Do We Need One of These?

How a lighting sale turned into our first virtual concert.

It started with a stage light on sale and a question I probably shouldn't have asked my son.

The reasonable thing to do would have been to laugh and move on.

Instead, we ordered two.

The Next Logical Step

The original idea was simple enough. Add some moving stage lights to our recordings. A little color, some atmosphere, maybe make the videos look more like live performances.

There was one small problem.

We didn't actually have a stage.

But we did have a green screen, and we'd spent months experimenting with virtual backgrounds.

What if we built one?

Not just another background for a single song, but a virtual concert venue we could return to. Somewhere we could record individual performances and eventually bring them together into something resembling a concert.

And if we were going to build an arena, we might as well do it properly.

We started working out the stage design, planning lighting changes, and imagining how the whole thing might look during a performance.

🔥 There may have been plans involving flames. 🔥

We even gave the place a name.

Blackout Arena

And since we were already getting carried away, why not try something different with the recording itself?

Our green screen wasn’t going away, but a black backdrop could give us another option. The plan was to record with real stage lighting, then experiment with new editing techniques to blend the performance into our virtual arena.

So we ordered a black backdrop, too.

Now we had an arena, a lighting plan, and a new recording technique to try.

What we didn't have was any of the new equipment.

Opening Night

We chose Fleetwood Mac's The Chain for our first performance.

With its slow buildup, mounting tension, that unmistakable bass line, and explosive finish, it seemed like a fitting way to debut an imaginary arena.

By the time we were ready to record, Blackout Arena was taking shape.

Unfortunately, imagining an arena was considerably easier than getting the equipment delivered.

So we improvised.

Out came the familiar green screen. We used the smart bulbs already in the room, combining blue and amber lighting to match the colors of our virtual stage.

I played the bass. My son brought the arena to life.

And somehow, it all came together.

There I was, performing The Chain in a virtual arena, surrounded by concert lighting, on a stage that didn't exist.

We'd successfully recorded our first arena performance.

Without the stage lights that had inspired the entire project.

Or the black backdrop we'd planned to try.

Not quite how we'd envisioned opening night, but it worked.

We wrapped up the session, admired what we'd accomplished, and got ready to call it a day.

Just as my son was being picked up, the black backdrop finally arrived.

Of course it did.