Michelle Branch backdrop

I recently designed the new backdrop for Michelle Branch for her 2011/2012 tour. I was approached by her creative team with the idea of putting together an eclectic stack of vintage amplifiers. The first task was to acquire images of vintage amps so that I could create a believable piece of art. As luck would have it, a music store that carries vintage amps was just ten miles away (Back Stage Music, Lake Orion) and they were willing to let me come a shoot all the pictures I needed.

The backdrop turned out fantastic.  Michelle liked it so much she invited me to her show, when they came through town, just to meet me and thank me for my work. No higher praise in my book. 

Thinking Design?

Design of a printed backdrop starts by identifying a goal or desired end result. Depending on your needs and personal taste, this can take on many different forms. The process can start with a cocktail napkin sketch and a few key words that describe look and feel or, it can be a taken from existing brand pieces such as printed collateral, new CD artwork, your web site or whatever brings you inspiration. The key is in translating that vision into a grand format that sets the tone you are looking for. 
Literal translations can work. Sometimes they don’t. That’s when its time to start thinking design.

Use the “forced”

Sometimes you really want to make elements in your backdrop seem huge. At the end of the day, we all have limits to the height we can go to in most venues.

One thing that can help create the illusion of great height is to illustrate the main elements of you backdrop in forced perspective.  What this means in the clearest terms is to illustrate in a way that creates an optical illusion that an object is nearer or farther away, larger or smaller than it actually is. This may be most effective with a building, mountain etc. This creates a feeling of great space or confined quarters to help pull off the feeling you’re looking for with your stage.

I’d be happy to talk to you about how forced perspective can help you.

3D meet 2D

Something that can give a stage a great deal of depth is the planning and integration of real world objects in front of a printed backdrop. It takes some coordination and planning can help pull off the effect but the end result is worth it.
Case in point, we did an illustration of a steam punk machine complete with all the cogs, wheels, bells and whistles for Motley Crue. ( you can see it on the header of the graphic design page on sewwhatinc.com)

The stage designer used huge barrels, copper tubes, oil drums and alike placed strategically in front of the printed piece to pull off a dark, fire breathing mad science steam punk effect.

People still come up to me and tell me how much they loved that stage. Isn’t that what it’s all about. A memorable experience.

Backdrops for System of a Down

Back in mid April, we were so excited to be approached by Chris Roberts on a large project of digitally printed backdrops for System of a Down.  Chris explained that they were looking for four (yes, FOUR) backdrops, each 30′ h x 60′ w.  That is 7,200 square feet of printing alone (not considering the hours spent in sewing the backdrops).

The project sounded especially cool, because they weren’t looking for 4 identical backdrops.  Instead, they wanted to utilize four different images – one image per backdrop – and each image was unique. 

The first image was a snow-capped mountain scene – very dramatic!  We found a photo of it on Flickr – check it out!  With the blue-tinged lighting, it really evokes the feeling of ice and snow.  A gorgeous desert scene in oranges is a great contrast to the mountain scene – just as dramatic, but this time evoking heat.  The third image was a terrific rendition of the band’s logo in white on a black background.  Finally, a hand image completes the series of backdrops.

The artist for two of the images (the mountain and the desert) was – you guessed it – John Rios (frequent contributor to this blog), and he also prepped the band’s existing images (logo and hand) for printing.

The seamless integration of illustration and design

The goal in working with any artist is to capture their essence so well that the design becomes a kind of extension of the artist or the statement the artist is making. I learned the real power of this when I asked a friend of mine who had attended a concert where I had illustrated a huge backdrop what he thought of the art? He replied “What backdrop?.” My first reaction was, “Are you kidding?” it was the biggest thing on the stage. I then realized what he was/wasn’t saying was that what I had created was so “in brand/in sync” with the artist that all thirty feet of the art made a seamless statement.

That moment really showed me the power of what its all about… Enhancing a performance and contributing to the creation of an unforgettable artist/fan experience with every project.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our portfolios!

Whether you are staging a rock tour, designing a theatre, or planning a special event, custom stage drapes, wide format digital backdrops, and other soft goods can play an intregal part in bringing your vision to life.  But what if your vision is tenuous?  You have a general idea of the mood you’d like to create, but you are unsure of how to use drapery to help achieve that mood.  How about checking out the Sew What and Rent What portfolio pages?  We’ve got photos of many different projects that we’ve worked on in the past – I’m sure that you’ll see something that strikes a cord!

