Entertainment will be tied to cutting-edge technology for good in the eyes of those behind the Inglewood building.
Musical shows have always been linked to spectacular technology. Showcasing elements such as indoor pyrotechnics, smoke, lasers, and others, the centres that home entertainment events are, by definition, the playground of new technologies. Lately, the focus has shifted heavily towards the visual side of things.
Acts such as Afterlife, Eric Prydz’s HOLO show, and recently, the Las Vegas Sphere, have gone above and beyond to show the leap in visual technology can be enormous, and that it is still an ore yet to be polished. Holographic projections, giant humanoid creatures, and even the attendees being surrounded by screens all over, all work towards immersing the audience into the moment.
SoFi Stadium Joins The Party
One of the most renowned entertainment places in the U.S., SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, not only onboarded the immersive tech train, but is also all for it. Even though the place has been used for music gigs such as Above & Beyond’s ABGT500, we can’t forget the site is primarily centred around sports. And the people behind the SoFi magic know their potential audience is a blend of both.
For a start, the Stadium already features a giant 70,000 square foot, dual-sided 4K LED Samsung Infinity Screen, elevated over 120 feet above the field. It’s used as the main attraction of the Stadium after the show or game happening down on the playfield. And even though it works flawlessly and even holds the entire sound system of the place, executives say there’s still room for more.
Travis Sampson, CTO at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, says efforts are being made alongside Samsung to ensure the experience of attending a show, or a game, at their buildings, is enhanced by a visual aspect. So much so, that you remember it for a while as something unique. “Immersive technology’s not going away“, he says. “How do we take [the Infinity Screen] and really make it part of the user experience and part of the customer experience? So, when you do come to a concert or a sporting event, it’s something that really stands out from everything else“.
“We want to create experiences that are immersive and so speculator, that [attendees will want to] say, ‘You were there.'”
-Travis Sampson
As more and more venues adopt the newest technology advancements, it seems to be the case that, in a future not far from today, immersive technology won’t be a surprise element anymore, but rather a must.
[H/T] The Hollywood Reporter
