THORNVILLE, OH – Fans of Secret Dreams, of which there many, with more added all the time, like to say that they aren’t just “at” this summer festival, but are actually “living” inside it. Such is the power that this three-day celebration of music, art, culture and solidarity has to draw people into the magic of the moment.

This immersive vibe extended beyond the gently rolling hills of the festivals 230-acree grounds with their interactive art activities and yoga classes. The same absorbing, engaging quality also radiated from its main stage, thanks to a deep, multi-dimension lighting, video and production design that featured over 100 CHAUVET Professional fixtures from The Design Oasis.

Lighting designer Alex “Herm” Schneider of Herm Productions collaborated with John Hollingshead of The Design Oasis, Antic Studios for video, and Matthew J. Kator who did the original concept and drawings, to create a production that drew festival goers into the roughly 160-foot-wide (not including the crowd wings past the video walls) main stage connecting them closely to the performances of artists like Pretty Lights, Tipper, Lotus, Papadosio, and others during the three day festival.

With trims ranging from 31-to-40-feet, the roofed stage afforded visiting LDs ample room to create intriguing, multi-dimensional looks for their clients. Directing light against the stage roof accented the depth of the stage. The 3D effect of the stage was also amplified by the arrangement of fixtures with the angled video walls provided by Antic Studios. Positioning the main video wall upstage of the artists created even more depth. (There were also downstage video walls, as well as angled side and DJ booth walls designed by Antic Studios.)

The lighting fixtures themselves were flown high or positioned to either side of the stage , leaving ample space in the middle. “Given that we had many guest VJs who don’t normally like to see fixtures within their video space, we flew everything out of the way to keep everyone happy,” said Schneider.

Playing a prominent role in the lighting rig were 22 Maverick Storm 1 Hybrid, 24 Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash, and eight Maverick Storm 2 Profile fixtures, flown on three rows of overhead truss and arranged along the stage deck.

Also anchoring the lighting rig were 48 Color STRIKE M fixtures, which filled a variety of roles. “They gave a wash of color that could be tilted to wash the stage roof and video wall,” Schneider said of the motorized strobe-wash. “They also provided the LDs with plenty of strobe options, and they illuminated the aerialists who performed stage left and right. On top of that, we had them behind the upstage video wall to add depth and give a dramatic dimension of light coming through the wall.”

In addition to transforming the main stage, CHAUVET Professional contributed to the dynamic looks on Stage 2 with 18 Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes and 12 Maverick Storm 2 Profile fixtures, and eight Color STRIKE M motorized strobes.

The entire festival site glowed, but it was the main stage with its deep 3D looks that took the sense of immersion that defines Secret Dreams to another level. Schneider is quick to credit his colleagues for creating the rigging that made these looks possible. “Rigging was a challenge on the wing fixtures, but John Hollingshead with The Design Oasis made some great last minute decisions on these problems and the rig came together nicely,” he said. “Credit too to the entire team including rigging lead Will Roth, Bew Productions for the infrastructure, Shpongle rigging and staging, PM Chis Salvato and everyone else involved.”

Not surprisingly from a festival that brings people together, the captivating looks at Secret Dreams was the result of a cohesive team effort!