Rock ‘N’ Roll

Maybe the Katy Perry parachute inspires you towards a red, white and blue patriotic theme, or Chris Cornell’s Metal Mesh drape gets you think of a cool industrial look.  Remember, these looks aren’t just for Rock ‘N’ Roll – similar looks would work for a special event.

Theatre

Maybe the gorgeous swags used by Jennifer Hudson inspire you, or the Austrian used by John Mayer at the Nokia fits the bill.  Traditional and dramatic theatrical drapery such as swags and Austrians aren’t just for traditional theatres – they look beautiful in any venue, whether it is a concert or a special event.

Digital Printing

Whether you choose a large scale backdrop with elaborate scenes, a step and repeat banner, or a geometric pattern, digital printing can be one of the most “custom” ways to achieve your vision.  Check out the terrific images we printed for Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow, and many more.

Need inspiration? Check out the Rent What Photostream on Flickr

I’ve posted in the past about the great photos that Rent What? has posted on Flickr, but as it has been awhile, I thought I’d mention it again.  We’ve told you a lot about the various custom stage curtains, theatrical backdrops, and other theatrical soft goods and supplies that are available for purchase through Sew What? and / or for rent through Rent What?  But, as they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and so if you are looking for inspiration for your next show or event, why not look through the many great photos in the “Concerts and Curtains” photostream on Flickr?

Here are some of my favorites:

LED Stardrops

Want to add some sparkle to your next show?  Thinking about purchasing or renting an LED Stardrop.  You can choose between the traditional bluish white night sky look with the Classic Stardrop, or maybe mix it up a little with color through the Chameleon Stardrop.  Check out the LED Stardrops photo set for some great visuals.

Austrian Curtains

I mentioned before how much I love Austrian Curtains – they are so beautiful and can set so many different moods. I especially like when an Austrian seems to change color magically during a show (through the use of a variety of lighting techniques) – one moment red, the next moment blue.  There are a number of gorgeous examples in the Austrian Curtains for Theatre and Stage set.

Digital Backdrops

Digital printing is such an amazing option today!  Whereas in the past, the only way to have a large scale scenic backdrop was to commission an artist to hand-paint the image, today just about any image can be printed and sewn into almost any size scenic backdrop.  From a simple 8′ x 10′ backdrop for a trade show booth to a huge 40′ h x 60′ w backdrop for a concert – digitally printing can handle it all.  Check out some of our projects in the Wide Format Digital Textile Printing set.

And these are just a few of the photo sets available – there is so much more.  So, if you haven’t looked at the photostream lately, check it out – I think you’ll find great ideas and inspiration.

Janet Jackson # 1′s

Last month we did an interesting project for Janet Jackson’s 2011 tour.  Most of the time, we either make a theatrical drape or a scenic backdrop (often digitally printed).  In this case, however, we combined the two, with great results, and I wanted to share.

We started out by making a pair of Bi-Parting Traveler Curtains, each 30′ h x 30′ w, from sewn flat in Black 22oz Encore.  This achieved a traditional drapery look with deep blacks and full opacity.  We then added digitally printed elements by appliqueing one half of the digital design to the onstage edge of each of the drapes.  

With the drapes closed, the design is front and center, with the white of the digital design really “popping” against the deep black of the Encore drapes.  Want to see more?  There is a great photo of these drapes – check it out on Flickr.

More Scenic Backdrops for Little Big Town

Last year, I posted about some beautiful digitally printed backdrops that we made for Little Big Town’s 2010 tour.  Well, this year we were excited to be asked to provided additional scenic backdrops for their 2011 tour – and this time the project included not only two digital backdrops, but a gorgeous handpainted backdrop as well, all 24′ h x 40′ w.  Of course, the artwork was created by, you guessed it, John Rios of GrafixJam.

Each of the two digitally printed backdrops had a unique image – one in black and white depicting a country church, and the other a graphic image of a black bird silhouette over a red, yellow and black geometric pattern.

Photo Courtesy of Bobby Simmons

Gorgeous, isn’t it?  Even more impressive is the handpainted backdrop.  Painted on NFR Muslin and then treated for flame retardancy afterwards, this drop features an image of a hand-stitched American flag.

Photo Courtesy of Bobby Simmons

It’s beautiful as is – but there is a surprise waiting when the lighting changes!  You’d never realize it looking at the photo above, but there is a hidden message painted on it in invisible UV paint.

Photo Courtesy of Bobby Simmons

Pretty cool effect, don’t you think!  I remember when we first hung this in our production shop, after the painting was complete, and everyone was amazed at how beautiful it was.  It is so exciting to see it on stage, with all the lighting effects.  Wow!