WorldStage’s awesome crew matched our professional intensity to get the job done and set the world record!”

The project began with Limelight making a photogram of The Club Tower from which a 3D model was created. “All the artwork was created in 3D with a perspective shift for the audience,” Hallock explained. “We treated the Tropicana like a three-dimensional surface, not a screen.”

Once WorldStage had the details on the projection surface, the team began to tackle a number of challenges. “The temperature of Las Vegas in August was a big concern, as was the need for a bright enough image to compete with the screens and architectural lighting on the Strip. Once the team identified the number of individual raster areas needed to create the overall image, it required us to supply a variety of long-throw PJ lens sizes to accommodate the different throw distances from the top to the bottom of the building,” said Michael May, vice president/account management at WorldStage. “That was an interesting aspect of the project that illustrated just how massive the surface was.”

 [ A Look at the Growing Projection Mapping Market ] 

“Our project manager, Donovan James, did a site survey to determine appropriate projector positions, which proved to be the parking lot of the Tropicana where we built a custom scaffold structure to support 52 Barco UDX 4K32 laser projectors.” May explained.  “The team worked night shifts (for obvious reasons) and placed solar blankets over the projectors during the day to protect them from the heat.”

“Las Vegas is a brutal environment in August. It was a challenge for WorldStage to keep the projectors cool, and we had two days of unexpected high winds when it was hard to keep the covers on,” Hallock noted.

The WorldStage team calculated that 13 image areas, composed of four projectors each, all blended together, would be needed to map the entire side of The Club Tower. “Although brightness was initially a big concern,” May noted, “our team’s calculations on the number of projectors needed were spot on and the imagery held up amazingly well against the brightness of the Las Vegas Strip. As you can see in the drone shots, the projected content matched the brightness of the surrounding area perfectly.”

“There’s a lot of ambient light in Las Vegas,” acknowledged Hallock, “but WorldStage built the brightest projection system ever deployed in the United States.”

WorldStage also brought in three air-conditioned mini mobile units to house 10 disguise vx 4 media servers and routing to drive the content, plus power and a small audio system.

[ New Tech Keeps Projection Mapping Front and Center ]

At WorldStage, Donovan James was the project manager, Raul Herrera and Dan Block the disguise operators and programmers, and Tom Roland the video engineer.

“We knew that Limelight could pull off a project of this size and scope,” said May, “and the content they created was absolutely stunning. Our WorldStage team also did an amazing job; the entire process went really smoothly with no ‘oh, my gosh’ moments.”

“I couldn’t have been happier with the way everything worked out,” Hallock added.

When the newly refurbished Sondheim Theatre reopened its doors in December 2019 to welcome back the West End’s longest-running musical, Les Misérables, the excitement was unfortunately cut short following the swift and unexpected impact of the pandemic. 

But hope was once again restored when a staged concert version of the musical opened at the same theatre—first for only 10 shows in December 2020, and now for a limited season until September 5. Award-winning video designers Finn Ross of FRAY Studio and Jonathon Lyle were brought on to adapt the original show’s video design to its new concert format through the help of disguise’s pre-visualization software that is powered by a disguise solo server. 

Despite being thwarted twice by COVID-19 restrictions (in the initial opening and then by a UK lockdown ahead of Christmas), the show has enjoyed critical acclaim as theatre-lovers gather every day to “hear the people sing”.

“What we’re doing with video is containing the space and tuning into the emotional temperature of the scene,” explained Ross. “We chose disguise because of the excellent support and the solo specifically for its suitability for smaller theatre shows from a form and cost perspective, while still offering power, flexibility, and the full disguise experience.” 

The new design is much more simplified in comparison to the musical production as it removes scenography and choreography, while lighting plays a much bigger role, tuning viewers in with the emotions of the performers. 

[Stage Lighting Technology Accelerates]

“A subtle hand was taken to create this unique concert experience," said Ross. "The connection with the performer and the stage is very intense, as we tried to find a sensitive way to support the atmosphere and the work of the performer without overwhelming them.”


Unlike the musical, which uses projection mapped images that bind to the action and movement on stage, the concert relies on an LED wall to playback subtle elements of the original images, designed by Matt Kinley, inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. Ross added: “We were able to take the original show file in disguise pre-vis and edit it down to condense it to the shorter duration of the concert. Luckily we were operating within the same system and in the same building as the musical, so it was so easy to reconfigure things in the background. disguise certainly made the shift very painless.”


The team was also working with the LED screen brightness extensively, adapting it for very dark or very bright scenes. With disguise at the core of the production, integrating lighting and video, the team was also able to use the software as an LED screen control solution to streamline their workflow.


[The Integration Guide to Video Walls]

“We always feel reassured when working with disguise. It’s a reliable piece of software that doesn't get in your way and lets you create without having to fight with it,” Ross concluded.

Disguise has launched a new and improved xR stage at its Los Angeles office. The new space comes equipped with the latest technology to meet the growing demand for the disguise xR workflow in virtual production and broadcast in the West Coast area.

[Disguise’s New xR Workflow Powers Katy Perry Performance]

In early 2020, disguise accelerated the development of its xR solution, providing an alternative for live events to resume in a virtual space. Since then, the workflow has powered over 250 projects and formed an essential component in the 170+ xR stages that have been built around the world to support the demand for immersive real-time productions. 

The upgraded stage, which was also the first xR stage opened by disguise, comes with an enhanced design, new equipment, and a full cluster rendering setup targeting the growing wave of film, episodic TV, and broadcast productions relying on scalable, photorealistic real-time content. 

“The disguise LA xR stage has been invaluable to us as we pitch to our clients and evaluate workflow options,” said Steve Richards, principal at Original Syndicate and long-time disguise customer. “Because xR stages are generally costly and hard to come by, the flexibility and versatility of the disguise LA xR stage makes it invaluable to us for testing and exploring use cases across a range of projects and growing list of industry opportunities.” 

