Immersive Redwood The Musical on Broadway, crafted with Unreal Engine, seemingly overwhelmed spectators with a three-dimensional digital "woodland enveloping the viewers"
In a recent chat with the masterminds behind the revolutionary Broadway spectacle, Redwood: The Musical, I was blown away by the fusion of stage magic and digital wizardry that powers the show. Take a gander at our exclusive interview with the show's geniuses above!
Redwood: The Musical made its grand debut at the venerated Nederlander Theater in Manhattan last month. Helmed by the ever-brilliant Idina Menzel, who's earned the title "Broadway's Queen" for her unstoppable work in shows like RENT, Wicked, and her stint with Disney in Enchanted and Frozen, the show doesn't disappoint.
Another jaw-dropping aspect of Redwood: The Musical is the mesmerizing visual effects that immerse the audience into the heart of New York City (just beyond the theater's walls), and the breathtaking Redwood forests of California.
Join me as I catch up with Chelsea Zalikowski (Redwood's production video), Cheyenne Doczi (video programmer), and Emily Malone (head of live events at Disguise) in the video above.
Disguise, a London-based "Visual Experience" company, supplies the tools that make these visuals possible. Disguise has been bringing immersive video installations to the big screen for over two decades, seen in films like the 2024 blockbuster Daddio starring Sean Penn, as well as live shows and concerts.
Besides Disguise's tools, the crew behind Redwood employed software familiar to many of our readers, such as the Adobe suite, particularly Adobe After Effects. After Effects was key in post-production tasks, like compositing and polishing visual effects, as well as adding the finishing touches to ensure the visuals harmonized with the overall show aesthetic.
To create the digital forest, the team turned to Unreal Engine. Their goal was to craft a digital forest that appears to swallow the audience whole, promising a totally immersive experience. With Unreal Engine, they managed to build a realistic and engaging digital environment, right down to the smallest leaf[1][3].
This symphony of technologies blends digital elements seamlessly into the live performance, promising audiences an unforgettable experience in the world of Redwood: The Musical. For more insights into how digital tools are empowering artists and designers, check out our interview with the team behind Amazon's Fallout TV show, which made use of UE5. Learn about the best game development software and 3D modeling software in our guide!
[1] https://www.disguise.one/overview-redwood-the-musical/[3] https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/case-studies/redwood-the-musical
- The digital forests in Redwood: The Musical were created using Unreal Engine, a software aiming to immerse the audience by making the digital forest appear as if it's swallowing them whole.
- Adobe After Effects, a familiar software to many, played a crucial role in the post-production tasks of Redwood: The Musical, including compositing, polishing visual effects, and ensuring visual harmony with the show's aesthetic.
- Disguise, a London-based company specializing in "Visual Experiences," supplies the tools that make the visuals in Redwood: The Musical possible, and has been delivering immersive video installations for over two decades.
- Emily Malone, head of live events at Disguise, was among the Redwood: The Musical crew collaborating on the show's astonishing visual effects.
- Cheyenne Doczi served as the video programmer for Redwood: The Musical and contributed to the mesmerizing visuals that transport the audience into the heart of New York City.
- Chelsea Zalikowski was responsible for the production video of Redwood: The Musical, adding her creative touch to the groundbreaking fusion of stage magic and digital wizardry that powers the show.
- Artificial Intelligence was not directly mentioned in creating Redwood: The Musical, but its presence can be seen in the broader entertainment industry as an emerging tool that empowers artists and designers to push the limits of creativity and storytelling.
