Live Design International (LDI) 2024

Learn how experts organize information across consoles: Fixtures, groups, palettes, cues, views, and much more. Explore the theory and relationships behind designers, programmers, and all the data and responsibilities they share. This session is perfect for new programmers or for existing programmers wishing to brush up on their skills.

This session takes fundamentals into show creation process. Industry professionals examine myriad productions and how they each operate differently. Cover cuelists, busking, magic sheets, macros, and advanced tricks and stories from speakers on how they got it done.

Explore the equally simple and complex nature of effect building. Learn how experts create stunning looks using basic math, selections, offsets, spreads, and clever thinking. We also cover the networking knowledge every programmer needs as well a  touch on the strange and unique requests we're often asked to fill in the ever-evolving world of live design.

Industry veterans offer their insights on starting, developing, and maintaining a career in this fast-paced industry. Learn how to negotiate rates, set up a business, pay your taxes, arrange travel, and all the other skills required to be successful.

Five years ago, we brought together a panel representing the cutting edge of tracking technology and visual computing.  This Panel returns to discuss how far visual computing, and 3D-tracking and 3D synchronization technology has come in the entertainment industry, and to discuss where it is trending. Returning are Peter Thompson (as moderator) Box of Wishes with leading innovators and power users in the field, Emric Epstein (VYV), Sam Hillyer (Tait), Aria Hailey (Zactrack), and Chris Lose (Follow-Me).

1. Explanation of how tracking, computer vision, and visual computing works in entertainment.
2. Use cases and examples of tracking and visual computing in both large and small scale shows and immersive experiences.
3. Open and frank engagement with leading professionals in the field allowing for direct access to some of the minds responsible for developing the technology.

Sharing excerpts, insights, and exercises from their upcoming book (published in spring of 2025) Allen Branton and Sharon Huizinga will discuss lighting design process for the evolving world of live events outside of traditional theatre dance and opera, including concerts and tours, awards shows, sporting events, benefits, comedy shows, corporate events, fashions shows, political events, and other instances where an audience comes to a location to be part of an occasion. These types of productions represent a majority of the opportunities available for people wishing to start a career in lighting design and technology. Most people interested in lighting and most people graduating from lighting training programs are going to work in the evolving world of live events beyond theatre. Part manifesto, part memoir and part lighting textbook, their book introduces the origins and history of live events, compares and contrasts where lighting design process for theatre, dance and opera differs from lighting design process for live events, and provides a step-by-step framework from which to approach productions in this environment, mixed with personal anecdotes, interviews, insights and case studies. The upcoming book is aimed at individuals (students and professionals) who already have an understanding of lighting design fundamentals and are interested in expanding.

Exploring the latest advancements in audio-visual and technology implementations that are revolutionizing immersive events and experiences, through implementations from AREA15 that’ll elevate the state of location-based experiential entertainment in Las Vegas.

Immersive events and experiences live in a state of continual evolution, driven by cutting-edge audio-visual and technological innovations. Join industry experts from AREA15, Las Vegas’ kingpin in location-based experiential entertainment, as they discuss how these advancements are transforming the landscape of AREA15’s immersive offerings. Panel experts will delve into how evolutionary audio-visual technologies—including 3D projection mapping, interactive displays, and advanced sound design—are being integrated to create more dynamic and engaging experiences, and how these trends are set to impact the fabric of Las Vegas entertainment as the AREA15 district expands across an additional 20-acres through 2025.

Attendees will learn about the challenges and opportunities of working with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems via data-backed insights gleaned from Las Vegas’ largest immersive events and attractions. Whether you’re an event planner, a venue operator, or a technology enthusiast, this panel will provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to elevate your immersive events to the next level.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the role of audio-visual technology in creating immersive experiences, and the collaboration of technology with creating events and experiences.
• Best practices for integrating advanced audio-visual systems into event design and execution.
• Case studies of successful audio-visual implementations at AREA15, highlighting key technologies and their impact on visitor engagement.
• Future trends and innovations in audio-visual technology for immersive events, with a focus on practical applications and emerging opportunities.

Events must keep up with offering content which can be consumed and appreciated by people who speak different languages, or are deaf or hard of hearing, or can hear well but have limited sightedness. Further, creative designs always seems to exceed production resources, creating a gap between what was imagined, and what's truly possible in a real-time environment. ENCO Systems, Inc. will show how to solve these problems, by first educating the audience on the unique details of each challenge, and then how various AI tools from Machine Learning to Generative AI to synthetic and modeled voice and human-like virtual avatars can all be used to make spoken and written content more accessible to more people, and generate more robust messaging across those media types, via both human or automated methods. As the winner of LDI's 2022 Best Debuting Product (Sound) for it's enCaption product, ENCO will firstly show how AI is used to generate live on-site captions from the spoken word. Then we'll show live translation into multiple other languages in real-time. The the fun begins when we use Generative GPT AI to take limited event or content information and embellish upon it to build rich bodies of text to inform or entertain audiences, especially when we convert that in real-time to synthetic AI-generated human voices of different genders and accents, including human-like AI-generated avatars, which can creatively open up vast new areas of creative expression with just a few keystrokes. We hope to educate the audience on what's possible today and in the near future, where AI can be a useful tool bringing more capabilities and content to more people, in real-time, for a better experiential experience.

An in-depth exploration of the differences between hardware and software pixel-mapping and how to control LED with video or DMX. A look at protocols to control LED; Dynamics and limitations of LED systems; Codecs and color spaces; Use of pixel mappers, media servers, and lighting consoles; Content creation and content modification.

A session that covers the pre production and content workflows, challenges, resolutions, and programming techniques of the first digital production of the Ring Cycle Opera.

Key points:
How managing relationships between departments is crucial, with producers, tech directors, content creators, lighting, automation and mechanists.

Content management is key: When you have over 16 hours of performance over 4 operas correct asset naming and organization must be maintained. How working with content creators on the other side of the world can work very well.

Examples of different programming techniques. How non-destructive programming can be implemented so when decisions are reversed it's easy to revert. Making changes on the fly during rehearsals with creatives.

When designing a lighting system that uses pixel LEDs, which pixel IC meets your requirement? Join experts from Advatek Lighting and Digital Ambiance for an in-depth exploration of addressable LED pixels. Learn how the right pixel choice can enhance the visual impact of your installations, and leave with actionable insights for your next project.

You'll be taken through topics ranging from 8-Bit vs 16-Bit resolution, operating voltages, color space, and how to create a pixel system where you can digitally tune colors on-site for maximum impact. Come with your questions, and be ready to elevate your pixel installations to the next level.

Justin Timberlake’s latest tour is an impressive marvel. With Justin traversing the audience to two different stages as well as performing ‘Mirrors’ on top of an automated floating stage dubbed the “Monolith” with impressive Unreal Engine and Notch visuals driven by Disguise GX 3 media servers.

Hear from the experts who bought this concept to life — creating a landmark performance, while minimizing risk and keeping health and safety top of mind. They will discuss the creative vision for the show and the technical system integration as well as the shift towards live shows becoming major cultural moments.