Telestron DTLA
January 2019 ––In January of 2019, VT Pro Design and Mr. Munkowitz re-released their Telestron experience at The Row in Downtown Los Angeles. The robotic installation was up for a little over a month and over 8,000 Los Angelino’s came through the space to experience the enhanced version of it.
Conceptually, at its foundation, the installation was an exploration of the absence and presence of light and how it defines a space. The team wanted to play with dramatic scale, and to do so they employed two Quantec KR150s as Robotic Conductors, wielding large, fabricated geometric shades to manipulate the various light sources and cast brilliant arrays of graphic shadow work throughout the space. They upgraded the show for The Row to be more immersive, adding more synchronized lighting fixtures and laser projectors around the perimeter of the space to embellish the ambient lighting states, and as a result amplified the user experience even further – creating a more sculptural and geometric installation for the masses.
Conceptually, at its foundation, the installation was an exploration of the absence and presence of light and how it defines a space. The team wanted to play with dramatic scale, and to do so they employed two Quantec KR150s as Robotic Conductors, wielding large, fabricated geometric shades to manipulate the various light sources and cast brilliant arrays of graphic shadow work throughout the space. They upgraded the show for The Row to be more immersive, adding more synchronized lighting fixtures and laser projectors around the perimeter of the space to embellish the ambient lighting states, and as a result amplified the user experience even further – creating a more sculptural and geometric installation for the masses.
The Series
–– 02Munkowitz, with his Fujifilm GFX50s and 23mm GF lens, made it a point to capture the show photographically in a new way, using long exposures to create phantoms of streaking light from the machines actions. He also sought to maximize the depth of the space to reinterpret the show with a fresh take on the depth of the space – capturing angles that were unavailable during their inaugural show in Houston, Texas in 2017 by getting behind the pools of water to capture both the robots and all the lighting fixtures in frame and focusing on how the volumetric light became sculptural and defined the architecture of the space.
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Day For Night 2017
–– 03The Day For Night Festival is one of the premier Art and Music events in the United States – where every year the pinnacle of talent showcase their latest creations for 20,000 eager Houstonians who descend into an abandoned Mail sorting facility to have their minds blown. VT Pro Design, having successfully debuted their epic creation Bardo in 2016, predictably were asked to return in 2017 to exhilarate audiences once again. This time around, VT Pro’s creative director Michael Fullman reached out to his favorite Mr. Munkowitz to collaborate on an entirely new concept – a spectacle of immersive theater at a scale that would inspire and propel beyond anything they’ve done before.
At its foundation, the installation was an exploration of the absence and presence of light and how it defines a space. The team wanted to play with dramatic scale, and to do so they employed two Kuka 210’s as Robotic Conductors, wielding large, fabricated geometric shades to manipulate the various light sources and cast brilliant arrays of graphic shadow work throughout the space.
Conceptually, they wanted to recreate one of the ancient world’s most sought-after immersive experiences, invoking a ritual that harnessed the spiritual forces of nature to create a transformative experience. This ritual was housed in a darkened chamber called the Telestron (an adaptation of the original Telesterion), deployed cutting-edge robotic and light projection technology to bring the audience into an experience of the diurnal cycle (sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight). In other words – a complete Day for Night.
At its foundation, the installation was an exploration of the absence and presence of light and how it defines a space. The team wanted to play with dramatic scale, and to do so they employed two Kuka 210’s as Robotic Conductors, wielding large, fabricated geometric shades to manipulate the various light sources and cast brilliant arrays of graphic shadow work throughout the space.
Conceptually, they wanted to recreate one of the ancient world’s most sought-after immersive experiences, invoking a ritual that harnessed the spiritual forces of nature to create a transformative experience. This ritual was housed in a darkened chamber called the Telestron (an adaptation of the original Telesterion), deployed cutting-edge robotic and light projection technology to bring the audience into an experience of the diurnal cycle (sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight). In other words – a complete Day for Night.
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Telestron DTLA Credit List
Production Design: VTProDesign
Creative Direction: Michael Fullman, Bradley G Munkowitz
Concept Writer: Stephen Marshall
Touch Designer Programming: Matt Wachter
Lighting Design: Gabe Fraboni, Sam Paine Technical Design: Harry Souders, Jack Gilmore
Production Management: Hayk Khanjian, Nico Yernazian
Robot Animation & Previs: Jordan Ariel, Akiko Yamashita
Design Assistant: David Gao
Cinematographers: Andrew Curtis, Aaron Marcellino
Photographer: Bradley G Munkowitz
Editor: Jordan Ariel
Colorist: Billy Hobson
Composer: SoundsRED
Production Design: VTProDesign
Creative Direction: Michael Fullman, Bradley G Munkowitz
Concept Writer: Stephen Marshall
Touch Designer Programming: Matt Wachter
Lighting Design: Gabe Fraboni, Sam Paine Technical Design: Harry Souders, Jack Gilmore
Production Management: Hayk Khanjian, Nico Yernazian
Robot Animation & Previs: Jordan Ariel, Akiko Yamashita
Design Assistant: David Gao
Cinematographers: Andrew Curtis, Aaron Marcellino
Photographer: Bradley G Munkowitz
Editor: Jordan Ariel
Colorist: Billy Hobson
Composer: SoundsRED