For fans, the live concert experience is about the flood of emotion that comes from connecting with the music and the artist in person. Ed Sheeran is an icon of this kind of soulful performance. So we were honoured to get a call from Mark Cunniffe, show director and lighting designer for Sheeran’s Divide Tour, who wanted us to create video content that would help the thousands of fans at each show find this connection.
Our challenge would be to bring Sheeran and his music closer to fans without overwhelming his solitary presence on the monumental stage. In all, we created ten pieces of video content that use 3D architectural illusion to completely transform the mushroom-cloud shaped stage design. We took inspiration from a photoshoot we did with him in London, his lyrics, and even his tattoos to translate the complex emotional score of each song into an evocative but subtle video concept. Throughout the concert, live close-up shots of Sheeran layer into the video, giving fans a front-row view from anywhere in the arena. From a dreamlike double-exposed forest, to an enigmatic neon alley, to a burst of fire, each concept is an abstract journey through the song’s emotional depths.
