As premium festival producers, BDO Presents and C3 Presents in association with Sounds Australia and the Screen Producers Association of Australia are here to motivate the next level of show, stage and digital design; to help break the down the fourth wall between artists and audience.

Motivated by recent work such Tupac hologram, Coldplay LED wrist bands and historically Roger Waters ‘The Wall’ we are capitalising on the 3 separate weeks of Film, Interactive and Music conferences at SXSW to present the inaugural Wide Open Road and the The Big Day Out Evolution Grant.

The Big Day Out Evolution Grant will be awarded to collective groups who combine film making, digital interactive and music production to create a new annual innovation, invention or theatrical event. Executive Director, Matthew Deaner of SPAA says “SPAA is delighted to be partnering with Sounds Australia and the Big Day Out on this event at SXSW. This initiative encourages creative collaboration between Australian independent producers and content creators of film, interactive media and music and it provides an opportunity for these creative industries to work together on a project that engages and excites audiences in a way they have never experienced before.”

“Australia is a large country and full of people with amazing and progressive ideas. SXSW creates an event each year that attracts a lot of these minds into one city. Our hope is that Wide Open Road will bring creatives from all across Australia together in one room and that it becomes an incubator for new fresh and progressive collaborations across all 3 mediums.” Millie Millgate, Sounds Australia

Introducing: THE BIG DAY OUT EVOLUTION GRANT
A $20,000 Development Grant for innovations and invention using interactive, film and production in the advancement of the live music experience.

“We are at an important live production crossroads. Advances in multimedia production are enabling live performances to bring all of the power of film making to the stage, from projection, to lighting to even 3D. Advances in audience engagement, encompassing feedback, physical tracking, mobile technology, and social media have the potential to bring the audience into an artists stage show in ways that we can only imagine.” Adam Zammit, CEO, Big Day Out

Traditional show design has worked in a single direction; from artist to audience; The audience to artist connection has been limited; applause, or vocalisation. Most modern technology usage, for example Coldplay’s recent shows with LED stage is limited to one direction. The Big Day Out Evolution Grant is designed to encourage collaborations that produce innovations that create a robust feedback loop encompassing the artist and the audience, that has the potential to bring the person the furthest from the stage right onto it.

It is time for forward thinking production and show designers to work with the leading interactive producers to take advantage of the potential of this feedback loop. It is time to create storyfied content, to produce interactive film, video, holograph and light shows that go beyond displaying a twitter feed on a screen. It is time to listen to the audience do more than scream out ‘one more’. It is time reach out across the pit and bring the audience into the show. 

Wide Open Road at SXSW 2013. Tuesday March 12, at Holy Mountain – 617 E 7th St Austin. Featuring live performance by 360.

More Information can be found here: www.bigdayout.com