The new stage is made up of:

• Disguise rx render nodes driving uncompressed real-time scenes from Unreal Engine or other leading render engines
• Disguise vx media servers
• ROE Visual Black Onyx 2.8mm LED wall and Black Marble 4.8mm floor
• Red Komodo and Blackmagic URSA cameras
• Stype RedSpy, Ncam, and Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking systems
• BlackTrax tracking
• Lighting products from Litegear and Arri

For the past two years, the LA stage has been providing the disguise user community with a space to learn and experiment with the disguise xR workflow, test out new content ideas, and design end-to-end projects across live music, corporate presentations, broadcast, and virtual production for film and episodic TV. 

The stage also doubles as an R&D center and support resource for the community, a space for the disguise technical solutions team to run xR demonstrations for clients around the world—including the latest disguise r18 software webinars—as well as an event space where various educational talks, like a session from Screens Producer Laura Frank, have been hosted. The new stage will also enhance disguise’s permanent xR setup in LA with better local knowledge and 24-hour global support to better serve customers in the region.

Creative firm XR Studios was among the first to incorporate disguise’s new xR workflow for an immersive performance by Katy Perry for Malay e-commerce platform Lazada’s annual Super Party. The new workflow, released to the general public in April 2021 through disguise’s new r18 software, includes a feature that extends the virtual scene to allow cameras to zoom in and out of each scene. 

With these capabilities, the community of disguise users can now build even more exciting and elaborate scenes that mix the physical and virtual worlds.

[Disguise Launches r18 Software with xR Capabilities]

“The virtual zoom allowed us to work outside the box because we can now simulate shooting in a space that is ten times larger than ours,” said J.T. Rooney, chief creative officer at XR Studios. 

Silent Partners Studios were the xR content designers on this project, and by partnering with XR Studios, they were able to create worlds that went beyond the limits of the physical screens. Perry performed against a giant Pierrot statue, Escher-inspired architecture, swan sculptures, and a fireworks display, with the camera zooming in and out on her in the virtual space—creating a huge sense of scale.

Of course, using this kind of technology for the first time isn’t without its challenges. Not only were there tight turnarounds and short deadlines, but there was the added challenge of incorporating a brand-new input into the workflow. 

“As always, creating worlds and content in xR is challenging, but it’s consistently a rewarding adventure to figure out the virtual space,” Rooney said. “This new workflow is something that has been discussed for a long time and the XR Studios team was excited to see how we could help push it further, give suggestions, and test and develop it in a live show environment.”

By using the new virtual zoom feature, XR Studios was able to achieve shots that were previously unattainable. “Adding the virtual zoom to the workflow meant we could creatively see more of the scene and build a more elaborate environment,” Rooney said. 

“Over the past 12 months, XR Studios has been trailblazing the use of our xR workflow,” said disguise CEO Fernando Kufer. “From their early days delivering Katy Perry’s first xR-powered performance on the American Idol season 18 finale, to, nearly a year later, pioneering our latest software features in their third collaboration with the artist. We love seeing them constantly break boundaries in xR production.”

The What: disguise has announced the public release of its Extended Reality (xR) solution as part of its r18 software launch. 

The What Else: The xR workflow used by XR Studios to power Katy Perry’s performance at the American Idol season 18 finale has opened up a new world of opportunities in immersive real-time production in the past year, offering a safe and innovative alternative for shows and live events, allowing these to resume virtually. 

[Future Vision: Volvo Tests New Car Designs by Driving With an XR Headset]

Backed by the Carlyle Group and Epic Games, disguise has revolutionized xR and virtual production, powering over 230 productions across live entertainment, film and episodic TV, corporate events, and TV and sports broadcast to date. Over 165 disguise xR stages have been built in 35 countries to support the growing demand.

First introduced at the IBC Show in 2018, disguise xR has since undergone intensive field testing and refining as disguise collaborated with a select group of its talented creative and technical partners to turn xR into a robust, reliable, and flexible solution for productions of any scale or complexity. 

r18 will also release disguise’s cluster rendering feature. Developed in partnership with Unreal Engine, disguise cluster rendering will unlock new possibilities for immersive content of the highest quality, detail, and framerate at any scale. Users can deliver photorealistic scenes to large scale content displays on any surface from installations to corporate displays.  

r18 users will also enjoy full support for the ACES cinematic standard. ACES will allow them to own the content color management process and trust the composite onto the final screen to render truly dynamic and visually engaging output.

r18 will also see the launch of a brand new virtual production course available for free on the disguise elearning platform, demonstrating how the workflow can help VFX teams push boundaries in film and TV production.

The Bottom Line: The public release of xR aims to significantly reduce the barrier of entry to cutting-edge productions, unlocking the power to create any world, from one location. disguise xR integrates with leading LED, real-time content and camera tracking technologies to power immersive virtual environments of the highest standards. This technology-agnostic feature gives users the freedom to choose the tools they want to create the story they envision with confidence. 

As the NBA resumed its season, Fuse Technical Group turned to 13 disguise gx 2c media servers with Designer software and Sockpuppet control features to help deliver a home game feel for teams and fans at home.

The NBA set up a “bubble” isolation zone at Walt Disney World near Orlando to enable professional basketball to resume while keeping players safe. Although spectators were not permitted in the stands at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex where the games were held, fans have been able to watch televised basketball once again.

Related: Disguise Opens xR Demo Stages in London, LA, and Hong Kong

“This was a totally new experience for the NBA as well as the teams involved,” said Charles Dabezies, Fuse Technical Group. “Our largest challenge was understanding how to adapt 22 different team’s shows for this new environment. Adapting a traditional basketball game to this layout was new for everyone.”

From July to October, the bubble was host to the final games of the 2019–20 NBA regular season and the 2020 playoffs. Four production teams ran 33 scrimmage games and 88 regular season games across three courts, amounting to over 9,000 minutes of basketball broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide—making this one of the longest running live TV productions powered by disguise.

“We have a long history of deploying disguise on large-scale projects, so we knew we were picking the right tools for the job,” Dabezies said.

Three basketball courts were created in the sports complex and giant wraparound LED video screens topped by graphics displays were installed to fill the void left by the lack of fans. A database of music, audio cues, and graphics ordinarily used by the teams in their arenas were adapted to customize the courts for the designated “home team.” A bank of in-game reactions was also developed to support big plays and help support the natural momentum of the game. All of these were in addition to the 400-odd virtual fans that were displayed during normal gameplay. 

