Aktuelle News & Schlagzeilen

Hippotizer MX blends scenic design and projection mapping on Hayley Williams tour

American singer Hayley Williams’ tour is out with a Hippotizer Teka MX Series media server, enabling a projection-led design to transform theaters into immersive environments. The Hippotizer Teka MX is part of the new range of MX Series media servers from Green Hippo.

The production relies heavily on projection as a primary scenic and atmospheric tool. Therefore, it required a media server capable of layered playback, real-time manipulation, and tight integration with GrandMA control in a streamlined touring package.

The creative concept was developed collaboratively by Lighting Director and Programmer Matthew Greer, designers Tobias Rylander and Michael Straun, Media Server Technician Dan Gentile, and Production Manager Riley Emminger. LMG Touring supplied the tour.

“Tobias and I wanted to approach Hippotizer in the same way we approach lighting fixtures”, says Straun. “We use the same language and the same design thinking. We were working from a single projection source and didn’t require IMAG or a heavy video infrastructure, so the Teka MX was the right fit both technically and economically.”

“The projection canvas is literally the entire stage”, adds Cory Froke, Technical Project Manager at LMG. “We’re using white drapes over custom-built lighting ladders and scenic pods, along with fabric hung from truss in more traditional configurations. In effect, the entire proscenium becomes the raster.”

Straun continues: “We started by sharing ideas and references with Hayley. During preproduction, we tested one of her music videos across the stage, scenic elements, and performance space. It immediately confirmed the direction - the imagery sat naturally across the environment and reinforced the concept.”

“We wanted to be in a room that was timeless and would make the audience ask: ‘Where are we?’”, he furthers. “The idea was to create a space that feels timeless and undefined, where it isn’t immediately clear whether Hayley is entering a space or leaving it. That ambiguity became a core part of the design.”

Content was developed by Frameworx, who created abstract environments, textures, and atmospheric sequences designed to complement Williams’ music. These were combined with reworked album artwork, promotional imagery, and re-synced music video elements.

“We had limited time to build and refine content”, says Straun. “Hippotizer gave us the ability to load, test, and manipulate material quickly. Using tools like brightness, contrast, and the internal effects engine, we could adapt content directly to the physical environment and immediately evaluate how it behaved on stage.”

Froke concludes: “Being able to house the servers directly in the FOH lighting rack significantly reduced system footprint and simplified load-in. In many of the venues on this tour, FOH space is extremely limited, so that efficiency is critical.”

(Photos: Green Hippo)

www.green-hippo.com

© 1999 - 2026 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories