Video designer Peter Nigrini’s ambitious stage design for Fela! called for 14 separate projectors, with content extending across the stage and up into the audience.
d3 was selected to drive the show when it transferred to Broadway. A six-system master/slave network drove all 14 projectors, including physical dimmer control via DMX. A single understudy machine controlling a DVI matrix provided instant protection against hardware failures. d3 was also used to control four Sony VISCA cameras, compositing live video with pre-generated content.
d3’s new video thumbnail management features allowed new content to be added in thumbnail (low-resolution) form, allowing the video content creators to quickly try out new ideas during rehearsal. Finally, d3’s new cast rotation feature (specially created for theatre productions) allowed video content and camera positions to be easily swapped out as cast members changed from show to show. The show is triggered from the lighting desk via Midi Show Control, with no video operator required during the run.