During the one-week quarantine transition into the bubble, the production team made use of disguise’s pre-visualization to review content and cue up sessions with the screens producers via Zoom. “Pre-viz was an indispensable part of this process. It helped the teams to understand the layout of the screens and some of the impact without being onsite,” said Jackson Gallagher.

The team decided to use disguise’s Sockpuppet workflow to enable them to respond quickly to game play and the evolving nature of the overall game experience. Games were played on three courts simultaneously where any of the 22 teams could be the home team, so Fuse kept its six full-size grandMA3 consoles in network together to continually update programming and move it to different courts based on which teams were playing where each day.

“We needed some software tweaks along the way to optimize our workflow and were very appreciative to be working with disguise, which had the resources to get us updates within a day,” Dabezies said. “This was certainly an edge case: None of us had done a show with 14,000-plus media files, and it pushed the disguise workflow to the limits. disguise was able to reinvent some aspects of the UI to help us handle this massive amount of data. With disguise being so flexible, there was never a choke point to the league or team’s creativity.”

Disguise has launched three Extended Reality (xR) stages in its London, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong offices. The new stages provide a dedicated space for xR innovation and customer demonstrations, allowing disguise to present new workflows. The disguise team have taken this opportunity to explore and finesse xR workflows, experiment with content ideas, and support the community with remote production worldwide, including the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards and America’s Got Talent.

The stages are equipped with disguise’s xR solution and a complement of LED displays, cameras, and camera tracking systems to ensure successful xR productions. For its London and LA stages, disguise has chosen long-term partner ROE Visual to deliver LED panels that bring high-quality visual effects to life on large display formats, creating immersive experiences for performers on stage and audiences at home.

Related: Disguise Powers XR Content for 2020 MTV VMAs

“It’s a pleasure to have partnered with disguise on this fantastic project,” said David Morris, manager of business development, UK and Ireland for ROE Visual. “We are pleased to be at the forefront of the ever-popular technique of virtual production and it’s great to have a fully functioning stage in the UK. I’m sure disguise and their team of experts will make a huge success of this growing technology.” 

The London stage opened in August 2020 and marked its debut with a visit from creative studio dandelion + burdock. The space affords EMEA customers the chance to visit a permanent xR installation and gives disguise the ability to stream demos to clients around the globe.  

“We felt very privileged to have been the first to come and play at the disguise London xR stage,” said Nils Porrmann, technical director at dandelion + burdock. “We were very cordially received, with the appropriate safety measures in place, and our support team was amazing. We used the setup to involve and condition our creative team to an ever more complex live production environment. We believe an all-team approach leads to better expectations management and smoother deliveries.”

The London stage is fitted with the following cutting-edge technology:

• ROE Visual Diamond 2.6mm curved LED wall and Black Marble 4.8mm matte finish floor
• Mo-Sys StarTracker, stYpe RedSpy and Ncam Mk2 for agnostic camera tracking systems
• Blackmagic URSA camera
• Barco E2 image processing system

The Los Angeles xR stage opened last year and has already been hosting demos and running events, including a program for SIGGRAPH 2019, when guests filled the space to attend talks by key industry experts. The stage has also been used to prep the setup for America’s Got Talent and by Framestore VFX studio for film production.

The LA stage is equipped with a ROE Visual Black Pearl 2.8mm LED wall and Black Marble 4.8mm floor, stYpe RedSpy camera tracking, BlackTrax real-time tracking, Blackmagic URSA camera and Barco S3 image processing.

While still under construction, the Hong Kong stage is set to launch in Q4 2020. As a dedicated xR space in the primary APAC office, it will allow disguise’s Hong Kong team to offer unparalleled customer service and provide 24-hour support to meet increased xR global demand. When complete, the stage will feature a Mo-Sys StarTracker camera tracking system, Blackmagic URSA camera, Panasonic UE150 PTZ camera—supporting 4K and FreeD protocols—and CreateLED panels.

With the launch of rx, Renderstream, and software release 17.4, there has been an acceleration of disguise customers wanting to run Unreal Engine content on xR stages, and these spaces will be available for anyone to come in and experiment with those workflows. With work underway to deliver the Epic MegaGrant brief—closer integrating Epic and disguise’s products—these spaces will also offer essential R&D and customer feature validation services to the Product teams at disguise. 

“Our stages will provide a space for xR innovation and support, opening up access to our user community to see and learn the xR workflow, try out content ideas and run customer demos,” said Fernando Kufer, CEO of disguise. “With our newly launched 17.4 software release supporting completely uncompressed engine-agnostic rendering, we are solidifying our position in the market as a trusted partner for next-generation virtual production.”

The first major awards show in the US to be broadcast since the pandemic was held Sunday, August 30, when the socially distant MTV Video Music Awards were telecast from New York. XR Studios selected the disguise XR workflow, powered by the latest disguise gx 2c media server, as the show’s central technology hub. 

“The project was successful on a level of scale in terms of the size of the stage, the number of Stype-tracked cameras and the ambitious number of live performances and awards presentations,” said JT Rooney of Silent Partners Studio, who worked together with XR Studios to deliver the complex show in extended reality.

Related: Future Vision: Volvo Tests New Car Designs by Driving With an XR Headset

XR Studios, which pioneered the application of XR in live entertainment, was brought in by Paul Caslin, creative director for the VMAs, to help create a virtual stage where the awards presentation would take place. Additionally, XR Studios produced and enabled creative teams to craft performances for multiple artists like Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, Doja Cat, and Da Baby in extended reality environments. Notch VFX played a key role in the production as the main realtime rendering engine for the awards stage and performances from Miley Cyrus, The Black Eyed Peas, and Doja Cat. Meanwhile, Unreal Engine provided realtime rendering for Lady Gaga and Da Baby, utilizing disguise’s newly launched RenderStream video-over-IP protocol.

“Disguise’s XR workflow allows for a traditional workflow of media server and content creation while adding on the layers of augmented and mixed Reality,” said Scott Millar, technical director at XR Studios. “This allows for flexibility and dependability for live entertainment. Disguise’s camera calibration workflow also enables virtual set extension and the ability to blend LED with virtual environments to create whole new worlds.”

