The illustrious principals of Tao Group began 2011 in style, celebrating The Cosmopolitan resort’s grand opening on New Years Eve with legions of international luminaries, celebrities and performers. The stunning new Marquee Nightclub rocked the night away with the start of DJ Erick Morillo’s residency and a star-studded New Year’s Eve bash hosted by Jay-Z. “Marquee Nightclub” Dayclub will unite the very best of every great international city’s music scene into one spectacular and singular setting," said Louis Abin, Tao Group partner, about Marquee’s stated mission. "The club’s truly unique attributes serve as the ideal nightlife complement to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas."rnrnAt the heart of this sensational 60,0000 square-foot David Rockwell-designed venue beats a 40-foot LED DJ booth and projection stage surrounded by two dance floors. Marquee’s unique hardware plays host to the artistry and talents of VJ, producer and director Vello Virkhaus, creative director Emilio Sa, event marketing impresario David Corso, and their colleagues from V Squared Labs (VSL) and Corso Communications.rnrnrnTo view Marquee work on Vimeo click here.rnrnAn internationally acclaimed VJ, Virkhaus is among the world-renowned music talents now fueling the Marquee. Through VSL, the firm he started in 2003 which has since become an industry leader in conceiving, designing and producing visual art and motion graphics for the entertainment and marketing industries, Virkhaus and his VSL colleagues including Sa have also directed and engineered experience visual content packages and systems for New York City’s Crobar and Rok Bar, Stay Hotel in Times Square, and Perfecto at Rain Nightclub at The Palms. Equally impressive, VSL has also created original concert/tour visuals for artists including 50Cent, Beyonce, The Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Sandra Collins, Deepsky, Destiny’s Child, Green Day, Jay-Z, Korn, Paul Oakenfold, P-Diddy, The Police, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, and Snoop Dogg, among many others.rnrnCorso Communications founder David Corso has called upon the strengths of Virkhaus and Sa many times in the past. For Tao Group and the Marquee Nightclub, Corso and VSL developed an extremely detailed pitch, proposing thematic motion graphics and interactive nightclub visuals custom tailored for the performances of resident DJs Morillo, Kaskade, Roger Sanchez, Dirty Dutch’s Chuckie, and LMFAO, along with other themes and original content to support every corporate or entertainment use imaginable. rnrn"Tao Group’s Jason Strauss presented us with a very specific vision for the club’s environment," Virkhaus explained. "We integrated creative direction provided by the Tao Group and the key resident DJs to craft the various themed visual packages. To say the least, we were thrilled to win the project."rnrnThe dazzling, intelligent media system ultimately delivered leverages original HD animation and live-action HD content produced and directed by Virkhaus through VSL and Corso. Somewhat belying the system’s power and high-tech sophistication, it’s all controlled by an Apple iPad running a hybrid, real-time interactive VJ software package (app), created using TouchDesigner, the leading authoring tool for building interactive 3D art, visualizations, prototypes and UIs created by Toronto-based Derivative. rnrnMatt Daly of Chicago’s Leviathan and VSL’s Bryant Place were the lead developers in creating the audio/video DJ FX app providing real-time control over the new Marquee media system and its generative, audio reactive computer graphics, just as they were for a similarly high-profile and mesmerizing project application in 2010 for Heineken, which was also produced by VSL for Corso Communications. "Matt is a long-time colleague and collaborator of mine, and last year, when we wanted to create a real-time VJ tool to support a custom 360 visual performance system for Heineken’s Inspire activations at live events, I got him involved," said Virkhaus. "For that project, Matt recommended TouchDesigner very strongly, and since then, we’ve all become completely obsessed with the software. The solution for Heineken incorporated multiple real-time HD video inputs, routed as a digital switcher with globally operable transfer modes. On top of it being the ultimate video router, we also incorporated the generative front end in real-time."rnrnUsing the intelligent media system controlled by the VJ FX app and the touch of a finger, virtually anyone can operate a unique, interactive, multi-screen presentation featuring the original HD content produced by VSL and Corso. The custom themed packages for each DJ and the corporate themes are all designed to leverage the LED screen and large scrim on stage, as well as other screens throughout the club. Each theme’s content consists of four individual layers of video. The live-action content was shot over a three day green-screen shoot by Virkhaus, co-director Stephen Eachon, Sa, and director of photography Jez Thierry, using two RED MX and Canon 5D Mark II digital camera systems. To create templates for