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Datum Creative and Elation Pulse Bar pay tribute to NYC skyline at We Belong Here

We Belong Here has been uniting EDM lovers on Miami’s Virginia Key Beach for the past three years and has now hosted their first-ever festival experience in New York City amid Central Park’s greenery and panoramic skyline views. Held October 4-6 at historic Wollman Rink, design collective Datum Creative created an immersive 360-degree experience for festival-goers, including a visual tribute to the city’s skyline using Elation Pulse Bar strobe and effect lights.

The We Belong Here festival, known for its “no video” policy, provided Datum Creative the opportunity to design a stage that was as visually impactful as the panoramic views surrounding it. On the southern end of Central Park, the lighting and production team utilized a series of 26 staggered truss towers lined with Pulse Bars to mimic the verticality of New York’s skyline.

Datum Creative wanted to do more than simply mirror the surrounding high-rises. “We didn’t want to just copy the skyline, but rather give it a nod”, says David Singleton, Creative Director at Datum Creative. “We’re based in New York, so we often went on-site with pen and paper to sketch out designs - that’s how it was originally conceived.”

With performances by headliners Kaskade, Fisher, and Monolink, along with other acts, the event’s signature 360° stage allowed attendees to encircle the stage and immerse themselves in the festival’s atmosphere. “You’re not just looking at the stage all the time but moving through the space”, says Singleton. “We created a truss circle system with custom 40-ft diameter roof that organizers will now use on all We Belong Here shows.” Gracing the circle truss were Elation Proteus Maximus and Proteus Rayzor 760 fixtures.

“Our approach was all about creating something dynamic that could work both day and night”, adds Singleton. “You’re not going to see any beams until it is dark, so we thought of how we could do something interesting visually that would also work during the day. That’s where the Pulse Bars came into play. We ran effects pixel for pixel, using about 78 universes to create layers of effects that were visible throughout the day and into the night.”

The staggered heights of the truss towers (the tallest at 24 feet), filled with Pulse Bars, wrapped around the stage in a 180-degree array that followed the natural shape of the rink itself. “Their versatility - whether used as blinders, strobes, or simple background lighting - was key to maintaining the aesthetic of the show throughout the entire day.”

In collaboration with Technical Arts Group (TAG), the lighting vendor for the project, Datum Creative used 120 Pulse BarS, both long and short versions, to achieve their vision. The gear’s IP65 rating ensured that all lighting fixtures could withstand outdoor elements, a crucial factor given the event’s rain-or-shine policy. TAG provided all production materials for the show, including the sound, lighting, staging, and structure, along with all lead department staff.

“With only sixty hours from trucks unloading to the first guest entering the venue, we needed to make sure we had a 24-hour team of leadership there getting things built and completed quickly and efficiently”, states TAG owner Kevin Mignone. “Our team spent weeks leading up to the show in prep and pre-production, fine-tuning every detail of the schedule and gear to ensure the deployment could happen within the timeframe we had.”

The Proteus Maximus units served as workhorse beam fixtures with gobos and were placed in various locations around the site to create layered visuals. The Proteus Rayzor 760 fixtures were used primarily as keylights and to define the circle truss, all run in pixel mode to generate eye-candy looks throughout the event.

“We’re always thinking outside the box with multi-layered and multi-dimensional designs”, says Singleton. “The Maximus and Rayzor 760 gave us the flexibility to achieve both symmetrical and asymmetrical looks. It’s important to give lighting designers something different to work with, and the variety we created on this stage made it a really fun project.” Datum’s Brandon Jeffries served as the on-site lead, while Renzo Cubus took charge as the lead programmer, handling the majority of the show’s lighting operation.

(Photos: Datum Creative)

www.datumcreative.com

www.elationlighting.com

www.taglive.com

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