The disguise gx 2c powered real-time generated graphics from Notch onto the LED video screens as well as the virtual set extension content outside the LEDs, creating a vast and immersive virtual world on camera that fans could view from their screens at home.

“This was the largest and most complex XR show that we have had to support so far,” said Jamie Sunter, disguise senior support specialist who was involved in the project. “We had support and development teams working in LA and UK to ensure that we could get the most coverage with both time zones. We utilized the newly built XR stage in London HQ to then be able to verify fixes and reproduce issues that were being seen on site. In LA we had frequent presence on site as well as at the homes of the support team based in LA.”

For the VMA show, disguise software was key not only to the camera calibration, but also to color balancing and overall compositing of real-time content tools. This project marks yet another collaboration between XR Studios, Silent Partners, and disguise, after having delivered virtual productions for performances from Katy Perry and The Black Eyed Peas earlier this year.

The What: Disguise has launched r17.3, its latest software release that delivers an improved workflow for enhanced efficiency and successful completion of projects post-lockdown. 

The What Else: New features include Indirections, Multi-layer Editing, Object Assignment Hotkeys, Crossfaded Loop Section Mode, as well as a number of improvements and bug fixes to further streamline the user experience.

Related: ‘Disguise OnDemand’ Launches With Free Software, Training 

Headlining the release is the introduction of “Indirections,” which gives all new flexibility to change keyframe objects. Users can now quickly change keyframe objects such as mappings, video clips, textures, and configurations remotely via third-party protocols such as OSC, DMX, or a dedicated API. 

The new “Multi-layer Editing” feature, allows users to edit multiple layers quickly, saving time sequencing and simplifying workflows by assigning common parameter values across layers. The ability to select multiple layers and keyframe values to layers simultaneously allows users to respond to feedback fast, and ensure time onsite is maximized.

Also included in r17.3 is “Object Assignment Hotkeys” allowing users to tailor their workflows for speed and ease of use by assigning your own custom keyboard shortcuts for supported objects. Quickly iterate through layers to make creative changes, and keep up the momentum to deliver the production.

The addition of a “Reference Point Manager” allows users to stay on top of multiple projectors by viewing projector calibration points in a list format, which makes muting, unmuting, and locking points easier to accomplish.

r17.3 also offers time savings in post-production with the new “Crossfaded Loop Section Mode.” Decide how media will loop in the moment, crossfade from the end of the section to the beginning, or jump to the right place in the track for a take without having to play through the entire clip.

The Bottom Line: The improvements to functionality unlock new workflows for applications like esports, making changes to the visual experience in response to gameplay, for example, to spotlight who is leading the match at any given time.

disguise r17.3 is available to download now from www.download.disguise.one

Technology firm XR Studios leveraged the latest solutions from disguise to create stunning visuals for Katy Perry’s performance of her new single ‘Daisies’ on the season finale of American Idol. The project relied on the collaboration between the creative and technical teams led by XR Studios, with content by Silent Partners Studio using Notch VFX, direction by Silent House Productions, and PRG North America as the Production Vendor.

“Started on the #AmericalIdol stage, ended up in a whole new world,” as Katy Perry wrote on her Instagram, the performance has since been watched by over 9 million viewers around the globe with over 2 million YouTube hits on top of the 7.3 million strong viewers on the night. The broadcast has left many asking “how was the performance achieved?”

Related: Behind the Projection Design for Broadway's Beetlejuice the Musical

“Having disguise for delivery of this content was crucial... there's simply no other solution out there that I would trust with this,” said JT Rooney of Silent Partner Studios, who was the Screens Producer and led all the creative content creation.

Beginning in an American Idol-branded studio, the physical walls around Katy Perry suddenly dissolve away, bringing viewers with the ‘Daisies’ singer into a fantastical world where she interacts with virtual elements such as oversized props, a pair of giant hands, and masses of floating daisies.

“From a creative perspective, the actual look and feel of the piece was a deceptively difficult effect to achieve,” Rooney said. “The graphics’ solid flat colors and simple textures actually made it difficult to complete the illusion of making the physical LED [backdrops] disappear and magically combine with a virtual environment.”

Sitting at the heart of the setup, disguise xR integrates with an array of technologies including camera tracking and real-time content engines, directing each element with power and precision, extending the physical space into a virtual world delivering a unique visual experience.

“The seamless extension of the real-world LED screens to the virtual world environments could only be done by disguise’s xR camera registration workflow, allowing switching between camera perspectives and the LED content,” said Scott Millar, a disguise xR Workflow Specialist who provided creative technology support under XR Studios and Silent House Partners, and overall technical direction for PRG on the shoot. “Multi-Camera switching between perspectives also allowed us to switch cameras, and the LED content.”

Using disguise xR Spatial Mapping, the teams were able to accurately keyframe the position of real and virtual worlds into one coherent place where choreographed action could take place.

Conceived as a live music video performance, the unique project had a narrative from the start where the world would change in time with the song and lyrics. The visual content was created and rendered in real time with Notch, the industry standard graphics tool for live performance. Combining the rendering power and flexibility of Notch with disguise technology, the team could edit the XR content over a network while it played back live on stage.

“Using Notch as the render engine, and being able to embed that into disguise for seamless integration is a huge benefit,” Scott said. “We get all of the power, support, and control a disguise server brings, with the ability to render in real time, across multiple synchronized machines.”

disguise xR also made it possible for teams to collaborate in a social distancing environment at PRG Studios’ custom-built xR stage in LA. The disguise xR workflow helps teams avoid non-essential contact, mitigating the risks posed by traditional approaches to filming immersive visuals which would involve high-level, real-time in-camera shoots, green screen, and other VFX. Combined with carefully coordinated working processes established by XR Studios, everyone involved in the project was able to work safely together and apart.

The disguise team also provided support and guidance every step of the way. The disguise support team went above and beyond to ensure the experience went off without a hitch. “We consulted on workflow, investigated issues during testing, and then provided completely remote support for the shoot using remote machine control and video calls throughout setup, calibration, and the shoot itself to get all the information needed just as if we were onsite in LA,” said Jamie Sunter, senior support specialist at disguise.

