Given the VMAs’ pop culture legacy, each year’s set must top the year’s prior. It has to wrap the audience into a fantasy, support musical performances, tug at MTV fans' nostalgia, & incentivize the audience to engage social media. Our solution: Augmented Reality

Our use of Augmented Reality (AR) made history. It was the 1st time in the US that an award show depended on AR for show's duration. We used AR to extend sections of the set over the audience; to announce nominations; to capture the audience’s attention. We used AR to enrich performances by Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande,& Shawn Mendes, the latter for whom we transformed Radio City's ceiling into a stormy midnight sky

Our AR seamlessly blurred the lines between physical material & computer-generated, which allowed for those at home to feel immersed in the experience. For Shawn Mendes’ finale, as the AR-generated storm reached crescendo, actual rain poured down on stage. (The “real” set elements had special sensors that acted as a GPS system to communicate with and detect the AR components)

Because the brief asked for a set that celebrated the VMA’s return to NYC & Radio City, our set design focused on round, organic shapes, inspired by the venue's curved archways & circular interior. The stage: a giant oval that stretched out into the auditorium and created several areas to perform. We also made the MTV Moonperson out of LED lights—a rendering that blended MTV’s iconic trophy with the great Statue of Liberty