AV Stumpfl's PIXERA Software on Tour with Charli XCX and Troye SivanNashville-based Rogue Productions recently showcased the capabilities of its Rogue Servers, powered by PIXERA (a media server software made by AV Stumpfl), during the co-headlining Sweat Tour featuring artists Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. COUR Design, a Nashville-based creative content house, spearheaded the tour's design. The production called for the integration of live camera feeds with dynamic visuals, synchronization with music and lighting, and the ability to make real-time adjustments. Joe Vaughn, Rogue Productions, says, "COUR Design approached us with a clear vision for the tour. They wanted to push beyond the limits of traditional playback systems. While other platforms are fine for pre-rendered content, most lack flexibility. PIXERA offered the next step up in quality and capability without the excessive costs of other high-end systems." Rogue Productions used two Rogue Servers in a multi-user session, driving both LED screens as well as the tour's projection system. The team devised a unique approach to achieve the tour's cinematic look. Live camera feeds were captured at 24 frames per second for natural motion blur, while prerendered content was output at 48 frames per second to ensure smooth playback. Vaughn says, "We ran the cameras at 24fps but rendered the outputs at 48fps, which gave us the best of both worlds -- smooth playback for video and the film look for live shots. It worked beautifully." Preproduction for the tour involved a week of programming in Peoria, Illinois, where the entire show was built on-site with the actual set. This hands-on approach allowed the team to leverage PIXERA's real-time capabilities, making adjustments to align with COUR Design's creative vision. Johnny Kingsbury, the tour's creative production designer, worked closely with Vaughn and his team to integrate video, lighting, and music into a cohesive experience. "PIXERA's timeline editing was a game-changer for this project," Vaughn says. "Unlike other systems where you drop in content, hit play, and hope for the best, PIXERA allowed us to tweak everything during rehearsals: effects, color correction, and timing. That level of flexibility made all the difference." Vaughn notes that, during the tour, the overall system latency was measured at just seven frames from camera to screen, with three frames attributed to the LED processor, demonstrating the almost frictionless efficiency of PIXERA's architecture. "At first, the creative designer was hesitant and wanted to use a more established platform like Disguise," Vaughn says. "But this project was a test for PIXERA, and it exceeded expectations. By the end, she loved it so much that she wants to use PIXERA on all her future tours." Rogue is set to program Troye Sivan's Australian tour and Charli XCX's UK tour, both leveraging PIXERA. "It's spreading," Vaughn jokes. "We're becoming part of the PIXERA virus in the best way possible." 
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