Contemporary Event Lighting…It’s in the Pre-Viz

The art of event production has progressed dramatically in recent years. With advances in lighting technology and the integration of lighting with video, ever more distinctive and memorable audience experiences are possible. EVI has traditionally been an early adopter and stays at the forefront of these powerful and immersive production techniques.

On the other hand…one thing that hasn’t changed in the industry is the pressure of the production schedule. Between venue rental, staging & technical equipment, labor costs and staff expenses, every day onsite is a significant investment.

By embracing leading edge production technology, EVI is able tame the production schedule to help maximize the client’s production investment. Lighting Pre-Visualization or Pre-Viz is a perfect example. This remarkable tool is at the exciting intersection of 3D event design, lighting and video programming, and video game technology.

Here’s how it works. Pre-Viz technology allows the production team to create a detailed 3D virtual model of the scenic environment in a powerful computer system…think ‘flight simulator’ level of processing. The digital model contains precise representations of the video and lighting technology being used for the show, including lighting consoles, media servers and video switchers. These integrated systems give the team a fully controllable ‘virtual show’ before the first truck ever pulls up to the dock.

Says longtime EVI lighting designer John Featherstone of Lightswitch, “Pre-Viz is an incredibly powerful tool for us. It allows us to validate our design and create cues and effects long before we go onsite with the real system. It saves hours of overtime and stressful late nights and delivers a superior experience to our ultimate clients…the audience.”

“But Pre-Viz is not simply a tool for the lighting department”, added EVI President and CEO Michael Marto. “Our producing teams are an integrated, collaborative and focused team of world-class experts in every field. With pre-visualization, all departments can work through the creative and technical possibilities of a project very efficiently. It’s a much more holistic and streamlined approach.”

Continued Featherstone, “We used Pre-Viz extensively on the recent launch of Premier Boxing Champions. The entire project team was collaborating on the look and feel of the show weeks before load in. That included verification of lighting positions, angles and levels, which are crucial for sports broadcasts, mutual understanding of cues, as well as position confirmation for the thirty-plus cameras. The process saved hours and hours of expensive time onsite and kept the entire team in lock step.”

Pre-Viz is just one example of the way EVI incorporates cutting edge technology to deliver world class, value focused solutions to its clients. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss how this and other leading edge ideas could benefit your event productions.