“At disguise, we are building the technology platform to enable creative and technical professionals to tell stories in new and innovative ways for the world’s leading brands and artists,” said Ed Plowman, chief technology officer at disguise. “This show was just the beginning of disguise and xR—we can’t wait to show you what’s next.”

Disguise has enhanced its software with the aim of helping its community meet production challenges while away from their studios. With its latest release, r17.2, disguise introduces improvements to help users optimize their workflow at home, such as Application Mode, and devise new concepts to connect with audiences online with augmented reality and 360 video.

A key addition in r17.2 is the ability to run disguise’s Designer software in Application Mode. This enables Designer to run alongside multiple applications so users can perform tasks concurrently and switch between its software and other apps. With Application Mode, users can pull content from the web into a project to work up concepts and share works in progress with others to communicate progress, gather feedback, and collaborate better.

Related: Glue Launches Next-Gen VR Collaboration Platform for Dispersed Teams

r17.2 introduces support for HTC VIVE tracking accessories, which make it possible to develop AR experiences at home without high-end tracking equipment. HTC VIVE accessories can be used to emulate camera or object tracking systems, so users can work up AR concepts from lockdown in their home office setup, living room, bedroom, bathroom or kitchen—wherever they choose to augment their world.

r17.2 also allows users to create simple AR screens without the need for other tools, so they can quickly test out ideas for AR experiences. By making it possible to render layers separately, users can also experience better overall project performance and a cleaner workflow.

With the new Spherical Camera in r17.2, users can now render 360 video content in disguise, engaging content for online audiences. 360 video is also a valuable addition to users’ remote production toolkit, enabling them to test out arrangements, gather feedback, and gain confidence before sharing content. Users with a VR headset can also enter the 360 experience or share with others to view using a VR player.

Available now, r17.2 software is designed to help disguise users reach new creative heights at home during lockdown. The software update can be downloaded here. 

The What: Disguise has released r17.1 of its Designer software, adding new augmented reality (AR) capabilities and an enhanced user experience. The release coincides with the launch of a six-month free license for the software. 

[disguise and Evolve Media Group Announce New Partnership]

The What Else: The significant workflow improvements introduced in r17.1 enhance the ease of use for specialists delivering augmented reality (AR) experiences with disguise, making it a more compelling option for use in projects for broadcast, esports, and live contexts such as corporate, education, virtual environments and concert touring. As viewing figures surge, it becomes increasingly important to have the right tools available to create AR easily and efficiently and elevate at-home viewing with thrilling visuals.

The disguise solution provides full 3D simulation and camera planning tools that allow workflow specialists to pre-visualize and imagine every pixel of an AR experience ahead of time, communicate and collaborate with other teams, and respond to feedback at every stage of a production.

To date, disguise has already been used to power many major events, including the live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony of the Pakistan Super League, the longest ever accomplished duration of an AR-centered broadcast. AR was critical to the success of the broadcast and enhanced the experience for the 50 million viewers watching from home and around the world. With r17.1, disguise hopes to further enable its community to produce AR experiences.

As well as making it easier to create and deliver AR, the new disguise release also introduces a range of improvements to the software user experience.

With sequenced transitions, users can now transition to anywhere on a timeline using black and white content to define the transition. The feature opens new visual possibilities and saves time previously spent sequencing by simplifying the approach.

The new ability to generate test patterns within the software speeds up workflows by removing the need to leave the software to create test patterns in other tools. Test patterns in a pre-visualization give users confidence in their screen arrangement by letting them see precisely where the divides are between each screen. Test patterns are dynamically generated meaning users can react quickly to adapt a pre-visualization to feedback and on-site changes.

The launch of r17.1 comes in a week when disguise has offered a free six-month subscription promotion for its Designer software. This offer has been made to support the disguise and live events community at a time when it is key for creatives and designers to continue to create and prepare for live projects later in the year.

The Bottom Line: Built with disguise’s community of artists and technicians at its heart, r17.1 dramatically enhances the AR workflow so that its community can produce experiences with ease. With the release, disguise also hopes to help creative studios and production houses access the market opportunity presented by AR with the solution for delivering spectacular and immersive visuals.

For more information, and to download r17.1, click here.

In stand 8-E250 at ISE 2020, disguise will present its solutions allowing creatives and technologists to imagine, create, and deliver spectacular live visual experiences. 

Attendees visiting the stand will have the opportunity to witness the different features of disguise’s solutions in action, working together at scale to deliver one fully integrated system. It will also feature a projection-mapped kinetic sculpture with real-time generated video content.

[disguise and Evolve Media Group Announce New Partnership]

Various demo stations on the stand will also present how disguise’s solutions are used on large-scale global projects and productions. From enhancing the stages of music festivals and live events, such as Eurovision Song Contest 2019 and Marco Borsato live at De Kuip Stadium, to powering architectural wonders around the world. Disguise’s hardware and software also sit at the heart of fixed installations, enabling globally recognized designers, consultants, and systems integrators to transform environments and create unforgettable visual experiences on building façades like the Burj Khalifa, in theme parks and cruise ships, as well as in museums and retail spaces all over the world.

Disguise will also be showcasing how its solutions bring a unique offering to production teams in esports, allowing them to make use of content that responds to gameplay and integrates seamlessly with other systems. On-booth demos will show how the platform is being used to create engaging experiences for both online and live audiences, with recent applications in live tournaments and studio installs around the world including PUBG Global Invitational, FACEIT Major, and Gfinity Studio projects in the U.K. and Australia. 

Finally, disguise will be presenting its latest hardware: the vx 4, which has been engineered to play back video at the highest quality and resolution possible; and the gx 2c, which combines the highest output and processing power, allowing creatives to build environments with more particles, effects, and richer scenes at higher resolutions and smoother frame rates.

ISE attendees will also be treated to an engaging visual experience as they enter the exhibition center, as disguise is partnering with Novaline and Carbon Black to create a multi-dimensional holographic installation. Inspired by the intersection of science and powerful display technologies, the installation will employ disguise’s gx 2c.

