LONG BEACH, CA – Big results require big ambitions. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said it, and how right he was! Dreamstate SoCal’s creative design team certainly got the “big ambitions” part of that down. Their vision for their main stage was to deliver a production that took fans on an evolving journey across the universe.

As for the “big” results part… well, the transcendent power of their 70-foot high, by 160-foot wide, and 60-foot trim stage speaks for itself.

Designed by Erik Mahowald of Bending Light Productions with animation overseen by Brent Bucci of The VJ Collective, the stage was far more than just massive. It also transfixed the crowd by exploding with vibrant colors, mind bending video imagery, immersive 3D features, inflatables from Airworks, and scenic designs from Leisure Expert Group that truly made fans feel as if they were stepping into a glorious new universe.

“The stage was designed to evolve throughout the festival, taking fans to different planets, environments, and worlds,” explained Bucci. “Working closely with Jeff Ryan, Director of Dreamstate, our team developed a total of twenty major show looks, with custom intros for each artist. Content from the amazing animation team at Wolves Visuals helped bring this vision to life. The stage producer, Insomniac’s Andrew Jocson, as well as Bending Light’s Aaron Attarzadeh, and Anthony Garcia of Nice Lasers, added a vibrant element with their work.”

At the heart of the stage was a 40-foot circle made up of 282 LED panels provided by Akari Production that reigned over the DJ booth like some mysterious celestial body. Flanking this impressive circular structure (and at times seemingly enveloping it!) were massive video displays and scenic pieces that conveyed myriad evocative images, many of which portrayed alien beings. The total effect was, just as the design team envisioned — to take fans on a fantastical journey!

Anchoring this panorama was a collection of 36 Aspect Lighting supplied CHAUVET Professional Color STRIKE M motorized strobe-washes, all of which were run at full power (an ultrabright 1432 lux at 5-meters for the beam), not surprising, given the intensity of the production.

“Since we had such large format scenic elements, having high output fixtures was essential,” said Mahowald. “The Strike M gave us the versatility to light our statues from a far distance, while still packing a punch. We used them for scenic lighting and effect lighting throughout the performances. There were incredibly useful when lighting large scenic elements.”

During early daytime acts, the lighting was dominated by icy blue color palettes to maximize visibility and photo moments, while fire and steel elements were used during late night periods in order to interplay with pyrotechnics.

In both cases, the artfully orchestrated lighting and video animation worked to provide a powerful backdrop for performances by a long list of artists like Armin van Buuren, Solarstone, and John O’Callaghan — all while helping fans zip along on one amazing, joyful ride across the endlessly fascinating space of human imagination. Big ambition fulfilled!