Concert video design

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Concert video design is a niche of the film and video production industry that involves the creation of original video content intended explicitly for display during a live concert performance.

The creation of visuals for live performances bears close resemblance to music videos, but are typically meant to be displayed as ‘backplate’ imagery that adds a visual component to the music performed onstage. However, as the use of video content during musical performances has grown in popularity since the turn of the 21st century, it has become more common to have self-standing ‘introductory’ and ‘interstitial’ videos that play on screen on stage without the performers. These pieces may include footage of the artist or artists, shot specifically for the video, and presented onstage with pre-recorded music so that the final appearance is essentially a music video. Such stand-alone videos, however, are typically only viewed in this live setting and may include additional theatrical sound effects.

The earliest concert video visuals likely date to the period of the late 1960’s when concerts for artists such as Jimi Hendrix and The Doors featured psychedelic imagery on projection screens suspended behind the performers. Live concert performances took on more and more theatrical elements particularly notable in the concert events put on by Pink Floyd throughout their career.

But around the turn of the 21st century, original video content as an element of a concert performance became far more ubiquitous and, indeed, expected from audiences as part of the show and cost of admission.

A notable example of a contemporary concert using a great deal of video content, in addition to choreography and large-scale theatrical elements, is Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour.

[edit] List of Concert Video Design Companies