To read more ISE 2020 news, visit avnetwork.com/tag/ise.

The What: Disguise has launched r17, the latest update to its software, with improvements to its pre-visualization and compositing capabilities, the addition of NDI support, and general enhancements to the user interface.

The What Else: Disguise software enables users to “pre-visualize” every pixel of a project before an event or installation. Doing this helps users align every stakeholder ahead of time and deliver on schedule. r17 introduces to previsualization “manipulators” that give users the ability to select multiple objects on a 3D stage and offset, rotate, and scale them at the click of a mouse. The feature improves efficiency and usability, reducing the time and effort needed to set up a project.

In r17, disguise has also taken compositing to the next level with PreComps. Using the flexible timeline, users can now route video content between different layers, enabling them to blend and mix content sources to create a complete look. This new workflow allows users to create a pre-composition of layers which can be reused in multiple locations, making timelines cleaner and more flexible. Also SockPuppet projects—which allow users to control disguise via a lighting desk, iPad, or networked device—now perform better and need less complex setups.

r17 also includes NDI support. Users can now stream an NDI source from content tools to the disguise stage, all in real time, unlocking new workflows for esports, fixed installations, and TV productions. Integration with NDI can also be used as a streaming preview from content tools, such as 3DSMax or AfterEffects, that enable users to finesse content accurately in-situ, saving time and speeding up workflows.

“For r17, we've listened intently to our users to ensure we’re meeting their needs,” said Raed Al Tikriti, chief product officer at disguise. “The result is a major upgrade to the usability of our software with a range of improvements that are designed to feel great and help you achieve a faster production and streamlined workflow process.”

According to disguise, the latest release r17 has tested positively with select users that took part in the beta program. “Probably one of the more exciting things about r17 is PreComps going gold,” said Zach Peletz, video programmer and founder of Turning Point Studio. “I've been using PreComps in their various forms for a year now and it’s great to see how far they've come and the new possibilities they provide. This is actually the core of what we've developed for an upcoming show. It’s a major step forward.”

The Bottom Line: Designed in response to feedback gathered from disguise’s community of artists and technicians, r17 is designed to enhance the experience of building projects, unlock better ways to work, and save time and effort when producing live visuals.

With the increasing complexity of live AV experiences showing no sign of slowing, media servers have had to evolve in order to keep pace with “show-runner” demands. This new breed of servers is helping to facilitate even greater experiential wonderment, allowing live AV to dazzle like never before. 

There are many different demands shaping media server development, including the ability for servers to be extremely flexible in terms of supported content formats and different resolutions, as well as true real-time rendering capability and the ability to integrate 3D objects into a project workflow.

More Agile

“The market is asking for more immersive and interactive experiences, requiring larger canvases, higher resolutions, and content that is rendered in real time,” said Marcus Bengtsson, technical sales manager at disguise.

These demands challenge the traditional content production pipeline. Where motion graphics used to be delivered as pre-rendered video files, they are increasingly delivered as binary assets to be rendered on the fly.


“This enables a high degree of interactivity and on-site flexibility, but it also poses new challenges, not only from a technical perspective,” Bengtsson said. “Alongside these requirements, we’re also seeing higher demands for visual fidelity and quality. Uncompressed or visually lossless content at color depths and frame rates that were considered esoteric and extremely challenging two years ago are today commonplace.” 

Regular video playback has become ubiquitous and is expected in today’s streaming-friendly environment, and there’s now a greater demand for interactivity and more creative and memorable video-led experiences, with generative media creation replacing pre-rendered content. 

More Comprehensive 

“We see a demand for uncompressed playback of 4K, or even higher content,” said Mike Steinbrecher, director, CMP business development at Christie.“Additionally, a media server has to be able to do more than just simple file playback; it also has to be able to interact and influence the content in real time.”

Featuring FX and a particle system, Christie’s new Pandoras Box V6.4 will offer a 64-bit platform that gives users more performance and headroom to play back uncompressed content with up to 10-bit color depth. More than just a playback device, its multi-user function allows several operators to work on the same show file at the same time, making adjustments in real time directly, without any external, additional software.

“Christie is the only manufacturer that is able to deliver an end-to-end solution,” said Steinbrecher, “including Pandoras Box Media Server to play back content, Spyder X80 for video processing, and Terra to distribute and transport the signal to a Christie projector, LCD, or LED wall.” 

Coupled with Christie support and service, this comprehensive solution simplifies the planning, setup, and communication for big projects. According to the Christie, Pandoras Box is also the only media server that is available in nine different languages, making it much easier to work with an international crew. 

More Intuitive

The new Pixera system from AV Stumpfl boasts “revolutionary” GUI that was developed so that the most important actions in both 2D and 3D can be executed following the same mechanisms. 

“It has never been easier for operators to understand a media server's main functions by simply interacting with the GUI in an intuitive way,” said Hans Christian Stucken, global marketing advisor at AV Stumpfl GMBH. “In purely technical terms we also believe to have one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, render engine out there, giving our customers the option to use uncompressed content up to 8K and beyond and to properly synchronize their content playout across multiple servers.”


The integration of VIOSO's automatic camera calibration technology is another factor that makes Pixera a great choice for new customers, according to Stucken—as does the ability to import complex 3D designs of a show setup and then simulate the play-out scenario within the same user interface that’s used for the content play-out on location.

“Whether you want to realize advanced projection mapping projects or simply wish for a solution that offers an extremely powerful render engine for high-resolution content playback up to 8K and beyond, the Pixera system's versatility means it can be an important part of any scenario where a large number of pixels have to be properly synchronized across multiple servers,” he said.

More Visceral

Disguise claims to offer the world’s first fully integrated show production suite, with a streamlined production workflow from initial concept through to show execution. The technology is based on a unique combination of a real-time 3D visualizer with custom built, high-performance hardware.

“With our latest hardware and software, we are enabling people to create immersive and interactive experiences for both the audience in the arena and the people watching from home,” Bengtsson said. “Not only do we offer some of the most powerful hardware in the industry, but we’ve also invested heavily in our augmented reality and mixed reality workflows that will enable new interactive live experiences and bridge the gap between the virtual world and the real world.”

