The set design featured a sprawling stage architecture developed by creative studio Sub Global. It featured a vast, industrial, almost Mad Max-inspired central stage filled with asymmetric towers. Pierre was brought on board specifically for the lighting design.
"Usually, I really like to hide the technology behind simple-looking sets," Pierre explains. "But this show was different. The set was intentionally very chaotic with all these towers and structures, so seeing the technology actually made sense. The fixtures, cables, and structural elements became part of that world."
Rather than overwhelming the audience with continuous brightness across the enormous rig, Pierre applied his core design philosophy: dynamics and restraint.
"Powerful music doesn't mean having everything turned on all the time. I actually like to do the opposite, create tension with very little, sometimes almost nothing, using darkness, silhouettes, and strong backlight, and then suddenly reveal the massive scale of the rig when the music calls for it."
Technical Scale & Advanced Studio Workflow
Executing a stadium show of this magnitude involves immense technical scale and data management:
- 750+ Lighting Fixtures: Featuring 452 GLP JDC1 Bursts, 104 Robe GigaPointes, 103 Chauvet PXL Curve 12s, 97 Ayrton MagicPanel FXs, and 12 Robe iForte LTXs.
- 100+ DMX Universes: Programmed seamlessly using a grandMA system alongside hardware NPUs.
- Multi-Department Integration: 92 lasers provided by ER Productions, extensive SFX, pyro, video, and PixMob crowd integration.
Previsualizing over 100 DMX universes smoothly from a personal studio setup was nearly impossible a few years ago. Pierre states that Depence bridges the gap between early design concepts and final console cues on site.
When programming high-energy electronic music in isolation, keeping track of performer and crowd dynamics is crucial. One of his favorite features in Depence is the movement of virtual characters.
"Seeing people moving in the visualization reminds you that performers and crowds bring their own energy to the stage. Sometimes it actually encourages me to simplify a lighting look because the stage is already alive with human movement."
A major benefit of this production was also the cross-department integration. Because the laser team and SFX crew were also using Depence, show files could be merged into a single virtual environment. The team was able to simulate lasers, video, and special effects directly within Depence, ensuring that lighting complemented other visual elements rather than competing with them.
In addition to realistic rendering, rapid response time from Syncronorm's library support played a key role during pre-production. When rare or custom fixtures were needed, profiles were created and delivered within 48 hours. Furthermore, high-fidelity renders generated directly in Depence allowed to pitch creative concepts seamlessly to artist management.
Despite the massive scale of the show, sustainability remained a priority. Pierre strongly advocated for sourcing equipment locally through Swedish supplier Soundforce, avoiding the need to haul dozens of trucks across Europe for a one-off stadium production. Soundforce successfully delivered the immense quantities of fixtures while also setting up dedicated Depence previs studios on-site for late-night programming adjustments.
Though extreme weather unfortunately forced the cancellation of one of the two planned nights, seeing months of pre-visualization come alive for thousands of fans in the stadium was an unforgettable experience.
When asked to summarize Depence in three words, Pierre kept it simple:
"Game changer. And: MERCI!"
Photos by: Edward odb & Tom Anirae
Renderings by: Pierre Claude
