top of page
modeproject-circle-08.gif

Design + Animation for Venues and Live Events

Portfolio of select experiential and venue projects by Brandon Newman, while he worked at Little Caesar's Arena and for The Oprah Winfrey Tour.

Portfolio of select experiential and venue projects by Brandon Newman, while he worked for Little Caesar's Arena and The Oprah Winfrey Tour.

Overview

Through my experience, I've worked with various venues and unique canvases for experiential animation and design. Whether it's a 360-degree ribbon or a 600-ft. wide wall, I excel in problem-solving to communicate effectively through design and animation. I prioritize physical space and lighting, and clear communication with production teams and venue operations ensures a seamless production and a better overall audience experience.

Little Caesars Arena
Detroit, MI

In-arena on-ice projection mapping + custom LED design and animation

The capabilities at Little Caesars Arena are endless. From on-ice projection mapping to the stunning 360 wrap center hung, fully immersive designs and animations elevate the experience. With over 25 LED screens, it's crucial to sync each board for optimal results. The "Sky Deck," a 1"x1" grid of lights, can also display animations or still artwork to complement the arena. Close collaboration with the lighting team, control room directors, and Daktronics operators ensures a seamless and beautiful experience.
 

"Jewel Skin" Projection Mapping

At Little Caesars Arena, the state-of-the-art "Jewel Skin" in the concourse immediately grabs attention. This 600-foot canvas wraps around almost half the building and uses 12 laser projectors to display custom event artwork, corporate ads, and internal marketing. When working with the Jewel Skin, it's essential to slow down animations significantly compared to traditional aspect ratios. Thinking in feet, not pixels, helps adjust animation speeds, considering the scale and patrons' perspective. Boosting contrast and saturation slightly compensates for outdoor light, ensuring the content stays true to the original artwork.

Detroit Red Wings
Hockey Club

Custom LED Configuration and Pixel Mapping + Set Design

Using a specific number of LED bricks to create a unique full-frame arrangement, we made pixel maps/templates for these configurations and synchronized animation and design across all boards. Foreground LED boards as abstract dots kept the focus on the player and name. Working with the lighting crew and production company, we used full-frame color wipes for dramatic lighting shifts.

For the in-arena experience, we added the dot pattern as a frame for the production edit. The dots synced with the music/beat, and all other LEDs in the arena were designed and animated to match the audio, creating a fully immersive experience. We also added on-ice projections of each player's name card, synced with the edit.

Reconfiguring the LEDs + Pixel Mapping + Set Design

For the in-arena experience, we decided to maintain the same number of LED bricks but reconfigured their layout. For player entrances onto the ice, we inverted the color scheme so the lighting could better highlight the players. We also created custom animations for each player, which were displayed on all the other screens in the arena.

Turn Table Portraits on Green Screen

For an NHL season, we filmed the players standing on a turntable with a green screen backdrop. This setup allowed us to capture a 360-degree view of each player, simulating a full camera rotation without the need for advanced equipment. Our goal was to give fans a view of the player's name and number before revealing their portrait. We then used time-remapping to create a slow-motion effect, which worked very effectively in the arena.

Oprah Winfrey's
"Path Made Clear" Tour

Custom LED Pixel Mapping + Set Design Animations

Custom animations and background art were created for Oprah's "Path Made Clear" tour, featuring abstract art, nature photography, and 3D book animations. A custom pixel map was developed for each LED on stage, and a single 16x9 template was used to integrate all three stage LED compositions, ensuring consistency and streamlining file management to keep all files and screens in sync.
 

Collaboration with each venue's in-arena production teams enabled the population of additional video boards, such as ribbons and jumbo screens. The tour traveled from the Bell Centre in Montreal to Rogers Arena in Vancouver, with stops at the Saddledome in Calgary and Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Looping Set Graphics

Looping set animations are highly effective for walk-in looks and other situations with an open running time. They are also invaluable for directors as a backup in case a show is delayed, paused, or if there are technical issues with the file being pushed to the screen.

Contact:

Tracy Heropkie

Executive Producer

Tracy@modeproject.com

312-952-0072

bottom of page