According to Bengtsson, disguise’s real-time 3D visualization software enables managers and directors to make decisions based on facts, not guesses. 

“Every pixel has a price—from the point of rendering to being displayed on a screen—so a reduction in pixels usually means a reduction in production cost. By simulating LED screens and projectors with pixel perfect accuracy we can show how different resolutions look like side by side, in real time. This enables decisions to be made with confidence and ensures that the end result will meet both creative and budgetary expectations.”

More Universal

Green Hippo’s Tierra+ Media Server is the newest product in the company’s Hippotizer V4+ lineup. Featuring four genlocked 4K (DP1.2) outputs to feed even the largest displays, Tierra+ offers “unmatched” performance in media playback and generative content rendering—ideal for large-format interactive installations—and includes 3D projection mapping and media management tools to simplify all aspects of the show creation process.

“The Hippotizer toolset is constantly developing with the aim of increasing capability, speed and ease, while maintaining the same high levels of quality and reliability,” said Ryan Brown, product manager for Green Hippo Hippotizer. Hippotizer’s real-time rendering engine enables seamless integration with third-party show control systems, making it at home in complex setups where it is controlled by many sources at once.

“From a usage point of view, Hippotizer offers extensive APIs to enable seamless remote control and monitoring by system controllers,” Brown said. “We prioritize an easy-to-use interface to allow onsite technicians to confidently make changes as needed; we offer a flexible, plug-in based architecture so that functionalities can be added and removed as needed. We also develop deep third-party integrations with popular interactive and generative content products and workflows.”

More Capable

The Analog Way Picturall lineup concentrates on high-quality, high-resolution video playback over huge pixel spaces. Picturall supports multi GPU playback, offering up to 16 4K physical outputs from one server, with the outputs supporting custom resolutions, “area of interest” functionality, and external signal splitters, making it easier to leverage specific interface requirements of any display technology.  

“Our Picturall system supports a wide variety of media formats including support for Apple ProRes, and we also have our own proprietary codec AWX, which is specifically optimized for the largest video canvases,” said Andrzej Lubaszka, chief technologist at Analog Way. “We can also support HDMI, SDI, and DP local inputs as well as Newtek NDI and other network streams for a complete video system in one chassis. Our system is very easy to integrate into external control systems. We have been optimizing our Linux-based platform for many years, allowing us to provide a rock-solid foundation for reliable playback device.”

All of the media servers discussed here are competing against one another in what has become a very crowded, competitive, and multifaceted market. There are huge differences between the needs of a touring music act, for instance, and a corporation’s lobby LED screen, but both demand reliable, flexible, easy-to-use hardware. Live AV producers will doubtless want to consider which of the advanced media servers currently available best suit the requirements of the sectors they’re working across.

disguise is pleased to announce its new partnership with Evolve Media Group as the latest Rental and Sales Partner in the U.S. for disguise solutions.

Evolve is a technology-focused company that provides its suite of services exclusively to the live event industry. The U.S.-based company offers three key services comprised of rental, sales, and education through its Academy. Evolve’s trifecta of services is a unique business model designed to better support the needs of the modern-day live events company. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Evolve to the disguise global partner network as our newest rental and sales partner in the U.S.,” said Grif Palmer, VP Sales and general manager for disguise Americas. “We are looking forward to working with them as they offer training in their Orlando and Las Vegas locations and help their existing customers to better understand how the disguise workflow can streamline their content management needs. They have already been involved in projects across entertainment, corporate, and interactive, so we are excited to partner with them and their clients.”

[disguise to Launch New Workspace in LA]

Evolve CEO Tyler Mayne added, “disguise media servers are not just requested but required by many of the top designers in the industry. disguise provides the visual power for the most demanding live events all over the world and are instrumental in getting clients’ creative visions from conception to reality. We are very proud of this new partnership and welcome disguise to the Evolve family."

Evolve invested in disguise gx 2 and vx 4 media servers for its rental inventory and brought disguise on as a full Evolve Trifecta Partner by providing disguise training workshops, which began last summer.

Evolve has already deployed disguise on projects and seen the benefits the solutions bring to a project when faced with issues such as venue scheduling and time limitations for on-stage rehearsals. Kevin Ring, solutions manager, noted, “By utilizing disguise pre-visualization tools, we were able to give the client an accurate representation of their event space, which allowed rehearsals to start before load-in began and to continue off-site while the set up crew worked. Before they got to the venue, the client had an accurate view of their event, and we were able to help them make adjustments well in advance.”

disguise pre-visualization has been a tremendous help in allowing clients and customers to see how their content will look and react to the display environment, according to Ring. “We have had many content creators make drastic changes after seeing a pre-visualization. Previously, these changes would have been made on-site and could have been very costly and stressful to all parties involved.”

The versatility of disguise also sets the platform apart in the market, Ring said. “Other platforms often require additional gear for signal and format conversions. Because of the scalability and customization of the system, using both the networking features and the VFC cards, disguise has been fantastic for the rental and staging markets. One week a client may require 16 DVI outputs, while the very next week a different client needs four HDMI 2.0 4K outputs. Being able to utilize the same hardware for both rentals ensures that our servers always stay busy.”

Evolve intends to market the gx 2 and vx 4 servers as the flagships of its media server product offerings and use these tools to help clients better understand the power, flexibility, and varied uses of a media server. 

The Evolve Academy will also offer the disguise Fundamentals’ training course as one of its recurring programs. Kevin Ring, solutions manager in Las Vegas, recently became certified as a disguise trainer and will lead courses in both Las Vegas and Orlando. In addition, Evolve plans to host trainers from disguise leading more advanced training sessions on a regular basis.

“We are committed to the training and education of technicians nationwide to ensure that our customers always receive the best service possible,” Ring said.

disguise (booth 521) will showcase the latest in its software integrations for the U.S. market at InfoComm 2019, and will preview its new gx 2c server and introduce its vx 4 server.

