Digital visual displays have embedded themselves in almost every aspect of Western culture, from the clothes we wear to the skyscrapers some of us call home. If it doesn’t pop out or scroll across the screen, it goes relatively unnoticed.
3D video projection mapping by Hyundai at Art Basel 2011 in Miami Beach, Fla.
Over time, our constant desire for visual stimulation has driven us to to think outside the “box” we call television and out onto the open spaces of the reality around us. In other words, we have revolutionized the way we see things.
The concept is now being used by almost every industry in the market, with the arts at the forefront. Lights have always been a crucial element for any visual performance, music shows being no exception. And so, we have evolved from our once-basic stage lighting to lasers and three-dimensional graphics and now, holographic representations of deceased pop icons.
Above is a clip from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s performance at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. What made their Sunday night performance so special, as some of you may have just witnessed for the first time, was the 3D hologram of Tupac Shakur.
A legendary hip-hop artist whose talent was cut short by his murder in the fall of 1996, Tupac has once again made headlines across entertainment media outlets, thanks to his extremely realistic and compelling appearance this past weekend. As he greeted Coachella’s main stage crowd, viewers around the world were able to witness his “resurrection” into live music culture via this year’s online stream.
photo of Tupac’s hologram by AV Concepts courtesy of MTV News
His projected figure and nearly perfect replicated voice were materialized by AV Concepts, a private San Diego-based tech company that specializes in audio-visual displays. Working for almost half a year on the project envisioned by Dr. Dre was no easy task. Comprised of wire framing, live footage and CGI projection, the life-size Tupac mimicked the star’s exact image from his tattoos to his voguish acid-washed jeans.
As Tupac appeared on stage, he welcomed his fellow performers and audience members before bestowing them with a few of his classics like “Hail Mary,” “Gangsta Party” and “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” Just over 15 years following his tragic shooting, his influence over the hip-hop realm is still being felt as technology has redefined what it means to “commemorate” someone.
Tupac’s hologram performing alongside Snoop Dogg at this year’s Coachella. Image by Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Originally an annual event, an increase in Coachella’s outcome over recent years has led festival directors to span the experience into a second weekend with an identical music lineup. Come this Friday, a whole new mass of ticket purchasers will flock to Indio, as will live streamers to their screens for Round 2.
Tupac’s guest appearance may have been a surprise for most, although some heard through leaked rumors just prior to the festival. However, I don’t think anyone will be caught off guard this time. So what should everyone expect come this weekend?
Biggie Smalls? Michael Jackson? Etta James? Another Tupac repeat? It’s a mystery waiting to be revealed.
This topic has left some wondering about what the upshots of this groundbreaking, new style of performing will have on the music industry as a whole. “It's affordable in the sense that if we had to bring entertainers around [the] world ... we could put [artists] in every venue in the country," notes Nick Smith, president of AV Concepts in an article on MTVNews.
But if it’s so cheap, what’s keeping us from standardizing it even more and using it as a substitute for actual live music? Virtual imaging may have made its imprint in film and other media outlets but, as much as watching this Tupac tribute made me smile, I still think music should keep things real.
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