PRG and Levitation 29 Join Forces with Surrey NanoSystems to Bring Vantablack® Super-Black Coatings to the Stage and Screen
Creators are invited to experience the future of technical black at world's first Vantablack demo space in the New York metro area
LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Production Resources Group LLC, (PRG) Levitation 29 and Surrey NanoSystems announce today that they are partnering to bring Vantablack® super-black coatings and coated products to the global live entertainment and media sector.
Originally developed for space applications, Vantablack coatings absorb light uniformly from all angles and have very low reflectance. These characteristics offer the unique ability to alter the viewer's perception - making 3D objects look flat, things seemingly disappear and create the illusion of infinite depth. The partnership will grant creatives and set designers across the world access to the super-black technology that creates a far more immersive environment than standard black on stage and film sets, or even during live festival performances.
PRG will be exploring the technology's application across the markets it serves: music events, esports, television and film, corporate events, and theatre. It will open a demo space at its Secaucus, New Jersey Digital Studio showcasing Vantablack's unique properties and seed the imaginations of designers, content creators, filmmakers and DPs, and experiential agencies. The space will provide a first-hand experience of the impact that can be achieved when standard black is replaced with Vantablack.
Emma Laugier, CEO of Levitation 29 said, "Vantablack is one of those things that you have to see to believe. We invite the industry to come and experience the future of black with their own eyes and to let it feed their imagination. We are excited about what this partnership could unlock for live entertainment and events as well as broadcast TV and new audience formats."
PRG has a earned a reputation as the world's leading provider of live entertainment and events solutions, and the team at Levitation 29 have been at the forefront of innovation on stage and screen, using new materials and emerging technologies to create world firsts that have captured the public imagination. Levitation 29 and Surrey NanoSystems developed the world's blackest automobile for BMW and an immersive gaming experience for Activision's BlackOps 4. In 2019, the pair worked with PRG on a landmark project where they created a 40- foot high Vantablack monolith for the French Techno DJ and Producer, Gesaffelstein. The partners worked closely to deliver the split monolith which premiered at Coachella music festival and later toured North America, leaving audiences speechless and generating massive publicity.
"Having worked with Vantablack and seen its impact on audiences, we believe it will open up new creative possibilities for our customers," said Troy Atkinson, General Manager of PRG Scenic. "The potential here is expansive and game-changing for both live stage and filmed applications from creating total immersion as if in a black-hole, to things appearing to float in front of your eyes."
PRG is creating a Vantablack product based on its proprietary LED framing system – making it portable and scalable. It will soon become widely available to rent via its East and West coast hubs for quick deployment or can be custom made for permanent installation.
Ben Jensen, the inventor of Vantablack and CTO of Surrey NanoSystems says, "We've only just scratched the surface for super-black materials applied in entertainment and media. With the combined experience of Levitation 29 and PRG, many more people will experience the magic of super-black surfaces and 3D objects."
Register your interest in a PRG Secaucus Vantablack demonstration here.
About PRG
PRG is the world's leading provider of entertainment and event technology solutions and has the largest inventory of rental production equipment. PRG provides comprehensive and discreet services to an array of clients in the live music, TV/Film, Broadway, sports, gaming, corporate experiential and live events markets. Clients and partners depend on PRG's innovation, experience and depth of experience in audio, video, lighting, rigging, staging, and scenery and automation systems to bring their stories to life. With 70 offices across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia, PRG has capabilities to provide services worldwide. PRG is owned by The Jordan Company and GSO Capital Partners and PRG Management. For more information, please visit https://www.prg.com/.
About Levitation 29
Levitation 29 are a team of Engineers and Creatives who believe that there is a global pulse which resonates with technology and creativity to give us new experiences of people, places, spaces and things. They have been leading the charge on the creative use of technology for over 15 years: from wearable technology based special effects for the worlds biggest music artists to a Vantablack stage that set a new standard for black in the live entertainment industry.
Levitation 29 seeks out the most exciting emerging technologies and new materials, and forms partnerships with leading innovative companies to bring technological magic to the world stage.
About Surrey NanoSystems
UK based Surrey NanoSystems, the creator of the Vantablack range of super-black coatings, was founded in 2006 as a spinout from the University of Surrey. First released in 2014, the original Vantablack coating captured the world's attention as the darkest material ever created absorbing 99.965% of natural light. Today, the technology has developed into a range of super-black materials under the Vantablack brand. These coatings are used across a wide range of industries including space & defence, automotive safety, architecture, camera systems, luxury goods and works of art.
SOURCE Production Resource Group LLC
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