Jeff Ravitz Designs Duran Duran Live Webcast

Jeff Ravitz and Intensity Advisors are providing lighting design for their fourth installment in the American Express series, Unstaged. Featuring Duran Duran, the concert played live to the web on Wednesday, March 23 from the Mayan Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The band played hits from its new album, All You Need Is Now, as well as other hits from its portfolio. The show was directed by David Lynch, best known for films Blue Velvet, Dune and Mulholland Drive, as well as the TV series Twin Peaks.

"David Lynch was asked to provide a fresh approach to the presentation of concerts in this series of live-to-the-internet webcasts," says Ravitz. "He designed and created a series of video clips and images that will be superimposed on the screen over and around the band. Every song has a unique and specific treatment. Our job was to create lighting that is stark, in high contrast, and that provides a good 'background' upon which David's images can overlay. It's been a fascinating, fun, and educational trip through the very creative processes that [has] made David Lynch a cutting-edge and 'different' director.

"The Mayan Theatre has been a perfect environment for the show. The theatre/nightclub was meticulously designed in a Mayan Temple motif and the architectural details are beautiful, fun and campy. We've had a good time maximizing the look of the room while remaining true to our mandate to keep things sparse. Believe me, the show is well worth seeing and will absolutely be a new viewing experience."

Ravitz interfaced with Duran Duran's tour LD, Mark "Junior" Jacobson to design the show.

Junior added show-enhancing lighting elements to give the concert song-specific accents and color.

Previous Unplugged concert webcasts Ravitz and his associate, Kristie Roldan, have worked on have featured Alicia Keys, Arcade Fire, directed by Terry Gilliam, and Sugarland, directed by Kenny Ortega.