At the show will be the latest in disguise’s gx range of media servers, the gx 2c, which features more GPU processing power for faster performance and the ability to render more particles, effects, and rich content environments, all at higher resolutions and smoother frame rates. Designed to scale and fit as part of a bigger media server system, the disguise gx range enables creatives to go beyond the power of a single server solution, into distributed systems with multiple servers working as one to create an immersive experience. Like all gx range servers, the gx 2c will come with an integrated two-year Notch playback license for seamless delivery of generative effects.

disguise will also showcase the new vx 4 server, the flagship of the pro range. Previewed at Integrated Systems Europe 2019, where it won a Best of Show award from Future brand Installation, the vx 4 builds on the legacy of the pro range and has been engineered to play back video at higher quality, smoothness, and resolution. The vx 4 is optimized to play up to four times uncompressed 4K60 using its high-performance NVME RAID drive array, and has the capability of playing lossless 10-bit video. Additionally, the vx 4 can capture 16 3G-SDI sources or four 4K sources (2160p60).

disguise will also show the latest version of its r15.2 software, which includes integration with Agile Remote Cameras’ range of PTZ cameras, enabling full control overexposure, gamma, gain modes, and other settings. The latest release also includes a new integration with Riedel, for control of Mediornet, allowing users to switch routes in the same way as switching a conventional matrix route.

“The disguise 3D workflow and software that rides on these media servers continues to garner industry attention and is used to imagine, create, engineer, and deliver many of the most compelling shows around the U.S. and the world,” said Grif Palmer, general manager for disguise in the Americas. “We are looking forward to seeing members of our user community at InfoComm 2019 and introducing our company to designers and engineers in event production, system integration, and xR-related film and television production that are looking for new and compelling tools.”

Projection mapping shows have become increasingly popular over the past few years, so we decided to dive in and help you understand a little bit about how they’re put together.

All projection mapping starts with a concept. It’s important when considering the concept to think about who the audience is, where they will be located, and most importantly, what object you want to projection map. Most often, this is a building, but it could also be a sculpture or a temporary structure. From there, 3D models of the projection mapped object are built. These 3D models will form the basis of the mapping, so it’s important that they are accurate: For complex geometry, a laser scan can be performed, which can give millimeter precision to the mapping.

Once a 3D model of the projection mapped object is complete, a process called UV mapping converts the object into a surface capable of receiving video, in software terms. The UV map comes between the 2D video file and the 3D geometry of the object: it defines which pixels will fall where on the object and is critical to modern projection mapping workflows.

When the UV mapping is complete, the 3D object file can be loaded into a projection simulation tool, such as the disguise Designer software. This tool enables the production team to simulate the position of the projectors and projection mapped object and see the behavior of the projection pixels on that setup. Advanced tools also include simulation of light level (luminosity) to enable photometric calculations to understand just how much light will be visible on the object during the projection show. At this point, projection designers can design the optimum projector setup, with choice of projector lenses and stacking configurations, to reach the desired outcome.

Now it’s time for content production. The projection design will influence the overall resolution of content required to hit the object and make it look good. Once this is known, content can be produced using the same UV mapped 3D file. There is a plethora of content production methods out there from analog stop-motion graphics all the way to real-time rendered effects using 3D content tools such as Notch. A good content house will know which tool to apply depending on the desired storyboard.

Whatever the content source is, you’ll also need a media server to play back the created content and manage onsite alignment and blending. Tools such as disguise have been built to support multiple editors working simultaneously on the same file, so while the content team works on updates in the 3D simulation engine, the technical delivery team on site can be carrying out a line up. The line up is the process of matching the virtual 3D model with the real world model, including moving the virtual projectors into place exactly as they have been rigged on site. This process is helped by such disguise tools as QuickCal and the new OmniCal calibration, which uses cameras to capture the projector setup in just a few clicks.

When you’re all set on site, it’s time to run the show—and of course reliability is key. High-profile shows often demand redundancy and a network of multiple servers, all working together to deliver the show. After all, the world is watching.

Peter Kirkup is the technical solutions manager, EMEA at disguise.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, which has been playing at a purpose-built theater, the Starlighthalle, in Bochum, Germany since 1988, has upgraded video production using disguise to drive video for a refreshed run, making its debut this summer.

Starlight Express is about a nine year-old boy’s dream in which toy trains come to life for a spectacular race across America. The long-running musical, performed entirely by actors on roller skates, includes new material and significant technical updates to the auditorium.

The Starlighthalle in Bochum features tracks on three levels in a U shape with the audience sitting in the middle and around the tracks. Video is projected over the entire set, including the skating floor, arches, and back wall. The video projections take the audience to each scene location and provide graphic backdrops for some of the show’s numbers.

“Our design brief was to bring context and location to the show’s songs and story,” said Duncan McLean, video and projection designer. “As the production had existed for 30 years, it was our job to utilize existing surfaces to bring the projections to life.”

Duncan explained that using the disguise pro range was the logical choice for the complex needs of the production. “Given the heavy 3D mapping that the production required, we felt no other media server would have given us the technical flexibility and support we needed. The 3D previs function always makes the whole process so much quicker—it gives you a great idea of what will and what won’t work in the space.

“We were able to previs many of our looks within disguise in the weeks leading up to the production period. This gave the whole creative team a real understanding of what the content would eventually look like.”

According to programmer Emily Malone, disguise’s QuickCal “was a feature we heavily relied upon. One of our mainprojection surfaces is the floor, which is quite a complicated set of curved surfaces covered by 12 projectors. With QuickCal what would have been a difficult and very laborious focus is now a very straightforward methodical process.

"disguise allowed us the flexibility we needed during rehearsals, where ideas were constantly evolving, and the visualiser was an absolutely invaluable asset. Interactions with other show elements were intuitive to set up, and the Multi-Edit sessions allowed us great freedom in how we worked.”

The production demanded that Duncan’s team “push the system as hard as we possibly could, with a raster of 6,000x5,000 pixels running off of one 4x4pro,” McLean said. “The media server handled extremely well. As always, support from disguise was impeccable!”

Salvador Avila and Ethan Forde are the system engineers with the production, Gustaf Lindströmthe lead animator, and Stanley Orwin-Fraser, Bradley Purnell, and Alex Uragallo the animators.