A 3rd Dimension to Live Concerts
The abandoned warehouse they performed in is the studios of Internet video outfit ManiaTV, which streamed the performance live via its Internet TV network. The live video stream was only the second dimension to this concert.
What made this Denver concert different is that it was also simulcasted in the popular virtual world Second Life. This concert was an attempt to merge the three platforms–live, Internet and virtual world–into one common experience.
According to Tantra World Wide, who conceived of and produced the Denver event, the goal was to be totally seamless through the three platforms. Multiple camera angles were used for the Internet stream on ManiaTV and a special Second Life “cam” was used to splice the shots of the different bands’ avatars performing in the virtual world. At the same time, for viewers jamming to the concert in one of the 25 venues within Second Life, they also saw streaming video of the live concert from a large screen behind the virtual “stage.” Additionally, the live audience could see what was happening on all platforms on the 25 TV monitors set up throughout the space.
Time lag in Second Life, ticketing and controlling the artists’ avatars all posed minor setbacks to the “seamless” experience, but overall it was a breakthrough for concerts to come. An upcoming concert, Live Earth will be broadcast worldwide through multiple media channels – TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels. Read more about Live Earth.