each theme, VSL’s animation team used Adobe After Effects and Photoshop to design each template based on architectural drawings and the specifications of the LED screen. After adjusting the mapping through the venue’s projectors and the LED screen, the animation and editorial teams finished their content in real-time in the nightclub, using Modul8 VJ software from Geneva-based GarageCUBE.rnrn"Real-time compositing, color correction, audio reactivity and dimensional layering created the final product," confirmed Virkhaus. "The results can only be experienced in Marquee."rnrnSince debuting in support of the Marquee’s Dec. 2010 events, the system has performed flawlessly around the clock, and clearly, all the planning, diligence and showmanship of Tao Group’s principals is paying off. "The quantity and quality of visual artworks we’ve created for this are absolutely amazing and groundbreaking," Virkhaus concluded. "Everyone’s saying that the Marquee has set the bar extremely high for the nightclub experience visual presence, and that it’s a game changer. We’re hoping our achievements here inspire live entertainment venues around the world to follow their lead and reactivate their visual cortex!"rnrnThe Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is best experienced in person. For more information, please visit www.marqueelasvegas.com.rnrnAbout Corso CommunicationsrnFor more than 20 years, Corso Communications has produced high quality events with seamless integration of its clients’ brands, resulting in maximum media and marketplace exposure. Through principal David Corso and his industry-leading collegues, the firm has built lasting alliances in all major markets, leveraging an ever-expanding network of venues, artists, production specialists and media partnerships. Through its offices in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Miami, Corso sets the standard for phenomenal, turn-key integrated event marketing solutions. For more information, please visit www.corsocom.com.rnrnAbout V Squared LabsrnV Squared Labs is a leader in the concept, design and production of visual art and motion graphics for entertainment and marketing communications. At the center of contemporary design and visual culture, V2 Labs has consistently demonstrated an uncommon capacity to understand and implement convergent disciplines, including multimedia design, live action, DJing, VJing and audiovisual synchronous performances. For more information, please visit www.vsquaredlabs.com.rnrnAbout LeviathanrnLeviathan is a design-focused production studio specializing in the creation of large-scale visual experiences across all media. The emerging studio’s leaders are champions of breakthrough design and branding who draw from experiences earned within the world’s leading digital agencies, production companies, VFX and motion studios. Also leveraging the talents of extraordinary storytellers, software developers, producers and artists, Leviathan develops cutting edge content that maximizes the greatest capabilities of today’s media platforms, from broadcast to experiential installations. Since launching in 2010, the studio’s collaborations with agencies, brands and leading filmmakers have resulted in sensational projects across all markets and industries. Further adding to Leviathan’s strengths, its shared resources and creative philosophies with digital creative agency eatdrink (www.eatdrink.com“>www.eatdrink.com) add superior efficiencies in the development and delivery of original interactive content. To learn more about Leviathan, please visit www.lvthn.com.
Music for Reality TV and Unscripted Projects: ALIBI Highlights Newest Releases
ALIBI Music, a leading provider of royalty-free music and sound effects for use in film, television, advertising, games and more, has released a new collection of production music aimed at reality TV and unscripted projects. The seven new albums feature music in a range of genres, providing something for everyone while providing the perfect backdrop, whether used in a dating show, survival competition, sports showdown, documentary or informative podcast. As always, these tracks feature ALIBI’s signature formatting, with peaks and valleys providing numerous builds and edit points. Additionally, Adobe Premiere Pro users can access, try and license this music directly from their edit sessions through ALIBI’s extension panel. Listen and license here:
Female Radio Pop (14 tracks, 612 audio files) – Influenced by Nu Disco, these modern cues feature catchy, lyrical female vocal performances mixed with driving pop drums, grooving bass lines, fun synths and a variety of funky guitars, organic percussion and much more, making them well-suited to advertising, reality TV, romantic indie comedies and fashion branding.
Competition Drama (12 tracks, 518 audio files) – In this high-stakes collection of orchestral production music cues, each track features driving staccato strings, thunderous orchestral / trailer drums, bombastic brass and subtle whooshes, hits and risers to create a sense of urgency, build and importance. Suitable for competition-based... Read More