Immersive Creates EPIC 2.0 experience for Eric Prydz Dates in the US

Immersive, the innovative London and New York-based show designer and video content creator, is the visual design mastermind behind Eric Prydz' recent EPIC 2.0 shows in the US.

Immersive enjoys an ongoing creative partnership with Prydz. In 2011 the company designed a colossal stage set for the artist's EPIC (Eric Prydz In Concert) 1.0 UK shows, influenced by creative director and co-founder John Munro's passion for brutalist and minimalist architecture.

Munro carried on this theme for EPIC 2.0, which called for a new version of the set that could tour venues in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. This time, the enormous set incorporated LED screens rather than projection surfaces and increased the impact of the lasers, holograms, smoke machines and other visual effects used throughout the performances.

Munro employs the brutalist architecture theme to create a feeling of perspective toward the artist. He situated Prydz in a giant structure comprising wings that overlapped the audience and made from LED screens, on which visual content, also created by Munro, is displayed. As well as the architectural theme, Munro drew from a visual concept, "The Manmade In Nature" in parallel with "How Nature Influences the Manmade," to create the sublimely striking, dark images that accompanied the show.

Working to such a strong theme was particularly important to Immersive's animation design team, as it differentiated EPIC from other EMD installations. To this end, Munro created a 68-page design document to inspire and focus the designers and animators; underlining the level of design detail that Immersive prides itself on.

"More often than not, installation visuals are simply designed to look good with no real meaning behind them," explains Munro. "At Immersive, everything is designed to have a conceptual narrative under the surface, with a reason for everything being designed the way it is. While we have a healthy respect for current trends, we weren't looking to mimic past or current styles in design. The intention was to form an aesthetic to create a specific mood or awaken memories within people while still creating something new and fresh."

Munro's creative team accomplished this through a design process that encompassed camera moves, a combination of 3-D and film, rotoscoped footage, and hand-drawn textures applied to 3-D elements. Additionally, a hologram foil was suspended in the center of the set above the DJ position, displaying some new holograms for EPIC 2.0 created under the direction of Liam Tomaszewski, who also Vjed on the live shows.

Mark Calvert, Immersive managing director, produced the EPIC 1.0 and 2.0 shows, drawing on Immersive experience and its desire to work with the very best people suited to each department. "To that end we employed Chris Karr as production director and PRG as our production partners," Calvert says. "This left me to concentrate and conduct the front-of-house live operations."

The resulting EPIC 2.0 was a truly one-off experience Prydz will undoubtedly change the format of his live shows before he next heads out with his EPIC 3.0 next year, and Immersive will definitely be at the helm, insisting that everything we create is unapologetically fresh and original. Eric Prydz has changed the face of live EDM shows in the US this autumn, and we're extremely proud to say that the Immersive team has designed the show visuals all the way from concept to delivery."