Tenth International Conference on The Image

Abstract

In the hubbub prior to the appearance of the artist at a concert, the pre-show teaser competes with many other areas of immersion. Discussion flows freely as members of the public try to analyze the visual before them and anticipate what is coming. This paper looks at video trailers, film adverts, and other types of pre-show entertainment to better clarify the position of the pre-show video teaser. Phenomenology, qualitative research and lived experience are used to examine the rise of minimalist video, as a pre-show teaser, in pop and rock concerts visiting Auckland, New Zealand. The paper asks where this sub-genre of stage design began and why it has only recently started to appear in pop and rock concerts? It seeks to generate a further dialogue of this expanding area, so as to highlight the importance of this immersive theatrical device in the creation of memorable experiences, anticipation, and connection between audience and performer. In particular, the paper examines two specific pre-show teasers. “Adele’s Closed Eyes,” designed by Es Devlin for an “Adele Live” concert, March 2017, and “Woman at the Beach” designed by TAIT for the Roger Waters/Pink Floyd “Us and Them” concert, Jan 2018.