Popular Columbian rocker Juanes has added a new element to his Mi Sangre World Tour. The nine-time Latin Grammy winner, whose had hit songs on the US charts for the past six months, has embraced innovative video technology to enhance his performance.
Juanes enlisted multimedia artist and Viditar (video guitar) inventor Jay Smith and his company, Livid Instruments, to produce and design the visuals for the tour, which continues through 2006. Livid's hybrid video "instrument," the Tactic, is used to create this unique multimedia spectacle in real time.
The two-hour show includes six camera feeds, custom designed visuals, and real-time effects that are displayed on massive video screens surrounding the stage.
"Juanes is a true artist who speaks from his heart. We had to keep this authenticity in mind while creating a larger-than-life rock show with all the trimmings," says Smith.
Prior to the tour, Juanes and Smith planned the looks they wanted for each song. Then, the Livid design team created videos ranging from live action sequences to animated motion graphics. Each song has a unique visual design, using a mix of photos, original video footage, and computer generated graphics. Livid's production team takes advantage of the flexibility of real-time video to trigger the visuals and effects to the beat, allowing the videos to mix narrative concept with musical style and rhythm.
"Every night is unique. Although we have images and video loaded onto our software, I can create and add new files and effects at the last minute. Our technology gives both myself and Juanes creative flexibility, we can mix everything on the fly," states Livid VJ Jay Senk, who controls and directs the visuals at each show.
Livid's patented technology gives the VJ or visual artist creative freedom throughout the performance, rather than a pre-produced video show. Though the Livid design team spent months creating visuals for the tour, they are mixed and adjusted every night. The result is a unique show, night after night.