Stage design and visual parameters
Kirsten Hermes · Focal Press eBooks · 2021
Visual parameters can turn music performances into holistic, multisensory experiences. They can reinforce the emotion and energy flow of the music, through abstract representations of the music in colour and shape, or by providing an additional narrative context. The song concept and artist brand can be communicated more clearly through a combination of visuals and sound than by sound alone. We can create performance personas that resemble who we are in real life or that are entirely fictional. Live visuals can also be used to amplify what is happening on stage. This chapter summarizes the existing tools for creating visual interest, including moving visuals, lighting, dancing, and acting, fashion, and stage design, offering insight into how they can be used to support the overall creative vision. The chapter ends on a tutorial showing how the third-party plug-in Ebosuite can be used to perform with visuals within Ableton Live.